Relentless Pursuit (21 page)

“Oh my gosh! Pierce, they just blew up your Explorer!” Miss Lily peered out the window at the fiery inferno.

“That’s not mine. Mine’s parked behind Southern Charms,” Pierce said as he wrapped a protective arm around Tammy. He knew it was meant for him, though. They were coming after him.

“Not again!” Coach Parks cried as he pushed past the people crowding the window. He ran out into the street but was stopped by the heat from the fire. He collapsed to his knees. “My baby!” he sobbed.

Pierce sat in the chair next to Tammy as the last of the people inside the café went home. Coach Parks’s charred SUV had been towed an hour ago and now Pierce sat with his family and the Rose sisters. They watched as the firemen finished up at the scene.

“I think I have just the thing.” Miss Violet patted Pierce on the shoulder and headed for the kitchen. She moved aside a large bag of flour and pulled out a fifth of bourbon. She grabbed a handful of glasses and headed for the tables at the front of the café. “Just for emergencies,” Miss Violet said innocently as she started pouring.

Tammy leaned against his chest and sighed. “So, we’re still in danger?” she asked even though she already knew the answer. Pierce only squeezed her shoulder and nodded.

His family started talking as Marshall told them of Bridget and the bet. He heard Tammy say how glad she was that Bridget was staying in town for a while, but then the voices swirled into a comforting blanket. Pierce raised the glass of bourbon to his lips and stared off into the night.

“Can I sit here?” the taller man asked. Pierce was no longer at the café. In his mind, he was at the dive bar in downtown Lexington. It wasn’t Tammy leaning against him anymore. Instead he felt the man’s coat brush against him.

“Sure, man. Whatever.” Pierce took another sip of bourbon just as he did that night. His memory was forcing its way to the front of his mind. He saw the man, tall, with trimmed brown hair and a bulbous nose. His face was tan and he had a tattoo peeking out from the top of his white button-down shirt.

“You look like you need a drink.” The stranger turned to the bartender and ordered a whole bottle of top-shelf bourbon. “Here, have a glass while I wait for my buddy to get here.” The man poured three fingers of bourbon into Pierce's tumbler and half the amount into his. “Cheers!” He lifted the drink and they clicked glasses before shooting the amber liquid.

Pierce smelled the bourbon as he took swallow after swallow of the fine drink. It warmed him slightly and he forgot why he was even there after half a bottle. The man kept filling Pierce's glass over and over.

A shorter man with a thin build appeared and greeted his buddy a little while later. They shook hands and the taller man told him they had a new friend. The little man had wire-rim glasses and a professional look. The two made for an odd couple.

The thin man took the empty seat on the other side of Pierce and started up some small talk. Pierce remembered trying to ask his name, but the little guy started talking football. He asked if anyone in Pierce’s family played. Pierce told them about his brothers and growing up in Keeneston. But it didn’t last too long. The bottle was almost empty and Pierce was having a hell of a time staying on the barstool.

“Well, gents. It was a pleasure, but I must be getting home.” Pierce stumbled off the stool and the large man caught him under the arms and held him up. The little guy rushed over and the two of them propped Pierce up.

“You aren’t driving, are you?” the little responsible one asked.

“Nah. Gonna call a cab,” Pierce mumbled.

“Hey. We just happen to be heading that way. Let us take you home, buddy. Then you won’t have to wait forever for a cab.” The men started dragging Pierce out of the bar.

“Thanks, guys. That’s real nice of you.” Pierce’s memory grew fuzzy, but this time he knew why. He had passed out.

Pierce leapt up. Tammy was thrown forward onto the floor and everyone in the café instantly stopped talking and stared at him. His eyes darted around to make sure he was in the present again. “I remembered something! Oh, Tammy! I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, what did you remember?” she asked as Pierce helped her off the floor.

“I remember the rest of my time at the bar. I can identify them—and Aiden wasn’t lying. It wasn’t him or Mrs. Oldham.” Pierce told the group of his memory and started pacing the floor as he talked. He knew there was more, he just knew it. Ah! Why couldn’t it all come back at once?

Marshall held up the voice recorder on his phone and taped Pierce’s recollection. Pierce finished telling them all the details and then looked at them expectantly. “I’ll email this over to the detective. I know they’ll want you to meet with a sketch artist,” Marshall told him as he started punching keys on his phone.

