Torn Away (The Torn Series Book 1) Read online

  The General smiled and unable to help himself, ruffled Cole’s hair. “That’s actually a good question, and it’s something we thought of. It’s programmed with a dummy code.”

  Cole squinted in confusion. “A dummy code? What’s that?”

  “Instead of your mother’s name,” the General explained, “You enter a different code. It’ll send a signal to our group and everyone’s phone that even though you say everything is alright, it’s not. They may talk to you as if you made a mistake. Might even give you a hard time, just to keep up appearances, but they’ll know.

  “If you enter the dummy code to key into the phone, it automatically activates the app, so if someone ever takes your phone and wants to check your messages, have them enter the dummy code. It will trigger a message to everyone, we’ll know your location, and we’ll be able to hear whatever is happening, even if they turn it off.” The General tapped the phone in pride. “Your phone won’t actually go off, it’ll just look like it did.”

  Slowly, a grin spread across Cole’s face. It was wicked cool. “What’s the dummy code?”

  The General grinned too. “Something I expect you to remember. 1-2-3-4.”

  The General got to hear Cole laugh for the first time.

  Drew waited until the General climbed into the car and secured his seat belt before pulling away. “Did you give Cole the phone?”

  The General nodded. “Smart kid. Asked good questions. He has a bag packed to run with?”

  Drew smiled as he pulled onto the main road, for once in his life, not driving past the speed limit. He was in no hurry to get the General to the airport. “Yes. He’s got some cash, clothes, some candy bars, water and a couple of books.”

  “Like I said, smart kid.” The General looked out through the window at the stores and homes they passed. He tried to imagine a young Drew Duncan running through these streets. The General glimpsed a few pictures of Drew from when he was young that Lilly had taken, so it was easier to visualize him playing ball in the street, or heading to the schoolyard eager to see his friends, or even getting into a fight by the basketball courts they passed.

  As much as he knew and understood Drew before this trip, he understood him a little better now. Seeing where he came from, and what he survived, it enhanced his knowledge of the young man.

  Just like their ride to his home, Drew was silent as they drove back to the airport, but this time, the General suspected it wasn’t fear holding Drew’s tongue.

  “I have that meeting tonight with the Blair’s,” the General said as he looked ahead. “And then I’ve got to look personally at the security for the Whitmore Foundation.”

  Drew nodded. “I know you’ve pushed it off to stay here until after the funeral. I appreciate it more than you know.”

  They pulled up to a red light and Drew. “I wanted to be here for you. Matt would have wanted me to. I’m hoping once I get on that jet, you don’t think it’ll be the end of me. I’ll be back. Probably soon. I expect to see this through.”

  Drew’s grinned. “I know.”

  The light turned green and Drew released the brake and eased onto the gas. “Maybe next time, I’ll show you around. Not too much to see here, but I can show you my old high school. Or challenge you to a game of pool. Or show you where I got my first look at boobs.”

  The General barked out a laugh. As they drove, the discussion turned more to business. Upcoming jobs, who would be a good replacement for him and how to handle certain clients Drew worked with.

  “You’ve still got over two months left of leave,” the General said. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do once that’s over? You can’t just stay above Lilly’s garage forever.”

  “Definitely not,” Drew said. “I’ve got a decent savings. I was thinking of buying a place of my own. I want to stay close to Lilly’s. Cole seems comfortable there, but I want him to know he can stay with me whenever he wants. There’s a few houses in the area.”

  “You ever fix up a home?”

  Drew laughed. “I painted my sisters room once, when they really wanted to change the color. My father was useless. Once in a while, he’d start to try and fix something, but just ended up getting pissed and drunk so if we wanted it fixed, I had to do it. But, I wouldn’t be up to doing plumbing.”

  “You might want to hire that out. Not only so it gets done right, but you can hire locally. People will appreciate the business. You haven’t interacted much with your community. Have you tried to look up any of your old friends?”

