by Dobbs, L. A.
“You rest a minute, okay?” He took her hands in his, frowning at their cold, clammy feel. Maybe she’d done more than cut her arm on the glass.
He covered her with an afghan from the back of the sofa then stepped back. “I’ll, uh, finish in there then be right back.”
“Okay.”
Her voice sounded weak and quiet, so different from the spitfire he was used to. His worry skyrocketed. “You’ll be all right while I’m gone?”
She nodded and he rushed back to the bathroom to clean up the rest of their mess in record time. When he returned, thankfully, her color had returned and she seemed more alert. He took off his suit jacket and tie, loosening the top buttons on his shirt and his cuffs.
“Want something to drink now? How about food? When’s the last time you ate?” Owen rolled up his shirtsleeves and headed into his open kitchen. “I haven’t had time to hit the grocery store recently but I think I can throw together something.”
“I had an omelet earlier at Faye’s.”
“Okay.” He peered in his fridge and spotted some leftover nachos from his dinner the night before. “Um, how about Mexican? You like nachos?”
“Love ‘em.” Alison tried to sit up then fell back against the cushions. “But don’t go to any trouble.”
“No trouble at all.” Owen removed the carryout container from the fridge then gave her his best mock stern look. “And you stay there, missy. That’s an order.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good girl.”
While he set about heating up their dinner, he heard her click on the TV. Soon the sounds of the nightly news reports filled the air.
“Hey, the Lucky Ace bust is on the nightly news.”
“Yeah?”
Good. Dirty cheaters.
If he had his way, he’d plaster the pictures of Walpole and his accomplice up all over town so that bastard would never be able to play in Vegas again. He split the sizable portion of nachos into equal halves on two separate plates, added a dollop of salsa to each, then carried their food into the living room. “Here you go.”
“Yum! Thanks so much.” Alison sat up, steadier this time and gobbled up a chip full of stringy cheddar cheese. “Mmm. These are so good.”
Owen went back to the kitchen to grab their beverages and some napkins. “What do you want to drink?”
“Whatever you’re having is fine.”
“Pale ale?”
“Perfect.”
He returned with two chilled bottles and a stack of napkins then took a seat a safe distance away on the opposite end of the sofa. As he dug into his food, he realized he really was starving. With the craziness of the day, he’d not had a chance to eat at all. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. Good for the waistline, not so good for life in general. Mouth full, he hazarded a glance at Alison and found her stuffing her face as well.
He always did love a woman with a healthy appetite.
He was so busy watching her, that he wasn’t watching his own food. The chip in his hand tilted, spilling cheese and beans and salsa all down the front of his clean white shirt. “Shit.”
“Oh.” Alison set her plate aside and squinted at the stain. “Have any seltzer water?”
“I think there’s some in the fridge. Why?”
“My turn to help.” She set her now empty plate on the coffee table in front of them then got up and went into the kitchen, coming back with a bottle of water and a dishtowel. She brushed his hands away from where he was only making the mess worse and poured water on the towel before dabbing it against the greasy stain on his chest. “Seltzer water helps keep it from setting.”
“Huh.” The word squeaked out past his rigid vocal cords. Frazzled, he grabbed her hand and took the towel. “I can get it now. Thanks.”
“Oh, sure.” She sat back, bringing her lips within inches of his. “Whatever you want.”
What he wanted was to pull her closer and kiss her senseless, but that seemed about as wise as jumping off a hundred story building.
“Sorry.” She moved back to her corner of the sofa and clutched the afghan tight around her. “I didn’t mean to…” Alison tossed her long red curls over her shoulder and stared straight ahead at the TV screen. “You know. I mean, with your girlfriend and all.”
“Girlfriend?” He leaned forward to set the water and towel on the table beside his plate. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The woman today, the pretty brunette. What was her name? Liv?”
“Okay, ewww. Liv’s my cousin.” Owen stood and untucked his shirt to help it dry, then sat back down and toed off his shoes before stretching out his legs. He clasped his hands atop his full stomach and stared at the TV without really seeing it. His full attention, for better or worse, was zeroed on the woman a mere five feet away.
“Hmm.” Alison shifted in her seat and one of her feet brushed the side of his thigh. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed it, massaging it gently. “Oh. That feels amazing.”
Neither of them spoke for a while. Her, eyes closed and head back against the sofa cushions, him soothing her tense muscles.
At last, she peeked one eye open and peered over at him. “Woman issues.”
“What?” He moved his hand from her foot to her ankle, still kneading her tense muscles.
“You mentioned woman issues the other day…” The dreamy, breathless quality of her voice only added to his haze.
“I’ve dated my share of women in the past.”
“I’m sure you have.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She coughed and tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. Not yet. He slid his fingertips higher to rub circles on her calf. This time her words rushed out in a slightly nervous tumble. “Nothing. I just, well, I just meant that a good-looking guy like you, well, you probably have tons of women lined up to be with you. That’s all.”
Owen smiled, working her tired muscles with gentle pressure. Good to know he wasn’t the only one affected by their interactions. “You think I’m good looking?”
