by Gerri Hill
“No!” she yelled.
“No! No… I can’t,” she cried, her arms flailing at her sides. “I’ll shoot the boy!” she yelled.
Nicole sat up, watching Jake’s movements, the jerking of her arms, the twitching of her legs. A dream.
“I’ll fucking kill you.”
Oh dear God. What does that mean?
Nicole moved farther away, wishing she had a flashlight, some-thing, to see Jake’s face. She’ll shoot? She’ll fucking kill? Who?
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “She’s a killer. She’s an… assassin.” Just my luck.
Jake sat up too, rubbing her eyes. “Shit.”
“You… okay?” Nicole asked hesitantly.
“Yeah. I’m sorry. Damn dream.”
“Yeah.”
Jake lay back down, silently cursing herself. She’d probably scared the poor woman to death. She reached out a hand, pulling Nicole down beside her and wrapping her arms around her again.
Nicole tried to relax. Just a dream, for God’s sake. But something about the way Jake had said the words made Nicole realize that she’d said them before, perhaps many times. But still, the arm around her shoulders was warm, secure. Jesus, it was the same woman who’d made love to her for most of the day, the same woman that Nicole had touched, had brought to orgasm more times than she could count. She let her breath out. The same woman who had made her delirious with desire, made her scream out with pleasure time and again, made her sink to her knees from the satisfaction of it all.
A stranger.
A woman she knew absolutely nothing about. A woman who could be a killer, for God’s sake! She knew she wouldn’t get another minute’s sleep. Her eyes were wide open as she stared at the dark figure of the woman next to her, a woman who had fallen fast asleep again, a woman whose arms were still holding her.
Great, Nicole. Let your hair down for once. Why don’t you pick an assassin? That’d make things interesting.
She closed her eyes, trying to relax, trying to find the same contentment she’d had when they’d finally crawled into the tent at dusk, totally exhausted, but still not able to stop touching. Even in her most vivid dreams, she never imagined she could spend an entire day having sex. Jesus, having sex with a stranger. But she had. And, damn, she’d enjoyed every second of it.
But now, now that reality was creeping in, now that she realized this stranger could be a hired killer or something, now she wanted to escape. And escape gracefully. After all, this woman had taken her places she’d never been before. Now that’s an understatement.
Hours later, as she still fought a fitful sleep, dawn thankfully was creeping into the canyon. She pulled out of Jake’s arms, careful not to wake her. As she unzipped the tent, she found herself face to face with Cheyenne, who had obediently slept outside.
“Hi, girl,” she whispered and was rewarded with a quick wag of the tail. She reached out and rubbed the dog’s ear, then pulled her-self from the tent and zipped it up again. Sore muscles protested as she stood, and she was surprised she was even able to walk.
After a quick trip to the woods, Nicole gathered firewood and got a fire going, warming herself as she held both hands over it. It was probably the coldest morning yet, and she contemplated a dip in the hot springs. But, if Jake should wake up and find her out there, Nicole knew she’d not be able to resist, hired killer or not. So, she settled for the fire and hot coffee.
The sun was already up by the time Jake stirred. Nicole had taken her tent down and packed. The only thing she needed to add to her backpack was her coffee cup.
———
Jake crawled out of the tent, every muscle in her body sore. God, who would have thought? Cheyenne was lying close to the tent, front legs crossed and Nicole was sitting by the fire, twirling her coffee cup. At first glance, Jake knew something was wrong.
“Morning,” she murmured as she got to her feet.
“Ah… yeah, morning.”
Jake hesitated, then motioned to the woods. “Be right back.”
Something about Nicole’s demeanor indicated that, well, some-thing was wrong. And maybe it was just embarrassment or some-thing. After all, they’d spent the better part of yesterday having sex. Jake scratched her head with both hands as she went into the woods to relieve herself. She absently noted that she was only slightly limping and had not even thought to take her cane.
When she got back to camp, Nicole was standing by her backpack, nervously kicking at a rock.
