Just a Little (5-8) (11 page)

“You know what makes me sick, Julie?”

“
Me
, I’m guessing?”

“No. The fact that he’s not even here, and I’m
still
fighting for your affection.”

I scoffed, not even sure I could muster an argument. Obviously Luke hadn’t heard about Derek’s arrival, and I saw no point in adding fuel to the fire. Anyway, I couldn’t see where he was coming from. Luke had never had to fight for my affection. In fact, it was always the other way around. I was always the one fighting for him. Now he was trying to pretend that
Derek
had been a threat?

“It’s true,” he said, almost as if he’d read my mind. “From the moment he walked out, the moment he ran away, you’ve been distracted.”

“That’s not true.”

“You didn’t see it, and that’s fine,” he dropped his shoulders, “but you were too caught up in Derek. You felt more for him than you were willing to admit—maybe more than you really even knew. For God’s sake,
you’re still wearing his key
! You’re waiting on him to come back—”

“He’s going to be part of my life whether
you
like it or not!”

“He won’t. If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay away.”

“Well guess what, Luke? You don’t have as much of an influence on people as you think.”

“Excuse me?”

“He called.”

“He called you?”

“He’s allowed to call.”

“Like hell he is—”

“Stop!” I yelled. “I never asked you to be my protector, Luke. I never asked for a hero. Quit assuming that I want you looming over my shoulder. I don’t need your guidance, your advice, or your macho-cop-greater-than-thou attitude making decisions for me. I’m an adult. I’m quite capable of making decisions for myself. If Derek wants to call, he’s welcome to call. If he wants to visit, I’d love it—which is exactly why I welcomed him with open arms when he stopped by the house last night.”

Luke’s eyes widened at my outburst. It was the first time I’d ever truly stood up to him. I’d let him push me around for far too long; I’d let him walk all over me, making decisions that he had no right to make.

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, Julie,” he said, softly. He threw his hands in the air and surrendered. “But I’m done. You won’t hear from me again, not on this issue anyway. If I can’t make you see what kind of man Derek Milton really is, then I guess you’ll just have to wait and see it for yourself. I just hope that when the time comes, you’ll be alive to realize that you were wrong.”

He brushed by me and went about his way, never looking back.

For the first time in several weeks, I felt like I’d finally found some sense of closure with Luke.

I wanted to be free to make my own decisions, and he was finally letting go of his control.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Saturday, March 09| 8:00 a.m.

“You’re looking quite chipper this morning,” Charlie sipped coffee as he leaned against the counter. “Good night?”

“I love you,” I rushed through the kitchen to wrap my arms around his plump center. “I had no idea.”

“That was the point,” he pressed a kiss to the top of my head, much like Derek had done the night before. After a long, much-needed hug, Charlie took my hand and led me to a barstool at the center island. I sat down, and he took the stool next to mine. “He’s a good kid, that Milton boy.”

I took a deep breath and nodded.

I’d never expected any such thing to come out of Charlie’s mouth. While I’d known that my uncle hadn’t hated Derek quite as much as Matt seemed to, it was only natural for him to harbor
some
resentment toward the son of the man who’d killed his brother.

“I know that it’s a complicated situation,” I said. “I’m not blind to that.” And I wasn’t. I was fully aware of what I was getting myself into with Derek. I hadn’t known it when I met him, but forming any kind of relationship with him would be hard to explain to anyone on the outside looking in. Our ties to one another weren’t exactly normal, and no one would ever expect us to get along. Somehow we’d both managed to look beyond that.

“It’s not easy to ignore the facts,” Charlie admitted. “There will always be a part of me that looks at that boy and sees his father, but I also look at him and see the way he looks at you. I couldn’t ask for something more. I do believe that one’s a keeper.” He took my hand and squeezed it. “I don’t mean to hover; I’m not even sure my opinion matters at this point. I just hope that you’ll always remember that I’m here to support your decision, no matter which of those boys you choose. I may not like it, and I may wanna pull my hair out just thinking about it. Hell, if I had my way, you’d just stay a kid forever. But at the end of the day, Pumpkin, it’s your life. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

I smiled at Charlie, squeezing his hand just as tightly as he’d held mine. I couldn’t have asked for a better uncle; if there was any silver lining, any at all, that came from my parents’ death, it was getting the opportunity to find comfort in an unexpected confidant. Charlie had always been there for me, but never like this.

