Chapter 5

Laurie

Friday 2 pm.

The radio crackles to life, and I nearly jump out of my skin.

“Come in Tower Two Niner.”

Parker bolts upright and we both stare at each other until the radio operator speaks again.

“Parker? Laurie? Come in please.”

Parker’s eyes meet mine. “Are you going to answer that, or am I?”

I know what he’s asking. Whoever answers is in charge. I swallow hard, suddenly aware we’re both buck naked and entirely visible should anyone happen to come up here.

With the rain pouring so hard, I wouldn’t even know it until they were knocking on the door.

What the hell is wrong with me? I came here to avoid a man, not start up something with another one.

I get to my feet and grab the closest item of clothing I can find and tug it over my body as Parker gets his pants off the bed.

I catch a glimmer of guilt on his face as he pulls them on, and stalks toward the radio.

He picks it up and leans over the desk as he answers. “Parker here. No notable changes here.”

“Roger that.”

I perch on the side of the bed, toe tapping as I look him over. This is the last call of the day.

We’ll be completely alone and unbothered until tomorrow morning at ten am.

After a quick exchange, he signs off and turns to look at me. “Looks like we’re off duty until tomorrow morning.”

I nod as he takes a seat beside me and brushes a strand of wet hair behind my ear.

He leans in to kiss me but pauses a fraction away from my lips. His eyes lock on to mine. “It’s not going to be easy,” he says.

I tilt my head and frown at him. “What isn’t?”

A smile twitches at his lips. “Trying to convince Carlos you escaped when my back was turned.”

I suck in a breath, heart starting to pound against my ribcage. “Are you serious?”

He exhales slowly and nods. “I’m going to need you to tell me the truth first.”

I stare at him, fear creeping through me as I try to find the words to explain without giving myself away.

“I can’t tell you everything. You won’t believe me if I do.”

He drops his hand and places it on my bare knee. “Try me.”

My throat is closing over, and I have to choke out the words. I know I won’t be able to get the words out if I’m looking at him, so I turn so I’m looking out the window.

“I’d never met anyone like Carlos before. He promised me the world.”

Memories flood in, unwanted and unwelcome, and my throat closes over.

I swallow and watch the rain dripping down the windowpane. “I was broke, living in a dump, going hungry and about to miss a payment on my student loan. He offered me a job.”

I can barely speak. And to tell him too much now will be pointless anyway. “When my trial was up, he gave me a promotion.”

I stare down at the floorboards and try to keep my voice from shaking. “But there were conditions. Expectations.”

Parker stiffens beside me but stays silent as I find the strength to say what I’ve been trying to forget the last two months.

“I owe him. He’s made that clear. One day I’ll have to pay him back.”

Parker speaks for the first time since I started talking. “How’d you end up here?”

I release a shaky breath. “I don’t know. That’s the truth. I woke up in this bed with a handwritten note from Carlos.”

I choke on a bitter laugh as I finally find the courage to look at Parker. “He gave me strict instructions, but it’s the closest thing to freedom I’ve had in almost six years,” I say.

A dark look crosses over his face and his voice comes out a rumbled growl. “What were the instructions?”

“I can’t go to town. I can exercise, and hike, and I have to watch for fires, and any signs of trespassers.”

Parker’s jaw clenches and he looks furious. He shakes his head and gets to his feet so abruptly I topple and have to right myself.

With his face creased in irritation, he starts to pace, looking like a caged animal. “That’s not how he spun it.”

He stops pacing and stands staring at me. “You still aren’t telling me everything are you?”

Cold spills down my back as the words tumble from my mouth. “I can’t,” I say.

He frowns hard and crosses his arms over his bare chest. “Then we’re back to square one, aren’t we?”

I can’t answer that. Because we both know we are. We both know sooner or later he’ll have to decide where his loyalty lies.

I can only hope that by the time Monday morning arrives, Parker will have picked me.

***

Parker

What started out as an easy job has turned into the hottest, most confusing experience of my life.

Laurie is doing my head in. I’m not sure I can trust a word out of her mouth. But the things she can do with that mouth, and the glimmers of truth I’m catching, make me want to do whatever it takes to keep her with me.

I came here to bring her home, then stay out here. But I’m beginning to suspect Carlos had an agenda that goes beyond locking Laurie up.

I take a seat at the desk and try to work through my options.

I could stay here and enjoy the last few days we can spend together, or I can get her in the vehicle, and take her back to Carlos now.

I risk a look at Laurie, and at the way my chest tightens, I know if I stay here, it’s going to be even harder to make a call.