“You okay this morning?”
Nicole turned, having a difficult time meeting Jake’s eyes. Jake just stared, waiting for Nicole to speak.
“I think I should probably head out. I mean, I’m really behind schedule.”
Jake nodded slowly, wondering at Nicole’s nervousness. Had she done something wrong? She walked to the fire, still watching the other woman. “Sure. I understand. But, you seem a little upset. You want to talk about it?”
“No, no. I’m not upset. It’s just… well,” Nicole paused, shifting the ball cap over her hair. “I don’t make a habit of doing this,” she said quietly. “In fact, I’ve never done this.”
Jake nodded. “I understand. But,” she shrugged. “We’re two consenting adults who had a little fun. At least I did. I hope you did.” She watched as Nicole turned nearly scarlet, and she couldn’t hide her smile.
“You don’t really have to ask, do you?”
“But you’re going to run away?”
Nicole nodded. “Yes. I’m going to run away. Provided, of course, that you’ll give me directions.”
Jake stared at her, again noticing the nervousness as Nicole’s hands clenched together. Jesus, she’d apparently freaked the woman out. So, she sat down near the fire and held out her hand. “Show me your map.”
Nicole produced it from the back pocket of her jeans and handed it over. Jake pointed to the rock next to her, motioning for Nicole to sit.
“Do you have a pen?”
Nicole found one in her backpack, and she sat quietly as Jake studied the map.
“Here we are,” Jake said, making a circle on the map. “See the indication for the falls?”
Nicole nodded as she leaned forward, watching as Jake’s fingers moved over the map.
“Follow Grizzly Gulch downstream. It’ll feed into Cottonwood Creek. You’ll know you’re there because Cottonwood is twice as wide as Grizzly. Continue downstream, that’ll be to your left, and you’ll come upon Cottonwood Lake.” Jake drew a mark on the map. “The Colorado Trail is on the opposite side of the lake. Once you hook up with that, you’re about a day and a half from St. Elmo.”
Nicole found herself staring at Jake instead of the map and when brown eyes captured her own, she finally looked away.
“I think I can find my way now.”
“Good.” Jake leaned forward, brushing her lips against Nicole’s. “Because I’d hate to think of you lost somewhere.”
Nicole had to restrain herself from taking those lips and begging for more. Jesus Christ! Surely twenty orgasms with the woman was enough! She closed her eyes for a second, gathering herself, then stood.
“Thank you for… for rescuing me, I guess.”
“Rescuing?” Jake grinned. “I should be thanking you.”
Nicole blushed again as she shouldered her pack, taking a step backward, away from Jake. She walked around the fire, reaching down to pet Cheyenne.
“It was… it was nice meeting you,” Nicole said awkwardly as she walked away.
Jake watched her leave, feeling a sense of regret. “You, too,” she murmured. As Nicole disappeared into the forest, Jake became aware of Cheyenne as the dog leaned against her. “Hungry?”
Jake took one last look into the woods, then turned around, pulling out her pot and stove from her pack. She still had not had coffee.
“Well, it’s just us again, girl.” She scratched Cheyenne’s head, then lit the stove. Once water was heating, Jake walked toward the springs, stripping off her swea
tpants as she went. She sunk under the warm water, her mind on nothing but Nicole.
———
Nicole methodically set up her tent, moving away from Cottonwood Creek and into the forest. She had hiked well past sunset, not relishing the prospect of an evening alone. Not after the last two days.
You’re pathetic.
She ignored the little voice in her head and instead set up her stove to heat water for her dinner. She sat, staring into the darkening forest, trying to recall her hike today. It was but a blur. Her mind had been totally on Jake. So she had a shady background? Was that any reason to jump to conclusions that she was a killer?
“There was the dream,” she reminded herself out loud.
She rolled her eyes, convinced that she’d overreacted. Jake’s touch was too gentle, too loving to be that of a killer. Loving? No, Jake probably did that sort of thing all the time. Probably preyed upon stranded women and used her skills to tame them.
