Page 14 of Haven Bound
After forty-five minutes of driving and spending the time talking and singing along to the playlist filtering through his truck’s speakers, we pull into the Sutton Ridge swap meet. “Um, I’m pretty sure there’s no swap meet here this late,” I tease.
He has his elbow propped up against the window, his fingers rubbing along his lips to hide the grin that’s spread across his face. “I guess it’s a good thing that we’re not here for that,” he says as he pulls up alongside what looks like a little tollbooth. An older woman steps out and asks which screen we’re here for. My brows pinch together and Austin laughs at my confusion before he tells her that we’re here for Screen 4 and hands her the cash to pay.
He brought me to the freaking drive-in for our first date.
I can’t help my excitement as he drives the truck around to the large screen in the back parking lot. The lot is made up of asphalt waves, each row designed like an oversized speed bump to allow vehicles to park so that they’re facing up at the screen instead of looking straight ahead. Austin positions the truck with the bed facing the screen. I’m about to tell him that we’re facing the wrong way when he says, “Come on,” and hops out of the truck.
I get out and follow him around to the bed of the truck where he’s unrolling a memory foam pad that’s fitted to the truck lining. I lean onto the lowered tailgate and prepare to climb in, but he places a hand on my lower back and says, “Not yet.”
What else could he possibly be doing?
At a loss for words, I watch him as he pullsout a few blankets and pillows from the backseat of the truck—that I somehow didn't notice—and begins to spread them out on top of the foam pad. He turns to face me when he’s done, his hands finding my waist. “Now you can climb in.”
A blush creeps up my cheeks and I turn around to place my hands on the lowered tailgate once more, his hands remaining on my waist while I climb up onto the bed that he’s created for us.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch a movie any other way ever again. “I can’t believe you did all this,” I tell him when he settles in beside me. While we have plenty of room to stretch out our legs and have space between us, he’s sitting so close that our thighs are pressed together.
His arm wraps around my shoulders, pulling me in close as he presses a gentle kiss to my temple and murmurs, “I’d do anything for you, Chels. Have you not figured that out yet?”
“Shit, sorry, Chelsea. I didn’t think you’d be awake. I uh….” His deep voice pulls my mind back into the present. His attention is locked on my chest, eyes flaring as his gaze slides down my body for the briefest of moments before he turns his back to me and strides toward his dresser. It’s then that I notice the two large tattoos that span across his broad shoulders and down his upper arms. I can’t quite make out the design in the dark. They almost look like wings, except one side is darker than the other. “I just need to grab clothes,” he says. His breath seems unsteady, but… that doesn’t make sense. Why would he be shaken? Unless he’s embarrassed.
Not that he has anything to be embarrassedabout.
Without another word, he slips on a pair of dark boxer briefs and then picks up his dropped towel at the door. He doesn’t meet my gaze as he slips out of the room carrying a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, closing the door behind him.
Well, I’mdefinitelynot going to be falling asleep now.
11
Austin
Last night’s lack ofsleep thanks to the delicious woman sleeping in my bed has my mind in a foggy haze as I pull into the driveway of my childhood home, a strong sense of apprehension washing over me. It still feels so strange to be back here. While there’s a part of me that should probably be feeling relief and excitement, there’s an even larger part of me that feels nothing but worry.
Once I finished college and officially became a member of The Phoenix Legion, my father made it a point to only give me the assignments that took me farther and farther away from Haven Beach. I think, subconsciously, he knew that I couldn’t come back. Not if there was any other option.
Giving up on the dreams I had, on the life that I had imagined for myself, was a lot harder than I thought it would be. The day my father sat me down and told me about our family business and what was expected of me, I knew that everything I had wanted had been merely that… a dream.
This life as an assassin was what I was always destined to do.
“Austin, is that you?” My mother’s voice calls out as she comes into view, stepping out from the kitchen. Even in her early fifties, my mother is still as beautiful as ever. Her once rich-brown hair has grown moresalt and pepper over the years, but she refuses to dye it. She’s always claimed that she’d welcome old age with open arms and seems to be truly embracing that.
“Hey, Mom,” I call, stepping towards her to pull her into my arms for a quick hug. She pats my back before pulling away and heading into the kitchen.
“I was wondering when you’d be back around.” A smile is spread across her face as she stands at the kitchen island, a variety of colorful flowers spread across the countertop as she works to build a few arrangements.
“Sorry. I know I just sort of disappeared after heading over to the bakery to order everything.” I wasn’t here for more than two hours before she’d mentioned calling the local bakery—the bakery that Chelsea owns—to place an order for the party she’s throwing at the end of the month.
“That’s okay.” She smiles, her focus remaining on the pink flowers in her hands as she removes a few of the leaves. “I figured you’d get together with Ethan and maybe pay your sister a visit.”
“I’m going to stay with Ethan while I’m in town. I don’t know how long this one will take or when I’ll get another chance to hang out with him again.” I’m sure she’d prefer I stay here, but after spending so much time away, I’m craving a sense of normalcy. Traveling the world, even if it's to put people in the ground, has been an incredible experience. But my heart and soul are aching for a taste of the life that I gave up.
She nods her head in answer, a slight smile still spread across her lips as though she knows something that I don’t. I silently watch her put the finishing touches on one of the floral arrangements. It's a simple act that Itook for granted before, watching her do something that she loves. My mom has always enjoyed keeping bouquets of fresh flowers in the house. It's something that she has carried into the Safe Harbor organization. She makes it a point to deliver fresh floral arrangements to the safe houses as well as to the Elysian Suites when victims are residing there.
“Your dad’s upstairs in his office,” she says softly without tearing her gaze away from her task.
I slowly climb the stairs and find my father sitting in his leather office chair, a file open on the desk in front of him while more sit piled on the corner. I tap a knuckle on the door to alert him of my arrival. He looks up at me, his furrowed brows relaxing as a hint of warmth fills his eyes.
“I was wondering when you’d finally come to collect your assignment. Have a seat.” He nods towards one of the chairs on the opposite side of his desk, waiting for me to sit before he slides the file over to me.
