“See what he says.” The reporter in her couldn’t let the opportunity pass.
Nick answered it with a cold, “Hello.”
“Is that woman with you?” His voice was loud enough for Cora to hear.
“Why does that matter now?” Nick asked. “The police know Alexander shot Jerry, and that you’re involved.”
Adam moved over to hear as well.
“I think it’s in your best interest to bring her back here.”
“Hardly.” Nick shook his head at Cora and Adam as if to say, Can you believe this guy?
“Don’t think the police will protect you. You’ll be their first suspect.”
Nick glanced at Cora, and she saw the doubt in his eyes. The police had questioned them and let them go. Keith would have to be one hell of a liar to convince them of another story, unless he could by them.
“We can take care of ourselves.”
“Believe whatever you want to. I just want that key. The police are looking for you now, and the only place they won’t look is with me. Actually, you’ll be very lucky if the police find you before Alexander does. I’ve got you cornered. Come talk to me, and this can be over.” Keith hung up.
Cora rubbed her forehead and sat back, wrapping an arm through one of Nick’s. That had sounded like several threats. It sounded like Keith had his men and the police both looking for them, and that Alexander was hunting them down with his own agenda.
“How is that possible?” Adam quickly stood. “The police talked to each of us, and we told them what really happened.”
“I don’t know. Together we provide three witnesses,” Nick said. “And it’s our word against Keith’s. I have a feeling Alexander split.”
Her father could clear this up if they would believe him. They had to after Keith had him beat within an inch of his life.
“But,” Adam said, pacing. “This is Keith Holloway. He could have a few dirty cops working for him. Do the police know we’re staying here?”
Nick nodded. His phone, still in his hand, vibrated again. “Herald this time,” he told them before answering.
“Nick, you need to move.”
“Adam thinks so too…but did something else happen?”
“That missing money was in a trust fund set up in Cora’s name.” Nick looked at her like he wanted to get up and out of her ear shot. However, he saw that she heard.
The possible explanations rolled through her head and sent her stomach into a tumble. A jackhammer headache started in her temple.
“Alexander could have set up the account,” Nick told Herald.
“Yes, possible. However, Keith claims that Cora shot Jerry because he wouldn’t release the money to her. I’m on my way over. Meet me outside.”
They made a b-line to the parking garage, crammed into Herald’s Lincoln, and took off. She guessed they were headed out of town.
Nick watched out the back window for a few minutes but he didn’t see any cars keeping up with them. She grilled Herald about who was watching her father at the hospital.
“Nick,” Herald said. “Is there anything else about this case? It’s getting ugly and complicated fast.” Herald turned to Cora and continued, “Somehow, this seems personal to your father. I need to know everything.”
It was his money, but was it more than that? Cora noticed Nick hesitated so she looked at him, finding him looking down at his hands thoughtfully.
Adam turned around for a second and they shared one of those looks.
“It’s drug money,” he said. “They contract out to people who grow marijuana and others who make harder drugs. They traffic it up and down I-5. It could be bigger than that, involving Mexico possibly. I’ve tried to stay clear of all of it and don’t know everything about the operation.”
No one said anything for a minute. She hoped Herald wasn’t angry at Nick for not sharing that information sooner, but who could blame him? Nick was still looking at his hands.
“So he has a lot at stake,” Herald said. “This is about controlling everyone that works for him or knows about this.”
“It also means he knows how to cover things up and get to the police,” Adam said.
Jerry must have known. What had her father gotten himself involved in?
“You’re right,” Nick said. “It is personal. He’s a control freak. Keith thinks he’s built his little kingdom and Alexander convinced him that Jerry has been stealing from him for the last few years. Money is everything to Keith and Alexander. I think Keith is so enraged by the thought that Jerry stole from him that he won’t look at facts or logic.”
“I wonder,” Herald said, “Why hasn’t Alexander just grabbed the money and run?”
“Apparently he can’t get to the money.” Nick’s soft words caught everyone’s attention and silence filled the car again.
Where did this mess end? Jerry had told her he knew where the money was. They knew that part now, unless… “Herald, is that money still in the trust fund?”
“No. Maybe Jerry took the money out of the account to protect you, since the account is in your name. It’s definitely gone.”