“Now,” Charlie arched a brow, “Bruno tells me you were running your mouth about me.
Talking smack
, I believe he put it.”

“Yeah?”

“What’s this I hear about you saying I can’t keep a secret?”

“Oh,” I tried not to laugh, “he told you that?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Listen,” I held my hands up defensively. “I just thought you were really bad at planning surprise parties, that’s all.”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged one shoulder. His silly grin made me chuckle. “I thought I did a pretty good job keeping Matt’s secret.”

“Matt’s secret?” I asked. “What secret was that?”

“Bringing Derek back,” he scrunched his brow. “It was all his idea.”

“It was Matt?” I felt like a complete jerk for how I’d treated him at the flower shop. He’d gone completely out of his way to do something nice for me, even though he hated Derek, and he’d always be Team Luke, putting his own selfish feelings aside to ensure my happiness. “I had no idea.”

“He didn’t like doing it,” he said, “but he knew it’s what you’d want.”

I looked down at Charlie’s hand as it cupped my own. “We had a fight,” I shamefully twisted my lips. “I need to apologize to him. He needs to know I’m sorry.”

“He’ll be home from the flower shop later,” he said. “You can talk to him then.”

I jerked my head up and looked at him with a twisted grin. “You know about his second job?”

“I’ve known since day one, hon,” he said. “There’s nothing happening in this town that I don’t know about.”

“And you haven’t said anything to him?” I asked. “You’re not mad at him for lying?”

“No,” he shook his head, “he means well. He has big plans, you know? And he’s working hard for his future. He needs to prove that he can be the kind of man Kara will need in the long-run. You have to respect that.”

“You know about his plan, then?”

“To propose?” he shrugged. “There’s nothing happening—”

“In this town that you don’t know about, I know,” I said, suddenly feeling stupid for thinking that anyone, especially someone in this house, could keep a secret from Charlie.

“Hey,” I said, playfully shoving him. “You know I love you, right?”

“You better,” he said, returning my shove. “And you know I love you too?”

“I’ve never doubted it, Charlie. Never.”

Sunday, March 10 | 2:00 a.m.

“Go to jail,” I flipped a small yellow card between my fingers. “Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.”

“Hmm,” Derek mumbled with an exaggerated eye roll.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he moved his car token to the jailhouse in the corner of the board. I tucked the Community Chest card at the bottom of the pile. “I just find it funny that I’ve ended up in jail three times, and you’re over there sitting pretty with a hotel chain and a pile of money the size of Everest.”

I don’t know what time our friendly game of Monopoly started, but it felt as though we’d been at it for hours. Derek had come over sometime after noon, and the hours seemed to fly by faster than we could even tell. Neither of us set out any ground rules for our conversations, but we’d kept the topics lighthearted and playful all day. He’d never mentioned his trip away, and I’d stayed away from any topic that got too close to discussing Luke.

Somehow, though I wasn’t surprised, we’d managed to fall right back into the friendly nature we’d had once before.

“So what’s the problem?” I tried not to laugh at his crimson face. “You’re mad that I’m winning, or mad that you’re losing? Because there has to be a loser.”

He looked up from the board and smiled, but only lightly. The lamplight reflected off of his glasses as he watched me for a few long minutes. His eyes softened and he stared at me, giving me his best puppy dog pout.

“Fine,” I gave into his pouted lip. I moved his piece from the jailhouse to the ‘just visiting’ half of the corner. “Free pass.”

“Ah, how sweet that you’re willing to cheat for me.”

“Well, I figured there are enough of you Miltons rotting in jail—”

“Whoa!” he smiled so big that he could barely contain a laugh. “Low blow!”

“You asked for it!”

Derek gnawed on his lower lip, leaned back against the foot of my bed, and stretched his legs out in front of him. Elvis, who’d spent the evening ignoring everyone but himself, finally acknowledged his previous owner by plopping his head down on Derek’s lap. We shared a small laugh, and Derek yawned for the hundredth time in an hour. He pulled his glasses off, setting them aside on the floor next to him, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You’re tired.”

“No,” he yawned again, “Not even a little.”

“Liar.”

“Okay,” he said, squinting at me. “Maybe a little.”

“Go home,” I pushed the game aside. “To be fair, I think I kicked your butt in this game. There’s no point in trying to redeem yourself.” I looked back at the clock and playfully smacked his leg. “It’s two o’clock. I think it’s safe to say we’ve both missed our bedtimes.”

