COMPLICATIONS
Kayla pulled her car into her accustomed slot at the apartment building. Already feeling down, her mood darkened when she recognized Tom's car parked next to Carson's motorcycle. She wasn't sure why Tom would be here so early. The gang wasn't due to meet for another two or three days. She had no time to deal with either man. Knowing she couldn't delay this any longer, she left her car and made her way toward the building. She had no idea what she expected to find once inside the apartment. The thing was, she didn't know why she cared. She was an adult and could do whatever the hell she wanted. Yet, it was more complicated than that, and she knew it. Most relationships didn't involve a felon and a FBI agent as lovers. This wasn't a typical situation. Perhaps her brother and Tom had somehow found out she lied about Frank's line of work. She pushed herself ahead and made her way to the apartment. Just outside the door, she could hear music, but didn't hear them talking. If luck was with her, maybe neither of them was there. Maybe one of the other gang members had picked them up and taken them somewhere else. But that didn't make sense, either. With the exception of Tom, none of the gang members associated much right before a job. It was Carson's rules. Keeping them all separate would hold down the suspicions. She tried the door and it was unlocked. Steeling herself, she opened the door and entered the living room. She could see that Carson and Tom were seated at the small kitchenette table with Carson's laptop between them. Apparently, they had decided to have a meeting about something without inviting her. She didn't know if she was relieved or angry about it. She decided to ignore the men, and she turned to walk toward her bedroom. Before she closed the door, Carson inserted his body into the doorframe.
"You're a big girl now and it's none of my business," he began. "But I think you're getting way too serious with this guy, and your absence here last night truly reinforces that idea. He's a stock broker and that's innocent enough, but he's still outside the fold. Anything he finds out has the potential to hurt us. Regardless of how this guy feels about you or how you feel about him, he could easily go to the cops and spill anything he learns. I know you won't rat us out or anything, Kay, but what if something slips? What if this guy sees me working on my laptop? What if he decides to come here when we're meeting with the gang? There are a dozen scenarios that could unfold here. I think you should cool it for a while, at least until we have what we need."
Kayla sat on the side of her bed and stared down at her feet. She vaguely wondered how much of this was Tom's doing. Her brother's speech might have meant something to her yesterday before she left to see Frank. But this morning, after a night of lovemaking, it meant nothing. Of course, she was kidding herself. It probably wouldn't have meant anything two weeks, or even two months ago. He would certainly flip out once he learned the truth about Frank's true occupation. Perhaps he might become enraged enough to strangle her. She had two options. She could spin a lie and tell Carson what he wanted to hear, or she could go out on a limb and try to tell the truth for a change. "I know we have to think of Brett first and foremost," she said. "But I honestly don't know if I can cool it. It is getting serious, Carson, and I'm not sure that I can do anything to calm it down." She raised her head and looked at her older brother. "I don't even know if I want to cool it now." Kayla stood and walked to the corner of the room. She had to get away from his moss green eyes. They were boring into her, almost accusatory. "We have to do this for Brett, but I want out, Carson. I want to find another way to do this. I just want out."
"You're not thinking of Brett at all. You are focused on some selfish little game here, Kay. This has never been about you or your love life, and I think you've forgotten that since you started seeing this guy. You don't have to stop living because of what's going on with Brett, but you shouldn't let it make you lose focus and forget her, either. Cool down this relationship and bring your focus back where it belongs. The gang needs you. Brett needs you. I hate to break it to you, but there is no out. Once you accept that, you'll realize that putting some distance between you and this guy is exactly what you need. After a few more jobs, we'll have all the money that we need to give to Dora. This will be over, Kayla, and you can do whatever you want with this guy, whether it's seeing him, living with him, or even marrying him. I don't care what you eventually wind up doing with this relationship in the long run, just do this one thing that I ask for right now."
