by J M LOWE
He needed her to know, she wasn’t a mess, she was perfect, with her just fucked hair and clammy skin, he had never seen a more beautiful image in his life.
“Come on, let’s get cleaned up then we can eat and sort out what we have to do…I have a couple of people I can call who would be able to help you with the clothes and our situation”
“You have people you can call?” she looked at him confused, of course he did, hell, the man had a fucking plane on standby, had a safe house that looked like something from Architect Monthly, Sarah was beginning to realize there was more to Hunters Inc: and Connor Parry than what she first thought, much more…
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Han… I need your help, but you have to swear to keep your mouth shut, can’t tell the others…” he knew Hannah, the girlfriend of his teammate Jacks would be able to help Sarah, along with her best friend and Hunters Inc: super girl Em, they were the only two girls he knew well enough to trust.
“You messed up already, this is quick, even for you, what did you do?”
“Nothing, ok, well… not exactly nothing… shit…” he blew his breath out hard, fuck, this was gonna be harder than he thought, as soon as he told her what he needed, it would be out in the open.
So far whether the others had their suspicions or not, it had been just the two of them that had knowledge of what had developed.
By asking for Hannah’s help, he was letting someone else in, hell, he would be letting them all in, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that.
“Just spit it out man, good god, what is it with you lot, you go running around the world, all badass and beefy, yet you can’t string a sentence together when it comes to a girl…” had there ever been a more accurate description? Probably not.
“Yeah, alright… look, can you help me or not?” he ran his hand down his face and he took a deep breath “She needs some clothes, your size, and… the morning after pill” just casually dropping it in hadn’t been so bad.
“You boys sure don’t waste much time I’ll give you that, shall I bring you a girl bag for your balls?” fuck, was he that obvious?
“Can you help or not? This isn’t exactly something I can take to Jenson, is it?” he knew she could help him, knew she would, and he knew that all joking aside, he knew he could trust her.
Hannah would do anything for the boys at Hunters Inc: they had saved her life after all, and that was even before they had formed the security company for which they all now worked.
“As it happens, yes, I can, will bring them over, Em wants to talk to Sarah anyway, so will being them when she comes over, Harry and Jacks will be tagging along, so you had better have stocked up on beer and Pizza, or do I need to bring that too?” Hannah really did know him too well.
“Yeah, groceries would be good, I can’t exactly go out to the store, and I didn’t exactly plan for this turn of events. What time can you get here?” for Sarah’s sake, the sooner the better, although, he really did want to keep her for himself just a little while longer, selfish, yeah, did he care? No.
“Ok, got it, I suggest you give her the heads up that we are coming, wouldn’t want the poor girl scarring half to death”
Connor ended the call as he approached the bedroom door.
Sarah stood under the hot shower, closed her eyes and dropped her head, allowing water to wash over her. It felt good, but it also gave her time to think and that wasn’t so good, her brain working overtime, every horror story she had ever seen from a movie or the TV about what happened to women in prison suddenly running through her head.
She needed someone to sit her down, explain how the hell she had managed to find herself in such a fucking shit storm in such a short space of time.
And now she had completely lost control and had screwed the guy unprotected, who she had only known a few days, Christ, what was happening to her, how could, she have let all this happen?
She allowed the water to reach a temperature she could just about tolerate before it turned from heat to burn. The needles hitting her skin as she lathered the soap onto the webbed body sponge.
Why a safe house only stocked men’s shower products, she didn’t know, perhaps women didn’t find themselves in these kinds of situations very often? It would have to do, she soaped her body, the now familiar masculine scent filling her senses, numbing out the confusion that was racing through her confused mind, it reminded her of him, of Connor. Why?
Sarah put the question to the back of her mind, allowing the few minutes of quiet to wash over her along with the hot water.
This was some house to be holed up in, that was for sure. Everything about the place screamed man, from the stark black furniture in the lounge area that she had become intimately familiar with, to the glass side tables that housed matching lamps in brushed chrome with black shades, a thick pile rug and covered large cold white floor tiles that she had only taken notice of when she had climbed off his lap and almost had a total breakdown in front of him… in front of Connor, the man she was having trouble breathing around, having trouble functioning around, the man she couldn’t deny she had feelings for, the man she had fallen completely earth shatteringly in love with.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of holding back, Sarah let the tears fall.
Tears of fear, of frustration, of anger, but most of all, of loss, loss of a man she had only just met, whom she had no claim over, who wasn’t even hers to lose. But a man she knew it would kill her to walk away from, or would that be dragged kicking and screaming away from, because that was the only way anyone would ever be able to move her from his side, she just hoped he wouldn’t run when she told him how she felt.
And she would tell him, what did she have to lose?
She turned off the shower and stepped into the stupidly large bathroom with his and hers sinks, toilet and bidet and black and white towels all neatly folded into an integrated unit, did Sarah start to think that there was more to this house than she had first noticed.
The white toweling robe that hung on the door was a man’s, XXL, and again, why did it smell of him?