I thought I saw his hand flinch; for a second, I thought he was going to reach forward and grab mine, but he didn’t. He kept a reasonable distance, just as he’d done ever since the moment I pulled away from his welcome hug the night before.

“Can I see you later? Maybe after we’ve both had a good night’s sleep?”

“Only if you intend to live,” I leaned against the bed and nudged him. “No more of this
abandoning Julie
stuff, okay?” A light smirk crossed his lips. “I’ve missed you.”

“Likewise,” he clenched his fist in his lap. I started to drop my head on his shoulder when he shimmied out from beneath me and pulled himself up. I sat straighter and watched as he smoothed the wrinkles on his sweater. “Get some sleep.”

I nodded.

He headed for the door and turned back just as he reached the threshold. “It’s good to be back.”

“It’s good to have you back,” I smiled. “Things are about to change for all of us, Derek. I can feel it.”

CHAPTER ONE

Friday, April 05 | 6:30 p.m.

“State authorities have suggested that the convict is considered armed and dangerous, and all residents of West Bridge, and all neighboring communities, should be on high alert and prepare for immediate lockdown.”

My head snapped involuntarily; something—reflex? Or maybe it was Luke’s advice all those months ago—had me at a constant state of awareness.

Keep your eyes peeled, Julie.

It was advice that I hadn’t taken too seriously back when he’d first offered it, but I heeded his warning every day following Hannah’s lock-up.

Keep your eyes peeled, Julie.

It seemed strange even now; I couldn’t escape the constant reminder of the man I’d once loved, even long after we’d gone our separate ways. He was always there; I could never let him go.

Keep your eyes peeled, Julie.

Something about the moment felt eerily wrong. It couldn’t have been the rolling thunder, or even the bold strikes of lightning on the distant skyline. I had my doubts that the torrential downpour had any bearing on the sinking feeling that kept hollowing deeper into my stomach.

There was a storm brewing, and something in my heart told me that it had nothing to do with the weather outside. There was something bigger, something monumental lurking around the corner; I’d felt it coming for days, possibly even weeks. Something was about to change, and whatever that
something
was… it had finally arrived.

I could feel it.

Keep your eyes peeled, Julie.

His words echoed in my ears as I slid out of the booth and stood up, slowly walking closer to the bar as I watched the TV.

“Carl,” I said to the man wiping down the counter, “can you turn that up?”

With one swift nod, the bartender turned to pick up the remote.

“Again,” the young newscaster repeated herself, “Milton has escaped from the West Bridge high-security prison where he was being held on two counts of first degree murder. He was serving a life sentence for the 2011 murders of Officer Stephen Little and his wife, Elizabeth Little, of West Bridge.”

Almost everyone at Frank’s Bar & Grill turned to the TV to watch the breaking news. As his father’s mug shot was suddenly plastered across the screen, Derek followed me out of the booth, where we’d only just sat down to order dinner, and joined me in the middle of the floor. His hand landed softly on my back, and he pulled me closer, but I didn’t fall into his embrace. I stood still, momentarily mistakable for any other inanimate object in the room.

Other than the sound of heavy breathing and the rain on the roof, Frank’s had died to a deafening low; no one talked, and no one made a sound. Most of the patrons watched the TV, but some—like Derek—were more interested in watching me.

Conan Milton had escaped from prison, and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he was headed straight for Oakland; he was coming to kill me.

“Citizens are strongly urged to remain inside and not to open their doors to anyone except for properly identified police officials,” the woman reported. “James Gregory is on the scene with breaking information.”

I turned to meet Derek’s wide-eyed stare as a reporter straight from the gates of the West Bridge Penitentiary began reporting the details of the prison break.

I swallowed hard and took a few deep breaths, fighting the urge to break down in the middle of the restaurant. It might’ve been nothing more than paranoia, but I felt as though the entire town was watching, watching and waiting to see the Chief’s niece cry herself into a puddle on the floor. I had to hold it together; I couldn’t break. I had to keep my wits about me, and I had to stay strong.

If I let my guard down, anything could happen. Despite my vulnerabilities, and the fact that I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a ball and die, I knew I had no choice but to accept that this storm was one I had to weather.

“Come on,” Derek whispered, putting his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get you home.”

Once outside and away from the crowd, Derek pressed a kiss to the top of my head and pulled me into a tight hug. We stood in the rain, wrapped in each other’s arms, and let the silence speak for itself. I trembled beneath his touch, and Derek knew as well as I did that it had nothing to do with the fact that my clothes were soaked through to my skin.

