It had been two days since Charlie had left Brax's place and she'd brushed him off since, today would be no different. She decided she needed to put a bit of space between them, for this to work she couldn't just jump right in…and today was Ruby's birthday. Sighing she walked away from the window and grabbed her beer off the table it was hard for her to be away right now, in all of Ruby's seventeen years she'd never missed a birthday.
Walking to the back porch she sat down on the step and pulled out her phone, looking down on it she sighed again she really wanted to call her but Peter had made it clear she wasn't to call anyone on this phone but him-she couldn't find the charger off her other phone.
"Screw it," she said and dialled Ruby's number, she bit on her lip as it rang, she smiled to herself as Ruby answered with a cautious hello "hey baby," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek "happy birthday."
"Mum!" Ruby shrieked happily.
Charlie sniffed and wiped her eyes "are you having a good day so far?" she asked.
"I am," Ruby replied "but it's not the same without you," she said sadly
Charlie bit on her lip to stop herself from bursting out in tears " I know I'm feeling it too…did you get spoiled today?"
"Yeah," she said happily "Granddad and Beth got me tickets to see Bon Jovi, Hayls and Noah got me this really cool make up set it has so many different compartments. B got me this really gorgeous dress and shoes to match, April and Dex got me a trip away with them to France during the summer and Jack got me loads of bits oh and Leah got me a spa weekend I haven't seen Martha or Indi yet."
"Wow you really did get spoiled," Charlie chuckled "have you not seen Uncle Pete?" she asked normally he'd be the first one there.
"He called to wish me a happy birthday he got stuck at some meeting in the city but promised to take me out to dinner later."
Charlie smiled "I better go now sweetie but you have fun tonight and don't think about me okay?" she sniffed and wiped her eyes again "my present should be with you tomorrow, I love you baby, be good, be safe and I'll see you soon."
"Bye mum I love you…I miss you, hurry home," Ruby whimpered and hung up.
Charlie put the phone down and dropped her head into her hands as the tears came she didn't think it would be this hard.
…..
"Uh are you okay?" someone asked.
She looked up quickly to see Brax standing there "I'm fine," she said and wiped her eyes again.
"You don't look it," he said and sat beside her "what's going on?" he asked.
Charlie sighed heavily and sniffed again "I'm just missing a birthday that I've never missed before."
Brax nodded "you could call them," he suggested.
"I did," Charlie replied "and she started crying saying she missed me and it wasn't the same without me-hence the tears," she said pointing to her face.
"Fancy a drink...another drink?" Brax asked looking down at her empty bottle.
Charlie stood up "thanks but I have a few things to do," she said and picked up her bottle and phone.
"Alright Lucy," Brax said and followed her "you've been avoiding me since I kissed you, if I've done something will you please tell me."
Charlie turned to face him "you haven't done anything wrong I haven't been avoiding you I've been busy."
Brax scoffed "I saw you practically running by this morning so I wouldn't see you."
Charlie laughed she'd had enough of this "do you really think you're that special?" she asked and walked closer to him. "I had stuff to do I was in a hurry I don't have to explain myself to you, yeah we kissed but that doesn't mean I wanna be with you all day every day!" she snapped.
"Brax!" Kyle called "some guy is outside for you!" he yelled and walked back inside.
Brax looked back to Charlie "well maybe I made the mistake of kissing you at all," he said and walked off "enjoy the rest of your stay!" he called.
Charlie watched him go and sighed she knew she was a little harsher than she needed to be-then what Kyle said came back to her. Hurrying through the cabin she pulled the front door open and stepped outside. Walking to her car she pulled it open and leaned in like she was looking for something, looking over towards Brax's she saw him at the back of a car looking down at something in his hands, beside him stood a guy with black hair a little shorter than him looking down too, she couldn't see what they had.
Climbing out she closed the door and started to walk their way thanking god the exit was this way. When she was close enough she dropped her keys, bending down to pick them up she looked to the side and there she saw what she was looking for-cocaine and money. Grabbing her keys off the ground she walked off without looking back.
Brax watched her go and sighed "we good man?" the other guy asked.
Brax looked down on the money in his hands "yeah we're good and Brodie?" he said before he could walk away "next time I say not until I'm ready it means just that, don't call me again," he said and walked inside.
"What did he want?" Casey asked looking up from the sofa.
