Waiting for You (9 page)

Chapter 9

A
udrey returned to Crystal Valley with a new lightness. As depressing and painful as her visit to New York had been, she felt a new freedom that she hadn’t before… finality. She had reaffirmed with both lawyers that everything for the divorce was really and truly done with. No more impromptu phone calls for contracts or letters to be signed. They had both reassured her that it was over.

Her painful past was a chapter to close and she was now ready to focus on her future, wherever that may take her.

Today, in particular, it took her to Sweet Temptations where she found Emma behind the counter bopping her head and swinging her arms to Katy Perry’s Roar. Audrey listened to the lyrics and it was like it was an anthem for herself, her life.

Emma spotted her at the door and waved, without missing a beat. Instead she cranked up the music and encouraged Audrey to join her.

Audrey, somewhat self-conscious, searched around her and, sure that they were alone, shimmied beside Emma, singing along to the lyrics

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire, ‘cause I am the champion and you’re gonna hear me roar, louder than a lion.

The song ended and Emma turned down the volume to join Audrey at their small table.

“How was New York?”

Audrey sighed, a sigh of relief. “It’s the close of an era.”

“Here, here,” Emma cheered. “Let me punctuate the moment with some advice that my Mom shared with me when I went to college, ‘Live each day like it’s your last but pay your bills and wear a condom just in case it’s not’.”

Audrey laughed, “Best advice I have heard.”

“So, are you going to be sticking around for a while then?”

“You know, I’ve always felt like this damn town suffocated me but you don’t value something or someplace until you no longer have it. Crystal Valley is in my future for now. It’s home.”

Emma smiled and squeezed Audrey’s hand. “I’m glad to hear that, I’ve missed you these past years.”

“Me too Ems, I’m sorry that I never made the effort to keep in touch.”

“Hush, that’s the closed chapter right? This is our new chapter now, Aud and Em like Thelma and Louise, well hopefully without the suicide.”

Audrey grinned. “I can’t wait. Especially if there’s a Brad Pitt in the mix.”

“Speaking of, I need a favor. I’m putting together a Facebook page for the bakery, just to get in a little more foot traffic. Do you think you could take some pictures of some of my edibles? I will pay you, of course.”

“It would be my pleasure Em, the only payment I need would be something covered in chocolate or pastry cream.”

“Deal! When can you start?”

“I actually have my camera in my car.”

“Perfect!”

Audrey walked out the shop and popped the trunk on her TT to retrieve her camera. As she locked the car her gaze landed on the double trouble down the street, Adam and Oliver. More like the terrible twos. They were two sinfully delicious men, not that Oliver did anything for her hormones but they were still eye candy. No wonder they were surrounded by three big breasted women.

Good thing Audrey was on a man fast so she could ignore the pang that squeezed her chest when she watched a tall red head stroke Adam’s arm. She had no business feeling anything but irritation toward the man.

She gave herself a mental shake and went into Sweet Temptations and adjusted the settings on her camera before she started snapping away.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Oliver,” she asked, zooming in on the buttercream swirl of a decadent caramel cupcake.

“There’s no deal,” Emma answered, vigorously wiping down the counter.

Audrey laughed to humor her friend, “So, why are you so rabid to him when he comes around here?”

“I’m not vapid, that’s my version of charm.” She was silent a moment, “Am I that harsh?”

“Honey, you could deep freeze his balls with the frost you project to that man.”

Emma sighed. “He’s just too big and too seductive and two damn gorgeous.”

“I don’t see the problem. He’s hot, just take him.”

“Don’t get me wrong, just making eye contact with the man has my panties about to spontaneously combust. It’s just that he’s been with half the women in this damn town and I don’t want to be another notch on his bed post. I’ve known him too long for it to get awkward like that.”

“So you would rather exchange frosty banter with him than have hot, sweaty monkey sex together?”

“Precisely,” she grinned. “Keeps the hormones in check. Besides, aren’t you doing the same thing with Adam?”

Audrey feigned ignorance as she positioned two double chocolate brownies for the perfect shot. “There’s no attraction to Adam.”

