Chapter Eight
Bree
I expected Nathan to be gone when I got out of the shower. The motel might have been cheap but the water pressure was great, and though I wanted to linger under the steamy water, I thought it best to face my abandonment as soon as possible.
I had given Nathan my virginity, without asking if he wanted it. And then we’d slept, naked and tangled in the cheap motel sheets. I had found it very hard to work my way free that morning. After I did, I'd rushed to the bathroom and jumped in the shower before the water was even hot to avoid my own face. How could I be falling for a messed-up man I had just met?
There was no reason why Nathan shouldn't steal what little cash I had left and take my car. I was such an easy mark. Naïve and a virgin on top of it. Other than clumsy, inexperienced sex, all I had to offer him was my own naive ideas.
Sure, Nathan was down and out, but when he got his life back together, he would be way out of my league. Navy SEAL, body like a goddamn superhero, and an actual life to get back to. What was he doing wasting his time with some leftover waitress from Wichita?
I turned off the shower and vowed not to cry. I knew from the get-go that Nathan was not a long-term man. Just slightly more than a one-night stand, but less than a fling. I didn't know how to categorize him at all.
Except he was the man that had taken my virginity.
I opened the bathroom door, expecting to see an empty motel room. So, when Nathan appeared with a large cup of coffee, I almost screamed.
"I think I remember you take your coffee black. At least that's what I think your diner lingo meant," he said.
I took the coffee cup, trying to hold up my towel and control my trembling fingers all at the same time. "Yeah, thanks."
"What's with you?" Nathan asked. "Didn't you sleep well?"
My cheeks blazed with heat as I remembered the way we had fallen into bed together the night before. I had been so thoroughly, deliciously relaxed that I hadn't even bothered to take off my socks and had slept in them all night long.
Nathan smiled at my blush. "I slept great myself."
"You look like you're ready to go. I can be ready in ten minutes," I said.
"Great. I'll meet you at your car." Nathan gave me one last, lingering look before he slipped out the motel room door.
I leaned on the bathroom doorframe and tried to gather my scattered thoughts. Not only was Nathan still sticking around, but he seemed genuinely happy to be with me.
Don't be stupid, Bree. There's no way your luck can change that much.
I tugged on the jeans that Nathan had peeled off me the night before and dug into my small suitcase for a clean shirt. I had a hunch it wasn't the shower and fresh clothes that were making me feel so good. It took every ounce of focus I could muster not to get excited.
Nathan only needed me until he unlocked what had happened to him. Once we found the safety deposit box his key fit, I was sure he'd tell me goodbye.
So, I wasn't too disappointed when we discovered the first Topeka Springs Bank had just reopened after a major renovation. They had completely overhauled their security, including the safety deposit boxes. They assured us the old key was antiquated and was most likely just a souvenir.
"Couldn't you just call the other Topeka branches and ask for us?" Nathan scowled at the well-dressed bank manager.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't think you'll find what you are looking for at Topeka Springs Bank. Unless, you would like to open a savings account?" The bank manager gave Nathan's rumpled clothes a glance.
I had to drag him out the door before he told the bank manager just what he thought of the Topeka Springs Bank. Nathan had been relatively calm, considering his tense circumstances, but his anger was like an erupting volcano. I was never certain when it would blow up, and I knew I hadn't seen the worst of it yet.
Did I want to be around when he finally snapped?
The question bothered me all the way to the second Topeka Springs Bank. Nathan was a lot bigger and stronger than me, not to mention his military training. If he lost it, I would have no way of stopping him. Could I trust him?
I shook it off as we pulled into a parking spot at the second bank. My instincts hadn't been wrong so far. I had nothing else to trust, so why not trust my first impressions? Nathan had been nothing but nice to me.
"Ready?" I asked Nathan. I got out of the car, glad that I had settled my worries.
Until we stepped inside the second branch of Topeka Springs Bank, and I saw the look on the bank manager's face.
He hurried across the marble floor, looking pale and sweaty. "Hello, and what can I help you with today?"
"You the manager?" Nathan asked. He held up the key. "We want to know if this still works, and if it fits a safety deposit box at this branch."
"Yes, well, good question. Why don't we take this conversation into my office?" The bank manager shooed us across the lobby and into his small office where he shut the door.
"Everything all right?" I asked, feeling very uneasy.
The bank manager blotted at his forehead with a handkerchief and nodded. "Fine, fine. Nice to see you again, Mr. Walker."
"You remember me?" Nathan asked.
The bank manager froze. "What? I mean, of course. You were only in here a few days ago. Gave one of my tellers a bit of a scare."
"How? What was I doing?"
I grabbed Nathan's hand to calm him down. "Mr. Walker has been ill. Perhaps you can tell us what happened with the teller?"
The nervous man smoothed down his silk tie and took a seat at his desk. "It was nothing really. He just raised his voice and made her nervous. She's a bit of an overreactor anyway."
