Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
B eckett
Lack of trust.
That I was used to.
Of course the woman hadn’t been honest about where she lived. I couldn’t blame her. Not when she’d faced a six-foot five-inch two-hundred-and-thirty-pound aggressive man. She’d been right to slip the mace can into her pocket just in case. I’d also realized she’d searched the cab of my truck. The weapon I always carried had been disturbed. Good for her for being cautious.
When she’d finally thought I’d left the area, she’d ventured back onto the road, going another two blocks to a long driveway, disappearing along the gravel path.
Only then had I turned around, heading deeper into the mountains to my cabin.
There was no reason to keep her on my mind, but she held the kind of natural beauty that had always attracted me. Tall with rounded curves and long curly rich brown hair, it was the sadness in her whiskey-colored eyes that had called to me first.
They were soulful, as if she’d endured significant pain in her life. Strong and independent, I’d sensed a resolve that was rare. What the hell did it matter? I had no intention of seeing her again.
Woof.
“Hungry, boy? I don’t blame you. Let’s get inside.” As soon as I jumped out, he hopped to my side, sprinting from the truck toward the front porch, his paws sliding on the icy steps. “Careful there, boy.”
Chuckling, I grabbed both bags of supplies, heading up the stairs leading to the house. Jax was right by my side, his tail thumping against my leg. He was my constant companion. My only companion and at this point in my life, I preferred it that way.
Even the raw beauty of the woman wasn’t enough to draw me away from my privacy. I scanned both sides of the house as I slipped the keys into one lock then the other. I’d feel better if I had fingerprint scanners or facial recognition software, but the locks were all but unpickable.
Once inside, I headed into the kitchen, taking time to fill his water and food bowls before bothering to put everything away. I yanked off my jacket, tossing it over the back of a kitchen chair. I didn’t need to worry about being messy. No one was coming to visit. That would never happen.
As he chomped down on his food, I grabbed a glass and a bottle of whiskey, giving myself a nice pour. I remained where I was, unable to get my mind off her. I hadn’t seen her until recently, but since I only went to town a couple of times a month, that didn’t necessarily surprise me. Although I wondered why she was out in a storm wearing completely inappropriate clothes.
The first smile in months remained on my face as I put away the groceries. When I was finished, I leaned against the counter, pulling the card she’d given me from my pocket.
A veterinarian. No wonder Jax had taken to her so quickly. He didn’t to most people. While he’d never been an aggressive dog, I’d always been able to sense through his eyes and special sensory skills when mine weren’t working.
“Dr. Mallory McGregor, DVM,” I muttered. The name slipped off my tongue easily and suited her. “Pretty lady.”
Jax glanced up from his bowl, snuffling in agreement.
Snorting, I carried my drink into the living room, placing it on the coffee table and grabbing some pre-stacked wood I’d brought in that morning. After making a fire, I returned to my whiskey, pulling the glass into my hand and watching as the fire began to sizzle, finally roaring to life.
The drink went down easy tonight, perhaps too much so. Jax had already made himself at home on his bed near the stone fireplace. I peered down at him, offering him a silent toast. Without the dog in my life, I’d likely be lonely, although I was used to being alone.
“Have a good nap, buddy. You earned it.” I headed into my office, sitting down on the chair and staring at the blackened computer screen. The house and grounds were completely wired, the security tight, but as I did every time I left and returned, I checked the cameras to ensure there hadn’t been any breach.
Not likely given the time that had passed, but old habits died hard.
They also kept me alive.
I shifted from one camera to another, checking thoroughly before turning off the system. With as much firepower as I had, I could stay holed up and protected for years. I shook my head from the thought. How long had it been since I’d had friends or spent time with family? Hell, I was beginning to wonder.
And women? I might as well have sworn off being with a woman, it had been that long. It wasn’t from lack of desire or anger at some horrible relationship in the past. I simply wasn’t interested in creating attention or potentially placing anyone in harm’s way.
I lifted my glass, twisting the cheap crystal in the yellow light, almost able to create prisms. I had to admit, with a woman like Mallory, I could drop my resolve if only for a single night.
