Читать книгу The Marine Finds His Family - Angel Smits - Страница 13

CHAPTER FIVE

“WHAT THE—”

DJ had never hurt a female, not since he was five and his sister Mandy and he had gotten into a slugfest in the backyard sandbox. That was one of the few memories DJ had of his dad—the talk about never hitting a girl.

DJ had taken it to heart, but right now?

Tammie would have strained even Dad’s legendary patience. She didn’t run away from him this time. She just purposefully walked away. DJ watched until the darkness swallowed her.

What was he supposed to do now? He’d worked too hard to find her. He’d been so sure his threats would make her agree to come with him. It would have worked on his sisters. Okay, maybe not. His sisters weren’t that easy to manipulate, either.

But he couldn’t just let her go. Tyler—and he—deserved answers. He’d promised his son that he’d find her and bring her home.

Besides, what kind of mother abandoned her son? Especially one who’d raised such a great kid. What was going on with her?

DJ sat on the bike, leaning back against the leather seat, frowning. She didn’t make any sense. Tyler’s face came to mind. His faith in his mother was unshakable. Faith like that wasn’t automatic—it was earned. Tyler staunchly believed in her. Staring into the darkness, DJ once again wondered why.

What were her reasons for leaving Tyler? And why wouldn’t she tell him? Did she expect to just disappear?

Suddenly, he no longer heard her footsteps. “Oh, hell no,” DJ whispered and kicked the bike into gear. The low rumble broke the quiet night as he followed her.

* * *

TAMMIE HEADED BACK to the diner. Probably a stupid idea to walk alone in this part of town at this time of night, but once again she didn’t have much choice. Where else did she have to go? She’d turned her back on DJ and—her heart hitched—she’d just given up Tyler. Probably forever. A sob broke from her chest.

The sound of footsteps from behind reached through the fog in her brain—and blessed anger cut through her pain. She spun around, ready to give DJ a piece of her mind. “Just leave me alone,” she snapped before she saw the shadowed face of a stranger.

He was a big man wearing dark clothing and a smirk that didn’t say, “Have a nice day.” She stumbled as she backed away from him.

“Well, hello there.” His deep growl of a voice made her shiver.

She caught her balance and started walking faster, hoping that the threat she saw in his face wasn’t real. Wishing that all of this—this place, this situation, this mess of her life—would just go away. Then it occurred to her that the darkness in his eyes could mean exactly that.

Still winded after running from DJ, Tammie doubted she could outrun this guy, but she had to try. And she almost made it.

Until his meaty fist grabbed hold of her ponytail and yanked her backward. “Not so fast,” he said in her ear, then paused. “Tammie.”

Panic shot through her. How did he know her name? She didn’t remember him coming into the diner. That’s the only place she met anyone and she’d have remembered him. There was only one other answer...

He laughed, and she nearly gagged at the thick cologne he wore—cologne that barely covered the other odors cloaking him.

“Who are you?” She pulled away from him, feeling hair rip from her head.

“Let’s just say a friend sent me.”

A friend. She knew who he was talking about, but Dom was no friend.

“Go to hell.” She turned to run.

“No need to be nasty. Let’s do this easy.” He lunged, catching her arm and sending her off balance. She fell and landed on her knees. Pavement ripped through her skin and tiny rocks tore into her palms.

The snarl of a motorcycle cut through her cries and a new anger bubbled up inside her. She mentally cursed. She didn’t want to need anyone. She didn’t want a savior, but, damn it, right now she needed one. DJ would do.

The roar grew louder. She looked up. DJ and his bike appeared out of the darkness. Bathed in the streetlight’s glow, he brought the bike up on the curb and raced toward them. Tammie screamed.

DJ used the bike to chase the thug away from her, the tires spinning toward the man’s legs and driving him back. Knocking him into the street.

This time, DJ kept control of the vehicle and righted it before it fell. He spun the bike around, the smell of burning rubber thick in the air. Revving the throttle, he faced the thug, silently daring him to try something. The look on DJ’s face made Tammie shudder—was this her DJ? The light in his eyes was not warm and soothing.

It was frightening. He was frightening.

She tore her gaze from DJ and realized her attacker had disappeared. In the distance, hurried footsteps receded into the night. Bowing her head, she took in deep gulps of air. Trying to keep the panic at bay, and think straight, she longed to figure out how to gain control of her life. But once again, nothing came to mind.

Silence reigned as DJ shut down the engine. She didn’t hear his footsteps, didn’t hear anything except her heart pounding and her breath ripping through her lungs. She couldn’t do this anymore. She just couldn’t.

She was done.

“Tammie?” DJ’s voice actually sounded hesitant. She looked up. Where had his anger gone?

Hers returned on an adrenaline rush. “Where the hell did you learn to do that?” She crawled to her feet, refusing the hand he offered. “And why would anyone in their right mind know how to do that?” She stalked toward him. “What if you’d lost control like you did before? You could have hit the wall, or wrecked, or...or...or...” She hiccuped as horrific images of DJ splattered on the pavement blared in her mind.

