Bound to the Past (Starville Series Book 1) (41 page)

“Please. You donʼt even believe that.”

Brent didnʼt answer, though his heavy sigh said everything. “What do you think we should do?”

“How the hell should I know—youʼre the cop. Me, Iʼm just dying to kick everyoneʼs ass,” Jack grunted, scowling at a man who eyed Sara up and down as she walked out of the restroom with Nicky and laughed at something Lucy said to them. Noticing his glare, the man became flustered and raised his arms in apology.

“Have you guys ordered yet?” Sara asked, sliding into the booth next to Jack.

“Yeah. And my food better get here soon. Iʼm starving,” he lied, forcing a casual tone.

Food was the last thing on his mind.

Chapter 29

 “Jack, listen to me—”

“I donʼt want to listen! I want you leave me the hell alone!”

“Don’t say that. You don’t really feel this way. Youʼre my son.”

“Iʼm not your damn son, and youʼre not my father! You don’t know anything about me!”

“I know that I love you, Jack. And I know you love me, too.”

…I love you, Jack.

Jack.

Jack.

“Jack. Please, wake up.”

Sara lightly stroked his shoulder, as she usually did when he had a nightmare. She knew the instant Jack started waking up, because his entire body tensed and his breath sucked in. As his eyes fluttered open, he gazed around in confusion before settling them on her.

“It’s okay, hon. You had another nightmare.”

“Goddammit.” He shook his head hard, as if trying to focus, then rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes.

“Are you all right?”

“Iʼm fine.”

“No, youʼre not. Jack, youʼre shaking!” Sara said, exasperated, as he shrugged her hands off. “Honey, why donʼt you tell me about these dreams of yours? Youʼre having them almost every night now, and theyʼre obviously upsetting you. I can try to help—”

Jack stiffened at her words. His eyes burned into hers as their gazes met. “I donʼt need your help.”

“But…”

Throwing his legs to the side, he jumped out of bed. “I need a shower.”

Sara watched him powerlessly as he strode out of the room. Something was clearly tormenting him, but as always, he preferred keeping it all to himself instead of letting it out. God, but it hurt. Seeing him so troubled, knowing there was nothing she could do to help him…because he didnʼt want her help.

Sooner or later, he would reach out to her, though, she tried to encourage herself. Jack wasnʼt as open and impulsive as she was, and she needed to let him take things at his own pace. In the meantime, she was going to have to learn to be patient.

Very patient.

***

Sara was walking into the garage when the sound of a horn resounded across the driveway. With a sigh, she bent over Jack, who was crouched beside his motorcycle. Heʼd been working on it so much in the last few days that not only had the scratches and dents caused by the accident completely disappeared, but heʼd also replaced a few other parts.

“As you can hear, hon, David and Nicky are here,” she said, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. “Iʼll see you later, okay?”

Jack nodded absently, his gaze fixed on the bikeʼs muffler. “Have fun.”

“Now, remember, Iʼm not going to be back until after dinner, so donʼt wait for me to eat.”

“ʼKay.”

Sara went back outside, rolling her eyes as the horn honked again. “Has anybody told you that youʼre terribly impatient?” she scolded David, sliding into the backseat of his car.

He grinned. “We have a long day of shopping in front of us. Arenʼt you eager to get it started?”

“Sure. Canʼt you tell how enthusiastic we are?” Nicky made a face from the passengerʼs seat.

“Come on, you two! Enough with the long faces, already, I promise youʼll have the time of your lives.”

“I can handle the shopping, but just so you know, your cheerfulness is irritating as hell,” Sara said, trying to hide the giggle playing at her lips. The truth was, despite her problems with Jack—and heaven knew she was having plenty of those lately―it was impossible not to smile when David was around.

“Now, now,” David continued, “cheer up! Thereʼs nothing a good hairdo and a nice dress canʼt fix, which is why Iʼm taking you to Dallas today. Oh, itʼs going to be so much fun! And Brent is going to swoon when he sees you, youʼll see,” he added, elbowing Nicky.

She didnʼt comment but gave him a doubtful look before turning to Sara.

“Is Jack home, by the way? Brent said he might swing by your house later.”

“Yeah, heʼs home.”

