Little One

by Darcy Dawes

  “That guy,” he thrusts a thumb toward the rear window of the car, “was Karl Cheaney. He works for the Vincenzos. I thought I recognized him.”

  “He came to kill us?” The nausea is back in my stomach.

  “Weirdly enough, no. Well, sort of but no.”

  “Sort of?”

  “He was tipped off about where we were. He doesn’t know by who, but the informant suggested it would be an ideal time to show Danny who he was dealing with. Karl’s been in the business longer than I have and he knew it was suss.”

  “Suss?”

  “Suspicious. Why would someone call up randomly and offer us up on a plate? He reckoned someone was looking for a way to take him down while removing us from the picture too.”

  “It was a set up?”

  “Yes.” He shakes his head. “Someone is trying to take us all out at once.”

  A chill sweeps over me. I hardly know what to do. One minute I’m swept up in a bubble of lust, thinking about love and the future, and the next I’m just praying I live to see the next day.

  I will, though. Valentine will make sure of it.

  “Who could it be? More rivals?”

  “Potentially. Or someone new, trying to muscle in on the turf. All I know is they somehow tracked us, and that means a lot of power, and probably contacts in law enforcement.”

  “Oh God.”

  “We’ll ditch the car soon. We can catch a bus the rest of the way.” He reaches over and takes my hand. “I’ll keep you safe, Little One.”

  I squeeze his hand back. “I know.”

  He touches my still damp hair. “Hope you don’t catch a cold.”

  “It’s not too wet and the weather isn’t cold.” I lift the bag of food that got neglected. “You still hungry?”

  “That’s probably cold too now.”

  I shrug. “I don’t mind cold burgers.” I fish one out and hand it to him.

  He puts it on his lap and eats one-handed, his gaze focused on the road. “When this is over, I’m taking you out. No more burgers.”

  “We ate well at the safe house.” I can’t help but smile at memories of the house. It was only a day ago that we were there but it feels longer. Feels like things have changed between us. For the better.

  I pluck a fry out of the bag and shove it into my mouth. Despite what just happened, I’m famished. Probably from all the sex. I’ve heard it can make you hungry.

  He nods. “The place we’re going to should be well stocked. I can cook you something decent there. But, for now, this will have to do.” He nabs a fry from the bag.

  “And no one will know we’re there.”

  Valentine shakes his head. “Let’s just say this friend likes to live quietly. When he’s not working, he doesn’t want to be tracked.”

  I scowl. “Is he like a spy or something?”

  “Or something.”

  I tap his arm. “You don’t have to be secretive with me you know? I’m not the bad guy.”

  “Sorry, habit. I’m not used to sharing details with people.”

  “I hope you know you can share things with me.”

  He glances at me, a slight smile tilting his lips. “Yeah. I know.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Valentine

  We abandon the car and catch a bus just before midnight. It will take us most of the way there. I haven’t warned Gray we’ll have to walk the final few miles. We could probably catch a cab but I’m not willing to have anyone see our faces and our destination is off the beaten tracks—even more so than the safe house.

  Gray dozes off on my shoulder an hour into our journey. That age-old protective feeling burgeons in my chest. So damned primitive that I want to beat my chest and declare she’s mine. Anyone looks at her wrong and I want to tear their faces off. I guess I’ve felt like that about her for a while, but this is intense—so strong I should be scared.

  I can’t bring myself to be. Not when I’ve got her curled up into me, her breaths tickling my arm. I peer down at her and watch the perfection of her face while she sleeps. No one would have any idea she’d been riding my fingers and taking my cock not long ago.

  I nudge her awake when we near our destination. Morning sun flickers over the horizon and everyone on the bus looks as rested as I feel. But I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to. Not with Gray to protect.

  She stretches and blinks at the sunlight streaming in. How she can fall asleep so easily is beyond me but it tells me one thing…she trusts me to keep her safe. And I fucking will. I’d rather die than let anything happen to her but if I can help it, we’re going to do a whole lot of living together.

