Dangerous Grounds

by Shelli Stevens

  Gabe’s gaze ripped from her near-naked body as he tore after him. A second later Eric came through the front door and into the backroom.

  “Madison.” He whipped off his jacket and flung it around her. “Here, sit down while I call the police.”

  She slipped on his jacket and edged her shaking body into the chair at her desk, laying her head on her hands. Oh God. Oh God. He’d been about to shoot her. She knew it.

  When Gabe returned a moment later, she looked up, hoping he’d be dragging the robber behind him. He gave a grim shake of his head.

  That meant he was still out there. The man who had been about to kill her two minutes ago remained free.

  Madison stood, her legs unsteady.

  “I’ll be right back.” She pushed Gabe out of the way and locked herself into the tiny bathroom. She had the urge to vomit but couldn’t seem to make it happen. Instead she turned on the water and began rinsing her face.

  Gabe waited outside the door, relieved to see her come out a few minutes later. He did a quick check, trying to figure out if she might lose it or get hysterical. She appeared calm and collected, though. Funny, he wouldn’t have expected that from her.

  She glanced around. “Where did Eric go?”

  “He’s out talking to the police. They’ll be back to interview you any minute.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “How did he get in? Did you lock the door?”

  “Yes!” She shook her head. “I have no idea.”

  There was no sign of forced entry. Gabe glanced over at the bathroom she’d just come out of, an uneasy feeling in his gut. It was entirely possible the robber had gone the wait in the bathroom until he’s alone route.

  He turned back to Maddie and really looked at her, not just the passing, agitated glance. His gaze drifted to her bruised cheek and he clenched his fists. The blood pounded in his veins and his vision blurred. Somehow he managed to keep his voice neutral when he asked, “He pistol-whipped you?”

  “Is that what it’s called? I always wondered what that term meant.” Madison smiled and then winced in pain. “Yeah, I guess he did.”

  Unwillingly, his gaze took in her luscious curves underneath Eric’s wool jacket again. Christ, she was sexy.

  How much of an asshole are you, Gabe? Thinking about getting her flat on her back right after she’s had a gun to her head?

  He cleared his throat. “Did he make you take off your clothes? Did he—”

  “Umm, no.” Her face went red and she glanced down at her bare feet. “I did that on my own.”

  “What?” He blinked. “Why?”

  Two officers came around back and called out a greeting.

  Madison leaned forward and hissed, “Because I thought he was you. This doesn’t make it into the report.”

  His dick hardened at her words, and he cursed. This wasn’t exactly the time or place to be springing wood.

  “Miss Phillips?” One of the officers, a female, approached her.

  “Yes.” She nodded.

  “We’re going to ask you some questions about what happened…”

  Gabe let the officer do her job, but wished to hell he could be the one questioning Madison. Since he was off duty he was denied that right, but at least he could be by her side while it happened. His attention snapped back to the question they were asking her.

  “The Espresso Bandit has been very consistent in what he wears when he strikes. I assume he was wearing a black ski mask, black shirt and black pants?”

  “Yes, to the black pants and black shirt. And no to the ski mask.”

  “He wasn’t wearing a mask?” Gabe repeated in disbelief, and snapped his mouth shut when the officer gave him a sharp glance.

  “He didn’t realize I was here,” she explained. She licked her lips and cast a warning glance at Gabe. “You see, I was changing in the back when he came in through the front. He must have assumed I was gone. I heard a noise and went to investigate.”

  The officer nodded. “And that would explain your state of dress?”

  Madison nodded.

  “Miss Phillips,” the officer gentled her tone. “I need to know if there was any kind of assault—”

  “No. The whole thing happened in like ten minutes.” She closed her eyes. “He was going to kill me if Gabe and Eric hadn’t shown up.”

  “You’re the first person he’s held up who is capable of identifying him, which is even more vital now that one of his victims has died.”

  The fury at how close to death she’d been washed over Gabe in waves. God. Why hadn’t she listened to him?

