Unconditional Love (Journey of Love 1)

I shook my head, “The call. What call? They have no idea where this guy is. He was right there with us, Jason. Right there and I fucking let him get away.”

He walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Dude, neither one of us knew it was a setup. Let’s just be glad we got out of there alive. We’re gonna get him next time. I promise you.”

I nodded my head and said, “Yeah. I know we’ll get him. Doesn’t help that I’ve pushed the woman I love away to keep her safe and she is moving on without me.”

Jason looked away and then looked back at me. “We’ll get him, Lark. If it helps any, I’m really sorry for running to Skip about Azurdee.”

I smiled and said, “Yeah, I know you are and I know we will. I got to get going.”

Jason smiled and said, “Club tonight?”

“Nah, I can’t. Heading out to Mason. I’m going to be the godparent to my best friend’s little girl. I didn’t think we would be back in time to make it, so I’m going to head on out.”

Jason laughed and said, “Are they sure you’re the best pick?”

I chuckled and said, “I asked them the same thing.”

I decided to take my bike to Mason. I needed to feel the wind and just let it go. There was nothing better than going down a country road on a fast-ass bike.

I pulled into Scott and Jessie’s gate and hit the buzzer. “Hello?”

I smiled when I heard Jessie’s voice. “Hey beautiful. Want to buzz me in?”

“Lark?”

My smile faded when she seemed surprised it was me. “Yeah. This is the right weekend, right? Lauren’s being baptized tomorrow, right?”

“Umm, yes! Yes!” she said as she covered up the phone and said something to someone.

As the gate opened, it hit me. Azurdee would probably be here. I sat there for a few seconds as I looked up and down the road to see if there were any cars. As fast as I was driving, if anyone was following me, I would have lost them miles ago.

I started to make my way down the driveway. I let out the breath I was holding when I didn’t see Azurdee’s car. I parked my bike and turned to see Jessie and Scott walking out. Jessie looked pissed.

“Hey y’all.”

Scott shook his head slightly and gave me a warning look, but it was too late. Jessie walked up and slapped the shit out of me. I closed my eyes and then slowly opened them.

“That was for what you did to my best friend, you asshole.” She turned and looked at Scott. “Do something about this, because Azurdee will be here later. I don’t want him here when she gets here.”

“Hey, wait a minute. What’s going on between Azurdee and me has nothing to do with either one of our friendships with y’all. This has been planned for a few months now and I have every intention of being there for Lauren’s baptism.”

Jessie closed her eyes and dropped her head back and then looked at me. “God, Lark, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. It’s just I saw you and that day came flooding back, and all I could see was Azurdee on the sofa crying and her world falling apart.”

I swallowed hard and went to say something, but nothing would come out. Scott and Jessie both stood there and stared at me. I ran my hand through my hair and whispered, “Fuck.”

“I’m still in the Marine Corps. I’m a sniper, but I’m working under the CIA right now. My job is to go and kill people and we don’t really make it known that’s what I do. I do what the military doesn’t want anyone to know. The CIA has been trying to recruit me ever since they found out I’m not re-enlisting with the corps. Azurdee found out I was still in the Marines when I came back from a mission and was still dressed in my uniform. She has no idea what I do, and if she ever found out I’m afraid she would hate me. I killed one of the most sought after drug lords a few months back. The only problem was it was a setup. They were after me. Now his brother is after me, and they had pictures of Azurdee, and I had to break up with her to protect her. I love her more than anything. She’s my life. No one fucks with my life.”

When I finally took a breath and stopped talking, Scott and Jessie were just standing there staring at me. Jessie had her hand over her mouth and Scott looked confused as hell. I closed my eyes and realized what I had just done. I let a moment of weakness touch the lives of two people I cared about. I totally just put their lives and Lauren’s in danger.

“Son of a bitch. I’m sorry y’all. I should never have told y’all that. It ‘s just…I’m just. Fuck, everything is just so messed up right now. You can’t repeat what I just spit out.”

“I thought…you said you were discharged. What is Skip in all of this?” Scott asked.

“Senior level CIA agent. Or as I like to call him, my boss.”

