Shattered Rules (14 page)

C
hapter Eighteen

A modest log cabin
nestled in a small grove of birch trees at the shore of Lake Tahoe came into view as she rounded the corner. She drove the Honda onto the gravel driveway and turned off the engine.

She knocked on the front door
. No answer. She peeked into the garage window. A blue Ford truck was parked inside. Simmons must be home.

She knocked again.
Her knuckles hurt from rapping on the door. Annoyance ran down her spine. He knew she was coming today. His truck was in the garage. Why didn’t he answer?

C
ould he be hurt and unable to come to the door? She squinted and looked in the front window but couldn’t see into the dark of the living room. No sounds emanated from inside the cabin.

Her hands turned cold as her blood raced from her extremities.
He must be dead. Stop.
Don’t let your imagination run away with you
. Instead of jogging back to the car, she stood on the front porch. She had to give Ted Simmons the flash drive. So the mess she was would end.

Maybe he
was a sleep. He did work nights at the casino.

A dog barked
. She followed the sound to the back of the property.

From a
wooden pier on the edge of the lake, a yellow lab came bounding toward her, wagging its tail. At the end of the pier Ted Simmons, holding a fishing rod, stood staring at her. He smiled.

Thank God.

“Hi Ted.” She smiled at the forty something average height and average weight man with brown hair and eyes, the generic Caucasian male. Perhaps that’s why he did undercover work. He was so ordinary, so forgettable. Just a guy you’d see anywhere and not pay attention to him.

H
e grinned.

She
smiled, relieved, everything was okay. Her horrendous situation was almost over. “It’s beautiful out here on the lake.” She walked toward him.

“Yeah
, fishing’s good and the house is comfortable. I don’t usually get such a plush assignment.”

The
Labrador circled her demanding to be petted. She scratched his ear. He wagged his tail.

“His name is Yeller. Not original, but he
doesn’t seem to mind,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

H
e walked back to the end of the pier and picked up his tackle box and then returned “Let me stow this gear and toss the fish in the fridge. Then we’ll get the flash drive. We‘ll take your car.”

“
Okay.”

Kelly
sat in the driver’s seat of the Honda and waited for Agent Simmons. She pushed down her impatience. It’d take about twenty minutes to reach the hiding place. In less than an hour it’d be over and she could go home. She and Carrie would be out of danger.

Fifteen minutes later
the sky darkened. The wind blew off the lake and the air turned cold. How long did it take to put the fish and tackle away? Maybe he was going clean the damn fish before he came out to the car.

Women had
a bad rap of always making men wait. But lately she’d been forced to wait, first for Brick at the casino and now for Agent Simmons.

S
he got out of the car and was hit by a gust of cold wind. She stood for a moment and let it cool her hot temper.
Calm down it’s almost over.

Back at the front, she banged on it.
“Damn it Ted, what’s taking so long?” She rubbed her hand and couldn’t bear the thought of hitting the door again.

T
he handle turned and the door opened easily. The drapes were still closed when she entered the living room. It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. She left the front door open to let a ray of light penetrate the shadows. Decorated in pine furniture with plaid upholstery, the room was homey but empty of people.

“
Where are you? Are you ready to go?”

Silence.

She walked down a short hallway into the kitchen. An odor of fish assailed her. The open refrigerator door lent light to the room shuddered room. The trout lay on a platter in the middle of the kitchen table. Ted’s fishing pole leaned against the wall near the back door. He was nowhere in sight.

She
started to shout his name but stopped. A shiver ran through her. Sudden fear warned her to keep quiet. She backed out of the room into the hallway.

For the first time, she noticed t
he hall door to the garage was open. The fender of Ted’s Ford truck could be seen. She heard a shuffling sound and then the distinct sound of the garage door opening.

She
relaxed. He was in the garage. Maybe he’d decided take his truck. She walked quickly toward the garage.

“Ted
, I came through the house. Do you want to take your truck?”

“
Run Kelly ru…

T
he killer’s knife sliced Ted’s carotid artery cutting off his words. He dropped to his knees holding his throat, blood spraying through his fingers. He dropped face down on the cement floor.

C
hapter Nineteen

Frozen
in shock, Kelly watched a river of Ted’s red blood run toward the open garage door. Her stomach retched. No one could lose that much blood and live.

“Hey
you,” the killer shouted.

T
he intruder who’d attacked her in her home glared at her, a bloody knife in this hand. He lunged for her.

Just then the
Lab ran to the garage. The killer tripped over Yeller.

She heard
him swear at the dog as she sprinted from the garage to the house. A scream stuck in her constricted throat. The footfalls of the man as he chased her were getting closer. She sprinted down the hall and out the front.

At
the car door, she fumbled to get her keys out of her jean pocket. She stared the engine and grinding the gears, she struggled to force the car into reverse. The Honda jumped and spit gravel from the back wheels.

