Protecting Lyndley (14 page)

“Don’t even worry about it at the moment. We have more important things to deal with.”

I nodded and followed him out front onto the porch. There tied up against the metal railing, sat Kristy. I glanced between him and her at least a million times before I finally found it in myself to say something.

“What the fuck
, are you doing here?” Kristy looked up at me, petrified.

“Wait, you know her?” Ruger sounded confused and I could only imagine how this all looked.

“Yeah, she’s Davis’ daughter that I was telling you about. And now, she’s going to be Davis’ dead daughter.” I reached for my gun and aimed it right between her eyes. “Any last words?”

Lyndley

I remember when I was little I used to be oblivious to the outside world. I had a picture perfect family and the perfect picture life to go along with it, and I never stopped to question how I got so lucky. Little did I know that there were so many kids out there with lives that were almost unimaginable. Lives like the one that Ky was forced to live.

In some ways I wish my parents wouldn’t have kept me so sheltered my entire life. Maybe if I had been more aware of the things that happened in other families, then I wouldn’t have been so naïve when it came to my current predicament. Unfortunately for me, all I had ever known throughout my life was good.
I wouldn’t take back any of the things that my parents did for me, but sometimes I just wish I had grown up a bit more jaded.

My heart ached for Ky and the innocence that was ripped away from him at such a young age. No child should ever have to endure all of the heartache and pain that he had been forced to deal with. I wanted him to know what it felt like to be truly loved by someone whole-heartedly and unapologetically. Knowing some of his story put things with him and I into perspective, and I didn’t want to waste another minute fighting against what felt so right.

In the short amount of time that I had known this man he had done nothing but put my needs in front of his own. He protected me in a way that made me appreciate him more than any other man. I felt safe with him, and that sense of security tugged at my heartstrings in a way that I never thought possible. He was a man with many layers, but I was willing to break down the wall he had put up, brick by brick to expose the loving and caring man I had seen him be.

Glimpses of my family kept running
through my mind like an old black and white movie. I could vividly see my sometimes adoring mother, and my tenderhearted father. But it was the flashes of my little sister that hurt my heart the most. She was so young and innocent and if I could, I would protect her from everything evil in this world. I never wanted her to feel the pain and agony that I had been feeling. She was the type of girl that deserved great love and an even greater life.

I could feel the tears spilling out of the corner of my eyes and slowly rolling down my cheeks as I looked back at the loving people
I was forced to leave behind. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them, and I was determined to get back to that life, to make sure I did everything in my power to make them happy again. I could only imagine the torment and heartbreak that they were dealing with thinking that their daughter, and sister, was forever gone.

As I lay on whatever hard surface I was on, I fought to open my eyes. Somehow, I knew I would eventually find the strength in me to do just that and come back to the man that I now considered
being my one true love. It wasn’t my time yet, and I wasn’t ready to give up on the life we were falsely creating for ourselves. No matter how fake it looked to the outside world, I knew how I truly felt, and a part of me knew that Ky felt the same.

My emotions were boiling over and for the first time in my entire life, I didn’t want to push them back down. I wanted to feel
everything.
But more than that, I
needed
to feel them. I needed to mourn the friend I had lost and the life that I could no longer go back to. But most of all, I needed to let myself live again, and be loved if I was lucky enough to have that presented to me.

As I lay there staring at the ceiling in my still groggy state
, my mind went back to my tenth birthday party. I could remember it as though it happened yesterday. I remember my father coming home early that day, which was a very odd thing for him. My father rarely took time off and his career was his life for so long that most of my memories consisted of him showing up late to all my functions, or dance recitals, but he was always there one way or another.

I remember sitting on the porch in my fancy yellow dress he had bought me the previous week, waiting for him to show up. When his car came into view and started pulling in the driveway, I could no longer contain my excitement and I ran full speed into his outstretched arms. It was a day that I wou
ldn’t soon forget. He scooped me up and spun me around at least a dozen times before finally setting my feet back on the ground beneath me.

This was the birthday that I got exactly what I asked for, and probably one of my most favorite days ever. He reached back into his car and pulled out
a pink leather bound journal that I had spotted at a bookstore at least six months prior. The feel of the leather beneath my fingertips as I traced the engraved heart sent shivers down my spine and a comforting feeling spread throughout me. As I pulled back the cover, I noticed an inscription my father had written, and every day since I read those words, I repeated them to myself.

