“Trust us, sweetheart. This place is used to seeing a lot of unusual things,” Kalen explained, ignoring her data on the police. Clarissa was about to complain that they should heed her information, when what he said next stopped her. “No one will call the police, especially with the local drug dealer hiding in the back room.”
“Drug dealer?” Clarissa looked back at the building. “If the police know that, their response time might be faster than I originally stated.”
“Would you stop with the police?” Kalen asked, still moving them forward. “Yes, there is a drug dealer in the building. I felt his distress when the two men who were after you came in. He thought they were looking for him, which works to our advantage for the moment.” Kalen walked past her vehicle, and when she tried to tell him that it was her car, they both flanked her sides and brought her to a stop in front of two motorcycles.
“Okay, then.” Clarissa laughed nervously, trying to turn back toward her car. Her previous irritation that he didn’t want to hear her information on response times disappeared rather quickly. “You can tell me where we’re heading and I’ll follow you.”
“No can do,” Ace said, taking the two guns Kalen now had along with his and storing them in his bag attached to the back of his bike. Straddling the motorcycle, he unhooked a helmet. “Kalen, can you help her out?”
Before Clarissa could protest, Kalen put the strap of her bag around her neck and pulled her right arm through loop. Making sure it was secure, Kalen reached for the black helmet Ace held in his hands. “Now wait just a second,” Clarissa objected, taking a step back. “I am not riding a bike! Do you know the statistics on motorcycle accidents? There is no valid reason I cannot follow behind you in my car.”
Ace rubbed the top of his head again, and Kalen just shook his head. Clarissa didn’t care if they were frustrated with her. Motorcycles were twenty-five times more likely to crash than a vehicle. She knew this for a fact because of a paper she wrote back in college. For all she knew, the percentage was a lot higher now. No way was there any chance she was getting on one of those monsters.
“We cannot leave my car here. My clothes are in there,” Clarissa pointed out, as if that really mattered. They probably could care less what was in her car.
“While we were inside, all of your stuff was moved to a safe house. It’s better that your vehicle remain here, since whoever is after you obviously knows your make and model. They had to have followed you. Now, we have around thirty seconds before those men come through the door,” Kalen barked, stepping forward and holding the helmet above her head. “Take your clip out of your hair and put this on, unless you want to face them. It’s your choice, sweetheart.”
Clarissa spared a glance toward Ace, but his face was set in stone like Kalen’s. She looked over at the door and realized they weren’t going to budge. Either she got on that monstrosity, or they would have to face those thugs. They were probably overdramatizing the situation since their friends were supposed to be coming. But did she really want to take that chance? Crap, Clarissa thought, mentally stomping her foot. “Fine.” She yanked the clip from her hair. “But I’m warning you now. If I die on this heap of metal, I swear I will haunt you for the rest of your lives. And if you die, too, I’ll make the afterlife a living hell for both of you.”
* * * *
Kalen smiled behind his helmet as he rode after Ace’s cruiser, watching as Clarissa literally clung to his friend. She was something else. All the different emotions that poured out of her body were astounding, and Kalen had a hard time separating them. In the short time they were at the bar, he felt more emotions from Clarissa than he had from everyone combined in the last month. The list ranged from anxiety, despair, fear, mortification, desire, agitation—and that was only the tip of the iceberg. It was refreshing to be around someone as untainted as Clarissa, although she might take offense to that description.
Kalen knew what Ace had been thinking as well, arousal filling the air when he kissed her. He just wasn’t too sure it was a good idea, sensing her confusion and knowing she wasn’t experienced. She was, after all, a client. Their job was to protect her, not sleep with her. Especially considering how Kalen and Ace were used to their women. They had really good friends who were involved in ménages à trois, and while all involved took a while to become accustomed to that type of relationship, Kalen and Ace had always embraced the lifestyle. One thing he and Ace agreed on was only sleeping with women who knew what they were getting into.
There was just something about her, though, that made Kalen want to taste what Ace had. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Whether it was to see the wonderment in her eyes or hear her sigh in contentment, he didn’t know. It certainly wasn’t in the best interest of the case to mix business with pleasure. But if there was anything Kalen had learned being a Noble, it was that a person just had to go with the flow. Life was short, and it was best to make the most of it.
Kalen mentally went through a checklist of what they knew about her. She obviously wasn’t a social butterfly, and probably lived for her work. She had no clue as to how pretty she was. And most importantly, she had in her possession some type of research that was significant enough for someone to try and kill her.
Kalen had a feeling that unless she was working, her mind tended to jump from one thing to another. Back at the bar, she had a tendency to switch topics faster than his bike could go, but when she was on a subject she liked, Clarissa was like a dog with a bone. He knew that if they had let her interrogate them on their powers earlier, she would have talked about it for hours. That was not to say she wasn’t intelligent, but being book smart and having common sense were two different things. The useless information packed in her head was quite astounding. In his opinion, Clarissa was her own worst enemy. She was too smart for her own good. One of them would constantly have to be near her to make sure she didn’t inadvertently put herself in danger.
