This was my chance. They were all distracted.
I slid my body up and over the side like a lizard, dropping to the ground just as the truck screeched forward again. By some miracle, I narrowly missed getting run over by the back tire. I skittered behind the gas pump as the truck pulled away, not daring to breathe until they were gone. I waited a few more seconds until the truck disappeared down the street.
The breath whooshed out of my lungs.
I’d done it! After eight long years, I was finally free!
I had escaped the powerful Katashi Yamamoto. I had escaped my father.
I was free. Free!
I wanted to jump up and down with excitement. Except, I knew better. As long as my father was alive, I would never be free. I needed to find a place to hide. A place where he would never find me.
It was late. After midnight. No one was out and about. Where would I go now? Where could I hide?
Another vehicle pulled into the gas station, driving up to the same pump my father had just drove away from.
I tensed, crouching low. Be still, little mouse.
A man stepped out of a black truck that was similar to my father’s, and came around to the pump.
Tall and well-built, he had thick, shaggy blond hair that fell to just below his ears in rolling, sexy waves. As he turned to pull the nozzle free of the pump, I caught a glimpse of his face.
My breath caught.
Mid to late twenties. A smooth, clean-shaven jaw. Chiseled, well-defined features. Definitely handsome.
For the last eight years, I had been exposed to many different men, most of whom were Asian. Dark-haired, dark-eyed. All of them evil.
But this man, in sharp contrast, was filled with light. He gave off an aura of goodness. Not evil.
A blond god, he was truly beautiful. Masculine. Fascinated, I stared at him from behind the pump, feasting my gaze on him while trying not to be seen. Who was this hunk?
He tensed suddenly, as if he sensed my presence. Had he heard me?
I slipped around the corner of the pump, out of sight. And again held my breath. I couldn’t be seen. Not yet. It wasn’t safe.
The blond hunk finished filling up his truck. Then he went around to the driver’s side and climbed in.
I made a split-second decision then.
As he started the engine, I leapt over the tailgate and dived into the back of the truck.
Wherever this man was headed, I was going with him.
CHAPTER FOUR
Logan
I headed back to the maze with fresh groceries and a new tank of gas. There was a chill in the air tonight, so I turned up the heater, warming my cold hands.
As I’d filled my truck with fuel back at the store, I had sensed another presence. Female. Small. Her scent had reached me first. No perfume, just a faint hint of sweat and fruity shampoo. I’d sensed her hiding behind the gas pump. Watching me. Who was she? Why was she hiding back there? Was she in trouble?
Though my first instinct had been to offer my help to her—if help was what she needed—I’d quickly dispelled the idea. I was a dreg. I couldn’t become involved.
Pretending not to notice her, I filled my tank and pulled away. As curious as I was as to why a woman would be hiding behind a gas pump in the middle of the night, I had to remember that I had a bounty on my head. The Company was still hunting me. I needed to stay hidden. I needed to get back to the safety of the maze.
So I drove away, pushing her from my mind. She wasn’t my concern.
I reached the old plantation home and pulled into the hidden garage out back. Parking in my spot, I shoved open my door and slid out of the truck. Then I opened the back door and pulled out several bags of groceries.
I paused, my acute senses picking up that female’s scent again. Faint. Fruity shampoo.
That was strange. Smells didn’t usually linger that long.
Then the faint thump thump, thump thump, thump thump of a heartbeat penetrated my ear.
I might be partially deaf—thanks to an IED that had blown off my left ear and half of my face—but I still had heightened senses. If I was in a busy place with lots of noise, it was difficult for my one ear to pick up any single sound. But if it was quiet, like right now, I was able to pick up and focus on a singular sound.
Such as a heartbeat.
What the hell?
Was I imagining things?
I stood still, listening.
Soft breaths reached my ear.
I turned toward the sound.
Oh shit, no. She was in the bed of my truck. How had that happened?
I stepped back, cautiously setting the bags of groceries on the garage floor, and pulled my weapon free from the holster at my back. Woman or not, she could be a threat. And I’d been trained to defend myself from any type of threat.