"Car parts," Brax said and walked to his room. Walking back he grabbed his keys "I'm heading out for a bit I'll be back for dinner."
"Will Lucy be joining us tonight?" Kyle smirked.
Brax scoffed "don't count on it," he said and closed the door behind him.
"You think he's blown it already?" Casey asked.
Kyle shrugged "I don't see how he could have she left when we got back that night and it was all good…maybe something at home changed her mood or something," he said and walked to his room.
On his way back Brax saw Charlie walking back towards the cabins pulling in he rolled down his window "do you want a lift?" he asked.
Charlie looked ahead of her for a moment she had to secure this case "sure," she replied and climbed in.
"Where did you get off to?" Brax asked trying to make conversation.
"Post office," Charlie replied "had to send that present, I was supposed to send it yesterday."
Brax nodded "will it take long to get there?" he asked.
"No it should go today be there tomorrow," Charlie said as they pulled up outside his place. "Hey," she said grabbing his hand before he could get out "I'm sorry about earlier I was upset I had no right to talk to you like that."
"Don't worry about it I've had worse said to me," he said and climbed out.
Charlie climbed out and hurried around the car so she was in front of him "I'm sorry," she said again "I did have fun the other night I just...I don't know, my heads all over the place I've been think about home a lot lately."
Brax nodded and sat back on the car "go home then if you feel like that."
"Can't," she said and sat beside them "okay I wasn't totally honest with you the other night, but part of me didn't tell you because I didn't want Casey and Kyle to know….the cops are looking for me," she said praying her plan worked.
Brax's eyes went wide in surprise "for what?" he asked.
Charlie shrugged "kinda got mixed up with the wrong drug dealer…I ran drugs for him for a few months then when we both got caught with stuff he tried to pin it all on me by saying I was in charge…sorry," she said and stood up "I shouldn't have told you any of that you must think I'm crazy," she said and went to hurry away.
"Hey hey," Brax said and pulled her back "we can't all be perfect Lucy."
Bingo Charlie thought to herself smiling she stepped closer to him "so do you think you'd still be up for taking a drug runner on a date tonight?"
"Only if you don't mind your date being a drug dealer," he chuckled and pulled her closer to him.
"I know you are…I can spot a dealer a mile away," she said wrapping her arms around his neck "you're way more sexier than the last dealer I met," she said and kissed him.
Brax chuckled and kissed her deeply pulling back he smiled "be ready for seven," he said and walked by her.
"Bye!" she called and hurried to her cabin this was it now there was no going back now-she was in.
….
Seven had come and gone with no sign of Brax, Charlie walked to her window and looked out his car was there and the door was open. Grabbing her bag she walked out and locked the door behind her. Getting to his door she lifted her hand to knock but stopped when she saw he was alone with something spread out on the table leaning over it. Taking her shoes off she crept in and stopped when she could make out what he had…a map of Summer bay. Walking back to the door she put her shoes on hey," she called from the door.
Brax turned quickly "hey," he said an looked her up and down "shit," he said closing his eyes "date, sorry…gimme five minutes," he said and began to gather up the papers.
"What you looking at?" she asked walking to him before he could put it away "map of summer bay, road maps, cop shop marked…if I didn't know any better Brax I'd swear you were planning on a crop."
Brax looked over at her and raised an eyebrow "what do you know about setting up a crop?"
"Well for starters the road behind the station is not a good one to take with cars full of weed and whatever," she said.
"Alright miss know it all," he said pulling her in front of him "I have five guys looking to harvest a crop tomorrow night and send it on, show me the fastest and the best way to get from here to here," he said pointing to two locations on the map.
Charlie looked down and smirked to herself he wanted to get from the national park to the docks "okay," she said and ran her finger along a road "this road will lead away from the town but half way down there's a slip road that will double back, you with me?" she asked.
Brax slid his hand onto her hip as he leaned over her "keep going," he said.
"If you double back you'll come to another slip road, take that until you come to here," she said pointing to another road. "At the crossroad junction go right and follow that road till the end, it will take you right to the docks, in total the journey should be ten minutes max and once you take the slip road you'll be clear of cops."
Brax looked down on her as he took it all in "impressive," he nodded "but what about the coastguard?"
Charlie bumped her hip with his "if they get there by seven the coastguard will have just done his rounds of that area, it take an hour and fifteen minutes to do his full run so they have plenty of time to get away….I'm starving," she said walking back to the door.
