Brandon
I sat in my car, with a pair of high tech binoculars. I was acting like a detective on a surveillance mission. I was watching, and waiting for Justine to make a move.
I decided not to tell anyone that I had located Justine. I wanted to wait and see what I could find out on my own, first. I was going to keep my eyes on her for the next couple of days, without her knowledge.
I pretended to drive away, but I drove and parked in a nearby alley waiting and watching for her to leave. I spotted her leaving the apartment, with a bag in her hand.
I almost mistook her for a homeless person. She didn't have much to her name. Her situation was worse, than I originally thought. She's definitely fearless in-spite of what she's going through.
She is a spitfire—the way she stood and challenged me earned my respect.
She walked cautiously, turning her head in every direction. She was careful and aware of her surroundings.
She had obviously, done this before. She hopped in a taxi cab and my pursuit of her began.
We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, and she got out of the taxi in Brooklyn at a nice Brownstone. She knocked on the door and a middle aged woman answered the door. They embraced, she entered the home, and the door shut behind her.
I parked my car a little ways back, so as not to be detected. I didn't dare let Justine see me.
"Mark, I'm going to give you an address in Brooklyn. I need you to tell me who lives there and everything you can about that person, thanks." I hung up the phone with my private investigator and continued to look for any signs of what is going on.
What is Justine up to, and what am I doing following her? Am I nuts? What is it about this woman, that has me so enraptured? I'm becoming a detective, instead of a lawyer.
While I was waiting for Mark to call me back, I searched the internet on my cellphone for public records on Justine McKay. I came up empty handed, it's like she had everything erased.
"Brandon, that address you gave me isn't listed anywhere. That girl doesn't want to be found. She is flying below the radar." Mark updated me on the dead end, that lead to Justine.
"I'll keep digging and you be careful, my friend. I don't know what, or who she's running from." He sounded concerned.
Then I made a crazed decision, but I figured I had no choice if I wanted to help her. I took the keys out of my ignition, got out of my car, and approached the nice Brownstone that Justine had entered.
I literally, have no clue what I'm doing. But there is no turning back now.
I rang the doorbell and no one answered. Then, I decided to knock very loudly. I knew at least two people were definitely in there. I saw them with my own eyes, a half hour ago.
"Why are you stalking me, Corwin?" Justine had snapped the door open and stood before me with her arms folded, tapping her foot.
"I take it you're not happy to see me, sweetheart? I guess you won't invite me inside. Now I'm offended, I'm not stalking you. I'm trying to help you." I clutched my chest, pretending she had wounded me.
"I already told you, that I'm fine and I don't need your help. How many times do I have to tell you? Just leave me alone, will you?" Justine narrowed her eyes and spoke through gritted teeth.
Man, she was so beautiful when she was angry. I don't know what it is about this woman, that I simply can't leave her alone?
"Sorry, I just can't do that—until I find out why you are on the run." I placed my hand on the door, so she couldn't close it and I leaned in close to her. A little too close. . . .
"You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not. You'd do best to start talking." I stood two inches from her face and would not relent.
"Who sent you? What business is it of yours? You don't even know me." She leaned in closer to my face and our noses touched.
I could see the specks of brown and gold, in her absorbing green eyes.
"No one sent me. I'm making it my business, you're practically family. You are my brother's sister-in-law." I gave a totally logical reason, for my illogical actions.
"Exactly, but I don't see Alex stalking me like you are." She did have a point and she knew it. This feisty woman was getting on my nerves, now.
"I hate to break up the party, you two. Your father knows you're here, so you best leave NOW, Justine!" The unknown woman spoke with alarm.
"Since you want to help, grab my bag and lets get out of here. Thanks for everything, Paula. By the way this is, Brandon Corwin." She hastily introduced us and grabbed on to me, as we ran to get in my car.
I threw her bag in the back seat. We jumped into my car, quickly. We put on our seat belts, she turned and planted a kiss on my lips, before we pulled off.
"What was that for?" I asked stunned.
"For choosing to stalk me, at the right time. If you weren't here, my father would have caught up to me. Thank you." She was now, sincerely appreciative of my help.
"I'm glad I was here and you finally accepted my help. Where to now?" I was still a little dazed by that sudden kiss, but I tried to act unfazed.
"Did you eat? I'm starving. Can we stop and get something to eat? Maybe I'll tell you why I'm running from my father." She sat back, with a self satisfied grin on her face.