Before she would drive away,
the killer yanked open the driver’s side door and grabbed her. Her foot popped off the clutch. The engine died.

S
he fought to stay in the Honda. He yanked so hard they both fell to the driveway. He grunted as her full weight landed on top of him. She fought to get up. Just when she was able to stand he grabbed her. She kicked him in the groin. He grunted and let her go. She sprinted down the long driveway toward the road, screaming all the way.

Brick’s car pulled
onto the property. His side window was open He leaned out and shouted, “What the hell are you doing here? You promised to stay at your cabin.”

“
Agent Simmons is dead. The killer was here. I saw him.” Bile rose in the back of her throat. She came to a halt next to his car and gulped for air. She glanced back toward the house.

“Get in your car
. Lock it and wait for me.”

He
didn’t ask who Agents Simmons was. Did he already know?

“We can’t just leave
Ted lying there.” She swallowed hard. “Dead in the garage.”

“
I’ll have the FBI take care of him, but you can’t be involved. We need to get out of here before they arrive.” He paused. “You’re shaking. Can you drive?”

“Yeah.” She
forced her body to be still and folded her arms so he couldn’t see her hands were still trembling. “The killer was here. I saw him. But now—”

“
Get the hell into your car and lock the door! Be ready to drive.”

She
walked on wobbly legs toward her car but didn’t get in.

Brick
jumped out of his car, ran to her and grabbed her. “What the hell are you doing?” His voice was low and menacing.”

“Ted’s
dead, but his dog is in there. I can’t just leave him to starve.”

She
yanked her arm out of his grip and ran toward the garage.

“Damn it Kelly”

With trepidation she entered the garage. Yeller lay near the agent’s body. The dog’s tail wagged when he saw her but he didn’t leave his master’s side.

H
er stomach rolled and tears blurred her vision when she saw Ted.

“Yeller,” s
he called to the dog. His tail continued to wag, but he refused to move. Finally, she went to him and pulled on his collar. “Come on Yeller. You come home with me. Don’t worry. I’ll see your master’s taken care of.” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Come on boy, you’re going to be alright.”

***

In the cabin, Yeller lay on the floor near the foot of Kelly’s bed.

Was there someone
from Agents Simmons’ family who’d want to take care of Yeller? Did Ted have a family, wife and children who’d mourn him? Brick would find out.

Now w
hat was she going to do about the flash drive? It was still hidden and without Ted she didn’t know who to trust. She never should’ve taken it. Damn Ted for talking her into grabbing it in the first place.
Oh God, what am I thinking?
Trying to do the right thing, Ted died.

She
sat on the bed and sobbed, finally able to let out her emotions. Yeller came to her and put his head in her lap as if to comfort her. She patted his head. “I know you’re sad too. Aren’t you boy? Don’t worry. We’ll find Ted’s people and take you home.” She rubbed his ear.”If they can’t keep you, you’ll stay with me.” She patted his head and then he licked her hand.

M
aybe she should leave the flash drive in its hiding place and hope no one found it.
Not a good plan.
The intruders said she’d die if she didn’t return it. She pictured Ted blood gushing from his wound. She wouldn’t let him die in vain and she didn’t intend to be the next one murdered.

Her head ached.
Her stomach growled. Hunger, proof she was still alive. It felt like a betrayal of agent Simmons to want food. She groaned.
Don’t think anymore.

After a quick
shower, she hurriedly put on a white cotton blouse and a short jean skirt.

Brick was waiting for her
in the dining room. He was probably pissed.

“
You look lovely,” he said when she entered the room.

“
Uh, thanks.” She didn’t feel lovely. She felt numb. How could he even think of saying something like that after what they’d seen this afternoon? She gazed into his clear, steadfast eyes. Was he trying to keep her calm?

There was no
criticism in his expression. She’d expected to see a reprimand for leaving the cabin. “How did you find me?” She sat at the table.

“I put a tracking device on your car.”

“You didn’t trust me.”

“Did you earn my trust?”

She flinched and turned away without answering.

“
I made dinner.”

“I can’t eat. I thought I could
, but thinking of Agent Simmons, there’s no way.”

“
You have to. Everything’s ready.” He waved at the food on the table then pulled out a chair and sat down.

T
he aroma of the meal wafted to her. Still, the thought of eating sent a wave of nausea washing over her then her stomach growled.

W
ithout conversation, he plated her food, Caesar salad and barbecued chicken bought, along with a bag of dog food at a market on the way back to the cabin. He sliced the famous San Francisco sourdough bread that was trucked in everyday over the mountain pass, when Donner summit wasn't snowed in and put a slice on her plate and handed it to her.

She found a bottle of
bottle of Napa Valley Chardonnay and opened it.

