What on earth had she walked into? Whatever she had been expecting from this date—and her mind had run the full gamut of possibilities, from delicious to disaster—she would never in a month of Sundays have expected to walk into a shootout.
The man on the floor groaned and moved his head slightly. He needed attention. Instinct kicked in. Her old nursing background took over. Darting to his side, she knelt down and took his pulse.
The injured man stirred, his eyes flickering open. “Lily, that’s who is knocking at the door.” He spoke vaguely, mumbling, his eyes not quite focused on her. “How could I have forgotten? Jesus, what a mess.”
She stared down at him as everything fell into place. The man at the door wasn’t Adrian. This was.
“She was due to arrive. Why didn’t I remember?”
I know this man, I know him intimately.
His hand went to his head, and he pushed back his dark blonde hair. When he did, she saw a nasty red mark on his forehead. He tried to sit up, but she put her hand against his chest and steadied him. “Please try to stay still, you’ve got a head injury.”
He groaned.
She’d never once needed her nursing skills outside of a job in her whole three years of training, but now that she’d stepped away from nursing it looked as if she was going to need it after all. She lifted his eyelids, examined his pupils, they looked normal. His eyes were hazel, she noticed. She loosened his tie, undid his collar, and held up her hand. “How many fingers do you see?”
“Three.”
She moved her hand. “Now?”
“Two.”
“What month is it?”
“January, it’s the twenty-eighth.”
“Good. Can you tell me where the pain is?”
“My head. Think I hit it on the desk. I ducked.” He waved his hand in the direction of the window. “I was looking for my diary on the desk, then I dropped it on the floor. Heard the window breaking; saw someone out there.”
“Do you have pain anywhere else?”
“Yes. Leg. Knee.” His eyes flickered closed again.
She examined his limbs. He winced when she moved her hands around his right knee.
“It’s a dodgy ligament, old injury, but I think I put it out when I dropped.” The colour was draining from his face.
She stroked his cheek, gently reassuring him. “You’re going to be okay, but that knock on the head is worrying me. I’ll call an ambulance and get you checked out.”
“No, you won’t.”
Lily’s head snapped up. It was the other man, the man that she had been flirting with at the door—the man she’d been French kissing. The man who was obviously not Adrian, now. He’d climbed back in through the window and was approaching with determination, his expression overcast. She glared at the gun in his hand. “Please tell me you’re with the police.”
He nodded, then dropped to the floor on the other side of Adrian and put one large hand on the injured man’s jaw, shifting it from side to side as he looked him over. “Come on, we have to get you out of here.”
“Be careful with him,” Lily exclaimed, shocked at his brusqueness. “He has a head injury, a knee injury, and he’s at risk of concussion.” She went to snatch his hand away from the injured man, but the other man locked his fingers around her wrist. His grip turned rigid. The stern, controlling look in his eyes silently informed her that she could only move if he allowed her to.
“This man needs to be checked at a hospital,” she repeated, stubbornly, attempting again to jerk her arm from his grasp.
The dark-haired man held her tightly for a moment longer, to make his point, before letting her go. “He needs to be taken to a safe house is what he needs.” His tone was stern, and he shook his head as if annoyed. “This man is a key witness in a criminal investigation. The longer he is in London, the more likely it is that someone will take another shot. I can’t let that happen.” He looked frustrated.
Lily was getting pretty frustrated herself. She couldn’t follow what he was saying, and she didn’t like his attitude. “Look, I know what I’m talking about. I used to be a nurse and I’m concerned about his head injury.”
The dark-haired man ignored her and spoke to Adrian instead. “Are you convinced now?”
He’d got Adrian’s attention. “Yes. I’m convinced, whatever you say, I’ll do it.” He let out a deep sigh.
“I thought so.” The policeman shifted, drawing Adrian to his feet with one arm locked around his waist and back. Again he looked at Lily. “You get on the other side.”
“I’ll help you if you promise me you are taking him to the hospital.”
He glared at her. “This man is in danger. The longer we hang around the more likely it is that someone will take another shot at him. Do you want that to happen?” His eyes were narrowed as he assessed her, looking her over as if he was suspicious of her.
“No, of course not, but…”
“Good, now can you help me out here?”
“Of course.” The true nature of the situation was beginning to sink in. Her mouth was dry, shock making her shaky. “Anything I can do to help.”
“I’m okay,” Adrian said rising to his feet with their assistance. He winced when he tried to put weight on his right leg. “I’ll just have to limp.”
“Lean on us,” the policeman instructed.
The policeman had a Welsh accent, Lily realised. Something about his voice had struck her, and that was it. Between them, they got Adrian to the elevator. When a couple of other people appeared in the corridor, the policeman warned them off, shouting at them to go back into their offices while he held out his ID in explanation.
Once they were inside the elevator, Adrian staggered into the corner and propped himself up. Lily checked his pupils again. “If you feel any nausea or dizziness, I want you to tell me immediately.”
Adrian nodded, and then rested his head back against the wall and looked at her with curiosity. Heat rose in her face. He’d figured it out; he knew she was his date. She glanced away, confusion making her feel twitchy.
