Rachel's Rebellion (Moss Bayou) (9 page)

“Heather?”

Heather
shook her head as she moved her hand from the slender wrist she held and went
toward the person’s neck. Rachel still couldn’t see who it was. Whoever she
was, she lay on her side with the blankets pulled high as pillows blocked her
view. She watched Heather while Ty’s sobs filled the quiet darkness.

“She’s
gone.” Heather replaced the blanket she had moved enough to work. “We tried,
Ty.”

“Who?”
Rachel demanded. She wanted to know who and why. Now.

Heather cast
a glance at Ty, who didn’t bother to quiet the wrenching sobs and then looked
at her. “It’s Laurel.”

Rachel was
stunned. “Laurel Cross is in New York.”

“That’s what
she told her family.” Ty stood as he whispered the words. “Laurel was hooked.
She was trying to get clean. I tried…I really tried.”

“The addiction
was stronger than she was, Ty.” Heather went to him and wrapped an arm around
him.

“Sometime
between when I left around five and thirty minutes ago she found a fix
somewhere.” Ty shook his head. “I was only gone a little while. She had been
making progress.” He wiped tears from his face. “I wanted to get her something
to eat. She wanted shampoo…”

“We have to
call the police,” Rachel finally said.

“Yes, we
do,” Heather agreed as she wrapped Ty in a hug.

“I’ll do
it,” Rachel volunteered. “You take care of Ty.”

Rachel went
for her purse as Heather motioned Ty toward two chairs and a round table
sitting in front of the drapery covered window. Ty looked broken. Heather
looked sad and unsure of how to help him. She felt a lone tear spill down her
own cheek. Thumbing the three numbers on her phone with one hand, she wiped the
tear with the other as she waited for 9-1-1 to save them from this sadness.

The call to
9-1-1 took longer than she would have preferred. The dispatcher had insisted
she remain on the line for what seemed like hours. Eventually, she was
dismissed when the responding patrol car arrived. The police and an ambulance
ordered by the dispatcher invaded the hotel room and took over. First, it was
confirmed that Laurel Cross was indeed, gone. Dead. Then, the questioning
began. The hotel manager arrived and raised a fuss. More police officers
entered the room and she, Ty, and Heather were separated and questioned.
Finally, the coroner’s office arrived, made the official declaration of death,
and after what seemed like hours, the body of Laurel Cross was removed. Rachel,
unable to do anything else, watched as the thick black bag was zipped and
placed on the gurney. With little formality, the body was loaded into the
coroner’s van and driven away. Laurel was only twenty-three. She was
twenty-three. How could it be this way?

“We have to
gather up everything,” Heather said from her position at the round table. “The
police have given approval and the hotel manager has been eager to clear things
out.”

“I’ll help,”
she assured her.

“I don’t
think Ty can manage it right now,” Heather whispered as she gave him another
hug.

“You and
Laurel were more than friends, weren’t you?” The question escaped before Rachel
could stop it. Her curiosity overruled her good sense.

Ty looked
up, but not really at her. “Yes. I loved her.” He cried silently a moment
before his head popped up. “The baby!”

“Baby?”
Rachel asked. “What are you talking about Ty?”

“It appears
that Laurel was pregnant,” Heather finally said. “They only found out a couple
of days ago.”

The tears
fell. That was more sadness than Rachel could stand. She needed Gabriel’s
strong arms around her. Without hesitation or thought, she hurriedly texted
him. One quick text telling him where, why, and who. She knew he would find a
way to get to her. He had to. She needed him.

She needed
air. Without a word, she went to the door and stepped out into the April night.
Glancing at the dark sky, she saw no stars. The clouds were thick. The air was
heavy, almost touchable. And then she felt a drop. And then another. It was
starting to rain. She leaned against the stone façade of the hotel and let her
tears fall, slowly at first. A clap of thunder made her jump. Then, as the rain
began to fall in earnest, so did the tears she couldn’t hold back.