  Drew shook his head as he signaled a left turn. “No. You’ll notice how few people came to Kelli’s funeral. Most don’t want to look me in the eye. They think I killed Molly Winters and don’t want to pretend I didn’t or get into it with me. I’m not here to convince anyone. I’m here for Ashley and Cole.”

  The General let out a long, soft breath. “Cole isn’t going to have it easy, growing up in a town where people think his uncle is a killer.”

  Drew gripped the steering wheel tightly. “I know. I’ve thought about trying to get Ashley and Cole to move out of Ember Falls. It’s not like the place has great memories for either of us, but Ashley is part owner of the bookstore. She won’t leave Lilly alone and she’d kill me if I even suggested taking Cole away from her. Besides, the kid needs a stable home. There’s nothing wrong with Ember Falls. Just because my childhood sucked doesn’t mean Cole’s has to.”

  They sat in silence as Drew navigated onto the highway, heading towards the airport. The General knew Drew didn’t want to make waves because it could make things uncomfortable for his sister and nephew, but the fact was Drew wasn’t good at not making waves. And sometimes you needed to stir things up. A thought occurred to the General, something he wasn’t quite ready to share, but something he’d need to look at. He’d have to check on the legality, but it that made him smile.

  “Have you thought about what you’re going to do for a living?”

  Drew did what he could to suppress a snort. “Thought about? Yes. But I haven’t figured it out. I made a few calls the other night. Although nobody said it, it felt more or less like a unified, ‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you’ kind of response. I’m going to have to get a job soon.”

  “Well, I might have a job for you through McAlister Securities,” the General said. “Something local that might work out. It won’t be permanent, but if it checks out, and the client agrees, it’ll give you a paycheck for a little longer. I’ll check on it and get back to you.”

  Drew pulled up to a stop sign, just a few blocks away from their destination. He took a moment to glance at the General, trying to gauge exactly what kind of job he had in mind. As usual, the General had a perfect poker face.

  But he did notice Drew looking.

  “I can get someone else if you turn out to not be interested,” the General said blandly as Drew continued to drive. “But, if it pans out the way I hope it will, I’d consider it a personal favor.”

  Drew didn’t say anything as he entered the small airport and navigated his way to the gate where the General could board his private jet. He decided not to worry about it, since he knew damn well whatever favor the General asked, he’d do.

  Just as Drew pulled the car into a parking spot and killed the engine, his cell buzzed with a text. Worried something was wrong with Cole, Drew grabbed it and opened the text.

  “Everything okay with the kid?” the General said, instantly reading Drew’s face.

  Nodding as he read the message, a slow grin appeared on his face.

  “Well, now,” the General said, his eyebrows going up in amusement. “I’m guessing that text isn’t from or about Cole. Would that be from the young lady you were talking to after the burial? The one that came with her grandmother?”

  Drew laughed as he closed the phone. Man never misses a thing. “Yeah. Her name’s Samantha. Sam. She just texted. Her Nana is going out tonight, so she asked if I wanted to come by to talk.”

  “Ah,” the Gener
al said with a smug expression. “Is that what we’re calling it? Talking?”

  Drew scowled. “You’ve got a dirty mind. She’s made it clear she’s reluctant to start anything and she’s not into casual relationships.”

  The General smirked. “But you’re going anyway.”

  Drew smiled. “Hell yeah.”

  “You’re not going empty handed, are you?” Lilly stood in the kitchen, seasoning a chicken and looking bewildered.

  When Drew texted back, Sam told him to come by about an hour after her shift ended. He offered to bring dinner, but she said she had something to cook at the house.

  “Um… yeah,” Drew said. “It’s not a date. If it were a date, I’d be taking her out to eat.”

  Lilly’s eyes widened in shock and utter dismay. “Oh. My. God.” She looked to Ashley who sat at the table with a beer in her hand, reading a magazine. “Your brother is a baboon.”

  Ashley raised her beer in mock salute. “I’ve been saying it for years.”

  “Give me a break,” Drew said. “She told me she wasn’t ready for dating. I got the impression from both her and Ollie that something may have happened. She even used the words ‘come hang out’ in her text. If this was a date, I would have called her on the phone at the very least, not made it through a text. I’d take her out to a nice place. I’d bring flowers.”