Brax chuckled and watched her go pulling out his phone he called Brodie "I'm sending you a route for tomorrow night, do a dummy run now and get back to me alright," he said and hung up.
Outside Charlie had been listening in smiling to herself she walked to his car and sat on the hood, pulling out her phone she pulled up messages ' found money and drugs today, got word on a crop being harvested tomorrow, doing a dummy run tonight, 5 guys, Brax called someone called Brodie? Send you the route now no cops Pete' sending it to Peter she looked up when Brax walked towards her, quickly deleting her history she stood up off the car.
Pulling up in the town Brax climbed out of the car and walked to the hood, sitting on it he waited for Charlie to join him "tell me something Lucy," he said and pulled her back into him so he was holding her tight "how did a girl like you get caught up in all this drug business?"
Charlie shrugged against him she knew this, she had read her cover story until it was drilled into her brain and seemed like real life. "My mum died when I was sixteen, my dad lost it and went on the drink, my brothers were never there leaving me to be the wild child without anyone stopping me. I met this guy one night and before I knew it we were a couple, I always knew there something about him something he didn't want me to know he had two phones and was always slipping off at all hours of the night."
"Dealer?" Brax asked.
Charlie shook her head "no runner but he made his way to the top eventually and dropped me so I was back to being alone again. Eventually my dad copped onto life and came looking for me with my brothers, I saw the light or whatever," she chuckled. "Anyway I went home with my dad and tried to settle back into my old life, but I couldn't seem to stay out of trouble and took off again a few months later. When all the money I had ran out I met this girl in a club, she hooked me up with a job running and I stuck with them until the cops caught up to me."
Brax nodded and nudged her off him "you didn't turn out so bad," he said and nodded to a place in front of him "go on I booked a table under Braxton I'll be along in a sec," he said and pulled out his phone.
"Okay…don't be too long!" Charlie called as she walked inside assuming he was checking how the dummy run went.
Brax watched her go "it's me," he said when the other end was answered "I want you to pull everything you can about a Lucy Jones asap and keep it between us, nah mate not a cop but something is defiantly off about this chick," he said and hung up, putting his phone away he followed her inside.
As he walked to her he saw her looking down at her phone-she quickly put it away when she spotted him, something was off about her and he was gonna find out.
…..
After dinner they walked back to the car in silence when Brax spun her to face him she knew what he was about to say. Backing her up against the car he placed his arms on either side of her blocking her in, thinking quickly she smirked "you can't wait till we're home?" she asked.
Brax didn't blink didn't move didn't say anything just stared at her, after what felt like forever he moved a hand to her waist and moved his body closer to her "if you are playing me in any way I will kill you," he said into her ear "so I'm gonna ask once," he said kissing her neck "are you a cop?"
Charlie had to act fast getting her hands between them she shoved him but failed when he pinned himself against her "no I'm not a cop!" she hissed "do I look like a fucking cop?"
Brax chuckled "you can never be too careful, so you here to take me out or screw me over?" he asked pushing some hair behind her ear "you're trying to get your hands on my money is that it?"
Charlie rolled her eyes and shoved him off her this time succeeding "no Brax I'm not here to screw you over or whatever you said, I'm here because I like you!" she yelled. "You sought me out, you insisted I take a lift off you, you insisted I come over the next night! I was perfectly happy until I got onto that plane and met you! I came up here to get away from problems not create more!" she yelled and started to walk "thanks for dinner I'll get a cab home!"
Brax started to walk after her "I have to be sure Lucy!"
Charlie started to walk faster as her phone rang in her bag it had to be Peter, pulling it out she was startled as he whirled her to face him. She let him take the phone from her and watched as he answered.
"Hello?" he said not breaking eye contact.
"Where's Lucy?" Peter barked he always knew this could be a possibility.
"Depends on what you want with her," Brax said still looking at Charlie.
"Don't play games with me where is she?" he yelled.
"Why don't you tell me what you want then I'll tell you if you can speak to her or not," Brax replied.
Peter chuckled "never pegged Lucy as the type of girl to take orders from anyone let alone a bloke, does she know you've answered her phone?"
"What do you want with her?" Brax asked calmly.
"She owes me ten grand it was to be delivered this morning and guess what?" he yelled "it never arrived, tell her if it's not here first thing tomorrow I will personally put a bullet in her!" he hissed and hung up.