The policeman had reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. Flicking it open, he called out. When she went to speak to him, he shook his head. “We’ve had an attempt. Our witness is injured, not fatal.” There was bitter edge to his tone. “Yes, already, apparently good news travels fast.”
Not fatal? Lily swallowed. The way he was talking, it was so…cold, and removed. The other bloke, Adrian, didn’t seem surprised. He was staring ahead, his eyes thoughtful and his mouth tense.
“I need you to bring the vehicle right up against the front door, then get out and give the witness cover. The shooter may still be around.”
He pushed the phone into his pocket and pulled out the gun, training it on the door just as they reached the ground floor.
His words echoed through Lily’s mind. He may still be around. The shooter. A shudder went through her.
The other man, the policeman—as she now realised—fixed her with a demanding stare. “Ready?”
She nodded, and then wedged her shoulder firmly against the man she was holding up, securing his arm around her shoulders. Seconds later they were through the lobby, and out the door. A large four wheel drive vehicle was screeching to a halt on the pavement.
This can’t be happening to me.
“Get out of the car,” the policeman shouted to the driver. “Leave the key in the ignition and give me cover while I get the witness in.” He snatched at the rear door, opening it for Adrian.
Lily caught a muffled query from the interior, and a moment later the driver emerged.
“I’m taking him out of the city. Tell the chief I have a good reason for what I am doing and I’ll be in touch,” shouted the policeman. Then he nodded at her and between them they got Adrian into the seat.
“You next. Get in.” He had his hand on her shoulder.
“Excuse me?”
He glanced quickly around them as he responded. “You’re com
ing with us to a safe house. It’s for your own safety.”
She shrugged him off. “No way. This has nothing to do with me.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, but the moment you saw that man in the corridor it had everything to do with you. You are in danger and you are under my protection. Now get in.”
Lily tried to walk away, but he grabbed her and jammed her up against the side of the car, using the full weight of his body to pin her there. From the base of her skull to the back of her knees she felt the cold, hard surface of the vehicle. Against her front, from breast to knee, his body crushed hers—warm, muscular, and overwhelmingly male.
His face was millimetres from hers, and he spoke between gritted teeth. “Get in the car.”
She shook her head emphatically. “I’ve helped you with Adrian, now let me go.”
“No.” He had locked her in place, his hands either side of her on the car roof.
The man was a brute. She tried to wriggle free, unsuccessfully. Trapped there, she glared up at him. “This is intimidation.”
“For Christ’s sake!” There was outrage in his eyes, and as he grew frustrated with her his Welsh accent became even more apparent. “I’m not trying to intimidate you, I’m shielding you.”
When she could finally drag her gaze away from his, she darted a glance around the busy street. She saw the lights flashing on the nearby pedestrian crossing, the people racing by on the pavement, people who didn’t stop but were glancing their way, rubber-necking the scene. Was he out there, the man who had tried to shoot Adrian?
The other bloke, the driver, was flanking the far side of the vehicle, covering the door as if he expected someone to come after Adrian from that side. This couldn’t be happening.
“But this has nothing to do with me,” she repeated, her belief in that fact fast faltering. ”I can’t just leave. I have things to do.”
“You’re not safe here.” The policeman grasped her chin with one hand, forcing her attention his way. He continued to talk in a low voice and it was heavy with warning. “Adrian is a witness in a gangland drugs running case. There’s a hired killer with a gun out there, and it’s my job is to protect him. Unfortunately the bloke clocked you in the corridor. I can’t afford to leave you here because you’re in danger as well.”
He paused.
Lily swallowed. The nature of her involvement was fast becoming clear. That man, the one with the hard look, he was a killer. She really had walked into a crime scene. It made her want to get away from there as quickly as possible.
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” the policeman said, almost to himself, as he watched her reaction to his comments.
That riled her. She didn’t want to conform to his orders. Besides, going with them would surely deepen her involvement. She tossed her hair back, glaring at him, unwilling to accept his authority over her. The action only seemed to heighten the full body contact between them. His body was all muscle, power and hard planes. A breathless exclamation escaped her in response to the sheer physical pressure he exerted over her.
For a moment, the world around them sped away. His eyelids lowered as her lips parted, his attention on her mouth. His was tight with tension, hard and unforgiving and incredibly sexy. Minutes before, she had kissed that mouth. Now, danger was all around.
“Okay,” she whispered, her voice choked.
He drew back from her, minimally, looked her over as if she were a nuisance, and then pushed her inside the car.
Her head was spinning, but when she got into the back seat instinct took over. Adrian was wedged awkwardly, and she slid in next to him and encouraged him to spread out and rest. Inside five seconds the policeman was in the driver’s seat, door slammed behind him, foot to the floor. The vehicle screeched away from the pavement, and Lily reached for her seatbelt, wishing that her hands would stop shaking as she pushed it into place.
Adrian slumped against her, and she eased him into a more comfortable position so that his injured leg was up, the other foot wedged out of the way in the foot well. There didn’t seem to be any alternative other than to have his head in her lap, but at least that meant she could keep a close eye on him.