She knew Jerry didn’t have it. He would have given it back to keep her safe.
“Do we have anywhere to go?” Cora asked as they drove on. She wondered if they were simply running, or running with a purpose.
“I’m headed to an address Nick gave me,” Herald responded. “He rented a house out this way.”
Adam’s head swung around to look at Nick in the back seat. “You rented a house out here and didn’t tell me?”
“I rented it right after you told me what was going on. I figured it might be helpful to have something out of the way, out of town. It’s about twenty minutes off a country highway.”
“Is it safe?” Adam asked.
“I used an assumed name, and I haven’t told anyone about it except Herald until now.”
The setting sun put on a spectacular show of blazing reds and oranges on the horizon that faded into a darker and darker blue. They neared the cabin an hour after nightfall. In the car’s headlights, she could see the road ahead of them carved out of the forest. A towering wall of evergreens grew on both sides of the gravel road.
The house was only a few years old and was a good size for one person. Nick let them in, set the alarm, and checked all the locks. Seeing the television, Cora asked Nick, “Is the cable hooked up?”
“I didn’t set it up, but I think it’s still on from the last renter,” he said. “Are you looking for the news?”
She nodded, it was ten o’clock and the news must have picked up their story by now. Yup. The top story was the attempted murder of a local man and the disappearance of his daughter, “our own Cora Evans.”
Sheila Conery, one of Cora’s coworkers rehashed the details the police had released about the incident.
“The police are currently seeking several people for questioning in connection to the shooting. They found it mysterious that not only did his own daughter bring him to the hospital, but she was accompanied by Nick Holloway, son of Keith Holloway. Neither Cora Evans nor Nick Holloway have been seen since the initial questioning.”
As Sheila Spoke, pictures of both of them appeared on screen, as well as the appropriate number to call with information.
“The police didn’t comment on whether Cora Evans is in any danger, but of course we’re anxious to find her. Cora, if you can to see this broadcast, our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
Wow, Sheila usually had only wisecracks for Cora. The station went on to cover another story and then Cora changed the channel. She wanted to see if their competitor station had picked it up too. She loved her job, and her news station, but she wondered if they had remained completely unbiased in a story about her.
A story about them started as Adam commented, “We’re on this station too.”
“And now Brent MaCathy is on the scene to tell us about today’s press release from Keith Holloway.”
“Thank
you, Tim. I’m here with Keith Holloway, who today revealed that the shooting occurred here at his home. Mr. Holloway, please tell us what happened, and why you think your son and Cora Evans are missing.”
“To be curt, they’re running because Cora Evans tried to kill her own father.”
“She shot her own father?”
“Jerry Evans was my accountant for over five years. I believed him to be a good, honest worker, but recently I discovered he was stealing money right under my nose. His daughter knew what he was doing and demanded her share. I brought him here to my own home to protect him after she threatened him. Then she broke in and shot him.”
At this point, Nick had to hold Cora because she looked so fuming mad.
“Why weren’t the police brought into the situation sooner, Mr. Holloway?”
“Jerry loved his daughter, and I didn’t want to see him prosecuted. I thought we could work it out. Now I’m fully cooperating with the police to find Cora.”
“What about your own son? Do you believe he is in any danger?”
“I think this young woman has him fooled. I hope we can find them both and bring him home safely.”
Adam roughly hit the power button, rocking the TV set and turning the screen black. The day had been the longest of her life, but this was just the beginning of this nightmare.
“We’re on our own.” Adam slammed himself down in a chair. “And outnumbered.”
“You’re sure there’s no way Alexander knows about this place?” Cora asked, her arms folded as if she was standing in a cold wind.
“I rented it just two weeks ago,” Nick told her. “I turned the alarm on, and we’ll keep a close watch tonight.”
“He got into your father’s house...I don’t think an alarm system will keep him out.”
Nick pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her, “No one’s hurting you here, I promise. Alexander knows the codes to Keith’s alarm system, he doesn’t know mine.”
She wasn’t helping them with her doubts. “You’re right.” Cora spoke quietly but with steel determination. “We can’t give up hope. I’ve always had the odds against me, but I’ve never given up. Our only chance is to start with faith and believe we’ll make it.”