As I sat back in my chair, swiveling it back and forth, very filthy thoughts drifted into my mind. They were images, dirty ones that could fuel both the loneliness and the yearning to be close to a beautiful woman. I shouldn’t be surprised Mallory had brought out so many mixed emotions and needs. After all, she was by far the most beautiful woman I’d seen in years. Hell, maybe a decade.
Suddenly, Jax sauntered into the room, huffing as he peered up at me. When I did nothing but lift a single eyebrow, he huffed again and moved behind the desk, placing his head on my lap.
“What’s wrong, buddy? Growing bored with just the two of us?”
Woof.
“Yeah, I get it. I wish I could change things.” I stroked his head, rubbing the rough pad of my thumb up and down his nose. He was such a beautiful boy, pure white in color with eyes that were easily able to melt the hearts of anyone he came in contact with. “But for right now, you’re stuck with me. Okay?”
He lifted his head, his look full of questions. I knew he’d been trying to figure me out since the day I’d rescued him. That had been a dark day, the evidence of the pup’s horrible abuse clearly evident. The vet I’d found had recommended I put the boy down. I’d laughed and told him money wasn’t the object. So eight thousand dollars and change later, Jax had been on the road to recovery.
We’d been inseparable ever since.
A single whimper escaped his muzzle and instead of lying down on the dog’s bed I’d placed in this room like every other one, he nestled right there. My boy was refusing to leave my side. While Jax was the master of detecting the early signs of danger, I sensed tonight he simply needed to be close.
Likely because he’d had an up close and personal interaction with a female. He was all male. I chuckled and took another gulp of my drink. I was also all male, which was why my cock had been driven savagely against the zipper of my jeans.
A strange sense of foreboding drifted into me, which prompted me to pull up a file I kept locked down on the computer. The notification I’d had a new private and secure email had arrived while dealing with Mallory’s dead battery. Staying connected to the man I’d been friends with for almost ten years was the single indulgence I allowed to my past. Anything else would be considered reckless.
At least Mike was trustworthy. He also had the same type of connections I’d had prior to erasing my past life. The information and recommendations he’d supplied over the last few years had been worth every penny I’d spent on his attorney’s fees.
By maintaining a watchful eye on the woman I’d helped over a year before, I’d placed both their lives in a precarious position. But I refused to shirk my responsibilities.
Mike hadn’t seemed bothered in the least. He was a tough dude. Another reason I liked him.
The thought of continuing to provide assistance was perhaps the most ridiculous aspect of my continued shadowing of Tessa and her son, but I’d changed her life, offering her a fresh start. Not that she’d had a choice. Death or leave town. I knew which one I would have chosen. Even with the money I’d provided, she’d found it tough to create something from nothing.
The email from the private eye Mike had hired was succinct, the address he’d sent it from one he’d change at the beginning of the month as he always did. Meanwhile, mine was completely secured, a little trick I’d learned from my uncle who’d been a born and bred military man.
Subject Line: Subject Located
Body of Email: Subject located and secured. No compromises.
There was no need for additional information. The woman formerly known as Theresa had moved to a small but beautiful town more than halfway across the country. She’d done a good job of blending into society, working as a waitress for a popular diner. From what I could tell, she made decent money, but when I’d found her after month two, I’d started sending some additional funds.
They arrived in her bank account with no notification, no indication of where the money had come from. I pulled up the photographs he’d also sent, rubbing my jaw as I glanced from one to the other. Mike handled the majority of transfers, although I oversaw everything. Trust was difficult for me, even though Mike knew if he betrayed me, I’d rip out his heart with my fingers.
Tessa had altered her looks, changed their names as I’d demanded and with her new identification in place, no one should ever learn she was alive. The pictures at least showed her smiling, her little boy growing into a fine-looking kid.
The only bad thing was that he had his father’s eyes. There was no denying the connection. That was something I had no control over. Plus, the bastard who’d ordered the hit was decaying in his casket six feet under. His protégé was in another cemetery along with a half dozen of his soldiers.