“Don’t you lie to me, Missy. Stevie Wonder can see the sparks between you two. We were friends when you were crushing on him as a boy; don’t act like he isn’t burning your crotch like poison ivy as a man. Plus you are single now, you can afford a little horizontal bump and grind. Or vertical, whatever is your preference.”

“You make him sound like an STD.” Audrey laughed. “I don’t want to get into another relationship-“

“Who said anything about relationship? Just some casual fun. Adam’s a decent guy, you know him from way back when. Plus he’s Navy so you know he’s honorable, what kind of trouble could you possibly get into?”

“If you have to ask then you really aren’t thinking straight. Adam and Oliver? That’s double trouble waiting to happen.”

“Amen to that sister.”

****

Adam opened the chamber of his Sig Sauer P226 and checked that he was fully loaded before cocking the weapon and placing it in his holster strapped around his upper right thigh. He reached for his boot and was reassured when he touched the Battle Bowie knife tucked in against his ankle.

The blood rushed through his veins as the familiar kick of adrenaline filled him. He was battle ready.

Oliver had pulled him into another one of the department’s cases and Adam was locked and loaded. They were planning on taking down a sister party to the Perelli’s drug cartel. How anything as sinister as a cartel could even make its home in a place like Crystal Valley was beyond Adam but when you lived and breathed for battle and raids and high intensity, dangerous circumstances and then came back to a life of peace, something just didn’t always fit.

The drug cartel had set up shop on the outskirts of the marina, in one of the storage docks and the CVPD had a small group of special ops cops surrounding the perimeter. It was broad daylight which did not make for good raid conditions but these criminals were extra careful at night fall.

Adam crept into the large, dark warehouse, Oliver at his opposite side, ready to flank the enemy. It was only the two of them and another policeman within the building. All other cops were lined outside as back up.

Adam retrieved his weapon and held it drawn before him. The air held a pungent stench which he had to block out so as not to chuck his chips right then and there.

From his vantage point between two metal shelves he could see a few people walking around, wearing white overalls but he could not actually see them handling any drugs. The floor plan they had worked against had revealed a basement lair and Adam knew that’s where the action would be going down.

Oliver signaled him and Adam nodded his acknowledgement before mutely and stealthily approaching the three workers.

Adam silently pistol whipped the first worker who fell to a heap on the floor, instantly unconscious. This shuffling caused a rousing for the other two men and Oliver grabbed one and rendered him immobile while Adam grabbed the last remaining man, hand over his mouth to silence him before whispering menacingly in his ear, “Take me to the entrance of the lab.”

The man started to protest and Adam tightened his hold, twisting the man’s body simultaneously. “Argue with me and I will snap you neck so fast you won’t even see the white light.”

The man’s body started to tremble in fear and shock but he managed to turn his head slightly in the direction of the inconspicuous door. Adam pushed him along and brought him up against the door. “Open it!” he barked.

The man shook his head vigorously, indicating he didn’t have keys.

“You’re useless,” he muttered before putting pressure on his neck. He fell instantly to the dirty floor, like a sack of potatoes.

“Nice trick,” Oliver commented, pulling out a few bibs and bobs and picking the lock on the door. It opened with a click and they entered the confined space silently. The acrid chemical stench was overwhelming, the sulphur odor burning his nostrils. He crouched down on the floor and belly crawled into the room before rolling to camouflage against a steel table. Surveying the space he could see that these men were highly armed. It was going to be a real party getting out of here.

The third policeman, Officer Cupps, entered the room with not quite the stealth that Oliver and Adam did as he tipped a table which caused some test tubes to roll and the goons turned, weapons ready for discharge, in the direction of the sound and Officer Cupps.

They fired first and the entire room erupted into mayhem. Adam took deliberate shots, aiming to injure rather than kill. These assholes needed to pay painfully for their crimes and death was too quick of a punishment. The sound of gun shots, shells hitting the tiled floors, glasses crashing and bullets hitting flesh was deafening and sickening to the senses.

