“That sounds like Bryan,” she muttered.
“Do you know who attacked you, Luna?”
“No. They got me from behind. I wasn’t paying attention. I had just…never mind. It doesn’t matter. It was a man. I know that much. It was quick. I don’t remember anything else.” Her grip loosened and he was able to pull his head upright.
“Could it have been Bryan?”
“No. The guy was shorter. He had hairy arms and smelled like dirty sweat socks. Hey. How do you know my name?”
“I knew you were smart. I went back to the scene and found your suitcase and your name tag.” Her grip tightened again.
“You went through my things?”
“The suitcase was busted open when I found it. I put your stuff back in and that’s when I saw it.”
“How’d you know the case was mine?”
Cato chuckled. “You’d make a good detective.”
“Answer me.”
“It smelled like you.”
The room fell silent for several long moments. He wasn’t sure if she was deciding to go ahead and stab him or was looking for a better spot and then stab him.
“Uh, okay. Well. Thanks for finding it.”
“You’re welcome.”
“How bad was I beaten?”
Cato closed his eyes and sighed. “Badly. You had a busted arm, cracked lip, both eyes blackened, a gash to your face, a tear in your liver, and brain trauma. You were in a coma. And if I ever find him, I’m going to kill him.” She released the top of his hair. Point to Cato.
“Son of a bitch!” Her breath left the back of his neck and he could envision her checking out her body.
“I feel perfectly fine. How long was I out?”
Cato bit his lip. “Long enough.” Please don’t ask. We’re making progress here. “I paid your bill and requested the best doctors and had you moved to a private room. That was before Bryan found you. After that, I moved you to another facility and a Master Surgeon took care of the rest. I brought you here so you could recuperate. You healed quickly.”
He shivered when her soft words brushed against the back of his neck.
“Why would you do that?”
“Easy. I’m not hurting for cash and you were taken to the indigent care wing. There were drug addicts and crazy people in there. I hated seeing you so vulnerable. I still think Bryan had something to do with your injuries, so I had to get you out of there in case he tried to finish you off.”
The screwdriver drifted to his collar bone. He slid his gaze downward and realized she didn’t have a white knuckled grip on it any longer. He knew he could flip her around and have her pinned in seconds, but that would defeat the purpose of this exercise.
Her warm breath passed close to his ear and sent chills across his body.
“No. Why would you do that for me?”
Chapter 18
Cato felt his mouth go dry. How could he explain she was his entire world now without sounding like a loon? She’d stab him for sure. Cato opted for diversion instead. “Will you do me a favor, Luna?”
“What?”
“Would you come around and let me see you? It’s sort of weird talking to you like this.” The screwdriver went back to his jugular, which didn’t surprise him. At least she hadn’t grabbed his hair again.
“Are you trying to trick me? Wait, don’t answer. That was a stupid question. Give me a good reason and I’ll consider it.”
“Tell you what. I’ll let you tie me up and that should alleviate some of your fear. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time getting you well. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. I just want to see your face when we talk. Less chance for bloodshed that way.”
“You want me to tie you up?”
Cato chuckled. “No. I don’t want to be tied up, yet I’m willing to do it to gain your trust. Look in the dresser. Second drawer. It’s close enough for you to reach and still keep your weapon on a vulnerable spot.”
Luna snorted and said, “Suit yourself,” before reaching over and pulling the drawer out. “Why do you have rope in your dresser?”
Cato shrugged. “You never know when you’ll need rope. You found a screwdriver in here, too. I’m a guy.” He grinned at her muffled laugh.
She threw the rope at his feet. “Tie your ankles to the base. I don’t want you jumping me when I take this away from your throat. Leave enough so I can tie your hands at the back. Stay bent at the waist when you’re done.”
“Good thinking.” Cato tied his ankles and slid the rope under the chair.
“Good. Now lift slowly and slide your hands through the back slot of the chair. Good.” She had him secured in less than three minutes.
