Layers Off (17 page)

Yeah, it didn’t take me long to get ready.

The tip of Julian’s cock poked around my opening, lubricating its crown and length along my entrance. He slid inside me, slowly, then almost fully drew out before going in to fill me again.

“You are so tight, baby.”

It had been so long since anyone spoke to me the way Julian did, which aroused me even more.

Julian picked up his momentum. I braced against the bike, holding on as he rocked me back and forth. The sound of his front colliding with my flesh echoed through the garage. The smell of our sweat mixed with a bit of the bike’s gasoline and the leather seat filled me. I felt him harden inside me as he held onto my hips, pulling my weight back onto his shaft.

He slid his hand down my belly to my pussy, reviving my want with circular rubs, and my orgasm consumed me within a few swirls. Julian let out a loud groan before jamming in for one last time. My release, with him still inside me, drained my last strength and I collapsed onto the bike.

Without saying a word, Julian lifted me into his arms and carried me to our bedroom, where I fell asleep in the comfort of his body. That night, cradled in Julian’s arms, was one of the most peaceful ones I remembered.

C
HAPTER
14

Julian’s flight was early in the morning. I remembered him kissing me before he left. His aftershave still lingered on my cheek when I woke up. A fresh bouquet of roses was set in a vase on my night table, along with another small box. On his pillow was a card. I sat up and took a whiff of the paper before reading, the sweet scent of Julian filling me as if he himself were breathing into my lungs.

Good morning,

By the time you read this I’ll be in a meeting. Please text me when you wake up.

How am I supposed to text you? I don’t have a phone,
I thought, and then reached for the box and opened it. Of course, inside was a brand new phone. I turned it on. The wallpaper was set to the cutest puppy’s face I’d ever seen. It had a tiny black nose and matching eyes in the midst of its white fur. If I was ever going to get a dog, he’d look just like this one. I set the phone aside and kept reading.

I hope you enjoy yourself (not too much). I’ll be thinking about you every minute and I promise to get back as fast as I can with the answers you seek. Emma will be by this afternoon. Please don’t think I sent her to check up on you. Like I always say, I trust you, but she’s running a small errand for me and needs to drop something off at the house.

I’ve got you.

Julian

I reached for my new phone. Julian’s number had already been pre-programmed. I clicked on the screen as fast as I could.

K:
Good morning. Thank u for the phone. Miss u.

Within seconds my phone buzzed.

J.Cross:
Good morning. Miss u 2. In a meeting.

K:
Good luck.

J. Cross:
Stay safe and in touch. I’ve got you.<3

I leaned back against the headboard, wondering what to do first. The empty house felt hollow without Julian. If I stayed here by myself for too long, I’d go insane.

After a hearty breakfast, I made plans with Allie to meet her for lunch at her office. My visit with her was long overdue, and who better to speak with about my new freedom than the woman who had saved my life?

My car parked in the garage was practically begging me to take out for a drive. I turned on the ignition.
Born to be Wild
played on the radio as part of their flashback, and I switched the station. This time, my head bopped to the sound of a reggae remake of
I Got You, Babe
.

I took that as a sign and switched the gear into drive. The steering wheel responded to my touch like a trained animal. The further I drove, the better I felt. Feeling the need to walk on an actual street, I parked a block away from Allie’s office. The morning rush had passed, and I still had extra time to spare before our lunch. I stopped into a deli and ordered the salad and sandwiches I’d promised to bring.

Next door was a convenience store. I stood in front of it, wondering what I needed to buy because my legs walked over the threshold of their own accord. And just like that, I found myself at the back of the store, looking through the glass of a refrigerator at a stack of beer bottles.

A thick lump formed in my throat. The memory of me walking into a similar store was clear. I’d picked up a bottle of wine or beer before exchanging a swat of cash for an envelope with the clerk. Chills passed over my arms as I took a step back and out of the store. The memory was vile and left a bitter taste in my mouth. The cool wind ruffled my hair, and I picked up my pace toward Cross Enterprises. Pride swelled in my chest with each step I took away from the store.

