CHAPTER 22
GRAHAM

The growing sound of birds chirping forced my eyes open. It kept getting louder and louder as a body shifted next to me. I jerked, my arm tightening around the moving object as the sounds ceased.

Then I felt the warmth shift in my arm before a small kiss was pressed to my nose.

“Good morning.”

Cindy’s voice wafted over my ears, and it forced my eyes open. Holy shit. Had I stayed the night? My vision focused, and her beautiful smile came into view, her naked curves pressing into me.

I had stayed the night.

Fuck. I certainly hadn’t planned on doing that.

“Is Lily up yet?” I asked.

“No. Though it’s probably not smart for you to be here when she does wake up,” Cindy said.

“Exactly. Let me find my clothes, and I’ll get up.”

“Could you stay a few more minutes?” she asked.

I looked down into her beautiful eyes, and I couldn't deny her. I didn’t know why, and I didn’t have enough caffeine in me to try and unpack why. I settled back down next to her and felt her curl into me, her soft skin settling against mine.

She was comfortable.

No wonder I had fallen asleep.

I felt good. For the first time in two years, I felt good about things. I had a beautiful woman in my arms who wanted me around. She had a beautiful daughter who seemed to enjoy having me around too. I had a job in a town that didn’t suck balls, and I was branching out into the community, making friends with my boss and pulling a decent weekly income.

It almost felt like things would be okay.

A rustling sound came rushing down the hallway, and Cindy jerked up. I heard Lily beginning to yawn, and I threw the covers off our bodies. I searched for my clothes, pulled them on, and silently made my way to the front door. Cindy had a robe pulled around her body, and her hair was a tangled mess of knots. She looked outstanding with her tired eyes and her lopsided smile and the marks I’d left behind on her chest. I fisted her hair and pulled her in for a kiss, feeling her gasp before our tongues collided. She melted into me instantly, her hands gripping my back as I held her steady with my arm.

“Have a good day,” I said.

“You too,” Cindy said breathlessly.

I went home and got myself ready for work. I looked into the mirror and saw the eyes of my son, but shockingly, there wasn’t any guilt. I felt sadness. Responsibility. Anger.

But the guilt was minimal. That was definitely new.

I had a much better day at work. I was focused and in-tune with things. I got caught up with my cars from yesterday and took on a few overflow cars from the other mechanics. I made more money than I’d earned in any one given day since I’d been hired, and I smiled at the thought of my next payday.

Maybe I’d treat Cindy to something nice.

The day didn’t seem long, even though it was a ten-hour shift. I got home and cleaned myself off before I grabbed a beer from the fridge. I stood in the mirror and looked at my chest, seeing the crescent marks Cindy’s fingernails had left behind the night before.

I still couldn’t believe she caught me off guard enough to flip both of us over.

My phone rang as I sat down, and I saw it was Daniel. It was about damn time that fucker called me back. I picked up the phone and put it to my ear, ready to give him a hard time about whatever the hell it was that held him up so badly.

But the moment I heard his voice, I knew something was wrong.

“Graham, you need to listen.”

“Daniel, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“Shut up and listen. Don’t interrupt.”

“Okay. Go.”

“I dug into my sources and leaned on every connection I had. Graham, they’re both looking for you.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Damn it, Graham. Focus. The Agency and the mob. They’re hot on your trail, and they’re coming after you. If they haven't already found you.”

“How do you know this?” I asked.

“Some wiretapping, some following, some license plate stalking. Shit like that. Come on, you know how this works. You’re questioning me now?”

“You need to slow down. I can hear the urgency in your voice, but it doesn’t do me a damn bit of good if you don’t paint the entire picture for me,” I said.

“They know you’re in Oregon,” he said.

“Where did you hear that?”

“It came across one of my contacts’ desks at the Agency. He called me the moment he could about it. And since the damn CIA managed to stay one fucking step behind the mob the entire fucking investigation—”

“You’re assuming they already know where I am,” I finished for him.

“I was assuming until this morning. One of their license plates was clocked in town, Graham. In Bend. The CIA is coming, but the mob’s already there.”

Everything around me stilled. I set my beer off to the side as I stood and went to the kitchen window. I looked out to see if anyone was watching me and see if anything looked weird or out of place.

Then my eyes scanned over to Cindy’s house.

Holy shit. There was a car I didn’t recognize in the driveway. If they were in town and had been watching me, then they knew I had spent the previous night with Cindy. Were she and Lily now in trouble because of me?

“I have to go,” I said.

“Graham, I’m coming into town. We have to get you out of there.”

“Do whatever you need to do, Daniel. But I have to go,” I said.

I cut the call and stormed out of my house. I raced over to Cindy’s front door as I shoved my cell phone into my pocket. I turned the doorknob and found it open and immediately reached for my weapon.

Then I cursed myself for not having it on my hip.

“Cindy?” I asked. “You here?’

“Graham? Is that you?” she asked.