“Derek,” I pulled away, but only slightly. I rested my chin on his chest and watched his doleful stare. “He’s coming here, isn’t he? He’s coming for me.”

“No,” he whispered. I dropped my head to stare at my feet, but he lifted his hands to my face and forced me to meet his gaze. “Julie,” he said, and his voice was firm, but kind, “he’s
not
coming for you.”

“Of course he is.”

Derek dropped his hands back to his sides. No matter what he really believed, he wasn’t going to win the argument, not in that moment, not given the circumstances. I buried my face back into his shoulder and bit back tears.

“He’s coming to finish the job he started when he killed Mom and Dad.”

“Don’t talk like that,” he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. “He’s not coming anywhere near you, Julie.”

Something about the way he held me told me that even
he
didn’t believe the words he’d said. Though he tried to mask it with a gentle embrace and soothing tone, even Derek couldn’t disguise the fear in his voice.

He knew, and so did I. Conan Milton wouldn’t stop until I was dead.

For the second time in only minutes, my body shivered involuntarily beneath his strong hold.

Without another word, Derek led me to his car. He opened the door, helped me inside, and retreated to the driver’s seat.

We drove back to the house without another word; had it not been for the wiper’s repetitive strikes against the glass, the ride would’ve been a silent one.

Back home, Derek rushed to the passenger’s door and helped me out. With his arm draped over my shoulders, he held me tightly as he led me up the steps, onto the porch, and back into my house.

No sooner than he had me settled on the couch and under a blanket, he darted from the room.

“Where are you going?” I jumped to my feet. The blanket he’d just draped across my shoulders fell to the floor.

“I’m just—”

“You can’t leave me, Derek,” I said, but it was more of a plea than a demand.

“Julie—”

“You can’t—”

“I’m just going to the kitchen,” he promised, nodding to the doorway. “I’m only getting you a glass of water.” I watched him for one long minute, and he stared at me with tired eyes. “I’ll be right back.”

I nodded and fell back down on the couch. The moment my butt hit the cushion, the front door busted open, slamming itself into the wall as it flew forward. A tall shadow lurked in the doorway, and from where I sat, all I could see was a man’s silhouette.

Every thought I’d had earlier about staying strong, holding it together, and keeping my wits flew right out the window. I didn’t care so much anymore about saving face.

I had every reason to believe that my nerves were about to throw themselves into overdrive, but then they suddenly shut down. I waited for my heart to beat against my ribs, but I couldn’t even tell if it was still in my chest. I opened my mouth to yell for Derek, but my voice had simply vanished.

I suddenly found myself experiencing a feeling like nothing I’d ever felt before. I was overcome by heavy, dark, paralyzing fear.

“Julie!” a voice echoed through the foyer as the man stepped over the threshold.

I watched as Luke passed the doorway (not even bothering to search the first floor). He immediately darted up the staircase, yelling my name along the way.

Elvis perked up from the floor beneath my feet and howled; he was undoubtedly put off by all of the sudden disturbance. With the dog’s call, Luke flew down the stairs faster than I’d ever seen a person move. He stopped short in the doorway and stared at me as I sat motionless on the couch.

“Julie,” he let go of a heavy sigh, “thank God.”

It was the first time I’d seen Luke in nearly a month. I wasn’t the least bit surprised that the only reason he was here was because he’d suddenly felt the need to come to my rescue. After all, being my (unsought) hero was what he’d always done best.

He dropped his shoulders and watched me with sorry eyes.

Somehow leading up to that moment, I’d managed to keep from breaking down; I hadn’t shed a single tear since learning about Conan Milton’s prison break. But the second I saw Luke standing in front of me with a furrowed brow and sunken eyes, looking as defeated as I felt, every tear I’d managed to hold back broke under pressure.

Luke rushed to my side and draped his arms around my shoulders. He pulled me to his chest and rocked me gently in his arms.

“It’s okay, kid,” he kept whispering against my ear. “It’s gonna be okay.”

I cried a thousand tears against his uniform, but our embrace only lasted until Derek’s shadow hovered above us.

Luke and I looked up at the same time, both staring at Derek, with Derek staring back at us.

Not only was it the first time I’d seen Luke in a month, but it was also the first time Luke and Derek were crossing each other’s paths since the night Derek left Oakland back in December.

