Don't Back Down, page 10
“I won’t have to fake that,” Cameron said. “I’m already there. I’ll walk you back to the car.”
“I need to say goodbye to Ghost. I don’t want him to forget me.”
“No worries about that. You’re officially in his database.”
Rusty knelt beside Ghost and gently stroked the top of his head. “Goodbye, you big beautiful thing.”
Ghost whined and licked her fingers, then watched intently as they walked out.
Cameron had his arm around her all the way to the car. The silence between them was heavy with unspoken promises and the reluctance to let go of something they’d just regained.
Her hand was on the door handle when she turned and buried her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
“I don’t want to let you go,” he said.
Rusty looked up. “And I don’t want to leave.”
He sighed. “Sometimes being responsible sucks eggs.”
Her eyes wrinkled at the corners as she smiled.
“Can I quote you on that?”
He slid his hands beneath her hair, tilted her head up enough to meet the kiss coming at her, and the world fell away. He might have laid her down in the leaves right then and there but for the assignment they’d been given. What was between them came second to the evil hiding in the town below, and that was what stopped him.
Cameron cupped her face again.
“You have to promise me something.”
“If I can,” Rusty said.
“Don’t walk out on me like I did you. I can’t lose touch with you again.”
Rusty laid her hand over the steady thump of his heart.
“I promise.”
The look that passed between them was enough for Cameron to finally let her go, then he stood watching until she drove out of sight before going back inside.
***
Rusty was riding the same wave of disbelief. Finding her Soldier Boy was the upside of this case. Now all they had to do was break this gang wide open before anyone else disappeared.
She drove all the way back to Jubilee before she called the penthouse.
Patricia answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“I’m in Jubilee, Aunt Pat, but I had to wait to collect my rental. I am on the way to the hotel now.”
“Wonderful,” Patricia said. “We’ll be watching for you out front. Pull into valet parking and we’ll take care of the rest.”
“Will do. I can’t wait to see you,” Rusty said, and disconnected.
As it turned out, she didn’t need GPS to find the Serenity Inn. It loomed above the skyline of Jubilee like the Eiffel Tower. All she had to do was keep driving toward it. Traffic was steady, and the sights were intriguing. But knowing what was happening beneath the excitement and glitter in this town took a lot of the joy out of sightseeing.
A few minutes later, she reached her destination, pulled up at valet parking and got out. She was opening the trunk to get her luggage when she heard someone calling her name and turned around.
Ray and Patricia were walking toward her, and Ray was issuing orders as he went. A valet gave her a receipt and parked her car, while a bellman grabbed her bags and headed for the lobby.
Rusty was engulfed in hugs and sympathy for her aches and pains, and then they took her inside and into their private elevator all the way to the penthouse, with the bellhop and her luggage in the corner behind them.
When the doors opened, the bellhop took her luggage into the foyer and then at Ray’s instructions down the hall to her bedroom, leaving Liz the last one to greet her.
“Rusty! You look amazing! Long time no see,” she said, and gave her cousin a careful hug. “I know you’re recovering, so I hope I’m not squeezing anything that hurts.”
“I’m just a little bruised and bent but not broken,” Rusty said. “And speaking of looking good. You grew up into a beauty. Life appears to suit you.”
Liz grinned. “I try.”
Ray shook his head. “She tries us all,” he said, which made everyone laugh, and then he added, “But she’s also the light of our lives, so she’s always forgiven.” The bellhop reappeared, and Ray let him back on the elevator, then held it for himself. “Rusty darling, I hope you’ll forgive my hasty exit, but I have a meeting in my office in a few minutes. I’ll see you at dinner and we can catch up then, okay?”
“Absolutely, Uncle Ray. I didn’t come here to be entertained. I had a chance to touch base with all of you again and I selfishly took it. We’ll talk later.”
Ray stepped inside the car and then he and the bellhop were gone.
Pat turned toward her niece and, for the first time, saw the shadows in her eyes. “Oh, darling, you’re exhausted, aren’t you? Would you like some food and then a rest?”
Rusty sighed. “I would love that, but I want to wash up first.”
“Of course. Your suite is down that hall, last one on the left. It has a grand view of the mountains, if you like that sort of thing,” she added.
“I do like them. I saw them as we were flying in. They’re magnificent. I won’t be long,” Rusty said, and then shouldered her purse and headed down the hall.
Her knee and ankle were stiff from all the flying, and she was limping ever so slightly as she walked away, but the women noticed it.
“She’s limping,” Patricia said. “She needs a go in the hot tub later. If you don’t have anything planned with Michael tonight, maybe you could join her.”
Liz frowned. “I’m not talking to Michael at the moment. He was an ass, and I’m making him sorry.”
Patricia arched an eyebrow. “You know best, I’m sure,” she said. “Come help me set out some food.”
***
Lindy Sheets made it as far as Detroit before she stopped running. She needed to sleep before she crossed the border into Canada. She still had family there and visited at least once a year. No one in the organization knew Lindy held dual citizenship in the United States and Canada. She had an active Canadian driver’s license and passport in her maiden name, Melinda Lehigh, and went back and forth between countries at least twice a year, so she felt safe in crossing that border. It was time to go home and get lost there. But for now, she had a semi-safe place to rest, and there was always tomorrow for moving on.
