by Tori Carson
“I was here to raise money. It wasn’t a social event for me.” She was polite, but distant.
“You were hurt and you’ve gone an entire evening without food.” His tone made his statement a definite censure. He hadn’t planned it that way. By the odd look on Sasha’s face, she hadn’t expected it either. “I’ll ask again. Would you please have dinner with me?”
Sasha smiled briefly. “You just ate a very expensive meal. Why would you want to go to dinner with a virtual stranger?”
He’d been closely watching her body language all evening long. When others had approached her, she’d been very much on guard, and while she wasn’t exactly relaxed, she was much more at ease. “That dinner was less than edible. I am definitely hungry and you’ve gotta be too.” He held out his hand. “I’m Jacob Erkins, fellow horse lover and business owner.”
“Well, Mr. Erkins, I would be happy to have dinner with you as long as you allow me to treat. You’ve saved me from two difficult situations and I’d like to repay your kindness.” She looked like she expected him to balk.
“I don’t quite see it that way, but I will take your company any way I can get it. Where would you like to go?”
Eventually they settled on a quiet steakhouse not far from the fundraiser. Knowing how skittish Sasha was, he wasn’t surprised when she made up an excuse to drive separately.
Sid watched as Sasha went through the employees only door then he sprinted to the garage. He was glad he had taken his personal car instead of an NBIA stake-out vehicle, giving him the maneuverability to avoid traffic and exit the parking garage ahead of Sasha. He wasn’t completely convinced she truly intended to meet him. With that in mind, he quickly did a U-turn and backed into a side street opposite the garage exit.
When her truck appeared and turned in the direction of the restaurant, Sid was unreasonably happy. He tried to tell himself he was excited about gaining some headway in the case, but it was BS and he knew it. Maybe he did deserve that bullet rattling around inside his head, or maybe the bullet was touching on a stupid sector and making him do dumb and careless things. Yeah, that’s gotta be it. He knew better than to allow a little slip of a woman, who just happened to be the leading suspect in a heinous case, get under his skin.
He stood by the entrance and waited for her, afraid that if he approached her in a dimly lit parking lot she’d get spooked. As she walked up, he noticed she had changed into jeans. “Look at you”—he waved a hand in her direction—“it takes a hell of a woman to look as good in jeans as she did in a stunning evening gown.”
A beautiful hint of pink dusted her cheeks as she murmured, “Thanks.”
Sid held the door for her and another couple then they walked in together.
“Ms. Sasha,” the maître d’ greeted her, “it’s so good to see you again.” The gentleman led them to a secluded booth in the back of the building.
Once seated, the waiter arrived quickly and asked if she’d like ‘the usual’.
“Yes, thank you, Jon,” she replied without glancing at the menu.
Sid scanned the specials of the day and ordered a salmon filet and steamed vegetables. To avoid an awkward silence, he decided to jump in with questions.
“How badly were you hurt?” He’d been watching her all night long. Besides the cast on one arm, he suspected she’d broken at least one rib. She never took a deep breath and the one time he’d seen her laugh, the color had drained from her face and she’d wrapped her good arm around her chest.
“Bumps and bruises, mostly.”
Good girl. She knew better than to reveal a weakness to a possible adversary. “Hmm, methinks the lady doth use the art of understatement.”
Sasha jumped nearly out of her skin when an employee sat on the seat beside her.
“Still eating late at night?” The man was sadly shaking his head in tsk, tsk fashion. “But you brought a young man with you. This is new,” he went on, obviously sizing up Sid. “We’re all talking about it. Tell me the juicy details.”
Sasha blushed and closed her eyes as if that would make them disappear. His heart went out to her as he fought to keep a grin from breaking across his face.
He offered his hand across the table. “Jacob Erkins, and you are?”
“I am Roberto, friend to Ms. Sasha and the owner of this establishment.” Roberto shook hands vigorously. “Now, how did you two meet? She is a serious girl. Do you think serious about Ms. Sasha? She no cook. This you know? Yes? She eat very late at night. She work too much. This you must fix. She need a man to take her in hand. To take care of her.”
“Roberto, go away,” Sasha whispered and gently applied pressure on his shoulder.
“You need to eat.” Roberto raised her good arm. “Look, she is skin and bones! One meal a day is not healthy, even if it is from the best steakhouse in town. Are you going to feed her?”
“Roberto, pleeeease go away.”
“Roberto, how well do you know Ms. Sasha? Can you give me any pointers on how to win her over?”
Roberto slammed his hand down on the table sending the drinks jostling in their glasses. “I knew it! Ms. Sasha, she no talk much. She needs someone to take care of her. You can do this? No?”
“If she will let me, I’d like to apply for the job.” He winked at Sasha, unable to keep a grin from surfacing.
“That’s enough. Roberto, you’re needed in the kitchen. Go away before Marta accuses you of flirting again.”
Roberto’s grin slipped and he scooted out of the booth. “Be good to her,” Roberto advised him and slapped him once on the back.
