Keila frowned. Yeah, she was familiar with the term, but that didn’t help her understand what the hell he was talking about. What, she should just reach out and attack Zero? Besides him usually taking her by surprise, each time they’d met, Keila had been lucky to escape with her life. The early ones—the ones she’d encountered soon after fleeing her foster parents—had been easier. Soft, even. They’d try to ply her with attention, even gifts of food or a warm bed to sleep in. Keila had even fallen for it the first few times. Thank God she’d woken in the night that last time. She shuddered. That was when they’d sent Zero for her. No more playing games. Not after she’d disemboweled their latest foot soldier with a switchblade she’d kept in her pack. An old homeless man had once taken a liking to her and had given it to her, for safekeeping, he’d said. She’d thought him mad at the time, and he probably was, but she’d never been more grateful. It hadn’t all been a loss, though. At least those men had taught her how to use the affections of other slightly less slimy men to get what she needed.
That had all stopped once Zero was on her tail. He cared about nothing, for nothing, except the kill. And Jason was suggesting she go find him?
He was completely insane.
Her voice was cool. “I’ve heard the term.”
“You said you’ve been running for years. I suggest you flip the script. Meathead clearly works for someone, people who are doing their utmost to find you. But you don’t know who they are?”
How the hell had he figured that out? Jason was too damn observant. Keila felt her eyebrows pull together, and she rubbed at her forehead. She was going to end up with a headache if she didn’t calm down.
“Meathead must know who they are. So next time, find him, stalk him, not the other way around. Leave some breadcrumbs for him to come calling, and when he does, make sure you’re on his tail. That’s gotta be more productive than running all the time. It must get exhausting.”
What would it be like to not run? Keila toyed with the idea, held onto it for just a little while. Staying in the same town for more than a few nights at a time, hell, even putting down roots, getting to know someone, anyone. What would it be like to be able to stay somewhere, stay there? With Jason. No. It was impossible. Wasn’t it?
“There’s one problem with that idea. What if he figures it out and leads me straight into a trap?”
Jason grinned. “Then you’ll just have to make sure I’m there, tailing you.”
Keila’s mouth dropped open. Oh, he was good.
“I’ll admit, the idea has merit. But like I keep telling you, my life is hell, and before you interrupted mine yesterday, yours was pretty good. You should get back to it.”
Jason moved to sit behind her, picking up her hand and holding it between his. Warmth from his skin melted into hers, and Keila closed her eyes.
“You’re going to have to do better than try to appeal to my sense of survival. I’m not one to leave someone I care about to face the storm alone.”
Care about? No, he couldn’t. Unlike her, Jason had everything going for him. He didn’t need that, and he shouldn’t want it.
“But your job, you can’t just walk away from that.”
He shrugged. “I’m due a couple of weeks’ vacation. I think now is an excellent time to take it.”
Keila couldn’t talk. She’d be lying if she said having him by her side didn’t appeal, but the thought made her want to run away and hide at the same time. Jason stroked her hand between his again, and then pulled her back to lie across his chest.
Don’t do this. You know how it’ll end.
“Just think about it. I’ll keep you safe, and I won’t do you wrong. I give you my word.”
Still, she sat silently. Every brush of his fingers sent an electric jolt that ran through her veins like fire. He was so close she could feel light puffs of air on her cheek as he breathed. Everyone she’d cared about had ended up either betraying her, or dead. Isolating herself from everything—and everyone—had stopped that. Was she really ready to let someone else in and let it all happen again?
16
The rest of the day passed in relative quietness. Keila was determined not to give in to Jason’s request, but at the same time, she couldn’t find the strength to leave. After losing a debate over him taking leave from work—because short of kidnapping his phone, what could she do—she dozed on the couch. Her head rested on Jason’s lap, and his fingers ran lazily through her hair while he sat and watched the huge TV perched on his wall. For the second day in a long time, she felt herself drift off to sleep uninterrupted by the constant stress or nightmares that woke her regularly through the night.
Yeah, she could definitely get used to that.
If only the rest of the world would stay away.
When she awoke, she discovered Jason had ordered lunch in—Chinese. It was a luxury that Keila rarely indulged in, and she ate with gusto. She needed to regain her strength from Zero’s last attack, after all. By mid-afternoon, despite Jason’s efforts, Keila was twitchy. Her fingers tapped on whatever surface she could find, and soon her toes joined in. She’d been still for too long.
“I need to get back to my hotel.”
“Why? You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.”
Keila jumped up from the couch and busied her hands collecting and rinsing the plates left out from their dumpling lunch. Jason’s kitchen was like everything else in his apartment, clean and perfect, with state-of-the-art appliances and everything with its place. She frowned and scrubbed furiously at a stubborn sauce stain. Keila’s life wasn’t tidy; it was anything but. Her life involved hiding, fighting, hurting—hell, who was she kidding—one day killing those who would no doubt kill her first, given the chance. Jason may work as a first responder, but that didn’t mean he belonged on the front line of the clusterfuck that was her life. Firefighters may run into burning buildings, but there wasn’t usually someone trying to kill them lurking inside. She shuddered. Keila could still feel the pressure on her leg, the heat of the fire as it licked at the ceiling over her head. Zero had gotten so close that time, he’d touched her! She had no doubt that he’d try that particular scenario again.