I took the elevator up to the thirty-third floor. Tristan was attending a business meeting in upper Manhattan, so I had no chance of running into him. Today was a perfect opportunity to visit Allie to see whether she could help me find answers about my past. Julian had said we’d discuss my father’s business in Washington when we returned, but what if he didn’t get the answers he sought? Digging around on my own, with Allie’s help, couldn’t hurt.

She had reserved a private conference room for us, and now we were waiting for the receptionist who brought us herbal tea, to leave. Allie’s eyes were finally brighter, and she looked like a ton of stress had fallen off her shoulders. With Wright finally dead, I imagined she could relax and concentrate on her growing belly. With the baby on the way, I was glad her troubles were over. And from the look on her face when she saw the extra box of donuts I’d brought, I was sure I had made it right with the mamma-to-be.

I’d often wondered whether Allie knew how much we had in common. Her past had haunted her since she was kid; mine had blown up in flames – literally – destroying my future. I admired her passion to help victims of abuse and sex trafficking. If it weren’t for her, I’d be rotting on the floor of some cell. Her work here reminded me of the feeling I’d had in high school, when I coordinated those Facebook clubs and the bullying stopped.

Once the door closed, I pushed the sandwiches toward her, let out a long breath, and leaned forward looking over the folder Allie held open in front of her. A fat CASE CLOSED stamp was splayed over the page.

“Is that Wright?” I pointed to the photo of a man.

Allie slouched in her chair before she answered, “Yes, that’s him.” She then folded the folder in half asking, “So, what’s this meeting about?”

“Before I say anything, I need your assurance the conversation we’re about to have will be confidential.”

She grabbed the avocado and tuna wrap off her plate and frowned, leaning back against her chair. “Meaning you don’t want me to mention this to Tristan?” She took a bite.

“Yes. It’s important I get the information I seek before I speak with him or Julian about it.”

“This is delicious,” she said while chewing. “Are you in trouble?”

“No, it’s not like that.” I stuck a fork into my chicken salad.

“All right. If I don’t say anything to them, will they be in harm’s way?” Allie wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“Absolutely not,” I assured her. “At least I don’t think so. I’m just trying to piece my past together.”

“All right, what can I help you with?”

“Have Tristan or Julian ever told you the circumstances under which we met?”

“No.” She leaned forward, and I knew I had her intrigued. I didn’t mean to hook her in this way, but if Allie was going to help me learn about my past, she had to know everything. As I retold the details of that day on the train and how Julian and Tristan saved me from an intricate hijacking, I discovered that I hadn’t thought about the incident in a long time. I found I didn’t quite remember as many details as I wanted to, which I blamed on my hormonal teenage brain at the time that chose to concentrate on the hot brothers I’d spotted on the train.

I quickly went through what had happened, how I met the Cross brothers and how Maggie and John kept me out of the spotlight and changed my life. By the time I was done, Allie finished her tuna wrap and held her belly.

At first she laughed, saying, “Since the day I met him, I wondered how Tristan got that scar on his lip.”

“Yeah, I have a way of damaging that man both physically and emotionally.” I clasped my hands together and cracked my knuckles underneath the table.

“Are you two okay now?” The hesitation dimmed her eyes.

“Yes. I hope so. Do you know what’s in Washington? I mean, Tristan has gone so many times, and now Julian.”

“He’s mentioned money-laundering legislation. They’ve been having a tough time with one of the Congressmen.”

“Yeah, it’s not an easy job. My father seemed stressed that day on the train. It’s the only thing I can remember about him from before the explosion.”

“He was going to run for the Presidency; he should have been stressed. But what doesn’t make sense to me is the vacation itself. Spontaneity is not something a man of your father’s statue can afford. How did you guys all of a sudden have time to take a vacation? It just doesn’t fit into the kind of lifestyle your family led.”

