by Amelia Jade
“Until then, just get me to the damned airport.”
Chapter Nine
Megyn
They’d made one stop along the way to grab food and gas for the truck, as well as to use the restroom to clean themselves up a bit. Although they might be fleeing her crazy-ex and his gang, neither of them wanted to look like it. Plus there was whatever else Hel wasn’t telling her. Such as how he knew ahead of time that Ian would go so absolutely ballistic and follow them until they were forced to leave the country.
“Hel, you got me clothes, but I’m light on a lot of other stuff if we’re going to be traveling,” she said. “And while I have my phone, I don’t have my wallet. All I have is my passport.”
He waved it off as they got in line at a ticket booth. “Money isn’t something you need to worry about, okay? I’ve got plenty of it. We’ll get to our destination, and then we’ll go shopping for everything you need. Whatever it is. Deodorant. Toothbrush. Stuff for your cycle. Whatever you need, we’ll get you it.” He paused. “Do you need any of it now?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m okay for now.” Thank her lucky stars she’d switched to an IUD a year or so earlier. Getting an unexpected period while fleeing the country would really have put a damper on things.
Not to mention making her even more of a bitch. Just how Hel was putting up with her today was beyond her scope of understanding. Then again, she’d had an interesting few days.
Interrupted wedding.
Fleeing to the mountains with her best male friend.
Falling into a river trying to fish and nearly getting hypothermia.
Being the subject of a massive onslaught of angry, demanding, and shockingly dismissive text messages from her former fiancé.
Tracked to, and then chased out of, the cabin.
Nearly killed in a car crash.
All of that had been packed into five days. Oh, and not to forget she’d kissed her supposed best friend, and not only had she liked it, she’d been left sexually aroused and starving for sex ever since. Because her life wasn’t complicated enough.
“Megyn?”
The line had moved up and Hel was calling for her. She moved close to him. In the back of her mind, something cracked.
“Are you okay?” Hel put an arm around her and gently pulled her into a hug without asking.
Shuddering—not from his touch, but from the emotions flowing through her—Megyn allowed herself to be drawn in tight, careful not to press again him too hard. Her chest was still tender from the seatbelt snapping tight around her. It didn’t feel bad enough to leave bruises, but she’d never been in an accident like that before either.
“It’ll be okay,” he whispered, stroking her hair before briefly kissing the top of her head.
“Will it?” she wondered, talking into his chest before looking up at him and repeating the question.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know how you can be so positive about that,” she countered. “This is insane, Hel. You realize that, right? Insane. We’re running away from my ex-fiancé. We should be calling the police. That is the correct thing to do. The normal, logical thing to do. He tried to kill us today with his truck. I saw the look in his eye. Don’t tell me you didn’t either.”
“I did.”
“Then you know I’m right.”
His silence was as good a confirmation as words.
“Why won’t you call the police?”
“No authorities,” he rumbled in that tone that she knew meant he wasn’t willing to argue, and he wasn’t willing to explain. It had something to do with “The Secret.”
Long ago Megyn had figured out that Hel was hiding something. Not from her specifically, but from the world. Something big, and something very, very dear to him. She’d never figured out what it was, but there were a lot of little things that just didn’t add up about him.
He was also strong and jacked, yet she’d never heard of him actually going to the gym or working out. Then there was his speed. She’d seen him running across the open ground today. Same with Jon, Ian’s cousin. They’d moved faster than she thought any normal human could. Other things had come and gone. Bits of knowledge, and slips of the tongue that seemed to indicate a wealth of experience he shouldn’t possess if he were her age.
This, she decided, was yet another one of those things. Maybe at the end of all this she would finally find out what it was. Perhaps going through all this together would show him that she was trustworthy enough to be given this knowledge.
“Hel, I don’t know if I can do this,” she confessed, willing herself not to break down into tears in the middle of the airport. “It’s too much. Too much has happened. We’re leaving the country. Five days ago I was happily ready to be married to him. What happened?”
She was breathing erratically, fighting back tears, aware that the people in line around them were carefully not looking her way, trying to give her some semblance of privacy to pull herself together.
Which is what you need to do, girl. Pull yourself together. You know damn well what happened. Your ex-fiancé is a cheating, controlling, abusive asshole. Hel did you a massive favor by stopping your wedding. Imagine if you’d gotten married to that? You probably would have found a way to justify it all away, wouldn’t you?
The worst part was that her thoughts had the ring of truth to them. Megyn knew she was that type. If she thought Ian loved her, she’d just write off all the things he did. Just like she’d done for their relationship, though even now looking back at it through a more objective point of view she had to admit none of them had gotten to the level of the past few days.
Still, she should have seen them as warning signs.
“I was supposed to be married, Hel. Married. That word was supposed to mean something.”
That was the crux of it. Not Ian. Not her confusing situation with Hel. Not leaving the country. It was that she was supposed to be married now. A wife, with a husband. That was something Megyn had promised herself she’d never do unless she was positive that was the man she was going to spend her life with.