A silver throwing star flashed past my head, skimming through my hair and narrowly missing my one remaining ear, before lodging into the garage wall behind me.
“Hey!” I jerked back, raising my weapon.
With a flash of movement, she bolted to her feet in the back of the truck, landing in a ninja fighting stance, a Kunai knife gripped in one small hand and a fighting staff held in the other. Dressed all in black, she crouched low, her gaze wary, watchful. I recognized another warrior when I saw one. Who was she? Even as tiny as she was, I imagined she was a formidable opponent and could easily handle herself. Even so, she was no match for me. In a battle, I could easily take her down. But I didn’t want to hurt her. And I certainly didn’t want her to throw any more stars—or that deadly knife—at me. I could evade the fighting staff, but the knife could cause me bodily harm.
I cautiously assessed my opponent.
At first glance, she looked like a boy with that thick, short-cropped black hair that was brushed forward, the bangs hovering above her eyes in a sexy, modern style. A closer inspection revealed she was definitely not a boy. Tiny, dainty-looking, she held herself like a female—a warrior female poised to attack. She couldn’t be any taller than five-one or two, and couldn’t weigh any more than ninety to a hundred pounds.
Then I let my gaze rest on her face.
Gorgeous, almond-shaped eyes the color of roasted coffee beans. Stunning, exotic features that hinted at a strong Asian influence. She was exquisite, so breathtakingly beautiful that for a moment, I literally couldn’t breathe.
Breathe, you moron, or you’re going to pass out. You’re staring like you’ve never seen a woman before. Snap out of it!
I sucked in a breath. But I couldn’t stop staring.
Young, not much older than a girl, she was in her early to mid-twenties, maybe. She eyed me warily, but also curiously. The knife, the fighting staff, her black attire, her stance…all hinted at a skilled martial arts fighter. Was she associated with the Black Dragons? If so, I needed to be very careful here. I needed to get her away from the maze ASAP.
You need to stop ogling her like she’s a tasty steak dinner and you haven’t eaten in days.
I cleared my throat. “Easy, little one. I’m not going to hurt you.”
I made a decision then that I prayed wouldn’t come back to haunt me. I lowered my gun, slowly bending to set it on the garage floor. In most circumstances, lowering my weapon would be a stupid thing to do. But I didn’t feel threatened by this mere wisp of a girl, and I wanted her to relax so I could convince her to let me take her away from here.
“See? Now I’m unarmed.” I lifted my hands, palms out toward her. “No one is going to hurt you. Can I ask what you are doing in my truck?”
She didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Her dark gaze never left mine. In the silence, I easily made out the sound of her heartrate kicking up, the rapid thump thump, thump thump, thump thump telling me she was more afraid than she let on. Was I scary-looking?
I considered how I must look in her eyes.
A big, shaggy-haired brute.
Yeah, I was probably terrifying to her. At least I’d shaved that day,
so my jaw wasn’t scruffy with beard stubble.
Maybe she didn’t speak English.
So I tried again, this time speaking in Chinese.
No response.
I tried Mandarin.
No response.
Cantonese.
Still no response.
Vietnamese.
Nothing.
Japanese.
Her eyelashes flickered slightly. Aha. Did she understand me?
I eyed her, contemplating, while she eyed me. There were hundreds of languages with many different dialects spoken in Asia. I really didn’t want to go through them all. That could take hours. Days…
We weren’t in Asia. Chances were, if she was here in America, then she could speak English at least a little bit. And it was my understanding that English was commonly spoken in some areas of Asia, so I guessed that she had at least a rudimentary understanding of English. Maybe she was deliberately not responding to me.
I spoke to her again in Japanese, since that was the only language that had gotten a reaction out of her.
“I won’t hurt you. But you can’t be here. Is there some place I can take you?”
The sound of her heartbeat slowing indicated she was finally relaxing.
Good. I didn’t want her to be afraid of me.