DJ looked entirely too pleased with himself. He had the audacity to grin. “Hey.” He shrugged. “I grew up on a ranch. Cutting horses and bikes. Same difference.”

“You idiot!” She went at him, poking his chest with an angry finger. “Is that what you were trying to do earlier? To me?”

“Yeah.” He grinned. “Did it right this time, though.”

Anger bubbled up inside her. How dare he! “Don’t you dare teach Tyler anything like that.”

“A simple thank-you would do just fine.” He took a step back, his eyes moving, assessing her—and not with appreciation.

She knew she looked awful. The ugly orange waitress uniform, her hair falling around her face from where the jerk had tried to pull it out of her head, blood trickling from her knees and smeared on her palms.

“Stop following me.” It was all she could come up with. There was no way she was thanking him, despite the fact that she knew she should.

“Oh, excuse me for trying to help.” He stalked over to her and grabbed her hands, turning them palm up and cursing. “Come on. Let’s get you taken care of.” He didn’t let go and they were nearly to the bike before she tried to pull away.

“I already told you I am not getting on that thing.”

“I don’t think you have a choice,” he mumbled, looking past her shoulder.

She followed his gaze. The big shadow was back. And he wasn’t alone. Two other men walked beside him.

DJ hopped onto the motorcycle and kicked it to life. “Get on.”

“I—”

She hated motorcycles. The idea of riding on one scared her half to death, but the shadowed figures scared her more.

“Get. On,” DJ said again, this time through clenched teeth. “Now.” Footsteps pounded toward them. DJ had a point. She jumped on and DJ sped into the night.

She hung on tight, knowing she was in for one hell of a ride.

* * *

DJ SPED THROUGH the city streets. There hadn’t been any vehicles around, so he didn’t think they were being followed. But he wound around, just to make sure.

He should take her back to the diner, or maybe to Cora’s house, but if he let her off the bike, he’d never get her back on. And she’d run again.

It didn’t take long to get to the city limits since they were already on the ratty edges. Streetlights flashed past until they reached the two-lane highway. The moon hadn’t yet risen, so the headlight beam and light from the stars were all that showed him the way.

“Where are we going?” she finally asked.

“Someplace safe.” He turned his head just enough to see her out of the corner of his eye. Her ponytail waved in the wind, the loose strands whipping across her face. He needed to get a helmet for her.

He turned his focus back to the road, but no matter how he tried, he failed miserably at ignoring the extra weight on the back of the bike. The feel of Tammie’s arms tight around his waist was entirely too real, and warm.

Tammie didn’t speak. She didn’t even shift. She clenched her fists in his shirt whenever he squealed around a corner, but otherwise, she didn’t move.

She’d obviously ridden on a bike before. With who? There was so much he didn’t know about her.

What he did know was where they were headed, but he wouldn’t share the details with her—not yet.

By the time they reached Edgerton an hour later, the sky was turning a bright orange on the horizon. Nothing more than a few buildings in the middle of nowhere—something Texas had in abundance—the tiny town was a welcome sight. Three houses, a gas station slash convenience store and a motel with a flashing neon vacancy sign that broke the darkness. DJ had stayed here several times when he’d traveled back and forth from Wyatt’s place to San Antonio for therapy. It had provided a bed to lay his head and some much needed space away from his brother.

He almost wished he was on one of those trips. His body was already telling him he’d pay for this trip—for chasing Tammie and certainly for dumping and lifting the bike off the pavement. His damaged back and leg muscles burned from the abuse. A nice soak in the gym’s whirlpool tub would be heaven right now.

He slowed and turned off the highway into the dirt parking lot. When he killed the engine, the silence was thick around them. No one else was here, except George, the manager, owner and purveyor of everything for twenty miles.

“We’ll stay here for now.”

“What?” Tammie stared in shock.

“I’ll check us in.”

“I can’t go with you. Take me back to town.”

“Nope.”

Tammie climbed off as if to follow him and nearly stumbled. He caught her arms, steadying her, and the night warmed. He stared at her face. She looked beat. Defeated.

“Listen.” He stepped closer. “You’re exhausted. You’re hurt.” He paused and made sure her gaze met his before he spoke. “And whoever you’re really running from seems to have found you.” He wished she’d tell him who that person was. “Just let me help you.” As he headed to the office, he looked over his shoulder and said, “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

She looked around at the miles of open space surrounding the tiny pseudo town. “Yeah, like there’s anywhere to go?”

He actually smiled. He recalled that her dry humor had intrigued him in the past. He was glad to see remnants of it. Maybe there was hope. Maybe the ghosts of their past weren’t so dead, after all. He had to believe that.

“Ain’t seen you in a while,” George greeted him with a smile and a yawn as DJ slipped inside the tiny office.

“Yeah. How you been, man?”

“Fair to middlin’.” George automatically filled out the paperwork and ran DJ’s credit card. “Usual room?” The old-fashioned metal key slid over the scarred counter with a soft whisper.

“Thanks. Oh, by the way, there’re two of us,” DJ told him.