She came around the corner with Lily hot on her heels. Relief poured through my veins when I saw the two of them were okay. There was a confused look on her face, and I knew I probably looked like a crazy man dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt with grease still under my fingernails.

Then, I heard footsteps coming down the hallway.

Someone was in their house.

“Get behind me,” I said.

“Graham, what’s wrong?” Cindy asked.

“Someone’s in your house,” I said.

“I know,” she said. “It’s Paul.”

I watched that asshat round the corner into the kitchen as his eyes fell on Cindy. I saw him stare at her ass, his tongue licking his lips. I didn’t like the way he was looking at her, scanning her like a piece of meat he wanted to devour.

Then he lifted his eyes to me and he froze.

“What are you doing here?” Paul asked.

“Are you staying for dinner like Uncle Paul?” Lily asked.

Dinner? This asshole was staying for dinner?

“We’d love to have you if you want to stay,” Cindy said.

My eyes fell back to her as Paul stepped up to her side.

“I’m sure he’s got other plans,” Paul said.

He tried to wrap his arm around Cindy, but she shrugged him off.

“Is everything okay, Graham? You look a little pale,” Cindy said.

“Yeah, if you’re getting sick, you shouldn’t be around Lily,” Paul said.

“Are you sick, Graham? You can have a Band-Aid,” Lily said.

“It’s nothing,” I said. “I thought I heard someone yelling.”

“So you barged into her house unannounced?” Paul asked.

“Yes. Because I thought Cindy or Lily might’ve been hurt,” I said.

“Even if they were, I’m here. Didn’t you see my car in the driveway?” Paul asked.

“In his defense, it’s a new car,” Cindy said.

I watched Paul try to wrap his arm around her again, but then Cindy stepped completely away from him.

“Please, stay for dinner,” Cindy said. “The more, the merrier. I’ve tried my hand at homemade pizza, and I think two large ones made way too much for the three of us.”

“Speak for yourself,” Lily said.

I grinned down at the little girl as Paul’s eyes kept boring into me. I didn’t like how he was looking at me nor the predatory stare he had for Cindy. I didn’t like the fact that he was ignoring how much Cindy hated it when he tried to get close to her. Did he not read body language very well? Bad trait for a cop to have.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Graham? You look like you’ve been spooked,” Cindy said.

“Like I said. Just thought one of you was hurt,” I said. “Have a nice dinner. I’ve already eaten.”

I walked back over to my house and paced back and forth in my kitchen. I picked up my beer and chugged it, trying to get rid of the nerves flooding my veins. I couldn’t be with her any longer. I couldn't interact with them anymore. Since she was okay for now, I could keep an eye on her from a distance and watch her from the shadows until the heat died down off her. As much as I disliked the guy, Paul was a cop and had the resources to keep Cindy and Lily safe. I could leave town, take the heat with me, and they would be fine.

I could do for them what I should’ve done for my wife and child.

I hoped she didn’t start digging around about me. That was the only thing about Cindy. If she had a question, she seemed like the type of woman to start digging around until she found the answer. With me dropping off her radar, she would likely try to talk to me. Knock on my door, call my phone. Try to catch me going to work. I could switch my shifts at work and time it to where I left after she left to take Lily to school. I could park my truck in the garage and keep my lights off to make it look like I was never home. I could be seen around town with a couple other women to incite rumors that I was with someone else.

It would hurt her, but she would be safe.

Her and Lily both.

I sat down on my couch and raked my hand through my hair. How the fuck had this spiraled so far out of control? I had questions of my own, and none of them were being answered. Instead, I was on the run again, a target of my own organization as well as the criminals I had tried to infiltrate. I was being hunted like a goddamn animal and I hated how helpless it made me feel.

I had theories and plausible reasons as to why, but I couldn’t bank on any of them until Daniel got me something other than “they’ve found you.”

I was tired of running. I wanted to know why all of the shit that happened to my family had happened. Who had labeled me a traitor and why had the Agency been so ready to accept that person’s word? I had never done anything to give anyone cause to think that I was a mole or that I would purposely derail a mission. If anything, I was usually the one cleaning up other agent’s messes. So why had they been so damn eager to accept someone else’s accusations without letting me explain myself? It just didn’t make sense.

I felt bile rise up the back of my throat as I closed my eyes.

What the fuck was going on? Why couldn’t people leave me alone? Why couldn’t I live a simple, normal life? I’d lost everything. The CIA took everything from me. My family was gunned down for reasons I still didn’t think were true, and now I had put Cindy and Lily in harm’s way.

Just like I had with Cary and Kason.

I had to leave. I had to disappear. I had to lean on Daniel and get one of his contacts to figure out why the fuck they were all still coming after me two years later. I obviously never did anything with whatever the fuck information they thought I had, so why would I now?

Then, I had to fight for my right to live my life before I could branch out.

If the fight was coming to me, then I would accept it. And I wouldn’t stop until it was resolved, or I was dead.

And at this point, either outcome would be a welcome solution to my problem.