Ace gave his hand signal, and Kalen followed, making a right off the highway. Clarissa had yet to look up from behind Ace’s back, and Kalen would bet ten to one odds that she had not opened her eyes since leaving the bar. Ace would probably have marks from where Clarissa’s fingers dug into the front of his chest. Her curls hung down her back, almost to her waist, dancing in the wind. Both he and Ace had stood still in shock when Clarissa had taken her hairclip out to let him help her put on the helmet. In all their years, they had never met anyone with the amount of hair Clarissa had. It was damn beautiful.
Finally, Ace steered his cruiser into a residential area where the houses weren’t too close together. Numerous pine trees separated the single-family homes, giving an illusion that each house was by itself in the middle of the wilderness. Shrubs and broad-leaved trees finished off the natural atmosphere. This was a perfect spot to hide until they found the answers they sought.
Jagger had the government agree to fund safe houses throughout the country in various spots for when the need arose. Recently, with all the assignments they’d been taking, the accommodations had come in handy. Now that he really thought about it, Kalen figured they wouldn’t be here long. With the threat on Clarissa’s life and witnessing firsthand the lengths whoever was after her would go, Kalen was relatively sure they would be moving Clarissa to the Nobles’ compound in Colorado. Kalen felt better about Jagger not bringing in the lab equipment Clarissa had requested. It would have taken up too much of their time, especially if they were leaving this location in a couple days.
Ace pulled his bike into the driveway of a two-story log-constructed home and clicked the opener of the garage, their cruisers purring as they idled on the gravel. Kalen looked at Clarissa, who was still huddled against Ace, and figured she wouldn’t relax until the motorcycles were shut off. Ace shared an amused look with him.
Pulling into the garage, Ace pressed the button to close them inside, and both men shut off their bikes. The silence was deafening. Kalen took his helmet off and hung it on one of the handlebars before sliding
his leg over the seat. Turning his attention to Ace, he saw his friend doing the same, although Clarissa had yet to move.
“Sweetheart, let go of Ace so we can take off your helmet,” Kalen instructed, rubbing a hand down her back in reassurance. His fingers caught in her hair, and Kalen was stunned at how soft it was. Images of her curls draped over his body floated around his head, until he took a hit to his stomach. Kalen caught his breath and glared at Ace, who was responsible for his lack of air. He shot his friend the middle finger, angry with himself for being caught when he had chided Ace on the same thing. “Clarissa, we’ve stopped. We need to get you inside and then call Jagger. Hopefully, he’ll have an update for us.”
Kalen watched as Ace pried the front of his shirt from her fists by slowly opening them, finger by finger. Eventually, the fabric was freed, and Kalen reached under Clarissa’s chin to undo the strap. Taking hold of the helmet, he gently pulled it off to see Clarissa’s big brown eyes staring at him in amazement.
“That was incredible,” Clarissa whispered, drawing out each word. “I felt like I was flying. Who would ever have guessed riding a motorcycle could make a person feel like that? It was so…empowering! No wonder people ride these things.”
Kalen helped Clarissa off Ace’s bike while she described her first experience, much to his and Ace’s amusement. Most people who feared motorcycles felt the same way after having their first ride. It was always the unknown that scared people. Although the way she had clung to Ace on the trip, Kalen certainly hadn’t been expecting this type of reaction. He’d really thought she would get off the bike and complain all evening about how dangerous it was. It was cute to listen to her ramble on about how much fun she had. He was handing Ace her helmet when he heard a scuffle.
“Oh!”
Kalen’s humor went flying straight out the window when Clarissa backed right into his bike, causing his baby to shift. He heard Ace’s shout of laughter when he dove and grabbed the handle bar, but unfortunately, Clarissa spun around at the same time. Her hair got caught somewhere in the front, and she yelped, dropping her red bag to grab a hold of her head. The bike’s front tire shifted out of its position. Kalen used all his strength to keep his pride and joy from landing in a heap on the ground and yanking Clarissa’s hair out.
“A little help here?” Kalen gritted through his teeth, wondering why Ace wasn’t moving faster to help. “You wouldn’t be laughing this hard if it were Rhonda.”
Ace was still laughing when he stepped forward, helping Clarissa free the strands of hair from the handlebar. It took an agonizingly long time for him to succeed, but eventually, Ace got her untangled and out of the way. Kalen stabled the bike and secured it back into place. Once he had it situated and Clarissa was far enough away, Kalen hung his head and draped his arms over the bar. He couldn’t stop the sigh of relief that crossed his lips.
“I am so sorry,” Clarissa exclaimed, turning to speak with Kalen while pulling her hair clip out of her bag. “I didn’t mean to back into it. My hair tends to get in the way if I don’t have it tied back.”
“Let’s get you inside, Slick,” Ace said, still laughing. “Let Kalen have a breather.”
Kalen heard Clarissa ask who Rhonda was as Ace shuffled her through the door to the kitchen and shook his head, laughing now that he could breath. Clarissa probably wouldn’t understand why someone would name a bike, but Ace had always referred to his cruiser as Rhonda. If it had been anyone else besides Clarissa who had banged into his bike, Kalen probably would have killed him. Jagger needed to pay them triple for this case.
