by Sonya Clark
Kevin approached and stood by her side. “What do you think?”
“It’s like a Kandinsky but it’s not a Kandinsky.” She shrugged then crossed her arms over her front. “Some other abstract artist, I guess.”
He said nothing. From the corner of her eye she caught the faint smile on his face, the understated glow of pride. She peered at the initials again.
“You painted this,” she said.
Kevin placed a finger over his lips. “Don’t tell anybody. They think I only took art classes for the nude models.” He winked. “I hope you’re hungry. I decided on brunch.”
“Right about now I’d eat roadkill.”
“Hopefully my cooking’s better than that.” He raised an arm to guide her. “This way.”
The dining room was as spacious as the rest of the rooms, and like the living room had a floor to ceiling view of the city. The glass must have been polarized because the sunshine added warmth and golden light but no painful glare. A large rectangular table pushed against the glass on the right side of the room served as a desk, with a laptop and various books and notepads and other supplies scattered about its shiny black surface.
To the far left sat a circular bistro table with wrought iron chairs. Not far from that was a bar that connected to the kitchen, laden with food. Kevin handed her a heavy black plate. “Caprese quiche. Prosciutto wrapped asparagus. Croque monsieur. Fresh fruit. Croissants. Your choice of traditional Mimosa or raspberry Bellini.”
Maybe he was trying to impress her. It kind of worked. Dani wasn’t entirely sure what a couple of the dishes were but everything looked and smelled good, so she piled her plate high and took a seat at the table. They ate in silence, Dani going back for seconds while he made coffee.
Finally full, she pushed her plate away and rested her elbows on the table. “So when do you start asking me questions?”
Kevin set two steaming cups on the table and returned to his seat. “I’m ready when you are.”
“You know I won’t answer everything. I probably won’t answer much at all.” The food had been amazing and the coffee smelled divine as well. She looked out at the view instead of at him, more than a little unsure of herself in such surroundings.
“How about we start with something simple. What can I call you?”
She liked that. He didn’t ask for her name, he asked what he could call her. Maybe that was why she told him the truth. “Dani. My name is Dani.”
Understanding filled his eyes. He offered his hand. “My name is Kevin.”
They shook hands. He held onto hers for a beat longer than strictly necessary, but there was nothing possessive or domineering in his grip. He wasn’t trying to assert control, or test her, or any other kind of dickish hypermasculine move. It was like he just wanted to keep touching her for a moment longer. So she allowed it, and realized that it wasn’t bad at all, being touched by this man.
He let go and sipped his coffee. “Thank you for helping me that night outside the shelter. You saved my life.”
“You’re welcome.” She didn’t know what else to say.
“I do have a lot of questions, but we need to talk about last night first. If I’m going to help you, I’d like to know what happened. I think I deserve that much.”
“You’ve already helped me, and I appreciate that. But I need to leave.”
“And do what? Where will you go? Do you have any money? Do you even have ID? How are you planning to hide from those people?”
All damn good questions, and she had no answers. The weight of that reality pressed down on her. Enhanced strength, endurance, hearing and vision, plus other things she’d barely used – but it did her little good if all she could do was hide out in abandoned buildings, having to steal to eat. And now she’d made herself the target of violent, dangerous criminals, on top of the high likelihood that the lab was searching for her.
She had to get out of Point Sable. Nothing else mattered, not right now. She had to leave, and she had to do it before anyone traced her to an innocent man’s door.
“I appreciate your concern,” she said. “I really do. But you know I have to get out of here, as soon as possible.”
“I know.”
“If they find me with you, they’ll kill you too. They won’t care about your family name or your trust fund. They’ll put a bullet in your head and step over your body to get to me.”
The bright blue of his eyes darkened to a stormy twilight. “Look, I’m not going to pretend to be some kind of badass. You’ve got the market cornered on that.” He chuckled self-consciously and pushed his glasses up. “There are other things I can do to help you. You saved my life, Dani. I owe you. Let me repay that debt.”
How could anybody think this guy was just some airhead trust fund douchebro? She sat back in her chair and regarded him for a long moment. “The clothes are great.” She smiled. “A pair of good boots to go with them would be great, too.”
Red stained his cheeks briefly. “I can get you boots. I was thinking a new identity, too. Seed money. Whatever else you need to get somewhere safe, where whoever all you’re running from can’t find you.”
Definitely smart, as well as pretty. “What makes you think I’m running from more than just the Russians?”
“You took my phone when I videoed you. You didn’t want that footage seen online. Not much of a leap from there to the idea that you were already on the run.”
“The press makes you out to be a dumb, rich pretty boy. What are you hiding, Kevin Moynihan?”
He tipped his head up and took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”
Not the cavalier answer she’d expected. She didn’t know what to make of him, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so curious about someone.
Kevin shook his head then grinned. “It’s true I am rich and pretty.” He laughed. “Look, I’ve got a contact I want to talk to about getting a new identity for you. This isn’t something I know a lot about, but I trust this person. Stay here, and get some rest while I’m gone.”