  “We there?”

  She pushes a hand through her mussed hair and I reach out and smooth it down. She blinks at me, all heavy-lidded. I can’t wait to get more of those looks from her. Except they won’t be from a long bus ride. Those long stretches and hooded eyes will be because I’ve kept her up all night screaming my name.

  “Nearly.” I grab our bags and step aside to let her out, my hand to her back as we exit the vehicle. We spill onto the sidewalk amongst the pile of other passengers. Cabs wait to collect people and there’s a handful of people on tiptoes, looking for loved ones. I scan the crowds and draw Gray away. There’s no sign of danger but I’m not willing to take any risks. We need to keep moving.

  “The house is about a three-mile hike from here.”

  “Hike?”

  “Most of it is off-road. We’re better off walking. I don’t want to be seen by anyone.” I glance at the diner nearby. “Do you want to stop for food or can you manage?”

  “I can manage. I know you’re anxious to get moving.”

  Apparently she can read me far too fucking easily. I guess that’s not a bad thing but it’s going to take some getting used to. To everyone in my life, I’m V. Some know a little of my past but not much. Just enough to know that I’m a bad guy so I fit perfectly into their world. Gray doesn’t know that, though. I’m not sure she needs to. Because I sure as hell don’t want to be V around her.

  “Good girl,” I tell her.

  We begin walking down the road away from town. About a mile in, we cut through some woods. I’ve never been here myself but I memorized the journey. Each tree and rock might as well be imprinted in my mind. Blake said if I ever needed a place to go, this was it. I knew one day this life would catch up with me so I made sure I had this as an exit plan. I just didn’t know I’d be bringing Gray along too.

  We emerge out of the woods and hike across barren hills. The scent of the ocean ripens the air and I know we’re close. “Another mile or so,” I tell her.

  Gray doesn’t complain, even when I can tell her sandals are beginning to rub. I cut across the hills and we head toward the coastline. The hills roll down until they meet the beach. Gray draws in a gasp and pauses to eye the empty hills and the never-ending ocean.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “We’ll have to walk a little further but we can follow the beach, and you can walk barefoot for a while.” I motion to a rock and urge her to sit down so I can ease her sandals off. Blisters mark her heels and her toes are red. I shake my head. “Sorry, Little One. I should have gotten you some better shoes.”

  “You couldn’t have predicted this.”

  “I’m always prepared. I don’t like that you got hurt because I wasn’t.”

  She smiles at me. “But now I get to walk barefoot on the beach.” Standing, she sprints down to the beach and races along until she hits the waves. I can hear her screech as she dips her toes in the cold water. A smile tugs at my lips.

  With the wind in her hair, the sun warming her skin, she looks perfect and free. This is how she should always be. Away from that dirty world of her brother’s. Away from my world. This is what I’m going to give her if I can. A life far away where she can spend her days on the beach and her nights in my arms.

  She waves a hand at me, beckoning for me to join her. I take a few steps onto the sand and pause to watc
h her. She motions again and I roll my eyes. Gray could ask me to do anything and I’d do it. Crawl across fucking hot coals, that sort of thing.

  She holds out her hands when I reach her. “It’s freezing.”

  “Then why are you in there?”

  “It’s a nice sort of freezing.”

  I lift a brow. “I didn’t know there was a nice sort of freezing.”

  “You know what I mean.” She reaches out to me. “Join me.”

  I shake my head. If anyone back home could see me, they’d think I’d lost it. I slip off my boots and stuff my socks into them. Gray grabs my hand before I’m even ready and drags me into the water. I suck in a breath as ice-cold water swallows my feet and they sink into the wet sand.

  “Now you look the paddling sort,” she declares, fling her arms around me.

  I can’t resist. I hold her tight and kiss her hard. She melts in my arms. I press the kiss deeper. If I let myself, I could forget our lives are in danger. We could just be any other couple, taking a break at the beach. It’s crazy how much I want that. How much I want a normal life with Gray. Not long ago, I didn’t think I’d ever have one of those but now it’s so damn close I can almost taste it.