“Just rest.” She smoothed his hair back from his forehead, checking his pupils when the streetlights fell over him. He looked sharp and focused, but she had to be sure. She took off his loosened tie, folding it away.
“I’ll need to check you every so often,” she added. “I’ll watch over you.” Knowledge from her rather unsuccessful nursing career had kicked in, surprising her. Pleasing her, too. She didn’t often get a chance to use it now.
“You’re Lily, aren’t you?”
She nodded. In the gloom, she could see that he was looking up at her, curiosity and acknowledgement in his eyes. Their intimate online connection set off a tide of mixed emotions, and she had to bite her lip to level herself. She was already upset and aggrieved about the situation she’d found herself in here. The reminder of why she was here in the first place only served to add to the confusion. When the street light reached him again, she saw that there was intimacy in his gaze.
“All this time I wondered what your voice would sound like.” He gave a husky laugh and Lily’s attention caught.
“Softer than I imagined,” he added, very quietly, as if her ears alone. There was a seductive edge to that comment. It made her think of sex and of all the fantasies they had shared, her body heating instantly. “And so are you… You’re beautiful, Lily. I’m so sorry you got dragged into this.”
The car sped through the city, and the lights moved in strange patterns over the back seat, making the conversation seem even more surreal. “It’s not your fault,” she whispered, wanting to reassure him, this man who had given her so much pleasure over these last few weeks.
“Oh yes it is.” He sighed heavily.
The scent of his cologne made her think of woodland space, not cars and the city and guns. Had he worn that cologne for their date, or did he wear it every day? She liked it, either way. In the passing lights she could see he grimaced in pain, his hand reaching for the knee that was up on the seat. She’d be a whole lot happier if he was checked out at a hospital. “Hey, try not to move around.”
He nodded.
She put her hand to his forehead again, gently pushing back his hair so that she could check his head wound. One corner of his mouth lifted as he looked up at her. Her skin prickled with awareness as she thought about the things they had confessed to each other, and what she had hoped for from this date, her chest growing tight with emotion. His hand closed over hers where it rested on his head, and he squeezed her gently. “It’ll be okay, Lily, don’t worry. Seth will make sure you’re safe.”
Seth. The policeman’s name was Seth.
She nodded. When he closed his eyes, she turned away and looked out at the passing London streets. Where was the police officer taking them? What the hell had she walked into back there? She still didn’t quite understand. It had all happened so fast. Then the questions melted away as she remembered the feeling she’d had when the driver, Seth, had answered the door. How it had felt when she had reached out and kissed him, thinking that he was all her dreams come true.
When she glanced in his direction, he was looking her way in the rear view mirror. Was he listening to what was said? Curiosity was there in his expression. She wasn’t surprised. It wouldn’t take a genius to work out that she was supposed to be meeting with Adrian. Instead, she’d thrown herself at him. The way she had come onto him in the corridor hung between them like static in the atmosphere—an unanswered question, a broken encounter. She looked away, and then back, studying him as he watched the road.
The oncoming lights highlighted his strong bone structure. Her hand itched to touch him again, her thoughts instantly running through what had happened between them in the corridor outside Adrian’s office. He had short black hair, rugged features, and his dark brow shadowed intense blue eyes. Did he have to be so gorgeous? She’d been so re
ady to meet Adrian, and Adrian was attractive, too. Why was her life suddenly so complicated? She watched him until she saw his eyes flicker and once again he caught her attention in the rear view mirror. The tension heightened. Apparently he had eyes in the back of his head, because he seemed to know every time she looked his way.
Meanwhile, the man in her lap nestled down, an approving sigh escaping him as he settled in against her for the journey. She looked down at him, matching his warm smile with those words that echoed around her mind. This man knew so much about her.
With one hand, he stroked her arm, affectionately. His actions told her exactly how intimate her online relationship with him had been and she pressed her lips together, trying to steady her confused emotions after all that had happened.
Just then she caught sight of a road sign. They were headed west. Where? He’d mentioned a safe house. Wherever the hell they were going, it looked as if she was stuck with the pair of them—one bloke who she’d revealed all her intimate sexual fantasies to online, and another who she’d come on to before she even knew who he was.
Great, just great.
Her cheeks heated and she turned away, focusing on the flickering lights outside the window as the car sped on, headed out of the city.
Chapter Four
When Seth saw the big old house up ahead on the hillside, he slowed the car to a crawl, flicking his headlights down from full beam to sidelights. He didn’t want to attract the attention of the neighbours. The nearest house was a good half a mile away, but on a clear night the lights could be spotted across the valley floor.
The lane that led up to the place where he had grown up was bumpy and Adrian woke up as they approached. “Where are we?” he asked as he sat up. “This doesn’t look like ‘an average Midlands housing estate’ to me.”
Seth noticed there was no lack of sharpness to Adrian’s thinking. He’d remembered where they were supposed to be going. It was a safe bet that possible head injury could be ruled out.
“Wales,” the woman responded, with a terse edge to her voice, “North Wales.”
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