“I can’t stay more than a day or two. I shouldn’t even stay that long.”
“Just long enough to get you a new identity. Let your bruises heal. I can see about getting you to a doctor privately if you need one.”
“No.” No more doctors, no more tests.
Kevin stood and picked up his coffee cup. “I don’t know how that’s possible but okay.” He carried his cup into the kitchen.
When he returned, she said, “Are you going to ask how?” How it was possible she wasn’t badly hurt, how it was possible she’d taken on so many at once and came out alive? Twice. She couldn’t tell him. The truth was too dangerous, maybe the only thing more dangerous than the Russian gangsters who were probably searching all over the South Side for her.
He was slow to respond. “I want to know. If you’re comfortable telling me. It’s not a condition of my helping you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I didn’t think that,” she said. “You took a huge risk, bringing me here. The more you help me, the bigger the risk. Maybe you could tell me why you’re willing to do that, because it’s not just because I saved your life.”
“To be honest, I’m still trying to figure that one out.” He glanced at his watch. “I need to meet my contact. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Sleep. Watch TV. Read. Whatever you want. Just…stay inside. Please.”
“Don’t worry. I may be a badass but I’m not taking off barefoot.”
“I’ll bring you back some shoes this time, promise.”
“Hey, how’d you know what size clothes to get me?”
Kevin gave her a playful look. “I took art classes for the nude models, remember?”
A guy like him probably had no trouble finding women, either. “Do I need to come up with a cover story in case your girlfriend comes over?” Too late, she realized what that sounded like.
“No girlfriend right now.” Only a hint of smugness colored his voice.
“Boyfriend?”
He winked. “There was that one time in college.”
That made for a nice mental image. Heat flushed her face and she hoped to God he didn’t notice her reaction.
He strode to the desk and gathered keys and a cell phone then found a notepad and pen and scribbled on it. He brought her the note. “Here’s my number if you need it.”
“What happened to the phone I stole from you?”
“I destroyed that, too. Use the landline if you need to call. Be back later.”
He trusted her enough to leave her alone in his magnificent apartment, which made him either an idiot and damned sure of her. The place was full of any number of things she could steal and sell. Probably had some cash tucked away, if she looked hard enough. But he was just going to leave and trust that she, and all of his belongings, would still be here when he got back.
Dani scrambled out of her chair and caught up with him. “Thank you. For everything.”
Kevin nodded, an unexpected intensity in his electric blue eyes. He raised his forearm, hand hovering inches from her elbow. But he didn’t close the distance, as if sensing her trepidation. “Get some rest.”
Then he was gone. She thought about checking out the fridge, despite how much she’d eaten earlier. Another cup of coffee, maybe read the rest of that newspaper, if she could find it. Pick out a book, or maybe just sit and stare out the window at the city in all its daytime splendor. Ultimately she decided to take his advice, went back up to the guest room, and slept.
Chapter 10
The Old Corinth neighborhood in the West Side of Point Sable might as well have been called HipsterTown. Gentrification, hot yoga, organic markets, and vintage shops defined the area. A few tech start-ups could be found, companies still too small to afford offices downtown. Kevin parked across the street from the tiny headquarters of a game and app company and crossed against the light to meet his college friend.
Zoe Linwood waited for him outside a coffee shop with a cup in each hand. Kevin kissed her cheek in greeting and took the offered café mocha. They talked for several minutes, exchanging news since they’d seen each other last. After some brief hesitation, Kevin told her what he wanted.
Zoe pushed a lock of her dark blue bob behind her ear. “You’re shitting me, right? I haven’t done something like that in years.”
“But you’ve still got the contacts, right?” He cocked his head and grinned. “I know you do for at least some of your old college financing methods.”
She pursed her lips. “Exotic hallucinogens are one thing. Something that might attract the attention of Homeland Security, that’s a different thing altogether. The deep web’s a little more complicated to navigate since the feds did their drug crackdown. People are more cautious. Things are more expensive.”
“You know money is no object for me. Can you do it?”
Zoe stared at the plastic lid of her coffee cup for a long moment. “I don’t want the details. But if I knew the details, would I be willing to take the risk?”
Kevin debated how much to tell her. He trusted her, or he never would have come to her for this. But he wasn’t just risking himself, he was taking a risk on Dani’s behalf as well. “The person I’m trying to help, she saved my life.”
“Then she’s good people in my book. But I am going to charge you a twenty percent facilitation fee.”
Kevin smiled with relief. “I’d expect nothing less.”
“Get me a couple of good pictures, head shots, and the details she wants. Name, birth date and place, all the usual stuff. I’ll call you and ask you out to coffee and you bring the stuff. Do not email me, do not leave voice mails talking about this.”
“Relax. I remember the drill.”
“This isn’t a fake ID bumping up your age by a few years so you can buy tequila. You’re asking for a totally new identity.”
“She’s in trouble, and I owe her.”
Zoe nodded. “Okay. I just want you to know this isn’t a small thing you’re asking for. And that it’s a good thing you’re loaded, because this is not going to be cheap.”
