Chapter 6
Blair
My shower is quick, despite how pleasant the warmth and hard water pressure are.
All I want to do is talk to Dad and get a quick nap in.
I step out and grab a clean towel from the small closet.
I dry off quickly, then run my fingers through my hair to untangle it.
When I’m done, I wrap the towel around my body and step out of the bathroom.
Ledger’s just strolling toward me, down the hallway, as I step out of the bathroom. In his hand is a tray of food. My stomach grumbles eagerly. I eye the items on the tray with interest. There’s a sandwich, a bag of chips, two bottles of water, vitamins, and…
“Are those the Christmas tree cakes that I like?” I ask him, surprised. “Where did you get those this time of year?”
Ledger spares me a half smile, but it doesn’t reach those dark green eyes. That’s when I notice the dark circles beneath them. Has he been pulling long nights? If so, why?
“They started putting them out at the grocery stores the day before I got the text from Anchor.” He grumbles something under his breath before he adds a bit stiffly, “I know how much you love them.”
I will my heart not to flutter. This is just what Ledger does.
He’s there when Dad and I need him, and he’s always been thoughtful.
It’s hard not to fall for him. I look from the tray up to the man holding it.
How much time do I have with Ledger before I have to say goodbye for the last time?
Dad always said that if something like this happened, we’d have to leave for good.
That means leaving all of this behind, even the man we both care for.
“Thanks, Ledger.”
“Yeah, yeah.” With a nudge of his head, he adds. “The room you’re staying in is the last one on the right.”
I turn and head in that direction. When I get there, I open the door, and together we enter a small guest room.
If there is anything else in the room, it’s completely ignored as I stare at the queen-size bed.
It’s made up with fresh linens and covered with what looks like a homemade quilt.
It looks so inviting that I find myself blinking back tears. A bed!
On top of the bed is a small stack of clean clothes, and on the floor, there’s a new pair of black boots with thick socks stuffed into them.
I know, without having to check, they’re my size.
This is, after all, supposed to be the last resort safehouse.
Of course, Ledger would have stuff for me if this is where Dad wanted our rendezvous to be.
Ledger puts the tray on top of the dresser I had missed when entering the room and says, “Eat and get some rest. We’ll talk in the morning.”
“What?” I turn around to give him my attention as the bed is immediately forgotten. “No, I’m not staying here until morning. I’ll crash for about an hour or so, then Dad and I can head out.”
He glares at me. “It’s later than you think it is. Morning isn’t all that far off. We can talk about what happens then.”
His objection isn’t reasonable. Still… Doesn’t he understand the severity of the situation? And why hasn’t Dad checked in on me yet? My eyes flicker from Ledger to the open doorway that remains empty. Something doesn’t feel right.
“Ledger.” I look back at him, frowning. “Where’s Dad?”
“Blair…”
It’s the tone he uses as he takes a step toward me that warns me something’s wrong. My heart seizes. Terror, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, shoots through my veins like lightning, turning me cold.
“Where is he, Ledger?”
He crosses his arms over his chest as he pins me with a look I can’t decipher.
Oh. We’re holding on to secrets, are we?
If Ledger thinks this is a game, he’s going to lose.
Locking my legs, I lift my chin and glower at him. I’m not backing on this. He’s going to tell me what he knows. Until he does, we can stand here all night.
Seconds tick by. Then a few more. When an entire minute of absolute silence passes, Ledger’s the one to cave first.
“He’s not coming,” he finally admits.
The blood drains from my face and my shoulders go slack. “W-what? Why not? Is he okay? What happened?”
Ledger’s jaw works a bit before he huffs out a sigh and says, “This was always the plan, Blair. Anchor is going to go after the threat to you. Once it’s gone, he’ll come back to let us know it’s safe for you to return to the life you left.”
Dad’s going after…? Bile climbs up my throat. I feel sick as the room spins and denial blossoms in my chest.
“Tell me you’re lying,” I demand in a weak whisper. “Tell him to come pick me up.”
Regret twists Ledger’s handsome features. “I can’t do that, Blair. I just texted him a few minutes ago to let him know you’re safe. He’s probably already destroyed his burner and is on his way to take care of shit right now.”
The floor feels like it’s falling away beneath my bare feet.
No… No, this isn’t right. He’s not supposed to go after the danger.
We were supposed to lie low together. He can’t be out there alone.
I know he’s the best at what he does but we don’t know who’s after him.
He could be overpowered, snuck up on, blown to smithereens…
Panic wells up as my throat squeezes shut.
My legs wobble as my body begins to tremble.
A sob threatens to work its way free from my throat. I attempt to choke it down as I try to keep it together. My hand flies to my chest as if I could use it to push down the rising despair.
Ledger’s solid form is suddenly there, catching me before I can collapse. His arm wraps around my waist, then he pulls me under the crook of his other arm. In the back of my mind, I can’t help but notice—and enjoy—the soft layer between him and the muscle beneath him.
Then I remember why I’m under his arm and not on the road with Dad.
A well of outrage and the sting of betrayal help me shove aside all thoughts of comfort that come within Ledger’s arms. Both give me the strength to lock my legs and push away. As I stumble back, out of his grasp, I glare up at Ledger.
“How dare you lecture me about not following the plan when the plan I knew doesn’t even exist!”
