Safe with You (32 page)

“Really? I think I’ve seen you wear makeup one time. You hate that stuff.”

I nervously tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Looking at me now, I know it’s hard to believe, but that was me. I loved my life then. My parents were normal and actually loved me. We actually did things as a family then.” My eyes burn with unshed tears. The same tears I have shed many times for the lost girl inside me.

J lifts my hand, placing a soft kiss to my knuckles. “I love the Cassie I know.”

I shift my eyes to J’s honey colored ones. They are soft, understanding. “I was forced into this version of me because I was practically hidden away. The only place I was allowed to go was to school. The phone I had? My parents took it away from me the morning we left because they were afraid I’d tell everybody where we were and lead the drug dealers right to us.”

“Cassie, do you happen to know how much your parents owe?” Dan asks.

I tear my eyes away from J to look at Dan. “No, I didn’t want to know. The more I knew, the more danger I was in. I’m not even sure what all they are hooked on.”

Dan sighs and leans forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “Okay, here’s the deal. All three of you go about your days like normal while I dig up as much information on this Zack kid as I can.”

I feel J stiffen beneath me. “Dad, Cassie can’t go back to that house. No way. It’s too dangerous.”

Dan opens his mouth to reason with J, but I beat him to it. “J, I have to go. If I don’t, things will look suspicious and it could blow your Dad’s investigation.”

Bo is next to speak. “I agree with you, bro, but Cassie has a point.”

“Son, things will get ugly real quick if her parents or Zack have any indication that we are on to them,” Dan adds.

“J, you want to know why I pretty much have only Saturday’s with you and your family? It’s because your Dad is a cop. Dad thought that if he forbid you to see me, things would look suspicious since I had been seeing you daily.”

Worry is swimming in his eyes. I wish there was a way for me to convince him I’ll be okay.

J looks from to his Dad and Bo. “What if something happens to her? How will I know she is okay?”

My heart drops at the sound of the anguish in his voice. “J, I’ll be fine,” I assure him, but he shakes his head.

“You don’t know that, Cassie.”

Dan opens a couple desk drawers, shuffling through them until he finds what he is looking for. He pulls out a small black flip phone and passes it to me. “Here, this phone still works. It just needs minutes, which will take no time to add. It’s my old phone,” he explains.

I fist the phone in my hand, an uneasiness settling over me. I’m nervous about going back to the house tonight. Mom and Dad should be home by now and they’re probably wondering where I am at and why I’m not home.

I wonder if they know about Zack’s plan. Surely not, though.

Dan calls and adds minutes to my new phone, and after I program J’s, Bo’s, and Dan’s cell numbers in it, it is time to go.

My parents are going to be furious.

I’m not going to tell the guys this, but I have a bad feeling about tonight.

Chapter Thirty- Nine

Cassie

J takes his sweet time taking me home. As we grow closer to my house, the unsettling feelings grows. I don’t know if I feel this way because of Zack’s visit or the way J is acting. Clearly, he is on edge. He is driving as slow as a turtle, right now.

I’m sitting next to him, his arm tight around me. Resting my head on his shoulder, I try again to see if I can calm him. I’m worried about him and I will continue to be if he doesn’t calm down. “J, everything will be okay.”

Really, I have no idea if things are going to be okay. I don’t know what to expect from my parents when I get home. I have to come up with an excuse as to why I have been with J this whole time, especially arriving home after dark.

He holds me tighter against him, so tight I can barely breathe, yet I’m not going to move from his safe embrace. I hate that J and his family have been brought into this. This is exactly what I have been trying to avoid.

“Cassie, I have a bad feeling something is going to happen to you and it’s taking every ounce of strength to not take you home. I will never forgive myself for dropping you off if you got hurt.” He swallows hard. “Or worse…”

Never mind, I’m glad he is driving slow.

All too soon, J is turning into my driveway. All the lights are on in the house and Dad is sitting on the porch with his gun in his lap, per usual.

I’m on the verge of crying, but I force it down so I don’t worry J anymore. If he sees I am scared he will back out this driveway so fast I won’t even have time to blink. Letting him see my worry will only hurt him worse and I’ve already hurt him too much as it is.

J puts the truck in park then turns to me. With a shaky hand, he reaches up to caress my cheek. “Don’t go, Cassie, I’m begging you. We can run away and hide out until you turn eighteen. Just please, don’t go,” he murmurs, sounding pained.

Closing my eyes, I let out a painful sigh. “If there is one thing I learned from my parents, J, it’s that running never solves anything. I don’t want to leave you, but I have to go in there, whether it’s safe or not. I wish you and your family had not got involved in this because now, you all are in danger, and it’s all my fault.”

J leans forward, pressing his forehead to mine. I hear him swallow hard like he is trying to come to terms with reality. “I love you, Cassie, so freakin’ much. If it came down to it, I’d die for you, that’s how deep my love runs for you. I’m glad I’m drug into this because I need to keep you safe and I can’t do that if I am being kept in the dark.”

A hard knock on the window startles both of us. I turn around to see Dad with a furious expression on his face.

Turning back to J, I say, “I’ve got to go, J. But always remember, I love you.” My voice cracks at the end. I wish I didn’t have to leave him.

J crushes his mouth to mine, and I drink him in one last time. I will remember this kiss for the rest of my life.

“Use the phone, Cassie, I will need to know you’re okay.”

“I will, J. Love you,” I say again. Somehow, I know deep down that this will be the last time I see J.

“I love you,” he murmurs back as I open the door to my scowling father and climb out.

Dad waits until we are walking up the house to start his questioning.