Saraʼs tone must have come across duller than sheʼd hoped, because both Nicky and David turned to slant her a questioning glance. “Something wrong?”

“Nope.”

Nicky huffed. “Please! Sara, youʼre an open book, and itʼs plain obvious that somethingʼs bothering you. Is it Jack?”

She rolled her eyes in resignation. “Yes.”

“Whatʼs wrong?”

“Iʼm not sure. He seems…different.”

“What do you mean, different?”

Sara lifted one shoulder. “I donʼt even know how to describe it, heʼs just…different. Colder.”

“Have you tried talking to him about it?”

She sighed at Davidʼs question. “The problem is, Jack doesnʼt talk. He doesnʼt explain, doesnʼt fight, and refuses to discuss anything―including the horrible nightmares heʼs been having. He just shuts everybody out and thatʼs that,” she admitted. “The truth is, guys, ever since he came home from jail, heʼs been down. Detached. Almost apathetic.”

“Give him some time. Things will get better, youʼll see,” Nicky assured her. “Jail is no walk in the park, and Jack has gone through it twice—and both times wrongfully. That alone would drive anyone crazy, donʼt you think?”

Sara nodded, unconvinced. “Itʼs not just that. I canʼt help but feel that having me around bothers him.”

“What?”

“Iʼm serious, Nic. Take what happened last week, when that truck nearly ran me down. Jack totally flipped out about it―which is understandable, I guess. But since then, things have only been going downhill. We hardly do anything together, anymore. Itʼs like heʼs almost…annoyed with me.” Another long sigh escaped from her lips. “I donʼt know. I have this feeling that Jack is slipping away from me, and there is not a darn thing I can do about it.”
Not to mention that he hasnʼt touched me since the first night he came back from jail.
A thought too painful to voice.

David looked out the window, then pulled the car over and turned the engine off.

“Why did you stop?”

Arms folded over the steering wheel, he turned to Sara. “We need to talk more about this.”

“No, no, this is supposed to be a fun day! Weʼre supposed to go shopping.”

Nicky huffed. “Screw the shopping. Davidʼs right, we can do it some other time.”

“Absolutely not! Please, guys, I need this day. Trust me, Jackʼs dark mood and complications can wait.”

David and Nicky exchanged a silent look. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Sara nodded firmly. “Enough with depressing thoughts. Iʼve had enough of those, already.”

***

Jack wiped the grease off his hands with a rag and stood, studying his bike with a critical eye. It might not be as good as new, but it was damn close. He frowned with annoyance as the phone rang and pulled the cordless handset from the back pocket of his jeans.

“Hello?”

“Howʼs your girlfriend, Turner?”

His blood chilled at the sound of the crackly, artificially disguised voice on the other end of the line. “Whoʼs this?” he barely choked out, glancing at the caller ID. Private. Of course.

“A friend.”

“Iʼve got no friends.”

A cold chuckle resounded through the phone. “Now, now, thereʼs no need to be rude. Iʼm only concerned about sweet little Sara. Itʼs a shame what happened to her last week. She really should be more careful when crossing the street, you know? With so many loonies out there, lots of bad things could happen to a nice, trusting girl like her. Take today, for example. Itʼs a good thing her friends are driving with her, or thereʼs no telling―”

“Son of a bitch!” Jackʼs hand clenched so tightly around the receiver it almost cracked it. “I donʼt know what the fuck you want, but leave Sara out of this!”

“Itʼs not Sara Iʼm after, Turner. Sheʼs only in danger as long as sheʼs with you. Leave Starville and nothing will happen to her.”

Before Jack could reply, he heard a click, then the dial tone. Hands shaking, he put the phone down and slumped against the counter. His heart pounded so hard his chest ached. It took every ounce of will power he had not to punch the wall.

Hell, no
. He wouldnʼt cave in to a damn anonymous phone call. He refused to let a cowardly bastard tell him what to do.

But Sara could have died because of me
.

That thought hit him like a ton of bricks. It was his fault. Sara was at risk because of him. He would die before putting her in danger, yet it was all heʼd done since he’d met her. Would he risk something happening to her because of his stubbornness?

With so many loonies out there, lots of bad things could happen to a nice, trusting girl like her…

Jack shook his head, trying in vain to erase those words, yet he could not ignore the truth any longer: It was time he put some distance between him and Sara. It was time he let her go. He would never find peace, but she deserved to be happy. In time, everybody in Starville would forget about him again—including Sara. Maybe sheʼd even find herself another man.

