Revived

by Tia Lewis

  "What?"

  I winced as the word came out louder than I had anticipated. "I know we don't know each other," I rushed on, hoping that I could convince him I wasn't as crazy as I looked. "But it's freaking cold out here, and I would rather not sleep on the streets tonight if at all possible." Besides, I was sure my problems that had started tonight were far from over, and I'd rather not be alone if those goons came back for me.

  He crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at me, no ounce of warmth in his expression. This was a hard guy, but a tiny piece of me felt safe with him. He had come to my rescue, which had to count for something. I hated the fact that I had hit rock bottom, and I was asking a stranger to allow me to crash at his place, but if he killed me, well, I might be better off. "Fine," he finally said before walking in the direction he had come.

  I hurried to catch him, grabbing the duffel bag I had dropped near the car to get the damn thing opened. It held a few articles of clothing and some of my toiletries but was missing some of the more important things, like money. "Thank you. I will pay you as soon as I can." I wasn't quite sure when that would be.

  "It's fine," he grumbled, cutting across the street. His stride was long, and I was winded by the time we reached a building not far from the apartment building I had been living in for all of two days. Instead of going up to the door, he took a set of stairs below street level, reaching into his pocket, producing a set of keys. I swallowed my fear as he threw open the door, looking up at me as I waited on the stairs. "Can I trust you?"

  Was he really asking me that? He could easily overpower me, have his way with me or worse. "I'm not going to steal your stuff or take advantage of you if that's what you are asking."

  A hint of a smile tugged at his lips, and I sucked in a breath. He totally transformed when he did that, looking not at all as scary as I thought him to be. But it was just a second before his stone cold expression returned, and he walked through the door. I tucked my hands in the pockets of my coat and followed, stopping just inside the doorway as light flooded the space. It was far from what I thought to expect, with gleaming hardwood floors and an exposed ceiling full of pipes and air ducts. Columns dotted the room, now doubt holding up the building above us. Comfortable furniture filled the space, including a large TV hanging on a brick wall to the left, and a gourmet stainless steel kitchen to my right. I immediately started salivating, the chef in me itching to examine every single appliance. Diamonds impressed some woman, but I was a sucker for a stacked dual oven and a great blender. There were other rooms beyond this one, but he didn't bother to show them to me, and I didn't dare ask.

  "The bathroom is through that door," he stated as he walked over to a closet and opened it, pulling down a few blankets. "You can have the couch tonight."

  "I, thanks," I said, dropping my bag by the couch. At least it looked comfortable. "I'm Julia by the way. Julia Chase."

  "Travis," he responded, setting the blankets on the couch before shutting the door, and throwing the locks. He didn't offer up his last name, and I really didn't expect him to. He was going out on a limb allowing me to crash here, a virtual stranger, and I was taking a huge risk in trusting that I was going to be in one complete piece in the morning. "Good night."

  "Night," I said, watching as he disappeared down a hall, cutting the light off as he went. I waited until I heard a door click shut before kicking off my boots, and sliding onto the couch. Surprisingly, it was comfortable, the blanket soft and fuzzy, smelling faintly like wildflowers. Looking up at the dark ceiling, I wondered what the hell I was going to do. I had come to Chicago with stars in my eyes, thinking that I knew Kevin well enough to trust the fact that I was going to be taken care of. After all, we had dated long distance for nearly a year, him coming to see me every single time. I should have known something was up. I should have known that it was too good to be true.

  A tear escaped my eye, and I angrily wiped it away. I wasn't going to cry over that loser. Because of him, I had no money in my accounts, being stupid and leaving my bank cards and checks lying around. I had trusted him! And now I had some guys after me, claiming that I was in cahoots with Kevin, and that he owed them a ton of money. Guilty by association it seemed.

  A broken laugh filled the air, and I realized it was coming from me. Here I was, crashed on a couch of a hot stranger, with no idea what I was going to do when the sun came up. Great. Life was just peachy at the moment.

