I turned back to the detective, holding my hand out, "Shall we?"
The detective huffed and took the lead, walking us both over to the ambulance were two very broken kidnappers were strapped down and being treated.
I sat on the edge of the bathtub holding a tissue against my eyebrow as I dug in the first aid kit for gauze. I could feel the cut was just a small laceration and would not need stitches. I didn't even remember hitting the ground when the men grabbed me, I only felt the sudden shift of weight off of me and the sound of bodies hitting the hard side panels of the Cadillac. I gasped at a sudden flashback of the sounds of Kit grunting as she hit the car. Then the look in her eyes when she turned and saw me sitting on the ground, dazed. Kit wanted to run to me, but fought her instinct to follow through on her training and disable the man she had saved me from. I ran my hand through my hair, pulling out pieces of grass and leaves, once again Kit put herself between me and the danger, risking herself.
Rebecca would have done the opposite, run to me, put me in the car before the threat was completely eliminated and whisk me off to safety. That's where her and Kit differed. Kit was as Paco said, like fire, a fire that would swarm around the ones she protected. Burn bright and fast until there was no threat left.
I wiped at the blood, standing up to turn the sink on. I glanced in the mirror and had to look away, I was still on an emotional high and on the verge of crying if I looked at myself too long. That's why I left Kit to hide in the bathroom, I didn't want her to see me cry. I had almost fallen apart the moment her fingers linked in mine, making my heart ache to have her pull me into her arms and hold me. I was fighting everything to stay calm. I would cry in the privacy of my own bedroom, not here in the bathroom of my bodyguard who I was afraid to keep close.
I turned on the water, wetting a washcloth so I could wipe the dirt off my face along with the drying blood. I wiped gently at my cut and quickly covered it with a small piece of gauze, deciding I would have to do a better cleaning back at my house.
I shut the water off, clutching onto the dirty washcloth, I walked out of the bathroom and came face to face to a massive man sitting in Kit's leather chair, grinning at me. I recognized him as the same massive man who slammed his car into the front end of the van. He was part of my rescue team and I could see in the way he smiled at me, he was set in the chair to watch me.
"Hi, I'm Tito. KT is outside with the cops, she told me to sit with you." The tree of a man stood up, "Did you need anything Senator?" He was putting on his best manners and it brought half a smile to my face.
I shook my head at him, moving to sit on the couch, "I am fine, thank you Tito." I sat on the edge as Tito returned to his spot. We sat in silence until the front door opened and Kit walked back in.
Her eyes met mine instantly as she spoke, "All set Tito. The cops are leaving now and I will be heading back to Malibu with Claire in a few minutes." I looked away from her, staring at the bloodied washcloth crumpled up in my hands, I suddenly wanted to go home.
I tuned Tito and Kit out as they went over how Kit would make sure Tito was reimbursed for his car, trying hard to keep myself together. The front door opened and closed, I still didn't look up from my hands.
I didn't move or look up until I felt the couch shift next to me and the graze of Kit's leg against mine. Her hands then covered mine, gently pulling the washcloth from my shaking fingers. I frowned, reluctant to let go of the dark purple terry cloth, "There's blood on it, I didn't know where to put it." I shivered at the feel of her warm, strong hands on mine.
"Claire, it's okay." Her voice was soft, comforting. I heard her take a breath, "Are you okay?"
I nodded quickly, "It's just a scrape. I will be fine." I wouldn't look at her.
Kit sighed softly, "I am going to grab my bag and then we can head back to Malibu. We can take the Cadillac. Davey will be sending someone tomorrow to pick up the Lincoln and drive it back to the house. I told him that I've driven you around since the day you came to pick me up. I haven't told him anything else." She stood up from the couch, letting cool air replace where her leg had sat against mine.
"Kit, he will eventually figure out that you weren't with me when you told him you were." I glanced at Kit, her back was to me as she moved to her bedroom.
She turned to me, smiling as her eyes met mine, sending a jolt to my heart.