Rachel
cried. Cried as she searched her brain for answers. Cried as she found none.
Cried because Laurel Cross, who chose not to befriend any of them, was gone.
Laurel kept her life separate and they had all let her. It had been easier that
way. If not for Ty, she would have been in that bed until a maid found her.
Tomorrow. She sucked in a rough breath as she thought about Tanner. Despite his
aggravations with his sister, he loved Laurel. She found her strength and
reached for her phone. With Heather dealing with Ty, someone had to call
Tanner.

**********

He looked at
the screen once more. The text was short and blunt. It scared him, even though
he couldn’t say why. He had to get to her. He quickly moved across the floor of
Bank Shots, searching for Wyatt. Spotting him by the pool tables, he darted
between patrons and stopped practically on the man’s feet.

“Got to go,”
he mumbled and turn away. He knew Wyatt was following him. He wasn’t stopping.
Chitchat was not on his agenda. So he ignored the attempts made at stopping
him. Out the door and into the parking lot, he made his way to Deke’s green
Mustang, thumbed the remote and jumped into the driver’s seat. Simultaneously
slamming the door with one hand and starting the engine with the other, he
noticed Wyatt scurrying into the passenger seat. He was texting something to
someone. Backing out of the parking spot, he made his way to the road, turning
toward Houma. He slammed his foot on the gas pedal, caught rubber, righted the
car’s attempt to fishtail and flew into the darkness.

“Where we
headed?”

“Rachel
needs me. Something’s happened.”

“She okay?”

“Don’t know.
Who did you text?”

“Denny. Said
we got a lead on Tyler Devlin’s location.” Wyatt shrugged. “That should buy us
some time.”

“You have no
idea,” Gabe muttered as he steered through a curve.

“What’s up,
Gabe?”

“Laurel
Cross is dead. Heroin overdose apparently.” Gabe made a turn onto a state
highway. “Tyler Devlin
is
where we’re going.”

“How are we
going to play this?”

“Don’t know.
Hadn’t thought about anything but getting to Rachel.”

“That’s why
I’m here. You haven’t been thinking like a cop working undercover.”

It was true.
Gabe couldn’t argue.

“You in love
with her?”

“Wyatt,
let’s not go all Oprah on each other, okay?”

“I’m not talking
as your partner,” Wyatt told him. “I’m talking as your friend.”

“As my
friend,” Gabe gave him a quick look, “let me handle it.”

“As your
friend,” Wyatt admonished, “I need to know what’s going on so as your partner,
I can cover your ass.”

“Wyatt…”

“Don’t. This
is not only a problem for this operation if you’re not careful, but Gabe, this
could be a problem for your career. Let me help.”

Raindrops
began to sprinkle the windshield. Instead of answering Wyatt, he watched the
road. Another couple of miles and the rain began to fall harder, forcing him to
ease off the accelerator a bit as he turned on the wipers.

“Gabe, I’m
on your side,” Wyatt finally spoke. “I think it’s great if you have something
going with her. I know your life. I know where you’re from. I know you’re
alone.”

Gabe
continued steering them into the darkness. His life. What a joke. His life had
always been shit.

“I’m
serious, Gabe. If you’re in love with her, tell me. I’ll do what I can.”

He gave
Wyatt a quick look and then returned his eyes to the road. “What if I said I
think I’m in love with her?”

“I’d say no
shit, Sherlock.”

“Why
couldn’t I have met her after this damned assignment was over?”

“Wouldn’t
have worked out. Shreveport is a little far from Moss Bayou.”

“So is my
shit life.” Gabe came to a red light and stopped.

“That life
is gone, Gabe. You’re not that kid who was abandoned by his mother. It doesn’t
matter anymore that your father died in prison.”

“Well, let’s
just open the closet door so all of the skeletons can escape.”

“No
skeletons, Gabe. Just a rough childhood.” The light changed. Finally.

“Not all of
us were fed with silver baby spoons.”