  Chapter Three

  Travis

  I sat in the chair across from the couch, watching as she slept bundled under the cover, soft snores filling the air. It was some time before sunrise, but my usual time when I got up and started my day. I had learned to live on just two or three hours of sleep, enough time to rest my body, but not allow my nightmares to get the best of me. It was hard enough to function on a daily basis, and I had learned long ago that alcohol did nothing to numb the pain or chase away the demons.

  She mumbled something in her sleep and rolled over, causing my heart to stop in my chest until I realized she was still asleep. I was a total dumbass to let her into my place, not knowing her from the strangers that lived in this building. But my conscience wasn't going to let me just leave her on the streets to fend for herself, not after what I witnessed last night. She was in a world of shit, though I wasn't sure what kind of shit it was yet.

  With a sigh, I leaned my head back on the chair, staring up at the darkened ceiling. What a crazy turn of events. Typically, I avoided anyone of the female kind these days, not having a relationship of any sort in three years since Nicole. Just the thought of her name still caused that tightness in my chest, that ache that had never really gone away. I had met Nicole near the start of my MMA fighting career, just a cocky kid who thought he was invincible. She was the daughter of my first trainer, a long legged blonde with a wide smile, and the most beautiful brown eyes I had ever seen in my life. I think I fell in love the first time I saw her, and after a few dates, I knew I was in love with her. She was damn near perfect, and a year into our relationship, she was living with me. She had been fucking everything to me, and I was on top of the world. We kept our relationship secret from the outside world, only her parents knowing that we were dating. Not even my closest friends knew we were together. I didn't want our relationship to be exploited in my world. I didn't want her to be subjected to the scrutiny. She had laughed and told me that one day I would have to claim her and I had planned to, in a more permanent way, like making her my wife.

  But that world crumbled when I had least expected it. I remembered the night like it was yesterday, the pain still fresh and raw. I had a match that night, one that if I won, I would be fighting for the title next. I had begged Nicole to be there, but she had been sick that day, and no matter how much I pushed her, she refused to come with me. I had left the townhouse we shared pissed off and had taken all of the frustrations out on my opponent, winning the damn thing. It had been the best moment in my life. That was until I received the phone call that would change my world forever. She had tried to come, but a drunk driver had crossed a double yellow, and in an instant, my world disappeared. It was later I found out the reason she was sick.

  I shifted in my chair, my eyes focused on the woman sleeping on my couch. She shouldn't be here. I couldn't have this going on in my life. After two years of searching for myself, I had pulled myself together and gone into the business of a gym with the other guys, refusing to even touch the damn cage again. My selfishness had cost Nicole her life, our unborn baby their life. Yeah, she had been pregnant. The doctor said she had been about two months along, and I still couldn't figure out for the life of me why she had kept it a secret. If I had known…

  Shit, I couldn't go down this path anymore. Pushing out of the chair, I contemplated just leaving. I believed Julia that she wasn't out to rob me. I seriously thought she had some issues, and the fear in her eyes last night had told me this was deeper than I probably wanted to know. Why were people after her? Why had she been
trying to steal a car? Who the hell was this stranger sleeping on my couch?

  My phone chirped, and I cursed under my breath as she stirred, sitting up sleepily. In the dim light from the kitchen, I took in her oval face, the way her hair draped over one shoulder in a messy cloud of brown. The blanket slid down, and I stared at her chest, wondering how the hell I missed that rack last night. I watched as she rubbed her eyes before she saw me, yawning and stretching. "Good morning."

  I grunted, watching her body shift with the movement. Damn, it had been too long since I had touched a woman, fucked a woman. But every time I had considered it, Nicole's face flitted across my mind, and the memories surfaced, memories that sent me back into that dark place. I didn't want to have someone that close to me anymore. I didn't want to have to deal with the pain. "I have to go to work."

