by Sonya Clark
The chiming of the doorbell finally took him out of his own head. He opened it to find Dani standing there. His throat dried and his pulse sped up. The set of her face showed strength. Determination. A woman on a mission. A question filled her eyes. She didn’t need to ask it, but he wasn’t surprised she did anyway. He felt the answer in his gut before the thought had time to form in his head. He let her know with a single nod.
He was in.
***
Dani breathed a sigh of relief. She’d been pretty sure, but still, there was always the chance he didn’t want to get further involved in this. “Are you sure? Absolutely sure?”
“Yes. Want some coffee?”
Oh God please yes, she wanted to say, but nodded instead. “There’s a lot we need to talk about. If I’m going to do this, I need someone I can trust to have my back.”
Kevin dumped coffee into the French press. “I have your back. Without reservation. You know you can trust me, I’m just a little surprised that you’d want to.”
She furrowed her brow. “How come?”
He shrugged. “I guess I just figured that you’d want to do this on your own.”
“I tried the whole loner thing. Not having somebody to trust, it doesn’t work. All it got me was sold to traffickers for fifty bucks and a gun with the serial number filed off. Screw that.”
He rested his hands on the counter, anger and sympathy warring on his face. She hoped the anger won, she didn’t want anyone’s sympathy. “I’ve got your back,” he reiterated.
“I know trust is a two way street. If you’re going to put yourself on the line like this, you deserve to know who I am.”
“I know who you are, Dani.”
“No, you don’t. You don’t know anything about me. Not really.” She’d spent the entire walk back to his penthouse steeling herself for this conversation. Convincing herself it was none of his business would be easy, but she didn’t believe it would be the truth. Or the right thing to do. “You asked me who Molly was. I’ll tell you.”
He turned off the stove and stood with his hands in his back pockets, the coffee abandoned. “I’m listening.”
“She was my foster sister.” Dani paced a short distance, figuring it might be easier to get the words out if she was moving. “She was three years younger than me. She knew what was happening to me but she was too young. He left her alone.”
Kevin dropped his gaze to the floor. “Who was he?”
“The foster father.” The scents of cheap aftershave and spearmint gum floated up from memory and threatened to smother her. “He…” Dani shook her head. What did the details matter? “Uh. So, Molly knew what was going on. We didn’t share a room but she still knew.” She paused, tried to keep her voice from shaking. “I thought I had time to figure out how to get us out, a little time until he started going to her room at night. She was only eleven but her body started changing. Just enough hips and breasts to get his attention. We knew…we knew we had to do it soon.”
“Did you report him?”
She waved a hand dismissively. “Hell, I’d already tried that and it didn’t work. He was a real pillar of the community type. Nobody believed me.”
“What about the foster mother? How did she not know what was going on in her own home?”
“She knew.” Dani met Kevin’s gaze briefly then skipped away. “She knew.”
“Jesus.”
“We were going to run away. I had a little money hidden. We had backpacks full of clothes and some food. No plan, really. As soon as we had an opportunity, we were going to take it. I promised Molly I’d take care of her. That I’d get her out before he raped her too.”
Kevin placed his hand on her shoulder and she realized she’d stopped pacing.
“She was so scared.”
“What happened when you tried to run away?” His voice was soft, as gentle as his touch as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Dani held herself stiff for a moment, fighting the urge to push away from him. She didn’t deserve the comfort he offered. Right? Maybe it was selfish, but she needed that comfort. Needed it so badly. She let herself relax, her back to his front, the wall of his chest warm and solid. His words fully registered and she realized he’d probably already figured out what happened.
She said it anyway. “He came to her room that night. I don’t know if he’d already planned to or if he heard us. It was a two story house and it was easier to get out from her window. I went first. She tossed her bag down and then she was supposed to come down. I pick up her bag and the next thing I know, I hear her screaming. He caught her. She was trying to fight him off but he was too big, too strong. She couldn’t get free of him. So it was either climb back up there and help her, and probably get beat so bad I’d be lucky to be able to walk in the morning. Not to mention all the other stuff that would just keep on happening, and no one would believe me. Or I could run. Right then, run. With Molly screaming for help right over my head. Go back in there and get beaten and keep getting raped, or run.”
Don’t leave me.
Don’t leave me.
Don’t leave me.
An endless loop of Molly screaming for help had played like background music in Dani’s dreams ever since that night. She’d run then but she couldn’t run from her dreams, the nightmares full of screaming and suffocation and a dozen different kinds of shame that all burned like brands into her skin. She carried those things with her always.
“So I ran. I was so scared, and I hated him so much. I hated being so damned powerless all the time. He did that to me and she let it happen and no one believed me because everyone thought they were such good people. I couldn’t go back in that house. I loved Molly and I wanted to get her out of there, but I couldn’t go back in that house. So I ran.”
Kevin’s arms tightened around her. On some level, she felt his embrace. Mostly she felt the sickening choke of hatred and self-loathing pressing down on her until she could barely breathe.
He said, “How old were you?”