He swallowed thickly, fighting against the wrongness of that. Trying to ignore the tight, painful squeeze around his heart. Sara deserved a good man. A man who was worthy of her love, who could give her what she wanted and make her happy.

And, most important, she deserved to be safe.

***

It was almost ten when David dropped Sara back off at her house. She had to admit that spending the day with her friends had really helped her mood. Not to mention that she loved the brand-new dress she was wearing.

She was halfway up the stairs when Jack stepped out of the bedroom. “Hey. I didnʼt know you were back.”

“I just walked in.” Boy, he looked sexy as hell, wearing only a pair of gray sweat pants hanging low on his hips. It took all she had not to lunge straight into his arms, and the only reason she didnʼt do it was the forbidding expression his face.

“Do you like my new dress?”

Her question stopped him on his way to the stairs, and he turned around to give her an absent look. “Itʼs all right.”

Sara refused to let his bad mood get to her. “Good. Then you can help me take it off,” she said, her heart racing as Jack reluctantly followed her to the bedroom. She shuddered as he lowered the zipper on the back, then slid out of the dress and let her hair fall back in what she hoped was a sensual fashion. She couldnʼt help the sigh of disappointment that escaped from her when Jack turned around and lay down the bed without even a glance. Two seconds later, the TV came on.

Thatʼs when she decided sheʼd had enough.

“All right, shut that thing off and tell me whatʼs wrong.”

He raised his gaze to her for a split second before moving it back to the screen. “I donʼt know what the hell youʼre talking about.”

“Do not play dumb with me, Turner. I tried to be patient, I tried to be understanding, but my tolerance is running out, and I want to know whatʼs going on.”

“Sara, youʼre hysterical.”

“Damn right, Iʼm hysterical!” Despite her words, she took a deep breath and tried to calm down as she reached her hand out. “Honey, how can I help you if you shut me out like this?”

Jack pulled back as if her touch had burned him. “Iʼve never asked you for anything, Sara, let alone your goddamn help.”

She pushed out another long breath, fighting the urge to shake him. “Thatʼs the problem, Jack. You never ask, you never tell me anything―what kind of messed-up relationship is this?”

His gaze locked with hers for long moments, but she couldnʼt read anything in his hard, impenetrable expression. “Please, tell me…” She stopped mid-sentence when the phone rang. Glanced at it but didnʼt move.

“You should get that.”

Sara scowled. “Fine. But we need to talk, so youʼre staying right here until weʼre done.”

Jack lifted one shoulder but stood and walked to the bathroom as she grabbed the phone from the nightstand and mumbled an irritated “Hello?” into it.

“Sara?”

Her brows knitted at Brentʼs concerned voice. “Hey. Is everything all right?”

“I need to talk to you.”

She heard every single word he said after that, but their impact hit her so hard she dropped onto the bed, her needs wobbling. By the time she hung up and Jack walked back into the room, she was pale, breathless, and shocked, and he couldnʼt help rushing to her side, dropping the toiletry bag he was holding as he crouched in front of her. “Whatʼs wrong?”

“It was Brent.” She inhaled deeply. “Max is dead, Jack.”

He sprang back up, his head shaking without him realizing it. His mouth opened and closed before he found his voice. “What… When? How?”

“Tonight. Layla was supposed to have dinner with him, but when she went to his house…” She raised her teary eyes to him. “Oh, Jack! Layla was the one who found him. Can you imagine?”

He blinked at her, still dazed. “How did he die?”

Sara rubbed her hands over her face. “He shot himself. He was sitting at his desk when Layla found him, the gun still in his hand.”

No way!
“I cannot believe it.”

“I know. Poor Layla.”

They were quiet for the longest time, both of them lost in deep thought, barely moving. When Sara finally stood again, her eyes were still damp with tears, but there was also something else in them.

Hope
.

“Itʼs over,” she said, the sweetest smile on her face.

Jack frowned. “What?”

“This whole ordeal. Everything. Itʼs over.” She swallowed before continuing. “Max was the killer, Jack. Brent said they found a note on his desk, right beside him. A note for Layla.”