The last photograph showed Tessa with her son and a new puppy. I stole a quick glance to Jax. She’d made an excellent choice of breeds, German Shepherds loyal and extremely protective of their humans.
I lingered over the photographs for a few minutes as I finished my drink. Then as always, I destroyed the photos and the email. Keeping any scrap of evidence was dangerous.
It was time for another drink and maybe I’d toss some canned beef stew into a pan. Sure, it was stereotypical of mountain man style living, but I wasn’t living here to impress anyone. My house. My rules. Fuck anyone who didn’t like or appreciate them.
After maneuvering to one of my eight highly secure bank accounts, I made a transfer of ten thousand dollars. That should help with the sudden veterinary bills she’d had to face.
With the computer shut down, I flicked off the light after standing. Jax immediately scampered from the room. He knew he’d likely find himself the recipient of several chunks of beef. As if the boy was starving.
Right. The two of us were well taken care of. There was nothing we needed.
Except for maybe one thing.
Something to abate the loneliness.
Darkness and snow.
Both staples for winter weather in Stowe, Vermont. Even if the morning was bright and sunny, it always seemed to give way to a cloudy afternoon with snow showers occurring every other night.
Another significant snowstorm was on the horizon, but thankfully, not for a couple of days.
I could plan for almost anything and had, severe weather conditions being one of them. I’d been in survival mode for long enough to know advance planning kept unwanted difficulties to a minimum.
However, plumbing issues usually surfaced when you least expected, sometimes in the dead of the night. Fortunately, Jax had alerted me to the toilet leak in the bathroom before disaster had struck, but I’d found myself ill-equipped to handle the repair.
The unwanted dilemma had been solved. Along with snagging the needed parts to resolve the current issue, I’d purchased more than a dozen items and tools for my collection. At least I’d be prevented from finding myself with my pants down.
Thankfully, I could laugh at the entire scenario as I turned off the main road leading from the hardware store. I’d been thankful since day one that the location had a vast display of tools and a decent supply of hardware. I preferred avoiding the big box stores whenever possible.
Jax huffed from the backseat of my Ram and I glanced into the rearview mirror. He’d seemed dejected from the moment we’d walked in.
“I get it, buddy. You wanted to see her again. Didn’t you?” His tail thumping on the seat was the only indication I was right. But I knew I was. And how so? Because I felt the same way.
I had no clue what could have transpired if Mallory would have been inside, but I would have figured something out.
“Yeah, well, we can’t have everything we want, dude. The sooner you realize that, the better it will be for you.”
For him? For me. I’d shoved my entire life aside and I was lamenting about a woman I didn’t need to know. Maybe the cold winter was getting to me.
Minutes passed and the usual peaceful ride had me eager to get back to the cabin.
I continued the drive, thankful the first purchase I’d made when my dart had landed on Vermont had been a four-wheel drive. Gone were the days of driving my favorite Charger. It wasn’t a practical choice for the mountainous terrain.
The second-best purchase had been the private mountain estate, the oversized A-frame languishing for almost two years prior to me purchasing it. The agent had told me the scuttlebutt around the reasons why, the death horrifying the small community. If she only knew how many homes I’d worked or lived in where bodies had piled up she’d run screaming to the mountains.
Chuckling, I imagined her face if I’d dare tell her. I’d managed to snag an excellent price, easily able to pay cash from the money I’d squirreled away. The real estate agent had been shocked and confused when I’d written a check for several million dollars.
A private account with a fake name and a padded bank account. She’d made me wait in her office while confirming I hadn’t been some crook. After closing, she’d asked me out for a drink.
I’d declined.
She hadn’t been my type.
Which now surprised me since I wasn’t certain if I even had a type. That’s how long it had been since I’d enjoyed the touch of a woman.
Jax whined his disapproval and I glanced into the rearview mirror once again, immediately noticing headlights following somewhat closely behind.
