Bound (Bound Hearts #1) (5 page)

Courtland

If I hadn’t known better, I would have believed she would have really nailed me in the balls again. She sure grew the hell up. What the hell happened to my thoughts of revenge and torture? One look at the vulnerability in those blue cerulean eyes and I folded like a piece of paper. I just couldn’t do it. Damn.

That only meant one fucking thing. I still had feelings for her. I didn’t think it was love. Not like the love I felt ten years ago. Maybe that was a young man’s love though. I did say she was mine. And if given the chance? No doubt. Was I a pussy for saying I was gonna fall for her? Who knows? I really did want to find out what happened at her parents earlier today though, and ten years ago. What she said about Chet flipping if he ever really knew his brother, stuck in my mind, just as I knew it stuck in his. There was something really bad going on or went on that Adelaide wasn’t saying. Whether she was scared or nervous.

I didn’t like her dad back then, didn’t care for him now. He thought he was such a righteous man on his pedestal or alter. Like he was God’s own son. Something about a man like that didn’t sit right with me.

I also wondered what she did for a living. When she was on the phone, it sounded as if it was something that was scandalous and naughty. I didn’t even know where she called home. Why did I tell JR not to talk about her? I would know all this, or most of it. As far as I knew, no one knew what she did.

On the drive to an IHOP off Interstate-10, I prayed and hoped she would open up to me. She didn’t seem willing to talk very much. She gave the impression of a closed and hidden book. She said ‘I love you’ to the person on the other line (still praying it wasn’t a man-by the passionate kiss she gave me-I took that as an affi
rmative hell no) made me think there was someone she cared for. I never once heard her say those three words to anyone here. Not me, JR or his parents.

I got out of my truck, and waited at the tailgate for her. She parked in one of the spots behind me and seemed to be debating if she should really get out
of the car. She looked at me through her windshield and I just cocked my head in a ‘come-on’ gesture and gave her the sexiest smirk I had. Her eyes brightened and her leather clad shoulders bounced with laughter. Shaking her head, she exited the vehicle and came to me.

“You really are something else Courtland,” she said as she play-punched my arm.

Faking, I clutched my arm, “Ow, woman. What did I ever do to you?”

“What did you do? You called me by my middle name! That was all sortsa wrong. Especially when I don’t even know yours.”

Hmmm. She didn’t? I tapped my pointer finger on her nose, in which her eyes crossed, looking to see if I left a mark and I chuckled, saying, “And you won’t either. You’ll have to beg.
Plead
, by all means to get it out of me too.”

“Hmm.” She skimmed her pointer finger around her lips, slowly. Seductively.

“Little witch, don’t try teasing your way. That ain’t gon-work darlin’.”

“
Ain’t
it?” I knew she was trying to get a rise out of me for letting my thick Texan accent out. Most of the time, I didn’t know I was talking like that. It must be where she lived, that thinks she can make fun of me.

“Girlie, you only been gone ten years. Lived here all your life. Can’t help the way I speak
, baby.” Even the years in North Carolina, and being in the Marines, didn’t change my Texan accent. I had no problem where I came from. Now.

I dealt with my past. My youth, that time I spent under a pimps hand and the woman who was supposed to love and protect me and didn’t give two shits who I was or what was happening to me, was just a memory. The pimp that controlled her finally got arrested for skin trafficking
, and it left my mother nothing but a shell. An empty body with nothing left. She died five years ago and out of respect for the girl who birthed me, I went and paid for the funeral. At the end of her life, she gave me a letter (just had to be a letter didn’t it? Insert eye roll.) It was about forgiveness and understanding. Asking for it.

I knew when I was a teen, I probably would have said ‘fuck it’
, but as a grown man, there comes a time when you have to forgive those who did you wrong, so you could move forward. I did. Her bad choices as a young girl got her mixed up in heavy shit. I didn’t blame her. She didn’t choose that life. The life under a man’s thumb who forced sex on her on a daily basis was a hard hand to hold on to. I just hoped she had peace in the end, and knew I forgave her. Forgave myself for having all that bitterness and anger.

Hopefully, while Adelaide was here, she could deal with hers. Although her eyes were alive with mischief, I could still see that young girl
, thirsty for something more than she was given. A woman who needed to be taken care of and cherished like the treasure she was. I didn’t know if that man was me, but thinking about another man taking care of her was
not
an option for me.

I held out my elbow for her to take and she took it. As I opened the door for her to proceed me, she laughed, said thank you and smiled that sweet honey innocent smile she had.

“Aren’t you the gentleman?”

“I try.”

I got us a seat in one of the more secluded corners and let her get in, so I was sitting on the aisle side. I didn’t want her to feel caged in, but I didn’t want to sit across from her. Felt too detached, and I sat next to her at the edge and propped an arm along the back rest.

“So, where you been all this time?” I wasn’t going to mention the letter. Not right now at least.

“Georgia.”

“Damn. Only about 400 miles from me.”

Her head turned quickly and she looked at me with shock. She didn’t answer right away and I gave her a moment to think. She seemed to need it. She turned her face downward in deep thought and the waitress came up to take our order. Adelaide didn’t answer, so I made her order for her.

“Two ‘Split Decisions’ please.” As long as her preferences didn’t change, I knew she’d be satisfied with the order.

“What do you mean only 400 miles?” I could barely hear her whisper the question, but she seemed genuinely shocked.

“That summer I ended up enlisting to keep out of jail. It was either that, or two years for trespassing. I was in jail for a week while Joe pulled some strings and I made a choice. What was in Georgia, Adelaide? What made you move so far away from everything you know?”