  “Yes!” Lilly’s face lit up. “Flowers. Take her flowers.”

  Drew rolled his eyes. “I just said—”

  “Hush,” Lilly was thinking about it, tapping her finger on her chin and looking up to the ceiling. “No, not flowers. You’re right, too much. Too soon. You’ll scare her off.”

  “Scare her—” Drew was flabbergasted.

  “Hush,” Lilly repeated. “She’s cooking, right?”

  Slowly, Drew nodded. He was starting to get a little worried.

  Lilly paced back and forth as Drew sent a puzzled look to his sister who laughed and took another pull on her beer.

  “Wine,” Lilly concluded. “Here, I’ve got something in here.”

  Lilly disappeared into a nearby pantry. Bottles clinked together as she looked for whatever it was she was looking for. Finally, she came out holding a bottle of Sangiovese in one hand and a bottle of Pinot Grigio in the other. She held up both green bottles to Drew. “What is she serving?”

  Drew shrugged. “How am I supposed to know? I offered to bring some food. She said she’d make something. Why are we making a big deal out of this? She might just be grilling up some burgers and—”

  “Ahh,” Lilly screamed as she stalked forward and shoved both bottles in his hands. “Stop. Just stop before you completely break my heart. Take them both. Now…” She looked him up and down. “You’re not planning on wearing that, are you?”

  Drew looked down at himself. He was in jeans and a black t-shirt. It was the same thing he’d been wearing all day. “I’m gonna say no, only because I’m very frightened of you right now.”

  Ashley chuckled. “Good answer.”

  “Go shower and change,” Lilly said, taking the bottles back and placing them on the counter. She started to shoo him out through the back door. “Nothing to fancy, jeans are okay if you’ve something without holes in them. And please tell me you own a decent shirt with buttons and a collar of some sort.”

  Drew shook his head in disbelief as Lilly herded him towards the door. The last thing he heard was Ashley yell out, “If you want to bring something more entertaining, I’ve got plenty of condoms.”

  Drew found himself walking up to Sam’s front door with two bottles of wine, one ticked under his arm and the other firmly in his grip. He showered, put on a new pair of dark, blue jeans that didn’t (as far as he knew) have any holes in them, and a grey button down shirt. He imagined he’d open the door and find Sam in sweats, her hair up while she nuked hotdogs for dinner.

  He was just about to knock when the door opened.

  Rose looked shocked to see him, but her wide eyes quickly melted to joy. “I’m so happy you’re here. I almost didn’t believe Sam when she told me you were coming over.” She stepped back and held the door open, inviting him in.

  Drew smiled back as he stepped inside. The moment he sniffed the air, he knew hamburgers were not on the menu. Something spicy wafted through the air, coupled with the scent of tomatoes and wine, Drew started to wonder if he was underdressed.

  “Smells great, doesn’t it?” Rose said with a broad smile.

  Rose was wearing a long, flowered dress and had a small white purse in her hands. Her feet were clad in shoes that matched her purse, with three inch heels.

  She stepped through the open door. “I’ve got my poker game. I plan on cleaning up. You go on in the kitchen and have a great time. I won’t be home until late, so feel free to get as frisky as you want.” She sent him that dazzling smile again before leaving.

  Shaking his head, Drew headed for the kitchen area. When he opened the door, it hit him. Somehow, he’d died. He was dead and now, he was clearly in Heaven.

  If the smell of the food cooking was tantalizing from the door, it was downright mouthwatering from here.

  Sam didn’t see him at first. She was busy pouring angel hair pasta into a colander as something red simmered in a skillet. Leaving the colander in the sink, she hummed to the slow and sexy country song playing on the radio as she pulled a long French Baguette from the oven.

