Read Online Present Tense (A Parker & Coe, Love and Bullets Thriller Book 2) by Alana Matthews - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alana Matthews
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dies, too."
"Then let's hope he's a slow bleeder." Parker pulled out his cell phone, looked at it and shook his head. "I'm still getting nothing. What about you?"
I checked mine. "Nope."
He gestured toward the shack. "And there's no radio inside?"
"Pieces of one. The dead guy shot it up."
"Then I guess we'll have to improvise."
We went back to the Rover and climbed in, Parker behind the wheel. He fired up the engine and headed up the narrow road toward the clearing where I'd first seen Cat Eater.
I once again marveled at how close Ethan and I had been to finally finding the path to civilization before Swan's men started shooting at us.
Parker said, "So, high school, huh? How well did you know this guy?"
I didn't want to get into this discussion. Not now. "He was a friend."
"A friend friend or a… friend?"
The Rover bounced hard over a deep rut and I bit back a groan. That parachute jump had really done a number on me. "Does it really matter?"
Parker frowned. "I know what that means."
"You don't know anything."
"It explains why you were so distant when I called you on the plane. Have you been in touch with this guy before?"
"Can we talk about this later?"
"I'm just curious, Kelsey."
"No," I said. "I haven't been in touch with him. This is the first I've seen or heard about him in nearly eight years."
"Did you know who he was when you took the job?"
I spun my head toward him. "What are you insinuating?"
"Take it easy. It's just a question."
"Well the answer is no. Ethan was using an alias, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Happy now?"
"I don't know why you're so upset," he said. "If this guy's an old boyfriend and you still have feelings for him—"
"Where the hell is that coming from?"
I knew he must have been picking up on the guilt I'd carried with me ever since I'd stepped on that plane, and for reasons I couldn't quite grasp, it made me angry. This whole topic of conversation made me angry.
"Relax, Kelsey, I'm not accusing you of anything. We've all been there at one time or another and—"
"Can we please talk about this later?"
My tone was loud and abrupt and it shut us both up for an undetermined amount of time that felt like half a century. We rode in silence until we reached the clearing, then Parker pulled to a stop and killed the engine.
"I'm sorry," I said. "It isn't every day you survive a plane crash and get shot at by hired killers. Although I'm sensing a pattern in this relationship."
He smiled. "Hey, I was in Dallas this time."
I nodded. "And next time I'm going with you."
We both laughed, a momentary release of stress after a particularly stressful day. Then Parker leaned over and kissed me. "I thought you were dead."
The words were laced with emotion.
"I know."
He nuzzled my neck. "I'm so glad you're not."
"So am I."
Then we kissed again, both wanting to make it last but knowing we couldn't. We had a life to save—if that was even possible at this point.
We broke apart and got out of the Rover and I checked the trees and rutted landscape around us, using memory to take us up the slope to the large cave Ethan and I had bypassed.
The crevice to the right remained untouched, the branches and bushes right where I had left them, making it invisible to anyone but the keenest observer.
"He's in there," I said.
"Where?"
I went over and pulled away some of the bushes and Parker eyed it with surprise. "Nice. You did good."
"Thanks."
I turned sideways and slid through the crevice until I was inside the small cave—
—and stopped short.
The cave was empty.
Ethan was gone.
In his place was a patch of blood, soaking into the dirt, and several small rocks that looked as if they'd been laid out to form a message—but it was hard to tell in this light.
I took out my cell phone and used the flashlight app to illuminate the words:
S O R R Y P O O K S
PART THREE
Agony and Ecstasy
SEVENTEEN
"Pooks?" Parker said. "Who the hell is
"Then let's hope he's a slow bleeder." Parker pulled out his cell phone, looked at it and shook his head. "I'm still getting nothing. What about you?"
I checked mine. "Nope."
He gestured toward the shack. "And there's no radio inside?"
"Pieces of one. The dead guy shot it up."
"Then I guess we'll have to improvise."
We went back to the Rover and climbed in, Parker behind the wheel. He fired up the engine and headed up the narrow road toward the clearing where I'd first seen Cat Eater.
I once again marveled at how close Ethan and I had been to finally finding the path to civilization before Swan's men started shooting at us.
Parker said, "So, high school, huh? How well did you know this guy?"
I didn't want to get into this discussion. Not now. "He was a friend."
"A friend friend or a… friend?"
The Rover bounced hard over a deep rut and I bit back a groan. That parachute jump had really done a number on me. "Does it really matter?"
Parker frowned. "I know what that means."
"You don't know anything."
"It explains why you were so distant when I called you on the plane. Have you been in touch with this guy before?"
"Can we talk about this later?"
"I'm just curious, Kelsey."
"No," I said. "I haven't been in touch with him. This is the first I've seen or heard about him in nearly eight years."
"Did you know who he was when you took the job?"
I spun my head toward him. "What are you insinuating?"
"Take it easy. It's just a question."
"Well the answer is no. Ethan was using an alias, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Happy now?"
"I don't know why you're so upset," he said. "If this guy's an old boyfriend and you still have feelings for him—"
"Where the hell is that coming from?"
I knew he must have been picking up on the guilt I'd carried with me ever since I'd stepped on that plane, and for reasons I couldn't quite grasp, it made me angry. This whole topic of conversation made me angry.
"Relax, Kelsey, I'm not accusing you of anything. We've all been there at one time or another and—"
"Can we please talk about this later?"
My tone was loud and abrupt and it shut us both up for an undetermined amount of time that felt like half a century. We rode in silence until we reached the clearing, then Parker pulled to a stop and killed the engine.
"I'm sorry," I said. "It isn't every day you survive a plane crash and get shot at by hired killers. Although I'm sensing a pattern in this relationship."
He smiled. "Hey, I was in Dallas this time."
I nodded. "And next time I'm going with you."
We both laughed, a momentary release of stress after a particularly stressful day. Then Parker leaned over and kissed me. "I thought you were dead."
The words were laced with emotion.
"I know."
He nuzzled my neck. "I'm so glad you're not."
"So am I."
Then we kissed again, both wanting to make it last but knowing we couldn't. We had a life to save—if that was even possible at this point.
We broke apart and got out of the Rover and I checked the trees and rutted landscape around us, using memory to take us up the slope to the large cave Ethan and I had bypassed.
The crevice to the right remained untouched, the branches and bushes right where I had left them, making it invisible to anyone but the keenest observer.
"He's in there," I said.
"Where?"
I went over and pulled away some of the bushes and Parker eyed it with surprise. "Nice. You did good."
"Thanks."
I turned sideways and slid through the crevice until I was inside the small cave—
—and stopped short.
The cave was empty.
Ethan was gone.
In his place was a patch of blood, soaking into the dirt, and several small rocks that looked as if they'd been laid out to form a message—but it was hard to tell in this light.
I took out my cell phone and used the flashlight app to illuminate the words:
S O R R Y P O O K S
PART THREE
Agony and Ecstasy
SEVENTEEN
"Pooks?" Parker said. "Who the hell is
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