Kayla said nothing. She simply stood in the corner of her room and gazed blankly at her brother. After he finished his speech, he turned away from her and left her alone. She immediately went to her door, and just before she shut it, she could hear Tom asking Carson what she intended to do. The bastard. She couldn't lay all the blame on Tom, of course, but she was certain the two men had been discussing this very conversation hours before she came home. She closed her door and engaged the lock. There was no way she wanted either of them to disturb her for the rest of the day. Kayla went back to her bed where she plopped down and began to stare at the ceiling. She wasn't so sure she could honor her brother's request now. She had been trying for weeks to put some distance between her and Frank. How well had that worked out? Not very damn well at all. Last night was a prime example of that. If it could have been done, she would have succeeded the night before. Since she had failed so miserably then, there was no reason to believe that she could do it now. If Frank had only given up when she stopped returning his calls, she wouldn't be in this situation. Why had he been so damn persistent? He was unlike any man she had ever met, and she knew she couldn't cool down shit. She thought of playing the avoidance game again, but he would only pursue her, and she would give right in to him. Just like she did before. She bit her lip and bit it hard. She was very close to telling Frank about Brett and the bank jobs. The craziness had to end some way, but she didn't know how to do it. She again wondered what the hell she had gotten herself into. She turned to her side and reached for her handbag. She dug around for her cell phone. She felt the need for another short conversation with Brett. It always seemed to center her and calm her down. No matter what her brother said or thought, Brett never left her mind for one moment.
777
The instant Donovan pulled his black truck into his long, sloping driveway, a small smile played on his lips. Kayla's car was sitting underneath the carport. Before she left this morning, he had given her his extra house key and asked that she come over and wait for him if he wasn't home. He was glad that she had decided to come, and even more so that she stayed. Some how, some way, tonight he would tell her how he felt about her. He had vowed last night not to say anything that would scare her away, but after seeing her car tonight, and knowing that she had come to him was enough to push him forward. He wasn't oblivious. The emotion between them last night was much too intense for her not to feel something for him. It was a frightening prospect, but it was time to speak up. It was true that he had no intention of scaring her, but he also didn't want to lose her, either.
The small smile that he had had since he killed the engine on his truck grew a little wider when he laid eyes on Kayla. From the looks of things, she had been here for a while. Her beautiful honey blonde hair was tied back into a loose ponytail and she was clad in one of his shirts. He wasn't afraid to bet that she had on nothing else underneath. That thought alone sent him reeling. However, it wasn't the only thing she had done that caused the sensation to attack him. The dining room table he rarely used outside an occasional get together was set perfectly for two. She had found a silver candleholder that he hadn't used since he moved into this house. The candlelight cast a warm glow over the place settings and the delicate champagne flutes already filled with sparkling liquid. She had somehow managed to find those fancy dinner plate covers that he had only seen in snobbish uptown restaurants. She had gone to great lengths to do this for him, and he suddenly forgot all about the trying day he had had at the nest. The bank robberies and the Sideshow were gone from his mind. For now, none of it existed. None of it. He could deal with that another day.
He approached her from behind and laid his hands against her hips. "What are you up to," he asked before placing a moist kiss on her ear.
"Let me go and I'll show you," she said with a smile.
Reluctantly, he stepped back from her and she turned toward him. Taking his hand, she led him to the dining room table and motioned for him to sit down. When he took a seat, she unceremoniously plopped down onto his lap. He absolutely didn't mind the closeness. Tonight, she smelled like roses. It was driving him a little crazy. Unable to help himself, he kissed her, and had every intention of deepening the kiss, of progressing it further, but she broke it before he could press forward. Mystified, he gazed up at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but she placed her forefinger over his lips.
"You must eat the dinner I prepared for you first," she said. She reached over and took hold of the plate cover sitting before him. Lifting it up with flourish, she smiled widely. "Voila."
It was a full plate of chicken and dumplings. He laughed out loud. He couldn't resist. "You certainly know how to amaze me, Kayla." His eyes met hers and he kissed her again. He managed to undo a few buttons toward her middle and he slipped his hand inside the space he created. Her skin immediately broke out in chill bumps. He broke the kiss, but kept his hand inside the shirt, gently caressing her skin. "You think if you cover up the plate again, it'll stay warm for a little while?"
She nodded. "I'm sure it will," she whispered. "If not, we can always nuke it."
