by Jessica Gray
“I’m fine. I just want to be left alone.” She turned her back on him.
“Do you need help?” he asked, walking around her.
“No. I told you, I’m fine.”
“This isn’t a good place for a woman to be alone. Especially at night.”
Karen had no idea what time it was, but darkness had settled in and she assumed it had to be around eight. “Just go away, please?”
He threw her a measuring glance and hesitantly walked a little distance away. Karen turned her back to him, trying to come up with a plan. She didn’t even know in which direction to walk. For what it was worth, all she wanted was to sit here and be left alone. Her body and mind were drained, every decision too much to take.
She didn’t have to, because moments later she heard the scuff of shoes behind her again and turned to see the young man had returned. “Lady, I can’t leave you out here all alone. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”
Karen gave a snort of laughter, laced with derision. They way he looked, he was just one more criminal like those who had mugged her earlier. And he was worried about something happening to her? It didn’t make any sense.
He squatted down and pierced her with his dark brown eyes. A sudden warmth and a feeling of safety spread through her body as she immersed herself in his stare. It was a caring look without any trace of malice. In the next moment he reached out a hand to pull her up and she willingly accepted it.
He pulled her to her feet and even though his appearance and demeanor exuded danger, she somehow knew she could trust him. But what confused the heck out of her was that she was attracted to him. She held onto his hand for a moment longer than needed to take in his strength and the heat radiating from him. The sense of danger. The depths of his brown eyes. His muscled physique.
“Lady, where can I take you? Do you have someplace you should be?”
“My phone and wallet were stolen.” She turned and gestured down the block, “I wandered down there and these two guys…” She stopped and then shrugged.
He frowned.
“Maybe the police?” she said.
The man shook his head. “I can’t go there, sorry. I can take you about any place else, but not to the cops.”
Karen shivered in the cool night air and he noticed it. “You’re cold.”
“Yes.”
“Here, take that.” He took off his leather jacket and hung it around her shoulders. Karen’s mouth fell open. The jacket smelled like him, with a hint of tobacco, and her head swirled with everything that had happened today.
“I really need to go to the police.”
“Not happening. I can’t take you there. By the way, I’m Fernando.”
“Great.” Karen knew she sounded rude, but now that she had a plan, she needed to follow it. Find the police. She turned and stomped off down the street, having no idea of where she was headed.
She got maybe twenty yards before Fernando caught up with her, “Hey, lady. Wait up. What do you think you’re doing?”
Karen glared daggers at him. “Going to the police, of course.”
He chuckled. “Missy, the way I see it, you can either come with me and stay safe or go on your own and maybe not survive this night.”
“Are you serious?” Karen shouted.
“Dead serious. I told you this area is not a place for a beautiful woman like you. And I don’t even know why I care. Except for the fact you’re still wearing my jacket.”
His grin sent hot and cold shivers up her spine. Maybe he told the truth and she should go with him? Rachel! She must be sick with worry by now. I should have called her with my flight information hours ago.
“Okay. No police. But can I at least use your phone?” Karen asked.
Fernando looked at her suspiciously, but after a moment, he pulled a shiny new iPhone from his pocket. He held it aloft and then told her, “Give me the number and I’ll dial it for you.”
Karen rolled her eyes at him, but obediently rattled off Rachel’s number. While he dialed she wondered how someone like him could afford a new iPhone. Those things cost hundreds. Did he acquire this one the same way her phone got a new owner?
He waited until the call started ringing before handing her the phone.
Rachel answered on the second ring. “Karen? Where in the hell are you? I’ve been worried to death!”
“I’m fine. I couldn’t get to the airport because…” She paused, seeing Fernando making a gesture to cut the call short. He frowned at her and a shiver of fear ran down her back.
“I have to go, but I’ll call you again as soon as I can. Don’t worry about me.”
When Fernando took a step towards her, she quickly ended the call and held the phone out to him. “Here. Thanks.”
“Good girl,” he said and grinned at her, and this time, she totally freaked out.
Chapter 9
Robert devoured Marcela’s gorgeous full breasts with his eyes before he dipped his head, intending to pay homage to them with his lips and tongue. But in the very moment he touched her tender skin with his lips, Karen’s image crossed his mind and he realized what he was doing.
He hastily backed away from Marcela, averting his eyes – appalled by what he had done, and had almost finished. Stupid idiot. How could you do that?
“My God, what are we doing? This is wrong. This cannot happen.” He reached for his discarded shirt and hastily pulled it back on. Then he tossed Marcela her bra and blouse with a terse, “Get dressed.”
She was flushed and seemed to be as ashamed of their actions as he was. “Robert, I…”
“I better leave.”
Marcela wrestled with the clasp of her bra and turned away from him. “Yes.”
He spared her one more glance and then stalked from the apartment with a turmoil of emotions rushing around in his brain.
Back in his hotel room, he huffed out a breath as he looked out over the city lights, his mind a jumbled mess. He still needed to talk to Marcela about the divorce, but that would have to happen tomorrow. And he needed to find somewhere or someplace to have the conversation where they wouldn’t have a repeat of this evening. Shame flushed him and his ears burnt. He probably looked like a signal post.
