by Cynthia Eden
It wasn’t the same. Not even close. “We’ve had training. We know how to protect ourselves.”
“Train me!” Maisey piped up.
“We know how to kill.” Flat.
Maisey sucked in a breath.
His gaze locked on her. “That’s the thing, sweetheart. When you’re in one of these situations, when you’re going up against some sadistic asshole who doesn’t care how badly he hurts you or the people you care about, you have to be willing to cross that final line. You have to be willing to take a life.” He stared at her. “You can’t do that.” Maisey had an innate goodness about her. That goodness burned like a light whenever he looked at her. Maisey wasn’t the kind of person who could take a life. She wasn’t a killer.
But I am.
Her body had trembled, but her stare hadn’t wavered. “Yes, I can do it. You don’t know me well enough to make that call.”
“After last night, I’d say I knew you damn well.” He took a step closer.
“Oh, jeez,” from Jinx. “This just took a very awkward personal turn. I think I should step inside—”
“Don’t move a muscle,” Odin ordered him. Because he wanted Jinx to back him up. His gaze remained on Maisey. “You kill someone, and that will stay with you. The blood will be on your hands for the rest of your life.”
“I am prepared for that.” Her chin jerked up. “If this guy has hurt Whitney, if he’s hurt those other women—I will stop him. I won’t think twice about what I have to do!”
Easy to say. But killing was hard. “And he won’t think twice about hurting you. Once he gets you, what do you think he’ll do?” He didn’t want to scare her, but there wasn’t a choice. This was her life.
And she matters too much.
“He won’t let your friend go. He isn’t going to magically trade her for you. He’ll get you. He’ll hurt you.” Just the thought had Odin’s hands fisting. “That’s not happening. Not on my watch. There is going to be no running off when you get mystery calls, do you understand? No trying to be the hero. No thinking you can do this on your own.” Because you can’t, baby.
Her eyes shot sparks at him.
“Every step, we take it together.” There was no debate on this. Your life matters too much, Maisey. “You keep Jinx and I in the loop.”
From the corner of his eye, Odin saw Jinx make a little circle with his hand. “This is the loop.”
Odin ignored him. “You try to hide something from us, you try to lie to us…you put yourself at risk…” His nostrils flared. “And you and I will have a very big problem.”
“She is my friend!”
“And you are—” He caught himself just in time. Stopped right before he growled Mine. And he sure wouldn’t have meant that Maisey was his friend. She was one hell of a lot more than that.
“Ahem.” Jinx cleared his throat. “How about we all take a big breath? We want the same thing here, people We’re on the same side. In the same big, old loop of trust.” Once more, he made a loop with his fingers. “How about we come up with a game plan that works for everyone?”
“We need to find Whitney,” Maisey said empathically. “That’s the game plan. Look, I get that isn’t why I originally hired you, Odin. I went to you because I thought Clay was guilty. I wanted proof one way or the other.”
Proof they still didn’t have.
“If you need more money, I’ll give it to you,” she added quickly. “I will give you anything. Please. Just help me find her.”
Oh, hell, no. “Don’t.” Bit off. “You don’t have to plead with me for anything. I’m on your side. Always. Remember that.” He shifted through possibilities. They had to start somewhere. They had to get moving. And the place that seemed to keep connecting dots for him? “The college.”
Maisey’s brow furrowed. “I don’t have a class today—”
“You work there. Clay is there. Whitney was there. And you were almost taken from that location. It’s a central point. I want to go back and start rattling cages in that place.” Cages that belonged to other staff members, students. Whoever the hell came into his line of suspicion. His head turned toward Jinx. “And I want you to keep shadowing Clay. Stay on him.”
“Done.” He strode for the door. But stopped just before he left the balcony. Jinx threw a glance over his shoulder. “And what about the new friend you made at the club last night? Do I need to worry about him?”
Ramsey? Hell, they all needed to worry about him.
“We need to tell him,” Maisey said. “If Ramsey thinks Whitney might still be alive…”
He’d be even more desperate. Ramsey would be frantic in his efforts to locate her. Did Maisey understand just how dangerous and unrelenting Ramsey could be?
“He has a right to know about the call,” Maisey added stubbornly.
“Provided he’s not the one who made the call.” Jinx’s voice was carefully expressionless. “Granted, I don’t know everything that went down in that closed-door meeting last night, but Odin did give me a few of the highlights this morning.” He sniffed. “Just because a man says he’s innocent, doesn’t mean he is. Just because a man pretends to be in love…doesn’t mean he is.” He inclined his head toward Odin. “Your girl is too trusting. It’s a good thing you’re not.”
No, Odin wasn’t the trusting sort. His thoughts had already dipped along the same path about Ramsey. “Maisey, it’s awfully convenient that call—basically a proof of life call—came right after we had our meeting with Ramsey.”
Her lower lip trembled. “You think she’s dead.”
“I think it’s convenient,” he repeated. “I also think things are about to get a whole lot more intense. From where I stand, Clay and Ramsey are our lead suspects. They know we’re hunting, and it’s time to step it up even more.” He wanted her to be ready for what would come. “If I had the option, I’d send you someplace safe with Jinx. I’d get you out of the way while I learned the—”
“Get me out of the way?” Her voice had risen. A lot.
