by P. L. Harris
“Listen,” Amanda began. “I’m sure deep down your dad trusts you and loves you. Maybe he just has a hard time expressing his feelings. Men can be like that.”
Jason’s eyebrows raised. “Really. Speaking from experience?”
“Well, no, of course not. I, um…” She paused. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. Oh, my God. She swallowed. “Let me just take my foot out of my mouth.”
Jason chuckled, changing the subject. “I haven’t seen you around campus. Are you a student at Notre Dame?”
Amanda nodded. “First year, Arts with a double major in politics and journalism.”
Jason smiled and ran his hand through his hair. “Get out of town. I’m second year law. How come I haven’t seen you before?”
Amanda swallowed the knot in her throat. “I only started this semester. We moved from Sydney early this year.”
Another new town, another new school. Thank God for Maria. She smiled to herself, thinking of her outrageously funny friend. First semester would have been terrible if she hadn’t met Maria.
“Listen, Amanda.” He paused. “Why don’t you let me help you?”
“No, I’ll be fine. You’ve done more than enough already.”
“I hardly think a hot shower, a warm place to sleep, and a cup of hot chocolate is enough, even if it is the best hot chocolate.” He chuckled.
She needed help, but her mother had said trust no one. “I don’t even know if you can help me.”
“Maybe I can’t, but I can at least try. Want to tell me why you were hiding in my treehouse? I’m sure there are more comfortable places to be.”
She shook her head. “I needed to find an unconventional hiding place they wouldn’t find me,” she mumbled.
“Who’s they?”
Amanda’s breath caught in her throat. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I know you’ve no reason to trust me.” He paused. “But I want you to know that anything you say to me will be kept between you and me. I promise.”
His eyes shone under the warm fluorescent lamp light. The sincerity in them pleaded for her trust. She didn’t have to tell him everything.
“I not really sure who they were. When I came home from uni earlier this evening, I noticed my mum hadn’t done the food shopping, which is unusual because she always does the food shopping every Thursday, religiously, without fail. There were these men in my house, destroying it.”
Jason shot to his feet and clenched his hands at his sides. “Are you serious? We need to report it to the police.”
“No,” she barked in horror. “No, you can’t. You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone.” She mentally kicked herself for opening her big trap. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Why?” He slowly sat again. “Why wouldn’t you want to let the police know? You could be in danger.”
If only you knew.
“Jason, I don’t want to tell the police,” she pleaded.
At least until I find my mother.
“I only got a glimpse of one of them, anyway. And you promised you wouldn’t tell either.”
He sighed. “Yes, I know, but—”
She shot to her feet. “You promised.”
“Yes, I promised.” He nodded. “You can trust me, Amanda.”
Amanda pulled back the quilt. “Listen, I’m tired. Thank you for letting me stay here tonight, and also for not telling your dad I’m here.”
He hadn’t moved from the spot. “What are your plans for tomorrow? Where will you go?”
His question stabbed her in the gut like a dagger. She shrugged. There was nowhere to go until she heard from her mother. She’d have to find another hiding spot and wait.
Jason bit his bottom lip as if unsure whether to speak or hold his tongue. “I know you don’t want to tell anyone, but it’s obvious you need help with whatever is going on.”
She butted in, “I’ll be—”
He held his hand up. “Let me finish. I did a criminal investigation elective unit last semester and the lecturer and I developed a strong friendship. She said if I ever needed help, to call her.”
“Jason, I can’t.” Fear bombarded her senses.
“Yes, you can. Michelle is a close friend and I would trust her with my life. She used to work for the FBI and then married an Australian policeman and moved to Perth.”
Lucky her.
“You saw one of the guys, so she should be able to do a sketch. I’m sure she will be able to help, and I can promise you, she won’t say a word to anyone if you don’t want her to.”
Amanda sighed. She could tell he wasn’t going to let it go. “All right, maybe we should go see her tomorrow.” It didn’t matter anyway. She would disappear before he awoke.
Chapter 4
JASON stirred as images of Amanda’s twisted, mangled body bombarded his dreams. He’d failed her. Failed to stop her jumping from the window. She lay broken and battered on the grass beneath the treehouse.
He awoke, startled, sweat covering his brow. Thank God. It was just a dream.
The warm glow of the sun surfaced beneath the closed window blinds. Jason threw the covers back before he headed to the bathroom. Careful not to wake her up, he moved like a stealthy kitten under attack.
He’d skip his lectures today. He could get them online, anyway, and Amanda needed his help more. Flicking on the light, he cursed himself for not shutting the bathroom door first. He turned to see if she’d stirred from the blinding light.
What the…?
Her bed, flat. Empty.
His heart raced into overdrive. How had he not heard her leave? He swiped the piece of paper left on her pillow.
Dear Jason,
Thank you for your kind and generous hospitality and the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. I know you said you would help me, but you’ve been so kind and it would kill me if anything happened to you because of me.
If this Michelle is as good as you say she is, then I’m sure she’ll be able to help me, but at least you will be out of danger.
Thanks again.
Wish me luck.
