by Katie Knight
Diana answered a moment later, her bright smile falling as she took him in. “Demetri? What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk,” he said, his gaze traveling over her. Same thick, long, dark hair, same brilliant blue eyes. She had on jeans and a baggy T-shirt. Her feet were bare. She looked soft and touchable and far too tempting for this moment when he needed his head clear and his thoughts focused. “Can I come in?”
Her expression shifted from confused to guarded in a few seconds flat and for a moment he feared she’d say no. Then she stepped aside and waved him in. “Make it fast. I have an appointment in an hour.”
“What do you want, Demetri?” Diana watched as he walked from room to room in her home, as if searching for something. “I really don’t have time for this. And I don’t like having a gun in the house.” She winced a little at her own harsh tone. She was just so flustered to see him. She’d been thinking of trying to get in touch with him, but…well, she’d been putting it off. Trying to figure out what she’d say; how it would go. To have him come to her was a total shock—and the way he was acting had her even more confused.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t an emergency. And I wouldn’t be armed unless it was necessary. Which it is. I’ll explain as we go—how fast can you be ready to leave?” he asked as he passed her in the hallway on his way to her kitchen at the back of the house. He acted like he owned the place, or like he was on one of his SEAL missions. She’d seen it enough with her brother, being all bossy and overbearing, and she wasn’t having it. Whatever was going on, she deserved to hear about it now, directly, so she could decide if leaving was necessary after all.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “This is my home. Why would I leave it? You’ve got five seconds to explain to me what you’re doing in it before I kick you out on your butt, mister.”
At her imperious tone, he stopped and looked back at her out of the kitchen doorway, a frown marring his handsome face. “Listen, I don’t have a lot of time to explain, but I think you might be in danger. I need to get you out of here and someplace safe until I make sure the threat is contained.”
“Excuse me?” Her moods had been all over the place lately, so it didn’t take much to push her over the edge into full-blown irritation. “Hey, hold up. Sit down and tell me what the hell is going on, please.”
Demetri gave her a look over his shoulder from where he stood at her kitchen sink, surveying her back yard like it was a battlefield, before charging over and guiding her into a seat at the butcher block table against the wall. If she’d been faster, she would’ve kicked him in the shin for manhandling her like that. As it was, she hadn’t been sleeping as well at night, so she wasn’t exactly in top form. She was still getting used to the quiet of the countryside compared to the midtown bustle that had surrounded her old apartment. And as for other changes in her life, well…those had called for some adjustments, too.
“You look tired,” he said, his chocolate-brown gaze narrowed. “Everything okay?”
“Peachy,” she snapped before she could stop herself. She shifted her weight in the seat, then hid a wince as something pulled in her side. She wouldn’t let him change the subject. She needed him to tell her what was going on.
And after that, she’d have something to tell him, too.
“I’m fine. You have three seconds left to explain yourself.” She held up fingers. “Two. One.”
“Here. Read this.” He thrust an envelope at her, his scowl dark as midnight. “That’s why I’m here.”
Diana pulled out the note and deciphered it as best she could. The words were chilling enough, but the pictures— Oh God. The idea that someone had been stalking her, watching her, here in her own little utopia…
Hot bile rose in her throat and the room spun around her; she gripped the edge of the table to stay upright as the meagre contents of her stomach threatened to upend on her.
“Shit.” Demetri snatched the envelope from her hand, then crouched in front of her, his hands warm and steady on her knees. “Don’t pass out on me, okay? Just breathe. Nice and slow. Good. Look at me, Diana. That’s right. Breathe with me. In and out. In and out. There, that’s better. Good.”
She let his voice soothe away the nausea boiling in her stomach and gradually the unbearable tension in her back eased. “I’m sorry. I just… I can’t believe someone’s been watching me. Stalking me. I feel so violated.”
“I know.” He reached up and took her hand, his wrist brushing against her increasing belly. “Hey, living in the country must agree with you. You always were too skinny. I like you with curves.”
