Chapter 11
ELEVEN
LANE
“Where are you going?” Birdie asks as I untangle myself from her body, the covers, and eventually the bed. I was hoping she’d sleep through me getting up. Fat lot of good that did.
“Gotta make a call and start my day. Sleep, yeah?” The lids of her eyes open for a minute before closing as I run the tips of my fingers along her forehead, moving her soft tendrils of hair away from her face.
Birdie naked in my bed is what dreams are made of, and while I hate the marks on her body, it’s a testament to her surviving the bullshit she’s been through.
I probably shouldn’t have taken her up on her advances, but there’s only so much a man can take.
And one time wasn’t enough. After I had her flat on her back, not allowing her to move in the slightest, doing all the work even when she tried to lift her hips to meet my thrusts, the last time was with us facing one another, she on her side, leg hiked up over my hip.
That time, keeping her still was impossible.
When we were finished, I went into the bathroom, grabbed a washcloth, and doused it with warm water while grabbing the aspirin I knew Birdie would need.
I cleaned her, placed a kiss on her bare pussy, made sure she took her medicine, then took care of the washcloth before climbing back into bed beside her.
“Don’t take too long. Wanna snuggle.” Since the second I came through the door yesterday, Birdie hasn’t left my side except to eat or use the bathroom. I’m not complaining. I like the fact that she’s as addicted to my presence as I am hers.
“You got it.” I’ve only left her long enough to do the bare necessities on the farm and talk to my brother Lawson.
He’s the oldest of the bunch of us brothers, and he also has a friend who can help me out with a delicate situation.
I watch as Birdie sinks back into the pillow, staying where I am until I know she’s back asleep.
The last thing I want is her finding out what I’m doing or who I’m going after.
She’s been adamant about letting the police do their thing, and that’s fine.
They can, but that doesn’t mean I can’t push the process along with a call to Fletch.
He used to live here after his stint at the academy but transferred back to Georgia a while ago back to work in another division.
Then he moved again, hating being undercover and in the bigger city.
Now he's working in a more rural area, his hometown, much like here in Arrowleaf, only he’s a detective in Peachtree.
I grab my black sweatpants off the chair, slide them on, and go to my nightstand to pick up my phone.
Then I make my way out of the bedroom, pulling the door behind me but leaving it open just a crack.
I don’t want Birdie to think I’m hiding something from her, even if I’m bending the truth a smidge.
Which is why I’m taking this to the back porch, not even bothering with a cup of coffee first. If I don’t get this taken care of, there’s no telling how long it’ll go on with that piece of shit roaming the streets.
I unlock my phone and scroll through my contacts until I land on Fletch’s number.
My thumb hits dial, and I put the phone up to my ear while unlocking the back door.
It’s early in the morning here, which means Fletch is a couple of hours ahead in the day.
He’s probably already been at the station for most of the morning while we’re about to start our day, fucking time zones can be a bitch.
“This is Fletch,” he answers the phone, probably not bothering to look at his display.
“Hey, it’s Lane. Lane Johnson.” Fletch and Lawson are closer in age and were thick as thieves for a while.
The two of them would raise hell any way they could, at the rodeo, at the bar, and even on the farm.
. That all changed once they hit twenty-one.
Fletch stopped wandering and went to the police academy.
And while Lawson had a job, he became more goal focused.
At least that’s what Mom and Dad tell the younger brothers, probably to keep us in line.
“It’s been a minute. How are things going your way?”
“Good, Birdie’s home. How about yourself?” He keeps in touch with us enough to know the ins and outs of what’s happening.
“I heard. Bet you’re happy.” He lets out a chuckle.
“You could say that. Lawson talk to you lately?” I’m sure he’s got shit to do, which could be said for myself.
“A couple of weeks ago. Everything okay?” I hear the creak in his chair as if he’s sitting up and taking notice.
“For the most part. This is about Birdie. I was wondering if you could take a look into an investigation.” Fletch lets out a breath of relief.
“Sure, what am I looking at?”
“You know Birdie’s full name. Her boss’s son attacked her this week.
She made a statement and is pressing charges.
Birdie came back home and has yet to hear anything back.
Apparently, this Sherman guy is well-to-do and can grease palms of the law.
You catch my drift? Birdie, being Birdie, wants to put it behind her, but in the meantime, it’s her who’s out of a job and it’s her who has to deal with recovering. ”
“How bad of a recovery are we talking?” Fletch, like most men, our minds go to the worst case possible. I know mine sure as fuck did once I saw the bruises. It took me a minute to realize she wouldn’t have let me eat her if that were the case.
“She wasn’t raped.” Saying that word alone has my gut roiling. “Bruised rib or two. Torso suffered the same fate. If she hadn’t gotten away when she did, I have no reason to think he wouldn’t have taken it a step further.”
“Thank fuck for small favors. I’m willing to bet this isn’t his first rodeo in this scenario. I’ll do some digging. See what I can find out. I’ve got a buddy who works in Colorado. He may know more about the guy than we would,” Fletch explains.
“You’re not wrong about that. Still eats at my gut every time she winces or makes a sudden movement.”
“Text me the details. It’ll be easier to plug in the information and go from there. Everything else good at the ranch?”
“I’ll send it now.” I put him on speakerphone to send him the name, city, and date the incident occurred. “Yeah, they’re good. Mom is happier than a pig in shit with Case living under their roof. Though I think Ryland is probably ready to hurry the process of moving out along.”
“I bet. Gotta be tough going through this while having your parents watching the whole time. Good, bad, or indifferent,” Fletch says what we all see with our two eyes.
“Yeah, it’s been fun, that’s for sure.”
“Alright, I got your text. I’ll let you know as soon as I know something. It was good to hear from you, Lane, even though it was bad news.” Yeah, he’s calling me out for not staying in touch like I should be.
“I appreciate it more than you know.” We hang up with one another.
My forearms meet the railing, and I bend at the waist to take a deep breath.
The other half of my heart and soul is in my bedroom.
I should be shaking this shit off and getting back in bed with her like she asked.
Today is going to be the day Eleanor, my mom, dad, and brothers are going to expect us to come up for air.
I also promised Birdie I wouldn’t try and keep her from going and doing.
In order to keep that promise, I’m going to have to share my woman. Fuck, do I hate the sound of that.
“Lane, what are you doing out here? You’re usually on the front porch.” She’s right. This deck is also the farthest away from the master bedroom. The way my house is set up, the front porch has the best views.
“Had to make a call.” I stand up, and when I do, I feel her arms wrap around my stomach. Her front is plastered to my back, and I lock her hands in place with one of mine.
“That doesn’t sound ominous at all.” She places a kiss on my spine, and I turn my body so I can wrap her up instead of her wrapping me up.
“It’s all good, baby.” I kiss the crown of her head, breathing her in.
“I figure today our time in hiding is up. My family is bound to converge on us, and I’d rather they don’t barge through the door.
Which reminds me, I need to change the damn lock.
There are too many keys floating around as it is. ”
“You’re acting awfully put out, considering the fact that I do need to speak to your mom about the website.
I also need to sit down with my own. Her website needs work, too, you know?
” She tips her head up, eyes filled with laughter and happiness.
Thank Christ. It killed me to see her looking sad when I first walked through the door.
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” This time, she does laugh, and it’s me who swallows it down with a kiss. If I’m going to lose her for most of the day, I may as well get a taste that will last me a while.