With his hand still gripped firmly around my side, I could feel Luke’s muscles tense at the simple sight of the other man in the room. He suddenly felt warmer, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the heat was anger boiling beneath his skin.

As if it took every ounce of restraint he had, Luke closed his eyes and bit back whatever awful thing he had thought to say.

Derek tried to divert his stare as he handed me a glass of water.

“Thanks,” I wiped my runny nose with the backside of my hand.

“Charlie’s on his way over,” Luke pretended to ignore Derek as best as he possibly could. None of us could overlook the fact that Luke’s senses had suddenly hit overdrive; he sat straighter, studied the room with a keen eye, and kept his voice low. If I hadn’t known any better, I would’ve assumed that Luke had just made an involuntary change from
friendly visitor
to
man on the job
. All it took was the presence of one, single, solitary Milton.

“You need to be fully prepared to take his orders the moment he arrives,” Luke said, taking a formal tone. He sounded just as he had the first day I’d met him, the day he stood in the Oakland PD break room giving me orders before we set out on patrol. “He’s making arrangements to get you out of town and into hiding until Milton is back in custody. In the meantime, I need you to get upstairs and pack as much as you can fit into a suitcase.”

Unlike the first time I’d met him, I didn’t feel the need to disobey any of his orders. I nodded once and stood up.

“You need clothing, toiletries, essentials,” he said, not dropping his stern expression for even a second. “Don’t pack anything you don’t need. There’s no time to be picky, Little; this is a life or death situation, and we need to get you out of this house as quickly as possible.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute,” Derek took my arm as I started to rush out of the room. His simple touch on my skin evoked a dirty look from Luke. “She can’t leave.”

“This isn’t up for discussion,” Luke ground his teeth. “We need to keep her in the safest place possible, and that sure as hell isn’t Oakland.”

“I beg to differ,” Derek puffed his chest with confidence. “If he’s coming for her—and I’m not saying he is, but
if
he is—the safest place for her is here with
me
. I can protect her in ways you can’t, Luke;
I
don’t need a weapon. He’d have to go through me to get to her, and he’d never lay a finger on his own son. He may be a homicidal maniac, but my father has this thing about family loyalty. She needs to stay.”

“Luke,” I turned back to him, “maybe he’s right—”

“It’s not happening,” Luke stood up. “Chief has orders, and orders must be followed. This isn’t up for discussion; no ifs, ands, or buts. He’s sending you out tonight.”

“That’s not a good enough plan,” I refused to let someone—even a mass murderer—run me out of town. If I knew Matt, Charlie, Derek, and Bruno the way I thought I did, I knew they’d protect me to the bitter end. How could they do that if I fled Oakland? “Even out there, Luke, I can’t protect myself.”

“You’re not going alone,” he looked at me as though he couldn’t believe that I was even humoring Derek’s idea. “Bruno’s taking you on the road until this mess is behind us.”

“Bruno? Why not Charlie?”

“Julie,” Luke interrupted me again, “your uncle needs to be here, protecting the people he’s sworn to serve. He can’t go, and he’s not about to send you out there with anyone who isn’t willing to put their life on the line for you. This isn’t about who you want to go with. It’s about keeping your ass out of a body bag, okay? You’re going with Bruno.”

As if on cue, Charlie snuck through the front door without a moment’s notice. No one heard him pull up: no lights, no sirens, no hustle or bustle. He came in with his eyes fixed firmly on Luke, not daring to let his guard down in front of me. Though he wore a stern expression, I could see the pain dwelling deep in his eyes. He knew as well as I did, as well as Derek and Luke, too, that this was more than just a worrisome problem. Conan Milton’s escape from prison meant my life was seriously on the line, and something had to be done to protect me.

“Trigger,” Charlie cleared his throat, “a word?”

Luke looked up and gave Charlie a curt nod. They disappeared into the foyer, leaving Derek and I alone to suffer the silence.

“Julie,” Derek took both of my hands, “I’m not just talking for the sake of hearing my own voice, okay? I’m not trying to be selfish and keep you near—though God knows I want you here—but I truly think Oakland is the safest option. If he’s coming for you…” He dropped his head as if he couldn’t keep pretending. “He knows you’re here, and he’ll know where to find you. If you’re here, Julie, it’ll draw him out much faster than if you’re on the run. If we work together, pull him in, and take him down, this can all be over with tonight. If you leave, and he finds out, he’ll flee. God only knows how we’ll find him if he does.”