***
Danny Biggers had been born on the far side of Pope Mountain into a family of poverty and hardship. He was far too young when he wound up on his own and looking for a place to belong when he fell in with the wrong crowd. He was already lost when he happened upon Rachel Pope coming out of a store in Jubilee. He followed her car up the mountain just to see where she lived and considered the flat tire she had a stroke of luck. When he pulled up behind her, she thought he was going to help. And he did. He helped himself to her, and left her lying in the ditch beside her car and never looked back.
He hadn’t counted on being caught, but it happened, and he damn sure hadn’t counted on going to jail for a simple fuck. But he had, and considered it nothing more than adding to the résumé of his life. But finding out she was the mother of the child he’d been sent to snatch left him reeling, and it had been all downhill from there after he got caught.
He thought he’d seen and done it all until federal marshals drove him through the gates of this prison. This was serious shit, and hard to tell who was more dangerous—the inmates or the guards.
He was sorry all the way to his soul that he’d ever laid eyes on Lindy Sheets, and even sorrier that he’d been duped by the big story she’d spun. It was a toss-up now as to how long he had left to live.
He’d talked to the feds. Told them everything he knew and knew that if the gang found out, they would never let it pass. The feds said they would protect him, but they couldn’t. Not even in here. He wasn’t safe. If the big boys wanted him gone, they would find a way to make it happen.
***
Rusty had eaten, rested, and then at Liz’s invitation gone with her to the spa down on the third floor. Liz had one of the hot tubs reserved, and after her initial shock at seeing the number of fading bruises on Rusty’s body, they settled in and were enjoying the bubbling jets of hot water.
“This feels wonderful, Liz. Thank you for coming with me,” Rusty said.
Liz grinned and gave one of Rusty’s dangling curls a gentle tug. “Of course. Selfishly, I’m loving this, too, because I never do this alone. I do not mingle in a tub of water with total strangers.”
“Aunt Pat doesn’t enjoy hot tubs?” Rusty asked.
Liz rolled her eyes. “Mom doesn’t enjoy catering to tourists. She’d rather be one, walking the streets in Paris or London.”
Rusty grinned and changed the subject. “So, catch me up. What have you done with yourself since college?”
“Wasted an entire year of my life here with Mom and Dad,” Liz muttered.
Rusty glanced at her, and then looked away. “You don’t know how fortunate you are to still have them.”
Liz blinked. Rusty was an adult but technically an orphan.
“Shit. I didn’t think,” Liz mumbled.
Rusty shrugged. “It is what it is. And we both grew up as the ‘only child,’ so there’s the reality of no siblings for backup when life happens.”
Liz sighed. Rusty had just handed her a reality check.
“I have a degree that lends itself to being an event planner. If I was smart, I would be interning with the one here, but that would mean showing up for work every morning and working all hours. And Mom is already so miserable here that I let her dissatisfaction color my decisions. Instead of using my degree, I’ve become her companion and ‘best friend.’”
“Do you have a significant other?” Rusty asked.
“I date Michael Devon. He’s the son and heir of the other big real-estate developer in Jubilee. Marshall Devon owns Hotel Devon, which is Dad’s biggest rival here in town. However, Michael and I had a fight the other day, so for the time being he’s on my shit list.”
Rusty laughed, but she was thinking of Cameron as Liz kept talking.
“Dad’s other competition in Jubilee comes from Jack Barton, who rents tiny cabins and campsites about two miles outside of town. I know nothing about his family.”
“But there must be some good-looking locals who are single,” Rusty said.
“I don’t see the point of meeting or falling for some hillbilly. I would never live that kind of life. I guess I am my mother’s child after all. What about you? I know you work for the government at the national level, but exactly what do you do?”
“Oh, I’m just a paper pusher,” Rusty said, and changed the subject. “I saw some really interesting shops as I was driving through town. I can’t wait to soak it all up. I know you’re probably bored with all of that by now, but I’d love to take you and Aunt Pat out to lunch sometime. Maybe in a day or two. I need time to settle in and get my bearings.”
Liz beamed. “I love going out for lunch. Do you have a dislike for any certain foods?”
“No. I’m game for pretty much anything. You pick, and make sure it’s something your mom will enjoy. I don’t want her suffering with the masses on my account.”
Liz giggled. “Deal. We’ll run it by Mom later.”
Rusty sighed and leaned back in the water. Problem solved.
Chapter 7
They soaked in the hot bubbles until the timer went off, then went back to the penthouse and spent the rest of the evening playing cards and having margaritas with Aunt Pat. By the time Patricia had downed her second drink, she was waxing sentimental about the old days when Liz and Rusty were children, and how much fun the brothers and their wives had together before life took them in separate directions.
She was on the verge of getting teary when Rusty realized it was time to redirect the conversation and started talking about fashion and hairstyles. Liz flashed Rusty a grateful look. It wasn’t long after that when Ray appeared.
