Risky Secrets (9 page)

“Tom’s
right here.” A sleepy looking Tom entered the kitchen. “The coffee smells
divine,” he muttered, heading for the pot. “Sorry, guys. I’m not a morning
person.” He filled a large cup and flopped into another chair at the table.
After taking a sip, he let out a sigh.
“Heaven itself.”

Jayne
shifted in her chair. “There’s lots of food so eat away.” She buttered a slice
of toast and added strawberry jam.

“Be
careful, Jayne,” Tom taunted. “Or you’ll never get rid of us.”

“I
can think of worst things than having you guys around.” Jayne smiled warmly.
“I’ve been alone for so long that I’ve forgotten how nice it is to have people
around.”

****

Keith
and Tom left not long after breakfast. Jayne figured they both had things to do
and so did she. The book wasn’t going to finish itself, and it was time for her
to get down to business which was the intended reason for her trip up here.

Armed
with a fresh cup of coffee in hand, and fully refreshed from her shower, Jayne
sat in front of her laptop. She paused for a moment to reread what she’d
written last like always. She pondered for a minute before her fingers started
clicking the keys. She felt inspired this morning, and the words came easily.
No doubt being with Keith and Tom had something to do with that. It was freeing
to open up and give way with her inhibitions. Stepping outside her comfort zone
took her to another place in her mind that she’d thought hadn’t existed.

When
her cell rang, Jayne quickly reached for it and expected it to be
Marilla
on the other end. “Hello, this is Jayne,” she said,
her eyes still glued to her laptop screen, taking in what she’d just written.
No response.

“Hello?”
Jayne repeated. She knew someone was there. She heard them breathing. “Who is
this?” she demanded. When they didn’t say anything, Jayne snapped her phone
shut, ending the call. She hadn’t time for foolishness like this. The caller ID
revealed that the name and number of the caller had been blocked. It was most
likely some pervert looking to get off. The world was filled with nuts of all
sorts.

The
phone rang again, and this time Jayne jumped in her chair. She grabbed the
phone quickly and opened it, expecting it to be the same person calling.
“Listen here, I don’t appreciate being harassed. Stop calling me or I will call
the police,” she threatened.

“Jayne?
What’s wrong?”

It
was Debbie. She recognized her friend’s voice immediately. “I’m so sorry,” she
apologized. “Some idiot just called here before you did. They wouldn’t say
anything, and I could hear them breathing.”

“Is
that all?” Debbie laughed. “I get those all the time.”

The
call wasn’t it, but Jayne decided to not tell her that she thought it was
possible she’d had an intruder at the lake house. “I’m fine. It was just a
little creepy. I hung up on them.”

“It’s
best to not pay them any attention. How are things? I bet it’s divine up there
this time of the year?”

“You
should come up here with me sometime.”

“I
definitely should. I could use some me time. How’s the book coming along?”

“It’ll
be done soon enough, but there are some changes I’ll need to make before it’s
complete,” Jayne explained. She wondered if she should tell Debbie about Keith
and Tom. Most likely Debbie wouldn’t understand.

“I
envy you to be able to get up and go like you do.” Debbie sighed on the other
end of the line. “I miss you already.”

“I’ll
be back soon.” Jayne turned to look out the window behind her and admired the
view of the lake. “We’ll get together and do something special when I get
back.”

“I’ll
hold you to that.”

After
they finished their chat, Jayne went back to writing. After all, the book
wasn’t going to finish itself.

****

Tom
needed a shower. He also needed sleep, which he wasn’t getting much of these
days. He couldn’t help but think that something was about to go terribly wrong
for him. Maybe it was paranoia for what he’d done to the Leone brothers? Even
though they were bastards, he knew that stealing from them wasn’t a good thing
to do. Now he had to live with looking over his shoulder. He regretted taking
the money, but it was too late to do anything about it.

“Are
you okay?” Keith asked. He stood just inside the door of Tom’s apartment.
“You’re quiet.”

“I’m
right as rain. Last night’s left me a little worn out.” He winked and smiled,
keeping their conversation light. He refused to drag anyone else into his mess.
His heart sank when he thought how his father had gotten involved. This would
not happen again. “I’m going to jump in the shower and rest. I’ll need it
before I open the bar tonight.”

“If
you need anything, call me.”

It
was easy to tell from the tone of Keith’s voice that he was sincere. Tom
couldn’t help but smile as
a warmth
he hadn’t felt in
a long time swept through him. It wasn’t quite
love
that he felt for Keith, but there was something between them that was good. It
wasn’t just lust either. “I will,” he reassured Keith. “And thanks.”

“Thanks?
For what?”
Keith looked more confused than ever.

“For
being
you,
and being here.”

Keith
grinned. “That’s
kinda
like a compliment.”

“It
is very much indeed a compliment.” He watched as Keith left. He silently said a
brief prayer that everything would work out.

****

Tom
was acting strange. It was difficult to decipher what was up with him since Keith
really didn’t know him. When he’d left Tom’s apartment, Keith fought the urge
to go back and demand to know what was going on. There were a lot of things
left unsaid during their brief conversation after he brought Tom home from
Jayne’s.

He
stopped dead in his tracks in
Lucky’s
parking lot
before he reached his truck. That black car was there again, this time sitting
across the street. There was someone inside it. He noticed the car before
today, and he couldn’t remember seeing it around before Tom’s arrival in Pine
Bluff.

He
jumped into his truck and placed the key in the ignition. His gut feeling told
him something was up. He intended to find out what it was.

****

Tom
woke from nap just as the sun was setting. He opened his eyes and rolled out of
bed slowly.
 