To my baby girl,

Love is something earned and not given. Remember this as this journal travels with you through every adventure you will take in life.

My love for always,

Your loving father

Those words never rang more true than right this second. Ky had earned my love in every way a man ever could. He stood beside me through the darkness, and brought enough light to show me the way. He was a man of his word, and he
made no apologies for who he was or the things he had done. Even though there were moments when I wanted to hate him more than anybody else in this world, it was the real moments that I cherished more than anything.

My eyes fluttered open a few minutes later, and I found myself shrieking out in pain. When I couldn’t use my left arm to push myself up, my other hand reached over to assess the damage. My vision was still a bit blurry when I glanced over at my shoulder realizing that it was bandaged up and my arm was in a blue sling. That’s when my mind flashed back to what had happened to put me in this position.

I grunted and moaned as I slowly sat up, glancing around the room trying to pinpoint where exactly I was. Nothing in the room looked familiar as my hands began to sweat and my heart rate spiked. I jumped down from the structure I was sitting on, and slowly made my way over to the door across the room. I couldn’t hear any voices coming from the other side, so I turned the knob at a glacial pace. The door screeched open and I instantly cringed as I held in a deep breath. When I still didn’t hear anything, I took my chances and exited the room.

I was pleasantly surprised when the décor in Ruger’s house became familiar.
My hand slid across the freshly painted wall as I made my way down the hallway and out towards the front door. That’s when I finally heard voices coming from the porch. Confusion settled in as I listened to a woman pleading for her life. What the hell had happened? I heard the familiar woman’s voice and Ky exchange some very colorful banter before I finally pushed open the screen door with what little strength I had left in me.

My mouth fell open in shock as Kristy’s tear stained face sat there looking up at me, pleading for me to help her in any way I could. But that was the
thing; I wasn’t sure how I could be helpful to her in anyway. That’s the exact moment I remembered being shot through the window upstairs. My mind slowly started putting two and two together, and that’s when it dawned on me. Kristy had been the one that shot me.

Ky

I followed Kristy’s gaze until my eyes landed on Lyndley’s face. When I saw the look of disappointment on her face, I lowered my weapon and tucked it into the back of my waistband. I gave her a small smile and shrugged my shoulders. I wasn’t exactly sure how to explain the gravity of the situation just yet, but I also didn’t want her to worry. She smiled back but cringed when she tried to shrug back at me. I wanted to go to her, to make sure she was doing okay, but right now my only worry was getting as much information out of Kristy as possible.

“You might want to go inside for a minute.” I muttered in her direction. I knew Lyndley well enough now, to know that she wasn’t going to listen to me
but it was worth a shot.

“I’m okay for now.”

Before I could say another word, Ruger was at her side helping her into the rocking chair not too far from where we were all standing. I rolled my eyes in irritation, but turned back to Kristy for answers. “Kristy, I don’t want to have to use my gun to get the information I need, but I will if I have to.”

“I’m willing to tell you whatever you want, Ky.” Her words shocked me.

“You sure about that?”

Kristy nodded her head. “But just to be safe, I think we should go inside where no one can see us.”

It took a minute for her words to sink in, but when they did, I was instantly on high alert. “Ruger, I need you to go check the perimeter while I bring Kristy inside. Got it?”

Ruger took off
without another word, and as I reached down to un-cuff Kristy, I looked back at Lyndley motioning for her to head inside. After I cuffed Kristy to the side table next to the couch, I ran over to help get Lyndley situated in the recliner. I was inches away from her lips when her big doe eyes caught my attention. There were so many things I wanted to say to her in that instant, but I was having a hard time forming the words, so I kissed her on the forehead and made my way back over to Kristy.

“All right, now it’s your turn to talk.” I removed my gun from behind my back and set it right next to me on the couch.

“I had to do it. I had to do something to prove my loyalties to them.”

“I’m not sure I’m grasping what you’re saying.”

“The Nelson brothers. I have been working undercover with their organization for five years now. I had to prove my loyalty. What don’t you understand?”