She’s too tempting. She’s too willing to complicate this already complicated situation.

I need to take a step back, distance myself from her so I can think of a lateral move that serves everyone.

What I need is clarification and assurance Laurie is just being overly dramatic.

I shoot a look at the bag I brought with me then rise to my feet. Laurie’s eyes stay on me as I sit beside her. “I need to speak with Carlos. A few things aren’t adding up.”

She swallows hard, hope etched on her face. “So, I stay here while you make the call?”

I shake my head. “No way. You come with me. Maybe you speak to Carlos yourself. Put an end to this shit.”

Her face pales and she visibly shrinks back. “What’s to stop you from driving me all the way back to him?”

I exhale slowly and reach for her hand and make sure I look her dead in the eye. “You have my word I won’t force you to go anywhere you don’t want to willingly go.”

She doesn’t look convinced, but she breathes out a sigh. “Do we have to go right now? Can’t we stay longer?”

I know what she’s suggesting. And normally I’d be up for a few more days of hot sex with a beautiful woman, but I’m risking too much staying here.

“The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can resolve it.”

Her face falls and she pulls her hand from mine. “That’s what you’re hoping for? Resolution? I guess I should have expected that.”

She shakes her head and stomps away from me, and starts grabbing clothing, books and throwing them on the bed.

In between grabbing and throwing items in my direction so hard I have to dodge them; she’s also muttering a variety of insults that attack my integrity and my character.

Since it’s obvious she’s packing to leave because she doesn’t believe me, I get off the bed, and grab her before she can throw something else at me. “Leave your stuff here. We’re coming back.”

She stiffens in my grip. “I don’t believe you.”

I growl low and plant a kiss on her lips before I release her. “I just need to make a phone call. That’s all. One call we come back here and figure things out. Together.”

She blinks rapidly, her lips pursed, and brow knotted as if she doesn’t understand what I’m saying.

Shit, even I don’t know what I’m saying. One day with this woman and she’s turned my world upside down.

I shake my head and try to shake off my doubt as she steps closer. “Together?”

I swallow hard, heart jumping around in my chest as she searches my face like she’ll find the answer there.

Ignoring every warning firing in my brain, I pull her into me and nod. “You and me,” I say.

Her eyes fill and unfamiliar dread spreads through me. I can’t give her up. Not now. She’s incredible. Unpredictable, wild. Everything I never thought I’d want or need in a woman.

I should stick to what I said. I shouldn’t kiss her again. But my body is ignoring all the warnings my brain is sending, and I just want to comfort her.

I kiss her gently and run my hand through her hair as a single tear drips down her cheek. “The phone call can wait. We’ll keep the truce going for now.”

She gives me a teary nod, and kisses me so fiercely, so hungrily, I know I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.

Why the fuck should I? We both have a major problem waiting outside this lookout.

The more time I spend with Laurie, the more I’m beginning to suspect she’s hiding from more than a possessive ex-boyfriend.

But for now, any questions will have to wait while I earn her trust.

This is a sanctuary and I aim to make the most of my time in it. I step back and give her what I hope is a reassuring smile. “Aside from the shower, what else is there to do around here for fun?”

***

Laurie

Still reeling from his unexpected turn around, I just watch him, stunned he may actually be willing to go against Carlos.

The rain seems to be easing slightly as I watch Parker start looking through the collection of games, and books.

He grabs a deck of cards and gestures to the table. “Want to play a game?”

I shrug. “You’d have to teach me. I only know solitaire.”

He smiles and takes a seat at the table. “Your folks didn’t teach you?”

Pain crushes in as I force a weak smile. “They weren’t around long enough.”

He eyes me as he shuffles the deck. “Where’d you grow up?”

I drag my fingers through my still damp hair before I answer. “If we’re going to talk about me, I’ll need a drink or two first. And I don’t have anything”

He gives me a half-smile and gets off his chair. While I take a seat and try to think of how to tell him about my life, he opens his bag and pulls out a bottle of amber liquid.

He grabs two glasses from the dish rack, retakes his seat and grins at me. “Problem solved.”

I pull the bottle closer and grimace as I see it’s a bottle of scotch. I twist off the top and pour two measures.

With my eyes on him, I down it, and nearly choke as liquid fire burns down my throat.

I screw my face up but refill my glass again and ask my own question. “Tell me about your parents.”

He sips his drink, keeping his eyes on me. “Not a lot to tell really. My mom is Hawaiian. She met my dad and they got married a month later. They’re pretty happy. Very religious. Very proud I wanted to serve.”