“Look,” I went on. “I can speak any language in the world. So if you’re scared to respond in Japanese, just speak in whatever language you’re most comfortable with, and I’ll answer back in that language.”
Another flicker of her thick eyelashes. She contemplated me for a long, drawn-out moment, then she straightened to her full height, flipping her bangs out of her eyes with a gentle toss of her head that I found cute. Sexy. She lowered the knife and the fighting staff, but still gripped the weapons cautiously, as if she wasn’t sure if I was a threat or not.
She continued to stare down at me from the bed of the truck, her stance confident, almost arrogant. My lips twitched. She was gorgeous. A brave little thing. Taking on a dreg. Did she have any idea who I was? Or how dangerous I could be?
“You can speak any language in the world?” she asked in Japanese. Her voice was soft, delicate-sounding, and utterly feminine. I contemplated her speech for a moment, running it over in my mind. I recognized the natural dialects of a native Japanese speaker in her words, but also something else that made me suspect Japanese wasn’t the only language she spoke. I needed her to speak again so I could figure out what else it was I detected in her speech. Linguistics was my specialty, after all.
The sound of that soft, sexy voice made something stir inside me, something long dead. Awareness. Attraction. A strong desire to know more about her.
What the hell? That was totally out of the blue. I had gone seven long years without even a hint of attraction for a woman.
But this young woman…damn. It was like I’d been struck by a lightning bolt. Just being around her tiny femininity made me feel strong and manly.
Big and beastly.
Other than the short hairstyle, there was definitely nothing boyish about her. For the first time in seven years, I was experiencing a strong physical attraction, a genuine interest in a woman. I’d always been fascinated by exotic people and cultures, particularly other languages, anything that was different from me. This stunning creature had me completely captivated.
“Yes.” I answered her question. “I can. Do you speak anything other than Japanese?”
She hesitated, eyeing me with those gorgeous dark eyes that sucked me in and made me want to know all her secrets. At last, she nodded. “I can speak English and Hindi, too.”
Hindi? That explained the different dialects, vowel sounds, and speech patterns I’d detected in her words. Another linguist? I cocked a brow, my fascination growing. “Are you…Indian?” While Hindi was a major language in India, it was also spoken in many other countries like Nepal, Fiji, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Singapore. I was just guessing that she was Indian. I could well be wrong.
She was silent a moment, her beautiful dark eyes taking me in. “Half,” she admitted at last. “My mother is Indian. My father Japanese.” The fact that she seemed to trust me enough to open up to me was not lost on me. Did she find me trustworthy?
I hung onto her every word like a drowning man clinging to a raft. No wonder she was so stunning. The blending of the Japanese and the Indian features made this young woman a total knockout. She wasn’t merely pretty. No, she was simply the most gorgeous creature I’d ever seen. I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off her.
Jesus, Logan. Stop ogling the poor girl. You’ll only frighten her more.
“So, who are you and why are you in my truck?” I repeated, switching to English.
Her gaze raked over me with a bold curiosity that made me flush. I wasn’t the only one who was staring. Did she find me as fascinating as I found her? The idea made heat shoot straight to my groin.
She shrugged. “My name is Nishi. And I need a place to hide. You arrived at just the right moment. Can I stay with you?”
What? I could not—would not—allow myself to even fantasize about that.
I choked. “Uh. No. Sorry. You can’t stay here. You have to go. I’ll give you a ride home, okay?”
She stiffened, her eyes filling with determination. “I am not going home. I am never going back there.” She hopped out of the truck, twirling gracefully through the air, and landed on the ground next to me. Holding both weapons out, she dared me to argue.
I tensed, stepping back. “Whoa. Easy there. I don’t want to fight you, little one.”
She let out a soft, very feminine-sounding chuckle. “Fight? You and me? Oh, no. I do not want to fight with you. Unless it is to wrestle across your bed. That might be fun.” Her lips twitched and her eyes sparkled.
My face heated. Wrestle across my bed? Holy hell. The breath snagged in my throat at that image. For a long moment, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say in response to that.
