CaughtInTheTrap (26 page)

Carla folded her arms across her chest watching him search through her apartment wondering what he was looking for and the reason for his sudden visit. “Zach, what are you doing here?”

“Why did you leave Michigan, Carla? What happened to you getting a new start there with your family?”

She sighed heavily. “Okay, is this going to be a session of questions and nothing gets answered?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Seems that way doesn’t it?”

“Stop it!” she hissed stomping her foot. “I’m asking the questions since you’re in my house.  Why are you here?”

“I’m just making sure everything is okay. I answered your question, now answer mine.  Why did you return to Cleveland?”

“Paula’s house was crowded and I felt like I was intruding on them. Plus, I like having my space.”

Zach walked to a chair and sat down. “I’ll buy that.  Are you feeling okay?  You look tired.”

“I’m fine.  I drifted off to sleep watching television; that’s why I didn’t hear the buzzer.”  She sat on the sofa draping the afghan over her. The eeriness of his showing up at her doorstep when she’d been thinking about him all day shook her. What did he know?  Could he know about the baby? Impossible.  He had to be here for something else.

“Well, you’re up next? Why are you here?”

He ignored her question. “How long will it take you to pack a bag?”

“Why? I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yeah, you are. I have information that you might be in danger again.”

She threw her hands up in the air. “Oh hell no! Zach, I’m tired of this.  I have a new job, a new apartment and a...” She stopped. “How did you find me?”

He leaned forward resting his arms on his knees. “Carla, I don’t like upsetting your life, but I want to make sure you’re safe.”

“I appreciate that, Zach, I really do. But when will it end?”

“When Tyrone is found. Speaking of which, I have some news; Phillip is in Mexico.  If he is making a move to come home, that will mean trouble for you. You and anyone he makes contact with will be targeted, Carla.”

The words didn’t register in her brain for seconds, then tears flooded her eyes.  Zach was at her side and cradling her in his arms in seconds.  “Oh, my God, I want it to be over.”

“Carla, I promise we’ll only be gone long enough for me to figure out who has taken over Yezhov’s operation.  There is a chance Phillip has other connections.  We’re learning he’s involved in quite a bit of underbelly activity.”

She pushed away from him. “Please, Zach; you would have checked that out before coming here. Whoever took over Yezhov’s operation is picking up where he left off.”  She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

He rested her head on his shoulder and whispered, “I’ll keep you safe.”

“It’s not just me I’m worried about anymore.”

“What’s going on, Carla?”

 She wiped tears away from her eyes and got up from the sofa.  She couldn’t sit still and give him the news, she had to be on her feet and ready to exit to her bedroom to avoid his wrath. “I have something to tell you.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

Carla opened her mouth to talk and his phone rang. “You should answer that.”  The phone call gave her a diversion to rethink her decision to tell him.  How should she tell him?  Blurting it out might cause him to spontaneously combust. Or she wondered if it would be better to wait until this new crisis blew over and he’d have less on his mind.

Chewing on her fingertip she watched him pace and talk on the phone. His body language was hard to read.  A swipe of a hand over his head once or twice, shoulders tensed and his tone of voice stern. What kind of father would he even be?  He was intense and serious all the time.  Children needed hugs and smiles.  Zach’s hugs and smiles were few if any at all.

She sighed rubbing the knot forming in her neck.  Could a baby break his intenseness? Could he coo at or tickle a baby to make them laugh? Or even rock a baby gently when he's upset?  She doubted he even knew a lullaby to sing to their baby.

She frowned. Preparations had been made to raise the baby alone; now she felt obligated to tell him since he was in her apartment.

“Sorry about that,” he said shoving the phone on the clip on his belt. “What did you have to tell me?”

Carla felt dizzy, and tiny spots danced in front of her eyes. She closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning.  Stumbling forward she felt Zach tightened his grasp on her and positioned her so she was snuggled against his chest.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “Carla, are you sick and is that what you have to tell me?”

She lifted her gaze so she could look him in the eyes. She wasn’t going to be anything but honest with Zach. Stepping away from him she said, “I’m pregnant and you’re the father.”