Sasha hung her head and breathed slowly as if she was struggling to get her emotions together, or maybe she was trying to decide what to say to him. “I’m sorry about that. I have no idea what got into him. Obviously I come here too much. It’s close to my office and they have good food,” she offered as an excuse.
“It takes a special person to make an impression on a virtual stranger. Don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong, except eat too few meals, too late in the day.” Sid saw what he suspected was the first real smile she’d given all night.
He had no doubt she was on the run, yet the murder rap didn’t feel right. Was his dick doing his thinking for him? He had to admit, it was possible.
Jon arrived with their meals. He felt a little light in the loafers when he looked at Sasha’s plate of filet mignon with all the fixings. Hell, he couldn’t have put away that much food during his days at Quantico. In all honesty, he’d expected her to be a vegetarian. “How’s the palomino you were riding? Was he hurt?”
Her eyes brightened and her expression softened considerably. “It’s kind of you to ask. Thank you. He’s fine.”
“Was he a rescue?” He’d definitely found a way to win brownie points, but he realized he had a genuine interest in the animal. That morning in the desert, the horse had hovered over Sasha with a definite protective streak. Sid respected him for it and was glad he’d been uninjured.
Sasha nodded. “Dakota had been an amazing barrel racer, but when the owner didn’t win he took it out on the horse. He still bears the scars from the lashes he received over the years.”
“That’s terrible. Someone should show the owner what a whip feels like.” Sid had expected Sasha to agree with him, instead she cringed and sat farther back in the seat, putting a few extra inches of space between them. “How did you rescue him?”
Sasha took a few more bites before answering him. “I was at an auction when Dakota came across the block. A local man, known for buying cheap horses and trucking them across the border to slaughterhouses, was bidding on him. I couldn’t stand the thought of that happening to him…any horse really. Tonight’s fundraiser will allow the rescue to purchase, and thus save, many more.”
“The US outlawed horsemeat consumption for humans.” Sammy had been talking his ear off about it a year or so ago. At that time, Sid had never even touched a horse so he hadn’t listened very carefully.
“Tha
t’s true, but it didn’t stop them from slaughtering them and shipping the meat overseas or using it in pet food. Just recently we got legislation passed making that illegal. Yet they can still transport the live animals across the border to the slaughterhouses down there.”
He liked that she fought her battles through the legal system, but wasn’t naïve enough to think it would remove loopholes and other nefarious concerns. “How long have you been championing their cause?”
“I’m no one’s champion. The ladies that run the foundation are the heroes. I simply help with fundraising. Tell me about your horse. It takes a lot of training for an animal to remain calm around the noise of a firearm.”
He didn’t know that. Hell, he hadn’t even considered it when he fired his weapon. “I can’t take credit for that. He’s a retired military horse.” This was not a subject he could afford to discuss. “Your art pieces were highly sought after. The rescue must be pleased.”
She shrugged. “I saw you bid on a few items. I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
“I was there primarily to lend my support. I hadn’t expected to walk away with anything.” Maybe talking about her artwork would give him a few clues to her past. “Your statues reminded me of Robert Glen’s Mustangs. Have you spent any time in Texas?”
Another smile lit her face. “Wow, that’s quite the compliment. Thank you. Have you followed his work?”
“A little. I lived in Las Colinas for a bit. His statues were so lifelike I did some research on the man.” Sid had found it was best to stay as close to the truth as possible while working undercover.
“As a young girl, I was fascinated by his work.”
Sid loved how animated Sasha became when she spoke about a passion of hers. He wondered what else would bring a flush to her cheeks and a shine to her eyes. Her smile had a strange remote control effect on his cock. Every time she granted him a genuine smile, his dick would twitch. It was disconcerting, but not unpleasant. “I suspect you were a very headstrong little girl.”
She tipped her head to the side and seemed to be sizing him up. “You were probably a very serious boy. The kind all the teachers loved.”
He laughed for the first time in days. “And most of the kids hated. Let me guess, you were one of the popular kids, homecoming queen or prom queen.”
Her smile disappeared and she stared at her plate as she shook her head. “Nothing like that.” She grabbed her glass and took a long drink from her iced tea.
Because you were on the run? Her sad expression bothered him. “I was always odd man out. Much like tonight. Here I sit in a tux while you’re dressed in jeans like everyone else in the restaurant.”
“Yes, being better dressed than everyone else is a fate worse than death. It was very selfish of me.” She hid her smirk, but amusement was obvious in her voice.
Not only had she turned the tables on him, but she’d successfully avoided answering any questions that would help him fill in the blanks about her history. “I have no complaints. You look pretty damn amazing in those jeans.”
“Why thank you. I’m certainly enjoying the view,” she admitted as a blush stole across her cheeks.
He caught himself squaring his shoulders and sitting a little taller in the booth. Damn, he was acting more like a man trying to impress his date than a federal agent.