Sarah wrapped the thick fabric around herself, smiling at how it almost dragged on the floor as she walked out of the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a soft towel.
The bedroom was dressed in similar taste to the living area.
A large black wooden framed bed dominated the room, matching bedside tables either side, a large singular pane of glass all but covered one wall, the view was one of the sweeping gravel drive on which they had made their covert entrance earlier, this room, this whole house screamed masculine.
Sarah ran her fingers over the large set of draws that matched the bed and side cabinets, her stomach churning as she nervously pulled one open.
Why the nerves? This was just a safe house after all.
But she knew better, she knew this was no safe house, and taking a pair of light grey sweats from their neat pile all but confirmed what she already knew.
This was where he lived, Connor. This wasn’t a safe house at all, this was his house, his home, his bedroom. And he had brought her here. But why?
The quiet tap on the door brought her back, why would he knock, this was his home after all, even if he didn’t know she knew, and he had seen her naked, more than once, hell he’d had his face buried between her legs so the point of polite knocking had surely passed?
“It’s open”
The door eased open and a smiling face framed in long, dark, soft bouncing curls appeared, not what or who she had been expecting.
Who was she?
“Is it safe?” the bodiless head looked around as if waiting to dodge anything that might have been thrown in her direction.
It made Sarah laugh. God, that felt good.
“Yeah, unless you’re from Interpol, the FBI, CIA, NSA or any other three letter agencies our government uses.” She sat on the bed, her feet dangling, not quite touching the floor.
The head now complete with body pushed op
en the door stepped inside, and closed it behind her.
“I’m Hannah, Connor called and said you might need a few things. I figured you were a similar size to me, us short girls need to stick together, anyway, I brought you a few clothes, nothing fancy, classic black leggings and one of my favorite what I call ‘slob’ sweaters” Sarah watched as the friendly stranger flung her bag onto the bed and started pulling things out one at a time.
“Erm… thank you?”
“Don’t thank me yet, we haven’t go to the good stuff. Here” Hannah handed Sarah a small white box, and her hand started to shake. “Hey, don’t sweat it, take with water, you just need the one ok”
Sarah took the box. The plain packaging hiding what was inside, at least she didn’t have to see the words ‘morning after pill’, the idea that Hannah knew she had had sex with Connor made her feel cheap, even though they were both consenting adults, what would people think of her when they knew she had slept with his just a day or so after meeting him. Who the shit did that?
“Thank you, Hannah. For this” she twirled the box in her hands “And for the clothes. Connor said he had someone who could help me” Hannah had sat herself next to Sarah on the bed, her own feet coming up short, this made Sarah laugh when she hadn’t intended to.
The unexpected shoulder barge she received surprised her.
“Hey… I get enough crap off that lot out there about how short I am, I need an ally. Was kind of hoping you would be applying for the job, those boys outnumber us girls three to one, so Em and I need a new member to help even the playing field. I’ve brought you a few more things, wasn’t sure what your tastes where, but I think I did ok.” Sarah liked Hannah instantly.
She watched as her new curly haired friend bounced off the bed and made her way back towards the bedroom door.
“You know, this whole thing isn’t that different to me and Jacks. He worked his magic on me, he had me a hot mess from the second I saw him, but that’s a story for a girl’s night. Will be in the kitchen, the boys are trying to out man each other in the beer department and Em’s packing groceries away, which she hates and will kill me for because it was meant to be my job. Anyway, I’m waffling.” Hannah put up her hand before leaving Sarah alone in the room. Wow, talk about whirlwind.
It seemed everything around Connor and Hunters Inc: really did move at a pace of a thousand miles an hour, she wasn’t sure how the hell she was ever gonna keep up.
The kitchen was alive with bodies, three men and two women.
The men Connor, Harry and another six-footer she had been introduced to was called Jacks.
He was Hannah’s ‘better half’, Harry’s best friend and also the son of Ray, the guy she remembered she had met on the plane.
The three of them stood together practically filled the room, it made her stomach drop just witnessing them stood all beefed up and downing beers like they were going out of fashion.
Hannah was opening Pizza boxes while trying to work the oven and another woman, was busy packing food into an otherwise bare fridge.
It was clear the people in the room were close.
Sarah felt like she was an outsider peering into a world that very few people had the chance to witness.
Connor had been watching her from the second she had walked in the room, she liked that, liked that he was watching her, that he didn’t care that his friends and team mates knew he was watching her, it didn’t bother him, so why should it bother her?
“Hey, how you holding up?” Harry handed her a cold beer and she didn’t think twice about taking it from him and enjoying two or three long pulls.
The cold liquid felt good.
How long had it been since she had allowed herself such a luxury? Too long.
Not that she needed to worry about competition fitness now, that ship had sailed.
“Oh, you know, I’m a wanted terrorist, holed up in some unknown location at a safe house that is screaming ‘Connor lives here’, but other than that, I’m good. How’s you?” Harry laughed at her blasé attitude, which helped her relax a little as she took another pull of her beer.