I take a sip and try to cover my shudder. “Your parents got married that quick?”

He nods. “Yeah. Mom said it was love at first sight.”

That gets my attention. “Do you think that can happen?”

He takes another drink and shrugs. But there’s something in the way he looks at me that makes me wonder.

“What does your dad do?”

Parker scratches his chin stubble. “He’s a corn farmer. He runs his family business with his brother back in North Dakota.”

I nod as though I know what that means. “You didn’t want to be a farmer?”

He stiffens a little then shakes his head. “Actually, I did. I would have been happy working the land. But dad wanted me to see the world and get an education.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Sounds like a good dad?”

Parker gives me a wistful smile. “He is.”

I suffer through another mouthful of liquor as I try to find more questions to stave off answering his.

“Why aren’t you going back to work on the farm then? Why work for Carlos?”

His gaze drops, and he starts to toy with the glass. “Your turn.”

I brace myself as he pours himself another glass and sits back waiting.

I swallow hard and take another large gulp before I can answer. “My mom was a teenager when she had me. My dad stuck around for the first few weeks, then came and went whenever he needed a place to sleep.”

I wait for his reply but he’s just sitting, waiting for more, so I carry on as if each word doesn’t reopen the gaping hole inside.

“In between my father coming and going, she had a series of asshole boyfriends.”

I take another gulp and feel my head start to spin. “I never realized how bad things were until I went to a friend’s place when I was ten, and they had a full refrigerator, a clean house, and their mom wasn’t nursing a hangover and smoking a joint.”

Bitterness creeps through me as I run my finger around the glass. “I told my friend some stuff about boyfriends' mom had. A few weeks later, Social Services came around and told me mom was neglecting my care.”

I shake my head as stupid tears spring to my eyes. “I had this dumb idea if I told the truth, I could go live with my friend’s family. Her mom was so nice, so kind, always ready with a smile and a hug.”

A tear escapes before I can catch it, and I swipe it away. “I ended up bouncing around foster homes until I was old enough to get a job.”

I take another drink, and know I’m starting to get drunk when my head starts to spin.

“I worked in every shitty diner, every low rent dive until I got lucky and found a nice restaurant.”

“And that’s where you met Carlos?”

I nod.

He runs his hand over his face and looks more than perturbed. “You know I’m older than you, right?” he mutters.

I sit back in my chair and meet his eye when he finally looks at me again. “What does that have to do with anything?”

He eyes me and folds his brawny arms across his chest. “What are you? Twenty-five?”

My skin is heating and I’m not sure if it’s the alcohol or the way he’s questioning me. “Twenty-six,” I lie.

He releases a pained breath. “I’m nearly ten years older than you.”

I narrow my eyes. “That’s it? That’s all the information you’re giving me about yourself? You’re older than I am?”

He pours himself another glass and looks at me so intensely a chill ripples pleasantly through me. “What else do you want to know?”

I huff out a breath. “I bared my soul. It’s your turn.”

He sits back. “Not much to tell. I try to play straight at everything I do. Don’t cheat on tests or girlfriends. Pay my taxes on time. Try to keep my head down and stay out of trouble.”

I snort a laugh. “Are you kidding me? That’s not baring your soul. That’s condensing and watering down your entire existence without divulging anything meaningful.”

His lip curls and a flash of annoyance crosses over his face. “How’s this for baring my soul. Until this morning, I didn’t believe in love at first sight. Now I’m not so damn sure.”

He pushes back from the table and shakes his head. “I’m going to go call Carlos. Stay here.”

My jaw slackens and I’m so surprised I don’t even move when he walks out the door into the rain.

***

Parker

Rain slams into my face as I make my way back to my vehicle. What was I thinking? Telling her that?

This woman is making my head hurt. She’s so damn beautiful, so damn fragile, I want to throw her over my shoulder and force her to come away with me.

I don’t want to take her to Carlos. I don’t want her to leave. I can’t think with her sitting looking at me like I can fix this for her.

I want to fix it. I want to break it. I want to tell her everything will be okay. That I’ll find a way to make this right for her.

But I can’t. I can’t because I know she’s still lying to me. I know it just like I know I’m damn well falling for her.

I yank the door open and slide behind the wheel before I release a curse.

I turn the ignition over and spin the wheel in the dirt, so I’m facing the track again.

I ease my foot on the accelerator and turn my windshield wipers on to compete with the rain.

I don’t look in my rearview as I drive down the treelined access track.