He r
efused the wine. She filled her glass. “After the events of today I need it.”

She forced down a small piece of
chicken and ate a few bites of lettuce, washing it down with the wine.

He
ate everything on his plate.

She watched him
, stunned that he could eat as if today was just another day at the office. She took a gulp of wine and swallowed slowly.

Ted’s death seemed to heighten her
senses, made her aware of how short life was and how quickly it could be snuffed out.

Her feelings for Brick intensified
as well. She started at him. He’d changed his clothes and was now wearing a blue silk dress shirt. It accented the color of his eyes. What it would feel like to run her fingers over the soft fabric of his shirt and feel the taut muscles that lay underneath?

A
jolt of guilt hit her. She was surprised to discover the proximity to Ted’s death caused her to need to prove she was still alive. Making love to Brick would do that.

In the living room after dinner,
he started a fire in the fireplace and then sat in a wing chair across from the sofa.

A g
low from the wine swirled in her. She leaned back on the sofa, still holding the half-full glass of wine she’d brought from the dining room. Determined to relax from the horror of the day, she sipped more of the white wine. She'd probably had too much of a good thing at dinner and would pay for it in the morning. She didn’t care. How many evenings did she have left before the intruders killed her too? Just like they murdered Ted?

O
ne night to remember, that’s all she wanted and because of the timeline of the intruder's threat, it would have to be tonight.

Brick
scrutinized her, his eyes stopping where her denim skirt ended. She looked up to see the firelight flashing in his eyes, unreadable emotions flared and his eyes narrowed. He turned away before she could try to decipher their meaning.

He might be experiencing the same craving that was pulsing in her. A hope that he might yearn for her as much as she hungered for him made her brave.
I need to show him how much I want him.

The log in the fireplace flared and sent sparks flying. He rose to stoke the fire
. He added another log.

“
Sit on the couch with me,” she said surprised by the sound of passion in her voice.

“
I'm fine here.” He sat in a chair across from her.

“
It's lonely over here.”

“
Looking as beautiful you do right now, you don't make it easy to say no.”

“
Then say yes.” She held out her hands.

“
There's no use denying I'd like to. I can't. Nothing in our situation has changed.”

“
Make love to me,” she said pretending she hadn't heard a word he said.

“
You've had too much wine and too much stress. Be sensible.”

“
I don’t want to be sensible. Just once I want to make passionate love to you and let tomorrow take care of its self,” she whispered.

A perplexed
expression spread across his face, but desire soon replaced it, and fire burned in his eyes.

“
Brick.”

“
Kelly, you've got to be practical. If I took you tonight, you'd regret it in the morning.”

“
No I wouldn't. If I’m practical where does that get me?”

“
You're young, what’s the hurry?”

“
The intruders tell me I won't live to see next week, let alone my next birthday.”

He cringed.

“I want something to show for my time on this earth.” Still holding her wineglass, she drank the last drop and put the glass on the coffee table. She adjusted her shirt and tossed her hair back from her face. “I want you. Don't be afraid I'll be gentle.” She grinned.

H
is lips remained firm, even though a smile shone in his eyes. “I can't give you what you want.”

“
Yeah you can. I want you to take me. I don’t want a commitment, no strings and no plans for the future. For all I know tonight is all I have.”

“Don’t talk like that.”

She stood up and came toward him. Just a breath away, she whispered, “Don't turn me away. Can't you see how much I need you?”

He opened his mouth to answer and she kissed his open mouth, tongue to tongue.

He pulled away. “Stop Kelly.”

She
glanced down and saw his need grow. On her tiptoes, she reached up to kiss him again and then said, “I know you think you’re doing the right thing pushing me away me, but you’re not.”

She held his face and kissed him again.
His hands were at his side, his body unyielding. Nonetheless, she continued to kiss him, her hands running through his hair and down his taut backside.

With a groan he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

She clung to him. Since she was a teenager she’d wanted him, only him. She’d feared there’d never be a chance to be with him. Tonight was her opportunity. She wouldn't let it go.

Her breasts pressed against
his hard torso.

H
is muscles tensed. She arched her hips to get nearer to him. His breath caught and his need came to full attention.

He tore his mouth from hers.
“We shouldn't be doing this.”

She didn't answer. Instead, she undid the buttons of his shirt
and ran her hands over the warm skin of his chest then moved downward. His abdominal muscles flexed as she did. As she continued to experience the planes of his hard body she let her tongue lick his tightened nipples. She gazed up to see raw hunger reflected in his eyes. Was it a manifestation of her need or was she finally seeing his longing?

“
I could do better if I had a little help,” she whispered before kissing him again.

He seized
her and kissed her hard. She moaned as the intensity of his kiss filled her. He forced his tongue deep into her mouth, and she opened to accept it. He pulled her firmly against him, making her move with the rhythm of his shifting body.