"I know, but it will at least give us a couple of days free of his lecturing." She shrugged and disappeared into her bedroom where I heard drawers opening and closing, clothes being dropped into a duffel bag.
A few minutes later Kit came back out, setting her bag down by the door, she pulled on her jacket. "If you're ready I am."
I stood up slowly. It was clear that I didn't want to talk about what just happened and Kit was not going to push until I was ready. She was maintaining her agent façade to keep me calm. It was helping, but at the same time I wanted her to say something, anything that would ease the tension in my heart and mind.
I dug in my pocket, holding out the car keys to her. "Will you drive?"
Kit took the keys, "Of course I will."
Our eyes met as our fingers brushed around the car keys, Kit dropped her gaze to our hands, slowly pulling hers away and grabbing her bag. She opened the front door and held it for me. I was grateful that the police had cleaned everything up and there was no signs of what had occurred on the front lawn.
I folded my arms tightly and went to the Cadillac, sitting in the passenger seat I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the cold glass. I swallowed hard when I heard Kit get into the car and start it. Changing the radio station to one of her classical stations, she began to back out of the driveway. I could feel her looking at me and went to say something when she spoke first, "Get some rest Claire, I will wake you when we get to the house."
I went to look at her when I felt her hand on my forearm, squeezing it gently. I pushed my eyes closed tighter as I felt the first tear slip out, I nodded and shifted further into my seat so Kit would not see the tears falling.
Claire fell asleep twenty minutes into the drive back, she was holding everything in and I didn't want to push. I had to wait for her to break the dam and spill out the things she wanted to ask about the incident on the lawn. Claire wouldn't look at me the entire time, and I knew that to be another one of her tells, it was her way of keeping her emotions in check. Even with Rebecca she would avoid eye contact when she wanted to maintain control over the situation, especially if it was an emotional one.
I kept glancing at her as I drove the Cadillac back to Malibu, worried that she was in shock and that she was ignoring it for the sake of staying strong in front of me.
I had taken care of the possible fallout from the incident, telling the detective to keep the situation under wraps until the Senator was ready to issue a statement tomorrow, if at all. I had sent the emails from Davey to the FBI and the Secret Service to update them on the continuing threats directed at Claire, I also informed them that the situation was handled appropriately and that Claire would continue to maintain her privacy and private security measures until she decided otherwise.
When the two shitbags were loaded up in the ambulance, the detective was instructed to take them to the local FBI office for formal charges and interviews. Claire would be left alone until at least middle of next week when the two were picked apart and their motives and employers were revealed.
All that was left was to get the blonde home safely.
________________________
It was late afternoon when I drove the Cadillac into the driveway. I shut the car off, leaning over to Claire I carefully brushed some of the hair away from her face, whispering, "We are home, Claire."
She woke up as my fingers moved over her cheek, I went to pull my hand away when she grabbed it, gently. Pulling it down to her lap, squeezing it tightly she said nothing. Only the sound of her opening the door and stepping out of the car filled the newborn silence. Claire letting her hand fall from m
ine when she finally stood outside, folding her arms tightly against her chest.
I took a breath and followed her, walking a few steps behind her as she entered the house. Claire never looked at me, only speaking over her shoulder in my direction, "I am going to take a shower."
I nodded, "I’ll be in the spare bedroom if you need me."
Claire nodded in return, walking up the stairs to her bedroom.
In the spare bedroom I unpacked my bag. Setting my gun on the bedside table, I moved to the bathroom, peeling off my dusty, bloodstained clothes, I stood in front of the mirror. Looking over the new bruises beginning to form on my body. Purple tints were beginning to form around the length of my shoulder. I rotated my arm and cringed at the tightness, I would have to keep an eye on it.
Under the hot water I thought about Claire, her silence and if she was really okay. I wanted to check on her, but decided as I shut the water off and wrapped myself in a towel, I would wait until she had slept a bit and slept off the rest of the adrenaline and exhaustion I knew she was carrying.
