by Elle James
As she watched out the peephole, another figure appeared in front of the door, a tall broad-shouldered man with dark hair and dark eyes. She recognized him as her neighbor who lived in the apartment she was hiding inside. Her pulse kicked up.
The man could call the police and turn her in for breaking and entering. She didn’t have money for an attorney; she didn’t have anywhere else to go. Maybe she could hide from him until he left for work the next morning. She spun and scanned the room. The man barely had any furniture—a brown leather couch, a television resting on a makeshift stand of wood planks and concrete blocks. No pictures anywhere.
Anne ran for his bedroom. A metal frame with a box springs and mattress was made up military-style with tight lines and corners. Even his closet was pretty bare. He had several uniforms hanging inside, indicating he was Navy, a large duffle bag, a rollaway suitcase big enough to carry a lot of stuff, a few pairs of jeans, two nice shirts, and a few hats on the shelf above, mostly military, one an LA Dodgers baseball cap.
Figuring he’d probably get in the shower first, she didn’t try to go into the bathroom and hide in the bathtub. Instead she pushed aside the military uniforms and squeezed herself into the back corner of the closet. Once there, she pulled over the uniforms to cover her, but her legs were still showing. She reached out and closed the closet door enough that she would be left in the shadows if he turned on a light.
The door to the apartment opened, and footsteps sounded in the living room.
Anne jumped at the sound of keys hitting a countertop.
Since the bedroom was carpeted, she didn’t hear his footsteps, but she could hear him rustling around in the dresser, sliding drawers out, closing them. The bathroom door opened and closed. Then came the sound of water being turned on in the shower, while she stood still in the closet, afraid to move in case he hadn’t actually gotten into the shower yet. When the water started making that splashing sound indicating that somebody was actually standing under the spray, she let her knees relax a little bit.
Her stomach roiled and growled with hunger. She knew if she didn’t get a cracker in her belly quickly, she’d be reduced to the dry heaves of morning sickness. Taking a huge risk, she left the security of the closet, quietly ran into the kitchen, yanked open the door to his refrigerator and searched for anything she could eat to quell the hunger pains and the nausea. All she saw was leftover pizza and beer.
Alcohol was out, so it had to be the pizza. She opened the box and grabbed a cold slice of pizza with every kind of meat loaded on top. As fast as she could, she ran back to the closet and hid behind the uniforms just as the water shut off.
Knowing he’d have to dry off a little before he came out of the bathroom, she took several bites of the pizza, chewed quickly and swallowed. She was halfway through the slice of pizza when the bathroom door opened, and a rush of steam and the smell of soap filled the air in the bedroom even making its way into the closet. She swallowed the bite of pizza she’d been eating and remained still. She couldn’t hear where he was moving, and if he was barefoot, he could be out in the living room, and she would never hear him.
The pizza she’d swallowed hit the bottom of her empty belly. Cheese, grease and meat churned. Her gut rebelled, pushing the food back up the way it had gone down.
She had two choices: throw up in the man’s boots or make a dive for the bathroom and throw up in the toilet there.
Her neighbor hadn’t asked for her to break into his apartment, and he wouldn’t appreciate the fact that she had. He’d appreciate even less if she were to throw up in his boots.
Anne clamped a hand over her mouth, took a deep breath, and ran out of the closet, around the corner and smacked right into a broad naked chest.
Hands came up to grab her, she shook her head afraid to let go of her mouth, knocked his hands loose, ducked beneath his arm and ran into the bathroom just in time for her stomach to erupt. She didn’t make it to the toilet, but she did make it to the sink where she lost the few bites of pizza she’d managed to swallow. When she was done, she rinsed the sink, splashed water on her face and finally turned to face her neighbor.
He held a 9mm pistol in his hand as he shook his head. “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot you.”
Still feeling nauseated, she sank onto the toilet seat and hugged her arms around her knees. “I’d say go ahead and shoot me,” she said. “Unfortunately, I need to live.” When she thought she could raise her head again without the world spinning and her stomach turning over, she sat up slowly, squared her shoulders and faced her neighbor. “All I ask is that you don’t call the police.”
“You broke into my apartment,” he said. “That’s against the law.”
“The balcony door was unlocked. I didn’t have to break anything. I did try to eat one of your pieces of pizza, and I’ll pay you for it.”
“I don’t care about the pizza. I do care that you entered my apartment without my permission. To me, that’s breaking and entering.”
“If it’s a choice between the cops or shooting me…go ahead and shoot me.” She said the words, but she prayed he wouldn’t.
The man frowned and lowered his weapon. “I’m not going to shoot you. As far as I can tell, you’re unarmed, and even though you’re trespassing, you’re not a threat to me. However, you might be a threat to my pizza and my bathroom.”
She gave him a weak smile and bent back over to hug her knees again as another wave of nausea hit her.
The man’s frown deepened. “If you won’t let me call the police, at least let me call an ambulance.”
She shook her head and raised her chin, her eyes wide. “Please don’t. I beg you, please don’t let anyone know I’m here.”
“Why? Are you running from the cops?”