“Wow. I’m a lucky man. Just look at the three beautiful women in my life!”
Patricia beamed as Ray circled the room, greeting each of them with a quick kiss on the cheek, and then he announced, “Dinner will be here within the hour. Filet mignon, buttered asparagus, and potato croquettes, along with an array of desserts. I’m going to wash up and change out of this suit and tie. Be right back.”
A short while later, they were seated at the dinner table, waiting for the waiter to finish his service. As soon as he was gone, they began eating and sharing the events of their day with each other.
Finally, they were finished but for dessert. Rusty chose a ramekin of crème brûlée. Liz and Patricia opted for napoleons, while Ray chose chocolate cake.
“Goodness, Raymond! That slice of cake is huge,” Patricia said, frowning as he shoveled in a bite with great enthusiasm.
Liz giggled. “Mom’s right, Dad. It’s not really a slice. It’s a wedge about the size of a doorstop.”
Laughter erupted.
Rusty couldn’t help but have a few moments of regret. Their family banter made her miss what she’d lost when her parents died—the fun of being able to laugh with, and laugh at, the people you love most.
Ray waved a fork in the air to punctuate his rebuttal.
“You go right ahead and laugh all you want. I’m not one bit sorry I’ve made a pig of myself tonight, and I’m going to blame it on celebrating Rusty’s arrival.”
“Oh great! Blame me for the gluttony,” Rusty said.
When they all burst into more laughter, Rusty felt it all the way to her toes. The perfect ending to a perfect day. It couldn’t have been any better.
***
Rusty went to bed that night with a sense of homecoming. She wasn’t sure whether it was because of being with her family or finding Cameron again, but whatever it was, it felt right.
Just before she turned out the lights, she sent Cameron a text.
See you in my dreams.
She got a quick response.
But I want you in my arms.
Rusty shivered.
Soon, Soldier Boy.
And once again, he responded.
You’re worth the wait.
She smiled, sent a heart-shaped emoji, then laid down the phone and turned out the light.
***
Kevin Vanzant was in his travel trailer at the campground, uploading images from the SIM card of his camera and drinking a beer as he waited. He was all locked up for the night. His car was locked. The trail camera across the road was on, and the security light at the edge of the road illuminated his campsite.
He’d already showered and shaved in the wet bath and had a blanket wrapped around himself as he sat at the computer. The night was cold and the three-quarter moon was shining its own brand of light upon the earth.
“Too fucking cold for this shit,” Kevin muttered as a gust of wind rocked the trailer.
As soon as the upload was complete, he sent a backup file to his other laptop, then shut everything down and went to bed. He thought briefly of Leslie Morgan, the local girl he’d been seeing for the past few weeks, then the two men who’d prowled around his campsite a couple of days earlier, and knew it was time to get out of Jubilee while the getting was good.
***
Lindy Sheets had been busy. Tomorrow was go-day. Her bag was packed and she had everything lined up, including all of the identification she needed to cross the border and a rental car with Canadian license plates from Budget Rental.
Even though Boss had told her to get lost and he’d be in touch, she knew better. He would be looking for her, all right, and by now they would know she was running. The urge to sleep in her traveling clothes was so strong, she got sick to her stomach just thinking about closing her eyes.
The lights were off in her motel room, and she kept moving from the bed to the window long enough to peer through the curtain, then back again. Finally, she just threw up her hands, put on her coat, grabbed her purse and suitcase, and ran, leaving the room key on the bed. The door locked behind her as she headed toward her rental car. She threw the suitcase in the trunk, her purse in the seat beside her, and started the engine.
Moments later, she was pulling out of the motel parking lot into the ever-flowing traffic. She’d already signed in to Nexpress on her burner phone, so she was good to go as she headed for the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
Traffic was heavy, but while it was beginning to snow, the weather didn’t faze her. She’d grown up in the North. What scared her were the people who would be looking for her. As soon as she reached the tunnel snow would not be an issue, and when she came out on the Windsor side, she’d be in Canada.
***
Danny Biggers was asleep in his cell when something banged against his door. His heart was hammering as he rolled out of bed and crouched down in the corner. Someone was in the corridor rattling keys.
Oh God. Oh shit. A guard. If they’ve sent a guard to do me, I’m a dead man.
And then another inmate yelled, “Shut the hell up out there.”
And then one by one, the men in the cells began banging, and cursing, and shouting, and Danny heard footsteps moving away.
He crawled back into his bed, then sat with his knees doubled up against his chest and his back against the wall and never took his eyes off the door.
By morning, there was only one thought in his head.
I am going to die here.
***
Rusty woke up to the sound of rain blowing against the windows and rolled over to see what time it was. Just after 5:00 a.m. She pulled the covers up over her shoulders and then lay there planning out her day.
If it quit raining, she intended to get her car and drive around Jubilee. She needed to get a feel for the way the town was laid out and check out Hotel Devon and Jack Barton’s campground before she hooked up with Cameron. On her own, she’d just be another tourist. But once people began seeing them together, the anonymity of being a stranger would be gone.