“Fourteen.”
He turned her around so they were facing each other. “You were a child.”
She kept her gaze on the center of his chest because couldn’t stand to look him in the eyes. “I knew right from wrong.”
He cupped her face in his hands and lifted her head so she was forced to meet his gaze. “You were a child, and everyone failed you.”
“I failed her.” Her voice cracked and broke but she kept the tears at bay.
“You were a child.” He stroked her cheek then spread his fingers in her hair. “You can’t spend the rest of your life punishing yourself for a split second decision you made at the age of fourteen.”
“Maybe not. Maybe I need to make up for it.”
“So this is why you do what you do? Run headlong into danger when you hear someone screaming for help, because a part of you always hears Molly in that moment.”
Dani nodded. A lump of emotion clogged her throat and she couldn’t have spoken even if she’d wanted to. Instead, she leaned against Kevin. Whether she deserved it or not wasn’t a question she wanted to think about right now. She took the comfort he offered and let it fill her up. For the first time in forever, she could feel the telltale warmth of a light in the dark, see its blurry golden edges flickering in the black.
“I thought you were supposed to be a dumb pretty boy,” she murmured.
He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. As if he knew she wouldn’t break. “That’s my alter ego,” he said. “My secret identity is the dorky guy in glasses who paints and isn’t quite as dumb as everyone thinks he is.”
Dani stepped out of his embrace but took his hand in hers. “If you want out, at any time, just say the word. I’ll never hold it against you.”
“Dani.”
“I killed men in Lincoln Heights. I know you’re not comfortable with that.”
“I don’t think you are, either.”
“No,” she admitted. “But I have to live with it.
You don’t.”
“You don’t have to kill, Dani. There’s got to be a better way.”
“Bessonov may not give me a choice. If it’s him or me, him or Tatiana or some other innocent, I’m putting him down.”
“You can live with that?”
Dani shrugged. It wasn’t something she wanted to give much thought to. “What am I supposed to do, let him kill me or some other girl? I already screwed up and got Masha killed. I don’t want that to happen again.”
“I don’t want that to happen, either.” He ran his hands through his hair and blew out a breath in frustration. “I just wish there was a better way.”
“So do I. If I can find one, I’ll take it. I promise you that.”
“So what happens next?”
“Tonight I talk to Housecat again, see if he’s had any luck finding Tatiana. I need a shakedown run.”
“A what?”
She explained about shock overload. “I need to make sure I’ve recovered. Physically, and also test out the interface.”
“And in the mean time?”
“I need some sleep. I’m still sore and my head hurts. I need to be in better shape when I go back out there, so I’m going to sleep for a few hours.” She paused, wondering if she was being presumptuous. “If it’s still okay for me to stay for a while.”
“Of course it is.” His mouth curved into a smile. “So, superhero, what do you want your sidekick to do while you’re sleeping?”
“Don’t call me a superhero. It’s embarrassing.”
Kevin held up his hand and ticked off points with his fingers. “Superior strength and speed. Enhanced senses. Various little odds and ends through gene therapy and cybernetic implants. Those are your superpowers.”
Dani sighed. “I don’t like calling them superpowers, but yeah. I guess so.”
“I’ve got superpowers, too. Devastating good looks. Irresistible charm. A trust fund and a no limit credit card.”
Dani suppressed a smile. “Those last two could come in handy.”
Kevin smiled big enough for both of them. “I’m buying you a cape.”
“No cape.”
“Oh, come on. You’re a superhero. You have to wear a cape.”
“I am not wearing a cape. And stop calling me a superhero.”
“Red. The cape should definitely be red.” He wagged his eyebrows.
Dani narrowed her eyes. “Tell you what. I’ll wear a cape if you wear tights. What do you say?”
Kevin’s smile disappeared and it was like the lights dimmed in the room. Sparks danced in his electric blue eyes, though. “Okay, no cape.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Fine, have it your way.”
“I will.”
“Besides, you just confirmed that you think of me as your sidekick. You want me to keep helping you. To work with you and be your partner.” Right then Kevin was all the smug triumph of a spoiled boy who got exactly what he wanted at Christmas. “I hate the thought of hiding my pretty face under a mask, but for you, I’ll make the sacrifice.” Laughter floated just under the surface of his words.
This time Dani couldn't keep the smile off her face. The last thing she needed was some playboy billionaire to take care of, but if she was going to have someone watching her back, she could do a lot worse. He might be useless at fighting but he was great at digging up information. Not hard to look at, either. Maybe she'd finally get a good look at that tattoo on his right bicep.
He leaned forward and clapped his hands together. “So what’s my first job as your official sidekick?”
Didn’t superheroes always bone their sidekicks in the comics? That night in his car had been so, so good. If they took their time and had a little room to play, how amazing would it be between them? “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
He put one hand on her hip and drew her closer, then kissed her cheek. “Get some rest. The sidekick’s going shopping.” She started to protest and he placed a finger over her lips. “No cape and no tights. Promise.”