Of course that wasn’t necessarily a red flag given the population of Stowe, but few estates on the mountains had homeowners living in them more than a few months out of the year. The area was still considered extremely rural by most standards. A turn was coming up that I could take heading to the cabin or I could use the next one down. The first one was a little trickier and you’d need to learn the road before trying it in the dark.
Why not find out quickly if I had an issue to deal with?
I made the turn a little sharply, enough so Jax let off a single bark.
“Yeah, I get it. We’re just taking a ride, buddy.” The road wasn’t as treacherous as it had been the day before and with my oversized tires and knowledge of the road, I could easily maneuver the upcoming curves.
I pressed down on the accelerator, headlights almost immediately flashing in the driver’s side mirror. The roads of Mt. Mansfield were gorgeous in any season, but the blanket of white covering the thick foliage in the window was without a doubt my favorite. There was something serene, unspoiled about the area. To have someone potentially coming into my environment, interrupting my life because of some bad choices I’d made in the past pissed me off.
People didn’t like it very much when I became angry. They often faced the brunt of my violent wrath.
Without hesitation, I reached into the console, removing my weapon. I always had a fresh magazine and tonight wasn’t an exception.
Jax was fully alert, now sitting on his haunches. “Looks like we’re due for a small adventure, buddy. Just hold on.”
I pressed down on the gas pedal again, careful with my actions. Another turn was coming up, but the road itself was considered dangerous, not just because of the weather conditions, but also the steep drop-offs on one side. With a single wrong move, the driver of a vehicle could careen off the edge, spiraling hundreds of feet to their death.
If I was right about being followed, what I couldn’t take was the one percent chance that the fucker would survive.
Moving again would be a pain in the ass. I’d learned over the past ten months I was a small-town kind of guy.
I constantly checked the rearview mirror, the sick feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time returning with a vengeance. There was no doubt I’d been followed.
“Hold on, Jax. Just follow my lead.” As I concentrated on the mile marker, I took several deep breaths. If there was one thing I hadn’t missed, it was the car chases. There’d been too many of them. I’d never understood why people had some crazy thought the end would be pleasant for anyone. At least the time I’d taken to hone my skills would come in useful.
Jax was staring out the back window, his whapping tail driving into the passenger seat. I was pissed off my furry buddy had been placed in harm’s way. The asshole would pay for that if nothing else.
But I knew there was a long line of reasons. Sure, I was curious how I’d been found after all the precautions I’d taken, but my experience told me this wasn’t some leftover member of the Valenti Crime Syndicate, not after all this time. Plus, I’d done a damn good job of making it look as if I’d also perished in the fire that had destroyed the family estate.
Killing the bastard Gio in the process.
The papers had even called me a hero for attempting to save lives, perishing while doing so. What a crock of shit.
No, whoever was following was all about something else, another blasphemous moment from my past that had come back to jerk with me. Perhaps even a hired gun. What did I care? Soon he would be dead.
After rounding the curve, I had the one chance to handle the issue clandestinely. I jerked the truck to the side, rolling onto a tree-lined road very few knew about. In the dark, there was almost nothing to indicate its existence.
The short window of opportunity wasn’t about waiting and seeing what he had planned on doing. I jumped out, Jax immediately behind me.
“Stay right here, buddy,” I told Jax as I crouched down. The engine from the other vehicle rumbled in the distance, the driver crawling forward since my truck was out of sight.
Thankfully Jax didn’t move as I crept close to the end of the road I’d turned on, keeping a low profile as I crowded the street. The other vehicle’s headlights were little more than a warm glow given the distance where the driver had pulled to a stop.
I glanced back at Jax before crowding the trees as I headed in that direction, able to remain out of sight. With the weapon in both hands, I proceeded with caution, agitated the headlights prevented me from seeing exactly what the fucker was doing.
Only after getting up close did I realize the driver had vacated the older truck. I spun around in a full circle, furious with myself for how I’d reacted. The behavior wasn’t like me and could end up getting me killed.
A single crack to my right and I jerked to face it, crouching down and prepared to fire. That was the moment Jax decided to come to my rescue.