A movement out of the corner of his eye alerted Adam to one of the goons escaping out a small trap door. Adam gave chase; hoping one of the cops would stop him on the outside. He exited the small door and was assaulted by the bright morning sunlight glaring into his retinas. Blinking rapidly, he found the man running towards the beach at full speed and the asshole was a fast fuck.

Adam dodged the bullets that flew past his ears as the idiot fired randomly at his head. A glance at the beach told him there were lots of civilians sun bathing or swimming in the warm waters. Shit. The bullets kept flying and Adam kicked up his speed, noticing that one of the cops was lying on his back, clearly shot. Adam just hoped the idiot had caught him in his Kevlar and not actually shot the law enforcer.

Adam was gaining on the idiot, his own Kevlar weighed him down. With the reckless shots this guy kept firing, it was his saving grace if he did get hit. He knew from experience what a bitch that was.

The goon ran onto the pier and Adam wondered about his intellectually capacity. Where was he going to go from there? Swim to Mexico? Unlikely. His shots became more and more rapid and Adam feared a stray bullet could hit an innocent bystander. On instinct he lunged for the guy. He caught him by the collar and they both rolled on the hard concrete. The guy was big and heavy and swung a fist to punch Adam. Adam reached for his gun only to realize that it had been tossed in the scuffle. The goon managed to get on his feet and tried to make a run for it – off the pier. Adam lunged into the deep murky waters with him. It was a jolt to his senses but the water was second home to him.

The idiot kept struggling and Adam could hear the muted whizzing of the bullets flying past him. He managed to knock the gun out of his hand and punched him in the gut but it didn’t slow the hoodlum down. He wrapped his brawny hands around Adam’s neck and squeezed, trying to kick him simultaneously. Adrenaline kicking in, Adam reached for his ankle and grabbed his knife, stabbing the man in the arm. The assailant opened his mouth to scream and Adam knew he got him. He grabbed him by the collar and swam to the surface as the idiot sucked in a lungful of water.

Adam’s head popped up and he gulped in a large breath. He focused on the beach and noticed a small group of people gathered, watching the bust in fascination. He reached shore, still dragging the bubbling goon by the collar who had an audacity to try and escape when their feet hit the sand but Adam was quick and knocked him on his ass, his knee against his neck, cutting off his air supply. His face turned beat red as Oliver approached.

“You caught him.”

“Piece of cake,” Adam grinned, pleased with the action.

“These assholes are going down.”

“Fuck you,” the idiot ranted.

“No,” Oliver sneered in his face, his eyes flashing with excitement. “But someone is going to fuck you when you get to prison.” He tossed a pair of handcuffs to Adam to subdue the guy before ushering the people on the beach to get on with their business.

Once he had the goon safely detained, Adam swiped the rivulets of water running down his face and surveyed his surroundings. People were getting back to their business, thankfully and he was glad that nobody had been injured in this lunatic’s wild shooting.

****

Audrey was thrilled and excited. The scene on the beach was captivating as she had seen Adam chase a man across the pier, dodging his flying bullets and then leaping into the ocean below. Her heart had stopped for the few minutes he was submerged, fearing that he may not resurface. She only realized that she had stopped breathing when his head popped up and she gulped in a lungful of air.

He emerged dripping wet, his clothes stuck to every hard contour of his body and what a sinfully delicious body that was. Her raging hormones were only further fueled by the danger he encountered, displaying skill and physical prowess far beyond anything she ever thought a man capable of. Audrey knew that Adam Parker would be able to keep a woman safe…and then some. This was definitely not the man she knew all those years ago. This Adam was fearless.

Later that evening she stood in her attic converted dark room and viewed the photos lining the space.

Photos she had taken from the day she had dug out the trunk in the attic. She smiled as she scanned the closest picture of the beautiful little girl she had seen sitting on the red steps of her house. She had dark hair held back with a pretty headband which made her big blue eyes pop. The green of her summer dress contrasted beautifully with the red of the stairs and the look in her eyes were of complete shock as Audrey had taken the photo of her as a dog had snuck up behind her. It was beautiful and emotional and made Audrey feel the deep itch to continue with her craft.