  “You’ll need to come down to the station first thing in the morning. We’ll need you to work with our sketch artist so we can get his picture out,” the officer stated and went on with more questions.

  Gabe walked to the front of the shop, where Eric paced in obvious distress. He hadn’t thought anyone could be more furious than he was right now, but Eric seemed to be giving him some competition.

  “She’s all right, isn’t she?” Eric asked, looking up at him with cold eyes. “I mean, she can identify him. What if he comes back?”

  “I’m sure we’ll have an officer guarding the shop,” Gabe assured him, although something else still worried him. “She told the officer the robber took her purse.”

  “Damn. She’ll have to cancel all her credit cards and let the bank know. I wonder if she had any cash.” Eric didn’t seem to understand his point, but suddenly stiffened. “He knows where she lives.”

  “He was going to kill her.” Gabe forced his voice to sound calm. “We got here right as the son of a bitch had his gun to her head. It seems he didn’t like the idea of someone being able to identify him.”

  “She can’t go home.” Eric shook his head. “He’s going to be waiting for her.”

  My thoughts exactly. Gabe’s voice turned firm. “Take her to your parents’. She needs to have someone with her all the time.”

  “My parents are in their mid-sixties. What are they going to protect her with? Social Security?”

  “You and Lannie—”

  “I can’t bring Lannie into this, Gabe. I won’t risk the lives of two women I love. Please,” Eric insisted. “You know I would never ask this of you, but, my God, this is Maddie. You are the one and only person I’d trust with her life.”

  Gabe agreed with him one hundred percent. His initial reaction was to drag her off and lock her up in his house. He knew he was damn capable of protecting Maddie, and would kill anyone who tried to hurt her. But then he realized the position he’d be putting them in.

  Eric didn’t know their recent history. Gabe closed his eyes, and had an immediate flashback to her hot body riding his fingers. She would be safe with him in some ways, but not others.

  “Gabe, there’s things you don’t know. Things we don’t like to talk about.” Eric scratched the back of his neck and looked down. “Something bad happened to Madison a long time ago. She was too young to even remember. But there are reasons why we tend to worry.”

  Something bad had happened to Maddie? Gabe’s gut clenched. How bad?

  Eric shook his head. “Look, the bottom line is I really need you to protect her.”

  He wanted her safe. And he knew he could protect her. But still he hesitated. “I’m not sure I’m the best person for her.”

  “And I’m sure you are, Gabe. Please say yes.”

  “Say yes to what?” Madison asked as she came out of the backroom, the two officers following her. The cops nodded at them on their way out of the shop.

  “I think you should stay with Gabe for a while,” Eric informed her. “Until they catch the Espresso Bandit.”

  Her eyes took on a speculative look. “Why would I do that?”

  “He knows where you live.” Gabe met her gaze as he dropped the ominous news. “You’re the one person who’s seen his face and knows what he looks like. I don’t think he took your purse for monetary reasons.”

  Madison nodded, even as she felt the color dr
ain from her face. She didn’t doubt for a minute that this Espresso Bandit would be caught, but until that happened, she wasn’t about to be a sitting duck for him. She felt safe with Gabe, he would never let anything happen to her. And staying with him wouldn’t be such a hardship. She tried to replace the horrible images of the robbery with more stimulating ones of Gabe. It helped a little to ease her inner turmoil.

  “Fine. I’ll stay with, Gabe.” She glanced up at him.

  Her thoughts must have been reflected in her eyes because he met her gaze and she knew he was silently rebuking all her plans at seduction. There was a long matching of wills before he turned to face Eric.

  “Bring her car back to your parents’ and I’ll take her to her apartment to pack up some things.”

  Eric gave her a long hug and the quick you’ll be all right bit, and then walked out the door.

  Madison watched as Gabe locked up the front door and turned off the lights. He looked so tall and strong. So invincible. She didn’t doubt for a minute he would keep her safe.