Dani knew he would keep that promise. She just hoped she could keep hers. He might not want to admit it, but Kevin didn’t want to be involved with a killer. The guilt by association would eat at him, she knew, until he couldn’t stand to look at her. If she were being truly honest with herself, she knew it would do the same to her. She had to find a way to bring down Bessonov without killing him.
Chapter 28
What was the job of a sidekick to a superhero? That wasn’t a question Kevin ever thought he’d be asking himself. So far he’d provided aid and comfort, material support, drove the getaway vehicle twice, conducted research.
Hot sex in the front seat of his car.
Okay, that probably came under aid and comfort.
What would it take to get Bessonov off the streets, preferably without killing him? Frankly, he had no ideas. He had more experience committing crimes, albeit petty rich boy stuff, than fighting crime. For now, he’d leave that stuff to Dani. As far as he could figure right now, the best thing he could do was make sure she was better protected the next time she went up against Bessonov or any other bad guys. He had a few ideas about how to do that.
He cleaned up and went shopping, first to a motorcycle apparel store, then to a BDSM boutique. Dani was still asleep when he got back, so he arranged everything on the living room furniture for her to examine. Then he waited, and tried to avoid thinking about difficult things while he cleaned up his studio.
That proved impossible.
He wanted her to stay, but the potential consequences scared him. He didn’t want either of them to get hurt, or go to jail. He didn’t want either of them to suffer a broken heart. Helping her, being involved with her in any way, was dangerous on so many levels. But he couldn’t ask her to leave, or stop helping her, or stop caring about her. And it wasn’t just because she’d saved his life. Dani helped people who had no one else on their side. She was fighting a war within herself, and Kevin wanted to see her win.
By the time she woke he’d been downstairs for a while, reading. Her dark hair fell in a mass of thick waves down her back. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and surveyed the clothes arrayed on the sofa.
“This stuff.” She picked up a pair of black straight fit jeans and checked out the pockets right above the knees. “There’s extra padding here.”
“The denim is also reinforced with Kevlar.”
“Kevlar?” She looked up at him, grinning.
“I don’t know that it’s enough to stop a bullet.” He gestured at the clothing. “This is all motorcycle gear. All reinforced with Kevlar. Padding at the knees and elbows. It’s not armor, but it will protect you better than regular clothing and you can still walk around in it and not be noticed.” He picked up a long sleeve black tee. “The guy at the store said you need to wear a regular cotton tee underneath this. Apparently Kevlar isn’t quite as bad as road rash but it’s still not fun in a crash.”
She nodded and moved on to another piece. It was a fitted denim jacket with an attached black hood made of soft sweatshirt material. After that was a long sleeve black leather shirt, then a black and white flannel plaid. More pants, both denim and leather. Two pairs of boots.
He picked up the pair with three buckles on the sides. “Nice functional heel and steel toes. Thought you’d like that.”
“Hell, yeah. This stuff is awesome.”
“There’s more.” Kevin retrieved a glossy black shopping bag from beside his desk. “A hood’s not really good enough and the ski mask can’t be the most comfortable thing to wear this time of year. So I got these for you to try.” He took two black leather masks from the bag and held them out for her inspection. One was a simple domino mask. The other had more to it and would cover the top half of her face. It also had –
“Cat ears?” Dani gave him a death glare.
He coughed. “There wasn’t a lot to choose from.”
“You were doing so good with all the reinforced with Kev
lar and the functional heels. But cat ears? Dude.”
“I restrained myself from buying you a cape. And I never seriously considered the skin tight leather body suit and stilettos. Don’t I at least get credit for that?” Another death glare. Okay, so no credit for that.
Dani grabbed the domino mask then gathered up a pair of jeans, the black tee, the flannel shirt, and the denim jacket with the hoodie. “What about gloves?”
He dug through another shopping bag then came up with a pair of black leather motorcycle gloves. She shifted everything to one arm and took the gloves. “I don’t know about these holes at the knuckles.”
Kevin swore. “I didn’t even think about that. Sorry.”
She pointed at the boots. “Can you hand me those?”
He did as asked. “I was thinking I could create a logo for you.”
Dani grimaced. “I don’t like being called a ghost.” She headed for the stairs.
“Have you thought about another name?”
“Nope.”
“We could add a few splashes of hot pink to all the black and you could call yourself Girl Power.”
“Ooh, and your sidekick name could be Boy Toy.”
“I would actually be okay with that.”
Dani came to a stop on the third step. “What the hell kind of girl power is this, letting a guy buy my clothes for me?”
Now it was Kevin’s turn to grimace. “You’re unemployed and broke. I’m unemployed too but I have that handy trust fund.”
“I don’t know what I want,” she said. “But living off somebody else isn’t it.”
That didn’t surprise him. “You’ll figure it out. Until then…I told people I hired you to teach me self-defense. Just because it’s not the whole truth doesn’t mean it can’t be true.”
“Teach you self-defense to pay for all these clothes?” She hefted the load in her arms.