It didn’t matter. It was time for her to leave anyway. She would simply look back on this trip with fond memories and that was all. Jake was still a stranger.
She let out a heavy sigh, trying to work up the energy for a campfire, wishing she could forget about the hot springs. Wishing she could forget about Jake.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Rick drawled. “It’s Jake McCoy, in the flesh!” Jake flashed a smile at her partner. Hell, she’d missed him.
“Give me a hug.” He shook his head. “No. Everyone’s watching,” he said quietly. “Give me a hug or I’ll beat your ass right now.”
“As if.” But he stood, reaching out and enveloping her in long arms, squeezing tightly. “Damn, McCoy, I missed you.”
“Me, too, Rick.” She pulled out of his arms, looking around at the others. She met their eyes, nodding. “How’s the lieutenant?”
“Anxious. Worried about you.” Jake looked at her desk, wondering where all her stuff was. She pulled out the chair and sat down, folding her arms on the empty desk and watched Rick Chase. Damn, but he was a handsome man—sandy blond hair, dark eyebrows, dark stubble. And not just handsome, but nice. A truly nice guy. A rare find these days.
Michele was lucky. Jake had told her that many times.
“Why are you looking at me?”
“Where the hell’s my stuff?”
“What stuff?”
“My… stuff,” she said. “I know my desk wasn’t this clean when I left.”
“I tidied up. You’re a slob.”
“You stole my favorite pen, didn’t you? I knew you would.”
“Jake, I know how you love that pen. I would never take your pen.”
“You’re so full of shit.”
“Well, well. You’re back less than a minute and already the two of you are bickering? Damn, I’ve missed this.”
Jake and Rick both turned, watching as their lieutenant hurried over with a file in his hand, wearing the same faded suspenders he always wore. His smile was genuine when he touched Jake’s shoulder.
“Damn glad you’re back, McCoy.”
“Thanks, Lieutenant. It feels really good to be back.”
“So? Good as new?”
Jake nodded. “Almost. Leg’s still a little sore if I overdo it. I’m not likely to run a marathon anytime soon.”
“Well, the doc cleared you, so that’s good enough for me.” He tossed the file on her desk. “Might as well get your feet wet.”
“What’s up, boss?” Rick said as he snatched the file off of Jake’s desk before she could open it.
“They found a body over by the airport yesterday. Been there a few days. The ME’s report is nearly identical to the one you had the other week. So, the airport police are graciously letting us investigate it.”
“What did you have the other week?” Jake asked, ripping the file from Rick’s hand.
“Housewife. Middle-aged. Found over near Chatfield Lake.”
“And?”
“Raped. Strangled. Totally nude. Been there a few days.”
Jake looked up from the file, meeting his eyes. “Lovely.”
“Welcome back.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Okay, Anna. Good,” Nicole said, reaching over and lightly squeezing the young woman’s arm. It was their third session, but it was the only time Anna had been able to make it all the way through her story without breaking down.
“I wanted to kill him.”
Nicole nodded. Who wouldn’t want to kill the bastard? “That’s understandable, Anna. He hurt you.”
“What if he gets out? He could come back. I have two other children.”
“No. He won’t get out. He’s not going to hurt anyone else. What you’ve got to do is try to rebuild your life and go on. Your children need you to do that, Anna. That’s why we’re here.”
“It’s hard to look at them,” she whispered. “I know they think it’s my fault.”
“No. How can it be your fault?”
“Maybe if I had done what he asked, he wouldn’t have hurt Joseph,” she said, tears again forming.
Nicole hated this part. The part where they placed all the blame on their shoulders, and it would take weeks for Nicole to make them see that it wasn’t their fault. That was one reason she liked the group sessions. The women could listen to others, hear other stories and see that it was not any of their fault. It made accepting it so much easier. But alone, it was hard for them with only Nicole to tell them they were not to blame.