  She blinked, lowering her arms. "Oh, I'm holding you up. I'm so sorry."

  I crossed my arms over my chest, angry at myself for having even an ounce of tenderness. I should have left her on the sidewalk last night, and walked away. "Can I drop you off somewhere?" I hadn't had a car in a few years, preferring to walk everywhere I needed to go, but I could at least get her somewhere safe. She had to have somewhere to go.

  A shadow crossed over her face, and I felt the tug on my damn heart again. "I, um, I have nowhere to go."

  Shit. "Is there someone you can call?" Weren't there shelters for gorgeous, homeless women? If there weren't, I could start one just to get her out of my place.

  She shook her head, looking close to tears. "There's no one."

  I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the frustration and anxiety start to build. I couldn't let her stay here. I couldn't leave her to her own vices in my place. "Well, I can't leave you here."

  She nodded, drawing in a sharp breath as she pushed back the blanket. "Well, I appreciate you letting me crash on your couch, Travis. You saved me last night, and I will pay you back."

  I waved a hand, the hand that had bruises on the knuckles this morning. Despite the fact that I had sworn off fighting, last night had felt way too good, those bottled emotions brimming the surface. For a split second, I had longed to hit him again, to release some aggression. It had taken me two hours to calm the fuck down when I had closeted myself in my bedroom, pacing the floor in the dark until I was chill enough to climb in the bed. "No need. Are you sure there's no place I can take you?"

  She shoved her feet into her boots, those damn ducks laughing at me in the pre-dawn light. "No, I'll find my way, thank you."

  She was hard headed. I couldn't very well just let her walk out of my place without a damn plan. It would be wrong. I wasn't some cold hearted bastard to dump a woman on the streets. Things happened on the streets that she shouldn't have to go through, though, after last night, I knew she wasn't just some woman on the street. Something bad was following her, and I had gotten involved. Shit. "Get dressed," I said darkly. "I've got a place you can go."

  She looked at me warily, and I ignored the fact that she was fucking gorgeous without a stitch of makeup on. Why couldn't she have been sixty? Why was it someone that was testing my limits? "What?"

  I pointed toward the bathroom. "I said I have a place I can take you to, but I can't take you like that."

  Her chin jutted in the air, but I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly as she grabbed her bag and marched to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her hard. At this rate, I was going to need a drink for breakfast.

  Chapter Four

  Julia

  I clutched my bag in front of me as we entered the small bakery, my stomach rumbling in protest as the sweet smell of cake batter assaulted my senses. Of all the places that I thought Travis would take me, this was not even on the list. What was he going to do, dump me in a bakery?

  "We aren't open yet, oh, hey Travis. You're a bit early for a cupcake." I watched as a woman walked up to the display counter, giving me a once-over with a curious eye. "Hi."

  I gave her a little wave as Travis approached the counter, dressed in his customary hoodie and jogging pants. I couldn't help but wonder if he had any other clothes in his closet, or if he had just slept in the same outfit. Either way, he was hot even in sweats. "Hey, Hannah. I need a favor."

  "Sure," the woman said slowly, casting a sidelong glance at me. "What do you need Travis?"

  He pointed at me like I was some kind of child who had lost their parents and needed to be taken care of. I didn't need to be taken care of. "I need for her to stay here today while I work."

  Hannah didn't even attempt to hide her surprise. "Who is she?"

  I was tired of being treated like I didn't exist. Stepping forward, I extended my hand over the counter. "I'm Julia. Travis is just helping me out during a rough spot, and thought that I could help you out today while he works."

  Hannah shook my hand, a thousand questions in her gaze as she looked at me. "I'm Hannah, and I would love to have some help. My partner is out sick today, and I'm up to my eyeballs in orders. How well are you at stirring?"

  "I'm pretty decent," I smiled, some of the tension easing in my chest. She wasn't the type to pry, I could tell that right off the bat. We were going to get along just fine.

