by KD Jones
*****
An hour later, Daniela coughed as she finished getting the dusty sheets off the bed. It was basically a mattress on the floor but it would be better than sleeping on the hard floor again. The guys had been having deep discussions for all that time in the front room while she was cleaning up the bedrooms. It was clear they couldn’t risk going to a shuttle station right now because the shooter was still out there. The supplies Isaac brought back with him indicated they were staying at least overnight. She was determined to not sleep on the dirty floor again. She was done with the clean sheets and walked back into the front room where the men had stopped talking and were sitting around glaring at each other. She sighed. This was going to be a long damn night.
She headed to the kitchen to see what Isaac brought as food. The bags were still unpacked. From two of the bags she pulled out bread, some canned tomatoes, canned soup, sandwich meat, a box of mac and cheese, milk, bacon, bottled water, Bisquick, salt and pepper, a bag of apples, ground coffee, sugar, and cinnamon spice tea bags. What the hell was all of this supposed to make? From the other bag she removed a can opener, small two-cup coffee brewer, two pots, a frying pan, a spatula, paper plates, paper cups, and plastic utensils.
Daniela ran her hand through her thick hair. She reached in her pocket to pull out a hair tie to pull it back up in a ponytail. She glanced back at the three men in the other room as they began to argue over what plan they should implement. She was getting really hungry. Since the men weren’t going to feed her she would have to fend for herself.
*****
Something smelled really good. Jagger was too distracted by the scents coming from the kitchen that he hadn’t heard a word that Vic was saying. He stood and started walking toward the direction the delicious aroma was coming from. He stopped at the beat up table with the rackety chairs. Someone had wiped it down and placed paper plates and plastic silverware on it.
“Are you guys done? Dinner is ready.” Daniela walked over to the table with a pot in her hand. She scooped out macaroni pasta that had been cooked in some kind of sauce.
“What is that?” Victor asked as he and Isaac stepped up to the table.
“It’s a rough version of Buttery Tomato Pasta with Bacon Pieces. I didn’t have everything I needed so I had to do some substitution.
“I don’t remember getting butter,” Isaac said as he sat down and reached for a plate eagerly.
“You didn’t. I cooked the bacon to get some of the bacon grease and used that instead. Just a little. Hope it’s not greasy. These canned tomatoes are not the kind I would normally use. I prefer fresh ingredients but I worked with what I had.” She scooped enough on the plates on the table and waited.
Vic and Jagger sat down at the same time. They took their plastic spoon and dipped it into the mixture on the plate. The flavors surrounded Jagger’s mouth and he couldn’t stop himself from moaning. Oh God, it was good. He looked over and saw the other two men were shoveling the food into their mouths and the only sounds coming from them were grunts of pleasure.
“Um…do you guys like it?” Daniela stood there watching them with a half fearful and half humorous expression.
“It’s delicious. I need the recipe. I don’t know how you made this out of the stuff I brought," Isaac told her.
“It was a stretch I will tell you that. But basically I used the macaroni pasta, canned tomatoes, bacon, just a touch of the soup that had basil and garlic in it, salt, pepper, and a little sugar. Not too complicated.” She scooped more on all their plates because they had finished already. She picked up three plates of food. “I thought I would take the others some food.”
“I’ll help you,” Isaac offered. He had already finished his second plate while she was talking. “Maybe we can discuss more recipes.” He took two of the plates out of her hand.
She smiled at him. Finally she had something she could offer. It made her feel important. Not as much as an unwelcome burden. “Okay.” She looked at Jagger and saw him looking at her with displeasure. What did she have to do to please him? It seemed to be an impossible task.
Chapter Ten
“Okay, I was wrong,” Vic told him while eating more pasta.
“Wrong about what exactly?” Jagger asked, taking a swig of water.
“The girl, Daniela, she is innocent.”
“I told you,” Jagger said smugly.
“You did tell me. I freely admit I was an ass. You’re a lucky man.”
“Lucky?”
“She likes you,” Vic said with a touch of envy in his voice.
“Really? How can you tell? She’s barely spoke two words to me since you guys arrived.” Jagger felt frustrated that he was unsure of himself. Women found him attractive and he always made an effort to please his sexual partners. But with Daniela, he seemed off his game.
“She cooked for you, cuz,” Vic told him as he scooped more pasta on his plate.
Jagger snorted. “She cooked for all of us. She was probably hungry herself.”
“She could have fixed something just for herself but she didn’t. Plus, she hasn’t sat down to eat yet.” Vic pointed out.
“Shit!” He was clueless. She must be starving but she insisted on feeding everyone else. That told him everything he needed to know about her right there.
“She’ll be back in a little bit. You can take care of her then. We need to settle on a plan. I still think we should leave as soon as possible.”
“I won’t risk exposing her to the shooter again. We were sitting ducks at the shuttle station,” Jagger said vehemently.
“Okay, okay. I agree. We need to take the shooter out first. But we’ll need Daniela’s cooperation.” Vic rubbed his chin.
“What do you have in mind?”
*****
“You have won them over. I thought Abe was going to kiss you for the food you gave him.” Isaac chuckled.
