Shattered Rules (12 page)

C
hapter Sixteen

Brick
tensed. If he didn't manage his urges Kelly would understand the powerful feelings she’d awakened in him. She’d know how much he wanted her. He couldn't allow that. She was the wrong woman in the wrong place at the wrong time. A mobster’s girl, involvement with her would end his career. He pushed her away.

Her eyes flew open.
Raw desire still blazed in her wide eyes and her look of disappointment was unmistakable. He turned his back and walked out of the room.

I
n the hallway, pain throbbed in his temple. Penance no doubt for wanting her. He rubbed his forehead. The throb in his head and the growl of his stomach fought for his attention. The stomach won. He limped into the kitchen and put a cup of cold coffee into the microwave.

As he gulped down the hot liquid
, he rummaged through the cupboards. A can of mushroom soup and a can of tomato paste was all he found. He opened the soup and dumped it into a saucepan, added water and waited for it to warm on the stove.

The
liquid tasted like mildly flavored water. He needed a real meal, steak or chicken, French bread and something green. The Tahoe City super market was only a few blocks away. He didn't dare leave Kelly alone. His stomach growled again. She’d have to come with him.

“S
oup?” he offered when she entered the kitchen. He didn’t mention their kiss and was relieved the desire he’d seen in her expression was gone replaced by irritation.

“
James was stressed,” she said ignoring his question about the soup.

“
He has good reason to be. But if he stays cool, he'll be fine.”

“
I'm worried about Carrie too. I thought she’d be here by now. Where is she?”

“Could be she has business to take care of.”

“No. She should be here like we planned. Why didn’t she call?” She stared at him. “God help me, I'm beginning to think my sister is dead. The intruders found her or she’d be here by now.”

He looked into her bleak eyes
and wished he could give her a reason to believe everything was okay. He couldn't.

“
I don't think Carrie’s dead. We’d have heard something. The police would’ve notified you.”

That was almost true. Most bodies turned up soon after they were killed. But there were
a minority of cases where the victim wasn’t discovered until months or even years after their death.

“
Carrie’s working,” he said. “You know what a workaholic she is. You’ll get a call when she takes a breather.”

“
If anything has happened to her it’s my fault.” Kelly eyes glistened with moisture.

He
resisted the urge to comfort her.

***

In the rare atmosphere of the Lake Tahoe basin, Brick’s appetite had come alive and now demanded to be fed. Even tired and bruised, he was forced to shop. He drove the Volvo toward the Tahoe City Supermarket. Kelly sat beside him. She didn’t want to come along, but he’d insisted.

In the clear night, t
he lake reflected the moon’s image. If circumstances had been different he’d have parked beside the shore so they could enjoy the view, but tonight he drove without stopping. She didn’t speak, He didn’t either.

It was nearly closing time when he pulled into the food mart’s parking lot.
Last minute shoppers rushed to make it through the supermarket doors before the store closed for the night. Tourists, purchasing goodies they probably wouldn't allow themselves to eat the rest of the year, filled their carts with as much junk food and booze.

She
didn’t take any interest in the choices, so he arbitrarily bought food he liked. He filled the cart with enough to supplies to feed them for three or four days. He picked a huge sirloin steak, a whole chicken and red meat for burgers, milk, cereal, and salad makings and French bread. On his way to the check stand he grabbed Brie and Cheddar cheese and water crackers, then took anything that caught his eye. He wanted beer but decided to be practical. He needed all his wits to stay alert and on guard. He settled for a twelve pack of coke, lots of caffeine to keep him awake.

On the way back to the cabin
, Kelly’s expression told him not to make polite conversation. Again he drove in silence.

The wind picked up blowing away the clouds and the
silver hue of the moon made the lake even more beautiful. He glanced at Kelly. Her eyes were closed. He shrugged. Maybe that was best. She needed rest.

His back crawl
ed. Someone was following them. In the rear view mirror, he couldn’t see any unusual traffic. A white pickup truck and a light green SUV drove behind them. A couple of blocks later, the two cars were still with him.

He
drove to a gas station, got out. Though the car didn’t need a fill up, he pretended to put gas in the tank. He cleaned the windshield as both vehicles rolled by without slowing down. He made a mental note of each car as it passed.

After five minutes, he headed toward the cabin.
The vehicles he’d seen were nowhere in sight.

Kelly
continued to sleep.

***

The sound of the garage door opening woke Kelly. Home at last. That used to mean something, but now the cabin was just another lonely place. She missed Carrie and wanted to search for her sister, but had no idea where to start. The business conference she’d attended was over. Her sister could be anywhere in the whole country.

Kelly
strained to remain positive, but as time passed it was harder and harder. There was nothing to do but wait for her sister to arrive at the cabin.

She watched Brick check the side door to the backyard
, apparently it was still locked. In the trunk of the car she picked up a bag of groceries.

A phone
rang. Not Brick's smart phone, the landline in the cabin rang once, twice. Fumbling to get her keys out of her pocket, she dropped the grocery bag, ran to the backdoor and put the key into the lock. Her grandparent’s old answer machine started.

By the time she
got into the kitchen all she heard was, “The battery's going dead.”

Carrie
.
She ran to the wall phone in the kitchen and grabbed the receiver.
Too late.

