His Safe Keeping (The Safe Series)

by Tina Bass

  “Hell!” He cursed as he walked into the house with purpose. Kade checked out each room, making sure she would be safe there. It didn’t take long, with an open living room and a tiny kitchen, one bedroom to the left and a bathroom on the right. Shouldn’t she have better sense than to leave the door unlocked for anybody to come in and lay in wait? He’d seen what some people could do to another human being. Seen it too many times. He stalked back to the car, wanting to strangle somebody. Kade yanked the car door open, glaring in at her, ready to give her a piece of his mind.

  She turned toward him, eyes half closed with just a hint of a smile on those sexy full lips. “Irish, are you okay?”

  “Irish?”

  Straightening in her seat, looking around and then at him, she gave him a mischievous grin. “Always heard Irish cops were the sweetest ones of all.”

  “Who said I was Irish?”

  Looking right into his eyes, she answered his question, “With those beautiful green eyes, you’ve got to have some Irish in you.” Krista made the statement as though it was a simple fact. Then shrugging her shoulders she added, frankly. “Plus, your name is McKaden.” Kade was at a loss for words.

  Clearing his throat, he spoke gruffly, “Let’s get you inside.” Leaning in, he scooped her up and out of the car.

  “I can walk.” She protested.

  Holding her tight to his chest, he strode across the yard. “And I can carry you,” he stated firmly.

  “Okay,” Krista whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.

  Kade walked into her house and over to the small loveseat and sat down with her in his lap. In just a few seconds she was fast asleep again. He wanted to just sit and cradle her to him for the rest of the day. Or better yet, lay her down in that big king size bed he’d seen when he was checking to make sure her house was safe, and hold her until she woke up. His imagination started getting away from him, because he began picturing all kinds of things he wanted to do to her and with her. His thoughts were just starting to form a complete fantasy when she wiggled around in his lap, trying to get comfortable. Damn, he’d forgotten about his utility belt. Standing up, he placed her gently on the loveseat. She immediately found a comfortable spot and settled in. Picking up the blanket that had slipped off when he was moving her, Kade covered her up. Leaning over, he kissed Krista on the forehead.

  “Sleep well, beautiful.” For a few moments he stood over her and just watched her sleep. Honestly, he could stand there forever and just soak in all that she was with his eyes. Taking a step back, not wanting to leave her, but knowing he had to get back to the station, Kade finally turned and walked out, locking the door as he left.

  Chapter Two

  What should have only taken a couple of hours, ended up taking four. Now Kade was tired, frustrated, and the only thing he could think about was how Krista was doing. Hell, he hadn’t stopped thinking about her since he’d left her hours ago. Just one of the reasons everything had taken so long. Sitting in his office finishing up the transport file, his mind drifted back to Krista. He still didn’t know why she had to have treatments. Was she sick? How sick was she? What the hell could be wrong? Just thinking about how small she looked lying on that loveseat before he left her, so pale, so weak, yet still so damn beautiful, he had to know more. He had to see her again, hold her again. And that’s exactly what he intended to do. Walking out of the station to his truck, he had only one destination in mind—Krista.

  After Krista slept for a few hours, she awoke feeling weak, but not as tired as before. She knew the routine. As the treatments went on, the effects would get worse before they were over. “Only three more times,” she spoke out loud, reminding herself. “I can do this, no matter how bad the days of the treatments are.” She knew the next day would be better and then the day after that, she would be back to her normal self.

  “I can do this.” She repeated to bolster her courage. “Yeah, like I have a choice.” No, she wouldn’t think that way. What she needed now was a long hot shower. Forcing herself up, she grabbed her mp3 player and headed for the bathroom, yawning the whole way.

  Walking up to Krista’s door, Kade knocked and then waited and knocked again. When there was no answer, he tried the knob. Locked. Now she locks the door, he thought, with just a hint of annoyance. He could hear music. Not loud from where he was standing outside the house, but maybe it was too loud inside for her to hear him knock. So he started pounding on the door, thinking he was making so much noise that she would surely be able to hear him over the music.

  Stepping out of the shower, Krista thought she heard some kind of banging. Hitting pause on her mp3 player, she listened and heard…nothing. Shrugging her shoulders, she hit play again, slipping into the robe she always wore after a shower.

  Kade was in no mood for this nonsense. What if she’d gotten sicker or was hurt? Without another thought, he stalked to his truck, reached into the glove box, and pulled out a small leather case. He stalked back to her door with a purpose and pulled out the right lock pick.

  Krista padded out of the bathroom in nothing but her short, white, cotton robe, which fell just below her hips. Brushing out her hair that she’d pinned up while she showered, she was on her way to her bedroom to find some of her ‘comfy clothes,’ which was what she liked to call her big baggy T-shirts and leggings. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement. Gasping, she turned, jumped, and without a thought, threw her brush at the man—the very large man—standing in her house!

  Kade just reached out and caught her brush one-handed, like they’d been playing catch with her brush all day.

  “Hot crud, you scared the bejeezuss out of me!” Krista yelled as she placed her hand over her frantically beating heart.

