The Best Laid Plans (Brothers of the Bayou) (9 page)

“Be careful son and protect our girl, yeah.” 

“That’s the plan mom.”

“I love you Beaux.  Call me when you get there.”

“I will do.  I love you too.”

The short conversation with his mom messed with his nerves even more. He could have sworn she knew something he didn’t.  Would Jared have told her more?  That didn’t make sense. Then again, his mom had always had an uncanny sixth sense.  He shook his head as though that would clear out the thoughts that were plaguing him.   Why had he left Lacy back at Sara’s?  Not that he was worried about her there, but he missed her. How was he going to handle going back to work?

He ran into the house packing a bag as fast as humanly possible.  As an afterthought, he reached into his night stand grabbing the Kimber 1911.  Better safe than sorry he thought.  His life had been turned upside down in the matter of a week but in that short time, Lacy had become his world.  He checked his phone one last time, hoping for another call for Jared. He would have called him to tell him of the change in plans but knowing Jared, he was probably out in town already looking for another conquest.  Mom would tell him anyways tomorrow.  For a man who had no respect for other women, Jared respected his mom above all else and called or dropped by every day that he could, especially since their dad died.  Beaux doubted his mom knew the extent of Jared’s escapades but that didn’t concern him. Right now he just wanted to get back to Lacy.  One last check told him he had everything, so he locked up and went back to get her.

Sara and Lacy were embraced in a long hug when he arrived,  promising to talk every day and reminding each other Lacy would be back to stay in just four weeks.

Lacy patted Sara’s stomach.  “You be nice to your mommy little one.  Give her some rest until Aunt Lacy can come back and take care of her.”  A maternal instinct welled up inside her and she pushed it aside.  The relationship was so new and fresh that she couldn’t even hope to imagine having his kids yet.

Beaux gave Sara a quick hug and Justin a handshake.

“Take good care of her Beaux,” Sara called out as they loaded into the truck.  The dark night hid the worried looks on Justin and Beaux’s faces.

Thirty minutes later, they were on the interstate heading east.  Lacy snuggled in close to Beaux and he draped his arm around her shoulder. They drove in companionable silence until reaching the Alabama state line.

“Can we pull over at the next good place to stop?”

“Sure. I could use some coffee.”

A large truck stop was just a few miles down the highway so they pulled off.  Beaux closely watched the car behind them as it also pulled off.  The car looked familiar and had been following them closely for miles, even when he slowed down to a considerable speed.  There were two passengers; a male and female in their late twenties, but neither got out.  Beaux trained his eyes on both Lacy and the vehicle while they finished in the store. As he was walking out with his coffee, he saw the scratch on the fender and remembered where he saw the car.  Damn it someone had some explaining to do and quick.  Without alerting Lacy, there was little he could do right now but keep as much distance as possible until he had answers.  Fifty miles down the road, the car was still trailing them and he’d had enough.  He feigned exhaustion suggesting they get a hotel for the night.  Lacy was rubbing her eyes and quickly agreed.  The next exit boasted a variety of accommodations and they took the first one they came to.  Beaux’s eyes scanned for the car, not stopping until he saw it at a neighboring hotel. At least they had that much sense he thought sardonically.

“I’m going to call Justin and let him know we stopped for the night,” Beaux lied.

“Good idea, I’m going to jump in the shower.”  If he wasn’t so pissed, he’d be tempted to join her.

He left her and grabbed a key, standing right outside their room.   Jared answered on the third ring and Beaux lit into him before he could say a word.

“Who the hell was at your house today and why are they following us. Don’t you even try to tell me you can’t say or don’t know damn it, because this isn’t some game.”

“You need to calm down Beaux.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down when I have a car following me right after being told my new girlfriend’s dad is a major drug dealer being investigated, especially when that car was at your house this morning.

“They are there to protect you and Lacy. That’s all I can say for now.”

“Damn it Jared, I’m your brother.  Tell me what the hell is going on.”

“I can’t Beaux.  Please just trust me on this one.”

Beaux couldn’t think past his anger and fear for Lacy.  “Then you are not the brother I thought you were.”

Jared hung up stunned into silence.  His line of work often saw people throwi
ng out words they didn’t mean, but none had ever sliced him like Beaux’s. Maybe it was time to change jobs.  He was sure Beaux would see everything differently once the truth came out, but for now he would just have to be angry, for his own sake.

Beaux leaned against the door cal
ming down before he went back to Lacy.  He would never expect his brother to reveal classified information to him, but when his own life and those he loved were involved wasn’t that different?  He was pissed, but Lacy didn’t need to see that. These were the times he wished that he still smoked.  A nicotine fix was calling him loud and clear but that wasn’t an option.  Taking a deep breath, he went back inside to find the only fix that could help him.  He found her still in the shower, running her hands through her hair.

He knocked on the thin glass door separating them.  Seeing the hunger in his eyes, she pulled him in, barely allowing time for him to undress.  He exchanged all his negative emotions filled with fear and anger with his love for her and claimed her mouth in his most intense display of the raw need for her and only her.  With the burning water running over them, he pinned her against the shower stall, giving her pleasure until she shouted out in sheer rapture. Only then, did Beaux allow himself release.  By the time the water turned cold, he had almost forgotten about the car following them.