At that, she promptly burst into tears, because yeah, she was a complete mess inside.
Demetri looked stricken, blinking at her, his expression panicked. “I’m sorry. I meant that as a compliment. I’m sorry, Diana. Please don’t cry. And don’t be scared, okay? I’m not going to let this bastard touch you.”
“Us,” she said with a sniffle. God, the timing was horrible—this was not the way she’d wanted to tell him. But he needed to know the truth, now more than ever.
“What was that?”
“You’re not going to let him touch us.”
“Us?” he repeated. “You mean, you and me? You don’t have to worry about me, Diana. I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can,” she replied, nerves twisting her stomach into knots. “That wasn’t what I meant. ‘Us’ isn’t me and you. It’s me…and our baby.”
Four
Demetri sank into the chair opposite Diana as the world spun around him.
Pregnant. She was pregnant. With his kid, apparently. Being a Navy SEAL had prepared him for lots of different scenarios—war, sniper attacks, espionage—but nothing in the universe could’ve equipped him for this.
A kid. His kid.
Holy hell.
For a second, all he could do was stare at her. Her lips were still moving, so she was still talking to him, but the sounds were muffled by the jackhammering of his heartbeat in his ears, the rush of blood through his veins. They’d spent one night together. One incredible night where they’d both been drunk and hadn’t used the best of judgement, but c’mon. People didn’t really get pregnant after one night of sex, right?
His gaze dropped from her face to what he now recognized as the slight bulge of her belly beneath the oversized T-shirt she wore. Time distorted as doubts and fears rushed him. He didn’t want kids. Didn’t want a family. Didn’t want any ties to anyone. Attachments caused nothing but heartache and suffering and loss.
But even as half of his instincts were telling him that this could only end in disaster, the other part of him wouldn’t let him shirk his duties either. The part of him that survived by being a hero, by always doing the right thing, by protecting those in need. If Diana was having his kid, then he needed to step up, take care of her and the baby, keep them safe and secure.
Safe and secure.
Shit.
His reason for being there boomeranged back at him fast and furious and time sped back up again just in time for him to hear her say, “…and have them deal with it?”
“What?” he asked dumbly, having no idea what she’d been talking about.
Her gaze narrowed and her expression morphed from earnest to annoyed in a millisecond. “I get that this letter is disturbing, but why can’t we call the cops and have them deal with it?”
“I tried that already,” Demetri said, scrubbing a hand over his face, desperate to get his mind running on all cylinders again. “It didn’t help. In fact, a man is dead because of their inability to help.”
The minute the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. Colour drained from her cheeks and she went a sickly shade of grey. “You’re telling me whoever sent you this letter has already killed someone?”
Dammit. He hadn’t meant to scare her like that, especially given the circumstances, but now that it was out there, he didn’t have any way to walk it back. Anyway, if it got her
to do what he wanted and leave this place, he’d use it to his advantage. “Yes,” he said, sitting forward to rest his forearms on his knees. “My first squad leader in the SEALs. They found his body a few days ago in an alley. He’d been shot in the head.” He winced as she raised a shaky hand to her mouth. “Look, I realize all of this is happening quickly and we haven’t seen each other in months, but I need you to trust me when I say you’re in serious danger, Diana. You and the…the baby. We need to get you out of here and someplace where this maniac can’t find you. I can protect you, but only if you do what I tell you to do. This is my job, keeping people safe. Can you trust me?”
She looked down at the floor, silent for so long he feared she’d say no. Then she looked up at him, those brilliant blue eyes of hers wary and worried. “Does Peter know about this?”
“Not yet.” Demetri exhaled slowly. “You know he’s on a mission and unreachable. We’re on our own for now.”
“On our own…” she repeated, placing her hand atop her baby bump. An unexpected tightness squeezed Demetri’s chest—possessiveness and pride, mixed with a healthy dose of parental nerves. That was his kid. Their kid. And whether or not he’d planned for this pregnancy, it was happening now, for better or worse.