  Kade stood frozen, no part of him moving after he caught the brush, but his eyes. They were running up and down her body, trying to take it all in. From her bright orange painted toe nails, up her tan shapely legs…to the hem of that, oh so very short robe, which barely covered her hips…up to her chest, to the vee of her robe parting with the rise and fall of her breathing, exposing hints of the full curves of her breasts…up her slender neck, to those full lips which were slightly parted…and finally hitting her too large eyes as she stared at him in shock. He couldn’t move, knowing that if he took a step toward her, he would grab her up, and toss her on her bed. He wanted—damn! He wanted to rip that robe off and worship her little sexy body.

  “You need better locks on your door,” he growled instead.

  “W-what?” she stuttered.

  “It took me less than a minute to pick your lock.”

  “You picked my lock?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You broke into my house?” Krista asked him, a little louder, as she took a step back.

  “I knocked, you didn’t answer.”

  “So you picked my lock?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You broke into my house?” Krista knew she was repeating herself.

  “I pounded on your damn door. You did not answer. I heard music. I didn’t know if you were still sick, or hurt, or if you just couldn’t hear me.”

  “So you just took it upon yourself to break into my house?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Irish, you can’t just go around breaking into people’s houses. It’s against the law!”

  “Get dressed,” Kade grumbled instead of telling her to take the robe off, which was what he really wanted to say. “Now.” He finished with clenched teeth.

  Krista looked down at herself, remembering what little she had on. “Oh,” she said, still a little shocked. Turning to walk into her room to do just that, she stopped at the doorway to look back at Kade. “Uh, make yourself at home. I guess.” As if he hadn’t already.

  Kade turned and walked the two steps back into
her living room. Looking around, he finally took time to really see, or at least what little there was to see. Along with the small beige and blue plaid loveseat, which looked to be at least ten years old—and used hard every day of those ten years—there was one wood-like end table, probably constructed in the 70s, and a gold lamp with a red shade. At the corner of the table, there sat the ugliest green side chair he’d ever laid eyes on. That was it. No knick-knacks, no pictures, and no girly shit that most of the women he knew had filling up their places. Not even a television. In fact, the only thing he saw that was remotely nice were the curtains hanging up at the one lonely window. Though they were simple light blue drapes with white lace trim and tied back with what looked like the same lace, they seemed to be brand new. Walking into the kitchen, he saw there was a short bar separating the two rooms with a small shelf stereo sitting on it. Kade knew the kitchen was small, but now he could see just how tiny it was. Not even big enough for a table. On one wall was a gold stove. Damn, how old was that thing? On each side of the ancient stove were floor to ceiling, white tin cabinets, and on the opposite wall was an icebox. Damn thing was so old, you couldn’t call it a refrigerator. It was the kind with one door you had to open just to get to the tiny freezer inside.

  Right beside that was the back entrance. Kade walked over to check the locks on that door. “Son-of-a-bitch.” The damn back door didn’t even have a lock. Just a block of wood wedged up under it.

  Krista slipped on her T-shirt and pulled on her leggings, wondering the whole time what Kade was doing at her house. She walked out of her room only to find him studying her back door. That size man, standing in her kitchen, was making the already small room look and feel extremely tiny. She didn’t mind the view of his backside, though. Sometime after he had left her earlier, he’d changed out of his uniform and into blue jeans which fit well. Really well. A black T-shirt hugged all those male muscles and the dusty cowboy boots on his feet looked to be worn from use and not for show.

  “You don’t have to worry about picking that lock,” Krista announced to him, just a little snotty. At that, Kade turned around to face her and the look on his face stopped her breath. Scary-pissed was the only way to describe it.

  “Are you feeling better?” he asked in a voice filled with concern which didn’t match the look on his face.

  “Uh, yeah, I guess so,” Krista answered cautiously, and a little confused.

  “Good,” he stated, walking toward her. Invading her space, he stopped close. Very close. She looked up at him. He looked down at her, his eyes roaming her face. When his gaze met hers, he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth. Then he took a step back and let his hand drop. “I’ll be back,” he said gruffly and then walked past her and right out the front door. Before she could even turn around, he was gone, her front door slamming behind him.

  “What the heck was that all about?” she asked aloud, but no one was there to answer her.

  Chapter Three

  After going to the hardware store to get what he needed, Kade returned to Krista’s house on a mission. Walking up to her door, he tried the knob to see if she locked the door after he’d left. It turned and he pushed the door open with frustration. Damn! Did the woman even know how to lock a fuckin’ door? Walking on into her house, he was instantly assaulted with a blast of music. Looking over, Krista was fast asleep on the loveseat, wrapped in the blanket he’d given her. How the hell can she sleep with that music blasting? He wondered to himself. Walking over to the little stereo, he turned down the volume and then headed back out to his truck. He gathered his tools and things and went to work putting the new, and a whole hulluva’ lot better, locks on her doors.

