Unconditional Love (Journey of Love 1)

He smiled back and I had to admit it: my knees went weak.

He opened the door and another guy was standing there. “Sorry Dodge, but some guy out here is flashing around some sort of badge saying he needs to talk to you.”

Dodge stepped to the side and I walked out and headed down the hallway. When I popped out and made my way over toward Ryn, she frowned. I shook my head no and she smiled slightly. I sat down and she yelled across the table.

“Too soon?”

I shrugged and looked away. The moment my eyes met his I sucked in a breath of air. Dodge walked up and leaned down and yelled. “I called a cab.”

Ryn sat up straight and said, “Wait! We’re leaving?”

I glanced behind Lark and saw Tristan. I snapped my head at Ryn and yelled. “They’re here!”

She narrowed her eyes at me confused as she said, “Who?”

I just looked at her and her eyes widened. “No!”

“Yes.”

We both turned and saw Lark and Tristan standing there, staring at both of us. We both turned and looked at each other and said at the same time, “We’re leaving.”

Dodge took a step back and said, “I don’t think the cab is here yet.”

I looked over his shoulder and saw Lark talking to some bleached blonde. He was smiling, but kept glancing over our way. Tristan was with a girl and I was guessing it was Liberty.

Ryn grabbed my arm and put her lips up to my ear. “Oh God, Dee. Do you think that’s Liberty?”

I nodded my head and shouted toward Dodge. “Will you walk us outside?”

He smiled and said, “Sure.”

I pointed to cut across the dance floor. He looked confused but then recognition crossed over his face. “He’s here?”

I mouthed yes.

As we made our way across the dance floor and down the other side of the club, Ryn and I both started looking behind us. The second the fresh air hit my face I let out the breath I had been holding. Dodge held up his hand and a taxi pulled up. Ryn immediately jumped in. I turned to face Dodge and said, “Thank you again for being so understanding.”

He smiled and winked. “Dinner though, right?” I laughed and said yes. He leaned down and kissed me gently on the cheek and turned and headed back into the club. I went to turn and get into the cab when someone bumped into me and knocked my clutch out of my hand and to the ground. He kept walking as I called out. “Excuse you, asshole.” I bent down and went to reach for my purse when another hand grabbed it.

I stood up and came face to face with Lark.

My heart was pounding so hard in my chest it felt like it would pound right out. The way she looked at me almost had me in tears. I wanted to ask who the fucker was she went into the back with. They hadn’t been gone long enough for anything to have happened, but my mind was going crazy with thoughts.

“Azurdee,” I whispered.

She turned and looked at the cab and then back at me. “What…I thought your parents’ party was tonight?”

I gave her a weak smile. “It was. Tristan and I left early. Nothing but a bunch of old people sitting around telling stories.”

She didn’t smile and my heart broke even more.

“Is that Liberty?”

I looked at Ryn sitting in the cab, then back at Azurdee, and slowly nodded my head. “Yeah.”

“Must be nice to just brush someone aside and go about your life with no thought to the person left behind hurting.”

I swallowed hard. “Who was the guy you were with?”

She looked shocked and her mouth opened a little before she tightened her jaw and said, “He’s a friend of Ryn’s. The manager here.”

I nodded my head and said, “You went back to his office. What for?”

She squared off her shoulders and said, “That’s none of your business. You made that choice when you let me walk away from you.” She turned and headed to the taxi before turning back and walking up to me. She took her finger and began poking me in the chest.

“You’re a liar, Lark. You never fucked Sherry because she was in France. She wasn’t even in town when you left town. You lied to me.”

I pushed my hand through my hair and said, “Listen, Azurdee, I just need…”

“Need what, Lark? Space? Freedom? A good fuck from a strange random girl?”

“No. I haven’t been with anyone since before our first night together. There was never anyone else, Azurdee. I’m so sorry I lied to you. I just need some time.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Did you ever even love me?”

I stood there shocked by her question. I looked around. Anyone could be watching us or listening to us.

When I saw the tear slide down her face I took a step toward her as she took a step back.

She slowly shook her head and whispered, “I hate you.”

She turned and got into the taxi, as I stood there frozen. I watched as her taxi drove off. I shook my head and felt my phone go off in my pocket. I took it out and was hoping like hell it would be Azurdee.

I read the message and said, “Fuck.” I made my way back into the club and started looking for Tristan. When I walked up to him, he looked pissed.

“Where is Liberty?”

He looked behind him and said, “Bathroom. Who do you think the fucker was who had his hands all over Ryn?”

I let out a gruff laugh and said, “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re upset because Ryn was at a club, with another guy?”

“You can’t tell me you weren’t pissed off watching Azurdee walk to the back with some guy.”

I tightened my jaw and said, “I’m going home. Are you staying?”

He shook his head. “Liberty has a headache.”

I laughed and said, “Have fun with that.”

He shot me a dirty look and said, “I’ve tried calling her. She won’t return my calls.”

“Who? Ryn?”

He nodded and looked toward the restrooms. “I’m so fucking confused. Ryn was supposed to be the girl I had fun with. The one I wasn’t going to have to worry about feelings and shit. I should have brought Liberty home at Christmas. I can at least deal with her.”

I let out a chuckle. “Yeah, ‘cause she makes you so happy.”

He snapped his head over and said, “She does, in her own little way.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Tristan. I’m leaving. You taking a cab or what?”

He let out a sigh and said, “Nah, just go on. I’ll wait for Liberty and just stay at her place tonight.”

I shook my head. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

?

??Later.”

As I walked out of the club and to my truck my heart grew heavy and the feeling that I was being followed grew even heavier. I stopped and pulled out my cell phone and hit Skip’s number before turning and seeing someone leaning against a building.

“Lark, what’s going on?”

I began walking again as I asked, “Any new leads?”

“No. None. It’s like Vazquez’s brother vanished into thin air. We have gotten a few informants to talk though. Looks like there is talk of something going down to where he might be present.”

I closed my eyes and said, “Azurdee?”

“They haven’t been able to tell if she’s being followed. Right now we don’t think so.”

I opened my eyes and looked to see that the guy who was leaning against the wall was now walking behind me texting someone.

“Well, that’s a negative for myself at the moment.”

“Fuck. You carrying?”

“Hell yeah I am,” I said as I reached and felt the pistol tucked into my holster.

“Check in when you get home. Looks like we might be heading out in a few days.”

I nodded my head and said, “Right. Got to go—at my truck and I’m just ready to get the hell home.”

“Lark, she’s gonna be safe. You did the right thing.”

I took a deep breath and let it out. “I know I did. I just wish keeping her safe wasn’t breaking her heart and making her hate me in the process.”

I stood down and looked at the report. Azurdee had been out with this Dodge guy twice in the last two weeks. I stripped out of my uniform and changed into jeans and a T-shirt. I started to make my way out to my bike when I turned and punched the wall.

“Motherfucker!” I cried out as my fist slammed into the wall.

“You know you need your hand to do your job, right?” Jason said from behind me.

I glanced over and said, “Fuck off, Philips.”

He lifted his hands and said, “Hey. I’m not the one who has a crazy guy after me trying to kill me. I just thought you’d want to make sure your shooting hand wasn’t damaged when we got the call.”