“Maybe a little.” She teased then gasped as his fingers moved to her knee, but he shushed her like a skittish colt.
“Easy.” He scooted closer for better reach. “Does that feel good?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Owen leaned closer still, bringing his mouth millimeters from hers, then said her name, his voice reverent like a prayer. “Alison.”
“I should go,” she said, shattering his hazy happiness.
“What? No. Why?” He tightened his hand on her knee. “Stay. I thought we were having a good time.”
“We are, but…”
“If I’m taking it too far…” He stroked the silky skin of the inside of her knee.
“You didn’t.” Her words were so soft he almost didn’t catch them. She bit into her lower lip. “It’s just … I’m afraid if I stay, then I won’t want to leave.”
There was still a lot of unfinished business between them. Things she didn’t know about him. Things he didn’t know about her. But at that moment, none of it carried weight. Owen stared into the brilliant green eyes that had so captured him from the start and said the only two words that mattered. “Then don’t.”
* * *
Alison blinked into the bright sunshine, then squinted around the unfamiliar room. Her heart raced as panic set in.
Where am I? What happened? Did Copernatech find me?
It took a moment for her drowsy brain to catch up with her pounding pulse, but when it did she flopped back onto the mattress and groaned.
Owen’s. I’m at Owen’s.
He’d helped her bandage her arm, fed her dinner, and then… Smiling, she stretched beneath the covers then stared at the white ceiling above. Well, she was certainly thinking clearly again. And that meant…
Yeah, time to go.
Definitely.
With the sheet wrapped around her, she got out of bed and scrounged for her clothe
s. After slipping them on, she went in search of her shoes. If memory served, they were in the living room. All she had to do was sneak out there and slip them on and she could get out of here before Owen discovered she was gone.
Speaking of gone, where was he?
His side of the bed had been cold when she’d checked, meaning he’d gotten up long before she’d awakened.
Work maybe?
She padded out to the living room and stopped short.
“Mornin’.” He winked at her from the open kitchen. “Sleep good?”
So much for sneaking out unnoticed. And didn’t he just look fine all tousled and stubbly wearing a plain white tee-shirt and a kiss-the-cook apron. She took a seat to put on her sneakers. Her arm still stung from the cut, but nothing nearly as bad as the day before. “Yep. Slept fine, thanks. And you?”
“Like a baby.”
She smoothed her hands through her hair then tucked them beneath her, unsure how to act or what to say in this situation.
“Hope you like eggs and bacon.”
“Sure.” Her stomach growled despite her awkwardness. “Can I help with anything?”
“You can set the table if you want.’
“Okay.” She walked into the kitchen and grabbed plates and silverware and napkins from the places he pointed, then did as he’d asked. “What about drinks?”
“I’ve got my coffee already.” He held up his mug. “But help yourself to whatever you’d like.”
“Coffee’s good for me too.” She fixed herself a mug—black, nothing added—then leaned against the edge of the counter while he served up their food. “What time do you have to go to work today?”
“It’s Friday, so a late shift for me. I don’t go in until around noon. How about you? Got big plans for the weekend?”
“No.” She sipped her mug then took her plate and followed him to the table. “Just the usual.”
“What’s the usual?”
“Just stuff. Nothing interesting.”
They each dug into their food, keeping the conversation light and impersonal.
After he’d finished his last bite of toast, he narrowed his gaze. “We should go to dinner tonight. You know, so I can repay you for helping me catch Walpole.”
“Dinner?” She swallowed hard to avoid choking on her eggs. Spending the night was one thing, moving beyond that to…more, was something else entirely. “Um, okay. Sure. Dinner’s good. Tonight’s out though.”
“Got another hot date?” He watched her closely. “We didn’t really discuss your end of things.”
“No, no date.” She didn’t want to lie to him, but she couldn’t tell him the truth either. “There’s a bunch of crazed, homicidal pharmacy execs who want me dead,” wasn’t exactly first-date fodder. “I have some errands I need to take care of. Rain check?”
“Okay, sure. No problem.” He stood and cleared their plates.
She could tell from his now shuttered expression that he’d taken her refusal as more than a no, but there wasn’t much she could do given the current circumstances. With the precarious nature of her life at present, cooling things off between them was probably for the best anyway, no matter how much it hurt to let him go and move on.
“Well.” Alison pushed to her feet and grabbed her hoodie from the back of his sofa where she’d thrown it yesterday afternoon. The sleeve was ripped where the glass had sliced through it and she’d have to patch it when she got back to her apartment, but still, the garment gave her a modicum of comfort and protection against the harsh world outside. “I should, um, probably go and get out of your hair.”
“Sure.” He walked toward her and her heart kicked into overdrive.
He’s going to kiss me. God, yes, please let him kiss me just once more.
Except he didn’t.
Instead, Owen brushed past her and opened the front door. “See you later, then.”
“Yeah.” She walked out into the hall and turned to say goodbye, but he’d already shut the door. She leaned her back against the opposite wall and whispered, “See ya.”
The ride in the elevator down to the lobby of his building passed in a blur. Lost in her thoughts, she headed outside and into the bright Vegas morning.