Her mother had sapped the meaning from the word marriage after the third time. By that point it was just something someone did when they were serious about someone. Not as a lifelong commitment.
Megyn had wanted to reverse that trend. To prove that there still was such a thing as soul mates. That one person that you would find to be with forever. As a partner, lover, and best friend. Now she was following in her mother’s footsteps, and making a sham of the entire thing.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled through the sniffles as she buried her tears in his chest, using his shirt to wipe herself clean.
“Don’t be.” He held her tight, gently playing with her hair in an attempt to calm her down. “This is why leaving is going to be good for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ll be well away from here. From all the memories associated with this place. Somewhere you can go to clear you mind. To think things through in safety, without anything to fear. Then you can figure out what you want. What you need, and most importantly, what you wish to do from here on.”
“You’re such a good friend,” she whispered, holding him tight.
They shuffled forward in line awkwardly like that. Megyn just didn’t want to let go. Not yet. Being close to him helped her relax. Maybe he really could protect her. He’d done an excellent job of it so far, despite all of Ian’s attempts to screw things up.
“I’m just trying to be what you deserve,” he said awkwardly.
“You’re doing a great job.” She took a breath in, and exhaled slowly. Then another, the tears slowing, then coming to a stop. Megyn continued to breathe until she felt comfortable standing up.
Hel was looking at her, smiling tightly, but he didn’t say anything. His concerned expression said it all.
“Maybe you’re right,” she said. “Maybe there is a merit in getting farther away than a cabin in the woods. That certai
nly helped until they showed up again. But before they did you’re right, I was really able to concentrate on accepting what was happening and moving on.” She fell silent, running out of words.
“Hopefully coming along will help you continue to do that.”
She nodded.
It might. Or it might just make things worse. Because on top of all her drama, there was the sudden evolution of her relationship with Hel.
Was it really that sudden though? When they’d first met so long ago through a mutual friend, they’d hit it off right away. Hel had been a lot of fun to be around. Megyn fell for him. Hard. She’d never said anything, or acted on it however, because who in their right mind would want to be with her when they looked like that.
Big, buff, and painfully handsome. Classic regal looks that could land him any woman if he tried. She was short and round, with rolls everywhere. She had nice skin, which was a blessing, but other than that, there really wasn’t much to attract him to her. So she’d let it fizzle out, and had moved on to Ian.
Who was also quite attractive. He’d shown interest in her, but she’d turned him down, not believing it at first. He’d made an effort though, and in time she’d caved, despite some reservations from Hel. I should have listened to him.
Then the other afternoon had happened. She’d kissed him. No, that’s not true. He had kissed her. Hel had most definitely made the first move, and now she was left confused. Had he harbored feelings for her all this time? For ten long years? Why the hell hadn’t he said anything to her about it then? Confessed his feelings when she so clearly wanted him to in those first few years.
He can’t. Something was holding him back. Something to do with The Secret, perhaps? That would make the most sense.
Would this trip be enough to close the gap between them so that maybe, just maybe, she could figure out what the heck was going on behind the scenes, and get some straight answers? It was obvious he cared for her. The tenderness he’d shown since the wedding and the heated way he’d looked at her nearly naked body and then kissed her were all signs of that. Yet he couldn’t speak about it. What was holding him back? What could possibly be preventing him from telling her his feelings?
For so long she’d just figured he wasn’t interested. Maybe she’d been wrong.
“Hel.”
“Yes?” They moved forward again, near the front now.
“What if…what if I don’t want to go?” She was curious what he would say in response.
He looked at her curiously, his day-old stubble giving him a more mature, serious look than she was used to seeing on his chin. She kind of liked it.
“Then you don’t have to come,” he said, as if it were a stupid question. “You are free to make your own choice, Megyn, you know that.”
She smiled, relieved to hear him say that.
“But we both know you’re coming because you want to come. If you could just admit that to yourself.”
Now she glared at him. How dare he call her out like that? As if she were the one who had trouble admitting the truth to herself! What spiked her irritation though was the fact he was right. She did want to go. The more she thought about it, the more a vacation sounded appealing. They hadn’t discussed where, but frankly it didn’t matter to her.
“Well fine. Do you want me to come?” she countered. “Or would you prefer to handle this on your own?”
Hel’s eyes clouded over as he realized his mistake. “Would I have done what I did if I didn’t want you to?”
She wagged a finger at him. “That is not the same as saying that you do, mister.”
Hel didn’t answer right away. He was too busy stepping forward to the counter. She hadn’t realized they were so close to the front of the line.
She opened her mouth to push him for an answer. It was now or never; she needed to know if she was wanted. But Hel beat her to the punch, speaking to the desk agent.
“Two first-class tickets to the United States please. Next available departure, destination immaterial.”
Megyn’s jaw dropped open.
“Two tickets to where?!”