Brax handed Charlie back her phone "come on it's cold out," he said and walked back to his car.
Charlie sighed and followed him what the hell had she gotten herself into?
The drive home was in silence when Brax pulled up at the cabins Charlie jumped out before he could say anything "night!" she called and pulled out her key.
"Lucy!" Brax called and jogged after her "wait wait!" he called when she went inside "will you just gimme a sec?" he asked putting his foot in the door.
Charlie sighed and pulled the door back "what Brax?" she snapped.
Brax walked inside and backed her up so he could close the door "what does that guy mean you owe him ten grand?"
Charlie scoffed "you ask me what you asked me back there then have the neck to force your way into my house and ask me this?" she yelled. Walking by him she pulled the door open "get the fuck out of my house and out of my life!" she yelled.
"I have to be sure," Brax said without moving "I have to be sure my brothers are safe."
"Have I given you any reason to think I'm a cop or that I'm here to take you for all you have?" she yelled.
"No," he said stepping closer to her "but when I ask questions like that I can normally tell by the facial expressions if I'm right or not."
Charlie chuckled "and what can you tell by my face? That I'm a cop? That I'm feeding information back to the FBI or Homeland security!"
"That you were freaked out," he said stepping closer to her "and I'm sorry for putting you in that position it's just…" he trailed off, he'd never told anyone this he wasn't about to start now "never mind I'm sorry and if you'll let me I'd like to make you dinner tomorrow night as an apology for ruining our date."
"Have you ever trusted anyone in your life?" Charlie asked.
Brax sighed "apart from my brothers no- not complete trust anyway."
Charlie nodded and leaned against the door "they don't know you're a dealer do they?" she asked
"No," he sighed "and it'll stay that way."
Charlie nodded again and walked to him "why?" she asked "shouldn't you have them out selling for you right now?"
"They will never be in the life that me and my brother got sucked into! Never!" he yelled and jumped up "I did every thing I could to keep them from this life-keep the boys away from them!" he said and sat back down. "I raised them, I sent them to school every day I made sure they had clean clothes, I gave them everything they have and I will continue to do so until I have enough to send them away for a better life."
Charlie took a step back she was not expecting this "so what you're saying is you're in the game just to get enough money up to send them away?"
"I've been doing this since I'm thirteen Lucy so who knows," he said and stood up "it's all I know…Angelo's was supposed to be my second chance, night," he said and walked to the door.
Charlie needed to save things fast "hey wait" she said and walked to him "about cooking for me tomorrow?"
"What about it?" he asked.
"How about I cook for you instead-here," she added.
"So you're saying?" Brax asked turning to face her.
Charlie rolled her eyes and leaned up on her toes "just kiss me you idiot," she giggled.
Brax chuckled and kissed her deeply, after a few minutes he pulled back "what time do you want me?" he asked.
"I want you now," Charlie said running her hands up and down his chest "but guess I'll have to contain myself until tomorrow," she said and stepped back "be here for half six…night," she smiled.
"Night," he chuckled and let himself out.
…
As soon as he was gone Charlie started to breathe heavily and pace fast dropping onto the sofa she dropped her head between her knees this was not what she sighed up for at all. Grabbing her phone from her bag she called her brother "Pete!" she cried.
"Calm down," he said straight away.
"I can't do this," she sobbed.
"Tell me what happened?" Peter asked.
Charlie blew out a deep breath and dropped onto the sofa "we went on a date he started asking me how I ended up in the game and I told him my cover story."
"If he's asking questions that's good," Peter said.
"I know," Charlie said and closed her eyes "he went all weird on me after dinner I was scared."
"What did he say?"
"If he finds out I'm playing him in any way he's gonna kill me," Charlie replied "but he was all creepy about it, he pinned himself against me and kissed my neck while had said all that."
"He's trying to show you that he's in charge and he's not to be messed with, he believed you then?"
Charlie sighed "yeah, he did he even apologised for what he did and offered to cook for me tomorrow night."
"And you said yes right?"
"Yeah," Charlie replied "…do I have to sleep with him?" she asked.
Peter chuckled "as your brother I don't ever wanna hear that again, but as your handler I'll tell you to be very careful and think before you make your next move."
Charlie giggled "is that a yes then?"
Peter chuckled again "you're a smart girl Charlie you'll figure it out."
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," Charlie muttered.