“All the years I’ve worked as a chef, it’s the first time anyone has hugged me after I cooked them a meal.” She smiled shaking her head. The huge guy with the accent had shocked the hell out of her when he took her into his arms.
“Yeah. We might not want to tell Jagger about that. He doesn’t like the idea of sharing you.”
She stopped to stare at Isaac. Her cheeks turned bright red. “Why would you think that?”
“Come on. He was furious when I took your hand to comfort you. I thought I was going to lose an arm.”
Was it true? Had he been jealous? She thought about his behavior and it fit. He definitely acted more harsh when other men paid attention to her. It was just so new to her, none of her other boyfriends had ever been jealous or possessive. Especially not Lial.
“I also have a little more insight than most,” Isaac admitted.
It took her a second to realize what he was talking about. “Oh, you’re empathic abilities.”
“Yes. I feel guilty for using it when others are unaware but I have to admit I was curious. I would lightly touch Jagger’s shoulder at times, especially when you were near, and felt what he was feeling.”
She shouldn’t ask. She knew she shouldn’t. But how was she supposed to ignore this insight being offered. “What was he feeling?”
“When you were near him, he was very aroused. When I or Vic was near you, he was agitated, angry, almost possessive. He is also torn.”
“Torn about what?”
Isaac continued, “Whenever he felt things about you he also felt guilty. I don’t know why. You would have to ask him about that. It was the conflicting emotions I felt from him that was confusing. It makes sense though if you think about it. He definitely cares about you but this situation isn’t exactly ideal for him to act on it.”
She nodded sadly. “Yeah, it’s the worst timing ever to be attracted to someone.”
“Maybe…maybe not,” Isaac said. When he saw her confused expression he explained. “Think about it. If your ex hadn’t done what he did, forcing you to go on the run, you would never have met Jagger.�
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Daniela thought about what he was saying. It was true. If Lial hadn’t done what he had done, she would be back home possibly planning a wedding. She would never have had the opportunity to meet Jagger. That would have been a travesty.
“Don’t think too long or hard on it. Just let things happen and trust that it will all work out. Life is too short to not act on a connection you feel with another person. You may only get one chance at love.” Isaac reached out and gently cupped her face. Daniela immediately felt relaxed. He had a sad far off look on his face.
“Thanks, Isaac.” She was again struck with just how adorable Isaac was. But he was no Jagger.
“Sure. But if things don’t work out with Jagger, I’m available for home cooked meals.”
She laughed as they continued their way up the stairs. “I’ll keep you in mind.”
*****
As soon as they walked back into the run down suite, Daniela knew something was up. Both Jagger and Victor were tense. Jagger also frowned when he saw that Isaac had a hand on Daniela’s mid back.
“So, what’s the plan?” she asked, letting Isaac take the dirty plates from her.
Jagger walked to her and ushered her into a seat. He then went about scooping food onto a plate for her. “Eat first.”
Daniela was a little shocked and also completely warmed that he thought to make sure she had something to eat. She gave him a smile and began to eat her food. Jagger sat down across from her to watch her eat.
“You talk and I’ll eat,” she told him.
“Obviously we can’t leave the planet until the shooter has been taken care of. His name is Crawley Prescott. He was dishonorably discharged from military service. He has a rap sheet a mile long for gambling, assault with a deadly weapon, and rape,” he told her.
“So how do we get Crawley out of the way?” she asked, sensing there was something he didn’t want to tell her. He looked away from her. Victor walked over and sat down next to her.
“We need you to contact your boyfriend.”
“EX-boyfriend,” both Daniela and Jagger said at the same time. They glanced at each other and smiled.
“Right, ex-boyfriend. We need you to contact him. Tell him someone is trying to kill you and you need his help. We’ll have you give him the address of the abandoned building across the street where we’ll set a trap for Prescott.”
She thought about their plan and frowned. It left some holes. “I am sure the shooter, pretty sure it's Crawley, told him about Jagger. He’s going to want to know about the bounty hunter that was taking me in.”
Vic looked up at Jagger. “She’s right.”
“Crawley had to know he got a hit on me at the station. Tell him that I died and that you went into hiding,” Jagger explained.
Daniela nodded her head. “Why did I wait so long to call him?”
Isaac joined in. “Tell him that your cell phone fell out at the shuttle station and that you had to get a new replacement cell phone.”
“Crawley didn’t seem like a brave type. He’s probably going to come with backup,” Daniela pointed out.
Vic smiled at Jagger who smiled back. “We’re expecting that he will. We’ll be ready for them.”
*****
Elsa remained behind with Daniela while the others went to set traps at the abandoned building across the street. She was alone for fifteen minutes with the emotionless and nonverbal female bounty hunter before she gave up all attempts at conversation. She went to take a much-needed shower.
The lukewarm water was better than nothing. She used some of the liquid soap Isaac had brought. It had a clean scent but not real fragrant. She put on a pair of short shorts and a tank top with no bra. That was her usual sleepwear. She walked into the other room to find the blonde woman standing by the window.
“They’re not back yet?” Daniela asked.
The blonde finally spoke. “No.” She never looked at Daniela.