“Where have you been, Cassie? You know damn well you aren’t supposed to be hanging around that boy this late at night!”

I wait until I am in the house before I start yelling back. J waits until I am inside to leave, so if I start my argument outside, he will never leave, and then all hell will break loose.

“That boy, is my boyfriend, and I love him! I actually belong here! This is place is home to me now!” I could spend all night going on about how amazing J is to me, but I will just be wasting my breath when it comes to Dad.

Dad sets his gun down by the door. “Tonight will be the last time you will see him.”

My heart slams against my ribcage. No, this can’t be happening. “What do you mean?” I know what he means, I’m just praying I am wrong.

“It means we are leaving, Cassie. It’s not safe for us here anymore. They have found us.”

An eerie shiver travels up my spine. “We aren’t safe anywhere! I’m not leaving Brilliant!”

Mom walks in the room, her arms crossed with a disgusted look on her face. “We would have been safe here if it wasn’t for you screwing it up!”

“I didn’t screw it up! Zack did! He founds us and I bet he sold us out!”

My parents glance at each other then laugh, like the idea of Zack betraying us is the craziest thing in the world.

“Cassie, Zack didn’t sell us out, you did by hanging around with the chief’s son.”

“Don’t you find it strange that he found us?”

“Cassie, I knew Zack was here long before you did. You see, I saw him one night and I had an idea. Since you wouldn’t stop hanging around that family, he became my little spy.”

Thanks Dad, but I already know.

“Why else do you think I let you go to the football games and over to Jesse’s? He was making sure you didn’t rat us out to anyone.”

My legs feel weak so I sit down on the couch. This is so messed up. What if Zack had been watching J and I while we went skinny dipping? Bile rises in my throat at the thought of Zack seeing us like that.

“Zack was here earlier,” I blurt out. “He was acting weird. He told me he came to take me back to Indy.”

“What?” Dad’s voice rises in anger and Mom lets out a gasp.

“Bo and J were dropping me off after school and he was here waiting on me. He demanded I go pack my stuff. That’s why I had been with J tonight,” I explain.

“Cassie, pack your stuff, now. We really have to go,” Dad demands suddenly.

Something more is going on and I am going to find out.

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why we have to leave suddenly.”

“We’ve been here far too long, Cassie.”

“That’s crap, Dad. You want to lie to me again?”

Mom hurries around the room, looking panicked, gathering stuff.

“I’m going to start loading the car,” he tells Mom.

“What. Is. Going. On?” I ask again, growing irritated that my parents are avoiding my question.

They ignore me and continue to run around picking up things they are taking with them.

“ANSWER ME!” I yell at the top of my lungs.

They freeze, looking shocked by my outburst.

Finally, after a tense moment of silence, Dad speaks. “We have no time to explain right now. I promise I will fill you in once we are on the road.”

“I’m not going with you!”

“Yes, you are!”

“No, I’m not!” I shout back. Leaving J, is not an option for me.

I bolt for the door and make a run for it. There is no way they are making me leave. My home is here with J.

I didn’t count for Dad being so quick, though. He tackles me to the ground, and I land on my back, sliding against the rocks.

Fighting through the pain that is shooting up my back, I try and fight Dad off of me. “Stop, Cassie!” he bellows. “Marcie hurry up, will you!”

Hurry up with what?

“I’m sorry it has to come to this,” Dad whispers.

Next thing I know, Dad has a hold of my arms and Mom is above me, covering my nose and my mouth with a wet cloth. I shake my head, trying to fight her off, but soon my vision blurs and I lose my fight.

Vaguely, I hear gravel crunching and the sound of a car.

“Shit,” I hear Dad mumble then I am out.

Chapter Forty

Cassie

I jolt awake, disoriented, and unaware of my surroundings. My memory is foggy, my mouth parched, and my body is sore, but I’m not sure from what. The room is dark, except for the moonlight shining in through the window.

I suddenly let out a scream and frantically crawl backward against the headboard when I feel something or someone touch my face. A light suddenly flips on, illuminating the room and I’m startled to see Zack sitting ever so calmly in a chair next to the bed I’m in.

“You’re finally awake,” he says, reaching out to touch me again.

I flinch backward away from his touch like it burns me. “Where am I, Zack?”

His eyes narrow at me as he cocks his head to the side. “You don’t remember?”

I will my brain to remember something, anything. “The last thing I remember is being at home.” Mom and Dad had been acting sort of strange. I’m guessing whatever it was that had them acting so weird ties into why I’m in this room, wherever I am, with Zack.

Zack nods once, confirming my answer. “Yes.”

“Then what happened? Everything goes fuzzy after that.”

He relaxes back into the chair, his arms crossed over his chest. “I had to come rescue you. J, is not who you think he is, Cassie.”

“Rescue me? J would never hurt me!”

“He killed your parents, Cassie. If I hadn’t of showed up you would be dead, too.”

I slap my hands over my ears, not wanting to hear any more. “I don’t believe you!”

Zack forcefully pulls my hands away from my ears and holds one of my hands in both of his. I try to jerk it free from his grasp, but he holds it firmly with his grip.

“Cassie, sweetie, I know this is hard to comprehend right now, but, I swear, I’m not lying to you.” His lips brush the back of my knuckles, causing a shiver to run up my spine and not a good one. “Just stay calm, okay? I’ll answer any questions you have the best I can. Do you want anything?”

I want J, but I don’t say it out loud. I just can’t see J doing something like this.

“Some water please,” I whisper, still in shock by what Zack is telling me.

He nods and kisses my hand again. “I’ll just be a second.” He causally stands and disappears behind the door.