Jinx whistled. “Wrong thing to say. Typical you.” He glanced at Maisey. “Let me translate. Odin is worried about you. If something happens to your sexy self, he will lose his shit. When that happens, when Odin goes off book, bad things happen.” A shrug. “So, judging by your expression, going to a safe house is off the table?”
“Off,” Maisey affirmed. “Way, way off.”
“Then you need to make sure that you follow orders to the letter. When things get intense, you do what Odin says. Hell, it’s what I do.” A roll of one shoulder. “And Odin has saved my hide more times than I can count.”
Her gaze darted back to Odin. “I won’t be put aside. I am in this with you.” An exhale. “But I can follow orders. It’s not like I want to get hurt. You’re the professional. I get it. I’ll follow your lead, but I won’t be cut out of the investigation.”
Jinx clapped his hands together. “Fabulous. We’re in agreement. So, I’ll go and snoop on Clay, and the two of you will tackle the college and we’ll catch the bad guy and everything will turn up roses.”
Yeah, Odin didn’t think things were gonna be that easy.
But Jinx walked out.
Maisey stayed there, staring up at Odin. “You saved his hide?” she finally asked.
“We saved each other. It’s what you do.” When you’re in war zones and the world is exploding around you.
“He was…Delta, with you?”
Jinx had been many things. “Classified.” That was the truth when it came to him. “I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”
She peered toward the closed balcony door. “He doesn’t seem serious enough for classified work.”
“Jinx is hell on wheels in the field. Don’t let appearances fool you.”
Her attention shifted back to him. “I’m not too trusting.”
Uh, yes, she was.
“I trust you,” Maisey said after she did a little nibble on her lower lip. “And I’ll trust Jinx, if you vouch for him. But I k
now the world is dangerous. I know dangerous people are out there.” A long exhale. “I won’t take unnecessary risks, okay? But I need to be in this. I need to help. I get that you’re in charge, and I’ll follow orders.”
Would she? He wasn’t so sure. But before they left his place… “I think some instruction is in order.”
“Instruction?”
“Yes, you keep asking for some tricks, so I’ll show you a few.” He turned away. Headed inside. Heard her hurry to follow him. He waited just inside the door, and when Maisey came in—
Odin pounced. He grabbed her in an instant and shoved her back against the nearest wall. He held her easily. One of his legs was between hers so she couldn’t knee him in the groin, and with one hand, he’d chained both of her wrists over her head.
“What are you doing?” Maisey’s voice was breathless.
“Far too trusting,” he muttered. “Baby, you never know who will attack…”
“Odin?”
“I want you to hurt me.”
“Excuse me?” She jerked beneath his hold. He didn’t let her go.
“Or try to hurt me,” he amended. “We don’t have a lot of time, but we need to go over some quick and dirty techniques.”
“Quick and dirty? Now?”
“Right now.” His right hand moved to her throat. His fingers curled over her. “I’ve got you. Pretend I’m the bad guy. What would you do? How would you get away?”
“Odin, look, I don’t like this—”
“You want to waltz right into danger.” Anger hummed through him. A fear that he didn’t want to acknowledge. “You want to put yourself out there when we know the perp is focused on you. Then you damn well better show me what you’ve got. If he comes at you, if something happens and I’m not there…what the hell will you do?”
Chapter Thirteen
“I’m not helpless.” Is that what he thought?
“No?” Odin’s eyes glittered at her. “Compared to me, you sure seem that way. I had you against the wall in seconds.”
“That’s because I didn’t expect you to grab me!” She’d thought they were about to leave the condo.
“Not like the perp will announce his intentions, sweetheart.”
Her heartbeat doubled. “Do you mean that?”
“Hell, yes, I mean it. He won’t tell you he’s going to attack. You have to be ready. And, dammit, yes, I do think you’re too trusting. You don’t know the shit I’ve done. You don’t know the blood on my hands.” His gaze dropped to the hand around her throat. “If you did, you wouldn’t let me touch you.”
“I like it when you touch me,” she snapped back.
His gaze burned. “And I fucking like having my hands on you.”
He had to feel the frantic racing of her pulse beneath his fingers.
“But right now, I want to see what you’ve got. I want to know that if we get separated, you at least know one or two moves that will help you get that sweet ass of yours to safety.”
“First, thanks for calling it sweet. I appreciate that.”
He blinked.
“Second, you want to know what I’d do? Fine.” Maisey considered her options. “To try and get out of this hold, I’d slam my head into your nose. You’re leaning down toward me, you’re in my range, so I would hit you as hard as I could.”
He raised one brow.
“That’s how I’d attack. If it was someone else holding me this way. Not you. I-I don’t want to break your nose.” She rather liked his nose. His whole face. Him.
“You wouldn’t break it.”
He shouldn’t be so sure. “I’d hit you in the nose with my head. You’d stumble back, and I’d get away.” She’d seen that move in plenty of movies. There. Done. She wiggled her fingers. It was time for him to let her go.
Odin leaned even closer toward her. “Try it,” he murmured.
