Watching You: KJ Elite Inc. (17 page)

"Are you serious right now?"

"I promise to you, Candace is not who or what you think."

"Oh, Candace is it?"

"Don't make me break this door, baby." He threatened, promisingly.

"Go right on ahead." I challenge.

I'm betting my odds that he built this house with the idea of it being near impenetrable.  I look over to Matt who is laughing silently and realize I am getting no help from him.

Fine.

Grabbing him by the ear I pull him to the door and wrench it open to see a delighted Tommy.

"Thank Y--"

I shove Matt into the hall and angrily declare, "Have each other,” and before either can react, I slam and lock the door again.

"Ow!" Matt grumbles.

"I know why she's angry with
me
. What did
you
do?" Says Tommy and I hear them talking back and forth.

"Nothing. I just smiled."

"Yeah, that really pisses her off. Good job."

"Like you have room to talk."

"Eat a dick."

"So why are you smiling then? You pissed her off first."

"Two reasons really.  One, you pissed her off more and two, now I know ‘y'all ain't sleeping together."

I could practically hear the smile in Tommy's voice.

Screw them both.

I yawned and threw myself into Matt's bed, curling up. One minute, I am plotting Tommy and Matty's murder-suicide and the next I am waking up to a warm hand running up my thigh and continuing its climb north. I open to see Tommy laying there with a pathetic look on his face.

"Before you run away again, can I please explain?"

I am only going to oblige because I am incredibly comfortable and his stupid hand feels amazing.

Traitorous body.

"Speak."

His eyes light up and he pulls me closer resting his hand on my rear.

"You look so sexy, beyond words, in my clothes."

There's that damn signature Kane grin. That panty incinerating Kane grin.

"Don't push your luck." I fight to say.

"Candace is one of my troops from my time in the Army. She is employed, now, by KJ Elite Inc. She belongs to Luke's team and the only reason she was here was because she had some information Luke thought I should see."

"Information required her to be that close?"  I shot out disbelieving.  

"Yes, she was showing me something on her computer."

"Then why the hell were you half naked?"

Mellowing out, my anger was nowhere to be found when I wanted it. I really hated it when he reasoned with me and calmed me down when I just wanted to be erratic.

"She woke me up while I was laying with you in our bed. In our house." He continued to explain calmly while drawing lazy circles on my hip with his thumb.

"Oh."

Didn't I feel silly now.

Instead, I blurted out, "I have not been with anyone but you, ever. Not even a kiss since I left you."

His grin grew impossibly wider and he pulled me close, kissing away every fear and every worry. It was in that moment that all my hair stood on end and my brain wandered. I pulled away and put my hand on his chest.

"When we got here, you were naked and talking to who you thought was Lissy.”

It wasn’t a question. 

Tommy frowned, unhappy with my change of direction.

“Why? Why was she here in this house you say you built ‘for me, for us.’?”

I could see that he didn’t want to go into this.

So, naturally, I was going to push it.

“Does it matter?” His voice strained with tension while trying to be calming.

“I know you’re joking.” My eyebrows rose impossibly high.

“Okay, let me correct.
She
doesn’t matter.” I heard his tone raise an octave.

An octave that most others would not have caught. I wasn’t most others. 

“Why does this conversation bother you?” Then my gut twisted and I sucked in a harsh breath. “Did you sleep with her?”

“No!” Tommy’s answer was so quick and acidic that I was all the more curious rather than satisfied.

“Are you sure? She’s…pretty.” I ground out the word, not wanting to admit it out loud.

I mean, if I were being honest, even in high school Lissy was
the
it girl. Cheerleader, ridiculously drop dead gorgeous and popular. Then again, she slept with most of the guys from early on so she had that going for her. And we all knew each other from childhood; rarely did anyone move away.

“I did not sleep with Lissy, Taylor.” His anger was beginning to match my fear and doubt.

“You’re awfully pissed off about nothing then.”

“Because this is stupid. I told you I didn’t fuck her and you won’t drop it. Have I ever lied to you?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start some time.”

He just eyed me, a warning sitting behind his golden eyes.

“What happened between you two?” I pushed.

Just as he opened his mouth, another loud banging sounded from the other side of the bedroom door.

* * *

What was it with the universe lately? Every time Tommy had Taylor in his grasp, someone or something pulls her farther away. This time it was Mike, with hell on his heels, practically kicking the door in. Tommy palms his glock and rolls, covering Taylor's body with his. She gives a slight yelp at the sudden intrusion and cusses up a storm when she realizes it's only Mike.

"We need to talk." He ordered and then eyed Taylor, "alone."

He began for the library but stopped when Taylor spoke, climbing off the bed awkwardly.

"Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of me. It is about me, isn't it?"

Mike grimaced. "But ain't it always."

Tommy shook his head and motioned Taylor forward. He followed behind as she led them into the library and gingerly sat on the edge of the couch, trying to cover herself with his t-shirt.

Mike made a disgusted face and turned to Tommy, pulling Taylor's cell out of his pocket.

"This just came in." He unlocked the screen and opened a feature.  

When he pushed play there was heavy breathing and then an almost comical, computerized voice began to talk slowly.

"You can't run from me. I am always watching, always knowing. I will always find you. Welcome Home."

Matt was putting her phone back in his pocket when she realized Tommy fell into a fit of rage, his whole body shaking.

“It gets worse.” Mike hedged. 