It flowed from her mouth in one long sentence and she saw the shock spread across his handsome face. His legs gave out from under him and he sat down hard in the chair behind him.

“Zach?”

He raised his hand. “You did not say you are pregnant.”

She frowned.  Finding power in her legs she walked over to him, raised her shirt and placed his hand on the swell of her abdomen. “Yes, that is what I said.  I’m pregnant.  That bump you’re touching is your baby.  Don’t even try to deny it couldn’t be yours, Zach.”

It was hard for her not to flinch at the hurt that came into his eyes when he looked up at her. He didn’t remove his hand from her belly. “I would never say that because I know you’ve only been with me.”

“I’m glad you admit that. I’m not asking you to do anything either.  I’m prepared to raise my baby alone and not expect you to have anything to with me or the baby. I just wanted you to know about it.”

He stood up angrily. “What do you mean you don’t expect me to have anything to do with my kid? Do you think I’m such a monster that I wouldn’t want to be a part of my own child’s life?”

Taken aback by his anger she snarled and shot back. “Are you drawing a blank about yourself, Zach? Did you forget that you don’t like children or want to settle down? Which one can’t you remember so I can refresh your memory?”

Zach dropped his head and Carla heard his breath shudder as it left his body.  He didn’t have an answer. “God knows you’ll never change your lifestyle.”

His nostrils flared as he shouted at her. “Quit acting like you know me, Carla.”

“I may not know everything about you, but I do know those finer points because they came from your mouth. My child doesn’t need a dad that drops in to say hello between job assignments but one that wants to be a part of his life.” She remained calm when she wanted to reach up and scratch his eyes out.

“You don’t think I know that!” He threw an imaginary fist in the air.  “This shit is unreal.” He walked to the window rubbing his forehead. “I just fucked up all around.”

Carla cursed the tears falling from her eyes.  Seeing how he reacted to the news made her sick.  How could she love a man that didn’t want his child?  “Zach, raising a child is a huge responsibility you don’t want, but I do. I’m only telling you because it’s the right thing for me to do. I don’t want you in my baby’s life.”

He swung around glaring at her. “What! You don’t get to make that choice, Carla. That baby is mine, too.”

“Please stop fronting like you care about this baby. You wouldn’t even know about it if you hadn’t barged in my apartment.”

His face turned a beet red. “Carla, I’m not on the damn case anymore. I’m here to make sure you’re safe.”

“I didn’t ask you to come protect me!”

He narrowed his brow. “No, you didn’t.  Like a fool, I came because I’m in love you!”

Her mouth dropped opened and her heart clenched. What did he just say? “Excuse me, but what did you say?”

He dropped into the overstuffed plush chair. His voice lowered. “Don’t make me repeat it, Carla. It took a lot for me to say it then.”

“No, I need you to say it again. If you meant it, Zach; you’d say it again without hesitation.  Do you love me or are you throwing around words to make me feel better?”

He groaned scrubbing his hands down his face.   His piercing blue eyes captured hers. “I love you, Carla Parker. Your inch high ass has managed to bring me down.  Are you happy now?” he asked sarcastically.

She ran her fingers through his hair in one clean sweep and took in how stunningly gorgeous he looked. His chiseled face and his demanding eyes that roamed over her like hungry blue flames sent a chill down her spine. “I want to believe you.  I don’t want to give my heart to you for you to step on later.  I’ve been through too much to keep dealing with heartbreaking pain over and over.”

Heart pounding, Zach walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. Quiet sobs shook her body as he held her close. “I promise never to hurt you and now that you’re carrying my kid, I have to make sure the both of you are safe.”

Carla turned in his arms and moved away from him. He stifled swearwords sitting on his tongue and let her go.  There was nothing else he could say or do, to make her believe him when he was stunned to hear those three powerful words come from his mouth. However, saying them finally lifted the burden off his shoulders.  He’d fallen in love with Carla the second time they’d had sex.  The master of holding in emotions got tripped up by the big one and was unable to keep it bottled inside. 

His sister nearly got the truth from him the more she dug, and Rodney had read him like an open book at the beach house.  The way he went off proved he was in love with Carla.