Scott shook his head. “That house in Belize. How does he afford it, or does the CIA pay that well?”

I made a face and said, “Well…that house is actually mine. Well, my family’s house anyway.”

Scott and Jessie said at the same time, “Yours?”

I nodded my head.

“But…they knew who Skip was and…they let us go…and you said communications, you piece of shit,” Scott said as he turned and started pacing.

“Scott, I paid them to let us get through and told them to act like it was because of my boss.”

Jessie’s mouth dropped. “Are you selling drugs?”

I laughed and said, “No. I already told you I’m not doing anything illegal and for the record, Skip has a degree in communications.”

Jessie walked up to me and said, “Okay, I’m going to have to ask. How in the hell do you have a multi-million dollar condo in Austin, a house in Belize and God knows what else, when you’re just in the Marines?”

I glanced over to Scott. He frowned. “I never told Jessie about your grandparents. Then again, I never really knew how rich you were, dude.”

I looked back at Jessie. “My grandparents were very wealthy. Oil wells in Texas. When they passed away, they left everything to my brother and me. My parents are also pretty well off, not like my grandparents by any means, but the house in Belize was their house.”

“Holy shit. This explains so much,” Jessie whispered.

“It definitely explains some things, that’s for sure,” Scott said.

My phone pinged and I pulled it out to see I had a text message from Jerry.

Jerry: Sorry it took me so long. Dodge isn’t the guy’s real name. Sent you all the info in an email.

Me: Thanks. Owe you.

“I mean, now I know how you were able to look up all that information so fast and the connections you have.”

I gave him a weak smile as I said, “I do have connections, but not all of them are military. Most are CIA.”

Jessie looked at Scott and then me, “Wait. You said the CIA is trying to bring you on with them, so does that mean your time in the Marines is almost up?”

I nodded my head.

“Why didn’t you just tell Azurdee all of this?”

“I can’t. You can’t either. Why I just spilled my guts out I have no idea, but you cannot repeat anything to anyone. The less Azurdee knows, the better. I need this crazy lunatic to think that Azurdee was just another girl and no one important to me. If they think she can be used to get to me they will take her, and God knows what they would do. You cannot tell her anything.”

Scott walked backwards and when he hit the steps he sat down. “Holy shit. Lark. This is some…this is…”

“Heavy shit?” I asked as I walked over and sat down next to him.

I looked at Jessie and said, “I wasn’t even thinking about Azurdee being here because I kept thinking I was going to miss it.”

She put her hands up to her mouth again and said, “She asked if you would be here. When Scott said you were out of town I told her no. She said…she said she was bringing someone.”

I stood up quickly and tried to settle down my instantly beating heart. “Who? Dodge?”

Jessie gave me a funny look. ?

?Dodge? Who is Dodge?”

“You don’t know about Dodge? The guy she has gone out with a few times?”

She shook her head. “No. She hasn’t mentioned him at all, but she also didn’t say who was coming with her. Oh Lark! I’m so sorry.”

I grabbed onto the railing and slowly sat back down. I was so pissed off I wanted to hit something. I looked over at Scott and he jumped up.

“Yeah. I’ve seen that look before. Come on, before you want to take your anger out on me. Let’s go shoot.”

Jessie stood in front of Scott and said, “What? Azurdee is coming soon and possibly with a guy, and you want to give Lark, a trained killer, a gun? Are you insane, Scott?”

I couldn’t help it. I started laughing. “She does have a point. You know what a good shot I am.”

The door opened and Scott’s mom called out. “Azurdee is on her way down the drive!”

I looked at Scott and Jessie and we all said “Oh shit” at the same time.

Scott grabbed me to walk away but it was too late. She was already in sight and Jessie stood in front of me. “Whoever it is, you have to promise me, you will neither hurt nor kill anyone in the next 24 hours.”

I gritted my teeth and nodded my head. Jessie turned and began waving as Azurdee parked the car. When an older woman began getting out of the passenger seat, Jessie said, “Thank you God. It’s Azurdee’s mom.”

I leaned down and whispered, “I promise not to kill Azurdee’s mother.”

Jessie snapped her head around and glared at me. “Not funny, Lark Williams.”