“Where’d you learn to do that?”
“Marine Corps.”
“You were a Marine?”
“No, but I knew someone.”
“They would be very proud.”
“Uh, thanks.” He felt a tug at his ankles. Smart girl. Trust no one.
“Okay, I’m coming around. If you go all Hercules on me and try to bust out, the last screw you’ll ever have is this thing hanging from your nuts. Got it?”
Cato sucked in a breath. “Geez, Luna. Remind me never to piss you off. The image alone has them crawling up and hiding. Good luck hitting anything on the first go round. Aim for my belly button. You might nick one.” He was totally shocked by her rush of laughter.
“Damn, Cato. If we’d met under different circumstances, I might’ve liked you.”
“Ah, now you’ve gone and broken my heart. That’s as bad as taking out the nuts. So, I have no chance to redeem myself?” He grinned at her attempt to suppress another laugh. He could barely see her in the dim room, but he could tell she had settled on the bed in front of him.
“We’ll see. It’s going to depend on if I believe anything coming out of your mouth.”
“Turn on the light, mellis. I can hardly see you.”
“Who’s mellis?”
“Sorry. It means sweetness.”
“Oh. Well, since you asked so nicely.”
Cato shut his eyes when the lamp flashed on next to his bed. Slowly, he opened them and locked on to deep pools of cerulean blue fringed with thick, black lashes. He knew it. He wasn’t losing his mind. They’d been together in the dream. Eventually, he realized her hand was still up in the lampshade and her mouth was opened in surprise. When he gave her a knowing smile, she appeared to snap out of her frozen state and slowly brought her arm back down to the bed.
“You.”
Cato’s skin shivered at the déjà vu moment. He raised his brows in question. She’s remembering. Say it, baby. Please say it.
“I…I think I know you. Your voice…hair. I’ve seen you before.” She gestured toward his tattoo but didn’t say anything.
He watched her eyes scouring his body before they flipped back up to his. She clamped her lips together, squeezed her eyes shut, and shook her head. Just as quickly, she opened them and smiled. It wasn’t a “Hey, I’m so happy to be here” smile. It was more like she had a gas pain and was just trying to be polite. His heart hurt at the confusion she was battling.
“Nothing. Sorry. I’m hallucinating. You said I was in a coma. That explains it. I must’ve gotten a glimpse of you at one point. People say that coma patients can hear voices sometimes…” She paused and stared at the carpet. “Hear voices…no, that can’t be right.”
Cato didn’t have the heart to tell her she couldn’t have seen him if she’d tried. Her eyes had been swollen shut the entire time. She just needed to work herself through it. She wouldn’t believe him anyway. He was still trying to reason it out in his brain, too.
“Luna. Look at me.”
Her eyes flipped up. He had to give her something else to think about or she was going to blow a gasket.
“Are you hungry?”
Her eyebrows drew together. “What?”
“Food. Do you need food? There’s some water on the night stand. I brought it for
you. Still unopened. Please. Drink some water.”
Luna reached out and grabbed the water like it was the last safety vest on a sinking ship. She cracked the lid and chugged half the bottle. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and set the bottle back down. Her eyes flicked back to his and he was frightened at what he saw.
“I’ve got to get out of here.”
Oh shit! I’m going to have to pull a Hercules. Get ready nuts. Thankfully, his civilized side came to the rescue and started screaming to stall her. He tried to sound calm.
“Let me get you something to eat. You need to make a plan. Bryan said he was a cop. He has resources to monitor the bus stations or other methods of leaving the city. Just take a deep breath and think about it. You need a plan. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think on an empty stomach.” Oh good. She’s nodding.
“Yeah. Yeah. You’re probably right. I need a plan. Sure. Food. That sounds great. Let’s do it.”
“Good. That’s good. I’d fix you something to eat, but there’s nothing in the house. I haven’t been home for a while. I’ll need to go out and grab something. Do you promise not to run away when I leave?”