God, I’m a piece of shit. I can’t believe I kissed Marcela.
He paced the length of the room, continuing to berate himself for his actions. Doubts filled his mind. Was Karen even the right woman for him? If he could be swayed so easily, what did that say about him?
By the time he finished his lecture, he was mired in loathing and self-hate.
He glanced at his phone when it chimed, seeing the calendar reminder of his meeting tomorrow with the divorce lawyer whom Trevor Armstrong had found him. The lawyer specialized in immigration and multinational marriages, and seemed to think there was a good chance of getting out of the marriage without either Robert or Marcela suffering any dire consequences.
Robert tucked his phone away, opened the mini bar, and pulled out a bottle of brandy. As he poured it over ice, he thought about the two women in his life.
He remembered the frantic, passionate sex with Marcela back in Las Vegas. Some of the things he’d done with her he’d never done with another woman since then. Kinky stuff he would never suggest to Karen. She was a good girl, and good girls didn’t do such things.
It had never occurred to him that he’d actually missed this part of his sex life. But now, after meeting Marcela again, he realized keeping his marriage a secret had also involved keeping that part of himself hidden away – mostly from himself.
Robert hadn’t wanted to remember Marcela, because then he would have had to admit how much he liked the dirty things they’d done together. And he didn’t want to tell Karen and run the risk of her looking at him like he was a pervert or something. Not with Karen. She meant too much to him.
Those thoughts got him to worrying about her again. Where is she? He pulled out his phone and dialed her number again. When a male voic
e answered and told him rudely to stop calling, he almost dropped the phone.
“I want to talk to Karen. Right now.”
“Yeah, we all have wants. And right now, she’s verrry occupied. Besides, she doesn’t want to talk to you, so fuck off!” The man laughed evilly into the phone amidst a bunch of crude words that caused Robert to blanch.
Robert stared at his phone, trying to figure out what had just happened. Some guy just answered Karen’s phone. And she doesn’t want to talk to me?
Out of his mind with worry, he called Peter, even though it was almost midnight.
“Robert? Why are you calling me so late?” Peter’s voice sounded worried.
“Has Rachel heard back from Karen yet?”
“Yes. She called and said she wasn’t going to make it to the airport tonight. Rachel said she sounded scared and kept the call short.”
“Man, something’s not right.” Robert mentioned the man who’d just answered Karen’s phone.
“Are you sure you called the right number?” Peter asked.
Robert coughed. “I have her on speed dial.”
“There’s probably a perfectly rational explanation.”
“No. Something’s off. I just know it.” Robert ran a hand through his hair.
“Why don’t you send her a text?” Peter suggested.
“I might.” With these words, Robert ended the call, grabbed his wallet, and headed for the lobby of the hotel.
He grabbed a taxi and fifteen minutes later he was standing in front of a police desk, being told he couldn’t file a missing person report until at least twenty-four hours had passed.
“You have to be kidding me! My girlfriend doesn’t know her way around this city. And she checked herself out of the hospital, while she was under the influence of the drugs they’d given her.”
“Look, sir. She’s an adult and free to leave, even if the doctor said she was in a state of shock.”
“Well, can’t you go look for her? She shouldn’t be wandering around out there by herself.”
Robert paused before he said, “I tried to call her and a very rude man answered her phone, telling me to fuck off.”
“Sir.” The officer took a deep breath before he continued in his monotone voice, and Robert had the feeling the officer was trying to hold back his amusement. “That probably means she’s found someone else. I know that’s hard to swallow, but it’s definitely not a reason to call the police. Cheating happens every day in this city.”
“No, you don’t understand. Karen isn’t like that.” She’s not like me, who almost had sex with the woman I came here to divorce. She’s faithful and loyal. “Can’t you please just send a cruiser to look for her?”
“Sir, I’m sorry, but we have real emergencies to tend to. I suggest you get a good night’s sleep and then talk things out with your girl tomorrow.”
The officer picked up the ringing phone, efficiently dismissing Robert.
Robert returned to the hotel, sick with worry and hating himself for causing this mess in the first place. Karen, baby. God, I wish I knew you were safe.
Chapter 10
Karen was trembling like an aspen leave. The signs of anxiety rose and she feared she might pass out again – into the arms of a stranger who probably wanted nothing but to harm her.
She’d just sent off the only person who knew her whereabouts. Rachel probably was cuddling with her husband, in the comforting knowledge Karen was safe, when in reality she was completely at the mercy of this stranger. If only Robert knew I’m here, I could go to him for help.
The thought of Robert made her angry again, which was a lot better than being panic-stricken. She channeled all her anxiety into cursing him for getting her into this situation, and soon she felt like she was getting a grip on herself again.
She glanced up at Fernando, who’d been patiently waiting for her to resolve her inner conflicts and now flashed her his most reassuring grin. “What’s your name, lady?”
Behind the ruggedness of his face, Karen glimpsed a flash of caring in his eyes and decided she didn’t have any better option than to trust him. “Karen.”
“Cariña.” Jesus. Did that man have the gall to flirt with her?
“It’s Ka-ren,” she said.