She laughed and a tear slipped down her cheek. “No, I’m not. I’m running from something much worse, my ex-boyfriend.”
The man raised his hands. “Look, I don’t want to get involved in this. I’m leaving in the morning. I’m going on vacation. I don’t need this kind of complication. Now, if you’ll just leave my apartment, I won’t call the cops.”
She pushed to her feet. “You don’t understand. I can’t leave. He’s out there, and he’s watching, waiting for me to come out. When I do, he’ll have me again.”
“How about I get you to your car, and you can leave and get as far away from here as possible?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have a car.”
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll drive you to a bus station.”
She snorted softly. “I can’t afford a ticket. I need every cent I’ve scrounged to start over somewhere else.”
The man’s jaw hardened, and his fists clenched. “How about I go out and pound this guy?”
“He won’t come out until he sees me, and I can’t let him see me. I barely survived the last time.”
Her neighbor’s eyes narrowed. “He beat you?”
Anne nodded. “Then he locked me in the house.”
“Can I take you to some women’s shelter or something?” he asked.
“He’d follow me there.”
“What’s your name?” he demanded. His eyebrows dipped low.
She swallowed hard. “Anne…Smith.”
“Anne, I’m Jack. I’d say it was nice to meet you, but it really isn’t.” His lips formed a thin line. “And you can’t stay here.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and she willed them to go away. One of the unfortunate side effects of being pregnant, she’d found, was that she was a lot more emotional than she had been before she was pregnant.
“Oh, dear Lord.” Her neighbor raised his hands. “Please don’t turn on the waterworks.”
She lifted her chin. “I…can’t…help…it.”
“Okay, fine, you can stay here. I’m leaving tomorrow morning for vacation. You can stay here for as long as you like. I don’t care. Just don’t cry.”
Her tears increased as sobs rose up her throat, choking off her words of gr
atitude.
He looked at her as if in horror. “Geez, what did I say?”
“Nothing. You’re just being kind,” she blubbered. “Nobody’s been that kind to me since I met Derek.”
“Is Derek the asshole who’s been beating you?”
She nodded.
He left the bathroom and crossed into the bedroom.
Anne pushed to her feet and followed. “You’re not going to call the cops…?”
“No.” He grabbed the blanket off the bed and shoved it into her arms. “I just told you that you could stay in my place while I’m gone on vacation. When I get back, you’re going to have to figure out what to do on your own. And whatever you do, don’t cry. I can’t deal with crying females.”
Anne sniffed. “Won’t your girlfriend mind if I’m staying here?”
He laughed. “I don’t have a girlfriend for a reason. I don’t answer to anybody but myself, and I like it that way. Look, you can stay on one condition, and that one condition is that you’re not here when I get back.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
He smiled. “As far away as I can get. I’m headed to Montana.”
Her brow puckered as a germ of an idea took root. “What is that, about a two- or three-day drive?”
“I’m taking my time, but yes, normally.”
“So, you’ll be gone how long?”
“Two weeks. That gives you two weeks to find some other way out of this mess besides hiding in my apartment.”
She nodded, thoughts already spinning around in her head. “Okay. I really appreciate it. Thank you.”
“I’m letting you stay in my apartment, but you’ll have to sleep on the couch.”
She nodded. “Thank you.” And it would probably be more comfortable than the foam mattress on the floor of her apartment that she had been sleeping on. She was not going to complain about it, especially when he had every right to throw her out or call the police and have her arrested. “You’ve been more than kind, thank you.” She took the blanket out to the couch and curled up in a corner of it.
Her host came out of the bedroom. “Did you save me any of that pizza?”
She nodded. “About that, let me pay you for it.”
He shook his head. “No need. It wasn’t that good anyway, as you obviously demonstrated. I’m going to make an omelet. You want one?”
Her stomach rumbled. “No, I’ve already taken advantage of you too much.”
“A couple of eggs aren’t going to break me,” he said. “Do you want one or not?”
“Yes, please. Would you rather I cooked it?”
His lips twitched. “Actually, yes. I’m a terrible cook.” He patted his flat belly. “I just had a really big meal at a friend’s house, and I shouldn’t be eating at all. But I can’t help it…I’m hungry. Besides, I’ll burn it all off tomorrow morning when I run before I leave.”
“Do you have any onions or bell peppers?”
“Only what you’ll find on that pizza. I usually eat out, except for eggs in the morning. I do have some bacon in there, if you want it, and probably some cheese.”
As she scrambled eggs and fried bacon, her thoughts spun with the possibilities.
She needed to get away from California altogether.
Her neighbor was headed to Montana.
She may have just found her ticket out.
Jack hadn’t liked leaving his apartment with the woman still in it, but he’d be damned if he missed his vacation because of some female who’d entered his apartment without his permission and then refused to leave. Sure, she was cute with her sandy-blond hair and light gray eyes. But he wasn’t interested in cute, and he wasn’t interested in having a female in his apartment. Besides, he didn’t trust cute. His ex-wife had been cute. He’d been more than generous to the intruder, letting her stay the night and even the next two weeks, and she hadn’t even bothered to say thank you or goodbye.