“Listen, let me bring you up to speed on what I know so far. That might help you feel more comfortable with all this, yeah?” He started to reach for her hand, more as a sign of support than anything, then stopped himself. The last time he’d touched her had been the night they’d slept together. Best not to bring those memories into this for either of them at this point. “Then when I’m done, we’ll get some things packed for you and get you somewhere safe.”
Safe.
Diana did her best to take in the details of what he was saying, but her mind was still stuck on the fact that whoever this whacko was who’d sent the threatening letter about her had already taken someone else’s life. And now they were after her.
After me and my baby. Oh God.
Until she’d gotten pregnant herself, she’d never really understood the strength of the bond between mother and child. Sure, she loved kids. Heck, that was why she’d chosen to work with them on a daily basis. But carrying a new life inside yourself, even for these four short months, had changed her—physically, mentally, and emotionally. She loved her baby, more than anything in the world, and would do anything to protect it. Even if that meant running off with the last man she’d ever expected to be part of her life.
From the stories her brother had told her, Demetri avoided attachments like the plague. Which was fine. Diana had gone into this fully prepared to be a single mom. In fact, she’d been looking into getting some paperwork pulled together for Demetri to sign, giving up his parental rights. She had planned—once the papers were ready and she’d finally figured out what to say—to arrange to meet him for coffee or lunch, and make it clear that she didn’t expect anything from him, that she was fine handling this on her own. He was a good man, so she expected he probably would’ve made some token protest about wanting to help—but deep down, she was sure he’d have been relieved by her choice. She’d have had her independence, which was all she wanted out of her post-Brad life, and he’d have had his freedom. A win for everyone.
Going on the run with him had never been part of the plan.
“So, I’ve hidden my aunt away in a safe house in the city and I’d like to do the same with you,” Demetri said, jarring her out of her thoughts. “Okay?”
“Uh.” She looked around her tiny but immaculate kitchen, with her class’s colourful art taped to the fridge and the bright purple pansies ruffling in the breeze in the window box outside, and felt a pang of sadness. She loved her house, had worked hard the past few months to make it her own, adding little details she loved, like the butcher block table they were sitting at. How long would she have to be away, scared and trapped in an unfamiliar safe house, until it was safe to return? The prospect seemed horrible, but if that’s what she had to do to keep her baby secure, then she’d do it.
“Okay.” Resolute, she pushed to her feet and headed for the door, stopping near the wall to shove her feet into a pair of sneakers she kept there for when she worked in the garden. “Give me a minute to pack a bag upstairs and I’ll be right back.”
Demetri opened his mouth to respond when the sound of shattering glass pierced the air, followed by an ominous whooshing sound. He stood, scowling. “What the hell was that?”
“No idea.” She started down the hall toward the front parlour, only to be stopped by his hand on her arm. “Hey!”
“Fire!” He pointed toward the end of the hallway where dark curls of smoke had already begun to billow out of the front room. Crackles filled the air as the flames ate up the curtains. “We need to get out of here now, Diana!”
As he yanked opened the back door, she took a deliberate step back. “No. I’m not going. Not yet.”
Her home might be burning down, but she’d be damned if she lost everything. Bad enough all her work, her hopes, her dreams were going up in flames. The least she could salvage was her purse. Before he could stop her, she ran back into the hall and snagged her bag off the hook on the wall. Demetri was right on her heels and soon had her by the arm, dragging her back toward the kitchen again.
“C’mon.” He tugged her alongside him, then cursed and bent as if to pick her up. “Are you nuts? Nothing’s worth risking your life over.”
“Some things are!” she shouted back to be heard over the roar of the fire. “You of all people should understand that.”