My thoughts are still scattered when I reach the base of the mountain where I’ll get cell coverage.

I pull over beside an old oak tree and reach for the cell I left in my glovebox.

With my heart thumping too fast, I dial the number Carlos left, and clear my throat, ready to get a dressing down.

I nearly jump out of my skin when he answers before it even rings. “If you’re calling me, I’ll assume it’s because she’s giving you trouble?” he asks.

I run my hand over my head and try not to think about the trouble she’s already gotten me into. “You could say that.”

Carlos exhales loudly. “Where is she now?”

I flinch. “In the lookout.”

His voice sounds pinched as he replies. “We seem to be having an issue with communication. I instructed you to remove her, and to stay in her place.”

I slide a hand to the steering wheel and stare at the highway sign. “She’s not going anywhere I can’t find her. My concern—”

He cuts me off. “Your concern should be doing the job I sent you there for Mr. Novak.”

I work my jaw as I try to formulate a response that won’t give me away. He seems to take my silence as reason to doubt me. “You assured me you were up to this.”

“I am. But she’s not exactly making it easy.”

He near spits the words down the line. “And you were fully informed she was behaving erratically. That you have been there for the best part of a day and haven’t made progress is disappointing.”

I grip the wheel a little tighter ready to demand he tell me what’s really going on when he drops a bomb I wasn’t prepared for.

“If you’re uncomfortable, I could send someone else to retrieve Laurie?”

My pulse starts to speed, ice trickling down my back as I think of someone else coming out here.

“No. Don’t do that. I just need some more time with her,” I growl.

He’s silent for a few beats. “Mr. Novak, Laurie is a beautiful and passionate woman. But she’s also unwell and if it weren’t for me, she’d either be in jail or a mental hospital.”

That makes me sit up a little straighter. “What?”

He releases what sounds like a weary sigh. “I allowed her to come here on the advice of her psychologist. Dr. Jenkins thought perhaps a break would allow her time to reset mentally.”

I scratch my chin. “So, you just left her out here alone?”

“It wasn’t an easy decision to make. And she’s hardly alone. She checks in twice a day with base, and twice a week, food is delivered by one of my people.”

I’m still trying to figure out if he’s bullshitting me or if Laurie is when he slams the final nail in my coffin.

“Make no mistake Mr. Novak, Laurie can and will do whatever she can to manipulate you. That’s why I had Amaya act as her bodyguard.”

Heat washes over my skin as I think about how differently Laurie is telling the story. “Why did she need a bodyguard?”

“It was for her own protection. She was becoming more and more paranoid. She was convinced I was trying to keep her prisoner.”

I lean my head back and close my eyes. “Why bring her back now? Why send me?”

He sighs again, sounding about as tired as I feel. “This was only ever a temporary fix. One to help her feel in control of her life, but her reports are becoming erratic and her Dr is concerned.”

I shake my head. “I’ve not seen any evidence of that.”

His answer comes back far too quickly. “I’d hoped she’d choose to come home and continue seeing her therapist and start taking her meds, but unfortunately every time I come up there she refuses to see me and consider it.”

I grimace. “You’ve been here? To see her?”

“Of course I have. On numerous occasions. Despite what she thinks or says, she does need me, Mr. Novak. I’m all she has.”

My stomach tightens, chest constricting until I can’t breathe for the thoughts now circulating.

When I can’t speak, Carlos’ voice comes out clipped. “I need her back here no later than Monday morning. If you can’t make that happen, tell me now and I’ll send someone else.”

Fire rushes through my body, uncontrollable anger that I’m being used, I’m being played, and a pawn in a game I don’t want to be in.

“And what about my employment? If I don’t deliver her, I don’t work for you?”

His voice lightens a fraction. “Of course not. Laurie made a commitment to stay all summer. I still need someone to fill that role. That would be you.”

Something isn’t sitting right. Something I can’t put my finger on. But between the crazy woman at the lookout and knowing I still have a job when the dust settles, I’m starting to think I might make it out of this okay.

“Give me until this time tomorrow. If I can’t convince her to leave by then, I won’t be able to ever.”

“Fine. Check in again tomorrow and let me know your decision.”

I move to end the call, but Carlos gets in a final word of caution. “But until then, I’m holding you responsible for her wellbeing. Do whatever it takes to confine her to the lookout. I expect her to be with you next time you call me.”

I swallow hard as I offer a close approximation of agreement.

But as I end the call, I know that keeping her confined to the lookout isn’t going to be an issue.

It’s keeping my hands off her that will be.