“That’s so great, Pierce! I knew you’d remember.” Tammy smiled and felt his anxiety level drop. Pierce wrapped her in a hug and kept her there as he rested his chin on the top of her cute little head.

“So, the question still remains—what happened after you got in the car and before Dr. Oldham was killed?” Marshal asked.

Pierce tightened his security hold on Tammy and shook his head. “I don’t know, but I
know
there's more. I just feel it!”

“It’s okay, honey. You’ve done a fabulous job. It’ll come. Just give it time,” Marcy smiled at him in support. He knew she was right. The memories would come on their own when he stopped trying to force it.

“But why didn’t they ask about the invention?” Annie said out of nowhere. She cringed. “Sorry, but I just thought that was weird.”

“Well, they asked a lot about what I did. Maybe they already knew who I was? I really get the sense I was targeted.”

Annie nodded her head. “That’s the feeling I get, too. Aiden must've talked. That invention of yours is worth untold millions and someone is out to get it.”

“Maybe they were trying to get you to tell them where it was, or where the research papers were so they could claim it just as Aiden and Mrs. Oldham did,” Marcy suggested.

“That’s not a bad idea, Ma,” Cade said as he started to bundle a sleeping Sophie up in the car seat. “We need to get her home. Pierce, let me know if you need anything—anytime, alright?” Cade hugged his brother and waited for Annie to say her good-byes.

Pierce sat on the couch watching as Tammy slipped off her shoes and padded into the bathroom. He enjoyed watching her bedtime routine. She’d get undressed, put her clothes into the laundry basket, wash her face, brush her teeth, and put on those cute little pink pajamas. She was such a contradiction at times. She was all pale pink and softness, yet she never backed down from anything or anyone.

Just as Pierce knew she would, Tammy came out of her room fresh-faced and in her favorite pajamas. She looked utterly delectable. His hands itched to explore every inch of his little nymph.

“Come here,” Pierce said huskily as he patted his lap. She smiled and snuggled against him as he wrapped her in his arms. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you, too,” Tammy said into his chest as the hand that had been resting over his heart started to travel downward over his stomach. He felt his breath hitch as she pulled his shirt from his jeans. “I was so worried today.”

“I was, too, sweetheart. I was, too. I don’t know what I would've done if you didn't have that vest on.” He pushed aside the thin strap of her top, exposing the top of her breast. He gently traced the outline of the large bruise above her heart. “Does it hurt?”

“A little, but I don’t notice it unless I’m moving a lot.” Tammy’s breath caught when Pierce lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on the base of her neck as his hand came up to cup her breast.

“It’s a good thing then that I intend to do all the work.”

Tammy’s head fell back as he started a trail of kisses leading right to “Oh my God!”

CHAPTER TWENTY

A week later, Tammy woke up to knocking on the door. She rolled over expecting to find Pierce, but instead found a note that he’d headed out to the farm to get some work done and that he’d meet her at the café for brunch. Tammy knew who was at the door. She was just surprised Ahmed had knocked.

She got up and pulled on a robe before answering the door. “It’s Sunday, couldn’t our daily bug sweep have waited another hour? It’s practically dark out,” she complained as she gladly took the cup of coffee he handed her. He knew she loved the coffee Mo’s cook made. He always brought her a large cup to lighten the annoyance of the daily sweep.

Ahmed discovered that her apartment had been bugged the morning after the explosion. It was probably done that morning of the gunfight. Ever since, Ahmed came and swept the apartment for bugs while Bridget ran Marko through every room looking for explosives.

True to their word, the Rose sisters and John hadn't allowed anyone to pass through town without being identified. They obtained copies of the sketches Pierce made with the police and had farmers operating as spies, checking out drivers as they worked the fields along the roadways. They diligently called in anyone remotely resembling the pictures. Further, Tabby left Prissy at the office every morning to guard the back door. Nabi took up residence outside the front of the office looking every bit a deadly statue.

Sadly, she’d gotten used to Dinky, Noodle, Nabi, and others from Ahmed’s security force following her.  They tagged along to the movies with her and Pierce and followed close behind when they went on a horseback-and-picnic date out at the farm. It turned out that she and Pierce had similar simple tastes. They preferred low-key dates where they held hands and spent time out in the warm summer air.