Well this was certainly a fun girl’s night in. She might as well go get the dessert she had prepped earlier in the oven. She set the temperature at 350 degrees and then walked back out of the kitchen to sit down on the wobbly sofa. Isaac had placed sheets over most of the furniture, which she was eternally grateful to him for.
“What’s that smell?” Elsa asked as she sniffed the air.
Daniela didn’t look over at the woman hiding a smile. She found something the woman was interested in. “Apple Cobbler.”
“How the hell did you get an apple cobbler?”
“I made it from scratch,” Daniela told her.
“How long does it take to cook?”
“Bake. It will be ready in twenty minutes. I had already prepared it earlier but I didn’t put it into the oven until now.”
Elsa licked her lips. It smelled delicious. If it was as good as the pasta thing she cooked them earlier then she was looking forward to it. She glanced over at the small full human. She was a pretty thing. She could see why Jagger was acting like such a fool around her. She hated to admit it, but Daniela Martin was proving to be different than she first thought. The woman didn’t complain or whine about her situation. She didn’t sit around doing nothing. She found a way to make herself useful.
“Thanks,” Elsa finally said. It almost hurt to get the one word out.
Daniela looked at her in surprise. “For what?”
“The dinner you fixed earlier. It was really…good.”
“You are more than welcome. Can I ask you a question?” Daniela turned to sit up on her knees on the sofa and look at Elsa.
Elsa sighed. She started this conversation by talking to the girl. “Sure.” She was expecting questions about Jagger or one of the other guys. That’s what all the female fugitives asked. They get all drooly over the men hunters.
“What’s it like to be a bounty hunter?”
Surprised, Elsa pulled on her long blonde ponytail before she spoke, “It’s dangerous…but thrilling at the same time. Sometimes the more dangerous things are, the more exciting.”
“Adrenaline rush?”
“A little, but it’s more than that. You have never hunted game or anything have you?” Elsa asked, coming over to sit in a chair across from Daniela.
Daniela shook her head. “No, I haven’t.”
Elsa tapped her chin with her fingers trying to find the right words to describe what it was like. “Imagine your head chef created a special dish and didn’t tell you what the ingredients were that he used. Then he said you had to recreate it exactly. How would you deal with that?”
“I would break down the basic ingredients. Then I'd use my taste buds to decipher what spices were used. I'd test out a few times until I find the exact combination,” Daniela told her.
“And when you do find the exact right combination, do you feel a sense of completion, fulfillment?”
Daniela nodded her head. “Yes.”
“For bounty hunting it is kind of similar. You have to break down the situation. Find the basics. The fugitive’s known whereabouts and friends, then where they might go from there and try a combination of locations and leads. Now add the danger and the adrenaline rush. That’s kind of what it’s like.”
“Are all bounty hunters so…hot?” She blushed big time.
Elsa laughed. “No, there are some who are butt ugly and mean as hell. But most do have serious demeanors because they are always in dangerous situations. Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” Daniela answered.
“What’s going on with you and Jagger?”
“Nothing.” When Elsa gave her a look that said she did not believe her. “Okay, there’s an attraction. But the timing is all wrong.”
“If you wait on the perfect timing for a relationship with a bounty hunter, you’ll be waiting a long time. Take your moment now while you can. Life is short and it's even shorter for bounty hunters. Don’t hesitate to make him yours if that is what you want.”
Daniela thought about what Elsa told her. She was lett
ing the whole timing thing get in her way. It was something she was going to have to work on and soon if she wanted something to happen with her and Jagger. If…she wanted to have something happen. But the biggest question was, what did Jagger want?
“Thanks for the advice, Elsa.”
“Don’t mention it. Literally don’t mention what I’ve said to anyone else. I have a reputation to keep.”
Daniela smiled. “Okay.”
Elsa looked toward the kitchen. “Is the cobbler ready yet?”
Daniela got up and motioned for the other woman to come with her. “Let’s check it.”
Chapter Eleven
It had been a couple of hours since they left Daniela and Elsa. They had been helping Isaac scope for the best locations to set up stunner traps. Stunner traps were new for them and very high tech. Jagger didn’t completely understand how it all worked. Isaac explained the laser beam grids they rigged up would section off certain areas. If the person they were trying to catch or snare in their trap goes inside the section, it would trigger the stunner part of the trap. The person caught inside wouldn't be able to leave the trap without serious injury. They would be forced to wait for one of them to come with a release code to get them out.
“Head back, Jagger,” Victor told him.
“What?” Jagger looked at him confused.
“We’ll be finishing up in a couple of hours and we’ll all need to get some sleep to be ready for tomorrow. You have a woman waiting for you and you will have a couple of hours alone together. Go.”
Jagger didn’t require more prompting. He dropped what he was holding and left the building he was in. He crossed the street and entered the other building. He rushed up the stairs taking them two at a time. He opened the door to the suite and froze. A stunner gun was aimed at his temple.
“Damn it, Jagger, I could have shot you!” Elsa was pissed as she pulled her gun off him. Her heart was racing even though her outward appearance showed no real emotion. She was great at hiding herself.