“Look, you don’t get to have an attitude with me. If anyone deserves to have an attitude it’s me, hell it would be Lyndley before you. Now start at the beginning, please.”

“When I first started, my first assignment was to infiltrate their organization and become a trusted associate. It took a little bit longer than anyone thought, but I did. I got to a place where they trusted me. Sarah’s been on their radar for quite sometime now.”

“Lyndley.” Lyndley piped in.

“Sorry. Well,
Lyndley
you were always meant to get that case. It was all planned out, you, your friend being shot, Ky. John Nelson choreographed it all. Your boss was never going to let that case see the light of day. He’s in on it too. Your boss needed a fall guy for this case, and when the Nelson brothers found out about your boss’ newest and brightest assistant attorney, they were eager to make him do what he was told.”

Kristy had yet to make eye contact with either of us, and I wasn’t exactly sure if it was embarrassment or guilt that was preventing her from doing so. Either way everything that was coming out of her mouth left me more and more suspicious about everything that had been going on. Now I found myself questioning every single person and every move we had made.

“Kristy, what exactly are you saying, and please be as literal as possible.” I was gritting my teeth, trying to hold back the rage that was quickly building up inside of me.

“They know where you guys are. After you shot one of their informants, they made sure to have someone follow your every move. They questioned me for hours, wanting to find out any and everything they could about the two of you.
Lyndley, you need to contact your family. They sent me here to deal with the two of you, but I know for a fact that I was being followed. There is someone else here, just waiting to jump on the opportunity to take you all out.”

My boots were wearing a line into the carpet from all of the pacing I had been doing, but then I suddenly remembered that Ruger was still outside. I mad
e my way over to Lyndley and bent down to her ear so that Kristy couldn’t hear.

“Are you okay to keep an eye on her for a minute?” She nodded, but I could sense her hesitation. “Hold this out and pointed straight at her.” I placed my gun in her
hand and helped her hold it out in front of her. “If she so much as moves, you shoot. Do you understand me?” Lyndley just simply nodded.

I high tailed it upstairs to grab a shirt and my other gun that I kept in the nightstand by my bed. I checked the clip and the chamber, and then ran back downstairs. “Be right back.” I shouted as I kicked open the front screen. I glanced around, but there was no sign of Ruger. I was about to shout his name, but I didn’t want to call any more attention to us. I wasn’t sure which way to go, but I suppose I had to start somewhere.

I ran out in the direction of the barn, and caught sight of Ruger’s cowboy hat just as he turned the corner. “Ruger?” I slowed my pace and held my gun out in front of me as I glanced around the corner he had just walked by. When I saw that he was alone, I ran straight for him.

“Ruger, we got a problem.”

Ruger turned towards me, almost knocking me down to the ground. “Where the hell is Lyndley?”

“She’s inside with Kristy.”

“Wakely, are you serious right now? What were you thinking? She just barely woke up from being shot and now you have her watching the very person that shot her? Man, you are some kinda crazy.”

“Kristy’s not alone, Ruger. She said she was followed her
e by one of Nelsons’ guys. We gotta get back to the house.” Before either of us said another word, we were running as fast as possible back to the house. I didn’t know what to expect when we walked back in through that front door, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that both girls were still in one piece.

“I checked along the entire perimeter and I didn’t find anyone, not even a car. Who ever it was that followed her, they either took off or they found one hell of a hiding spot.
” He stopped briefly and looked over at Lyndley. “You doin’ okay, sweetheart?”

Every muscle in my body tensed as I heard him use his term of endearment for Lyndley. I stood there staring at her, waiting for her answer, but she seemed upset about something. Before I could make my way over to her, Ruger was already at her side. She looked up at me confused, by what I wasn’t quite sure. Maybe she was wondering why I wasn’t the one comforting her.

“I’m fine. I think I just need to go lie down for a minute.” Her eyes locked with mine as she said this, and I knew exactly what she was asking.

I made my way over to her and instead of helping her to her
feet; I scooped her up in my arms to carry her. “Ruger, take care of Kristy for a bit, would ya?” He simply nodded and I turned around and made my way up to Lyndley’s bedroom. Regardless of what was going to happen in the next little bit, my only worry was making sure that Lyndley knew that I wasn’t going anywhere. At least not any time soon.