The Guardian

by Donna Grant

  The car was old and smelled like someone had left rotten food in it. Or vomited. Either way, it wasn’t a good smell. But beggars couldn’t be choosers. She would deal with the stench if it got them where they needed to go.

  Despite wanting to meditate, she couldn’t keep her eyes shut. She looked out the passenger window as the city fell away. Without meaning to, she was going to see another part of Hungary that she hadn’t gotten the opportunity to see before. She found herself grinning, because she was doing what her mom always had, finding the silver lining in any situation. It had worked for the most part until her father had left them with no money, no home, and no place to go. That’s when her mom finally had enough and left her dad.

  “You’re smiling. That’s good,” Maks said.

  She turned her head to him and shrugged. “I was thinking about my mom.”

  “Did she want to visit here?”

  “She had a list a mile long of places she wanted to go. When I was a little girl, she got a map and put colored pins in all the places she wanted to visit. She bought another color to change them out to show everywhere she had been.”

  Maks briefly met her gaze. “How many places did she get to see?”

  “Two. And only because she finally divorced my father and was actually able to save money and travel. The two of us went together. We were just about to leave for our third trip when she died.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Eden smiled, her heart full of love for her mother. “Thank you. She was a good woman, who always found a way to make any situation suit her. It’s what I just did, thinking about how I’d never seen this part of Hungary before and now had the opportunity to do so.”

  “You two have a rare gift. Most people see the negative in everything.”

  “Do you?”

  He seemed to think about that for a moment. “I think I see the reality of any situation. My training and years in the military taught me that.”

  “In your line of work, that’s to your advantage.”

  “Maybe. But in the real world? I’m not sure it is.”

  She twisted her lips and looked through the windshield to the road before them. “I don’t know. People take advantage of me all the time. It might be nice not to let that happen. Maybe I can pick up a few tricks from you,” she finished with a smile, her gaze returning to him.

  “The worst thing that has happened to you is me coming into your life. You’re a rare treasure, Eden. I wouldn’t change anything about you. I’m sorry I pulled you into this.”

  “I’m not,” she replied honestly.

  His blue eyes met hers for a heartbeat. “You won’t be saying that in the end. You’ll be cursing the day we met. Everyone does.”

  “I won’t.” She lifted her chin, daring him to argue the point.

  Despite now running for her life, she knew that what they were doing was for the greater good of the world. How many people had the opportunity to take such a stand? It had come to her, and she had the right, no, an obligation to do her part.

  She wasn’t going to let Maks or anyone else down.

  13

  Four hours later, after crossing into Romania, Maks turned off the road onto a narrow drive. The house looked like any other in the countryside, but it was anything but. Sometime during the trip, Eden had finally fallen asleep. Her head lolled to the side, her lips parted as she breathed evenly.

  He slowed the car and put it into park. Maks didn’t want to wake her. Things could go south quickly, and this might be the only peace and calm they got for days or even weeks. He wouldn’t change anything that had led them to this place, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel bad about involving her. Eden’s world had been simple and happy before. He’d upended that without a second’s hesitation. He hadn’t had a choice.

  Before he knew what he was doing, Maks reached over and moved a lock of her dark blond hair from her face. The sun chose that moment to break through the clouds and shine on her. He stared in amazement at the array of different-colored strands in her hair. They ranged from bronze to gold and every color in between.

  Until that moment, he’d never thought much about the color of someone’s hair. Maybe it was just Eden. His thoughts took him to when she’d thrown herself into his arms. It had been wholly unexpected and amazingly delightful.

  With his job, he didn’t let anyone close to him. Ever. He had women he visited in different cities when the need arose, but he hadn’t had a relationship since… Well, a long time. It had been better that way. Maks couldn’t let his guard down, couldn’t let anyone into his life.

  What would you call Eden then?

  Lovely. Pure.

  Good.

  He’d run across all kinds of people in the years he’d been a spy, and he could say with certainty that those like Eden were unusual. Some pretended to be sweet and giving, but it was all for show. They did what they thought others expected of them in order to get praise. That wasn’t Eden. She did what she wanted.

  Maks thought about the last time he’d done what he wanted to do, without caring how it affected his job or anyone else. It was so long ago that it almost felt like a dream. As if that life had never existed. He’d reconciled himself to the knowledge that he would never have a normal life. He wasn’t meant to have a wife, a home, or children. How could he after the things he’d done?

  He was a trained killer, an assassin that two governments thought they controlled. He’d taken so many lives, some because he had to in order to survive. Others because it was his job. Not once had he taken pleasure in it. Even when he took out a Saint. A life was a life, no matter whose it was. The moment he started enjoying killing was the time he needed to fade away and disappear into some jungle to be forgotten.

  His hand slowly lowered. Maks hadn’t realized he’d been touching Eden’s hair the entire time. It was soft as silk. His gaze moved over her face, taking in the contours and her smooth skin. She wasn’t made for this kind of life, but she was strong enough to get through it. And she would make it out. If Maks did nothing else, he would see to that.

