She needed to start packing or she was doomed, that was for sure. Quickly, she got up and started to run for her room. Damn, she wasn’t even here a month and she was up and leaving soon? She didn’t think this was the journey she would live here, and this was how short it would be, but what in the world was she supposed to do when she was probably been tracked as they spoke? “Where are you going, Grace?” Noah asked behind her as he stood up as well to follow her, but she ignored his question, not saying anything. What was there to talk about when she was probably already too late? There was no time for talking and explaining things, she just needed to leave before she was caught here and people were dragged into her mess. It was, after all, her own cross to carry. “I’m talking to you, Grace. Where are you going?” He asked her again just as they got to the door of her room. Still, without answering, she opened the door and walked to the closet, she grabbed her bag and suitcase and
She looked around to see if she didn't leave any of her stuff behind, because by doing that, she might have to come back for it, plus she didn't want anyone Jack sent seeing her stuff here, and that was if he didn't come here himself. She knew she had only few things so she knew she couldn't afford to miss anything. She started to look around again, more careful this time. It was the middle of the night and she was sure he was asleep. She just couldn't wait for morning as she had told herself she would. Not when she knew she could be caught here any moment.There was no way she was save as Noah had assured her, not when she wasn't sure anybody would risk their lives for a total stranger like she was. It might seem like she was too quick to make up her mind, or too hard to trust anyone as completely as she had always done in the past, but she knew what she had gone through. Plus, she knew the kind of secret she was carrying with her, a secret she knew might not be able to keep under
“Where the hell are you going to?” Noah asked, looking at the woman he had tried to convince all evening not to leave.Damn, he had spent the whole of the evening to explain to her how the best option was staying where she had people who were ready to help than for her to leave but here she was trying to leave at the middle of the night. Somehow, he had realized that she was going to try to leave, whether in the middle of the night or after he was gone to work that morning, but he had decided it was best not to let her. At night, before he retired to his room, he had thought of what to do, thought of it extensively, and finally, after about a couple of minutes of thinking about what he could do, he had decided to lock her door and put up a post in front of her room with a sleeping bag and a pillow right there.He had gotten comfortable in front of the room when he realized she was settled inside and won't be coming out until she was leaving. At least, that was what he thought he shoul
“Are you all right now?” Charlotte asked as she sat beside her, and Grace turned her head to look at her. She gave her a nod, nodding her head. “I'm fine, Charlotte. I don't know why Noah decided to bother you.” She said. Charlotte grunted. “You know I don't mind, right.” She said. “not when I myself was worried about you when Noah told me what happened this morning.”“I knew he only called you here so I don't escape.” She said. Charlotte smiled. “I don't think so. That man is just worried about you. I hear he's going to be taking his leave soon.” She said. “Anyway, you know you have to be better before tomorrow, so we can go shopping for your dress tomorrow.”“What dress are you talking about?” Grace asked frowning. She knew exactly what Charlotte was talking about, but she decided to play dumb. “Huh, the dress for the wedding on Saturday of course,” Charlotte said. Shaking her head and squeezing her face, she asked. “Do I really have to go to that?” she said, looking at Charlo
It was finally here, the wedding she had heard about the first day she had come into town. Grace couldn't believe that she had stayed in town two good weeks and everything was still as quiet as she didn't expect it to be. Charlotte had taken her shopping just yesterday after pushing it forward and not finding enough time to do it. She hadn't even thought she would be around here until now, but somehow she had, and she was thankful for the people that made that possible. Sometimes, no, that would be every time, Grace would wonder what her life would have looked like by now, what it would have been if she hadn’t stopped in this town if she hadn't thought of staying, or if she hadn't met with Noah and Charlotte first. Would she still be this save? Would her ex-husband have caught up with her? Would she have discovered the tracker in her car, the one she had managed to somehow not found when she did a check for it? Although, it wasn't as if she was claiming to be an expert, but she had
Noah had just turned out the last light in the kitchen and was walking to his room when he heard the whimpering sound, coming from Grace's room. He was really not sure of the sound, but he knew it was coming from her room, and his heart skilled a beat, as he started to wonder what was wrong, or what was happening. He definitely knew that there wasn't a chance for an intruder to get into the house when the alarm system was turned on and locked. He hadn't even heard any movement sound as he sat back in the sitting room with papers scattered in front of him and he studied a case of someone he was supposed to take on for surgery. As a surgeon, before he picked up a case of a patient to cut open and operate on, he would make sure to have studied his files to see the best option for them, and the best way to go about it, and although, each time he did that, he was usually engrossed, he was sure he didn't hear anything at all. There was no one else but him and Grace in the house, he was pr