Amanda
Luck? She was going to need a lot more than luck. Jason’s heart pounded. He had no time for a shower now. He had to find Amanda before it was too late.
* * * *
Jason glanced at the clock on his dashboard as he pulled into a car bay outside student services. Nine-thirty. His pulse raced. He had no idea where to start looking. He kicked himself for not getting Amanda’s phone number last night, as if she would have given it to him anyway. His panic levels rose every time Michelle’s phone went straight to voicemail.
Scanning the courtyard as he went, Jason headed for Michelle’s office. She worked part-time, and he just prayed today wasn’t one of her days off.
Please be there, please be there.
Her office bathed in darkness held no answers. What was he going to do now? His breathing was haggard as he searched Michelle’s office. He would search each building one at a time until he found Amanda. Which wasn’t going to be easy since the university was scattered throughout the west end of Fremantle.
He barreled toward the main entrance through Bateman Courtyard, scanning every seat, bench, bush, or group of people. He stopped two meters short of the street. His chest burned with relief. He’d spotted her, at least he thought it was her, hiding behind the trees just to the side of the entrance. Her curly, blonde hair blew frantically in the wind.
Jason edged himself up beside the tree. “Amanda.”
She spun, and the terror in her eyes tore at his gut. Her gaze darted around the courtyard. “What’s wrong?” he asked worryingly.
“Jason, what are you doing here?” she whispered.
“Looking for you, what else?” She was pale, as if she’d seen a ghost. He closed the gap between them. “Are you okay?”
She thrust her hand up t
oward him. “No, stop. Don’t come any closer.” She looked past him to the entrance. “I have to get out of here. I should have known it was a mistake to come here.”
His gut tightened and his heart went out to her. Something had scared the living daylights out of her. “What happened, Amanda? Talk to me.” She just stood there, frozen like a mannequin in a shop window. “Did you try to see Michelle?”
She nodded.
“And?”
“She wasn’t there, so I left and came out here and they were here, the men who were in my house last night. So, I hid. I don’t think they saw me.”
“Jeez,” Jason exploded. “How did they know where to find you?”
Amanda edged herself farther behind the larger group of bushes. “When they smashed up our house, they found pictures of me.” She shook. “And my university stuff was all over the coffee table.”
Crap, she’s going into shock. “Listen, I know you don’t want to tell anyone, but my dad’s a detective. Maybe he—”
“No! You can’t tell anyone. You promised.”
“For God sake, Amanda.” Frustration soared through his veins. “They’re coming after you. You’re not safe.”
“I don’t care,” she snapped. “I can’t…I won’t put my mum’s life in danger.”
Jason pulled back, his brow furrowed. “Your mum? What’s she got to do with it?”
She sighed. “It’s a long story.”
He didn’t like being kept in the dark or being lied to. The frustration churning in his gut was fast turning to anger. There was obviously more to this story, and if he was going to help, he needed to know every single detail.
“Listen, Amanda, this is what we are going to do. First, we’re heading back to my place.” She shook her head, but his words continued to beat on. “Yes, we are. We’re going to head to my place, my dad will still be asleep from working the nightshift, so you can sneak in again. Then I’m going to make some hot chocolate and you’re going to tell me the whole story.”
“Jason, I—”
“No excuses, no buts.” He held up his hand to silence her. “We have to get out of here before they come back, and at the moment, my house is the safest place for you.” He crossed his arms across his chest, waiting for her argument. “So, are we in agreement? Or am I going to throw you over my shoulder in a fireman’s lift and carry you out of here myself?”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t dare?”
His stomach did a little somersault when she glared at him. Wouldn’t I? He took a step in her direction.
“Fine,” she snapped, pulling back from his reach. “Have it your way.”
* * * *
Amanda clung to the cup of steaming hot chocolate like a lifeline. What am I going to do now? She still hadn’t heard from her mum, and now it wasn’t safe to search for her in public, but she couldn’t just sit on her behind and wait.
“If you hold that cup any tighter, it’s going to shatter,” Jason said, leaning against his desk. A warm smile eased its way across his face.
“Oh,” she said, slightly loosening her grip. “I’m sorry. I was a million miles away.”
Jason placed his mug on the desk. “That much is obvious.”
The genuine care beaming from Jason’s eyes warmed her heart. “You really do want to help me, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course I do.” He sighed. “When will you believe that my word is worth something?”
Smiling, she sipped her hot chocolate.
“Oh, crap,” she said, jumping as the burning hot liquid stung the end of her tongue. She held the cup tight above his bed, levelling it before it spilled everywhere. “That was close.” She sighed in relief, placing it on the desk next to his. “The last thing I want to do is destroy your bed as well as your life,” she said.
“Come off it, Amanda,” Jason said through pursed lips. “You haven’t destroyed my life. Far from it, actually.”
Her brow creased. “Excuse me?”
“Well, until I met you, my life was pretty mundane. It was always focused on Aaron and dealing with the crap he dished out. Meeting you has given me reason to do good, you know. It reconfirms why I’m studying law…to help people.” He chuckled.