His single bark presented a moment in completely slow motion. Jax raced toward him with the speed of a greyhound. Once he was within a few yards, Jax lunged forward.
Whoever the driver was, he had a weapon in his hands just like I did. Instead of firing on me, he chose to deal with the more significant danger.
Jax.
The single gunshot was followed by Jax howling, immediately dropping to the pavement. The gunman was fast and while I was reacting to the horror of my dog being shot, the unknown assailant managed to spin and fire directly at me. Even though I jumped, the bullet caught me in the shoulder, the pain instantly blinding.
I dropped and rolled, my body sliding on the ice toward a drop-off. But the danger didn’t stop me; I fired off several rounds, catching the bundled-up man several times in the chest. When I hit the base of a tree with a tremendous thud, I was able to aim as the assailant tried to lift his arm to fire again.
The last bullet was driven between his eyes.
There was no need to check to see whether he was dead.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Taking a deep breath, I ignored the pain in my arm as I scrambled forward, forced to crawl over the man’s body so I could get to Jax. I snatched the fucker’s weapon just before racing toward my baby boy. I shoved it into my jacket, my heart hammering. If anything had happened to Jax, I’d hunt down the fucker’s entire family and kill them.
As I knelt, a wave of emotion tore through me. “Oh, buddy. Why did you follow me?”
His tail thumped twice and he even opened his eyes. “I’ll get you out of here.” Very carefully, I hoisted him into my arms, holding him as close to the heat of my body was possible as I headed toward my truck. As luck would have it, snow began to fall. I cursed the sky and made it to the passenger side, thankful I kept a couple of blankets in the back. When I had him safely secured on the backseat, I used the light of the cab to check the severity of his injury. It was tough to tell if the bullet had gotten lodged anywhere close to a major organ.
But he needed medical attention.
Now.
All because I’d fucked up.
“Hold on, buddy. I’ll be right back and we’ll get you some help.” After covering him with the blanket, I closed the door and jogged back toward the assailant’s vehicle. Normally, I’d take the time to detail the man’s entire world, checking for anything that would provide me with answers.
I didn’t have the luxury. Nothing was more important to me than Jax.
All I would allow myself the time for was checking the interior cab. As expected, there was nothing to identify the truck’s owner. I also wasn’t able to tell if the vehicle was a rental although it was fairly new.
After checking the man’s body, I did find a wallet and a cellphone. The marks of an amateur. Interesting. I pocketed both, wanting nothing more than to carve the man to pieces for injuring my pup.
Now wasn’t the time to take a gander at my discovery, but I would spend whatever time necessary to find out who the fucker was. Even the dude’s clothes didn’t indicate a typical hired gun. More like somebody I’d pissed off in a bar making a point by threatening me. I rubbed my jaw, glancing up and down the darkened streets before sliding my arms under the assailant’s, dragging him toward the driver’s side.
Whoever he was didn’t matter at this point.
He’d soon be considered toast.
I’d done this before, finding the perfect stick after positioning his body in the driver’s seat. After setting everything in motion, I placed the stick in the appropriate position and turned the wheel. While there’d be no skid marks on the road, that wouldn’t mean he hadn’t taken the angle sharply, hitting the edge of the cliff before realizing and only then attempting to over correct.
I shifted the gear and took a step away waiting as it rolled forward then careened over the edge. Once upon a time there’d been some joy in catching and killing an enemy to the cause. I’d relished the methods I’d used, keeping trinkets of the event for future memories.
Now I couldn’t care less. My life was completely different now, my needs also changing over the years.
As I jogged back to the Ram, I heard the crash at the bottom and knew instinctively it had burst into flames. There shouldn’t be anything left of the man to identify, but I’d done everything I could to clean up the situation since being out of the business for over a year.
Once inside the cab, I roared the engine to life, taking a quick glance over my shoulder. Where the hell was I going to get him some help?
Almost immediately I jerked out my wallet, riffling through the few cards I had inside until I found her business card.
Dr. Mallory McGregor.
She’d offered her services free of charge.
I took a deep breath and rolled out, heading back to town. Time for her to make good on her offer.