Instead, she’d locked herself in the bathroom. He’d made several trips carrying bags down to his truck, and still she hadn’t emerged from the bathroom. Ready to go and angry that she’d refused to even thank him, he’d yelled through the bathroom door, “When you decide to leave, just lock up on your way out.”
And that was it.
He’d left early, wanting to make Vegas in plenty of time to enjoy some gambling before it got too late. He only planned to stay there one night and make it to Montana the next day, which would be a long twelve-hour drive from Vegas. Not that there was a whole lot of scenery worth seeing in between for most of the trip.
Once he reached Hank’s fishing cabin, he would kick back, relax and try his new fly fishing rod and the lures he’d handmade. Hank had assured him the cabin he’d be staying in was secluded. Nobody would bother him. He’d be located right next to the river where he’d be fishing. Life couldn’t get any better than that. Nobody shooting at him, nobody interrupting him when he wanted silence. To him, it would be pure heaven.
Jack was halfway to Vegas when he pulled off the interstate for a bathroom break. The full cup of coffee he’d consumed along the way forced him to stop sooner than he’d planned. He went ahead and topped off his gas tank, hit the restroom and grabbed another cup of coffee. He was back in the truck in less than ten minutes.
A movement caught his eye, or was it a noise? He looked over the back of his seat. Everything looked as he’d left it. Maybe he’d heard something outside his vehicle. He shrugged, started the engine, shifted into gear and pulled out of the station.
For the past five hours, he couldn’t help thinking about the woman he’d left behind in his apartment. He wondered how long she’d stay and where she would go without any money. He hadn’t had any cash on him, otherwise he would have left her some. He didn’t even know if she had a phone. He wished he’d asked. Then, at least, he could call and see how she was doing.
He wasn’t worried about her being in his apartment. There wasn’t much to ruin or steal, unless she made off with his uniforms. He had extras in his truck in a go bag, just in case the team was called up to deploy. He might have to fly back to Coronado immediately, or fly on to his destination. He could never go anywhere without it. His vacation was only as long as the government allowed it to be. If shit hit the fan and his team was called up, it wouldn’t matter if he was on vacation, at a funeral or his own damned wedding, he’d have to go.
As far as he knew there wasn’t anything urgent going on in the world, but that could change in a heartbeat. He just hoped it wouldn’t. He was looking forward to some rest and relaxation. He needed it after all the missions they’d been on recently. When he was just about ten miles outside of Las Vegas’s city limits, a sound behind him made him look over his shoulder into the backseat.
The extra blanket he’d brought for the mountain cabin stirred.
“What the f—” He slammed on his brakes.
The blanket and what was underneath it rolled off the seat onto the floorboard and made a squealing sound.
Jack pulled to the side of the road, jumped out of the truck and yanked open the backdoor. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it off whatever was beneath it, fully expecting to find some kind of animal. Instead, he found the woman he thought he’d left inside his apartment. “What the hell?”
Chapter 4
“I’m sorry.” Anne blinked up at him. “I thought I’d make it to your final stop, but I can’t. My bladder is about to burst.” She pulled herself off the floorboard, stepped out onto the shoulder of the road and immediately crossed her legs. After a glance around, she grimaced. “Not a single bush?”
“We’re in Nevada, lady. They don’t have bushes in Nevada. It’s a desert.”
“I know that, but Jesus, I have to go. Could you at least turn your back?”
“I did that for a minute, and now I have a stowaway.”
“Seriously,” she said, her face contorting.
Finally, he turned his back to her and crossed his arms over his chest. He heard the soun
d of her unzipping her jeans. “Why did you stow away in my truck?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” she said.
He started to turn around.
“Don’t look!” she exclaimed.
He realigned with his back firmly toward her. “I let you have free run of my apartment. Why didn’t you stay?”
“I couldn’t. Derek would be back. He would have found me in your apartment. He’d have found me anywhere I would have gone in the city. I couldn’t stay in San Diego. I don’t know how he did it, but he found me after I’d come all the way from LA.”
“I don’t understand why you think that’s my problem?”
“You were leaving; you were getting out of the state altogether. I didn’t have the money to buy a bus ticket. Besides, he could have traced me if I had. Where are you going to stop for the night?”
He pointed toward the city ahead of him. “Vegas.”
“You could let me out there. I’ll figure out what to do next. I just needed to get out of San Diego without him finding me.”
“I should just leave you here on the side of the road,” Jack said. “I didn’t ask for you to stow away in my truck.”
“I know,” she said.
He heard the sound of a zipper going up, and then she walked around to stand in front of him. “I’m sorry I’m inconveniencing you. I was running out of choices.”
“I still think you should’ve called the cops.”
“And tell them what? My ex-boyfriend beats me?” She held out her arms. “Do you see any bruises? It’s been three weeks. They’re gone.”
“You should’ve turned him in when you had them.”
“He kept me locked up until they went away. I only just managed to get away from him by breaking through the bars on the windows. Please,” she said, “just take me into Las Vegas and you can leave me there.”