Gun Shy (11 page)

She grabbed the Band-aid from the shelf and quickly slapped it on. “Thanks. I…I’ve gotta go!”

Once more, she fled.

Chapter Twelve

“So?” Scott watched his friend sigh, his brow furrowed, his unhappiness plain to see.

“Nothing. Every time I think I’ve made progress, she flees.”

“Same here,” he acknowledged. “We need a new plan.”

“I have a plan,” Drew drawled, his voice rough. “I’m going to tie her up and make her see the light. That’ll work.”

“Sure, if you want to scare her off.”

“Because your plan is working?”

Scott winced. “Point taken.” He took a sip of his beer before adding, “There has to be something else. I’m sure she likes us. She wouldn’t have had sex with us otherwise.”

“Who did?” The voice rang above their heads, seconds before a large shape plopped onto the bar stool beside them. “Don’t tell me you pussies got laid!”

Scott felt frozen into place. Tommy, the worst gossip in their platoon, had overheard them.
Shit! Mayday, mayday!
His gaze met Drew’s, but the other man just sat there with his mouth gaping open.

“So? Who’s the lucky lady? And did I hear you right? You fucked her at the same time? Way to go!”

Scott brought his bottle forward, clinking it against his teammate’s because he couldn’t think of anything else to do.
Mayday, mayday!
He was supposed to be cool under pressure. He had the training to prove it.

Damn, he never even sweated while on mission and now this? Taking a deep breath, he forced his shoulders to relax and leaned on the bar. “Yeah,” he heard himself mumble.

“And?” Tommy looked at him, obviously waiting for more.

“She was good.” Scott took a long gulp of beer, nearly strangling himself in the process.

“But who is she? One of those groupies?” The younger man nodded to the two women currently leaning against the back wall, their assets freely displayed by their low-cut tops and short denim skirts.

Scott shuddered at the thought. “God, no.”

Drew’s gaze met his. He looked furious. That’s when Scott realized he should have jumped on the opportunity offered by Tommy and said that yes, it’d been one of those nameless groupies. Shit!

“So?” Tommy repeated. He wriggled his eyebrows. “You know that housekeeper of yours? That’s one woman I wouldn’t mind screwing. I’m sure she’s got a tight little body underneath those ugly clothes of hers. I knew her in high school, you know.”

Drew’s gaze drilled into Scott’s, telling him not to react to their teammate’s words.

“Really? I thought she grew up elsewhere.”

“Nah. Her family’s from around here. They just disowned her years ago.”

“They what?”

“You didn’t know?”

He shook his head. “No. It never came up.”

“I guess she didn’t want you to know. She was one slutty teenager, let me tell you. She didn’t look amazing, but she had a mouth that could make you weep.”

“You…and her?”

“Nah.” Tommy shook his head. “But most of the football team had her. She opened her legs for anyone then. Not like now. I guess she’s changed her name and all, but I recognized her straight away. Those tits don’t lie. And that hair, too.”

Mayday, mayday!
“She’s a junior high teacher.”

“Like I said she must have changed. But I’m pretty sure she’s still hot. Lots of experience and all that. I wouldn’t mind seeing her on her knees in front of me.” Tommy hiccupped. “Damn, I’m wasted. Good thing we have a week off before the next one, eh?”

Scott didn’t bother listening to the rest of Tommy’s rant, too shocked by the latest revelations about the woman he now thought of as his. She’d done what as a teenager? Her parents had disowned her? That would explain why she was so alone in the world, why she also knew the town so well. If she’d grown up around here…

His gaze met Drew’s, and he nodded. They stood up, slapped money on the bar and left. No words were spoken. Not until they were seated in his Jeep at least.

* * * *

“So?” Scott asked as soon as he entered the room.

Drew leaned back heavily into his armchair. “Tommy was right.”

“He was?” Scott’s voice was incredulous.

“Yeah. She did change her name. I guess she tried to erase her past as best she could. I saw pictures of her in the library. Their old yearbooks and shit. It’s her for sure except her name wasn’t Kristyn but Carrie. Her hair was long, her clothes… Well, you can imagine.”

Scott dropped into a chair. “Shit.”

“Yup.”

“She’s lied to us from the start.”

Drew’s gaze hardened. “Not really. She’s built herself another life, and who can blame her? Her family disowned her. She had no friends, no one. Look at her now. She’s got a good job, right? Everyone deserves a second chance.”

“Do you really believe that?” Scott asked, his voice low, his uncertainty clear.

Drew nodded. “I’ve thought about it all the way back here. I trust her. I know the person she is inside. Come on, we already knew her clothes didn’t fit her persona. She’s not that starchy teacher. She’s a lot more than that.”

“A slut?”

“You really want me to hurt you?” Drew growled.

Scott’s head drew up. “I don’t like being lied to, that’s all.”

“No one likes that, but think about it. You know Kris. You like her. You’re probably half in love with her, aren’t you? I know I am,” Drew admitted out loud for the first time.

That made his friend sit up. “Yeah.”

“Don’t you think she deserves a chance to talk about it? Explain to us why she did it? She should also know people have started to recognize her. I don’t want her to be hurt.”

“Fine. But we’re doing it my way,” Scott replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

Drew sighed. “Right.”
God knew what that meant.

* * * *

“Carrie?”

She gasped, whirling around so fast she nearly sent her cart spinning into the nearest shelf. “What? Who?”