“What are you doing in here?” Grace asked, a little bit startled. No, actually she was a lot startled. She had for a moment thought that someone was in her room because the voice had come when she wasn't paying attention. All he had to do was do it in the middle of the night, and she might have passed out, or on, who knows. When she turned to face him after freezing for like a full minute, she had found him on the couch that was in her room with a blanket draped over his body, wrapped around him, mostly, and she could tell that he had spent the night there on the couch. Grace forget about the discomfort look on his face of someone who had suffered through the night because of how short the couch was and how tall he was, and she focused on the weird part. Why the hell was he in here when he should have been in his room sleeping? Had he been watching her sleep all night long, being a creep? Was this just a one-night thing or he had been doing it for such a long time? If yes, then sin
The wedding reception turned out to be just as Grace had anticipated. The spacious venue was brimming with cheerful people, their faces illuminated with smiles as they engaged in lively conversations amongst themselves, and in pairs too.Grace was seated next to her Charlotte, who was equally beaming with happiness, and she occasionally turned to her with a smile, trying to make her feel the merry. Although, Grace's mind was consumed by a persistent thought the one that had been nagging at the back of her head; the fear of her ex-husband making an unexpected appearance, barging through the entrance at any moment. She had promised herself to stop thinking about it, to live her life, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded. Her eyes kept darting towards the entrance, her neck craning as she scanned the doorway time and time again.“You really should stop doing this to yourself and live your life.” She said to herself mentally. She should even emulate the rest of the people in the reception
Talking about using herself as bait when she realized Jack had came to town.“What do you mean?” Charlotte asked with a frown on her face as she looked at Grace panting.Grace put one hand on her chest and the other was pointed outside the door of the shop. “He’s here, Charlotte. My ex husband is here.” She said, swallowing at the same time, talking.She had gone out to take the trash when she saw him down the road on the main street seeing as she had decided to take the front.She was scared, or maybe she was more than scared. She wanted to go hide somewhere, anywhere at all, wherever it was that he wouldn’t find her.“What? Are you sure?” Charlotte asked, the distress showing right there on her face. She was sure that she was going to have a heart attack if care wasn’t taken because of how hard her heart was thumping against her rib cage. Nodding as she looked from Charlotte to the door, she said. “Yes. I’m sure he’s the one I saw.” She said.“Okay, you know what?” Charlotte asked w
Charleston, West VirginiaFBI BuildingWhen Agent Conner walked into the observation room the afternoon of that Saturday, he didn’t think he would see their boss, the deputy director, Mr. Jimmy, and a junior agent, Agent Smith in there.He was wearing a dark blue suit with a white and black striped shirt inside it, and he stood there in front of the one way mirror with his arms folded across his chest.“Sir,” he greeted him with a nod.“Agent Conner.” Mr. Jimmy nodded at him and then he greeted Smith then he sighed, before turning back to look through the one way mirror, where Agent Ezekiel sat and on the opposite side of the chair, was Jack Northland and Mr. Darien, his lawyer.The bastard had lawyered up the moment Zeke had mentioned warehouse to him. “What has the bastard said?” Conner asked looking at his junior colleague, but Agent Smith just shook his head. He hadn’t said anything, Conner thought. If the shake of his boss’s head was any indication.Conner furrowed his brow, pond
The small, secluded corner of the charity event became the stage for a confronting Jack, and it was as if Grace couldn’t think of anything than what they had planned, as she stared at Jack’s face. He looked as if he could have shot her if they were alone, but thankfully, they weren’t. Zeke’s penetrating gaze fixed on Jack, looking at him with reproach, something to mirror the exact way Grace felt.“You’ve been walking a tightrope, Jack,” Zeke said, his voice carrying a weighty seriousness. “But the act ends now.”There was nothing Grace could do but let Zeke take the lead, but at the moment, she seemed to have lost her voice and things seemed to be like a dream. She couldn’t believe in a million years she would be able to do a thing like this, confronting Jack, a man who had made her suffer all those years ago, like this.Jack’s facade flickered briefly, a moment of uncertainty crossing his face before he regained composure. “I’m not following,” he retorted, striving to mask his grow
