Page 25 of The Unknown Colton
“I don’t want to pry, honey,” her mom said as she slid her arm around her shoulders. “But you seem really upset, and you might feel better if you talk about it.”
“Troy got hurt…” her voice cracked “…badly on the oil rig.”
Her mother gasped. “Is he all right?”
Lakin nodded. “Now. And I am relieved and grateful that he is.” If he hadn’t recovered… She couldn’t even consider the horror of that without more tears rushing to her eyes.
“But?” her mother prodded.
“But he was in the hospital for weeks, and he didn’t call me,” she said. “He didn’t let me know.”
“He probably didn’t want to worry you,” her dad said.
“He still should have called,” her mom said. “Men and their foolish pride, trying so hard to be strong for us.” The look she gave her husband was telling.
Lakin understood. These killings had to have brought back all the pain of his family tragedy, the loss of his parents and sister. She hugged him.
Her father patted her back, comforting her instead of accepting her comfort. “You and Troy will work this out,” he said. “I don’t remember a time that you weren’t in love with him and he with you.”
Neither did Lakin. She’d loved him for so long. But she sighed again. “I don’t know if we want thesame things anymore,” she explained. She wanted it all, the business, kids, a family…
“Oh,” Mom said, her brow furrowing beneath a lock of silvery gray hair. “That’s hard.”
It was. But so was this, being here with her parents and keeping so much from them. Lakin wanted to tell them both everything like she always had. But she didn’t want to worry them. Like Troy hadn’t wanted to worry her…
Maybe she was a hypocrite to be mad at him for doing what she was doing. While she could forgive him for not telling her about his accident right away, she wasn’t sure if she could continue on the way that they’d been for so long, this long-distance limbo waiting for their future together to start.
Life was too short for that, as his accident should have made him realize. As the horrible deaths of those women had made her realize.
“Well, dinner is almost ready,” her mom said. “I hope you’re hungry.”
Despite the delicious smells, Lakin’s stomach churned at the thought of food. She shook her head. “I had a late lunch. I didn’t stop in for dinner, just to check on you two.”
“We’re fine,” her dad said. “But we would be better if you’d stay with us.”
She smiled at his not-so-subtle manipulation. “I will be fine in my cabin. Like I told Troy, I need some time alone.”
“Right now isn’t the safest time to be alone,” her father persisted.
She sighed. “I promise I’ll be fine.” She hugged them both again. “Love you, and I will see you later.”
As she left, she couldn’t help but feel like she shouldn’t have come at all. That she’d brought whoever was watching her to the loving home that Will and Sasha Colton had made for Lakin and her brothers.
She wanted that person, that stalker, to leave with her; she didn’t want whatever was going on with her to touch her family or hurt them in any way.
* * *
Troy felt like a stalker. He’d been following Lakin around all day, sitting in his truck, keeping an eye on her, making sure that nothing and nobody threatened her. So it was kind of ironic when he received a threat.
It was a call from his supervisor. Troy answered it, thinking the man was just calling to check up on him, not so much because he cared about his health but because he wanted him back on the job.
“What the hell are you thinking, Amos?”
“What do you mean?” Troy asked. “You know I’m not cleared yet to return to work.”
“So you’re suing the company? You’re not going to win. In fact you’re going to lose big and probably more than just your job.”
“What do you mean?” Troy repeated. More than just his job? What else could his employer take from him?