* * * *
“What do you mean, my lab equipment isn’t here?” Clarissa asked an hour later, hands on her hips. She was feeling more like herself, now that she had two feet on the ground and her wild mane back up on top of her head in a clip. The house was charming with its western theme, although she could do without the animal heads on the wall. Their beady eyes gave her the creeps, and she tried her best to ignore them. It was time for her to get back to work. She was close to a breakthrough and didn’t want to waste time.
Initially, after almost knocking Kalen’s bike over, Clarissa felt really bad. Now, seeing the here-she-goes-again look cross both their faces, feeling bad went by the wayside. Kalen was about to understand that how he felt about his bike, she felt about her equipment. Clarissa’s contact had promised her she would have the same access to equipment that she had back at the facility.
“We don’t think you’re going to be here that long and didn’t want to bring in the amount of equipment you requested. Once we have you situated at a long-term location, you’ll have all your stuff,” Ace replied. “If that happens to be here, then we’ll have it delivered in a few days.”
“My stuff, as you call it, is vital. What don’t you get about that?” Clarissa asked, not backing down.
“Look, we just spoke with Jagger,” Kalen interjected, sitting in an overstuffed chair. “He agrees that we won’t be here long, and it’s better not to get too comfortable. If you would sit down and tell us a little more about this information you have, we’ll be able to figure things out rather quickly. Two other colleagues, Tavia and Reed, have the men from the bar in custody and are questioning them as we speak.”
“Custody? You’re Nobles,” Clarissa pointed out, pacing around the living room. “You don’t have the right to put them in custody.”
“I don’t think they’re going to argue considering they tried to murder someone.” Ace sat on the couch, lacing his hands behind his head. “It’s either deal with us or deal with the police. We might find out who’s trying to get to you sooner rather than later.”
Clarissa couldn’t help herself and watched as his biceps flexed, moving his tattoo and making it appear as if the design were swirling. She’d never been attracted to bad boys, rather liking the three-piece-suit type instead, but something about his sex appeal was very attractive. It had to be because she felt safe with them. After all, they were hired to protect her, and seeing how efficient they had been back at the bar, it was a solid theory. That’s why she felt drawn to them. It had nothing to do with their looks, but more so to do with what they represented. Being thrust into a life on the run certainly changed her perspective on things.
“Clarissa?”
Kalen’s voice brought her back to the present, and Clarissa resumed pacing again, nibbling on her thumbnail. They were trying to distract her from obtaining her equipment. She needed to focus on that. “Listen, this guy promised me you could provide my equipment. I need to verify my research before—”
“Before what?” Ace asked, unclasping his hands to lean forward. “You need to come clean and tell us what you’re working on, Slick. We know that your research is putting you at risk and that your contact is trustworthy because of his friendship with Jagger, or else we wouldn’t be here. So just fess up.”
“How do you know he’s trustworthy?” Clarissa asked, taking another turn before she realized her mistake. Darn it, she just gave away the fact that she didn’t know her contact. Why would she question that person’s trust if she knew him?
“What do you mean, how do we know?” Kalen asked with disbelief. “You were the one to call him.”
“Well”—Clarissa hesitated on telling them how she contacted her source—“it’s complicated.”
“Clarissa,” Ace implored, rubbing a hand down his face, “you do know him personally, right?”
“Not exactly,” Clarissa confessed. She didn’t think they were going to like this part of her story. But seeing as how they were adamant about knowing, she confessed. “I saw his ad on television and knew he was a staunch supporter of the government’s stance on Nobles. A Senator that votes for a regulation that bans scientific study on Nobles has to be honorable, right? And I’m sure Senator Brock told Jagger that what I’m working on involves Nobles, but not in the way you think. Well, sort of. But not really.”
Ace and Kalen stared at her in utter disbelief. Clarissa didn’t see wha
t the big deal was. She had taken a chance and figured if anyone could protect her, it would be someone with connections like Senator Brock. And sure enough, when Clarissa explained who she was and what she had in her possession—well, part of it anyway—the Senator promised her immediate protection. At least she was truthful about her past research on the Nobles’ DNA. She kind of didn’t mention that she used to work for the Fray. Although, seeing Ace’s and Kalen’s expressions, now might not be the best time to tell them that.
“Look, I might have left a few details of my research out of the conversation with Senator Brock.” Clarissa shrugged her shoulders. “But the bottom line is this, if what I have is placed in the wrong hands, it’ll be a disaster for all Nobles. I really am just trying to help.”
Both men started talking at once. Ace was focused on the fact Senator Brock really didn’t know her, going on and on about Jagger trusting a man who didn’t have his facts straight. Kalen fixated on her work, throwing question after question out about why her research was about Nobles and how it could affect them. Clarissa tried multiple times to interrupt, but then they started arguing with each other about what was more important, and there was no getting a word in edgewise.
Clarissa stomped over to her purse and rummaged through the contents until she found what she was looking for, ignoring the flash drive, which was tucked safely in the side pocket. They could argue all they wanted, but she wanted her stuff now. Whipping her phone out, she stomped over to where the men were now standing. “Call whoever you need to call. I want my equipment.”
Noble Sensations Page 3