In unison, Herald and Adam nodded. Nick kissed the top of her head and said, “Let’s decide on a plan.”
“First, let’s get something to eat.” Adam ransacked Nick’s kitchen and found some frozen dinners in the freezer. They ate quietly around his kitchen table.
“We’ll rest, refuel, and then we’ll be able to think better,” Nick said. “There’s no point in all of us staying awake all night long.”
Herald nodded while covering a yawn.
“Get some rest, Herald.”
“Trying to tell me I’m old?” His friend joked, “Because I’m not arguing.”
“You too, bro,” Adam said, “I’ll take the first watch and wake you in a few hours.”
“You sure?”
Adam nodded and looked at Cora. It was a quick look but she still caught it. They were all taking care of her. Nick stood and pulled Cora to her feet. “Thanks, Adam. Herald.”
He reached his arm around her shoulders and gently led her off to rest. Luckily Nick had already moved in a few pieces of furniture, so Herald had a couch to sleep on. Adam took to a chair with a book, while promising Cora that no one could get past the alarm, through the dead bolts, and through him.
Nick took her to the master bedroom. It contained a queen size bed and a small box of clothes.
“I’ll find you something else to sleep in, if you’d like.”
“Thank you...and maybe a toothbrush?” She paused after she realized what it could imply, especially once she noticed Nick’s quick up-and-down glance at her. “I’m serious; I can’t sleep without brushing my teeth.”
He went into the bathroom and opened a drawer. He pulled out a toothbrush still in the packaging. She was leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom, and he paused inside the door to caress her face. He traced her jaw line and ran a finger across her bottom lip. The touch awakened something inside her and helped bring her back from the shock of the day. Tingles ran down her neck. She let her eyes flutter shut. His finger slid down her neck, causing a reaction.
“Somebody’s ticklish,” he teased, while walking his fingers behind her ear. It had been a game, but then his hand reached the back of her head and he suddenly pulled her close and kissed her on the mouth.
It was soft and slow, like a hello and welcome back, but it was also a smoldering fire. She suddenly wanted him. When she pulled back, she saw his brown eyes were glazed with desire.
“Alright, out of here, cowboy, and let me change.” She shut the door and took a deep breath. It wasn’t the cooling breath she hoped for. This was basic need, combined with some new emotional pull. She thought she sacrificed her chance with Nick when she ran away to find Jerry, but now they were together. Now she knew he had been on her side all along. He had gotten involved to help her.
She brushed her teeth and pulled on the clean clothes he’d given her. He waited in the hallway, leaning against the wall with his hands in the pockets of his shorts. He still hadn’t shaved and it made him look even sexier. His dark eyes glittered with excitement as they caught the light from the bathroom. She reached up and felt his jaw, reveling in the texture.
“Don’t leave me alone tonight.” Her tone was drastically different from minutes before.
“I can’t refuse that.” He took her hand and walked into the bedroom. A single candle lit the room with soft, warm light.
“Will you be okay alone for a minute?” he asked, pulling the blankets down for her.
She smiled and nodded as she sank into the bed. Wow, the sheets were soft and the pillows fluffy. She lay down and pulled the blankets up. They smelled like new sheets and not Nick, and that disappointed her.
The vixen in her came out and she thought about stripping and waiting for him naked. (A tad obvious?) It didn’t feel right though, not when her dad was fighting for his life and they were still on the run. Not to mention, Herald and Adam were also in the house.
She wanted to feel his naked body against hers. It wasn’t completely sexual; something about the thought felt simple and comforting, but of course it still raised her body temperature.
Nick walked into the room and shut the door. When he paused next to the end of the bed, she heard his shorts slide to the floor. His thoughts couldn’t be completely innocent right now, either. It’d be interesting to hear his thoughts, and somehow know how he’d react to the images flashing through her mind.
She lay on her side, facing the inside of the bed. Watching her, he slid in from the other side to lie facing her. She imprinted her brain with a vibrant picture of him in blue boxers. Just blue boxers, a nice six pack and a light dusting of chest hair.
He could be one of those underwear models. Not that she wanted other women salivating over him the way she was right now.