“Money
doesn’t mean easy. It doesn’t mean good.” Wyatt shrugged. “My old man doesn’t
talk to me. The Hawke family black sheep, remember?”

Wyatt’s
father was a hard case. He agreed with that, but he had trouble with any
further comparison of their childhoods. His grandfather hadn’t been much of a
parent, too drunk to care about a boy left to fend for himself. He thought
about Estelle as he pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. She had been the
closest thing to a parent he’d had. He missed her.

“Let’s do
this,” Wyatt said as the car came to a stop. “I don’t think I see any more
patrol cars.”

“Let’s hope
not,” Gabe mumbled.

Turning toward
the hotel, Gabe could see a lone figure leaning against the wall. It was
Rachel. The rain poured heavily, drenching him as he jogged toward her. Her
head turned in his direction and she ran toward him as a bolt of lightning lit
the sky.

“Beauty, let’s
get out of the rain,” he said softly. Grabbing her to him, he half dragged her
back to where she had been. The overhang would offer some protection from the
rain.

“Any cops
left?” Wyatt was back in Wylie mode.

“No,” the
quiet answer was almost inaudible. “Heather, Ty, and now Tanner and Nik are
inside. We were supposed to leave. The manager complained.” Rachel paused.
“Tanner’s parents are at home. I think everyone in town knows by now and that’s
good. They won’t be alone.”

“Shhh.” Gabe
pulled her close and tucked her head under his chin. “I think you’re in a bit
of a shock. Just let go, Rachel. I’m here.”

“Lily’s on
her way,” Rachel whispered, looking at Wyatt. “If you care about her at all,
don’t give her any crap.”

Wyatt raised
his hands in surrender. “I’ll be on my best behavior. I like Fancy. I wouldn’t
hurt her.”

As Wyatt
disappeared into the rain soaked darkness, Rachel settled against him and he
held her like he felt. Desperate. He was desperate to soothe her and comfort
her. He wanted her to smile, not cry. He stood planted with Rachel pulled
tightly against him. Her head resting on his chest and his heartbeat was
booming his feelings loud and clear.

“Rachel, let
me take you home,” he whispered. “You don’t need to be here anymore.”

Rachel
didn’t move. Her head rested against his chest and he could feel trembles run
through her periodically. She was still crying. He let her.

Gabe’s eyes
roamed the area around them. The rain and the darkness made visibility almost
nothing any more than five feet away. That was good and that was bad. He should
get his ass out of sight there before too many people placed him at the scene.
Especially, uninformed law enforcement. Instead of leaving, he placed a kiss to
the top of Rachel’s head. He wasn’t going without her. If she needed this time,
he would stand here.

Wyatt
reappeared from wherever he had gone. Lily Quinn was beside him. As Lily walked
passed where he and Rachel stood, she reached out to touch Rachel’s arm and
then disappeared into the hotel room filled with people. Wyatt stopped beside
him and shrugged.

Minutes
passed and he and Rachel stayed put. Wyatt shuffled his boots on the pavement
occasionally but didn’t speak. When Lily finally emerged from the hotel room,
Rachel pulled her head up from his chest.

Rachel
looked toward Lily. “What’s going on in there?”

“Tanner and
Nik are about to go home.” Lily spoke softly. “They’re just trying to convince
Ty to leave.”

“We need to
go,” Wyatt urged.

Gabe nodded
in agreement. He just had to convince Rachel.

“Let’s go,
Beauty.”

“Yeah,” she
mumbled.

“You need to
be home, safe, and …” He almost said it.
Loved.
Something stopped him.
Maybe it was the audience.

“Take her
home,” Wyatt urged. Turning to Lily, he said gently, “I’ll drive you home if
you need me too.”

Lily looked
at him momentarily. Her blue eyes were filled with tears and Gabe thought she
was going to refuse Wyatt’s offer when she didn’t respond. Without another
word, Wyatt put out his hand to Lily. She took it and held on. Tomorrow she
would probably go back to being annoyed with Wylie. Tonight, she accepted what
Wyatt Hawke offered.