777
His body still shuddering from mind-bending release, Donovan's lips drank in the tiny droplets of moisture from Kayla's breasts. His lips teased the hardened peaks of her delectable nipples. She was astride him and had her hands plunged into his hair. Her eyes were closed and she breathed heavily. Her body was quivering as she recovered from one of many releases. He was still buried deeply inside her and she was in no big hurry to move. She thought she could stay like this forever. It wouldn't bother her at all. She felt his lips move upward and she threw her head back a little to give him access to her throat. As his lips and teeth assaulted her delicate skin, his hands slid to each side of her body. They moved up and down slowly, gently. Every now and then, they made contact with the side swell of her breasts.
He was suddenly overwhelmed by emotion and he could stay silent no longer. "Kayla," he whispered against her neck. "I love you."
She heard every word clearly, but somehow, it didn't quite connect. She moved back a bit and gazed down at him. Stupidly, she asked, "What did you say?"
He focused his eyes on her confused face. "I said I love you."
He was gazing at her with the same hungry look he had in his eyes the first time he made love to her. Dear God. Didn't he get it? She didn't want him to love her. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Then again, what exactly had she expected to happen? Did she think this was some animalistic fling that would die as soon as they became bored with each other? Was that what she thought? No. It wasn't what she thought at all. She remembered her earlier conversation with Carson. Distance. He had wanted her to put distance between them. He damn well wouldn't get his way now. He was waiting patiently for a response, any response, even a negative one. The silence was deafening. She could hear the frantic beating of their hearts.
Kayla laid her hands on his face. She wasn't aware what she was going to say until the words came tumbling out of her mouth. "I love you, too."
He leaned up and kissed her deeply. His hands went to the small of her back and she felt her body drifting down onto the bed. When he broke the kiss several moments later, he gazed at her. "How about those dumplings," he asked comically.
"I thought you'd never ask."
After they ate their late night dinner, Kayla gathered her things and made ready to leave. Donovan watched her with amusement sparkling in his eyes. She was still wearing his shirt, but had donned her own jeans. He stopped her before she grabbed her car keys. It was already past midnight and she had a long drive back to her apartment. He took hold of her hand and drew her into his embrace. "Are you sure you don't want to stay? You won't be back home for almost an hour. It's already very late."
"Tempting offer," she said. "But I have to work tomorrow and that would be an even longer drive in the morning." Part of what she told him was the truth. However, there was a bit of deception thrown into the mix. Of course. As always. If she stayed with him all night, her brother would know that she hadn't mentioned one word about 'distance.' "I hate traffic," she commented lightly. "I'll call you when I get back so you know I'm still alive."
He opened his mouth to say something else, but the words died in his throat. What he was thinking was too much. Telling her he loved her was one thing. The other bit he had on his mind was something different altogether. "Will you at least let me walk you to your car?"
She smiled. "I'll consider that."
Once Kayla was safely inside her car, Donovan turned and went back into the house. She watched him until he was out of sight, and then she reached for her keys. She had no idea that she was being watched.
Tom had seen almost everything that transpired between them when they came outside. He had tried to get closer to the house to find out exactly what was going on, but he was afraid of being discovered. What he didn't need was the cops bearing down on his ass, especially considering his status in the gang. He clearly saw the long, lingering kiss outside Kayla's automobile. He tried to shrug it off, but the two of them together like that made him seethe with anger. It was too dark to make out any features of the guy, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what they were doing. He had to get moving before Kayla pulled her car out of the driveway. He hoped that the dude inside wouldn't get wise right away, not until he was finished with her.
Kayla slowly backed out her car until it was at the bottom edge of the driveway. When she stopped to look for oncoming traffic, she heard a sharp rapping against her window. Startled, she whipped her head around, half expecting to see Frank. But whom she saw wasn't even close to Frank. It was Tom. Damned asshole Tom. Before she had the chance to engage the door lock, he grabbed the handle and swung it open. Without thinking, she jammed the car in park, wishing for a moment that she had let the car finish rolling down the hill. Perhaps it would have dragged Tom along with it. What the hell was he doing here? He didn't give her time to react or say a word. His hand was on her arm and he was forcefully dragging her out of the car.