He was still reeling from a
dream he’d had. In it his father had been murdered by the Leones for not giving
them the information on his location. The ironic thing was that this was
entirely possible and if it happened it would be blood on his hands for doing
something so stupid and dragging his father into it.

The
phone rang next to the bed. Tom was slightly amused as he picked up the
receiver and marvelled that anyone would still have a phone with a dial.
“Hello?”

“Tom,
you need to get out of town.” It was his father, and he sounded scared.

“What’s
wrong?” Tom asked, feeling his pulse quicken. “What’s happened? Did they hurt
you?”

“Nothing
that won’t heal,” muttered his father. “They came here and demanded to know
where you were. I told them before that I knew nothing, but they don’t buy it.
I think they would have killed me, but it would have gotten messy with me being
a retired cop. I denied everything and said nothing. It doesn’t matter. I think
they already know where you are.”

“How
could they know?” Tom’s father was the only person who knew where he was.

“I
can’t answer that, but you need to leave town. Not tomorrow or the next day,
but now.”

With
the words sinking in that his father had said, Tom nodded vigorously before he
said his goodbyes and hung up the phone, slamming it down. “Fuck,” he said out
loud with no one to hear him. This wasn’t good. Just as things were looking up
and settling a little for him, he had to give it all up. He’d made his bed, and
he’d certainly lie in it after all.

****

The
man in black laughed inwardly after he’d gotten his last call from the Leones.
They told him to get the job over. He had to find the money and kill the idiot
who’d stolen it. That was their final orders, and they expected it to be taken
care of immediately, stepping up the game.

With
his gun tucked inside strapped into a holster, he stepped out of the car onto
Lucky’s
parking lot. Jesus, this place was so different
from the city. With nearly zero traffic and not one pedestrian to be seen, he
made way towards the building housing the bar and the apartment above it.

He
paused at the bottom of the stairs which would lead him up to the second level
apartment. He knew that Tom was inside. He’d staked out the place all day and
had witnessed the other guy drop him off early that morning. The other guy had
stayed for a brief period before leaving again. With each careful step, he made
his way to the top. It would be quick with a bullet to the head. It had to be
quick, that was vital. The money would definitely be in the apartment
somewhere.

****

Tom
saw the man dressed in black walking across the parking lot, and he immediately
recognized him from not only his unique dress, but also his slight swagger. The
Leones had a hit on him. Tom looked left to right first then to the door, which
was the only way out of the apartment. It would be impossible for him to escape
that way without being seen.

Tom
scanned the room around him before heading into the bathroom. He opened the
smallish window and knew it would be a tight squeeze for him to get through it.
It was his only option.

Tom
backed out through the window and once outside dangled as he held on tight to
the window’s ledge. The drop to the ground wasn’t that far, but it was far
enough to snap an ankle or break another bone if he landed the wrong way. He’d
be royally screwed if that happened. Without a choice or another thought in his
head, Tom let go.

He
landed on his side with a thud on the asphalt below. With no time to assess if
he’d damaged anything, he got up and brushed off the discomfort he felt
emanating from his left shoulder and wrist. No time, his mind screamed when he
spotted the face of the man coming after him in the bathroom window looking
down at him. There was a flash of something metallic in the man’s hand, and Tom
knew it was a gun. He bolted down through the alley behind
Lucky’s
and past the dumpsters. He needed a place to hide at least until night had
fallen. Being out in the open made him a sitting target. It was entirely possible
that he wasn’t going to live through this!

****

Keith
nearly drove his truck off the road when he spotted Tom walking alongside the
road leading out of town. What the hell was he doing? He slammed on the brakes
and pulled to the side of the room before jumping out of the vehicle with his
hand waving in the air. “What are you doing all the way out here?” Keith
glanced at his watch. It was a little after ten. What business could Tom
possibly have all the way out here?

Tom
look bewildered as Keith spoke to him, and he was shaking a little. He backed
away as Keith walked closer. “I’m in trouble,” he muttered.
“Big
trouble.”

“Nothing
can be that bad. Get in the truck and we’ll head back my place to talk it out.”

Tom
shook his head. “No, I can’t get you involved. I’m poison. You need to leave me
here and just go.”

“Tom,
you need to get in the truck. It isn’t safe to be standing here on the side of
a road at night. You’re lucky someone didn’t run you over.”

“I’d
be better off if they did.”

“Enough.
Get in the truck. I will take you by force if I have to.” Keith wasn’t kidding
around. He meant what he’d said. This wasn’t safe for either of them.

Tom
was reluctant, but he did as Keith ordered.

On
the way back to Keith’s place, Tom sat in silence next to him. This man who was
still practically a stranger came to Pine Bluff with a story. Keith was anxious
to find out exactly what it was and why Tom had come to the small town.

Chapter Eleven

Jayne
set the kettle on the stove to boil water for tea. She wasn’t in the mood for
coffee, but tea would certainly hit the spot before bed. She’d worked hard to
finish her manuscript and had made great headways as she worked at it all
afternoon and into the night. With one chapter to go, she’d finish it in no
time, pleasing
Marilla
in the process.

She’d
expected to see Tom come around, but he hadn’t. Jayne shrugged it off easily
enough and figured that something had come up to otherwise occupy him. Settling
back in front of her laptop, she waited for the kettle to whistle.

She’d
stay for another week in Pine Bluff then she’d have to head back to the city.
The truth was that Jayne hated the thought of going back. Since meeting up with
Keith and Tom, her life had taken on a new spin that was very much desired and
for the good. She couldn’t forget how they’d both made her feel both sexually
and emotionally. Right now it was friendship between them, but could it
possibly turn into something more than just a roll between the sheets that was
fun for all three involved? A part of her wished that it would. It was
unconventional to think about three people being involved in an actual
relationship together. Did it even happen outside of erotic novels?