“
Damn it!” She wanted to hit the phone in frustration.

Brick entered the kitchen carrying the bag of groceries she
’d dropped and set it on the kitchen table. “Who was it?”

“
Carrie.”

Her
heart beat so fast, she could hardly speak. “She called. I thought—” She grabbed a quick breath. “I was beginning to think I'd never hear from her again. I was afraid.” She tried to calm down. “Afraid the men who attacked me had somehow found and killed her.” She rested her head against his broad chest. His muscled arms closed around her, protecting her.

He cleared his throat.
“What did Carrie say?”

“
I didn't talk to her. I just heard her voice. I tried to get to the phone, but I was too late.”

He p
ushed the button on the answer machine and let the message play.

“
Kelly, why the hell can’t I go home? What have you done now? Stay at the cabin and keep out of trouble until I get there. I'll try to be on—Damn it! The battery's going dead.”

“
Why couldn't she have called five minutes later, when we were here?”

“
Either way her phone’s battery would’ve gone dead. She's okay, that's the main thing and she’s on her way to the cabin.”

“
Then why do I feel so afraid for her?”

H
is strong arms flexed, giving her a squeeze. “Relax. Carrie is all right.”

“Yeah.”
What was Brick’s reaction, hearing her sister’s voice after all these years? Or had he been in contact with her all along? Was that the reason he turned up on the door step in the middle of the night-To see Carrie?

He
released her.

She shivered as
cold air replaced his arms.

“
I’ll bring in the rest of the groceries.” She felt the void when he left the room.

Later, s
he helped put the supplies away, showing him where everything belonged. It felt right to be working in the kitchen together.
Almost like an old married couple
. Where did that thought come from? She’d better not forget he’d once belonged to Carrie, and he’d always be her sister’s man.

They didn't talk but worked as a team, each sensing what needed to be done. A comfortable silence descended on the room with only the aroma of good food to interrupt her thoughts. She watched
him season the chicken with ground thyme, garlic and bay leaves before putting it in the oven. She set the table and made a Greek salad, water crackers, French Brie and red seedless grapes were set out for hor d'oeuvres.

When she and
Carrie were children they’d spent many summers here at the cabin. Fresh from swimming in the lake and still in their bathing suits, they’d run into the kitchen to help set the table for dinner. Then the kitchen had been hot and filled with the glorious aroma of buttermilk biscuits and fresh baked apple pie.

She could picture her grandmother standing
at the stove, fanning herself with her brightly colored apron, her gray/blonde hair tied up in a bun, beads of perspiration on her brow. How wonderfully simple those days had been. Now she wished life was that clear-cut.

“
Dinner,” Brick said as he carved the chicken he’d taken from the oven.

They sat at the table in the big country kitchen.

“Good to see you eat.” He smiled. “I was getting worried.”

“
When I was a little girl I told my mother I didn’t need to eat because I lived on sunshine.”

“
You were solar powered.” He chuckled.

She
laughed too and realized it had been too long since she’d found anything funny.

Without turning on the lights
in the living room, she opened the drapes and watched the full moon shimmer on the dark waters of the lake. The birch trees swayed in the gentle breeze, casting shadows and the only sound was the rustle of the leaves on the tree branches.

She put a tea set on the table
, poured a cup of tea and handed to him. In the moonlight, his eyes appeared to be a silver blue.

He
sniffed the tea and wrinkled his nose.

“Peppermint tea.” She smiled
. “Try it. You’ll like it.” She sat on the sofa next to him.

He
took a sip. “Not bad.” He took another sip, then put the cup on a nearby table.

A
sense of pleasure, she hadn’t felt in many years, washed over her. “Why can't life be easy?” she asked.

“
If it was then it wouldn't be life. Would it?” He winked.

“I guess you’re right
.”

“
We all search for happiness, looking for free will, but we're ruled by duty and are pawns of fate.”

She heard pain in his quiet voice.
What duties hid in the shadows of his life?

“
We find contentment within the confines of our circumstance. Count your blessings.”

“
I count you as one of those blessings Brick.”

He cleared his throat.

They sat in silence, the tranquil night interrupted only by the sound of feral cats fighting outside the cabin.

“
It’s a jungle out there,” he joked.

She
wanted to laugh, but there was little humor because now she knew that in so many ways his statement was true.

She let her head rest against his
shoulder and inhaled his masculine fragrance. A warm sensation swept through her. She wanted this night to last, because soon he’d be gone and she’d never see him again.

“
It’s getting late. We better get some sleep.” He sat up and stretched.

“
Okay,” she answered, not really wanting to sleep. It occurred to her they could share a bed tonight. Though she ached for him to hold her, kiss her, fill her, she knew he had no interest in her. She sighed.

“
Is something wrong?”

“Everything’s fine.” She tried to force her lips into a smile.
“Just fine.”

“
Then get to bed. I'll lock up the house.”

“
Thanks for helping with dinner.”

He shrugged.

“Goodnight Brick.”

“Y
eah.”

While she got ready for bed, she couldn't help thinking about
his continued kindness. He didn't have to help. He could be home taking care of his own life, wherever that might be. Instead, he was with her, putting himself in danger. He must have some feelings for her, had to care just a little. Why else would he still be here?