Resurrecting Charlie's Girl (3 page)

Tom
turned back to the front. She held her breath and waited. He'll realize who he
promised to protect and will change his mind about helping her. She didn't
blame him, and he had a right to be afraid.

"Why
didn't you go to the police when you were married to him?" Tom rubbed the
back of his neck.

The
muscles in her shoulders tightened. "I did. I even had the evidence to
have him put in prison for a long time." She swallowed. "When Jared
showed up at the police station he told them we were having a marital spat. He
padded their wallets, promised to make his wife mind, and threatened me when we
got home."

"How?"
Tom asked.

She
ducked her face out of his view. "He said he'd kill my best friend."

"Shit."

She
inhaled deeply and sighed. "The police slapped my wrist for wasting tax
payer's money and my credibility was blown to shreds. The papers I gave the
police about his involvement in illegal arms and drug dealing disappeared when
the police gave them back to Jared."

Tom
kept his face averted. "You said ex-husband?"

"Yes.
He agreed to the divorce after I promised to disappear and keep quiet."
Her voice barely a whisper, she cleared her throat. "He lied."

"Why
is he after you?" Tom's questioning gaze met hers. She didn't see contempt
or distaste there, but genuine concern.

Her
head fell back onto the headrest. "He thinks he owns me. It doesn't matter
that I have a piece of paper saying we're not married anymore, he won't let me
go. What Jared wants, he takes. I told him I would stay until the divorce was
final. The day the judge signed the papers I packed a suitcase of clothes and
went to stay with my best friend…the same one he'd always threaten to go after
if I caused him any trouble."

That
day was etched in her mind forever. A long year ago, yet it seemed only
yesterday. Poor Julie.

"Julie—"
She squeezed her eyes shut. "We grew up together. We planned to get
married at the same time. We even planned to get pregnant at the same time, so
our kids could grow up to be best friends, like us." Her laugh was harsh
and she sucked in a breath to keep from bawling.

"But
it didn't happen…" Tom laid his hand on her leg.

"No.
Jared didn't allow us to remain in contact during our marriage, but I knew
Julie would take me in and help me get back on my feet after the divorce."
She paused. "She was the best friend I could ever have." A sob
escaped and she covered her face with her hands to collect herself. She only
blamed herself. "I should never have gone to her that night."

"What
happened?" he asked.

She
needed the contact and laid her hand on top of his. "Late that night,
Jared rang the doorbell at Julie's house. I was in the shower. She shouldn't
have opened the door. If I'd been with her, I wouldn't have let her."

She
shivered and wrapped her arm around her waist. "He dragged me out of the
shower, and it wasn't until I had to step over Julie's body inside the front
door that I knew he killed her. The divorce papers would not stop him from
having me."

She
glanced at Tom when he cursed. "No one knew he kept me locked in his house
for ten months afterward." She leaned forward, wanting to roll into a ball
and disappear. "He was afraid I would go to the police again, but I
suspect he just wanted to keep me there to torment me." She lifted her
chin. "He's gone too far though. If he catches me, he'll kill me."

"Son
of a bitch." Tom rubbed the whiskers on his jaw.

"I
left a couple of months ago. Changed my name from Charlene to Charlise, dyed my
hair, bought a car with cash and never changed the title. I thought I could
hide." She grasped the hand he offered. "He's a sick bastard that
can't be trusted. His hands reach out and grab you even when he's not around.
Even his employees will do his dirty work."

"Charlise—"
Tom paused. "Charlene—"

"No."
She squeezed his hand and shook her head. "I'm not Charlene. I don't want
to be Charlene anymore."

"Charlise,
I promise I'll keep you safe. We'll figure out a way to stop Blatwell." He
reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Trust me."

Charlise
caught her lower lip between her teeth. Maybe this man with the strong hands
and the big heart thought he could protect her. But, what if helping her gets
him killed in the meantime?

Tom
pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. He hit a button and a second
later, Garrett's voice came through the phone loud enough that Charlise could
hear him from her seat. Tom updated him about who they were dealing with.

The
knot in her stomach grew tighter. Jared became a fugitive the moment he'd
murdered Bill Ayers. He'd go underground faster than Tom's men could catch him
and that made him more dangerous.

Tom
ended the call and pocketed his cell phone. "Garrett's got coverage at the
other end. G.P.I. will be working with the Feds. I'll be protecting you
here."

"Where
will we go?" She dug her fingertips into her eyes to rub them.

"Garrett
knows someone who has a house down on Wanipi Bay. Blatwell will be too busy
tracking down my contacts and trying to put his finger on our destination to
figure out where we are. It'll buy us some time." He started the car and
pulled out onto the street.

Chapter
Three

"Charlise."

She
snuggled toward the warmth on her face. "Hm?"

"We've
arrived." Tom's voice sounded close.

She
opened her eyes, fighting the fog of sleep and found Tom's ruggedly handsome
face right in front of her, his hand on her cheek.

His
blond crewcut, weeks' worth of whiskers, and soft blue eyes put her at ease. He
was the polar opposite of Jared.

"I'm
sorry." She squirmed to sit up straighter in the car.

"Don't
apologize. It's been a rough day, and you needed the sleep." He dropped
his hand. "Are you ready to check out the house?"

She
nodded. Then she slid her feet into the shoes she'd kicked off during her nap
and rubbed her arms.

"Stay
here while I check the house out. If everything looks okay, I'll come back and
get you." He opened the car door and pushed the automatic locks on his
side before getting out.

She
flinched at the heaviness of the sound on her door. God, she hated being alone.
She blamed her weakness for hooking up with Jared in the first place. A
marriage sealed the deal. She'd never have to be alone again.