"What the hell are you doing now, Tom? Stalking me," she bit out angrily.
"Your brother asked me to follow you tonight," he told her, lying through his teeth. Carson had asked no such thing, but it was good cover. He had eavesdropped on their conversation earlier. "I don't think he trusts you much, Kay. And from what I saw tonight, I guess you gave him good reason. What say we go inside now and tell your new lover boy what you do to supplement your income? I'm sure the big time stock broker would love to hear that." His grip on her arm tightened ever so slightly. "Or we could work something out between us, Kay. I'd keep my mouth shut if you dump the guy now and give me another chance like you should."
"You bastard," she spat through clenched teeth. "Blackmail me all you want, you're not going to get anything from me. Let me go so I can go home. If you don't, I'll tell my brother about this and you'll be out on your ass. I don't believe for one moment that he asked you to follow me. Get away from me, Tom. This is your final warning."
"You bitch," he said distastefully. "I don't even know why I care so much."
He came after her, and before she knew it, he had her down in the front seat of her car. Not caring who or what heard her, she screamed, kicked, bit, and scratched him. It didn't deter him at all. He ripped at her shirt…Frank's shirt…but she continued to struggle against him. If he intended to take anything from her, he would have a fight on his hands. She shoved at his chin, hoping to push him off that way. Amazingly, his body came off hers. The trick was almost…magical. Had she done that? When she was able to gather her wits a few moments later, she realized it wasn't one of her tricks at all. It was Frank. He had somehow heard the commotion and managed to pull Tom's body off hers. She wanted to protest, to tell Frank to just let him go, but the shock had blocked her ability to form words. She heard him snarl a brief demand at Tom: "What the hell are you doing?" After that, she heard the unmistakable sound of Frank's fist smashing into Tom's face. She looked up to see Frank almost hit him again, but Tom somehow managed to escape. Tom said nothing at the moment, he was trying to escape with his life, but he thought he recognized Kayla's boyfriend.
Kayla watched as Tom ran like the chicken shit that he was. She knew Frank wanted to pursue the other man, but he didn't. He was concerned about her.
Donovan leaned into the car and took her hand. After he pulled her out, he gazed down at her. "Are you all right? What the hell was that? Did you know him?"
The questions were thrown at her rapid fire. "I'm fine. Just a little shaken up," she said. "I know him," she told him with a slight nod.
"You're not going home tonight," he told her. "Come back to the house with me. You have to tell me what that was all about."
Kayla switched off the ignition on her car and they decided to leave it parked at the end of the driveway. Silently, they walked back to the house. Once inside, she went into the bathroom and cleaned up a little. There were a few scratches here and there that were oozing blood. Frank had given her a new shirt to put on, because Tom had ripped up the other one. When she came out of the bathroom, he was waiting for her in the living room. Reluctantly, she joined him on the sofa.
"Who was he, Kayla," he asked. "Why did he attack you?"
She sighed heavily before she ran her fingers through her hair. How in the hell was she going to explain about Tom? She looked at him and sighed again. "He's an ex-boyfriend and a close friend of Carson's. He's a little put out by our relationship. I suppose he followed me here. He thinks in some twisted way that I still want him."
He once again had a feeling that there was more to it, but she was holding back. "Kayla, was he the one who hit you before? The one who left the finger marks?"
She looked away from him for a moment. She felt his fingers beneath her chin, guiding her face toward his. "It was," she answered when her eyes met his.
"I won't let him touch you again. Do you understand?"
She nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't…didn't tell you sooner." She took the hand that was still cupping her chin and held it in her own. "There's just so much you don't know about me. And I want to tell you everything, but I don't know how to begin."
He leaned toward her and kissed her lips very gently. "Take your time, Kayla. I want to know everything, but I'm a patient man. You don't have to tell me all of it now, tomorrow, or the next day. There's time. There's plenty of time."
She allowed him to kiss her again, and she kissed him back just as deeply as he kissed her. She again thought that he had no idea what he was getting entangled in. And she was entangled just as snugly as he. Time was not on their side. It was running out for them both, but there was nothing Kayla could do to stop it.
To be continued…