Page 23 of Tempt Me

“I don’t think that’ll happen,” Siobhan says and rests her cheek on my shoulder. “The men who attacked you left a paper trail. Between your mom and Tack, they’ll track down every lead until they find out who hired those bastards. Then, the main guy will die, and you can come home.”

“And when you get back, life will offer new possibilities.”

Though I smile at Natasha’s meaning. I’m still worried Tack and I can’t last. My parents have always bounced from one heart-racing romance to another, but the passion never lasts. Ideally, Tack and I could be more like Aunt Fred and Elvis, still in love after more than three decades.

I want to believe Austen and Walla Walla will stick. They seemed so happy when I visited them weeks ago. Can they break the Knutsen love curse? How much do Austen and I take after our mother?

Tack joins us for a late lunch in the back courtyard. We keep the conversation light by talking about Siobhan’s girls and Natasha’s pregnancy. Though Tack feigns interest in our lady conversation, he mostly watches me as if memorizing my features for when I’m gone.

Thirty minutes into our lunch, Atticus asks for us to take our meal inside.

“We’ve noticed several cars make repeated passes by the front of the estate,” he explains as men spread out over the yard and move toward the fences. “One of them sped off when we approached. We haven’t located the second one. It’d be best to remain indoors.”

I decide my friends would be safer away from the estate. Tack doesn’t disagree before going to speak with security.

Siobhan and Natasha hug me tightly, promising we’ll be together soon. We probably cry far more than necessary, yet our goodbye holds a sense of dread for the future.

Before Natasha and Siobhan leave, Tack stops them and explains something. They look back at me and wave. Then, Siobhan leaves her truck behind and joins Natasha in the SUV.

Tack stands next to me and explains, “I worked out a plan with Kovak Syndicate security. One of their guys will drive Siobhan’s truck while Natasha and Siobhan chill out together on the ride. They’ll make sure everyone gets home okay.”

I watch my friends leave and wonder when we’ll share a room again. Sighing, I check my phone and see the family lawyers are twenty minutes out while the police detectives’ arrival time is scheduled for two hours from now.

“Let’s get you away from the windows,” Tack suggests as I scan the massive trees circling the mansion.

Once we’ve retired to a living room with the curtains closed, Tack reaches over to stroke my back where I keep rubbing. Our gazes meet, and I struggle to remain in control of my emotions.

“The lawyers will be here soon,” I mumble, just to break the silence.

“I’ve already talked to the cops. They must be getting pressure from above because they nearly kissed my ass during the interview.”

“Did everything else go okay while you were gone?” I ask and inch closer. “You seemed paranoid when you arrived.”

“I felt like someone was following me,” he says, and I instantly contemplate the cars driving past the estate. “I swear I saw the same cars more than once. Could be anything, though. I get heat from the cops sometimes or tailed by local thugs looking for club weaknesses. Might not be about you at all.”

My mood sours from worry, but I hide my feelings once the lawyers arrive. We go through last night’s events twice before I tell the same story to the police. The detectives explain they are working on several leads. They also mention how my mugger hasn’t turned up.

“He’s either dead or in the wind. His employer might have killed him after his failure,” explains the detective and glances at Tack nearby. “Or he might have gotten on the wrong side of someone else. Either way, we haven’t been able to locate him. We’re focusing on how last night’s attackers might have zeroed in on you.”

After the detectives and lawyers leave, I tell Tack I need to rest until dinner. He is clearly worried and wants to follow me, but I insist I need to be alone. Once hiding in my room, I finally call my sister.

When Austen answers, I insist she tell me about her day rather than ask about mine. She plays along and explains what she had for breakfast. One of the women living at the same lodge as Austen and Walla Walla is a professional chef. Austen is always bragging about her fun mealtimes.

My sister sounds so happy as she tells me about design plans for her future house with Walla Walla. She talks about baby names and shares a funny story about her best friend Coco who moved to McMurdo Valley with her. By the time Austen asks if I’m okay, I feel better.

“I think I’m okay.”

“There’s no harm in admitting you’re scared,” Austen replies. “Fear doesn’t have to be debilitating like it was for me. Fear can help you grow.”

Austen’s hopeful outlook inspires me to stop hiding in my room. I return to the main living room where Tack is stretched out on the couch. He isn’t wearing his boots, and I smile at his bare feet.

“You’ve been crying,” Tack says, sitting up and scowling like a guilty kid. “Maybe I should have convinced Siobhan and Natasha to stick around.”

“No, they need to be away from here,” I say and then settle next to him on the couch. “I also wanted to be alone with you. The flight is set for tomorrow. Tonight is our last time to hang out before I’m gone for who knows how long.”

Tack stares at me with conflicted blue eyes. He opens his mouth twice to say something. I suspect he wants to ask me to stay. I bet he’s considered possible alternatives to my plan to hide in Hong Kong.

I’ve imagined scenarios, where I stay at the estate for weeks or months with Tack as my roommate. The idea seems so fun, except he’d basically be giving up his life.

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