Chapter 6:

Sunlight leaked through partially cracked curtains, finding its way to Lacy’s eyes.  Grudgingly, she opened them wishing she could keep them shut and fall back asleep.  Long into the night, she had laid beside Beaux, held tight in his arms. Even after he had fallen asleep, she had laid awake, his hold never loosening.   She should have felt at peace, but she was nervous.  Something was wrong and she was lost as to what.  When Beaux had came to her in the shower, the storm in his eyes had returned with a glint of fear.   Their love-making had been fierce but gentle and she gave him what she knew he needed.   In sleep he was a different person. His chest rose with each breath in a steady rhythm and his thick, disheveled hair stuck up in all the wrong spots tempting Lacy to run her hands through
it. He looked content, and if not for his constant tight grip, she could almost believe everything was fine.  She leaned back into him, allowing herself that illusion, waiting for him to awaken.

Thirty minutes later he began to stir.  “Good morning,” he murmured brushing a kiss against her forehead. Then, as he came to full consciousness, his eyes clouded over.  He rolled over grabbing his phone, slamming it down in frustration when he didn’t see what he wanted.  Lacy’s nerves grew.  When they were together, they rarely checked their phones, shutting out the world around them.  He composed himself quickly and turned back with a smile for her.

“Do you want to get breakfast before we leave or make it down the road further?”

“Here is fine. I’d rather make as few stops as possible.”

Beaux got out of bed, pulling on a pair of jeans.  He went to the window and drew the blinds, all the while searching for the car.  Feeling a fleeting moment of relief, he knew there were still answers he didn’t have, but at least for the moment he felt he could relax.

They grabbed breakfast at a diner they suspected was created just for tourists.  The parking lot was full, so they figured at least the food was decent.    As they ate their eggs and toast
, Beaux’s eyes constantly searched outside for the car.  Finally Lacy had enough.

“What is going on
Beaux? Something isn’t right with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re looking around like you expect to see someone else and you were upset last night.”

“I was just tired last night and I thought I saw an old college friend when we walked in.”

Beaux was a terrible liar.  Even if he had been adept at telling lies, his eyes always told the truth.  Lacy hurt knowing he wasn’t being honest, but she let it go for now.  Intuition told her that he had his reasons and so far he hadn’t given her any reason not to trust him.  Having faith in someone did not come easy and she only prayed she was making the right decision.

Beaux paid their bill, leaving a generous tip.  He stood by the door while Lacy used the restroom, taking this time to more keenly observe the parking lot.  Still no sign of the car or its occupants, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling they were here, lurking in the near vicinity.  He wanted to call Jared again and yell at him until he finally broke and told him everything. Unfortunately, he knew not only would that accomplish nothing he would come out of the conversation saying more things he’d have to apologize for later.   The lie he told Lacy earlier was obvious and he knew without a doubt that she didn’t buy it.  Lying to her went against everything be believed, except the need to protect her.    She came out of the bathroom and they walked to his truck.  There was a strain between them, barely detectable but there nonetheless.  Lacy looked wary of him, probably thinking of all the men who had previously deceived
her.  Conversation was limited and when she asked him to pull over those were the first words either had spoken in two hundred miles. 

Lacy went inside the restroom and not having seen any sign of the followers, Beaux took his eyes off the door long enough to stop at the vending machines.  He chose a soda for him
and a bottle of water for Lacy and then grabbed a pack of candy from the next machine.  People were coming in and out by the droves, but then again, it was the last Sunday in May, making it a popular travel day.   He looked out at the parking lot and saw a small car pull in three spots away from his truck.  While the car itself was different the passengers inside were undoubtedly the same passengers from the car following them yesterday.  Beaux’s heart pounded and he glared at them, knowing they could see.  When the female got out of the new car and began walking towards the bathroom, Beaux’s adrenaline took over.  Screw this he thought, running into the woman’s bathroom.  Among a round of screams and cries from the other females, he spotted Lacy at a sink washing her hands.  She stared at him in panic when he grabbed her arm, firmly telling her “let’s go.” As inconspicuously as possible, considering he had just burst into a women’s restroom causing a massive distraction, they rushed to his truck and sped away.

Lacy held her breath terrified.  If someone didn’t tell her what was going on she would scream. The only thing that prevented her from doing that now was seeing Beaux look equally terrified. They put some distance between the rest stop and them, before Beaux finally spoke.

“We’re being followed.”

“What?” Lacy asked incredulously, wondering if her dad had finally lost it and still had people trailing her.

“I have to tell you something Lacy. You’ll probably be mad, but I am begging you to understand, I only did it to protect you.”

Her throat constricted and she felt panic rising. “Tell me everything and now!”

“When you told me your dad had an affair with his brother’s wife and that didn’t make sense, I remembered some things your uncle had said in the past.  You know Sara and I were friends, and I spent time at her house during our school years.  There were contradictions between what I had heard and seen from your uncle, and what you told me.  I had Jared do some investigating.”

“What does Jared have to do with this?” Lacy asked through clenched teeth.  She dug through her purse for an Ativan before the panic fully set in.

“He has connections.”

“What connections?” she demanded.

He could see he was at a point where he had to spill everything now if he had any hope of regaining her trust.  Opening the floodgates, he told her everything from Jared’s job, the new information they had found, the car following them, and even what Justin and him had suspected for some time. Lacy sat quietly absorbing the information she had just been given.  The part about her dad made sense.  She had heard enough over the years from other people that it wasn’t shocking to her.   Even, the part of using an alias didn’t upset her.  Her name was what she had always known even if it wasn’t her parent’s true surname. Hell, if her dad was actually doing what all signs indicated, she preferred that her name wasn’t what it should be. In a way it gave her a means to separate herself from his actions.   Somehow she was even able to get past that they were being followed.  If Jared really did have that job and he told Beaux these people were here to protect them, than she believed it.  Perhaps naivety had always been her biggest weakness.  But what bothered and upset her the most, were the claims against her aunt and uncle.  Nothing could have prepared her for that and she just couldn’t believe it.