I had made a huge mistake.

Digging my keys out of the tight pocket of my jeans, I took the steps two at a time to the apartment, rage and shame filling my body. I was certain my abrupt departure was going to cause issues between me and Cara. She was pissed off, but that number had called me again. Then I received a text with a picture of my apartment building. I knew what it meant. I had been found.

Putting my key in the lock, I turned it and stepped inside, bracing for whatever was about to come my way.

The place was just like I remembered it from earlier, not tossed or full of goons like I thought it was going to be. Whoever it was was taunting me and I fucking hated it. Shutting the door, I leaned against it. I should have never played in the charity game. I’d opened myself up to being found, the scout already figured it out… God knows how many others had, too. The ramifications of being uncovered were huge, not only for me and my parents, but for the life I had built, however crappy it was.

I had moved on, attempted to run from my past and now with Cara, well I didn’t even know about that anymore. No doubt she was sitting in her apartment, alone and pissed off, thinking I just got what I wanted and bailed before the shit got too deep. Hell it already was. Her reaction to our sexual encounter today had struck a hard chord in me, one that I had buried long ago thinking it could never happen. A family, a normal life. Hell I hadn’t had a normal life in years.

I pushed away from the door and stalked to the fridge, pissed when there was no beer to be found. Great. My life was on the verge of unraveling, and I still managed to find time to be pissed about Darren drinking my beer. But feelings of bitterness and fear were all part and parcel of who I was, I had to accept that.

Shutting the fridge door, I grabbed my keys and left the apartment, needing a drink desperately. Luckily Friction was open and nearly empty, with Ginny behind the counter. She eyed me carefully as I burst through the door and knew to grab me a beer from the cooler without saying a word.

“Thanks, you’re a gem,” I said, pouring the cold liquid down my throat. “You don’t know how bad I needed this.”

“I can guess… you pissed off another woman right?” she said not really asking and crossing her arms over her chest. “Anything you want to discuss?” I shook my head and she shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’m a damn good listener.”

“I believe it,” I said with a grin, resting my elbows on the scarred bar top. “But I just came for the beer.”

She arched an eyebrow but moved on down the counter, leaving me alone for a time. I stared at my reflection in the mirror across from me, frowning as I saw how crazy I looked. My hair was standing on end, and my face was scruffy, not helped by the lack of shaving the last few days. I looked like hell. This was not what I had pictured my life to be like, sitting in a dive bar, with a dead-end job, people after me, and to top it all off, a beautiful woman who was probably planning my demise, violently.

I was going to have to make it up to her. I had found something with her, something that made me want to go back for more. It was scary to think that Cara had had such a profound effect on me, but she did. The shit she had gone through and was still going through made me want to be a better man for her. Even knowing her had made me a better man. She made me realize what a fucking shit I’d been these last few years and now that I had experienced a brief moment of physical closeness with her, I was far from done. Hell I wanted to go back and do it all over again, with aching slowness that drove us both over the edge. I just hoped I hadn’t burned that bridge down.

“Oh, come on. You’ve got girl problems right? I’m a girl, let me help. You look like you need that, too.”

I looked up to see Ginny standing before me, clearly wanting to know what my deal was. “No, yes, hell, I don’t know.”

“Huh,” she stated, pushing another beer toward me and taking away my empty bottle. “Well I’m always partial to flowers. Women love flowers, so try that?”

I chuckled and took the cold bottle into my hands. “I don’t know if just flowers will fix this.”

“Oh that bad, huh,” she replied, arching her brow at me again. I shook my head, knowing what she was thinking. “You fucked up and now you can’t get her out of your head, is that it?

“No not that bad. I just, I’ve probably pissed her off.”

“You’re in denial,” Ginny replied, still not believing me. “Well, dinner, chocolates, and flowers then. Go in with extra ammo just in case. And if that doesn’t work, drop the fucking act and be real with her.”

“It’s complicated.”

“So? It always is. Get your head out of your ass and do whatever it is that you think you shouldn’t.”

“Thanks, Ginny,” I laughed, draining the beer before pushing a wad of money toward her. “You should go into business.”

“And miss this fun?” she asked with a smile. “Not on your life.”

I grinned at her and took my leave. She was right, if I intended for Cara to be a part of my life going forward she would have to know. I had to tell her. Keeping secrets and looking over my shoulder constantly for the rest of my life was no longer an option. I couldn’t be worried that someone was going to find me or my family in the future. I wanted to have a normal life. Was that too much to ask? I had to talk to my dad, too, I thought with a groan.

Climbing into my truck, I turned over the engine and pointed the truck toward the apartment, the alcohol souring in my gut as I thought about the days that my life was normal and the day that it was ruined forever.

“Where are we going?” I asked the marshal as I sat in the backseat of his car, watching as the town moved past at a rapid pace.

Had my dad really called the cops because I had refused to go with them last night? I had escaped off to my best friend’s house after our fight in my room, when he had all but forced me to pack my shit and leave everything I knew. Well I had refused to give him that satisfaction and left the house, ignoring the phone calls and going about my day like normal. Now, though, I was in some deep shit if my dad had gone this far.

“Hey,” I tried again as he turned onto the highway. “Where are we going?”

“Marcus just sit back and relax,” the marshal finally said, catching my eye in the mirror. “We got a long drive ahead of us.”

“What? Hell no,” I said defiantly. “Take me back.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, son,” he answered, clearly not giving in to my demands. “Now shut up and enjoy the ride.”

Had I known, I would have never gotten into that car. I never saw my truck again, or my teammates, my girlfriend, or even the fucking room in the house I grew up in. My life had completely changed. Well, no more. Whoever was trying to piss me off was not going to make me run away again. I was done running.