  "I owe you, Hannah," Travis said as he brushed past me toward the door. He walked out without a word to me, and I sighed, wondering what I was going to do once this day was done. It was obvious I was cramping his style, and honestly, I didn't want to be around another man at the moment.

  "Well," Hannah said, her hands on her hips. "If I had my guess, you haven't had breakfast yet. These guys, they never think about anything but that gym, mine including."

  "I haven't," I admitted, my stomach grumbling. Hannah grinned and motioned me back, pointing to the small work table in the midst of the bakery. "Sit. I just made some muffins earlier."

  I sat, dropping my bag beside my chair. The bakery reminded me of my kitchen back at the restaurant I had worked at before moving out here, my own comfort zone. In that kitchen, I was in my element, which was the way I had met Kevin to begin with. He had come in one night for dinner with some clients, choosing to sit at the chef's table, which was not far from my domain. I had wined and dined them, wowing them with my culinary skills, and at the end of the night, he had asked for my phone number. I had given it to him, seeing a handsome, successful businessman with a wide smile, and a great sense of humor. From then on we were together, and when he had left to return at the end of the week, I had already had sex with him. Skype then became our best friend, and when he could come out to California, I spent every waking moment with the man I thought I loved.

  "Here," Hannah said, sitting a muffin and a cup of juice in front of me before sitting on the stool. "Go on, and eat that."

  "Thanks," I said, biting into the warm muffin. A blast of lemon filled my mouth, and I nearly moaned. "God, this is good."

  "Thanks," she answered. "I'm branching out into muffins and trust me, the guys don't mind. They get all my rejects."

  "I imagine there's not many," I answered, taking another bite of the delicious pastry. It was really, really good.

  She laughed. "You're right, but I pretend they are rejects anyway. Someone has to take care of them." I laughed with her, knowing exactly what she meant. I would have said the same thing about my dishes, rarely having to throw anything out. I had been so close to becoming a partner, but when Kevin had asked me to move here, I had taken all the money I had been carefully saving and left on a whim, hoping to open my own restaurant once I was settled with Kevin. Now all of my hard earned money was gone in the wind, along with my dreams. I felt like a total idiot.

  "So Julia," Hannah said after a moment. "Travis has never mentioned a woman in his life."

  I polished off the rest of the muffin and took a swallow of my juice, contemplating what I was going to tell her. "I'm not in his life. He was gracious enough to let me stay with him for a while."

  "Travis?" Hannah asked, shaking her head. "Honey, I'm not sure what you have
over that man, but I have never known Travis to offer anything to anybody."

  I frowned. What had made him do so then? "How well do you know him?"

  A soft smile crossed her face as she waggled her finger at me, a sparkling diamond catching my eye. "I'm engaged to one of those fighters next door. I know all of them pretty well, but Travis, well he hides something pretty deep."

  I sighed, wishing I had one of those rings on my finger. I thought I was getting one from Kevin. After all, it would be the next step in our relationship. I hadn't anticipated on what he gave me instead. "Well, I'm not going to be around for long. This is just temporary."

  Hannah gave me a nod, though her expression clearly thought something else was going on between Travis and me. Not even close. I didn't even know his last name and had I not pushed the issue about not having a place to go; he probably would have sent me packing this morning. "Well, I'm glad to have you. Do you know your way around a kitchen?"

  I laughed, cleaning up my mess. "I'm a trained chef."

  Her eyes lit up. "Great. I don't have to explain much to you then. Did you specialize in desserts?"

  I shook my head, grabbing my hair to pull it back in a ponytail and out of my face, feeling marginally better that I could be of service to someone today. I was tired of handouts already, and it had only been a day. "No, I was more on the savory side, but I think I can still help out."

  Hannah laughed as she handed me an apron. "Honey, I am just glad you know how to use a spatula. Come on, let me show you what I need help with. I'll pay you for your time."