Page 16 of Scarred By Love

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Graham

The drive to the old man’s place didn't take long. While Kodiak Island was the largest island Alaska had, the gentleman didn't live far from where his boat was docked.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to ask your name," I said just as we pulled into a gravel driveway of a modest one-story house in what looked like a nice neighborhood.

"William Johnson but my friends call me Epp. And how about ya both?"

"I'm Graham and this is Sarah. I appreciate you bringing us here."

My instincts were telling me I could trust William and I always listened to them. They saved my ass on many more accounts than I cared to admit.

"No offense, but ya look like you've been through the wringer a bit. It's the least I can do."

I could only imagine how I looked. Sarah on the other hand was still beautiful despite her pinked skin and dirty clothes.

I helped Sarah out of the older model SUV and held her hand as we followed William up the walkway. If Sarah asked, I was holding on to her because I didn't want her to fall over. She had been through a lot the past forty-eight hours.

The real reason though was because I just wanted her close. I liked the feel of her skin against mine. Our time together on the ship brought us closer, despite me not wanting it to happen.

We followed William through a meticulously clean living room and kitchen. There wasn’t a single thing out of place or any mail piling up. There weren’t even dishes stacked high in the sink. The house looked show-worthy.

It wasn't until we were escorted down the hall that William spoke again. "Here is the bedroom ya can use. Sorry it's only a full, but the only one who normally uses it is my granddaughter and she never brings anyone with her. The bathroom is down the hall a bit and my room is at the end of the hallway. There's a landline in the room ya can use and the bathroom is fully stocked with everything ya need. I'm sure I have some clothes around here that ya can change into until I get those washed."

"Thank you so much," Sarah spoke for the first time. "We're sorry to be so much trouble."

"No need to apologize, dear. Just let me know if there is anything else I can get ya."

I waited until William left before I spoke. "Why don't you shower first? I need to call my team and let them know what's happening. Hopefully they can get someone out here sooner rather than later. Is there anyone you need to call?"

Shit, I should've asked that before now. I know she spoke about not having family, but Sarah had been in Australia to see her best friend get married. That meant someone was missing her.

"It can wait until after you make your calls. Missy is on her honeymoon and I don't want to ruin that for her."

I didn't want to state the obvious, but if her friend knew what flight she was on, then her honeymoon was already ruined. Instead, I merely nodded and walked over to the phone.

Thankfully it wasn't some old rotary phone. It was in fact wireless. I considered sitting on the bed but thought better of it. My clothes were disgusting and I didn't want to ruin the perfectly made bed. Instead, I walked over to the window and called my team leader.

Matthew answered after only one ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, it’s me."

"Jesus Christ, Graham," Matthew hissed. "We thought you were fucking dead, man. It's good to hear your voice, but why the hell are you calling me from Alaska?"

"Because after our plane crashed, we were captured by pirates and held on a ship for several days until we managed to escape. We got lucky a fisherman found us floating in the ocean."

"Who’s we?"

"Sarah. She was seated next to me on the plane."

"And you spoke to her?" There was no mistaking the surprise in Matthew's voice. My team leader knew me well and women were normally a big no go for me.

"No, I ignored her until the plane started to crash," I snapped. "Then I couldn't be an asshole any longer and saved her."

"Sorry, that's not what I meant. I'm just surprised is all."

I scrubbed my hand along the side of my face. It wasn't Matthew's fault I was a little on edge.

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