A shadow fell across Sid’s face as Jon placed the check on the table. Fuck, it was too soon. He wanted to see where this conversation would lead. Before had the chance to pursue it, Sasha threw several large bills onto the tray and moved to stand up. Sid knew the moment was gone. He handed the bills back to her and watched her eyebrow quirk upward. In a soft, conspiratorial tone, he pleaded, “Please allow me to get this. Roberto wouldn’t approve of a lady paying for a gentleman. I rather enjoyed the food and would like to be able to come back.”
He was granted another real smile.
“Okay,” she conceded. “But I still owe you a meal.”
“And I intend to hold you to it.” While he paid the bill, Sasha used the restroom. Or at least that was her story. Sid was less than surprised when fifteen minutes later he went outside to find her truck gone.
* * * *
“Sasha,” she made it a point to use her assumed name even when talking to herself, “you’re such a chicken! Would it have killed you to actually finish a date?” Well, she conceded, it might. If he wasn’t what he appeared, walking out of the restaurant alone with him could have been a deadly mistake. That, however, was not the reason she had run.
Those soft blue eyes, full of compassion, were more dangerous than the pistol he’d brandished on their first meeting. When he’d turned his focused gaze on her, she’d felt the jolt all the way to her core.
In the hallway, Sasha had made the mistake of resting her hand on his well-defined biceps. His obvious strength should have been a warning to keep her distance, yet she’d caught herself leaning toward him, wanting to be engulfed by those strong arms and cuddled safely against his wide chest.
Sasha paced the length of her apartment. It was the same thing every night. She didn’t bother with lights. It was safer without them. She had learned that the hard way too.
At first she’d been afraid of the dark. She would turn on every light and leave them on until sunrise. One unwanted guest later with a knife practically longer than her arm had taught her lights only showed the predators where you were. They did not keep bad things from happening.
Footsteps outside her door sent her stomach into knots. Every muscle taut, ready to bolt should the sounds not continue on past. A woman’s drunken giggle allowed her to breathe again. It was just the guy down the hall bringing home another companion. She recognized his footfalls, heavy steel-toed boots, with a long confident stride.
Sasha knew the sounds of the building. Sometimes it made her crazy, listening to the lives of others. Like a ghost, she was a witness to their goings-on without ever being a part of them. Night after night she paced and listened, growing envious. Even the couple above and to the north, with their constant fighting, had more of a life than she did. And the noises coming from their apartment after the fights had her blushing.
It was easy to slip into a good old-fashioned pity party. She had tried to date a couple of times. It had never turned out well. What had she been thinking, meeting Jacob for dinner? He reminded her of Simon, a wealthy business owner she had contracted with when she’d lived in Denver. It had seemed perfect until he’d sold her out and two men had been waiting for her at his home.
Was Jacob another Simon? It didn’t feel right. He could have grabbed her that morning out in the desert. He’d had a gun. No one had been around. If he worked for her enemies, she’d already be dead.
Could he be the one who had broken into her office? It was possible. Maybe he was searching for evidence of her true identity. She’d been sloppy, leaving copies of her clothing designs in her place of business. It was time to leave.
The thought sent a bucketful of despair straight to her heart. She didn’t think she could. Not again.
Sasha gave in to the inevitable. Dressed for the night, she snuck out the back of her tiny apartment. There would be no sleeping. She had too much on her mind, too much adrenaline rushing through her system.
She had actually gone on another date—holy shit! What had gotten into her? Yes, Jacob had the bluest eyes she’d ever seen and a physique meant to be ogled, but what was that in the big picture? Her body knew the answer. It amounted to an incredible case of sexual frustration! What was the female equivalent to blue balls?
* * * *
Sid slowed as he drove past her apartment complex. In his research he’d learned she paid her lease in full in six-month intervals. That was virtually unheard of in the low-income neighborhood she lived in. He drove around back and parked in the alley a block away. Using night-vision goggles, he was able to see as if it were day. He had no idea what he was doing or what he was looking for. He just knew he couldn’t go home.
Before he could throw his car into gear, his breath stilled in his lungs as her hand gracefully connected with the fire escape ladder and slid down it to mere feet from the pavement. Bile choked his throat. The hammering of his heart drowned out the operator asking the nature of his emergency. He knew the daredevil acrobat was Sasha. His nearly paralyzing fear quickly turned to anger as he remembered her previous injuries and her lack of personal concern.
“Never mind,” he told the operator before sliding from his car. Sid stayed in the shadows and followed her. In the dead of night, she traversed alleyways owned by drug users and gang members. And he would bet a month’s salary she did so unarmed. The urge to shake some sense into her was almost too hard to resist. Roberto had been right when he’d said someone needed to take her in hand, and Sid vowed to do just that even if it took handcuffs to accomplish it.
After she crossed Nineteenth Avenue, Sid lost sight of her. His heart was hammering in his chest. Two men stood under the pale yellow streetlight. The man closest to him had a bulge near his ankle, no doubt it was a gun. He stayed in the shadows, watching them exchange a package for cash. Once the men left the corner, Sid crossed the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
Where in the hell is she? Dressed in dark gray, she moved silently, making it nearly impossible to track her movements in the dim lights of the city. For over a mile he had trailed her.