Only the single eyebrow lift indicated the man had heard. George glanced out the side window and DJ knew Tammie was there, standing by the bike, waiting, when George nodded.

“That’ll be extra.”

“I figured.” He paid but didn’t explain further. It was none of the old man’s business.

DJ knew he was being a paranoid jerk getting only one room. But Tammie had obviously ridden a motorcycle before. While she didn’t like it, she undoubtedly had skills. He could very likely be stuck here without his prized bike come morning. No way. He wasn’t letting her go, and he certainly wasn’t letting her get the better of him.

“Come on.” He led her to the farthest room, away from the road, away from George’s curious stares. The door squealed when he pushed it open, and the closed-up dusty scent wafted out over them.

“Where’s my key?” she asked behind him.

DJ knew it would tick her off, but he did it anyway. Maybe it would spark some life in her.

He walked into the room, lifted the single key and shook it before pocketing it. Her growl should have made him nervous. It only made him laugh as he turned to face her.

Browbeating and threatening her weren’t what he’d planned. But she hadn’t given him much choice. If he let her go...he might never find her again. And he sure as hell wasn’t going home and telling Tyler he’d failed.

Nope. Not an option.

“This is kidnapping!”

DJ paused, crossing his arms over his chest. “No, it’s not.” He waited, but she didn’t say any more. “Let’s consider it negotiating.”

Her eyes flashed and DJ suddenly understood what it meant to see murder in someone’s eyes.

The slamming of the bathroom door shook the walls of the entire place as she disappeared inside.

* * *

TAMMIE STARED AT her distorted reflection in the cheap motel room mirror. Her mother would say she looked like something the cat dragged in. She closed her eyes but the reflection remained imprinted on the back of her eyelids.

Her green eyes were flat and lifeless with no makeup to bring out anything. The shadows beneath her lashes betrayed her exhaustion.

Her hair, after the long hot shower, hung in dark locks to her shoulders. The light blond she’d had as a kid living on the beach was long gone. Opening her eyes, Tammie leaned closer to the glass, examining the crow’s-feet she’d never noticed before.

She caught herself. What was she doing? She was in here to shower, to clean up. To escape him. Nothing more. She almost banged her head against the glass at her stupidity.

DJ’s face flashed in her mind. First the angry, hard soldier who’d chased away Dom’s buddy, and then the sweet man who’d stopped here and told her he’d take care of her. The contradiction intrigued and scared her.

Attraction was definitely not a part of this.

The man on the other side of that door was interested in her for one reason. Tyler. DJ didn’t care about her. Didn’t care about their past together or apart. And why should he?

She’d lied to him. She’d kept Tyler a secret. She hadn’t even told him the truth when they had been together. Not about herself, her past, nothing. And now? Worn-out, desperate and tired, that’s all she was.

Worthless, to him, to herself and, most important, to Tyler.

She was Tyler’s mother...but from here on out, the title was all she had. She couldn’t be that for him. It was too risky.

Disgusted with herself and the situation, Tammie turned away from the mirror and focused on doing the best she could with what she had to work with.

The warm water had washed off most of the dried blood from her knees and her hands, and she only had to pick out one piece of gravel. It stung like the devil when she put on the last of her antiseptic cream and a small bandage, but she’d live.

She yanked the blow-dryer from its hook on the wall and finished her hair. She stared at the few cosmetics in her pack that had survived her months on the run and scoffed at the idea of applying makeup. She simply pulled on a clean T-shirt and her sweatpants.

“This is as good as it gets,” she said to the mirror and pulled open the door. Standing in the doorway, she watched the last of the shower’s steam swirl out into the cooler room before she faced him.

He wasn’t even there. The room door stood wide-open. Panic returned.

* * *

DJ STOOD OUTSIDE the motel room, leaning on the wooden post that pretended to hold up the narrow overhang. He’d left the door open between them, partially to keep an eye on her, but also so she could find him.

The worn Western motif of the place hadn’t been what had first brought him here. He’d been looking for someplace out of the way, somewhere no one would think to look for him. Tonight it was a place Tammie could sleep and feel safe.

Someplace he felt he could protect.

No one asked questions here. And if they did...there weren’t any answers.

The main door and the large picture window overlooking the walk where he stood was the only way in. And the back of the room bumped against the rooms on the other side. No one would sneak up on him.

His bike was parked directly in front of their room. If someone did find them, the thundering v-twins could get them out of here in record time. Tammie only had her backpack and he had the duffel. He’d had less when he’d been on most missions.

The single white security light that remained in the parking lot cast eerie shadows over the bike and a couple of beat-up cars. The neon sign in the office window flickered a faded orange.

Nothing but the sign’s light moved, and he liked it that way. His phone rang and he answered the distinctive ring. If only he had more answers for his son.

* * *

“YEAH, BUDDY. SHE’S HERE with me.” DJ’s voice was loud in the deserted night.

Tammie froze, hearing DJ’s voice just outside the door. There was only one person he could be talking to. Tyler. The hard ache in her chest grew and she struggled to breathe.