  With a sigh, he found himself thinking of her body against his. How her arms had held him tightly, how her breasts had pressed against his chest. The warmth of her body that had surrounded him. He’d become instantly, painfully hard. For her.

  Even now, he throbbed with need.

  The longer he sat there and thought about what it would feel like to press his lips against Eden’s, to run his hands over her naked flesh, the harder it was for him to think of anything else. Finally, he gave himself a mental shake. If he didn’t wake her now, he wasn’t sure he ever would.

  Maks touched her arm lightly. The moment he made contact, she startled awake. Her head lifted as her eyes opened, blinking as she took in the house before them. Then her head swung to the side, and hazel eyes met his. She smiled as if she were glad that he was there. It warmed the place in his chest where his heart used to be. He’d never expected to feel anything like that again, and yet…here it was.

  He put it to memory because he knew it wouldn’t last. And that was okay. He knew what to expect and what was coming. It was his job to shield her from it. He was more than willing. Because she was worth it.

  Actually, she was more than worth it.

  Eden stifled a yawn. “Where are we?”

  “A small village in west Romania.”

  Her gaze slid back to the house. “Are we visiting someone?”

  “I own the house.”

  “Oh.” She looked at him. “I’m guessing no one knows about it.”

  He glanced at the older house. It was at least forty years old, but it was well maintained and had good bones. “No one should. I bought it years ago under a false name and paid cash to the old man who was selling it.”

  “When was the last time you were here?”

  “Over eighteen months ago. I pay for the property to be maintained. They believe I’m a hermit and don’t want visitors.”

  Her lips li
fted in a grin. “You think of everything, don’t you?”

  “Why don’t you wait here? I want to look around the house first.”

  He opened the door after she nodded and then stepped out. Maks looked inside the car and met Eden’s gaze before he shut the door and started toward the dwelling. Damn, there was something about that woman that made him want to stay with her all the time. And that was dangerous.

  Maks made a round of the house, checking windows and doors as he walked the perimeter to see if they were still locked. Then he went to the shed and opened the wooden double doors. When he returned to the front of the building, he headed to the car and got in.

  “Everything good?” she asked.

  “Yep. There’s a shed in the back where I’ll park the car to keep it hidden.”

  With the car in the shed, they both got out. Maks shut and locked the shed doors as Eden waited for him. Together, they walked to the back door of the home. There was a normal lock that a key fit in, but that wasn’t what would open the door. He shifted it to the side to show the keypad beneath. With the seven-digit code, the lock slid open.

  “Make yourself at home,” he said as he opened the door for her and stood aside for Eden to enter.

  She cautiously walked in, her gaze moving around the house. Maks shut the door behind them and removed the baseball cap to toss on a table near the back entrance. While the outside of the house looked old but maintained, the inside was a different story. He had completely redone the home as if he had built it from scratch.

  “Wow,” Eden murmured as she slowly faced him. “This place is beautiful.”

  He stood in the kitchen and leaned his hands on the island. “It was meant to be a safe house, which it is. However, it’s also a place I come to when I want to get away. There’s a vibe to this house that feels…” He paused, looking for the right word.

  “Comfortable.”

  Maks smiled. “Yes. Comfortable. It’s a quiet village, and that appeals to me when I want to get away.”

  “I can see why.”

  “There won’t be much food in the fridge, but the pantry is stocked with nonperishable items. There are three bedrooms upstairs. Pick whichever one you want. I suspect we’ll be here for a couple of days.”

  She bit her lip. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Getting me out alive. For taking out the men on the train. For showing me what is really going on in the world.”

  He blinked. “I’m not sure you should be thanking me for that.”

  “I should. And I am.” With that, she walked to the stairs and made her way up.

  Maks watched her go, wondering how in the world someone like her had found their way into his existence. He should get her to the Loughmans and walk out of her life. But he wasn’t sure he could.

  And, if he were honest, he didn’t want to.

  He heard her moving around upstairs. Maks wondered what she was doing. He looked around the kitchen, trying to find something to do. But again and again, his gaze was drawn to the stairs. No longer could he hear her moving. If he couldn’t get his desire under control, it was going to be a very long few days.

  It could be longer.

  Maks hoped it was. He’d only spent a few hours with Eden, but she had changed…everything for him. No one had ever had that effect on him before, and quite frankly, he wasn’t sure what to do about it. He feared that if he was around her too much, he would never want to leave.

  That wouldn’t be bad at all. There are certainly worse things.

  He had to stop thinking like that. If he continued down this path, then it would only cause problems that he didn’t need. He had enough to deal with right now. He turned his back to the stairs and opened the pantry doors. Inside were various food items, but that wasn’t what he was hungry for now. He wanted the woman upstairs.

  “Enough,” he whispered to himself.

  “Are you all right?”

  Maks couldn’t remember the last time someone had snuck up on him. He drew in a breath and turned to face her. “Talking to myself.”

  “I do that all the time.” She twisted her lips, frowning briefly. “Not sure I listen to myself. Do you?”