I sat on the edge of the bed in an older pair of linen pajama pants and an old Purdue shirt I slept in constantly. It was only six in the evening but it felt much later. I was hungry and the headache forming was begging me to eat, I was finally through my withdrawal completely and my appetite had returned tenfold. For the first time in a long time I was actually excited that I had an appetite.
Shuffling down to the kitchen I dug around, finding the leftover Thai food from Friday's lunch. Dumping the food into a bowl, I shoved it into the microwave and leaned against the edge of the counter, thinking over what happened on the lawn. It was a habit of mine from my days in the Secret Service. I would spend hours reviewing incidents, picking apart what went right and what could be improved upon the next time. The difference this time was I kept going back to the look in Claire's eyes, the intense fear that radiated through them. This image then led me to think of why she came to me instead of staying at her house.
Why leave the perfect fortress to come to me? To risk herself when she could have easily sat in the house until Monday when I came back. I would have to ask Claire when the time was right. I furrowed my brow trying to figure it out when the microwave dinged. I removed the steaming bowl of leftovers and moved to go back upstairs and settle in for another night of binge watching.
As I reached the top of the stairs, I walked past Claire's bedroom door. I thought nothing of it, focusing on spinning hot noodles around my fork, when I heard something fall to the floor and Claire yell softly.
I paused, craning my neck towards her door, trying to listen harder. I then heard something else fall, followed by what sounded like sobs mixed with more curse words.
I set the bowl of noodles down on a table between my room and hers, turning to her door I gripped the door knob, knocking as I opened the door, "Claire, are you okay?"
I found Claire sitting on the floor, knees tucked up into her chest, hands covering her face as she sobbed. Her blonde hair was wet and hung limply around her shoulders. Claire was wearing her usual baggy sweater and a pair of sleep shorts that gave me a view of slender long legs that literally made me catch my breath at the sheer sight of them. I had to shake my head and look away from her, I spotted that the mess Claire was sitting in, was a few books scattered around her with a broken glass next to her. The sight of her crying, made my heart break. I closed the door and walked to her, crouching down, I reached for her arm, keeping my voice low and calm as I spoke, "Claire."
I startled her when my fingers brushed against her arm, she pushed back from me and stood up quickly, trying to wipe away the tears. "Kit, what are you doing in here?" Her voice was raspy but firm, making it obvious I had entered an area of the house I was unwelcome in.
I straightened up and folded my arms, I was caught off guard by her tone. "I heard something fall, I wanted to check on you."
Claire held her head down, avoiding looking in my eyes, "You should knock first." The Senator voice had returned.
I half smiled at the Senator, "I did knock, but I don't think you heard me." I turned to leave, the icy Senator was back in the room and it was clear that I should leave it as soon as possible. "It looks like you have everything under control, I will go back to my leftovers and reruns." I tried to keep the irritation out of my voice, but couldn't, this woman was a giant game of push pull with me.
"I appreciate your concern Kit, but I would like to be alone now."
I shook my head, the Senator was laying it on thick. I laughed lightly, turning to leave her room, but paused after two steps. I turned back to Claire, watching her pick up the pieces of glass from her plush white carpet, "I just have one question, Why on earth did you choose to leave the most secure house I have ever been in to drive down to me while being followed by a couple of nutbags? Drive to me of all places when it made more sense to just stay here." I stared hard at Claire, her hands ceasing to pick up the broken glass. My tone was less than friendly, and it seemed fair, if the Senator was going to be in the room, so would the bodyguard who wanted to question the thought process of her employer.
Claire looked at me in the eyes, I watched her jaw clench and her eyes glossed over, taking a trembling breath, she whispered, "I didn't know what else to do. The only thing I could think of was to come to you, Kit." She blinked once, and a tear escaped. She smiled, wiping at the trail of tears forming on her cheeks, "You make me feel safe." It came out quieter than a whisper.
Claire set the pieces of glass on the small bookshelf next to her, she closed her eyes, "You make me feel a lot of things Kit."
