Chapter 12
TWELVE
JUSTICE
I wake to a start, sitting up in bed and looking around the room for the disturbance that interrupted my sleep.
Rays of bright yellow filter in through the slits of the blinds, faint balls of dust dancing in the light.
I listen closely, the sound of metal clinking drawing my attention to the living room.
I tiptoe down the small hallway, my grip on the gun tightening with each step.
“Mornin’, sis,” Luke calls as I step over the threshold into the living room. The breath I was holding in my chest breaks free on a huff, and my body relaxes. Shooting daggers at him, I make my way to the kitchen to make some coffee.
“What are you doing here so early? And where are Haven and Zeke?”
“Hauled your car over here. Radiator had a crack in it, but it’s good as new now. Haven is out delivering orders.”
“Thanks, Luke. How much do I owe you?” I ask, handing him a cup of coffee. I sit on the couch, worn and fraying at the seams. Luke sits in the armchair next to me and takes a drink of coffee, letting my question hang in the air between us.
“Just a promise, sis,” he finally answers, not meeting my gaze.
I quirk my brow up inquisitively. “A promise?”
He nods. “Friend of mine has a place down South. I know how badly you want to get away from here, away from Harlan; to make a better life for your family.” Luke scrubs his hand over his forehead, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation.
Leaning toward me he says, “Take this, get the hell outta Kentucky, and never look back.” He places a folded slip of paper in my palm then closes his hand over mine, letting it linger there for a beat.
Unfolding the paper causes a jolt of shock to rush through me. “Where the hell did you get this kinda money, Luke? You know I can’t take this!” I shove the check at him.
“It’s clean money, Justice. You should know I’d never dishonor my dignity dealin’ in illegal bullshit. Take it. You need it more than I do. Maybe if you get the hell away from Harlan you can start living for you and Zeke. Maybe you’ll find the free-spirited girl you once were.”
I have no words. I lean back against the couch and sip my coffee, silently considering Luke’s offer.
Luke’s life has been much the same as mine, and he’s worked so hard to have what little he does have.
I don't know how I can accept this. I don’t know that I should.
What about Haven and Ezekiel? I can’t leave without them.
“Stop thinkin’, sis, and just leap,” Luke’s husky timbre interrupts my internal battle.
“Do you know what you’re askin’ me to walk away from, Luke?”
Without missin’ a beat, he replies, “You’ll be walkin’ away from a life of injustice and brutality. A life of hell that you never deserved.” He sets the half-drank cup of coffee on the chipped coffee table and stands to his full height. “Gotta get to the diner.”
“I love you, bub. I promise, I’ll talk to Haven tonight, then I’ll let you know what we decide.”
“She already knows, Justice. I talked to her about it this morning. She can put the house up for sale, or keep it. Whatever y’all prefer.
But you need to think long and hard about this, then let me know.
Think of the opportunities Zeke will have.
And it’s just a hop and a skip for me to come visit. ”
“Well then, I guess we’re leaving Kentucky.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. I’ll get with Carly Jo and work out all the details. She knows the situation and is happy to help out.”
I’m in utter awe that Luke would go to such lengths to protect my family.
He pulls me in for a hug, kissing the top of my head.
Luke turns and trudges down the steps and climbs inside his truck.
I close the door and lock it. I’m utterly shocked at Luke’s proposal, but this is a chance at a fresh start, one with no ties to Harlan and no responsibilities to the FBI.
I grab my burner and send off a text to Dylan.
Me: I need to see you. It’s important.
An hour passes before he responds.
Dylan: 8pm. Montgomery Hotel. Room 1111.
My time as a confidential informant is over.
I arrive at the Montgomery Hotel at 7:55 pm. Since talking with Luke today, I have a renewed sense of purpose, and I’m eager to put the past behind me so I can move forward with my family. There’s no looking back. Haven and I are leaving for South Carolina this weekend.
I knock on the door to room 1111, and Dylan answers promptly, pulling me inside.
He steps in my space and rakes his fingers through the hair at my nape, kissing my cheek.
His nose trails down my throat, and he groans against my ear.
“I needed you tonight,” he whispers, his fingers caressing the small of my back, just beneath the lace camisole.
“Dylan,” I protest, my hands pressing against his chest, but I’m powerless in his arms as his lips delicately kiss down the column of my throat. Desire quakes through my core. I clutch his button-down and pull him closer, silently pleading for more.
He doesn’t need to know I’m pregnant.
He just needs to know that he’ll never see me again after I walk out that door.
It’s selfish of me to allow this, but I give him what he needs, what he craves.
His touch is delicate but possessive as he strips me of my clothes before he undresses.
Flames of desire lick across my already heated flesh as I melt beneath his touch.
Dylan pins me beneath him, caging me in between his taut, muscular arms. His eyes are laced with lust, a devious glare watching me unravel as he thrusts in and out of me, bringing me to the height of my release.
It’s the most intoxicating sex I’ve ever experienced.
He collapses beside me and pulls me against his chest, his breathing a heavy pant of sex-laced desire.
We lay in comfortable silence as we catch our breath, and he lazily traces the pad of his finger up and down my arm. I don’t want to leave his embrace, but I have to put an end to us.
I sit up and wrap the sheet around my chest, and Dylan latches his arm around my waist and pulls me against him, locking me against his side.
“Where do you think you’re going?” His tone is light and playful, and I almost feel guilty for what I’m about to do.
I sit up again and climb off the bed. I pick my clothes up off the floor and get dressed. I need to put distance between us, so I can think. Choose my words carefully.
“We need to talk.” Concern etches across Dylan’s face as he stands from the bed and pulls on his clothes, watching me intently. He crosses his arms over his chest, cords of muscle flexing with tension.
“Something tells me I’m not going to find much pleasure in this conversation.”
I don’t know how to say this, how to word it without telling him too much information, so I say the first thing that comes to mind. “This is my goodbye.”
“What do you mean, goodbye?”
“We can’t see each other anymore. I’m no longer your informant.”
“Justice…” There’s a warning in his tone, one I don’t heed. “You’re so close to bringing Harlan down. You can’t give up on that. You owe it to me to see this through.”
I shake my head, unwilling to argue with him. For the first time in my life, I’ve resolved to stand my ground. I refuse to let another man imprison me in a situation where I’m not safe. I refuse to live in fear any longer.
“Goodbye, Dylan.”
I don’t look back as I leave the room and head toward the bank of elevators.
The brisk night caresses my face, and I smile, truly smile, because I’m finally free.
My steps falter as I listen to the footsteps following behind, my chest rising and falling rapidly as panic sets in.
I reach into my pocket to grab my keys and continue toward my car.
My hands tremble as I slide the key in the lock.
Suddenly a piercing pain sears through my neck, and my legs defy my weight as my lifeless body slumps against my captor.
A dense fog washes over me, and the panicked cry for help dies on my lips as the world around me fades to black.
To be continued…
Go back to the very beginning of the Buried Secrets World and read the startling scandals in small town Eastern Kentucky.