  Krista woke slowly. Something was off. Something was different, she could feel it. Then she realized the noise she was hearing was a drill? She sat up, looked around, and then she saw him. Kade was in her kitchen by the backdoor on his knees. Drilling a hole in her door? She knew it wasn’t much of a door, but did he have to put a hole in it? “What are you doing?” Krista asked him with a hint of annoyance.

  “Installing a damn lock,” Kade answered her without even turning around.

  “Why?” Krista stood there, confused.

  “Because it didn’t have one,” Kade replied and continued to work. She walked over to stand beside him, bent down to study the hole he had drilled, then looked at him and waited until his eyes met hers.

  “Yes, I know I didn’t have a lock. That’s what that piece of wood was for.” She felt as if she should explain, since he didn’t seem to understand, as she pointed to the now discarded wedge of wood. “But why are you, as in you,” she said as she waved her hand up and down in front of him like she was on a game show and presenting him as the prize, “putting a lock on my door?” She finished what she had to say while pointing at the door.

  “It didn’t have one. You needed one. Now it will have one,” he spoke slowly as he turned to open a package which contained a door knob and a dead bolt. “I’ve already finished the front door and your new keys are over there.” He nodded over his shoulder in the direction of the bar. “The one key will work with all the locks.” Krista just stood there staring at this man while he took the old door knob off to replace it with the new one.

  “Um, yeah, but can I ask why? I mean, why are you…as in you, doing it? Is it a cop thing in this town?” she stammered, but she was determined to get some answers.

  “How long have you lived here?” Kade asked her, completely changing the subject.

  “What?” She was starting to feel a little stupid or maybe it was this man making her feel that way. She didn’t like the feeling.

  “How long have you lived here?” He paused in what he was doing to look at her. “How long have you lived in this house? In this town?”

  Standing back up, Krista stared at him, slightly confused. “Almost six months.”

  He glanced up at her face. “You’ve been here in this house for six fuckin’ months without a lock on this door, and a bullshit lock on the front?” he growled as he swung his arm out to point in the direction of the other door.

  She stepped back away from him, not liking his tone of voice. “Uh, yeah, but it’s no big deal.” She explained to him cautiously.

  Kade dropped his head like he was studying the floor, just breathing in and out, in and out, in and out. The muscles in his jaw were jumping with each breath. He held that position for what felt like hours, but was really less than a minute. When he did move, he got to his feet, started walking toward her and didn’t stop until the tips of his cowboy boots were touching the toes of her bare feet. Leaning down, his face close to hers, he bellowed at her, “No big deal?” She jumped, started to take another step back away from him, but before she could move, he straightened to his full height and paced around, muttering under his breath the entire time. “Krista, you live on a dead end street. In the woods. Your closest neighbor is over a quarter of a mile away.” Kade never took his eyes off of her.

  “I know where I live, I live here!” Krista was getting angry and her voice rose with each word that she spoke.

  That scary-pissed look came back when he roared back at her. “What the fuck is the matter with you?”

  Now she was seriously getting pissed! He was standing in her house, yelling at her, for what? “What’s the matter with me? What’s the matter with you? You’re in my house!” She stated this while waving her arms back and forth, indicating the whole house. “Mine.” Still flailing her arms back and forth, she pointed at herself. “That I might remind you, you broke into.” She gritted her teeth and leaned toward him.

  “Yeah. I did. In less than a fuckin’ minute. Damn, woman, one good kick to that piece of shit door would have broken the lock.” He indicated the discarded old door knob lying on the floor by said door.

  That was it. Now she was good and pis
sed. She stood straight up, crossing her arms at her chest. “First off, my neighbor is like ninety years old and she’s too sweet to go around breaking into people’s houses, much less kicking in a door. Plus, she likes me, because I always bring her muffins when I fix them. Second—” But, Krista didn’t get to finish before he interrupted by talking over her.

  “Damn it, woman! Do you have any idea what can happen to a woman, a beautiful woman, who lives alone, doesn’t know how to lock a door, and has a neighbor who’s as old as dirt and no way in hell to protect herself, much less someone else?” Kade glared at her when she didn’t say anything right away. Then he continued his tirade, his voice raised. “Do you fuckin’ know?”

  Yeah, she knew. She knew all too well what could happen. Nope! Not thinking about that, she told herself. So instead Krista blurted the first thing that came to mind. “You think I’m beautiful?” Krista was hoping to change the uncomfortable subject, and so she smiled at him.

  Kade stood there looking into her gorgeous face as the anger and frustration he’d been feeling for hours at the knowledge of her being so vulnerable melted away with just her smile. “Yeah, baby, you are. But you need to take better care.” He didn’t really understand it, but he wanted—no, he needed to protect her, to keep her safe.

  Krista took a deep breath and then blew it out slowly. “I’m fine, have been fine, and will be fine.” Then looking up at him, she had to thank him. “I really appreciate what you’ve done, but, really, it was totally unnecessary.”

  Kade just stared at her. He had to make her understand. He didn’t want to frighten her, but she had to know that not everybody was a sweet ninety year old woman. Some were sick monsters who would hurt her given the chance. “Krista, please listen to me.” He tried to explain, but this time she interrupted him.