“How could it?” She nearly pleaded.

“That call came from Taylor’s home phone.”

“What about her roommate?” Tommy asked.

“She is in Rome.” Mike and Taylor answered together.

“Verified?”

“Ten witnesses corroborate her presence. She has been there since the day Taylor left New York.”

“I could have told you that.” Taylor shot, clearly annoyed.

“We have to be sure.” Mike’s attitude seemed to have been temporarily placed on a shelf as he kept his eyes on Tommy, uncertain.

“Is that it?” Tommy barked.

“Not quite.” Mike shook his head once.

“Well fucking say it then.”

“This was in your mailbox up on the main road. I checked it earlier on my way to KJ’s.”

Mike held out an envelope that Taylor grabbed before Tommy had a chance to react. She ripped it open to find another letter with the same cliché newspaper clipped letters spelling out,
 

TSK. TSK. THOMAS -

SHE SUFFERS BECAUSE OF YOU.

HER LAP DOGS ALIKE ARE NOT SAFE.

HE’S IN YOUR BACKYARD.

HAPPY HUNTING, TOMM
Y
.

Taylor shrieked that startled Tommy who let out a deep guttural growling and smashed his fist into the wall. She stood to talk but Mike reached out for her and pulled her out of the way as a bottle of scotch went flying through the air and crashed against the book stack nearest her.

"No, he won't hurt me."

She pulled from Mike's grasp, weaved out of  Matt's reach, who had suddenly appeared, over to Tommy, placing a hand on each of his cheeks.

“Taylor, be careful. PTSD is a tricky bitch.” Matt warned.

"Tommy! Come on, pull it together! I need you." She said, tenderly, soothingly, calming him; bringing him back.

Stumbling, he reached for one of her hands and turned his face into it, "Tay, I’m sorry I can’t protect you from this." He seemed to shrink a little.

"You are though, you always have." She stroked his cheek with the hand he wasn't holding.

His body fully softened and he blinked his eyes, looking around.

"Did I...Did I hurt you baby?" He didn't wait for her answer and he pulled her into his arms, nearly crushing her in his embrace.

"Are you okay?" Her voice nearly inaudible in his chest.

"You're asking
me
if
I'm
okay? Jesus Annie, I could have seriously hurt you. I'll never forgive myself."

"Shut up. You never would have hurt me and I ought to kick you if you don't know it too."  

He pulled back, his face hardened and he just stared at her.  His beautiful angel, wading through the waves of terror and grief, reaching out to him and pulling him into her blinding light. She had no idea how precious and far-reaching she was to him. No matter how long they had known each other or belonged to one another, Tommy could never stop being amazed by her lack of knowing or obscene amount of distrust in her impact on him. She had no idea the depths of his ruin from war, but she didn’t even seem to care as she was slowly saving him; saving his soul with her pure, interminable goodness. 

Mike interrupted his moment by clearing his throat and pulling out Taylor's cell phone which was blaring her mama's ringtone -
More than miles in my rearview.

"DON'T ANSWER THAT!" she yelled running over to him.

He held the phone above her head.

"Why not? Afraid I'll talk to your boyfriend?" He picked up and said hello. The smug smile he had plastered to his face immediately fell. Mike threw the phone at her like it had a disease and she had half a mind to throw it back.

Tommy glanced at the screen and looked back up to his brother, clearly pissed and also, kind of amused. Like he’d ever let Tay see that though.

Taylor glanced at Matt and then put her southern-belle-give-em-hell smile on.

"Hey mama."

Vicki's voice squealed in excitement on the other end, so loud the three men could hear her. "What is this I hear about my baby coming to visit?"

"Who told you that?"

Tommy felt poison seep into her glare as she looked back up at Mike. To be honest, he was a little suspicious himself since his brother had been as prickly as a porcupine about Taylor upon learning she was the client.

He hoped to hell it wasn't one of his brothers. If it was Peyton or Charlie, they were fucked too.

"Cyn told me it is all over the papers.  She said you were spotted on a private jet and landed in Tennessee. I expect you'll be along soon."

It wasn't a question. And a private jet? Where do they get this crap? Tommy heard of ridiculous stories in the news about celebrities, but really, who made this shit up.

Taylor looked up to Tommy, biting her lip near drawing blood and he knew she was going to do the one thing she tried hardest never to do; she closed her eyes and released a long hot breath, "Mama I'm sorry that just ain't gonna happen. I was never on a jet to Tennessee, I’m in New York and haven’t left." She stretched her arm out and fisted his shirt before Tommy pulled her into his arms.

"Oh."

He knew her heart was breaking. Both of their hearts.

“Mama...”

"Well, that's okay baby. Maybe some other time. I've gotta run sugar, got lunch to get together and I’m headed up to check on your daddy. Any day now!"

He could hear her attempt at a smile, a sniffle and then she was gone. Tay threw her phone back at Mike, hitting him square in the chest and reaching back to Tommy, she buried her face.

* * *

“I can’t take much more of this.” I cried to Matt. “A creepy stalker who wants to kill everyone I know, dealing with my husband, hiding from the world, a celebrity and all his craptastic people chasing me.”

“Well, he isn’t going after
everyone
you know. Just the really good looking people he thinks you’re screwing.”

“That’s not reassuring.”

I know he is trying to bring me back down from the freak-out rocket I was currently crashing in but it was not helpful.