Cheyenne (9 page)

“
A very dangerous man.” Callon’s jaw was rigid. He shifted in his seat, crossing his arms, and it was clear he wouldn’t tell me more.

“
So, let me get this straight.” I closed my eyes briefly and shifted forward in my seat, away from Colt’s embrace. My fingers massaged both of my temples. “Colt and my parents have been protecting me because I’m a secret. A secret you say I won’t understand right now, but in time you’ll tell me.” I paused, thinking again. “My parents were murdered by a very dangerous man because of this secret,
 
me
. You’ve been helping Colt protect me, but I was never told. I’ve been kept in the dark.” My temper flared. “And you expect me to trust you?”

“
Yes.” Callon’s voice was cold, irritated that I hadn’t accepted his order without question.

“
How long?” My eyes narrowed as I lifted my head towards Callon, my hands falling to my side in tight fists.

“
How long what?”

Was he doing this just to aggravate me? “How long have you been watching me?”

“
A while.”

What a pathetic, unclear answer! Figures.
 
“More than two years?” Colt had been with me for that long, and only now did I see why he never talked about his parents. He had to be older than he’d let on. He didn’t live with his parents, and my parents never brought up the topic. They had to have known.

“
Yes,” Callon confirmed.

I continued, a mixture of anger and anxiety rising. “Did you know my parents?”

“
Yes.” Callon’s reply was so devoid of emotion it bothered me. I was just a job…

“
You were working with them?”

“
Yes.”

I turned and looked at Colt again, desperately trying to maintain my composure. “So over the last two years, you’ve been around protecting me. My parents invited you along on trips and dinners so you could be close.” These were the facts. My lips began to tremble, as anger boiled in my chest. “I shared secrets and feelings with you that no one else knew, and for what? So you could pretend to know me? Figure things out about me for your job? Deceive and lie to me? You screwed with my feelings, made me confused…just for the fun of it?!”

Something inside me gave way, and the tears began to stream down my cheeks. All these months he’d played with my heart, with every touch, every word. “How could you!”

Colt extended his arm to touch my shoulder. I knew he was trying to comfort me. After all, that’s what he was good at; that’s what he’d been doing for the last two years. Making sure I was safe and had a shoulder to cry on. I should’ve seen it sooner, all those long walks in the woods, going to movies, just hanging out together. He was pretending to be my friend. My
best
friend. I pulled away and rose from the couch.

“
Cheyenne.” Colt reached for my hand, but I stepped out of reach.

I didn’t want to hear anything more. Not now. I was wounded; a piece of my heart suddenly torn apart. I was just a job for him. The friendship, the feelings I had for him, all a lie. He wasn’t who I thought he was. It was just too complicated to process now.

Sniffling
and wiping the tears from my cheeks, I stopped just inside the hallway. I didn’t turn around. “Callon, am I allowed to leave?”

“
No.” His tone was softer, as if to apologize for his gruffness before.

“
So I’m being held against my will?”

“
It’s for your own safety,” he said but that didn’t make me feel better.

“
I see.”

Daniel suddenly appeared at my side with my bag in hand. It was if he knew I was looking for an escape. We
continued down the hallway to a bedroom. He departed leaving my bag near the door while I stood in the far corner, staring out into the forest through the open windows, my thoughts pooling together. I’d been hospitalized, followed, tricked and lied to, and now I was with people I didn’t know, who were curbing my liberties. Since when had Colt or Callon become my dad? How had this spiraled downhill so quickly?

Dusk arrived, and with it a chill in the air, which made me shiver. I wrapped my arms around my chest, but I couldn’t ease the pain of my aching heart. Another loss in my life. Colt was the one who pulled me through my parents’ death. I’d thought losing my parents was the worst pain imaginable, but losing Colt—my strength, my friend—I was hurting more than I thought possible. Who could pull me through the loss of my best friend?

I didn’t bother to close the bedroom door; I didn’t think it mattered at this point. I was being watched; I wasn’t allowed to leave. A door wouldn’t stop them. I was a bird in a cage, wings clipped.

Heavy footsteps stopped at the doorway. I continued to stare out the window. They continued until they were directly behind; it was Colt. His breath touched my head; the heat from his body warmed my back. More tears spilled, and I gritted my teeth to stifle my sobs. He was hesitating. We stood like this for what seemed forever before he finally broke the silence.

“
Cheyenne, I’m so sorry.” His voice was soft, gentle, sincere. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I want you to know it’s not like that for me. It never has been. Each and every moment I’ve spent with you has been a blessing, and with each passing moment I’ve loved you more and more.”

He loves me?
 
I inhaled a shaky breath. I didn’t want to hear this now. Not when my heart was being pulled in all directions.

“
I’m not with you because it’s my job; I’m with you because I couldn’t live with myself if anything ever happened to you. When you told me you were leaving town, I wanted to tell you to stay. I didn’t want to let you out of my sight. When Gene and Alexis died, you came to me to find comfort.” His hands hovered at my sides, not touching me, but longing to.

“
I’ve wanted to give you so much more than just comfort. I’ve wanted to give you my love, my heart, my soul. I’ve been waiting to tell you this; I wanted to tell you this in the kitchen the night before you left. Please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you this way.”

I kept quiet, mulling over his confession. So I hadn’t been wrong that night in the kitchen. That protective look in his eyes, those emotions he pushed back…he loved me! What was I supposed to think? Was this just another act, an attempt to pull me back into his world?