“But you’re lying to your dad and that’s not good.” She stood, rubbing her palm across her forehead. “You want your dad to trust you and here I am asking you to lie. Jason, it’s not right.”
“It’s okay. We’re not breaking any laws. Well, at least not yet,” he said with a laugh.
She shook her head, her eyes fierce. “No, you should be in class, not covering—”
Jason shot to his feet. He softly held Amanda’s shoulders. “Enough.” He took a deep breath, as if preparing for a battle. “I decide what I’m going to do, not my father, and I promised I would help. So, whether you like it or not, that is exactly what I’m going to do.”
Amanda’s skin burned under the warmth of his hands. He was so close his sexy aftershave wafted past her nose. God, he smells nice.
“Now,” he continued. “In order to do that I need to know the whole truth. You said your mum wasn’t safe. What did you mean by that?”
Why do I let my mouth run away with me, she thought. Amanda shied from Jason’s soft grip.
“Oh no, you don’t,” he said, holding her strong in his view. “The truth, Amanda.”
Amanda huffed and flopped onto the bed. “Fine.” She pointed to his. “Maybe you better sit down.”
Jason got comfortable before she began. Heat rose in her body as she gave a detailed explanation of what had transpired since she’d arrived home from uni last night. She studied his look of disbelief. She cringed with regret. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” His face was etched with concern. “Is that it?” he asked, pointing to the glimmering gem.
Tears threatened to fall. Amanda wrapped her hand around the locket and nodded. Closing her eyes, she prayed it would lead her back to her mum.
“What are you going to do?” Jason asked.
“I don’t know…I just don’t know anymore.” She sighed, dropping her head into her hands. A palpable silence played out between them. Her thoughts were shattered by the booming voice outside the door.
“Jason, are you in there?” A gruff, male voice called from the hallway.
Amanda shot to her feet, her gaze glued to the closed door.
Why hadn’t she listened to her gut? Mum said to trust no one, and now it’s all going to come crashing down because of my stupidity.
“Jason, are you in there?” the voice roared once again.
“Don’t come in—I’m naked,” Jason yelled.
Amanda gasped, whipping her head around to see a fully-clothed Jason behind her, frantically waving his arms.
“Hide in there,” he whispered, pointing toward the bathroom. “Hurry.”
Amanda swallowed the lump in her throat and made a beeline for the bathroom. Jason was going to lie for her—again. She left the door open a crack, curious to hear the exchange between him and his father.
He loosened his shirt and slid it over his muscled torso. “Just a minute,” Jason called.
Amanda’s breathing sped up. How was it that she hadn’t noticed how sexy he was? Because you’ve been focused on finding your mother, that’s why. A shiver bolted through her body. She roamed her gaze over the contoured lines of his toned back and shoulders. There wasn’t an ounce of fat to be seen. The silky sheen of his skin glowed against the dim bedroom light. He was hot.
Jason headed toward the door and then cracked it open enough to display his naked torso, hiding the lower half.
What in God’s name are you thinking? She cursed herself. No, stop it, Amanda. Until this mess is sorted out and everyone is safe, Jason is off limits. Jason’s voice snapped her daydream short.
“What’s up?” Jason asked, rubbing his forehead.
“I saw your car out front.
What are you doing home?”
“Migraine,” Jason said.
“Oh.” He paused.
Jason squinted against the bright light glaring down the hallway. “Overslept. I took some strong painkillers and just woke up.” He moaned.
“That would explain why the dean rang me when you didn’t turn up for his lecture this morning. I guess he couldn’t contact you.”
“Yeah, had my phone on silent so I could sleep. Listen, Dad, I really need to nip this migraine in the bud before it really takes me out.” He groaned. “I’m going to try to sleep the rest of the day. Can you call the dean and let him know I’ll come by and see him tomorrow?”
Amanda held her breath. Her nerves were on edge, waiting for his father’s next words. The tension between them was thick as molasses, neither budging an inch. She smiled to herself. Jason’s superb acting skills could win him an Oscar. Maybe he should change his degree to theater studies instead of the law.
“All right, sleep now. We’ll finish our conversation tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Jason said, closing the door.
Amanda took a quiet moment and breathed a sigh of relief. Another bullet dodged. The bathroom door flew open, throwing her off balance. She gasped, grabbing for the closest solid object that would stop her from falling flat. Jason.
Amanda’s eyes widened at the imprint of her hands on Jason’s shoulders. “Oh, my God,” she said, withdrawing them from his body as if it were covered in red-hot coals.
“It’s okay. I kinda liked your hands on me,” he said, a smirk spreading across his face.
Speechless, her breath caught in her throat. She was dumbfounded by his comment. Stifling the urge to run her hands over his tight, smooth torso, she squeezed them into fists at her sides.
“Um, maybe I should put my shirt back on?”
She nodded.
He swaggered across the room before he redressed himself. She was dizzy from holding her breath. She let it escape in a rush that had her head whirling like a spinning yoyo.
As long as he keeps his clothes on, everything will be just fine.
Her thoughts were broken by the high-pitched ring of her phone. Amanda bolted for her bag, desperate to get to it before it rang out.