Memorial Day had been perfect. All the veterans in town paraded down Main Street in their uniforms led by the high school marching band. Main Street was then shut down as townspeople unloaded grills, smokers, and casserole dishes for a large cookout. Kids ran around and played with Prissy the Pig. She and Pierce had spent the day with friends and family and, most importantly, with each other.

“The apartment’s clean. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ahmed said preparing to leave.

“You sure are a man of few words. You know, maybe if you talked a little more with that sexy accent, you might find a date or two,” Tammy teased.

“Who says I haven’t already had a date or two?” Ahmed turned and walked out leaving Tammy with her mouth slightly open. What else had Ahmed been up to? Well, she was likely never to find out.

She walked across her apartment and pulled off her pajamas. She was feeling good today. Nothing had happened in a week and maybe they were just going to be left alone. For some reason she felt that today started a new chapter in her life. She pulled out her jean shorts and a pink peasant top. She ran a flat iron through her growing blonde hair and slipped into her cowboy boots before hurrying out the door.

Tammy knew something was wrong the second she opened the café’s kitchen door. Miss Violet was standing with her hands on her plump hips staring out into the restaurant. Women’s voices floated through the air and Tammy cringed. One of those voices belonged to Kandi Chase Rawlings. Tammy took a deep breath. She wouldn’t let anyone ruin what started as an excellent day.

“What’s going on?” Tammy asked Miss Violet who jumped in surprise.

“Lordy, you scared me. You might want to go back upstairs for a little while,” Miss Violet said nervously as she tried to block Tammy’s view of the patrons.

“I know, Kandi’s a real…” Tammy paused and tried to think of a nice way to say it.  “Well, bless her little heart, but she’s a horrible person. I can handle it.”

Tammy stood on her tiptoes and peeked over Miss Violet’s head and decided that maybe she couldn’t handle it. She saw Kandi and Jasmine sitting on either side of Pierce at the table closest to Miss Violet’s window. Pierce had his back to her and both the girls had their blown-up breasts pushed against him as their hands ran all over him.

“You poor dear! So, you’ve dipped your toe on the other side of the tracks… or trailer park in this case. You must be so bored with that trashy little mite! What would you call her, Jas?” Kandi laughed as she leaned across Pierce to wink at Jasmine.

“I don’t know, Kandi, but certainly not a woman! She doesn’t have the required parts that I know Pierce enjoys so much.” Tammy looked down at her chest and then to theirs. They were right. She was nowhere near as inflated. But what worried her was the way Pierce just sat there not saying a thing.

Miss Violet’s arm came around Tammy’s waist as she felt her eyes tear up when Jasmine offered to come over to see him tonight. Suddenly a woman standing up at the table nearby drew Tammy’s attention. She watched in stunned silence as Neely Grace got up from the table she shared with Henry and stood in front of Jasmine.

If Neely Grace or Henry saw Tammy standing in the kitchen, then she didn’t know. Neely Grace had been stopping by Keeneston a lot more and Tammy was so embarrassed that her new friend would hear such horrible things about her. Neely Grace probably said those things about her in high school, but over the past weeks she’d been nothing but the nicest of women.

“You’re the president of the Keeneston Belles, aren’t you?” Neely Grace asked with such sweetness and admiration that Tammy’s heart dropped. Neely Grace was reverting.

“Why, yes, I am.” Jasmine held her head high with that pride.

“Now, forgive me, I’ve been gone for a while, but what is the motto of the Belles?” Neely Graced waved a perfectly manicured hand in the air. “Oh, not the husband-catching part, the one that’s actually written down,” she said with a sweet smile.

“A Belle is to serve our community with grace, dignity, poise, and politeness. We are the shining beacon of all that is womanly and good in Keeneston,” Jas said with a smile and Tammy suddenly felt like throwing up.

“Then, may I ask, why is the head of such a great organization over here acting like a strumpet?” Neely Grace asked with an innocent smile.

Tammy and Miss Violet both gasped in surprise as Jasmine started to thank Neely Grace before realizing she’d just been insulted. “Excuse me! You have no right to talk to me like that, you uptight…”