Tom
ambled toward the house and then disappeared around one side of the two-story
structure. She considered the man as she watched him walk out of sight. The
size of him alone intimidated her, but his hands revealed the real man through
his touch. Nothing about him reminded her of the evil she found in her
ex-husband.

She
frowned at herself over her thoughts of Tom. Her feelings about him irritated
and confused her. She didn't have any desire to have a fling and definitely
didn't need another man controlling her life. Yet, she melted under his warmth
and wanted to clutch his hand and beg him not to leave her alone. Snap out of
it! This is exactly how you let Jared control you at the beginning. She closed
off her daydreams and gazed back at the two story beach house.

The
dune at the end of the street cut off her view of the ocean, but she knew
beyond the pile of sand the surf beat against the shore. The Oregon coast
boasted some of the nicest coastlines. She wished she was here for a different
reason than to hide out.

Tom
reappeared at the opposite of the house and walked toward the front. He glanced
over his shoulder in her direction and then disappeared inside. She stared into
the darkness beyond the open door and wondered if he'd walked into a trap.

The
next few minutes seemed to last forever. She placed her hand on the door handle
to get ready to run. If Jared or one of his henchmen lay in wait, Tom didn't
stand a chance, and they'd come after her next.

Tom
strolled out of the house, the same way he walked in. Confident and in control.
Charlise's breath came out in a rush and she bit down on her lip to keep from
becoming hysterical. The house was safe.

Tom
returned to the car and opened her door. She got out and gazed up at him. He
didn't volunteer any information. Instead, he threw his arm around her
shoulders and pulled her close.

"The
house is clear. I want us to walk in together like honeymooners renting the
house for the week. Just in case anyone's watching." Tom smiled down at
her and she noticed the tiny dimple in his cheek.

She
coughed. "Excuse me? Our honeymoon?"

"Garrett
mentioned his friend usually rents the place to newlyweds. Makes quite a profit
from what I hear. Anyway, I think it's best we put on a show. Jared might
question the neighbors if he shows up…" Tom let the rest of his
explanation slide.

She
preceded him inside. The furniture appeared well kept and best of all, clean.
It was the closest thing to a real home she'd stayed in for months. After
staying in one of the cabins at The Refuge, she was used to a lumpy couch and a
stiff cot.

Click!

Charlise
whirled around, frantically seeking the source of the noise.

"Sorry.
It's just the door." Tom released the doorknob and moved further inside.

Get
a grip. Doors close every day.

"I
guess I'm more jumpy than I thought." She gave a little laugh, but even to
her ears, she sounded on the verge of losing her mind.

"For
good reason." He tilted his head. "You sure you're alright?"

"I'll
be fine." She crossed her arms and circled the room. "So, what do we
do? Sit around and wait for Jared to show up?"

Tom's
smile deepened his dimple. Charlise struggled not to stare. Her skin warmed and
a little part of her armor melted at such an adorable feature on a man's face.
Did he have any idea what a dimple did to a woman?

For
the first time in a long time, she became aware of the opposite sex, and that
surprised her. When he didn't stop grinning, she narrowed her eyes. "What
are you smiling about?"

Tom
wagged his head and moved toward the kitchen. She followed him into the room
and berated herself for her reaction. Stress.

It's
just stress.

Tom
swung the refrigerator door open and stepped aside. "Garrett's the man. He
said he'd have someone by to stock the place before we arrived and it looks
like he came through. We'll be eatin' like royalty while we're here."

She
peeked around him, aware of the heat of his body. Heat traveled up her neck and
settled on her cheeks. She moved away a couple of steps. Her gaze settled on a
wall calendar. The month showed June and she hurried over to flip the pages.

"Um,
about that food—" she waved the calendar at him, holding the wall tack in
her other hand.

"Yes?"
Tom asked.

"I'm
not the best cook." She rehung the calendar and pushed the thumbtack back
into the wall. "I can do sandwiches, eggs, and sometimes spaghetti."

"Sometimes?"
Tom chuckled.

"Yeah,
noodles don't always work out very well." Charlise wrinkled her nose.
"Actually, only the sauce comes out, and I use the kind out of a
jar."

Tom
removed items out of the fridge and set them on the counter. "No sweat. I
cook."

Her
eyebrows rose. "You do?"

"Sure
do. That surprise you?" He opened and shut drawers in his search for
something. Finally pulling out a spatula, he held it out toward her and smiled.
"You look like you don't believe men can cook."

Charlise
leaned against the counter and folded her arms. "Actually, I'm
impressed."

Tom
laughed and waved the spatula again. "Why don't you take a shower? When
you feel like coming down, I'll have dinner ready and waiting. Nothing like a
full belly to make you feel better."

The
stairs were located across the living room. She took the first two stairs and
the day caught up with her. Her legs refused to support her and she sank down
on her butt. Burying her face in her hands, she let out all the oxygen in her
body until she fought for breath.

The
only clothes she owned, she wore, and the man in the kitchen cooking her dinner
was the kindest man in a long time to pay her any attention. Her best friend
died helping her escape. Her last boss was dead. Jared was—she shivered—still
hunting her, and anyone who got involved into this mess signed a death warrant.

All
because of me.

At
the edge of her awareness, she heard footsteps, and strong arms scooped her off
the stairs. "Hey, it's gonna be okay."

Charlise
could only hang on as he climbed the stairs. Her cheeks were hot with unshed
tears. Her energy depleted, she knew she had to muster strength to keep
running, but it felt so good in his arms.

Tom
sat her on a bed in a warm, yellow painted room, and disappeared through an
attached door. She stayed where she was, trying not to think anymore. Soon the
sputter of running water reached her ears, and he returned.