Kelli had been duped again. How had this happened? She knew she’d been taken in by his good looks, but that wasn’t the reason she’d kept him around. They were so much alike, and for that reason alone, she knew she should have fucked him and sent him away like she did with all of her other play toys. She knew that she told people she was anyone other than herself because she knew she’d be judged by her father’s actions, so she made herself into whoever she wanted to for that day. As soon as he opened his mouth, she’d recognized the trait she’d picked up long ago and wanted to know more about the man who was so much like her. What she didn’t think about was what he was hiding. He could have been anything, and she’d brought him to her home. Maybe she didn’t need to live alone since that decision could have cost her life.

 

Carson paced the room looking like he was searching for words, and her anger grew. She wasn’t always happy that she had the family she did, but they were hers, and they loved her. Kelli wasn’t sure about the conditions that were placed on her. Tonight, she’d embarrassed her father when she knocked him down, and she’d saved someone her father wanted killed. Her father was right. He’d killed people for less than either of the things she’d done, and that crossed her mind as soon as she opened that door.

 

“Your father is a very cutthroat boss. I don’t know what that means for you and your relationship with him, but I think we need to figure out how we can make all this work.”

 

“We? This is your mess.” She felt the need to remind him.

 

“That you’ve hooked your name with by saving me. I don’t think your father is going to take this lightly.”

 

She hated that Carson was probably right. “So what do you think we should do?”

 

“We need to find a way to satisfy my boss and your father at the same time. If we can do that, then we can both be free. From this situation and if you want… from each other.”

 

She wasn’t sure she wanted to work anything out with this man. He’d already broken her trust and her heart. What else could he do? This didn’t seem very fixable, but she wanted to know what exactly he had in mind. “If we work together, you’re going to have to be completely honest with me. Full disclosure. Can you do that?”

 

“Yes, I can.” He looked like he was earnest, but that could just be his award winning acting coming into play. She couldn’t believe she fell for every line he’d handed her. She thought he was some poor boy from Idaho, but really that could all be a line too.

 

“So what’s the first thing that must be done?” She wondered if he had all that worked out because it seemed like an impossible task.

 

“We need to find out who is trying to get rid of your cousin and what issue are they having. Maybe it’s something we can fix ourselves, and there would be no need for bloodshed,” he said sounding hopeful.

 

“You do know these men are criminals and like to kill. How do you know it wasn’t something as simple as you stepped on my turf, and I’m going to make an example out of you?”

 

He sat down on the other chair across from her and looked like he was thinking of this question and wanted to answer it honestly.

 

“I don’t know that, but I want to try to find out if we can start there. Sometimes things are not what seem. We won’t know what’s going on until we try.” He looked like that little piece of plan was going to work, but at this point they didn’t have much else. “Do you think we can work together?”

 

“The way you make it sound, I don’t have much of a choice.” She hated that her voice got almost whiny when she didn’t get her way, but this wasn’t just a little issue; this is one what would cause her store to close down and her life to change.

 

When his phone rang, she saw him look down at the caller ID, and his eyes get wide for a second.

 

“Put it on speaker,” she said because she didn’t want to be left out of anything. He pressed the answer button and didn’t say anything, but the voice that came through the line left her no doubt on who was on the other end of the line.

 

“Hale!” It wasn’t a question; it was a demand. Argo had somehow found Carson’s number and had something to say. “We have a large organization, so we know where you are, and I know that you have my cousin. You both need to leave before reinforcements show up and your lives are terminated. I don’t know if what everyone is saying is true, but you better fix this and nothing better happen to my cousin or I’ll kill you myself.” The call was disconnected, and they looked at each other for a few seconds before they jumped up to leave. He had to throw on his clothes and they both went to the door.

 

“Stay back. If someone is going to get killed, it’s going to be me.” He said as he jumped in front of her on their way out the door.

 

“Where are we going?” She asked as they closed the door and went for the steps.

 

“I’m not sure where we are going, but we need to make this right. I guess we take the motorcycle and try to get away from this area, but don’t worry; we’ll work this out, and you’ll be back at your boutique before you know it.”

 

She couldn’t help but be skeptical, but when he reached for her hand she knew that he would try his best. He revved up his bike, and she hopped on behind him. The lights of a half a dozen cars could be seen in the distance, so Carson left his lights out as he drove in the opposite direction.

 

“God bless us,” she said as a prayer. Her life had never been peaceful, but it looked like she’d made a turn to hell.