Hadn’t she just covered that she didn’t want to hurt him? “Odin—”
“Try it. Prove it. You show me that you can take care of yourself, and we’ll get the hell out of here.”
“I happen to like your nose! I don’t want to break it! I don’t want—”
“You’re scared.” Flat. “If you’re scared in a real attack, you know what will happen? You’ll get shoved into a truck and taken away, and I won’t ever see you again. Do you know what that will do to me?”
She couldn’t quite name the emotion that had entered his voice. “Odin…”
“Attack.”
She slammed her head forward, but he just jerked away.
“Not very effective, baby.”
First sweetheart, now baby? Her breath huffed out as she tried to ignore the endearments. “It’s not like I will broadcast my plans to the bad guy. You knew what I was going to do. You freaking told me to attack so you were prepared for my move.”
“Get loose. Do whatever the hell you need to do. Break free of my hold.”
Fine. With a burst of energy, she twisted and heaved against him. She tried to bring up her legs. She tried more head-butting. She tried yanking her hands free. But, no matter what she did, Odin didn’t let go. He didn’t even seem to be putting any effort into restraining her.
His gaze stayed on hers. Never wavered. His expression never altered. He just stared at her with eyes that seemed to burn with a banked fire.
Her breath came faster. Harder. “This isn’t funny.”
“Not supposed to be,” he tossed right back.
“You’re huge, Odin. Way bigger than any guy I’m probably going to face.”
“Size doesn’t matter.” A slight pause. “In this particular instance.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Odin…” A lock of hair had slid over her left eye.
“From this position, you can’t go for my groin or my eyes, two of the most vulnerable areas on a man’s body.”
Yes, she knew that.
“Head-butts don’t work so well if your attacker can put enough space between you. Obviously, I can do that.”
Because Odin was huge.
“You have to think about maneuverability. What parts of your body are free right now?” His voice was all calm and cool.
Like he held women pinned against walls all the time.
“What?” His head tilted. “Why are you staring at me that way?”
“No reason.” Her breath still came too quickly. “Parts of my body that are free?” She evaluated. “My legs. I mean, you’re between them.” That had her tensing because it reminded her of last night and how he’d been between her legs plenty during those hot hours. “But, ah, I can still move them.”
“You can’t kick me with them. Not from this angle.”
“No.” She’d tried. Failed.
“Your attacker isn’t gonna just stand still while he holds you. He won’t be a statue. You have to watch his body. Pay attention to every single movement, no matter how small. Feel where he touches you. When my weight shifts, when my hold shifts, notice it. Look for those telling signs because that’s when you attack.”
She pulled in a breath. Tried to focus.
“Feel me,” Odin told her.
Then she waited.
His left leg slid back, as if he were trying to get better balance.
“From this position, you can work your foot closer to mine. Go for my ankle. You can pound your heel into it as hard as you can. Ankles and knees are always good for kick attacks—provided you can reach them.”
She gave a little nod.
Waited more.
Felt the faint ease of his grip on her wrists. She prepared herself. Got ready and—
His hold dropped to her shoulders in a flash. Now he had her shoulders pinned to the wall.
“Sometimes, it’s not about fighting back. It’s just about getting the hell away. Remember that. The priority is saving your ass. When you’re this close to someone, you won’t have a lot of mobility. So if you’re going to break for freedom, break, baby. Break and don’t look back.”
She was
still waiting. Still focusing. She could do this. She would get out of his hold.
“Make him think you’re scared. Make him think you’re weak. Do whatever you need in order to get him to lower his guard, and when he does…”
There. She felt it. He’d just eased the hold on her right shoulder.
Her hand flew up, but Odin caught it.
“You don’t have to use a fist.” He opened her fingers. “Palm strike. Go for the chin, shove his head up. Or slam the heel of your palm up into his nose. The goal is to make him back away. To give you time to haul ass.”
He stepped back.
Maisey started to spring past him.
His arm immediately curled around her stomach, and he jerked her back against him. “If he has you this way…” His breath blew against the shell of her ear. “Hit hard with your elbow.”
Maisey shivered.
“I’m going to show you how to get out of different holds. Don’t get scared. Remember to focus, and you are going to break free.”
Then he showed her. Over and over. From the back, he had her use her elbow to drive into him. Then he flipped her around. He grabbed her from the front, with his hand curling around her neck. He had her swing her arm—first her right, then her left—across to break his hold when he was in front of her. She wasn’t hitting hard enough at first, but he kept going until she was.
He flipped her around again. Grabbed her in what felt like a tight bear hug. “Drop your weight,” he gritted. “Someone has his hands and arms around you like this, you want to be a dead weight. Drop. You can also stomp the hell out of your attacker’s feet. And don’t forget, fingers are weak. You want to inflict some fast pain, you grab your attacker’s pinkie fingers and snap them like twigs.”
That seemed oddly brutal. Maisey’s stomach twisted.
“There are a thousand ways to attack.” He let her go.
Maisey turned to face him. The knots in her stomach were worse.
“But the major thing when defending yourself…” His expression hardened even more. “Fight with everything in you. Know that you will hurt him. Embrace it.”