  She cleared her throat. “I’ll go put some clothes on before we leave.”

  Gabe glanced back at her, his expression strained. “Please do.”

  When they reached her apartment, he took the keys from Madison’s hand and unlocked the door, gesturing for her to keep silent and wait while he stepped inside. He doubted that the robber would be so brazen as to show up right away, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

  While she waited in the entryway, he walked around her apartment, his expression growing grimmer by the minute.

  “Okay, if you think I’m going to just sit here—” Madison announced, coming up behind him. “What’s wrong? You look upset.”

  “He was here.”

  “Oh, no…” She looked around her apartment and frowned at him. “How can you tell?”

  Gabe turned to her in disbelief. It couldn’t be possible. It could not be possible that someone would choose to live like this.

  “It looks like a tornado touched down in your bedroom,” he stated. “Are you telling me that this was your doing?”

  Madison’s eyes flashed as she folded her arms across her chest. “I was looking for my black pants.”

  “Well, I hope you found them,” he drawled. “I need to use your restroom. Pack a bag and we’ll get out of here.”

  “Fine.” She hesitated. “I have some bras and panties hanging in the bathroom—just push them aside or ignore them.”

  Gabe gave an inward groan. God, does that mean the bathroom is as much of a disaster as the rest of her house?

  It was, he realized a moment later, as he waded through pieces of hanging black lace.

  If she’d clean up the apartment a little, one could almost see how much the place must be worth. It was a spacious apartment with a view of the Seattle waterfront.

  He glanced back at the bra, his lips curving. Even while telling himself not to do it, he leaned forward to check the tag on the bra.

  Victoria’s Secret. Nice. Thirty-four D. Very nice. His fingers glided over the lace before he let the bra fall back against the door. Great, more fuel for his forbidden fantasies.

  This would be hell, having her stay with him. To be sleeping a room away from her. He’d already been praying that his self-restraint would be on par with Maddie’s bad intentions.

  Eric had been right about one thing, though. She would be safe with him. And until the Espresso Bandit was caught, he didn’t want anyone to have to worry about her safety.

  Gabe dried his hands on a pink towel and glanced in the mirror. For a minute he fantasized about the idea of him being the one to arrest the Espresso Bandit. Get him alone and show the asshole what it felt like to get the shit kicked out of him.

  He finished in the bathroom and went to sit on the plush couch in Maddie’s living room. She still appeared to be packing. He could hear her singing an off-key rendition of a Madonna song. He winced. Very off-key. Good thing she hadn’t attempted a career in music.

  “I’m almost done, Gabe,” she called from her room. “Feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge. I think I have some leftover Pad Thai with tofu.”

  “Thanks, but you lost me at tofu.”

  She emerged from the bedroom carrying a suitcase three times the size she should’ve needed.

  He plucked it from her grasp, aware that she was struggling. “You ready?”

  “Almost,” she answered, pulling a rubber band off her wrist and fixing her hair into a ponytail. The band snapped off her fingers and flew across the room.

  “Damn.” She hurried over to where it landed, bending over to retrieve it.

  For the briefest moment she gave him the most tantalizing view of her tight ass. He stifled a groan, wanting to pull down her jeans and panties and fuck her from behind.

  She straightened and finished pulling her hair back. “I’m hungry. Can we go grab dinner somewhere?”

  Gabe went from having kinky thoughts to getting seriously annoyed. Where did her budget end? Did she eat every meal out?

  “I’ve got food at my house.” He ushered her out the door and locked it behind them. “I’ll cook you something.”

  She gave him a dubious look. “You cook?”

  “It comes out edible. So try not to complain too much while I’m stuck babysitting you,” he replied, further annoyed by her skepticism.

  Her eyes widened and he saw a flash of hurt in them. Shit. That had been below the belt. This situation hadn’t been her choice.