His smile broadened and she could feel the heat radiating from him. “Cariña suits you much better.”
In another life, she might have thrown herself into his arms, but she was a good girl; she didn’t fall for the bad boys. And his obvious charms were absolutely lost on her.
“What now?” she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“It’s too late tonight to get you to the airport, but I can get you someplace safe. Let’s go.”
When Karen didn’t move, he said, “Better to get moving than run into trouble, Cariña.” Then he grabbed her hand and started walking, giving her no choice but to follow along behind him if she didn’t want her shoulder dislocated.
Fernando didn’t release her hand, even as she fell in step beside him. He moved like a panther on the prowl, and she couldn’t resist stealing glances at him. She couldn’t see his hair under the knitted cap, but it probably had the same black color as his bushy eyebrows. Together with the olive skin and the five-day scrub on his chin, it gave him a dark and brooding look. But it was his mouth that appealed most to her. His full lips seemed so sensual and soft, and every time he smiled, his whole face changed. She had trusted him solely on the expression of his smile reaching his warm brown eyes, and she prayed to God that her knowledge of human nature hadn’t betrayed her.
Glancing down his arm to the hand that still held hers, Karen suddenly thought about how crazy this situation was and almost laughed out loud. She should have listened to Rachel and never have left Santa Clara. Then she’d be sitting at home with her best friend, watching a movie, instead of being dragged around some not-so-friendly place in Los Angeles by a man who was amazingly kind – and attractive – despite his appearance to the contrary.
She only hoped to live long enough to return to Santa Clara and tell the tale. They walked for about five minutes, in complete silence, when Fernando stopped and cursed in Spanish. “¡Joder!”
Karen was too absorbed in her thoughts to perceive her surroundings and hadn’t realized he was stopping. She kept moving forward until he yanked on her arm, pulling her back against him. The impact, as her back collided with his muscled chest and abs, threw her completely off balance – physically and mentally. A hard object that felt suspiciously like a handgun dug into her hip and crudely reminded her of reality.
“What…”
“Quiet!” he whispered above her head.
She looked up and saw three guys coming toward them. Fernando pulled her behind his back and squared his shoulders, his legs firmly on the ground, hip-width apart.
He exchanged several less than pleasant words with them, and while they spoke a heavy slang, Karen’s Spanish was good enough to understand most of it. Those three guys belonged to a feuding gang, and Karen feared she’d come out of the frying pan and into the fire.
“What you have there?” The tallest guy, who apparently was their leader, asked.
“None of your business, cabrón.” Fernando answered.
The group of three took several steps forward, like a wall zooming in, and Karen clung onto Fernando like he was her lifeline – which he probably was.
“This is our street. Give me the girl and I let you go, maricón,” the other guy said.
Karen dug her fingers into Fernando’s back. Please don’t let him give me to them. Please.
Fernando took a step back, pushing her backward with his body. He whispered to her in English, “See that dumpster over there?”
Ever so faintly, she replied, “Yes.”
“Hide behind it and don’t come out until I say so.” With that command given, he shoved her away from him at the same time as he lunged forward. Karen ran for the dumpster as all hell broke loose. Even though she heard t
he grunts of fists making contact with flesh, she didn’t dare turn around and look.
She crawled behind the dumpster, closing her mind to whatever else might be lurking back there. With her hands firmly pressed over her ears, to block out the sounds of the fight, she huddled in the dirt, chanting over and over again in her head: Please let Fernando be okay. Please.
Chapter 11
After only a few minutes, Karen couldn’t stand the suspense anymore. She edged forward behind the dumpster until she was able to see at least part of the action taking place, while staying hidden.
The hard object she’d thought was a gun turned out to be a knife. Fernando handled it as if it were an extension of his arm. He tossed it back and forth, daring the three thugs to come at him.
The first guy entered the fight. He and Fernando circled each other, keeping their respective knifes firmly in hand, while the other two cheered on their comrade. Karen’s breath hitched and her heart missed a beat, when the first guy attacked Fernando out of the blue. But he apparently had seen it coming, because he quickly sidestepped his opponent and sliced his knife across first guy’s stomach, before he turned on his heel and kicked him in the ribs.
The second guy obviously had waited for this very moment to attack Fernando. At the same time, when the first guy [if you’re using these as names it should be “First Guy”]collapsed to the ground with a bang and a scream of pain, the second guy drew a knife from his pocket and charged Fernando.
From what Karen could see, the first guy had decided to keep out of the fray and crawled to the sideline. The second guy wasn’t nearly as skilled with the use of his knife. He stabbed at Fernando, and shortly found himself empty-handed, with Fernando delivering a brutal blow to his ribs with a closed fist.
The second guy doubled over on the ground, leaving only the group leader. Karen gasped when she saw the leader draw an immensely long knife from behind his back. Fernando was slightly staggering and Karen saw the satisfied smile on the leader’s face. God, please don’t let him kill Fernando. A chill crept up her spine and suddenly she feared more for his safety than for hers. She closed her eyes for a moment to ready herself to come out from her hiding and intervene in the fight, when she heard swear words and then a sudden silence.