Ledger has the good grace to at least look contrite. “Yeah, I know, but—”
My palm makes contact with the side of his face, the crack resounding in the small bedroom. Ledger’s head snaps to the left under the force of my swing. My hand stings from the strength I put behind it, but I ignore the pain.
“Why would you agree to this?!” I shriek. “Why?”
I’m pretty sure this is the first time that Dad or Ledger has ever lied to me. It’s such a big one that I don’t know how I’m supposed to get over it. The betrayal is icy cold, and I can feel myself emotionally retreating as I glare up at the man I’ve trusted my entire life.
Ledger’s jaw clenches and his nostrils flare as he slowly turns to look back at me. There’s fire in his eyes that warns of his rising temper. It only enrages me further. How dare he get mad! I hadn’t been the one lying to him.
“It was to protect you,” he bites out through clenched teeth.
My bark of laughter is bitter. “Protect me? Protect me how? Wouldn’t having each other’s back be a great protection rather than ditching me?”
“He didn’t ditch you,” Ledger objects. “Anchor knew that I’d look after you. It was, and is, the safest plan. He doesn’t have to worry about his daughter while a threat hangs over the two of you, and you get to continue living a semi-normal life here with me at Gnarly Pines. It’s a win-win, Blair.”
“I don’t need you to look after me!” I’m pretty sure my head is about to pop off my neck with how angry I am. “I’ve been looking after myself just fine for years.”
Ledger takes a step forward. His imposing figure towers over my short frame, but I don’t let him intimidate me. I glare back at him, ready for a fight.
“This is different and you know it. You have people after you now, people who would happily rape, torture, or kill you just to lure Anchor out into the open. Wasn’t the past two weeks proof of how dangerous your life is right now?
” He says, his voice rising with agitation as his brows slam together in a deep scowl.
“You said it yourself—that there’s trouble on your heels.
I’ll make sure that trouble never touches you, got it?
You’re safe here with me. You wouldn’t have that guarantee if you stuck with Anchor.
He’s going to tackle this shit head-on to make sure these people don’t ever get you. ”
My heart races as I stare at him. Lodged in my throat is a scream of denial.
If these people know who he is, they probably know a lot about him.
He needs help. He can’t go after an organization or an individual who may know his strengths and weaknesses.
Dad’s good, but not face-an-army good. He’s one man.
Whoever is after him could overpower and kill him.
Agony shoots through me at the thought.
“Ledger…” I start slowly as I attempt to rein in my anger. “Tell me where he is.”
The demand is supposed to sound stern, but my voice wavers just enough to reflect the panic and nerves rioting beneath my skin.
The hardness in Ledger’s expression softens just a bit.
“I honestly don’t know,” he admits, his mouth turning down into a frown.
“And he doesn’t want me to know. Anchor wants me here with you and I agree, it’s for the best—as much as I hate him being out there without backup.
You might’ve been raised in a life where bullets and blood were normal, but you’re too good for that shit.
You deserve a better life, Blair. You can have that here. ”
Now that I’ve gotten a handle on my rage, it subsides pretty quickly. Fear and despair quickly take its place.
I lick my dry lips as I shake my head. “But… I can’t lose him, he’s all I have.”
Ledger’s scowl returns. “You won’t. We have to trust that he has a plan and that he’ll call for help if he needs it, just like he’s done in the past. Now eat and get some sleep, we can talk more in the morning.
You’re dead on your feet. At this point, in your current state, you’d be no help to anyone. ”
He’s right, I probably wouldn’t be.
“We start the days here early, but just ignore any commotion you hear downstairs in a few hours. I’ll let the others know to keep their voices down.
Sleep as long as you can,” Ledger says. “You already met Wesley. He knows who you are and who Anchor is, too, though not his real identity. I had to tell him as I prepared for your arrival. But the other two, Rhett and Santiago—they’ve only been told we’re having company for the foreseeable future.
You can share as much or as little as you want with either of them.
I trust everyone under this roof with not only my life, but yours too. ”
I nod, my gaze drifting to the floor, struggling to contain the storm of emotions inside of me.
“This dresser is full of clothes for you. The closet has a few jackets you might need once it gets cold, and it contains a fresh bug-out bag in case of an emergency. There’s a gun with an extra clip in the top drawer of the dresser, along with a hunting knife.
Keep both on you at all times. You never know when you’ll need them, got it? ” He continues.
Again, I nod. What else is there to say? I’m so far beyond the point of exhaustion that just keeping my head up feels like a chore. My anger and the betrayal are still there, but so is a heavy sense of helplessness and fear for Dad’s safety.
“It sounds like you have everything figured out,” I mutter bitterly.
Two weeks ago, I thought my future included a lot of father-daughter time.
Now, my future is a big question full of unknowns.
What will happen to Dad without me? I could lose him and never know his fate.
The thought makes me sick. Dad may not be perfect, but he’s my world.
We’ve been as thick as thieves ever since he picked me up from Uncle Al’s trailer.
Even when I decided not to be a gun for hire, Dad kept in touch all the time.
While yes, I’ve always understood that there’s a risk to his job, this is different.
Ledger shakes his head, clearly frustrated. “I do, now get some sleep, Blair. It’ll make sense when you’ve rested.”
I highly doubt that.
With a bitter eye roll, I turn my back on him.
“Sure, Ledger, I’ll do whatever you want.”