“I’ll pay whatever it takes. You know that.”
Zoe threw away her cup in a nearby trash can. “So did you lie to the cops about what happened that night in Cabrini, or is something else going on?”
“I thought you didn’t want details.”
“Ha. I don’t. I gotta get back, I’m on a deadline. I’ll call soon.” She stood on tiptoe and embraced him.
He kissed her cheek again and spoke into her ear. “Thank you for not asking a lot of questions.”
“Just don’t get in over your head, okay?” She stepped back and met his gaze.
Kevin placed a hand on his chest and gave her his best insouciant smile. “Hey, would I do that?”
Zoe raised her eyebrows. “Is she beautiful?”
He thought of how much he’d struggled to keep his eyes on her face when he’d walked in on her wearing only a towel. Of the lump that formed in his throat when he saw her studying his painting. Dani wasn’t simply beautiful, she was breathtaking. And she would leave his life as suddenly as she’d entered it.
His silence was all the answer Zoe needed. “Oh God. Just be careful. People who need a totally new identity, they may not be bad people, but they’re into some bad shit. Please look out for yourself.”
“I will. Thank you.”
She went back to work. Kevin returned to his car. He had some shopping to do. While he looked at boots and sneakers and a pair of black stilettos it would be completely inappropriate to buy for his guest, he thought about why he was going to so much trouble.
Yes, Dani had saved his life. He did feel like he owed her. But she was at the very least a witness to a crime, if not the perpetrator of what happened in Lincoln Heights. If she had done that…if she had taken on a group of Russian gangsters and walked away alive, how the hell had she done it? She wasn’t some pixie waif. The sight of her in a towel had confirmed that. Defined muscle like a swimmer or a gymnast gave her body the kind of solidity that the models and society girls he was used to didn’t have. It didn’t take away from her femininity one bit, either.
But surely even with muscles like that, she hadn’t been able to do what the newspaper claimed happened in that house. Right? No one person, male or female, could do that.
The bruises all over her arms and legs told another story. So did what he hadn’t quite seen the night she’d saved him from attack.
It was easier to think of her as a beautiful woman, one he’d wanted to impress with the fancy brunch and the offer of unconditional assistance. Admitting she was dangerous was admitting that he had probably done a deeply stupid thing by bringing her to his home.
And that she could potentially be dangerous to him.
Chapter 11
The quiet voice of a scared young girl slipped into Dani’s dreams. Over and over she dreamed of running, the same stretch of dark road, the double rhythm of her feet on the pavement and the pounding thud of her heartbeat in her ears. Dani ran toward darkness, not caring what was in front of her. Nothing could be as bad as what was behind her.
The girl’s voice grew louder, more insistent.
Don’t leave me.
Don’t leave me.
Don’t leave me.
Dani left her, too scared to go back.
The asphalt turned to hot black glue beneath her sneakers, pulling her down. She fought against it and kept running. Tree limbs stretched and plucked at her hair, her clothes. A hand grasped at her back, yanking on the material of her hoodie.
She got away from it all, except for the voice. The voice followed Dani wherever she went. The streets, the lab, and now this nebulous freedom. It haunted her, the ghost of her greatest shame.
Now that ghostly voice became a shriek and cold hands wrapped around her neck. Dani thrashed against the hold but the hands only squeezed tighter. He had her and he wouldn’t let her go.
Don’t you
leave me with him!
Dani screamed and launched off the bed. Put her hands around his neck, squeezed his fucking throat until his breath came in sputters and gasps. Let him beg for a change.
“Dani, it’s me.”
His fingers pried at her hands, his skin warm. Her heart thundered, or maybe it was his she could hear.
“Please. You were screaming.” He tried to buck her off but she kept him nearly immobile. “Dani, it’s Kevin.”
The haze from her nightmare lifted. Her vision adjusted to the darkness of the room. Horrified, she released him and bolted away, huddling against the wall.
Kevin sat up, rubbing his throat with one hand. He coughed. “Are you okay?”
She’d nearly choked him to death, and he was asking if she was okay? “I’m sorry.” Burning shame, something she was all too familiar with, filled her with nausea. “So sorry.”
“I’m fine.” He coughed again. “Jesus, you’re strong.”
Too strong. God, she could have killed him. She had no business being around people if she couldn’t control herself. Hadn’t her actions in the Russian mob hangout proven that? She’d killed, injured, burned the damn place to the ground. All because she couldn’t control herself and the anger that was there, ready to strike.
She had no business being around anybody. Especially not an innocent person like Kevin. “I need to go.” She got to her feet, took a single step before vertigo spun the room. She closed her eyes and slumped against the wall.
“You had a nightmare. You’re not going anywhere.”
“I shouldn’t be here. I never should have gotten in the car with you.”
He touched her face. She opened her eyes to see him standing before her, close enough that she could hurt him again if she lost control.
“You had a nightmare and you’re shaken up,” he said. “Don’t make too much of it.”
“I hurt you.” She gulped down a breath and a sob then reached for his throat, dropping her hand before she could touch him.