  “Rarely.”

  She smiled, and damn if he didn’t return it.

  “You settled?” he asked.

  Eden nodded while shifting her feet nervously. “We’re safe here?”

  “For a bit. I’ve got cameras all over the property and monitors in the house. We’ll be notified if anyone gets close. You worried?”

  She lifted one shoulder. “I’ve never run from the authorities before. I’ve never run from anything or anyone before.”

  “You must be starving. How about some food?”

  “I’m surprised you don’t want to get started on the intel.”

  He scratched his cheek. “I do, but I’d be a bad host if I didn’t at least feed you.”

  Eden’s laugh was a sound that reminded him of his childhood. It brought him back to a time when the world had been simple. He could only stare at her, wanting to hear more of it.

  “I’ve lived alone for so long that I’m used to fending for myself. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll let you know if I’m hungry. And, oh, by the way, I’m hungry.”

  He smiled as he held open his arm to the pantry. “Help yourself. I can have some fresh food delivered, too.”

  “Don’t do it on my account,” she said as she walked past him.

  Maks watched as she shifted through the cans of soup. “I’d prefer not to have anyone come here that isn’t supposed to, but I want to make sure there’s food to eat.”

  She lifted a can of tomato basil soup. “Like I said, I’m good at fending for myself. When this is all over, you can take me to dinner.”

  “Deal.”

  She raised her brows and eyed him. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  “I’m the one who’ll be holding you to going with me. The bowls are on your left.”

  He also chose soup and poured it into a bowl as she heated hers in the microwave. It wasn’t until his was done, and he was sitting beside her at the island that she said, “You seem very comfortable in this life.”

  “I’m not sure I’d say comfortable. It’s more you get used to it.”

  She thought about that for a moment. “Yes, I can understand that. I saw it with my parents for a long time. When my mom finally left my dad, I asked her what had taken her so long. She said she’d gotten used to things.”

  “Was he abusive?”

  “No. At least, not how you’re thinking. He came from a family where the men decided everything and had control of everything. My mother was a very passive person. She didn’t need to have that control, and she trusted him. That was her mistake. You see, my father was a banker, but despite that, he didn’t know how to handle money. As soon as he had it, he spent it on things we didn’t need instead of paying bills.”

  Maks was surprised that there were still men like that in this day and age, but he guessed it was partly because of the dynamic of the parents.

  Eden took a bite and swallowed, rolling her eyes. “Mom had an allowance every week. She didn’t have access to the actual bank account where his money was. Only he had that. Instead, he opened her an account and would transfer money each week so she could buy groceries. Everything else, including filling her car with gas, had to be done through him. I don’t know how, but he was able to get a lot of credit cards, and as soon as he did, he racked up the debt. We could never answer the phone because there were always creditors calling. He filed for bankruptcy twice.”

  “That had to be hard on all of you.”

  “It was just me, Mom, and Dad. He didn’t see a problem with any of it, but it caused a lot of stress for Mom. Especially when he wouldn’t have enough to give her for groceries. That’s when she took a stand. Not that it did any good. She didn’t leave him until I was out of the house, and he’d been fired from his job. The cars were reposses
sed, the house was foreclosed on, and they barely had money for anything. I sent Mom funds for food. She never asked, but I wasn’t going to let her starve. Dad asked me for money all the time, but I refused to give it to him since I knew he wouldn’t do the right things with it.”

  Maks watched Eden, noting the lines of stress around her mouth as she talked about her father. He didn’t know how many years had passed since she’d left home, but she still carried a lot of that around with her. That much was clear. “At least your mom left. I hope she got on her feet.”

  Instantly, Eden’s face curved into a smile. “She did. My mom was an amazing woman. I gave her a little to get an apartment and a few things, but she paid me back. When I tried to refuse the money, she told me that I was the one who gave her the strength to start again, even in her early fifties. Those few years we had together were some of the best of my life. She really came into her own then. She could always make the best out of any situation, but I could tell she was genuinely happy.”

  “A good ending to the story,” he said and stirred his soup before he took a spoonful into his mouth.

  Eden looked into her bowl, still smiling. “She used to tell me that as much as I gripe about my father, it was how we lived and the mistakes he made that showed me what not to be.”

  “Your mom sounds like she had the right thought.”

  Hazel eyes met his. “I know she did. I didn’t think of it that way until she said it. Even now, when I think of my dad, I still get angry at what he put us through.”

  Maks took two bites of soup before he looked at her. “Do you have any contact with him?”

  “After he asked for money and I wouldn’t give it, he told me I was no longer his daughter. He stopped calling, which was a relief. Mom and I never really discussed him. It was like we both wanted to put him out of our lives. After she died, I realized I only had one parent left, but I didn’t really consider him a parent. He was selfish and egotistical and a slew of other things. It always felt as if he sucked all the good out whenever I thought about him. I knew it was better if we didn’t have a relationship. Besides, he knew where I was. He could have called at any time.”