“Anna, he was wrong, not you. He did this. Not you.”
“My Joseph was just three,” she sobbed.
Nicole pushed the box of tissue closer, waiting patiently for Anna to recover. The woman had suffered a severe beating, then was tied to a chair and forced to watch as her boyfriend murdered her three-year-old child with a knife from her own kitchen. Recover? It would be a miracle.
———
Nicole sat with her back to the door, staring out the office window, absently watching as dusk enveloped the city, and a sprinkling of lights began appearing in the buildings surrounding her own. Back only three weeks and already her depression was returning.
She had taken Dorothy’s advice and cancelled the group session, instead setting up individual meetings with some of them, squeezing them into her normal time slots during the day. Her schedule was full. Too full. But she couldn’t turn them away, even if it meant working late most evenings.
At the quiet knock on her door, she turned around, forcing a smile to her face as Catherine stuck her head in.
“Heading out?” she asked her secretary.
“Actually, we’re both heading out. You’re taking me to dinner.”
“I am?”
“Yes. Let’s call it a day.”
“Catherine, I can’t. I’ve got notes to make yet, and I haven’t even started on that article for the journal.”
Catherine ignored her and began tidying her desk.
“I’m serious,” Nicole said.
“So am I. And during dinner, we’re going to discuss combining all these appointments you’ve tried to schedule into your day.”
“Combining?”
“Yes. Nicole, you’re meeting with the same number of people you would be if you were still doing groups. But there aren’t enough hours in the day to meet with them all individually. So, we’ve got to do something.”
Nicole knew she was right. When Dorothy suggested that she forego the group session, she hadn’t meant for Nicole to absorb them within her already busy schedule.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“What? Did you expect me to put up more of a fight?”
“Yes, I did.” Catherine stepped back, waiting. “Well, come on. I want Mexican food.”
“Don’t you have a husband to go home to?” Nicole asked as she shoved away from her desk.
“I’m allowed a night out once in awhile.”
Nicole looked back once at her cluttered desk, knowing she should
really put in a couple more hours. But, she was tired. And hungry. So, she closed her office door and followed Catherine.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jake sat on the barstool next to Michele, twirling her wineglass as they watched Rick season the steaks.
“You look really good, Jake. I love your hair that way.”
Jake rubbed her hand over her hair self-consciously. When she first cut it, she assumed she would let it grow back, but she’d gotten used to it. So, when she got back to Denver, one of the first things she did was have it cut again.
“Thanks, Michele. I threw a little fit in the hospital when I cut it, but I like it now. I’ll probably leave it like this for awhile.”
“You call that a little fit?” Rick asked. “You scared the nurse half to death.”
“Well, if you had just given me the damn scissors,” she said.
“No, no. You weren’t allowed to play with sharp objects, remember?”
“I remember,” she said dryly. It had been nearly three months, but yes, she remembered every detail. Suicide watch? Good Lord.
“You’re hardly limping at all, Jake,” Michele said as she poured more wine into Jake’s glass before refilling her own. “I can’t believe how quickly you recovered.”
“Me, either, actually. But spending a month at the cabin did wonders.”
“I bet you hated coming back to the city.”
“Not as much as Cheyenne. She hates being in the backyard during the day.”
“You should have brought her over tonight,” Rick said.
“She’s fine. She was on the sofa when I left.”
“You still should have brought her,” he said as he picked up the platter of steaks. “Let me get these on. Be right back.”
Jake watched him through the window, glad to be back but missing the cabin. And the quiet. She smiled. And the hot springs. And certainly the woman she’d shared them with. For some reason, she couldn’t get Nicole out of her mind, and she found herself thinking about the other woman often. Jake wasn’t ashamed to admit that she’d had her share of sexual partners over the years but none had taken her like Nicole. Nicole was ardent and nearly unquenchable. If they hadn’t both passed out from sheer exhaustion, Jake was convinced that their passion would have lasted until morning.