  I hold her to me, pressing her head to my chest, and she remains there. I feel the contented slowing of her breaths and the way her fingers curl into my waist. She’s so fucking small and precious my heart feels close to exploding. We stay like this for a while, our feet in the freezing water, drawing in the fresh air and letting the sun touch our skin.

  Finally I ease her away and take her hand. “We had better get moving. I want to get you fed and rested.”

  “What about you? Aren’t you hungry?”

  I shrug. “I hadn’t thought about it.”

  Gray shakes her head and gives my arm a tap. “Too busy taking care of me to think about yourself.”

  “You forget my job is to take care of you.”

  “Is it just a job?”

  I give her a look. She must know it’s so much more than that. “If you were just a job, things would be much simpler.”

  “You regret that I’m not?”

  “Fuck no.” She laughs at my expletive. “How can I regret a single second with you? Little One, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Her smile widens. “You mean that?”

  “I’m not a liar.”

  “I know. That’s what I love about you. You’ve always been honest with me.”

  My heart gives a jolt at the word. Does she realize what she’s said? Does she understand the impact it has on me? In my wildest dreams I could never have believed I was worthy of her love. Somehow, when I’m with her, I feel I am, though.

  I struggle for a response. Part of me wants to drop to my knees and beg her to marry me. I want to spill out my heart in a way I never thought possible. How the fuck did I go from hardened criminal to love-sick fool?

  Her eyes sparkle in the sunlight and the wind catches her hair, blowing it from her face. I lead her along the beach and we follow the coastline. When I look at her, it’s easy to see why I’ve gotten this way. Gray is perfection. From her sweet temperament to her kind heart, to her delicious pussy and pert breasts. There’s nothing I would change, but she changes me—she makes me feel human again. That is why I’m a fucking love-sick fool.

  And I wouldn’t change a thing.

  I catch sight of the house high up on the hill after about an hour of walking. We stop to put our shoes back on and I make promises of tending to her feet once we’re there. After we’ve made our way up and I find the key where Blake had said it would be, I let myself relax a little. I have the right house, and we’ll be safe here. Nothing can touch us.

  My cock stirs a little at the idea. Nothing can touch us, nothing can disturb us. I have Gray all to myself… the things I’m going to do to her…

  I let us in and she does a tour of the house. With wide windows overlooking the beach and ocean, it feels fresh and airy. The house is designed to echo that feeling with white walls and minimal furniture. Ash blond wood and white plastic makes up most of the décor.

  “This is beautiful.” Gray stops to peer out the window. “There’s nothing for miles.”

  “That’s why we’ll be safe. No one can link this place to me and hardly anyone knows of its existence.”

  “You’ve got some good friends.”

  I shrug. “Us military sorts like to stick together.”

  She turns. “You never did say why you left.”

  “It was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter.”

  “It matters to me.”

  I walk over and press a kiss to her head. “Another time,” I promise, and I think I almost mean it. I’ve never spilled out my secrets to anyone. As far as I’m concerned, that past is the past, but if Gray really wants to know it all, maybe I will tell her. Just not yet. I don’t want to ruin this moment by telling her all the sordid details of my past.

  “Let’s find the shower and I’ll dig out some food. I know he’ll have a fully stocked freezer.”

  “No fresh food though, I’d imagine.”

  “We’ll make do. If I can help it, we won’t be leaving this place until this is all over. I’m willing to bet Blake has several months’ worth of supplies.”

  Gray tilts her head. “Are you going to join me in the shower?”

  I’m hard. Instantly. Images of water flowing over soft skin and me buried deep inside her burn through my skull. I grit my teeth and suck in a breath. There’ll be time for that, I reassure myself.

  “Go get clean and I’ll sort us out some food.”

  She gives a little pout.

  “You need to get your priorities straight, Little One. Food first. Then you can think about sex.” I shake my head. “Who knew you’d be such a horny little girl?”