“Keila?”
“I need to get some things. Besides, you can’t honestly expect me to just move in with you.”
Jason walked around the counter and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Say that again.”
She closed her eyes and her shoulders fell. She had to leave. She didn’t have the energy to fight with him anymore.
“I’m not moving in with you.” Her words were a whisper, fighting to leave her throat. She felt Jason pull her closer and tug her head down to rest on his shoulder.
“Okay, we can go and get your things if you want, but you’re not staying at a hotel when I have a perfectly good apartment sitting right here.”
He spun her around to face him and then pulled her closer, invading her personal space, breathing in the air she breathed out. His closeness made Keila’s head swim. What man stood firm against all her attempts to push him away, and then offered this—safety and protection—without demanding anything in return? Without demanding sex in return? Her hands pushed through her hair as she pulled away and paced the kitchen. She didn’t know how to deal with that, with him. No one had ever offered her safe harbor before and actually meant it.
“Why do you want me here? You barely know me and in the short space of time since we met, I’ve brought more possibility of death to your doorstep than anything else.”
Jason stepped forward, halting her frantic pacing. He smiled gently and his thumb brushed across the fading bruise on her cheek.
“You fascinate me, Keila. Like no other woman has before. I want to protect you, I need to. There’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight.”
“I’ve survived this long without your help.”
He chuckled and his dimples returned. Keila’s eyes narrowed. What was he up to?
“And you deserve a meda
l for that; hell, you deserve the world. But you don’t have to go it alone anymore. So let’s go get your stuff, or better yet, stay here and I’ll go get it for you.”
He so was not going back to her hotel without her. That was completely out of the question, but his words drew Keila’s attention to his lips. His lips that were only hours ago pressed against hers, kissing her while his hands ran over her body. His gaze caught hers and Keila could see the fire reflected in his eyes. He wanted to kiss her again, and if he tried, Keila wasn’t sure she’d stop him. It had nothing to do with self-control, or, hell, even desire. She wanted him, that wasn’t the problem. No, it had everything to do with the idea of being with someone that was freaking her the fuck out. What if she died, or worse, what if he did? Keila had responsibility for more than just her own life with every girl she saw in her head, but they already had targets on their backs. If Jason was killed on her watch, because of her, then that would be the end, not just of the relationship but of everything. Of that, Keila was sure.
She stood tall, letting his arms fall away, and then steeled her back and turned and walked again.
“Well, you’re sure as hell not going without me, so if you’re coming, try to keep up. Let’s go.”
Jason just laughed and grabbed their coats as he followed her out the door.
17
Keila could feel Jason’s eyes on her the entire way to the hotel. Each time she looked over, she’d catch him staring at her, and not just at her ass. His body brushed up against hers constantly, when he was holding a door open for her, pulling closer to her around a corner. He was in almost constant physical contact. Keila’s stomach fluttered. Yeah, Keila knew she was beautiful, and she used it to her advantage. But Jason’s attention wasn’t like that. It felt different, warmer. Most men looked like they were stripping her naked with their eyes. Jason? His eyes were different, different enough to make Keila shudder with both lust and fear at the same time. When Jason’s gaze locked with hers, Keila swore he was trying to see her soul.
“Hey, let’s sit for a minute, take a load off.” Their visit to the hotel had taken only minutes, long enough for Keila to shove her belongings into her go-bag. She had to be ready to run at any time, and carried only the essentials in a backpack. Anything else could be bought, traded, or stolen.
“What? No!”
Jason pulled her in the opposite direction from where they’d been heading.
“The more time we spend out in the open, the more time Zero has to find us.”
“And the more time you spend running in fear, the more life you’ll miss without enjoying a single moment of it.” He shouldered her backpack and took her hand. “I promise, it’ll be okay.”
Keila paused. God, she wanted it, she wanted whatever Jason had to offer. But her life had no time for that. Every time she took a moment that wasn’t part of her reality—finding others like her and finding out who the fuck was trying to kill them—she always ended up paying the price.
“I need to find Emily.”
“And you will, but you also need to eat. Let’s just stop, grab a drink, and then go back to taking life way too seriously.”
He smiled again, and Keila’s stomach rumbled.
Damn traitor.
“Okay, just ten minutes.” She owed him that much, in return for his help.
“Fine, or maybe an hour,” Jason grabbed her hand and twirled her as Keila laughed in surprise. He wrapped his arm around her and then pulled her close as they walked down the street, sticking to the shadows along the edges of buildings. Wherever possible, he walked them down streets less covered by CCTV cameras, even taking her down a couple of back alleyways. Was he even aware of what he was doing? When he doubled back on a side road, her heart warmed with his efforts to make her feel safe. Hey, some girls like roses; she liked a man who knew how to evade detection.
“You certainly know how to ditch a tail. Now who’s not telling the whole story?”