  If the food smelled delectable, Sam was downright scrumptious. While not in sweat pants, her outfit was simple enough. She wore a pair of tight jeans and a pink blouse that showed off all of her curves. There was something about her, how she glided through the kitchen, her long, dark hair flowing freely behind her as she stirred the sauce in the skillet, her hips swaying to the rhythm of a sultry steel pedal guitar that sent a flock of butterflies aflutter in Drew’s belly.

  Glancing in his direction, Sam’s eyes widened in surprise. Her face lit up as she smiled. “When did you get here and how long have you been standing there?”

  Drew closed the distance between them, setting the two bottles of wine down on the counter. “I got here just as your Nana was leaving to play poker and I came in as you were dumping the pasta, so not long. Why? Was the last song on the radio something even sexier?”

  Sam grinned at him. “It was all about a girl’s badonkadonk, so no.”

  Drew laughed. “I don’t know, I’m kinda finding your badonkadonk pretty sexy right now.” He turned to the stove. “That smells amazing.”

  “Thanks,” Sam said. “It’s an old family recipe that was quick and easy to make. You’re not allergic to shellfish are you?”

  Drew leaned down and pulled her into a kiss. She tasted as delicious as her food smelled, and when she melted into his embrace her body fit his as if she was a part of him that had been missing his entire life, only he hadn’t known it until this moment.

  When the kiss ended, he thought she tremble. She looked up at him with those big, brown eyes, wide with wonder and a little fear.

  “Wow,” Sam said. “And you haven’t even sampled my cooking.”

  Slowly, she pulled away from him and went back to the stove.

  Drew stood behind her, worried he’d taken things too far. “I’m sorry.”

  She continued to stir the sauce for a moment, her back tense as she added a sprinkle of salt. Drew thought about excusing himself and leaving when she sighed and turned around. “No, I’m sorry. It was an amazing kiss and it’s not like I didn’t want to kiss you. Or that I don’t like it. I guess it was… more than I was expecting.”

  “I’m sorry,” Drew repeated. “I just—”

  “No, please,” Sam said. “I have some baggage I haven’t told you about. I expected tonight to be very casual and friendly. You make me want to…” she smiled and actually blushed. “Want to leave my dinner on the stove to ruin and do something I might regret. I guess I’m not ready for that yet.”

  Drew smiled. “I understand. Do you want me to go?”

&nb
sp; The lovely blush drained from her face. “No, I definitely don’t want that, but dinner’s almost ready. Let’s eat and talk. Okay?”

  Drew nodded.

  “Good. I’ve got to finish this up. What kind of wine… Oh…” Sam picked up the bottle of Sangiovese. “This is perfect for dinner.”

  Drew sighed. “I’ve got to be honest. It was Lilly’s idea which two wines to pick. I don’t really know much about it, but she figured between these two, they’d pair well with whatever you were making.”

  Sam laughed as she handed him the bottle and dug in a drawer for a corkscrew. “Well, she’s got perfect taste. I can’t imagine a dish I would have thrown together that wouldn’t have worked with one of these. Unless I made burgers or hotdogs, in which case beer would be best, but I’ve got that already.”

  Drew struggled not to give in to his urge to kiss her again.

  “Can you open the wine and get glasses down from the cabinet.” She pointed quickly to the cupboard on the other side of the room. “I’ll need a few minutes to finish this up. You want to eat outside? It’s a beautiful night.”

  Drew, thinking the cool night air would do him good right about now, agreed. He put the bottle of wine down on the dark wood buffet under the cabinet so he could open it and retrieve the two glasses. Then with the corkscrew tucked into his shirt pocket, he headed to the door, taking one last look at Sam as she dumped a bowl full of shrimp into the sauce and stirred.

  Outside was a small patio table, with two chairs on either side. It was dusk and the sky was a radiant combination of gold and blue auras mixing as the sun began its gentle decent. Drew opened the wine and set it aside to let it breathe. There was a single candle in a small red glass bowl of wax. He dug into his pocket for his lighter before remembering he didn’t have it as he no longer smoked.

  He headed back to the door to find Sam heading his way. He opened the door and took the breadbasket she was carrying, along with a small tray of butter and butter knife.