It was going down well, maybe a little too well.
“Try not to worry, I know, I know, easier said than done, but trust me, we won’t let anything happen to you. This whole thing screams set up and Baby girl here is working her genius brain off trying to crack shit, or hack shit, or whatever it is she does.” Harry didn’t correct her when she had said she knew Connor lived in the ‘safe house’, that was all the confirmation that she needed.
Sarah looked in the direction of the other woman, who had turned and looked up when the words ‘baby girl’ came tripping from Harry lips.
So, that was Em, aka ‘Super girl’.
“Excuse me a sec would you?”
Sarah wasted no time in crossing the room and pulling the woman she hadn’t yet been introduced to, straight into a bear hug.
“Thank you, you’re the one who brought me home” unspent tears formed in her eyes, and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to hold them back this time.
“Team effort, but you’re very welcome. How ya feeling?” Em had reciprocated the hug and was now holding Sarah at arm’s length, much like a mum would when inspecting for cuts and bruises.
“Honestly? I’m a mess. My head is everywhere and nowhere, all at the same time. I feel like I’m just being dragged along for the ride, no control over anything, and a whole bunch of people I don’t know are playing Russian Roulette with my life.” Another drink, this one taking her to the bottom of the bottle.
“Amen sister” Hannah had joined them; the pizzas having been deposited safely into the oven.
“Rewind a couple of months and you would have been me, or I would have been you, whatever, but you get my point. I was in the same boat and people I had never met stepped up and saved me, and for that I will be forever grateful, but try not to sweat it, they know what they are doing, and they love it, trust me, besides, I landed myself my very own fuck machine, so all’s well as they say” Hannah handed her another beer, which she accepted with gratitude.
“Your very own what?” had she actually heard right?
“Jacks over there, let’s just say the man has talents and they aren’t just reserved for when he gets his hands on his sniper rifle, if you know what I’m sayin…” Hannah gave her a cheeky wink.
“Oh, for god’s sake… those two have been like two horny teenagers for months now, we were kind of hoping it would have started to fade by now, but if anything, they get worse… it’s actually quite nauseating” Sarah couldn’t help but laugh as Emma rolled her eyes.
“Yeah well, you’re just bitter because you still have to get off using your vibrator. Seriously, why don’t you just jump Harry and put us all out of our misery, it's gonna happen, no point fighting the inevitable…” Sarah watched as Emma turned a seriously dark shade of crimson, then flipped Hannah the bird.
Didn’t know what it was, but there was something about the two women who she now stood with, that made her feel…accepted.
Sarah didn’t do friends, never really had the time with the hours she put in at the rink.
This whole chatting with girls having a beer was a new experience to her, but one she was enjoying way more than she should for someone who was on the run.
“I do, I actually do trust him, them, you…I don’t really have much choice, but something tells me I can trust you all” she turned as she spoke, her eyes connecting with Connor’s, his face, his smile, the small nod bringing her instant reassurance.
It was blowing her mind how he could send shivers through her body, just by being in the same room, hell the man was at least ten feet away but he was having way too much of an effect on her. Talk about resorting back to being a teenage girl drooling over the high school quarterback.
“Doesn’t feel quite right being holed up in place like this, does it? Not exactly like the safe houses you see in the movies. But believe me when I tell you, you’re as saf
e here as anywhere. For now, at least, so it’s ok to relax” Em sounded like she was talking from experience, but Sarah didn’t think she was in a position to ask, maybe one day.
Why was it, that even in just leggings and an oversized sweater, Sarah could make his dick spring to life and his balls tighten like he hadn’t been near a woman in years?
He had sensed she was there, even before she had walked into the room, and when she had turned the corner, he had been lost for words, struck dumb by her, man she held some power over him and she didn’t even know it, he was only just figuring it out for himself.
He had watched her as she slipped into conversation with the girls like they had known each other a life time. But he wouldn’t have expected anything less, Hannah and Em where a tag team like no other and they had pulled Sarah into their fold seamlessly, well shit, if that hadn’t made him smile. Fucking loved those girls.
“Con, Doc, love bunny…” he was staring…
“Hmmm, what?”
“Jesus man, Jenson is good loose his shit over this” Connor felt a hard elbow jab him in the side and it brought him back into the room.
Shit he had been gone just looking at her, man he needed to get his head back in the game and fast.
“Fuck off…” the ice, cold liquid coated his throat as he necked his beer in record time.
He needed the brain freeze to distract him.
He knew they knew, it hadn’t taken a genius to work out what had happened to him, to them.
Yeah, Jenson would shout, hell, he might even throw a few things, but fuck it.
She was worth it.
She was everything.
The sound of a continuous pinging interrupting his thoughts. What the shit was that noise? It wasn’t the perimeter alarms that surrounded the property that was for sure, so what the hell was it.
Em gave him another sharp elbow in the ribs to move him out of the way as she pulled out a laptop bag from underneath the kitchen island.