He smiled, slow and sexy, as he laid his head on his pillow and slid his arm underneath, the way she was laying on her side. He reached with his free arm and traced a line down her arm, from her wrist to inner elbow, and then to her collar bone. The slow, sensual caress changed the mood sharply. She focused her attention on Nick’s warm brown eyes watching her, caressing her visually, and on his full mouth so close. So kissable.
She gave in and touched him, running her finger along his bottom lip, the way he’d teased her before. He accepted the invitation. His hand slide down from her shoulder to the dip of her waist and over her hips. Even over her clothes, his hand sent quivers through her and sparked heightened sensitivity deep inside.
“You’re so beautiful and you don’t seem to know.” He traced back up her body, following the same path over her curves. Her body responded and ached for him. He traced every feature on her face, not letting her look away or hide from his warm eyes.
“Stop telling me sweet things a
nd kiss me.”
He smiled slightly before he slid over to cover her. He had rolled her body with his so she was laying on her back and looking up at him, waiting and wanting. He lowered his head to meet her lips, pausing there with his body lightly against hers. The contact was just enough to make her want to scream for more and push up into him.
She murmured her protest. Then, finally, his lips caressed hers softly and she pulled him closer, exhilaration filling her and making it easy to forget the circumstances that brought them together. He kissed like a hungry man, hungry for her.
The room felt hot, a good steamy hot.
“You’re making me lose my mind,” Nick said, his voice rugged and his breath catching. “And I’m enjoying it.”
She slid her hands around him and up his back, feeling his muscles tense.
Nick pulled her shirt up enough to nuzzle his face into her stomach, kissing her there, mumbling words she couldn’t understand, though the emotion in his voice spoke loud and clear.
She felt fire burning through her. Grabbing his hair, she had to bite her lip to keep her cry in. How was it he could drive her this far over the edge while they still had their clothes on? Dying for more of him, she wrapped her legs around his body while he kissed her stomach and grazed her skin with his stubble.
Nick raised his head and looked at her face in the candlelit. “Is this okay?”
She writhed and tried to answer. He kissed her stomach again it felt like an electric shock driving through her. “Nick!”
He moved up by her face. “Are you trying to be quiet?” His lips held a very satisfied little smile.
“I can’t handle any more teasing.”
His expression sobered. “But is this okay? Now?”
“I’ve been thinking about it, about you, all week. I didn’t want to leave you up there.”
He twirled a strand of her hair. “I know that now and it’s okay. It’s behind us now.” He locked gazes with her and looked so earnest and focused on her.
She’d seen that yesterday, that it was okay and he wasn’t angry about it even though he had every right to be after she ran off. “Okay,” she said, leaving it at that.
“So,” he said, memorizing her face. “You thought about me all week?”
With his body so close, his heat warming her, his breath on her, she couldn’t help wiggling against him. “You didn’t?”
At that, he gave her a wide smile. “Oh, I probably shouldn’t tell you the things I’ve been thinking about. Although…I could show you.”
He bent to kiss her neck, teasing his way to her ear while his hands wrapped around her waist. She liked teasing. She wanted to see what he had been dreaming up but right now she needed fulfillment.
“Let’s get fancy later,” she breathed. “I need you.”
He rose up, grabbed the bottom of her T-shirt, and pulled it up. She lifted enough to allow him to slip it off. Her next thought was her shorts, and getting them off. As if he was reading her mind, he dropped down and began trailing his mouth down her body. She couldn’t hold in the cry this time. Instead, she had to cover her mouth with her hand and hope no one heard.
He wasn’t being quiet, either.
“Nick!” she said his name again, pulling two fists of his hair. His fingers slipped into her shorts, sliding over the sensitive skin of her lower abdomen and thighs as he pulled them down, sending her desire to a frantic level, her back arching off the bed.
His boxers came off in lightning speed and he lay over her, looking into her eyes. He looked delirious with desire too, his face almost pained in concentration. His mouth came down on hers as she wrapped her legs around him, begging him.
It turned out he didn’t need convincing. He came down onto her, into her. She lost it, giving herself up in mind blowing, wet release, gasping at the wave of endorphins surging through her body.
“Cora?” He paused, his entire body shaking – vibrating – from the effort.
“More, Nick!”
Chapter Fourteen