She bobbed her head up and down like an automaton. “Sure. I’ll stay right here. Bryan will find me if I leave.”
They sat there for a few minutes, blue eyes glued to blue. Shit. She’s stuck again.
Cato chuckled and tried to act nonchalant, even though his barbarian was screaming for her to come to him and he’d hold her and make it all better. Civilized guy was saying, “Don’t look at me. I’m with barbarian guy on this one.” He chose to ignore them both.
“You know. It would make it a lot easier to get us something to eat if you untied me.”
Her eyes widened and she burst out laughing. “Well, shit! I think you’re right.” She scrambled behind the chair and quickly untied his wrists. He took care of the rope at his ankles. When he glanced up, she was standing in the far corner looking like she’d just made the stupidest decision of her life. He held his palms up and forced his tone to be direct. She needed a lifeline and he was going to give it to her.
“Don’t regret this, Luna. All you’re getting out of this deal is a full belly and time to think. I’ve watched over you for a long time and I’ll be damned if anything’s going to hurt you. I’m the last thing you have to worry about. Just let me take care of you. I want to do this. Feel me?”
He watched her shoulders relax and her arms dropped to her sides. “I’m being stupid, aren’t I? Twenty minutes ago, I was Rambo’s sister and now I’m Betty Boop with a broken fingernail. I’ve got to get my shit together.”
Something shifted inside Cato’s chest. He thought maybe his heart just increased so it could hold more love for her. Otherwise, it would explode. He swallowed on a hard lump.
“You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met. You’ve no idea what you’ve been through, but I do. If you want to break down, you go right ahead and do it. I’ll lay no blame there. You want me to hold you when you do it? I’m all over that. You want me to get out of your hair so you can do it in peace, just say so. I’m surprised you didn’t crack the moment you opened your eyes. I’m going to walk out the door and get in my truck now. As soon as I leave, take a deep breath and make yourself at home. The house is yours. There’s a bathroom over to your right and one down the hallway. You pick. I’ll be back within the hour.”
Luna closed her eyes and he could see her chest quickly rise and fall. When she opened those beautiful pools of blue again, he saw nothing except relief. “Thank you.”
Cato nodded, walked over to the nightstand, and grabbed his driver’s license. He opened up the drawer and almost slid the police report and hospital records in. He was torn. Would these frighten her and make him lose precious ground he’d gained or provide her further proof that he was on her side? He decided it wasn’t his call to make and pushed the drawer closed.
“Everything you need to know about what happened to you is right here in the police report and hospital records, Luna. Read them, or don’t. It’s up to you. He turned back to her and pointed at the closet.
“Your suitcase is in there. Don’t take my admission as a sign I want you to leave. If I have my way, it’ll be in there for a very long time.” He closed the door softly as he left.
* * * *
Luna wobbled over to a huge fireplace and sat on the eight-foot lip of stone protruding from the wall. If I was smart, I’d leave, she thought. Now that the light was on, she finally got a good look at her surroundings. It wasn’t as spooky as she first imagined. Her gut clenched thinking about the first minutes of horror when she realized she was in a strange place. She’d had to bite her lip to keep from screaming when she realized the dark blob in the chair next to the bed was, in fact, a man.
She barely remembered jumping up and fumbling around for a weapon. She relived the triumph she felt when the screwdriver ended up in her hand. She’d wanted to run from the room but wasn’t sure if there were others around. She knew she had to get the upper hand before the guy woke up. She remembered thinking it odd that a kidnapper would fall asleep on the job. It was when he spoke that she’d felt her knees go noodle on her.
She knew his voice but couldn’t remember from where. Why did the word “storyteller” keep repeating over and over in her mind? Had he been deceitful with her in the past? The rich timbre and accent had sent shivers down her spine, yet she hadn’t felt threatened. She was more scared of the situation than the actual man. That made no sense since she’d felt as small as a kitten latched onto the back of a grizzly.