I stood immobile for a long time. Just a half step back and I would be pressed up against him, just a half a step and his tender embrace would provide the security I wanted—needed.

I wouldn’t let myself do it. I drove back all emotion and continued to stare out the window. Now I was grateful for the breeze. It cooled my flushed skin.

Colt
was still standing behind me, waiting. Slowly I turned, keeping my gaze locked on the floor as I walked past. His arm stretched out to grasp me, but didn’t.

It was dark outside as I crawled onto the bed and sank into the mattress. I curled up into a ball on my side and closed my eyes. The bed sagged as Colt sat down. I knew he wouldn’t leave me. He didn’t touch me; didn’t say a single word. He just sat there, my protector. My lids grew heavy, and my head began to ache again. Exhaustion overcame me, and I quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

My lids fluttered open. It was still dark. A big yawn escaped me, and I stretched. I had slept fairly well, but was still groggy. I glanced around the room. Dawn was just beginning to break
. Shades of red and orange kissed the wooden floor. Twisting, I winced. My right arm was achy.

I carefully righted myself, only to hear Colt’s deep breathing. He had slept next to me on top of the comforter. I turned to see his face, which was hidden in the shadows. It was peaceful.

I sighed. Despite everything I’d learned the day before, I still liked it when he was near. He always made me feel good about myself…but was any of it real? I remembered his words last night. He said he loved me, and wanted to be with me. Could I truly believe that?

But then there was the bigger issue. Callon told me I wasn’t allowed to leave, and I needed to get into the safety deposit box. I was now sure that whatever lay in wait was exclusively for me. If I were a secret Mom and Dad were protecting, then surely whatever was in there would at least throw some light on the subject.

I bit my lip, as more hurdles began to appear. How was I going to get into town? I couldn’t just tell my guards about the key and box, although Colt might already know what the key was for. They hadn’t been completely truthful with me, so why should I be with them? If they wanted me to trust them, they’d have to earn it.

I slid out of bed quietly, being sure I didn’t disturb Colt. The last location for the key was in the great room on the table. Glancing to my right stood the nightstand…along with my medications and the key. I swiped the key off the table.

I grabbed a medicine bottle and remembered I’d woken and taken some, but I didn’t recall the key on the table. At least t
hat would explain why I felt so tired and heavy yesterday, all this medicine they’d been pumping through me was surely taking its toll. I slid the bottle back onto the nightstand.

Next
I went in search of my bag. I pulled out some clothes and shoes and silently crept to the bathroom. I changed into something comfortable, something I could run or hike in. I had no intention of staying. They said I couldn’t leave. Ha! They had no idea what I was capable of, especially when I was mad!

I pulled my hair back, brushed my teeth, and quietly washed my face. I returned to the bedroom to deposit my pajamas and grab some cash, along with my driver’s license. Colt was still asleep.

I surveyed the windows. I would make too much noise if I climbed out one of them. I thought it best to try the front door first. If Colt was asleep, maybe the others were, too. On the way to the great room, I walked past a partially open door. It was the laundry room, and it had a large window I could crawl out of. Perfect!

I slipped in and paused, listening intently for any noises. So far, so good. Slowly, I opened the window. It slid easily in the frame, and I managed to push out the screen with little effort. It fell to the ground, and I followed. It was a little farther down than I thought, and I fell forward onto my chest. A soft grunt escaped my lips, and I wanted to kick myself. If I were any louder, they’d be on me quicker than I could blink my eyes. I took off into the forest, my heart beating rapidly beneath my ribs.

I had no idea where I was going, but once I was away, I would use the sun as my guide and find my way back into town. I was sure I could manage, after all the training my dad had given me over the years. I pressed my hand against my pocket insuring the key had remained intact. I now had the missing piece I needed. I ran with everything I had, my senses alert for anything that would try to stop me.

Suddenly something tackled me from behind, and I was smashed to the ground, two large arms wrapped around me. They locked around my sides, preventing me from getting injured. It knocked the wind out of me, and I was pinned down on my back before I had a chance to fight back.

“
Don’t fight me!” a voice commanded. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

“
Get off of me, Callon!” I screamed and began struggling.

“
I’ll get off when you stop fighting,” he said.

I wasn’t about to give up easily. I tried to push myself up, but he held me down firmly. It was still dark under the patches of dense trees, but I hoped he could see my scowl.

“
Let go of me, before you make me mad!” I said through clenched teeth.

It happened so quickly I wasn’t even sure what took place. Callon leaped to his feet, yanking me with him. I was thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and he began walking back. “Put me down!” I howled. He didn’t respond. I tried to push myself free, but he wouldn’t relent. I wasn’t going anywhere but back to the cabin.

Once inside, he dropped me on the couch, then sat on the coffee table leaning forward. I became very uneasy; he was too close to my face. I pushed back into the sofa. I could see the resolve on his face. No longer the handsome face I’d seen in the cathedral, but a frightening cold-hearted monster.

“
Cheyenne,” Callon said, his tone like ice. “We’re here to protect you. I told you yesterday that Gene and Alexis were murdered. We’re sure their killer is after you now. You can’t leave.” He waited a moment for his words to sink in before his eyes fixed on me. “We will stop you if you try. I’ll say it again. This is for your own good; we’re not going to harm you. You need to trust us.”