She played with the cloth napkin and if it was paper, it would have been torn to shreds by now. Her mind seemed to be weighing something heavily.

“Addy, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I meant what I said. If all we do is eat, then that’s all we do. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or nervous or shy or even embarrassed. You
never
have to feel that way in front of me. As kids, it took you a few months to get used to JR and me, but when you realized we weren’t out to hurt you, you let us in. Well, let us in enough. So please, don’t make this into something more than what it has to be. Food. Conversation. And tasty Pancakes.”

“My Grandparents. That’s what was in Georgia. On my mother’s side. I spent that summer saving everyth
ing I could and when I had the amount I needed, I packed my meager possessions and left the first chance I had, while
he
wasn’t looking.”

I nodded
, because I knew who the emphasized he was. She didn’t get along with Mr. Hunter. Only JR’s family and I knew their relationship was strained. Just not how far. For now though, that was enough for me. I didn’t want to dig too deeply at this point. I knew the girl she once was, and I knew that wouldn’t have changed, no matter how many tattoos she had or piercings or any badassery she thought she was packing. I knew her. Deep down to the bone,
knew her
.

“What do you do? Seems like something you could travel to do
, since you’re here.”

“What do you do Courtland?”

“I still work for Joe. He plans on retiring soon and giving me the garage. Happy to see I’m not a bum?”

Her face went pale and her eyes started to well up with tears. It was completely contradictory to the letter she sent me. Then
, her eyes turned hard and any tears she might have shed, disappeared.

“I
never
thought that of you. Not once. How dare you act as if I’m some snob. Have I ever said that? Gave you an impression that I thought you were anything less than a good man? Ha. You have some nerve. Move.”

What the fuck was happening here? How can she pretend not to know the angry and torturous words she wrote to me? It was her damn handwriting.
It had to be.

“
I
have some nerve? Lady, you have no fucking idea of
your
nerve. And no. We’re not done talking.”

“Oh, yes we are. MOVE!”

I was taken aback at how aggressive and angry she sounded as she yelled the last. “Calm down, Addy.”

“No, I want you to move. I’m leaving. Sorry. Wait, no. I’m not even sorry. Move out of my way. I will leave this booth by other means if I have to.”

“Adelaide,” I did my best to keep my voice down, controlled and low. “Please don’t make a scene. Sit and Calm down. Now.” That must’ve been the wrong thing to say. Shit.

“Don’t make a scene. HA.” She stood up and took a step on the booth chair. “No man will ever fucking tell me what to do again.” She stepped on the table and walked to the edge and hopped off. What the fuck? Crazy ass woman. She turned to look back at me and right then, I flashed backed to that dinner so many years ago
, where I could see the pain and depths of her damaged soul underneath the layers of rage and anger in her eyes. Those eyes didn’t change as she was looking at me now. “BTW,” (what the hell was BTW?), “I am an author of erotic romance novels. My nipples are pierced and I can do, say and wear anything I damn well please. Good-bye, Courtland.”

My face was frozen in shock. Holy-fuck-me-shit. Author of erotic romance? Pierced nipples? Did she really just say
all that out loud? The few patrons and waitresses that were there, stared after her as she shoved the front entrance open like a little two year old throwing a tantrum, then they turned and looked at me. I shrugged. What the hell was I supposed to do? I was just as shocked as they were.

I laid a few bills down, enough for the food and about a thirty percent tip to cover them over hearing some very detailed personal images that will probably be locked in their heads for days,
and said, “Sorry. PMS.” And I got up and walked out.

I thought she might wait at her car, trying to cool down
, before I could try talking some sense into her, when I looked up to see her tail lights glow red, then squealing out of the parking lot.
Shit
.

Not how I wanted this night to end. Swiping my hand over my face, I felt the stubble prickle my hand. I hated stubble.

I brought out my phone and looked under the contacts I still had from when I was in the Marines, and looked up one of the few guys I actually stayed in contact with. I knew it was later than usual, and when his wife picked up, I knew they were probably asleep.

“Courtland? Everything okay dear? It’s late.”

“Yeah, sorry to be calling so late and out of the blue Maygan, but I really need to talk to Bryan please.”

“Of course,” I heard grumbling in the back ground and a ‘you wanna play right now
, babe?’ and chuckling, I heard Maygan smack him and handed him the phone.

“This better be damn important, Phillips.”

“For me, yes. I need to you look up a name for me. I need it like yesterday. Adelaide Claudette Hunter. Moved to Georgia ten years ago. Says she’s an author.”

There was a quiet pause and I wondered if he was still on the line.

“Bry?”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah, that’s all I got. I couldn’t get anything else out of her, before she threw a hissy fit and flew the damn coop.”

“Adelaide? Why does that name sound familiar?”

“You know why it sounds familiar, MacIntosh.”

“I do?”

Wait for it.

“Oh, ha-ha, yeah I do.
The chick you wouldn’t shut up about at boot camp. Holy shit. You saw her again?”

“Yeah. I did. There’s something different about her
, but then the same all at one time.”

“Buddy. That’s how they all seem.”

Smack!
“Ouch woman. Not you. You’re the exception. You’re perfect in every way. Hey! Hey I was talking on that thing! Maygan. You’re gonna get-“

I heard a door quietly click shut as I heard Maygan’s feminine breathing come back on the line. “Bryan will get what you
’re asking for Courtland. In the meantime, this girl you’re talking about. If she’s someone special, and maybe has a not so great past, you’ll give her time.”

“What if I don’t have time?”