As soon as the light had revealed his face, an image of a foggy meadow slammed into her brain. She was walking forward and calling out to someone. He appeared as if formed by the mist itself. His massive body never moved as she focused on his stunning features. His hair was as black as midnight, except for the intriguing blue tips. Just as suddenly, he faded away while his pleading words lingered on the cool air. “Don’t forget me, Luna.” Obviously, she had. She wished she could remember more.
Luna closed her eyes and took a few breaths. She was thankful he hadn’t turned out to be her attacker. She’d basically turned her whole existence over to him while she strained to remember where she knew him. He’d had ample time to kill her, or at the least tie her up. He was enormous and she knew in her gut that he could have broken the chair in a million pieces if he’d really wanted to hurt her. She was still a little fuzzy on why he’d even bothered with her. Was he just a bored millionaire with nothing better to do?
Everything he’d said, from the attack, his caring for her, Bryan’s asshole personality, to her need for a solid plan made sense. Like he’d said, she’d been in a coma for god’s sake! It was reasonable that she would’ve heard his voice and possibly caught a glimpse of him at a lucid moment. She’d never been in a coma before, so how could she possibly judge the way the brain trauma tried to fit reality with a dream state? “Shit! If I keep trying to justify this, I’m going to give myself another brain injury.”
Focusing back on the room, she pursed her lips and nodded in acceptance at the beauty. He wasn’t lying when he said he wasn’t hard up for cash. Everything from the floors, walls, ceiling, dressers, and ornate chairs were made of light, expensive-looking wood. It reminded her of the opulent log cabins she’d drooled over in a magazine she’d found at work.
The ceiling was arched and had to be at least twenty or thirty feet high. His bed looked like a double king and was covered with a suede bedspread and pillows in earthy tones. He had just the right amount of subtle landscape pictures to enhance, instead of hinder, the beautiful walls. She glanced back at the rocked fireplace and could imagine how gorgeous the room would look with a warm glow bouncing off all the gleaming wood.
She chuckled when she spotted some of his clothes thrown in a corner and various tools scattered about the room. Hell, she’d had her choice of weapons. If she’d headed right instead of left, he would’ve had needle-nos
e pliers to deal with. He was a typical, busy guy with better things to do than tidy up, obviously.
Eventually, Luna’s eyes landed on the papers he’d left on the nightstand. She considered looking them over, but what purpose would that serve? If he’d had anything to hide, he would’ve never offered them up. Hell, what would she find that she didn’t already know? She was beaten and she obviously had the best medical treatment, so what would be gained to learn the exact time the cops arrived or how many times she got charged for a bandage change? No. There was nothing there but a reminder of how stupid she’d been. It was time to stick that guilt in the past and move on.
Thankful her legs had decided to get with the program, Luna stood and walked to one of the many windows lining the room. She ran her hand down the draperies and smiled at the softness of the material. It was the same color as his bedspread. She pulled it aside and gaped at the scenery.
Native trees stood tall and thick around the property. She stared wide-eyed at a towering wild oak with a trunk the size of a car and thick branches reaching down to the ground. She could picture herself climbing all over the thing like she used to do with her brother. Red and gold leaves of a Texas ash and the purple blooms of a tall crape myrtle added a splash of color among the green surroundings. She squashed her cheek to the glass pane in an attempt to take it all in.
The yard looked like it had been pulled from a landscaper’s dream. The grass was worthy of a golf course and all the hedges were precision-clipped. Varying beds of colorful flowers and shrubs lined the long, paved driveway and continued to follow the curved, stone walkway.
Luna snorted. “No way did he do that. He can’t even put his tools up in the house.” That work of art belonged to someone in tune with nature. Cato looked like he was more in sync with a motorcycle. She bet she’d find one in the garage if she looked hard enough. She’d gotten a glance at his boots when he’d walked out the door. The fantastic tat running down his arm along with the studs in his ear screamed biker. He was Harley Davidson all the way. Just my kind of guy.
Fueled by Lust: Cato (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 15