Faye.
She needed to talk to her best friend, work out what had happened the night before, figure out where to go from here. Faye’s apartment was only a few blocks away and the day was warm. No reason she couldn’t make the short walk.
No reason except the nagging tingle on the back of her neck.
Someone’s watching me again.
Scanning the crowd around her, Alison didn’t spot anyone in particular, but that didn’t mean Copernatech hadn’t caught up with her at last.
Nervous, she hailed a cab for the short ride to her apartment instead. If they had found her, if her time in Vegas was up, she needed to leave without a trace, which ruled out going to Faye’s.
Once the taxi pulled up near the curb at Ms. Baker’s, she paid the fare, then let herself in to her basement abode. Hell, she hadn’t even had time to unpack from her last almost-bail. The only difference this time would be when she left town, no one would ever find her again.
13
“Hey!” Faye said, her smile quickly dissolving into a frown. “What's wrong?”
Alison pushed inside, her heavy duffle bag in tow. She’d tossed and turned all night. Her mind on Owen's cold reaction when she’d told him she’d have to take a raincheck for dinner. Maybe he’d sensed she would never come through on that. What did it matter? She’d never see him again because she had to leave town. She’d seriously considered just going without seeing Faye too, but deep friendship and the fact she’d left her computer here had stopped her. “Nothing. I need my laptop.”
“What’s with the bag then?” Faye closed the door then leaned back against it, arms crossed. “And the hunted attitude. I know you, girlfriend. Something’s wrong.”
“No, you don’t,” Alison mumbled, tossing throw pillows aside on the sofa in search of her missing computer. Locating it stuck between two seat cushions, she pulled it out and unzipped the side pocket on her duffle to shove it inside. “You don’t know me. Not really. No one does.”
“You’re leaving again, aren’t you?” Faye raised a speculative brow, not budging from her position and effectively blocking Alison’s exit. “Don’t lie to me.”
Shoulders slumped, she looked away, regret bubbling hot and thick in her stomach. “I can’t stay here.”
“Why not?”
“I just can’t.” She exhaled slow and squeezed her eyes shut. Damn. She was so tired of running, of hiding, of lying to the people she cared about most.
But Copernatech wouldn’t stop coming, wouldn’t stop searching for her, wouldn’t care if they took out hundreds of innocent lives to silence the whistleblower who’d escaped. Sometimes she almost wished she’d just kept her damned mouth shut about everything.
Almost.
Then again, the numbers said it was better to sacrifice one life to save thousands of others.
Too bad it was her life that had to be the one to go.
She sank down onto the sofa, as if the weight of all the months of living in secrecy were too much to bear. “I’m running from something.”
“That’s obvious.” Faye took a seat beside her. “What is it? Abusive boyfriend?”
“I wish.” Alison buried her face in her hands. “A boyfriend I could handle. No. This is much, much worse and if they find me, it won’t just be me who’s in danger. It’ll be everyone I know too.”
Faye snorted. “Sounds like a bad action-movie plot. Seriously, I’m sure he’s not that bad. How do you know he’s still even looking for you?”
Alison peered up at her friend from between her fingers. She apparently still thought it was a man after her. Another lie, but perhaps one that would keep her friend safe. Resigned, she straightened and dropped her hands into her lap, swallowing hard to push the knot of tension in her throat dee
per inside. “I know because a mutual friend warned me.”
Never mind this “mutual friend” had put her own life on the line by still working at Copernatech while feeding Alison information. That thought was followed closely by another—one that made her stomach sink to her toes. In her haste to get out of town, she’d forgotten to check under the bench for a new envelope. But since she was leaving anyway, it didn’t really matter if Copernatech had figured out where she was.
She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs away from Faye. Didn’t matter. Once she reached a new city, she’d have to send word to her contact to set up a new drop point anyway. That was always difficult. So far they’d been lucky. She’d either been close enough that Carolyn could make the drop, or Carolyn had had trusted family that she could mail the letter to who would put it in a place for Alison to grab. Once she moved on, she’d have to find a new go-between as well.
Faye continued to watch her with a narrowed gaze, her expression far too knowing for Alison’s comfort. “Know what I think? I think you’re leaving because you’re scared. Period. Not because someone’s after you, but because you’re terrified.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I? You don’t open up to anyone. You never show any vulnerability. In fact, I think you’re really leaving because of Owen.”
Alison pushed to the far corner of the sofa and gave her friend a dubious look. “Don’t be ridiculous. Whatever happened or didn’t happen between us was a mistake. Nothing more.”
“Right.” Faye shook her head and grinned. “And I suppose that mistake is why your face is flushed and your eyes are sparkling. Nope. I think you’re running now because you’re afraid of getting too close.”
She shrugged and stared out the window across the room. “I’m not afraid of that.”
“Really?” Faye’s tone turned curious. “Why’s that? Did something happen already between the two of you?”
She didn’t answer. No point in arguing anyway.
“I thought so.” Faye clapped excitedly. “Oh, this could be good. This could be exactly what you need to heal from whatever you’re running from. You can’t let fear run your life.”