A SEAL stood in front of her, a smirk on his face and a knowing glint in his eyes. “Carrie Engley? We were in high school together. I was a few classes above you. How are you?”

She stood rooted to the floor. “My name’s Kristyn.”

He bent down, his gaze straying to her chest for a moment. “We both know you’re Carrie. No point in pretending with me, honey. I was talking about you just last night with my two buddies, Drew and Scott. You know we’re on the same platoon, right? I was at your last BBQ. I’m sure you remember me.”

She couldn’t remember seeing him there. Hell, she didn’t even remember him from her high school days. But then she’d been with so many boys at the time their faces had blurred into one another. “I don’t know you,” she heard herself answer. That’s when his words hit her. “You talked about me with them?”

“Sure. They were very interested in your past history, baby. Can’t say I blame them.”

“No.”

He grinned. “Want to go to my car out back? I’m sure we could have some fun. I’ve heard a lot about your…skills.”

Her skills?
Her skills?
They’d told that disgusting man about what they’d done in bed together! What she’d let them do. How she’d behaved?

Blinking back tears, she pasted a fake smile on her face and shrugged. “I’m sorry. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She grabbed her cart and hurried away.

“Bitch,” she heard him mutter behind her.

Ignoring him and the way her mind was screaming, she strode to the cashier and acted as if everything was all right in her world. As if her heart hadn’t just broken into a thousand little pieces. As if she wasn’t bleeding from the inside out.

* * * *

“Kris, we need to talk.”

She stared at the two men she’d thought she knew. She’d really thought she could trust them, and look where that had brought her. She should have known. After all she had the background to prove it.

No man could ever be trusted. Ever. They only thought about one thing, only wanted one thing from her, and once they got it, they left. Or hurt her. Or both.

“Sit down.” Scott motioned her to the sofa.

Knowing it was now or never, she let her hands open, her shopping bags toppling to the floor. She stepped over them and strode into the living room, aware of their sharp gazes on her. Smoothing her skirt down, she sat primly in the middle of the couch and looked at her feet. She was ready. “Yes?”

“Are you all right?”

She turned to Drew and nearly frowned at the look on his face. “I’m fine. Should I start?” She didn’t give them time to respond. “I’m moving out.”

“You… You’re what?” Scott’s voice rose. “What the hell?”

“You obviously know about my past. I thought… Never mind what I thought. I can’t believe you told that toad about our night together. I trusted you, but no, you’re just like any other men. You fucked me and couldn’t wait to tell the whole wide world. Well, think again! I’m not going to stay here and take it. I’m older now. I know better. I have a life, and I don’t need you.”

She stood up and directed her feet toward the door. Only to be stopped when strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

She struggled against Drew’s hold, jerking her elbows backward, trying to force him to let her go. “Stop it!”

“No,” was his simple answer. “I think you misunderstood what this talk was going to be about. And what did you mean about ‘the toad’?”

“Like you don’t know!” she snapped back. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she’d never give them the pleasure of seeing her cry. She might be weak, but by God, she wasn’t
that
weak! “Let me go!”

“Baby, calm down. We just wanted to discuss this like adults,” Scott said as he appeared at their side. His eyes were dark, his expression unfathomable. “Let’s just talk about this, okay?”

“No!” she shouted, sending her right heel into Drew’s calf. He merely grunted. She tried again with her left leg, but this time, he simply lifted her and turned around. Before she knew what was happening, she was once more on the sofa, but this time the two men were sandwiching her.

It looked as if she didn’t have a choice. She’d have this talk then she would leave. Forever…

Scott felt her tense as soon as his arm curled around her shoulders. He’d only wanted to touch her, to anchor himself, too, to make sure she wouldn’t leave again. Instead, she’d withdrawn into herself even more. Cursing himself inwardly, he thought about the speech he’d rehearsed, but what came out of his mouth turned out to be something else entirely.

“I don’t care that you changed your name or the way you dress yourself. I understand why you did it. But Kris, or Carrie, or whatever you want us to call you, what I hate is the fact you lied to us.”

“I lied to you?” Her face reddened. “You’re the ones who told that freaking guy about us, and you think I’m at fault here?”

“We haven’t told anyone about us, baby,” Drew said on her other side.

“Yeah, right.”

“It’s true.”

“So how did he know who I was? How did he know about my… What did he call them? Skills?”

“That guy, was he blond, shorter than us, a SEAL like us?”

“Yes.”

“Shit.”

“Tommy…”

“Yup.”

Scott winced then leaned toward her. “He was in high school with you.”

She looked at him then Drew. “That’s what he said.”

“We were in Hell’s Dune last night, and he overhead us talking. He started telling us about you, about your past and how you’d changed your name but that he’d still recognized you the last time he was over here.”

“And you told him how much I hadn’t changed, is that it?”

“No!”

She snorted.

Scott tightened his grasp around her shoulders. “We would never do that. We wanted to warn you about him. That’s why we wanted to talk to you tonight. We didn’t want him to surprise you or hurt you.”

“Sure.”

“Kris, please.” Drew bent down so his face was level with hers. “You’ve gotta believe us. I know you think we had something to do with him going after you, but it was just a weird coincidence. Don’t you trust us?”

She blinked. “No.”

They reared back, the both of them.

Chapter Thirteen

“I don’t trust any man,” she added, leaning forward so she could hide her face behind her hands. “Can I go now?”

“No. Not yet, baby. Why don’t you trust men?”