Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Sydney
Nine days. That’s how long it’s been since I’ve seen Tucker.
Since he’s held me. He texts me twice a day, though.
Every morning he asks how I slept. I don’t tell him that I couldn’t.
Every night he texts me goodnight. I want to tell him I love him.
I want to tell him I’m sorry, but I can’t.
I know this is for the best. This is what I need to do.
I need to keep him away, but I’ll get to see him in two days for Mari’s birthday party.
I couldn’t not have him come. She misses him just as much as he misses her.
His texts ask about her too. Kiss her good night, he says.
I move toward my new Audi SUV. I had been driving his truck and didn’t go get me a new car. But after I made him leave, I got myself the small SUV. I slide into the driver’s seat and head out to the party store to grab some things for Mari’s party.
My trip inside shouldn’t take me long because I know exactly what I need.
I move up and down the aisles until I get to the decorations I want.
I decided a princess theme would be fun, and I even got her a little tutu outfit to wear.
My mom is watching Mari for a few hours so I can get this shopping done.
After I pay the cashier, I head out to my car.
As I round the hood, I see an envelope on the windshield.
The hair on the back of my neck rises, and I look around, feeling like someone is watching me.
I pull the envelope free and open it. Only a sheet of paper is inside with a phone number. I load my purchases in the back and slip inside my car. I dial the number.
“I see you take orders well.” A cultured, deep voice comes across the line.
“Who is this?” I demand.
“No, no. That’s not how we do this. You’ll meet me at the Hermitage tomorrow for afternoon tea.”
“I can’t just drop everything. I have a job, and I won’t just meet a man who left an envelope on my car.”
“If you don’t want your lovely mother or daughter hurt, you’ll do as I say.”
My heart stops, and all the air in my body leaves me. Tears burn in the back of my eyes.
“Now that I’ve got your attention, we need to meet to put an end to this cat-and-mouse game once and for all. I’m more of a big game hunter. And don’t tell your soldier, his friends, or anyone else for that matter.”
“Who will the reservation be under?”
“Ask for Miles.” He hangs up, and I immediately dial my mom.
“Where are you?”
“Um…” She pauses, and I can hear kids laughing in the background. “I’m at the park,” she says.
“Are you by yourself?”
“Sure,” she answers, and I can tell she’s not being honest.
“Mom. I’m serious right now. Where are you?”
“Mari and I are at the park with Autumn. Poseidon showed up.”
I know he’d protect them.
“Okay. I’m almost done shopping.” I hang up before she can ask me more questions.
I turn to see another envelope in my passenger seat and my blood runs cold. They got inside my car. I open the envelope, and pictures of Mari, my mom, and me all fall out.
I look around the parking lot and decide I need to go home and try to relax before I see my mom. She’ll figure out something’s going on if I’m not careful.
Making my way back to Chapelville, I keep checking my mirrors. Sure I see a motorcycle following me, but when I get off before my exit, they continue on. I breathe a sigh of relief and take back roads the rest of the way home.
I pull into the garage and don’t get out of the car until the door is completely closed.
The envelope of pictures is like a beacon, and I turn back to it. There’s one of Mari playing at the daycare. Shit.
I burst from the car with the pictures in my hand and slam through my house toward my office.
I haven’t been in here much in a while. I look around for a place to hide the pictures when I trip over a box.
It topples over and falls on its side. The lid opens and out falls clothes and a camera.
The clothes are covered in blood. The camera smashed.
I fall to my knees and pick up the shirt.
The first sob breaks from my throat. I didn’t ask for this.
I didn’t want this responsibility. Every day I have to live for those who died.
I couldn’t bury them. Wild animals could have gotten to them.
But all I was focused on was getting away.
I reach down for the pants I was wearing that night.
The legs are caked in dried blood from my wounds.
I toss them away from me and something falls from a pocket to the hardwood floor of my office.
It’s an SD card. The memories of that final rhino kill hit me.
I crawl like I did that night on my hands and knees toward it.
I lift it up. Another memory comes to my mind.
“Give it to me, and I’ll make it painless.” Bahati had said that to me before—
I stop the thought and move to my computer. I slip the card into the reader.
Images and video clips fill the screen. I move backward, watching them cut off the horn.
My focus turns to the men. One delivers the killshot and stands for a picture with his gun and the rhino.
Something about him looks familiar, but it’s the second man with him, the one off to the side with a gun over his shoulder standing next to Bahati that has my pulse racing. It can’t be him.
I save everything to an external drive without moving it to my cloud. I pull out the card and hold it in my hand. There is so much on here. So much that changes everything. I don’t know who to trust anymore.
I slip the card into a secret compartment in my camera bag and move out of the office as the front door opens. My mom walks in with Mari.
“You look like you saw a ghost.” She jokes.