Jason dropped a kiss on her cheek. “I may have taken a weekend course or two with the boys. I’m not just an idiot who had the unfortunate luck of stumbling in on a maniac trying to kill you.”
“Unfortunate, huh?” she laughed, and Jason’s smile dropped.
“I heard you scream, Keila. I heard you and that was it. I had to rescue you.”
His eyes blazed as he leaned in toward her. Shit, he was going to kiss her again. Keila’s tongue darted out in anticipation. She closed her eyes, and Jason’s lips touched on hers, lightly at first, then firmly as he pressed his mouth to hers. Keila moaned, lost in the sensation, when suddenly she was pitching sideways.
What. The. Fuck?
This was it. She tensed herself for the blow, but nothing came. All she could hear was giggling.
Giggling?
“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry. I didn’t even see you here, there . . . crap.” A tall woman with dark hair stood next to Jason, swaying on her impossibly high heels. One of the heels gave way and she fell hard against him, almost knocking him to the ground, along with Keila. He reached out to steady her.
“Maybe you should take those shoes off, ma’am. Before you cause any more harm.” Jason reached down and pulled Keila upward, wrapping her arms around him. Shit, she could feel her heart beating against his chest and it was racing.
“You’re safe, Gorgeous.” The words were whispered in her ear. “No one’s here, I’ve got you.”
When Keila didn’t respond, he pulled her into the bar, ignoring the brunette still babbling behind them. Whatever she was saying was swallowed up by the music that enveloped them as Keila stepped through the inner doors and into the bar. Despite it being still early, both the bar and the dance floor were packed with people. Did anyone in Chicago actually work for a living? Several people waved to Jason and called out hello as they passed. It must have been somewhere he visited often. Keila’s chest heaved as she caught her breath. She may stand out on her own, but there in the busy bar surrounded by what seemed like half the city, she was almost invisible.
Safe.
“A shot for my lovely lady,” Jason drew her attention back to the present as he handed her a shot glass filled with colorful layers. A sign above the door declared the bar was open 24 hours a day and catered to the down and depressed, the procrastinators, and those just hoping to get lucky. Which one of those was she? She downed the shot and felt it immediately go to her head. Maybe that was Jason’s plan. Get her drunk, lower her resistance, and then drag her back to his place? As the warmth of the alcohol filled her stomach and bloomed in her senses, Keila wasn’t sure she’d object.
“That’ll be $7.50, Honey.” The bartender winked at Jason as he slid the cash over. “Haven’t seen you around lately, Jay, was thinking you’d lost your touch.”
He laughed. “Like that’d ever happen, Mari. It’s me you’re talking about, after all.”
Touch? What?
Mari laughed. “There’s my boy. After all, if you won’t go home with me, at least I can win the pot. I believe ten minutes is your current record? Going to beat that tonight? I better get my bet in with Frank.”
Jason returned Mari’s laugh, and Keila narrowed her eyes. “Nope, I’m good for tonight. Just came in for a quick drink.”
Mari grinned. “Okay, Honey. You just let me know if you change your mind. I’m off at eleven,” she laughed again, and then hurried to the other end of the bar to fill an order.
Jason turned and Keila raised an eyebrow. “There’s a bet?” Jason at least had the good sense to look embarrassed. His cheeks reddened and he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Ahh, the guys just like to blow off steam after a difficult shift sometimes.”
“And?”
“And, well, there might be a bet occasionally on who’s going to find a date for the night first.”
“I see.”
“Keila, it’s nothing, really,” he signaled at Mari. “Let me get you another drink. The whole point of coming here was to get you to relax.”
“That’s gonna take longer than ten minutes.”
He grinned. “Not if you keep pace with me.”
By her second glass in, Keila was reaching her limit. Taking a breather had been one thing; Jason had been right about that. If she’d kept going the way she had since first seeing Emily inside her head, she was going to get overrun and make a stupid mistake. That didn’t mean they had to get plastered. She tipped the last of her beer down her throat and stood, looking over for Jason, who had disappeared a few minutes before, after muttering something about choosing some half decent music for a change. There he was, feeding coins into a large jukebox in the corner. Keila stood and wandered over. Her whole body felt fluid as she walked and a heat rose within her at the sign of Jason’s extremely toned ass in his jeans. She walked up behind him, ready to reach out and see if it felt as firm as it looked, when she was suddenly cut off.
“Hi, Sexy,” a woman stepped between them. She was pretty—no, she was knockout gorgeous—and she blocked Jason from Keila’s view entirely. Keila had to physically restrain herself from grabbing the half empty beer on the table next to her and emptying it over the woman’s head.
“Hello.” Keila fumed at Jason’s reply, short as it was. She stepped around the woman. Shit, he was smiling at her.
“Can I buy you a drink?” She took a step closer, bouncing along to the music playing, her breasts bouncing up and down in time to the music.
Have some self-respect, woman.
The blonde smiled and placed her hand on Jason’s arm and Keila almost growled.
Oh, like you weren’t about to jump him yourself five minutes ago. Show her he’s not available.
Keila (Dreamcatchers Romantic Suspense Series Book 2) Page 8