"Raised my voice? About what?" Nathan shrugged off my hand and paced the small office.
"You were in a hurry. Seemed very anxious. I'm, ah, sorry to hear you've been ill." The bank manager eyed Nathan like one would a caged animal.
"Anything you can tell us would be appreciated." I sat down and gave the bank manager my best and calmest smile.
"Sure, sure thing. Mr. Walker was in a hurry to rent a safety deposit box. Our paperwork can seem a bit repetitive but I can assure you it is all quite necessary. In fact, I really should ask to see your identification now. Please."
Nathan stopped pacing and growled at the poor, pale bank manager. "I lost my wallet. And why would I have to show you identification if you've already recognized me and called me by name?"
The nervous man tugged at his suit cuffs. "Yes, why indeed. That's on me, Mr. Walker."
"Why was I so anxious?" Nathan asked. "Was someone following me?"
A new fear dawned that I hadn't considered before. If Nathan wasn't a danger to me, it didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. Someone could be after him, the same someone who hit him with a car and left him for dead. Just being with Nathan could be putting my life in the crosshairs.
The same thought must have occurred to Nathan. He shot me a worried glance and then turned back to stare down the now profusely sweating bank manager.
"No, Mr. Walker, not to my recollection. All I know is that you seemed to be in a great hurry. Don't you remember? I came out and helped fill out the additional paperwork before showing you to your safety deposit box."
"Speaking of that, I'd like to see it now." Nathan tossed the key on the bank manager's desk.
"Yes, of course. Oh. Oh, dear," the nervous man said.
"Is something wrong?" I asked. The bank manager's jumpy nerves were infecting me.
"Yes. Just a minor detail. Nothing to worry about." The bank manager jumped to his feet. "Your key has been damaged and it is bank policy not to accept tampered keys without additional security checks."
Nathan blocked the man from his own office door. "What sort of additional security checks?"
The bank manager took a step back. "I… just need to check that someone else has not tried to access your safety deposit box. Damaged keys are sometimes evidence of potential theft. I'll just check with security. It will only take a moment."
"I'm sure you can do that over the phone," Nathan said.
"Yes, of course, silly me. I'll just call them from my desk." The bank manager sat back down quickly.
"Thank you, sir. We really appreciate your help," I said.
He dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with his handkerchief and gave me a wan smile. "It's no problem. Nice to meet you, Miss…?"
I opened my mouth to answer but Nathan laid a heavy hand on my shoulder. "I don't mean to be rude but I am still in a hurry."
"Yes, of course." The bank manager dialed a number with fumbling fingers, and launched into a quick conversation regarding attempts to access Nathan's safety deposit box.
I turned as Nathan lifted his hand off my shoulder to continue his pacing. That's when I felt an icicle of fear slip down my back.
A small knot of nicely dressed businessmen entered the Topeka Springs Bank. One went to the counter to fill out a deposit slip while the other two stood nearby and chatted. It should have been a normal sight, but something about them made me nervous.
Like the fact that the man filling out the deposit form took way too long. And his eyes kept drifting off the small form and sweeping the room from one end to the other.
The other two kept up what looked like a casual conversation, but they too kept glancing around. Then one spotted a tall blond man in the far corner. All three men turned to stare at him before dismissing the thin farmer.
After a few minutes of similar glances and stares, I realized they were looking for someone.
Don't be paranoid. That doesn't mean they are looking for Nathan.
I glanced up at Nathan but he had not stopped his pacing. It was good that he had yet to notice the odd group of well-dressed men. I had a feeling once he did, he might have the same suspicions as me. But, unlike me, Nathan would simply rip open the bank manager's office door and confront them in the middle of a crowded bank.
Something told me that was a very bad idea.
Instead I folded my hands together in my lap and prayed that the bank manager would let us see the safety deposit box soon. I didn't know why, but I wanted Nathan as far away from those men as possible.
"You really have no identification on you, Mr. Walker?" the bank manager asked.
"Do I need it?" Nathan barked.
I jumped out of my chair at the volume of his voice. Luckily, the office blinds were partially shut and I had only gotten a clear view of the men from my low vantage point. I couldn't imagine the three men squatting down in their fancy suits to peer in the small office, even if the conversation got loud.
"Well, the good news is that no one else has tried to access your safety deposit box. Besides the scratches on the key, there don't appear to be any signs of tampering," the bank manager said.
I was worried and feeling Nathan's need to hurry. "He was in a car accident. That would explain the scratches. Can we go now, please?"
The men in the lobby hadn't left, and they hadn't moved from the counter. There was definitely something wrong. Nathan hadn't yet noticed and I looped my arm through his, hoping I could keep it that way. Luckily the office door did not open on the main lobby but onto the side hallway that lead to the vault. If we moved quickly they wouldn’t even notice us.
He glanced down at me, skeptical, so I kissed him and said, "That's for luck."
What I didn't say was how much I thought we were going to need it.