Allie was right. Our trips had always been pre-planned with itineraries the size of a bible. And what confused me even more, was why I didn’t remember the events of the days which led to the trip. Was I even at school?

“So, do I call you Katherine now?” she interrupted my thoughts.

“No, please don’t.” An odd feeling of dread passed over me.

“Was John there?” she asked.

“Mr. Cross? I... I don’t remember. Maybe? The last time I saw my father, he was talking to someone. The man mentioned a choice my father had: his career, or me. I never saw who it was.” My face felt like it had drained of blood.

“That’s interesting. Do you think your father was running away from something in the Congress? Maybe he was deciding to get out of politics?”

“No.” I shook my head, “My father was a strong man. He wouldn’t let anyone bully him out of there. We’d gone through threats of all sorts, but my parents were always stronger. They always prevailed.”

“If you say you were their first assignment, I think Mr. Cross would want to oversee the work, don’t you? He’s a family man. He wouldn’t let Julian and Tristan take on a task of this scale without an assurance of their safety. And who better to keep them safe than their own father?”

Allie’s keen sense for detail and intuition must have made her a great cop before she joined Cross Enterprises.

“But if he was there, then how did he make it out alive? I saw the train explode. No one could have survived it.”

“That’s a good question. Have you ever spoken to Mr. Cross about it?”

“Yes, of course. John and Maggie answered all my questions. They took me in, helped with the funeral, and found my foster family. They paid for my school – I’ve sort of been part of the family since that day.”

But now that I thought about it, anytime we broached the subject of the train incident, the topic seamlessly changed within minutes.

I met Allie’s keen gaze. “All questions except where Mr. Cross was. Not that I asked directly – actually, I never did at all.”

“Don’t you find the whole accident odd? Julian and Tristan are both fit and smart, but to risk their lives for a James Bond operation like that?”

“Believe me, I’ve seen them in action. James Bond pales in comparison to what those two can do.”

“I still think there are holes in their story.” Allie sipped on her tea.

“And that’s exactly what I’m struggling with. I know it was a traumatic day for me, and losing both parents at once... I couldn’t really think at the time, but you’re right. The more I try to figure it out, the cloudier it gets.”

“It does seem like your memory is very selective. Where do you think I should start with the snooping?”

“Walker. That was my family name. My parents’ names were Stephen and Janine.”

I could see the confusion on Allie’s face grow, so I continued, “I took on Knight as part of the witness protection program. My whole identity was changed the next day. The Crosses took care of everything. My parents died in that train crash, but I think they could have been a target before then.”

“And you’d never met John or Maggie before that day?”

“No.” I shook my head. “There were a lot of parties and charity events my parents went to, but I was always left behind. They didn’t want me in the public eye at all.”

“If the Crosses took you into protection and created a new identity, it had to be for a reason. Why not just ask them again?”

“I tried with Julian. He promised to have answers soon. He sounded desperate for me not to find out just yet, saying it could destroy me.”

“Maybe you should listen to him, Kendra. Julian adores you. He wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true.”

“It’s not that easy. At this point I feel it’s keeping me from moving forward.”

“All right, I’ll see what I can do. How are you feeling otherwise?”

I rolled my eyes. “The therapy stuff sucks. I’m supposed to find something I can focus on, but nothing works. And I can tell you that crosswords are definitely not my thing.”

Someone knocked on the door and opened it without hesitation.

“Laura, come in. Is it that time already?”

The young woman reminded me of a female terminator: beautiful, well-built, with a no bull-shit attitude. “Yes, I’m sorry to interrupt, but if we don’t go now we’ll lose our spot.”

“This is my friend, Kendra.” Allie introduced us. “Julian’s girlfriend. Kendra, this is Laura. She works here too.”

The sound of us proclaimed a couple in public swept warmth and longing through me.

Laura came toward me with a confidence and extended her hand to shake mine. “I’ve heard so much about you,” she said.

“Yet you’re still being so nice. It couldn’t have all been the truth, then.” I heard my voice falter.