"I'll drive for a while, to get out of this area and then find someplace out of the way to eat. I would love for you to start telling me what's going on." I pulled out onto the street, sped off, and hoped we had escaped John McKay's arrival.
We drove for an hour before I spotted a Diner off the beaten path. I didn't want to draw any unwanted attention. I'm acting like I'm on the run. I had to chuckle to myself.
I got out, and opened Justine's car door. "I hope this Diner is satisfactory."
"As long as they have food I'll be happy, Corwin. You are quite the gentleman, opening my car door, thank you." She glanced over her shoulder and gave me a flirty look.
"I try, Milady." I gave her a teasing wink.
We were seated in a booth near the window. I wanted to keep my eyes peeled, in case we needed to leave in a hurry.
It seemed like a popular truck stop. There were a lot of truck drivers, with out of state license plates.
The waitress put two place settings in front of us on the table. She handed us menus and gave us two glasses of water. She took out her order pad and a pen. "What can I get you?"
"I'll have a cheeseburger, well done. French fries and a chocolate milkshake." Justine gave her order.
"I'll have what she's having." I handed the waitress our menus.
It started to pour rain, thunder, and lightning as soon as we were seated in the Diner. It matches the mood of this crazy day, with this unusual woman.
An awkward silence hung in the air between us. Justine appeared nervous for some reason and she was engrossed in her thoughts.
I broke the tangible silence. "I don't bite Justine and besides I have food coming."
She twirled her hair unconsciously. "I know you don't bite, Corwin. I'm just trying to figure out why a pretty boy lawyer like you, would want to help someone like me. I'm not like, Megan."
Oh, I observed that she is nothing like Megan. They look very similar, but Justine was tough as nails, edgy, and would like to throttle me.
Megan, was very shy and timid. Justine will get in your face and not back away. I found that I liked her fearlessness, and I was drawn to her.
I cleared my throat and tried to be nonchalant. "I definitely notice, you are very different from Megan, but I like that. I hate when people compare me to my older brothers. The three of us are very different, but we're very close."
I chuckled to myself. "I was always the rebel and the one getting into mischief. I seemed to always be on time out, as a little kid and grounded when I got older. My brothers were model citizens, compared to me."
"I chose to become a lawyer, even though my brothers chose careers to stay with the family business, my father had built. I've always danced to my own beat and followed my own path." I felt like sharing that personal tidbit about myself.
"I could tell you all are very close, when I first met you and your brothers. I never had that with my siblings unfortunately, because of our father." She sounded bitter, thinking about her situation growing up.
Our waitress came with our food.
"Okay, I have two cheeseburger platters with fries and two chocolate milkshakes." The waitress sat our plates of food down in front of us.
We thanked her and Justine waisted no time digging into her food. She ate like, that was her first meal in a while. . . .
"I'm sorry, I'm eating like I'm ravenous. I'm really hungry. Aren't you going to eat?" She met my eyes, studying me, as she sipped her milk shake.
"Yes, I'm going to eat, it looks good." I suddenly wasn't hungry, thinking about how she probably hadn't eaten in a day, or two.
She was making me think and feel emotions, I'm not used to feeling, for any woman. That is, until Justine McKay.
"You said you would tell me why you're running from your father, once we got something to eat." I reminded her, as I took a bite of my cheeseburger.
"Nice try, Corwin. I said maybe, I'll tell you why I'm running from my father. Emphasis on maybe. I would say anything to get you to feed me." She had the nerve to grin impishly and wink at me.
This woman is trying my patience and with her personality, she could care less.
"Why don't you tell me about you first, and then I'll think about telling you about me." She took a good scrutinizing look at me across the table.
Is she serious?. . .
With my jaw tightening, I leaned across the table. "I'm not the one on the run from John McKay."
"I think you need to start speaking and telling me something. Not me—telling you about me," I whisper yelled exasperatedly. My brows drew together in a frown.
"Well, you don't have to get so worked up about it. If you don't want to tell me about yourself, fine." She had the gall to be indignant.
"I thought it would be nice to get to know the man, that calls himself helping me." She hit below the belt and made me look like the bad guy.
Something tells me I'm in way over my head, with this woman. I will never be the same after this day. . . .
A/N ~ I hope you're enjoying the Story so far. I love that Justine is feisty. I tried to make each Story in (The Corwin Brothers Series) similar in ways, but unique in others....
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