It was as if all the air was sucked out of the room in just a handful of inconsequential words strung together to make a sentence that pressed on my heart.
I couldn't hold it together anymore, I was upset at Kit for supposedly barging into my room as I sat in the mess of books I had knocked from the shelf when I dropped the glass of water in my hands. The glass shattering mutely onto the floor shattered the grip I had on my emotions. I let everything out and let my body cry like it needed too.
She had scared me when I felt her hand on mine, and I retreated as fast as I could back into my safe façade. But it didn't last long, when I looked in Kit's eyes and saw the way she looked at me as she asked why I decided to come to her house instead of staying in the ultra-secure house, I gave up, I gave up holding back.
"You make me feel a lot of things Kit." I stood in the middle of the room, opening my eyes to find them moving to sit directly onto her bright hazel eyes, staring at me if I had just pulled all the oxygen from the room.
I smiled tightly, "I don't know exactly what it is about you, but you make me feel safe. Safer than a fortified safe room even the President wished he had in the oval office." I took a step towards her, "I came to you because it was what my gut told me to do. Go to the safest place I knew, to the one person I knew would do everything they had to keep me safe. And you did, you put yourself in front of me, risking your life to keep me alive. Twice now." I took in a deep breath, "Every time I look in your eyes, all I see and feel is how much I want to be around you, to be as close as I can to you." I held her gaze, Kit's face was blank and showed no emotion, so I kept on.
"You make me not want to be the Senator and yet I retreat back into that persona when you get too close, because I have never met anyone like you Kit and even though you have only been in my life for less than two weeks, I can't imagine what it would be like if you weren't around." I tugged at the sleeves of my sweater, "No one has ever made me feel like you do in with the simplest of looks or the errant graze of our hands as we both reach for a pen."
I laughed lightly and looked away from the hazel eyes that gave no clue that my words had any effect. I took another deep breath, "I interrupted your apology yesterday because I didn't want you to apologize for almost kissing me when it's all I have wanted to do for the last few days and regret not doing it that night."
I swallowed and met her eyes again, I wante
d her to see the truth as I said the last bit I had left, "I am falling for you Kit, every minute I am around you, I am falling faster into something that is more frightening than any threat against my life. It's my heart that you have seemed to have captured quicker than anyone I have ever met, and for the first time in my life, I am willing to let it go and seek out its own path with you."
After a moment of awkward silence and no response from Kit, I shrugged, becoming defeated that Kit was still standing in front of me emotionless, unaffected from the outpouring of words from my heart, "I guess we can call this a clean slate. That everything I said stays in this room and once we both leave, we return to business as usual and not look back."
I dropped my eyes from her, down to the shards of glass I still had to pick up, "Thank you for checking on me. I will see you in the morning." I started sliding into the Senator mask again. Slowly pushing the walls up I knew I would need when I was around Kit after this night.
I went to kneel to start picking up the mess, "You can leave the door open when you leave."
Before I could bend my knees in the slightest bit, the air around me moved like a gust of wind suddenly intruded into my room, forcing me to look up as two hands slid across my cheeks and jaw line. I heard Kit whisper my name right before her lips met mine in force. I felt her hands slide from my jaw and to the back of my head, tangling up in loose damp hair as she pulled me closer into the kiss.
It took me a second to realize I was being kissed, only a second before my hands found the edges of her jaw and I held onto her as I returned the intense kiss. It was a kiss full of built up tension, desire and passion. Her lips were incredibly soft even as they were mashed against my own, fighting for more from me. I opened my mouth when I felt her teeth graze and nip on my bottom lip, pulling a sound from me that I never knew I could make. When her tongue met mine, I dropped my hands from her face, moving them to her sides and wrapping my arms around her to pull her even closer to me. I smiled against her mouth as I bit her top lip lightly, making her pull away as she moaned against me. God this woman could kiss and I silently cursed myself for backing away the first time our lips met, if only briefly.
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