"Look Charlz you only met the guy a few days ago if he tries it on tell him you want to get to know him better," Peter replied "you're doing great and making fast time you'll be fine."
"I have to be," she sighed "I better head to bed night Pete, I love ya," she said.
"Love you too stay safe," he said and hung up.
Over at Brax's he lay on the sofa twirling his phone in his hand staring into space something about Charlie's reaction was bothering him it was like she was expecting it. Sighing he dropped his phone onto his chest he hated how paranoid he got about new people, to him everyone was out to take something from him or take him down.
Looking down at his phone as it rang her answered quickly "talk to me Sam" he said.
"She's clean," Sam replied "a few fender benders drug possession and she was busted with her boss but somehow managed to escape charges."
"What else did you find?" Brax asked.
She's thirty, she has two brothers both older, her mum is dead, her dad is on the grog, she worked with Braga and his gang up until they were busted two months back," Sam replied.
"So she can be trusted?" Brax asked.
"If you find out how she managed to walk away from those charges while everyone else didn't I say yes…later man," he said and hung up.
Brax dropped the phone onto the coffee table and ran his hands through his hair he wanted to trust her he wanted not to think she was out to get him…he liked her and for him this was a big deal. He never liked a girl before he always moved along after getting what he wanted. Sighing he stood up and walked to the fridge maybe tomorrow night would go better.
He looked to the front door as it opened "where have you two been?" he asked as Casey and Kyle came in.
"Uh out," Kyle said and dropped into the sofa "how was your date with Lucy?" he asked.
"Yeah great," Brax lied and pulled out a beer "where were you so late?" he asked
"Brax it's half ten we're not kids," Casey said and dropped onto a chair "so you'll be seeing her again?"
"You're seventeen I don't want you two wandering about this late in a place we don't know," Brax said.
"We're seventeen Brax we can go out when we want," Kyle said.
"I'm responsible for you two until you're eighteen so suck it up for another ten months then you can do what you like," Brax said and walked to his room.
"What's up with him?" Casey asked watching him go.
"Something tell me his date didn't go too well," Kyle said.
"Well hopefully by morning he'll have turned that frown upside down," Casey chuckled and stood up "I'm gonna head to bed, see you tomorrow," he said and walked on to his room.
"Yeah night," Kyle said and walked to the kitchen, walking to the sink he looked out the window as he filled a glass of water. Seeing Charlie sitting on her porch with a beer he sighed things didn't go well at all-she looked upset. Sighing again he walked to his room what can't Brax let any woman close to him? He deserved to be happy.
…
Brax sat in his room with a beer watching Charlie through the window she had been sitting there for over an hour now and he knew what he had done earlier had put her in whatever mood she was in now. Standing up he walked to the door and pulled it open, stopping for a second he shook his head and walked out of the room.
Charlie looked up when she heard footsteps "fancy some company?" Brax asked.
Charlie looked down at her bottle and shrugged. Brax sighed and sat beside her "you're still mad at me," he said.
Charlie sighed and stretched her legs out in front of it "what are we doing Brax?" she asked.
"Having a beer," he chuckled.
"No I mean what's happening with us?" she asked "if any other guy had said that to me my knee would be between their legs and I'd be done with them."
Brax turned to face her "so why didn't I get it back there?" he asked.
"That's the thing," Charlie said and took a sip of her beer "I don't know…something is holding me back something I can't figure out."
Brax nodded "I know what you mean…I can't stop thinking about you Lucy," he said and slid his hand onto her cheek "I don't know what's going on here but I do know I wanna see you again."
Charlie sighed and pulled away "I'll be gone soon…I have to go home at some stage."
Brax scooted closer to her "why don't we just take it one day at a time and see what happens," he said sliding his hand around her shoulder "who knows, when you head home I could be right behind you."
Charlie leaned into him what she said was the truth she didn't know what was holding her back she hadn't figured it out yet. "But what if things don't work out?"
Brax rested his cheek against her head "I can't answer that Lucy," he said pulling her closer "no on knows what the future holds."
Charlie titled her head and looked up at him "this is crazy I barely know you and I'm feeling like this."
Brax smiled and stroked her cheek "it's not crazy…I'm feeling the same."
Charlie smiled quickly "so one day at a time huh?"
Brax chuckled and lowered his head "one day at a time," he said and kissed her.
A/N so there you have chapter two…reviews welcome J