Zach felt ill.  Admitting he loved Carla was huge and had not sunk in before the second blow hit him square in the stomach.  He was going to be a father. He’d never held a baby, changed one or pretended to like them. He tolerated Patty’s kids because they were family.

He exhaled in a long, controlled breath. He turned her, so she had no choice but to face him. He held her eye, not to challenge her but because he knew he deserved her contempt. “I want to be part of my baby’s life, but I want you too.”

 “I told you not to say stuff to me you think I want to hear, Zach. I’m not that type of woman, and you know that.”

“Yeah, you’re hardheaded, stubborn and hotheaded, but you have yet to say how you feel about me.  Carla, do you love me?”

“Why did you have to come here tonight and mess everything up?”

“We’re not going back to the Q&A bullshit. Do you love me, woman?”

Carla groaned. “You always have to have your way, Agent Murphy.”

He answered that by brushing a stray strand of hair back from her face and kissed her softly on the lip. He broke the kiss gazing into her dark brown eyes.

Carla licked her lips. “I hate when you look at me that way, too.  It makes it hard for me to lie to you.”

“Then tell me the truth.”

“Yes, I love you.  But, Zach, you have to get that barbaric attitude under control.  I mean we both have to change our behavior for the sake of the baby. When you drop the baby off after visits, we should be pleasant to each other and not barking like we despise each other.”

“Whoa, back it up a minute.  We’ll raise this kid together as parents in the same house. My kid will have my name and you will be my wife.” The self-inflicted blows just kept coming.  One more and he’d be out for the count. “I’ll get you on my insurance and find us a house. I’ll take care of everything.”

She frowned tugging at the hem of her pink floral t-shirt. “Wait a doggone minute! Who put you in charge?”

“Carla, my way makes sense.”

“No, it doesn’t. I’m pregnant, that doesn’t mean I want a husband and the whole nine yards to go with it.  I have a home, Zach.  I have a job and insurance.  I have no intentions of taking away your rights or access to your baby but don’t make plans for me.”

“Carla, I got too much on my plate to do to deal with one of your temper tantrums. I’ve made myself clear, but if I need to remind you how things work, I will.”

Carla narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “You are an ass.”

His chuckle was belly deep. “Yeah, but you love me.”

She balled her fists pulling at her hair. “God, I hate that too!” She pointed a finger at him.  “You will not have complete control.  We’ll stay here for now.  I can’t pick up and run anymore; it’s too dangerous for the baby. We’ll leave if you honestly feel danger is lurking outside.  Otherwise, we have to talk about us. There are obstacles blocking our way, Zach.”

“What obstacles?”

Carla went to the kitchen and opened the fridge.  Zach followed her, watching her take ingredients out to make a sandwich.  She opened the bread sitting on the counter and slapped four slices on a cutting board. She then spread a layer of mayo, mustard and put a slice of white cheese on each, followed by a generous portion of thick carved turkey breast, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.

As she put the sandwiches together, she looked up at him. “I’m hungry.  But to answer your question, you’re arrogant, bossy, and irritate the heck out of me sometimes.”  She put a sandwich on a plate and pushed it toward him and took a bite of hers. She wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “I’m not saying I don’t get on your nerves too. I know I can be a handful.”

He flipped open the sandwich and plucked off the pickles. “I’m glad you noticed that. Look, I’m flexible; I’ll stay here with you. We’ll see how we work together and make plans from there.”

She took the milk from the fridge and poured a tall glass. “Do you want some milk?”

He shook his head. “I don’t drink milk.”

Carla raised a brow. “With a body like yours, you don’t drink milk?”

He hunched a shoulder. “What can I say; milk doesn’t do my body good.  I can’t stand the stuff.”

Zach finished his sandwich and washed it down with a glass of water. He wiped his mouth. “I do love you,” he said. For the life of him he didn’t know where this was coming from. “You can depend on me to be around for every step of your pregnancy. If I have to take a damn desk job to prove that to you, I will.”

Carla nibbled on a pickle chip shuttering her expression quickly. “When I found out I was pregnant, I left Rodney messages asking him to contact you. When neither of you responded, I had no choice but to give up looking for you.”