Chapter Ten
Megyn
“We’re actually here,” she mumbled as they walked through the airport. “I still can’t believe it.”
The flight itself had been a dream. She’d never traveled true “First Class” before. Their own luxury pod, seats that were spacious enough for two, but only seated one. Oh and the food! The food had been beyond belief. Personally cooked meals by an onboard chef, at any time. Breads and snacks in a buffet.
“Do you always travel like that?”
Hel considered his reply. “Sometimes. It depends on the situation. Sometimes I book a private jet. Other times I use alternative modes of transportation.” He didn’t elaborate, but he didn’t have to.
“A private jet? Hel, I had no idea you were so loaded,” she laughed. “Why have you been hiding this from me for so long?”
He chuckled, but didn’t answer. That was fine; it wasn’t a question that required answering. Hel wasn’t obligated to spoil her, nor did he have to divulge his net worth just to be her friend.
“Where are we going now?” she asked. He seemed to be guiding them through the airport with a destination in mind, but they hadn’t talked about what to do next.
“Airport hotel,” he mumbled through a big yawn.
A moment later she felt herself go through the same motions. “Jet lag is going to suck,” she muttered unhappily. “But sleep does sound wonderful. Those seats were great, but they still aren’t an actual bed.”
Hel nodded, then motioned her off to the side where a sign pointed them toward an elevator.
“Thank you, by the way. I don’t know if I’ve said that at all.” She got into the elevator, bag over one shoulder.
“You haven’t,” he admitted. “Not with words, but I could feel your gratitude.”
“Still. That’s rude of me. I should be thanking you profusely for all this. Such extravagant spending. I don’t really need that, you know.”
“Maybe not. But I do, and I enjoy spoiling you, so you’re going to have to accept it,” he joked.
“I won’t object,” she said sheepishly as the elevators spilled them out into the lobby. “Not one bit.”
“Good.” He strode ahead to the desk, spoke briefly with the agent, and then was given a small envelope.
She watched the interaction. The agent seemed to be falling all over himself to do whatever it was Hel was asking. By the end the slight nervousness at his presence had faded from the man behind the desk and they were laughing like old friends.
That was Hel. That was the type of person he was. Completely and totally capable of befriending anyone that would let him.
“What are you smiling about?” he teased as they went back to the elevators. He swiped a key in a reader and without pushing a button the elevator went up.
“What floor are we going to?” she asked, somewhat confused.
“The top.”
“Ah, that would explain why the agent wanted to kiss you. He probably doesn’t rent the penthouse often. Only silly people do that at a hotel.”
Hel just stuck out his tongue. “Bite me.”
“Come closer,” she purred.
To her surprise he stepped closer while also pivoting to face her. “Like this?” he asked in a lower voice, bringing his head down toward her level.
“Don’t get any ideas, mister. Who knows the people that might be waiting on the far side of this door for us.”
Hel laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
A moment later the door slid open—right into their room. There was no hallway; it simply opened right into the posh penthouse suite. “Oh,” she said in a small voice, overwhelmed by the size and grandeur of the place.
Gold and silver everywhere. Classic chandeliers and wall-sconces gave an old-time feel to it.
“This is disgusting,” Hel said, seemingly shocked. “When the h
ell was this last updated?”
“Judging by the décor and furniture style…probably the late seventies.” She walked around, looking at the couches, the chairs, the chests, and even the wallpaper. “They must have a high roller who likes it this way and stays here often. I don’t know why else they would keep it so out of date. Many styles have come and gone since then. It’s not faded or in poor condition. Just…old.”
Hel was staring at her. “How can you know all that?”
She grinned. “I took interior design, remember? That includes a lot of study of decorating. Get over it. I know more about something than you.” It was her turn to stick out her tongue.
“Be nice, or I might just bite that off,” he growled, pushing open the double doors to the bedroom.
Megyn looked around at the rest of the suite. Kitchen. Sitting area in front of the huge glass mirrors overlooking the city beyond. Common room for television and lounging. She counted a bathroom, a storage room…and nothing else. Everything was huge, but…
“Hel.”
“Yes?”
“There’s only one bedroom.”
“I know. I’ll take one of the couches,” he said, finishing his sweep of the interior.
“You don’t fit on couches.”
“I know.” He didn’t seem ready to relent.
“No. I need you at full strength if you need to protect me again. Look at the size of this thing,” she said, pointing to the oversized mattress. “That could fit two of me and one and a half of you. We can make that work.”
She flopped down onto it, immediately feeling her eyes begin to close.
Then Hel was there, on his side next to her, and sleep became the very last thing on her mind.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “I don’t need to sleep here.”
Maybe not, because I can think of a lot of others things to do here.
“It’s okay,” she insisted, reaching out to pat his shoulder.
Instead her hand made its way to his face and stroked his cheek, feeling the tickle of his short stubble. Her fingers trembled when her brain caught up to her body. Hel must have felt it, because his hand closed over hers. Big. Warm. Soft. Strong.