  “I can’t help it. You make me this way.”

  “And I’m damn glad I do. I hate the thought of you being like this with anyone else.”

  She smiles. “Only for you, Valentine.”

  I tap her ass. “Now stop trying to seduce me and get yourself clean and comfortable.” I grab her bag and put it in her hands. “Tell me when you’re done and I’ll come tend to those feet.”

  Gray gives me a look. “I can see to my own feet.”

  “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Let me do it for you.”

  “You’re too good to me,” she says as she wanders off through the house to find the bathroom.

  I grin to myself. I’m glad she thinks that because once I’m done with her, she won’t know what’s hit her. Before long, I’m going to make sure she can’t live without me.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Gray

  I pad across the luxuriously carpeted floor and rub myself dry with a soft towel. Whoever Valentine’s friend is, he likes to indulge. The powerful shower was divine and a far cry from the one at the motel.

  I put my hair into a ponytail, dab on some of the cheap perfume I brought with me and change into a tee and shorts. My heels no longer hurt but my legs ache a little. When I step through the house and into the open-plan kitchen, I pause. Valentine has his back to me. There’s an assortment of food on the side and he looks like he’s preparing a feast rather than a quick lunch. I eye the outline of his strong shoulders pressing against a plain blue t-shirt and a sigh escapes me.

  He turns at the sound and glowers at me. “I told you to call me when you were done so I could see to your feet.”

  “They’re fine now.”

  He narrows his gaze at me and steps over. Hands to my waist, he lifts me up onto the counter. I squeak as he plants me on the marbled surface and grabs my foot.

  “I’m fine,” I protest.

  He inspects my heel and his fingers brush the arch of my foot. I giggle. He’s so serious and I can’t help but love it. No one else would care if I have a blister or two. For a strong, dangerous guy, he has to be to most caring man I’ve ever met.

  Moving
to my other foot, he checks it over and shakes his head. “I should have taken better care of you, Little One. You should have spoken up.”

  “What could you have done? We had to walk here. I wasn’t going to slow us down.”

  He shakes his head, the serious expression breaking into a reluctant smile. “You’re tougher than you look.” He presses his hands all the way up my calves, over my knees to my thighs. He lets his hands rest there, his fingers pressing into the inside of my thighs. I look down at the sight of his strong hands against my slender legs. My pussy twitches.

  His grin turns knowing. I dart my tongue along my lip. He shakes his head again. “Food first.”

  “What?” I ask.

  “I know what you’re thinking. Food first. I already neglected you. I’m not letting you go hungry too.”

  I fold my arms across my chest. “I only feel neglected in one way.” Why he’s so insistent that I need to eat, I don’t know. I only want one thing at the moment and it’s definitely not food.

  He taps the tip on my nose with a finger. “No more pouting. You don’t know what’s good for you, Little One.” He grabs me and lifts me down but not before pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Why don’t you open up the balcony doors? I spotted some chairs out there.” He nods in the direction of the wide windows that span the front of the house.

  “Fine, Mr. Dictator. Anything you say.” I hear him laugh as a stalk off to open the doors and drag the chairs into the sun. By the time I’m done, he’s brought over sandwiches for us and placed them on the table. “I didn’t think there’d be any fresh food,” I murmur as I grab a crusty roll.

  “There were some in the freezer. Just had to toast them and defrost the rest. No salad or anything though.”

  “Good. I hate salad.”

  He grins. “I won’t promise not to make you eat all your vegetables. You need your strength.”

  “Oh, and why would that be?”

  He gives me a look. “Just eat up, Gray.”

  I huff out a breath and do as I’m told. I actually find I’m pretty hungry and the freshly toasted roll is delicious. Once we’re done, Valentine brushes away my offer to clear up and takes the plates in. I stand and lean against the railing to stare out at the waves. With the ocean scent washing across me and the afternoon sun warming my skin, I feel more content than I have in a long time.