Chapter 16
16
T essa and Ford left the command center after the devastating news. Her mind was numb on the way back to the cabin. A tracker on her car? A cop vanishing and possibly dead? Could this get any worse?
She huffed. Of course it could. What was the saying? Oh, right— when you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas.
Why had she ever fallen for Damien?
Sure, he was handsome and fun. And she loved the attention he gave her.
How did she not see beneath the surface? You couldn’t hide evil for long. How did she fail to notice that his business meetings were always late at night or how he never brought them up in conversation? Or how he kept her close to his side, away from her girlfriends. She wasn’t stupid or naive. Tessa snorted. Well, maybe she was stupid to think he loved her.
Ford held her hand all the way back to the cabin, giving her concerned looks. He hadn’t said a word, for which she was grateful.
After hearing what the guys told her, the one thing she knew for certain was that she had to leave.
Get away from the evil.
Get Damien away from the Brotherhood.
Whoever Damien was in business with meant business, and even though the Brotherhood was all ex-military, it didn’t mean a thing. They could still bleed. They could still die.
But how? She had to get her hands on cash, get her car fixed, and get out of town. Far away from Ford and her new friends—like right now.
Before it was too late.
“I’d like to talk to Colt about my car,” said Tessa. “I have no idea if it’s going to cost a lot of money or if I have to junk it.”
They stepped onto the porch, and Ford opened the cabin door. He turned to look at her, his brow furrowed. “I’ll have Colt stop by,” he said. “This has to be stressful for you, not knowing everything that’s going on.”
Tessa walked into the living room and sat in a chair. She rubbed her face with her hands. “Stressful doesn’t begin to…” A tear trickled down her cheek, and she wiped it away. “I need to take control of my life, not have other people do it for me. This is my mess, and while I’m grateful for all your help, I’ve got to resolve it.”
Ford handed her a glass of water and sat opposite Tessa. He was silent for a moment. “Look, Tessa,” he finally said. “These people are dangerous.”
“I know they’re dangerous. God knows, I know.” Tessa pulled her knees up to her chest. “But I don’t expect your company to help me, plus I can’t afford to pay you. I have to face this on my own.”
He walked over and crouched in front of her. “Running isn’t the answer. And you’re not alone. Please trust me and trust the Brotherhood to keep you safe and put an end to this.”
She bit her lip. Shaking her head, Tessa said, “Trusting you isn’t the problem. It’s trusting myself that I can get out of the mess without dragging anyone else into it.”
“Then let us help, sweetheart.” Ford’s hand reached out to clasp hers.
His touch seemed to ground her, and she nodded.
“Good girl.” Ford patted her knee and stood. “Let me call Colt. If he’s still here, maybe he can stop by and tell you what’s going on with your car.”
“Okay.”
Tessa stared out the window, her eyes barely recognizing the sunlight in the trees. Ford made the call, his voice low, and the soft murmur of the conversation barely registered with her. He returned, telling her that Colt was still at the command center and would stop by.
“Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?” he asked. “I’m making a pot of coffee if you want some later.”
“That would be nice. But no thanks to food. I’m still full from the snacks the girls brought.” She leaned back in the chair and watched Ford return to the kitchen. The savory scent of cold cuts and fresh bread wafted over as he placed the sandwiches and plates on the coffee table.
“Take one,” he said, indicating one of the sandwiches.
She shook her head, managing a small smile. Tessa was sure she’d hurl any food she put in her stomach.
There was a knock on the door. Ford got up to open it. He stepped aside as Colt entered, his rugged face softened by a sympathetic smile. The two men settled on the sofa, and both men’s eyes met hers.
“Tessa,” Colt began. “I know this is stressful for you. The good news is that your car only needed the interior repaired, and it’s already done.”
“It’s done?” A feeling of relief washed over her. “How much do I owe you?”
Colt gave her a small smile. “Nothing. We take care of our own here. I was able to get replacement seats out of an old wreck. They’re black, not gray like you had, but they’re in great condition. Once we cleaned everything up, the interior looks as good as new.”
Nothing? Tessa was astounded, but not as much at knowing her car was okay. What did he mean, we take care of our own ? Who did this for people they hardly knew? But since she didn’t have much money, this was a godsend.
“I don’t care about the color of the seats,” she said. “Thank you so much. But… what happened to the tracker? Do I need to be concerned that Damien will keep coming after me?”
Colt shook his head. “I destroyed it.”
Tessa exhaled. That was good news. However, the fact remained that she wasn’t safe, and Tessa was unsure about what to do. Should she leave? Stay?
There were no good options nor any guarantee of safety.
Ford reached over, his hand brushing against hers. “Whatever you decide, we’re here for you. Please don’t do this alone.”
Tessa exhaled slowly. She took in her peaceful surroundings, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, and said, “I’ll let you help me, but there has to be something I can do in return.”
Colt tapped his leg with his fingers. He leaned forward. “Hmmm. The Brotherhood is sponsoring a fundraiser for the local shelter. Emelia will be baking desserts. Will and Isabelle are providing meat and vegetables from the farm and…”
“That’s a great idea,” Ford interjected. He looked at Tessa, his blue eyes hopeful. “You’re an event planner. This is right up your alley. We were kind of at a loss on how to proceed.”
Planning an event? Didn’t she just get into deep trouble doing that? Memories of Damien’s voice, filled with venom, sent a shiver down her spine.
However, Haywood Lake was far enough away from Atlanta that no one would know her history. And she did love planning parties. Would it, could it, be possible to start her career here?
Tessa only knew the town from brief glimpses while driving to Ford’s cabin. Haywood Lake was charming. It looked prosperous, quaint, and a little funky. There were shops with colorful awnings and bustling bistros. Ford mentioned that there were a couple of lakes and sightseeing boats through the canals. Emelia told her that there was a college in town and a museum with a permanent Tiffany collection that drew visitors from all over. And there were tons of activities and festivals. It sounded like the kind of place where she could rebuild her reputation and just maybe she didn’t have to leave.
Emelia had casually mentioned that she had an apartment over her former bakery for rent. The rent was reasonable, and it was right in the heart of town.
The women she met were more than happy to help her get clients when they heard she was an event planner. In fact, they invited her to go out with them this Saturday night to a bar and unwind.
For a few moments, Tessa felt like she had found a home. Maybe she didn’t have to keep running. But her chest tightened, pulling her back to reality.
Damien and Marty weren’t just her past—they were her present, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of danger lurking in the shadows.