Little does she know that I saw an apparition that has been haunting my life. I shake it off and walk to them. Mari reaches for me.
“Da-da-da-da,” she says and points around her.
“No. Momma, baby girl,” I say to her, but she shakes her head.
I had put her hair in little twisted ponytails on top of her head this morning. She arches her back to get down, and I set her on the floor. She pushes herself up and takes a step.
“Mom, look,” I squeal as Mari falls back onto her butt, then stands again.
She immediately falls and crawls to the living room, where she uses the sofa to stand up. I watch in awe with my camera on my phone rolling video as she takes a couple more steps.
My mom and I make dinner, and the rest of the evening I don’t think about what I need to do tomorrow. I know I’m going to meet the man who shot the rhino. But will the other man be there? Will he continue to haunt my life?
Poseidon
Just like every night, I sit outside her home and watch their lives go on without me.
I can’t wait until Mari’s birthday party when I can see Sydney again.
I want to hold her in my arms. I want to demand that she take me back, but I can’t.
Until she comes to me and tells me what’s going on, I can’t give her any more of myself.
She already has all of me. She has my heart and my soul.
When Mrs. Williamson stopped at the jobsite to visit with Jayden today, she mentioned she was going to see Sharon and her granddaughter, and I knew I had to try to see them.
I missed Mari, and I’m glad I crashed their meeting.
Jayden knew what I was up to as soon as I said I had to take off for a bit.
Mari saw me before the women did and stood up, shaking her arms at me.
I almost choked with pride seeing her try to take a couple of steps toward me.
I swung her up in my arms and nuzzled her in close.
Her cute little smile with a couple of teeth showing told me how much I’ve already missed in the nine days since I left.
When I first left Sydney’s house, I said I wasn’t going to stay away for long.
But then I decided for us to move forward, Sydney would need to tell me more about her past. She knows everything about me, and I don’t know the most important things about her.
Granted she doesn’t know about the Unknowns or why the Drago Defiance was originally created, but until I get her secrets, I can’t give her those. Too many lives would be affected.
She won’t talk about Mari’s dad, and I think it’s not because she loved him, but despised him. How could she have the child of a man she despised? Those are questions I want answered.
I watch the lights go off in each room as she prepares to go to bed. Her mom left an hour ago. She waved at me as she drove by. I’m not fooling Sharon or anyone for that matter. Only Sydney doesn’t know where I spend my nights. I pull out my cell and text her.
Me
Goodnight, spitfire. Sweet dreams. Kiss my marshmallow for me. I miss you.
I started calling Mari marshmallow shortly after Sydney and I got together. Mari smushes herself against me as if she’s trying to meld us together. It’s a feeling I missed until today when she hugged me again. She hugs with everything in her.
I look back at my phone and notice she still hasn’t messaged back when I see the light flick on in her office.
I watch her as she sits at her desk. She needs curtains on those windows.
She pulls on a pair of glasses I’ve only seen her wear a few times.
The dark rims would look ugly on some people, but not on her. They make me think of a sexy librarian.
She is looking at something on the computer, then I see her hold up photos. I want to move closer, but I don’t want her to know. She finally picks up her cell phone and looks at it. Her glasses are perched on the tip of her nose.
Spitfire
Night, Tucker. I miss you too.
That’s the first time she’s acknowledged missing me. I tell her every night I miss her, but she usually just says goodnight and that’s the end of it.
Spitfire
I wish you were here.
Me
I wish that too.
Spitfire
If I asked, would you come to me?
Me
In a heartbeat, but this time I need to know everything.
I watch as she pauses. She sets her glasses on the desk and drops her head. After a moment, she stands up, turns off the light, and leaves the office. I watch as more lights flick off and on through the house.
I look at my phone when it chimes, indicating she set her alarm, and I know she’s going to bed now. After being with her for as I long as I have and watching her now, I know she doesn’t sleep very much. I also know she stopped seeing her counselor.
I’m about to drift off when a tap on my window has me turning. I look over and nod as Aries opens the door.
“You need to get some sleep. I’ve got Hades here to watch her. You go get some rest tonight, and he’ll take over.”
“I can’t leave her.” I can’t leave, even for my brother to watch her.
“You aren’t. Let your brothers help you. All of us.”
I drop my chin to my chest, knowing he’s right.
I’ve done this so many times that I won’t be able to function soon if I don’t get some good sleep.
But therein lies the main problem. How do I get good sleep when I’m not with her?
When her body isn’t pressed against mine?
I’ve grown used to her next to me. What if she has a nightmare and needs me? I don’t voice any of this though.
“Okay.” I give in.
I start up my truck and head back to the clubhouse and the bed I hate sleeping in. Because even that bed had her in it at times. She’s everywhere in my life and yet not. I need to get her back. I need to make this right.