Grace’s heart pounded with nervous anticipation as the car pulled up in front of the grand entrance to the charity event. “Be still, my heart.” She whispered.If this was some other day when she wasn’t so tensed and nervous, she would have thrown her head back and laughed at the ridiculousness of her words to steady herself.No one said words like that anymore, talk less, to themselves. She clutched her purse to herself as Noah offered her his hand to pull her out of the back of the limo Zeke had arranged. According to him, they needed to arrive in style, so that people would know they were of importance, as that would aid their plans for the night.The swarm of reporters and flashing cameras waiting outside made her feel uneasy, but there was a faint sense of relief knowing that anything that transpired tonight would be caught on camera, dissuading Jack from trying anything untoward.As she held unto Noah’s hand, she felt as if she could conquer the whole world, his confidence radiat
Being tensed doesn’t even began to explain how Grace was feeling as she sat in the hotel room in front of the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with anticipation and dread. They were back in San Diego, according to Zeke’s request that they attend Jack’s charity event he was hosting with some people.He said he suspected that this was how they had been able to keep under the radar for a long while, and he wanted them to show up there.So, being nervous and tensed was just an understatement. If anything, she was scared, and the way her heart was leaping hard in her throat, pumping hard against her rib cage, was indication enough.Her hands trembled as she attempted to apply a touch of makeup, but her nerves made the task difficult. Tonight was the night she would confront her ex-husband, Jack, face-to-face for the first time since she ran away from him.Zeke’s plan echoed in her mind, the fact that he had said they had to attend this charity event, hosted by Jack and his associ
Back in West Valley Rocks, Grace and Noah became even more discreet about things than ever, but they were doing as Zeke had asked them to be. Things were a bit tough, between going to work, and making sure to close early, and driving back home to ensure no one from Diana came to threaten her again.Noah had insisted actually, but she didn’t want to have to be that scared anymore. Now, she was eased into closing early and getting back home early where it was save.Speaking of Diana, according to Noah, who wanted to meet with her and ask her about sending that man, she was nowhere to be found in town, so maybe she had skipped town, or at least, that was what Grace believed.Anyway, after work today, she had decided to make some pot roast she would be taking with her over to Noah’s parents, as they had invited a small number of people over to their house to celebrate the success of Zeke and his wife’s wedding, and honeymoon.Grace shook her head when she remembered Tammy calling her to i
The dimly lit apartment seemed smaller than usual as Noah and Grace stood facing each other, the tension thick between them. Grace’s hands trembled slightly as she struggled to articulate her fears. “Noah, I can’t do this anymore. We were so close to being caught tonight. I can’t bear the thought of something happening to you.”Noah’s jaw clenched as he tried to maintain his resolve. “But Grace, we’re onto something. This isn’t just about us anymore. There’s something fishy going on in that warehouse, and I need to find out what it is.”“But at what cost, Noah?” Grace’s voice cracked, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “I can’t lose you. I won’t be able to live with myself if anything happens to you because of this.”He softened, realizing the depth of her distress. “I understand, Grace. I do. But if we stop now, we might never uncover the truth. I can’t just turn away.”They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their opposing desires pulling at the fabric of their rela
The warm fragrance of sandalwood and man filled her nostrils, making her want to thread her fingers into the heavy waves of his hair, so she could hold him there and simply breathe in.They had just finished packing and Noah and came to her room to find her, to talk, but somehow, they had ended up in each other’s arms, his tongue down her throat.Her heart stuttered as he released her hands to slide one of his under her hair to the nape of her neck. The first brush of his mouth against hers had sent her eyelids drifting down so she could savor the firm warmth of the lipsHe traced the line between her lips with the tip of his tongue, not invading, just stroking lightly, shifting his weight so his thigh pressed between hers, the thin material of her skirt pulling tight around her hips to accommodate him.Grace moaned as she parted her lips, he swept inside, his tongue teasing the moist flesh of her mouth as he stroked it around, then he moved his leg between her thigh a little bit.It
Grace sighed, feeling a mix of relief and regret. “Noah, I… I’m sorry,” she said, her voice tinged with remorse. “I had no idea you felt that way. I was hurt and confused, thinking I had repulsed you in anyway. I mean, I’ve seen how attractive your ex girlfriend looks, so...”She trailed off to look away from him, getting embarrassed from talking this close to him. He put his hand under her chin to raise her face to his, a small smile playing on his mouth.Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them. The air seemed lighter, the tension that had loomed between them dissipating with the truth finally laid bare.“I realized what I should have done when I pulled back. I should have talked to you about it,” Noah admitted, a hint of remorse in his voice. “But when I heard that cry, all I wanted to do was beat myself up and just punish me for hurting you in whatever way.”Grace nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we both should have. But now that we’ve cleared that up…” She trailed o