I cleared my throat. “You can’t stay here,” I repeated firmly. “I’m sorry.” The other dregs would be furious if they found out I’d accidentally brought a stranger here. A possible Black Dragon. I needed to get rid of her. And quickly. Before she discovered the maze and our living quarters underneath the mansion.
“I want you to hide me from my father. If you do that, then I will be forever in your debt.” She eyed me up and down, the look in her eyes one of appreciation. “I am sure I can find a way to reward you.”
Heat returned to my face in a rush. Was she was saying what I thought she was saying?
No, I couldn’t allow that. I would never take advantage of a woman that way. If I were to take her into my bed, it would be because we both wanted it. The attraction had to be mutual. The desire real. Not a reward.
“Come on.” I bent to pick up my groceries and my gun. The gun I slipped into my holster at my back. The groceries I set out of the way on the shelf lining the garage wall until I got back. The coolness of the garage would keep them fresh until I returned.
“Please…get in the truck, little one. The front of the truck this time. I’ll take you to a hotel for the night—alone,” I added quickly so she didn’t misunderstand me. I would not be joining her there. “I’ll even give you some money to help you get by for a little while. But you can’t stay here.”
Her gaze searched mine. “You are taking me to a hotel?”
“Yes. Unless you would prefer some other place?”
“I would prefer to stay with you,” she answered, her gaze direct as it held mine.
Damn. I was having a hard time refusing her. I shook my head with a sigh. I couldn’t let her stay here. I didn’t even know her. It didn’t matter how gorgeous she was or how heightened my senses were in her presence. She had to go.
“Sorry, little one. You don’t know me. And I don’t know you. A hotel, then?”
She gave a reluctant nod of agreement, her gaze filling with disappointment. “Thank you, sir. Then I will accept your kind
offer.”
I should be relieved that I would soon be rid of her.
So why the hell didn’t I want to let her go?
CHAPTER FIVE
Nishi
The sexy blond hunk drove me through the dark forest and back into the small town. I sat silently in the passenger’s seat, the close confines of the vehicle making me overly aware of his proximity to me. And how big and powerful he was. How good he smelled—all male. His scent was a pleasing mixture of spicy light cologne and his own natural manly scent, totally unlike the stench of most of my father’s men, who generally stank of sweat and unwashed bodies. Cleanliness made a man much more attractive in my opinion. It meant he took care of himself and wasn’t a slob. This stranger definitely took care of himself. It was obvious in the way he carried himself, the way he smelled, the way he looked…
Though his hair was slightly longer than average, it wasn’t unkempt, and only enhanced his handsome features. I fought the sudden urge to thread my fingers through the thick waves. Was his hair as soft as it looked? I had never been so aware of a man as I was while in this stranger’s presence. I still couldn’t believe he was helping me. He wasn’t letting me stay with him, which sucked, but I guess it was understandable. He didn’t know me, and I didn’t know him. But still, he was helping me. And I was a complete stranger to him. Kindness like this was rare.
What had possessed this gorgeous hunk to help me? Did I seem destitute?
You are destitute, Nishi. You have nothing. No money, no clothes, no food. Nothing.
Could he sense that?
His voice was deep and throaty, different from any man I’d ever been around before. Whenever he spoke, heat pooled in my core and longing stirred inside me. I couldn’t deny my attraction to him. Everything about this man fascinated me. Everything about him was unique—at least to me—from his hair color and his eyes, to his kind, gentle aura, to his handsome, chiseled features, his big, muscular body…
As a Japanese man, my father was of average height at five-foot-seven. Most of his men were around or under that same height. Not that their shorter stature made them any less dangerous than larger men. Malik of the Rapsters was the largest, most frightening man I’d ever seen. He stood well over six feet tall, and he bulged with muscles like an obsessive body builder. Even the name Malik elicited fear in me. He was pure evil, so it was understandable why I’d fled. I wasn’t letting that man anywhere near me. Just thinking of Malik made me quake with terror. Malik was nothing like this kind stranger.
The Trainer (military romantic suspense) (The Dregs Book 5) Page 3