He growled and said something under his breath she didn’t catch before kicking out the back door and hauling her across the yard to his vehicle, his scowl as dark as the smoke billowing from the roof of the house behind them. He yanked open the car door with one hand, then plopped her down on the passenger seat without ceremony.
“Buckle up,” Demetri said. “We’re leaving.”
Five
After reporting the fire to the 911 dispatcher, Demetri sped down the gravel road back toward the rural highway, a mix of disbelief and anger boiling inside him. He couldn’t believe how close he’d come to losing Diana and the baby. If he’d gotten to the house ten minutes later…or had the attack come because of him? Had the killer been waiting for him to show up? Was it his fault Diana’s house was now on fire?
Of course it is, he reminded himself. She’s only in this mess at all because of you. Just further proof of how dangerous attachments could be. If Diana had never met him, she’d be perfectly safe right now. Not pregnant, not targeted, not on the run.
Beside him, Diana let out a sigh. “Dammit. I can’t believe that bastard tried to burn down my house. With me in it.”
“I’m sorry,” Demetri replied, feeling awkward. He had no idea what to say that might comfort her. “It looked like you took really good care of that place,” he tried.
“I did.” She sniffled and his heart pinched. “I was just starting on the nursery upstairs. Painting it a pale yellow since I want the baby’s sex to be a surprise.”
Damn. Now all he could think about was a tiny infant with her gorgeous blue eyes and his thick brown hair sleeping in a sunny yellow room as the two of them looked on, proud, happy parents.
Except no. That wasn’t going to happen because he never wanted that to happen.
Right?
Right. They turned out onto the highway just as the sound of sirens grew louder in the distance. Demetri knew the authorities wouldn’t be pleased that he and Diana had left instead of staying to answer questions, but too damn bad. He needed to get Diana safe first, and the last thing he needed was the police nosing in when the last time they’d been less than helpful. In fact, they’d dropped the ball completely and no way in hell was Demetri letting that happen again, not with Diana and the baby.
Glancing back in the rear-view mirror, Demetri spotted a figure dressed in a black hoodie, watching them speed away. From the brief glimpse it was impossible to distinguish
any features, but the person was medium height and build and male, in Demetri’s estimation.
It could be perfectly innocent—just a man out for a walk on a nice day. Or it could be their attacker. Part of Demetri wanted to turn the jeep around and confront the man. But with Diana in the passenger seat and no way of knowing if the man was armed or even if he was alone, Demetri couldn’t take the risk. Eyes focused forward again, he pressed down on the accelerator and sped away as quickly as he could.
Getting answers would have to wait. Finding a safe place for Diana was all that mattered right now.
They’d been driving for about twenty minutes before Diana was calm enough to be able to call her mother and explain what happened—or at least part of it. She couldn’t tell her everything, obviously, but if she’d tried calling any sooner, her way-too-perceptive mom would have picked up on the edges of panic in Diana’s voice. She needed to know about the fire, of course, but she didn’t need to know about the ongoing danger. As a single mom, Frances Addison seemed to think it was her job to worry about her kids enough for two parents all on her own. With Peter away on a mission, she already had enough stress on her plate—Diana didn’t want to add to it.
“Yeah, just a wiring issue, I guess. Bad luck that it sparked right next to the curtains; the flames spread really fast. No, no. I’m fine, I promise,” she said, darting a quick glance over at Demetri. “The fire department is there now and they’ll take care of it. Nothing I can do until they finish anyway. I’m going to stay in a hotel for a couple of days and rest, then figure out what to do from here. No. A hotel’s fine. I can’t stay with you, Mom. Driving four hours each way to work every day wouldn’t work. I know. Thanks for offering, though.” She gripped the dashboard as Demetri checked the rear-view mirror for the umpteenth time, then veered off onto yet another exit to yet another highway. She’d lost track by now of how many times they’d switched roadways, but then that was probably the point, she supposed. “Okay, Mom. I need to go. I’ll call you when I can, okay? Maybe once I get checked in somewhere. Please don’t worry.”