  They took the elevator downstairs and walked out to his vintage Chevelle. He unlocked the trunk and heard the tiny gasp that came from Maddie. Her face was pale when he glanced at her; her head turned at an awkward angle, like she was trying not to look in the trunk.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Her tone grew tight. “It’s just…nothing.”

  He slammed the trunk, watching as the tension in her body visibly eased. Hmm. That was odd. He thought about pressing the issue, but decided against it.

  “I’m sorry, Maddie. About what I said upstairs. I didn’t mean it,” he said instead, gentling his tone and holding the passenger door open for her.

  She blinked at him, looking stunned. Then she shook her head as she climbed into the seat and shut the door.

  Why did she look so shocked? Gabe gave her another glance and climbed into the driver’s side of the car. He almost asked what he’d said, and then stopped himself. Some things were better left alone.

  Chapter Four

  Madison sat in the passenger seat and stared out the window in amazement. She couldn’t recall if a man had ever apologized to her before. Maybe her brother and father. But a man she’d been interested in who would apologize and admit he was wrong? The whole concept seemed a bit mind boggling. Or maybe I’ve just dated losers.

  Her thoughts turned back to that other awkward moment. When he’d opened the trunk and she’d nearly fainted.

  If there was one thing she didn’t want Gabe to know about, it was that. Her irrational fear of car trunks. Just the thought of her reaction a moment ago sent a wave of humiliation through her. Who the hell was afraid of car trunks? She closed her eyes. But the phobia went back for as long as she could remember.

  She’d owned two cars since the day she’d gotten her driver’s license, and in neither vehicle had she ever opened the trunk. If her family and friends knew about her fear, they never commented on it.

  “You doing okay?” He glanced over at her.

  She nodded and took a deep, calming breath in. Relax, Madison. Relax.

  The ride to Gabe’s took about a half-hour. He lived in Edmonds, a suburb about fifteen miles north of Seattle. He stopped the car in front of a small house and she looked around in surprise. They were just a couple of blocks away from the ferry dock in a fairly nice neighborhood.

  She hesitated and then asked, “Do you rent this house?”

  He gave her a brief glance before climbing out of the car. She followed suit
, meeting up with him at the back of the car. She didn’t want him to think her a total freak. He unlocked the trunk and she kept her gaze carefully averted.

  “My aunt lived here. She left me the house when she died.”

  Madison turned her gaze back to the house. It appeared small and quaint on the outside. She’d known that Gabe had left California to come live with his aunt at the age of thirteen. But she never knew the details as to why.

  “You went to the same prep school as my brother…in Seattle.” She didn’t want to pry, but curiosity got the better of her. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to attend school in a district nearer to you?”

  Gabe grabbed her suitcase and his mouth curled into a fond smile.

  “My aunt wanted me to get a good education. She managed to pay the outrageous tuition. To this day, I still don’t know how she did it.” He unlocked the door to his house and swung it inward.

  “So you drove down to Seattle every day?” She followed him into the house. When he flipped on the light switch, she gave a sigh of appreciation. What a beautiful house. Hardwood floors, area rugs, oak furniture mixed with a plush couch and chair. She turned her delighted gaze toward him and found him staring at her.

  “No. I took the bus every day at five a.m., with two transfers, to get to school. Just so I could have the same opportunities as the rich kids.”

  Her enthusiasm dimmed somewhat. It was apparent that—in case she hadn’t realized it before—he was telling her just how different their worlds had been. How much she’d taken for granted.

  “You were blessed. I never met your aunt, but she always sounded amazing.” She had the urge to go over and hug him, kiss his cheek, but knew it wouldn’t go over well.

  “She was.” Gabe turned and walked down the hall. “Come on, I’ll show you where your room is.”

  Madison followed him down the short hallway. He stopped in front of a door across from what she assumed to be his room.

  The room he led her into was minimal. A cream-colored quilt lay atop the twin bed under the window and an antique dresser sat in the corner, with a wicker chair next to it. Such a charming room.