by Linda Verji
But they weren’t fast enough. They caught Amara first. Invisible hands tore her from him.
Amara, he screamed even as more hands pulled him away from her. Amara.
But she was disappearing into a mist so thick it almost looked like she was being swallowed whole.
Amara. Lee jolted awake with a harsh gasp. He rubbed his face with his hands and took in a shaky breath to steady his rattled nerves but it had little effect.
What the hell was that? Usually he woke up with a lingering sense of the fear that only his nightmares could ignite. But today’s fear was different; it was tinged with sadness as if he’d lost a part of himself by losing the Amara in his dreams. As he prepared for the day, the nightmare lingered with him, as did the girl in his dreams.
Amara. The emotions the girl left him with were odd yet familiar. Familiar in that they were the same emotions he felt when he was with A.J. When she was near him, he felt less anxious. In fact, her effect on him was so pronounced that last night when he’d slept in her arms, he hadn’t had any nightmares. That was the first time in several weeks that he’d slept through the night.
And it was all because A.J was next to him.
Had she lied about them never having met? It felt like they’d met. She felt too familiar. Adding to his doubts was the fact that she’d known his name right from the first moment they’d met. Now he was beginning to wonder if his father had even shown her a picture of him. After all, it wasn’t like Mason walked around with a picture of Lee. Lee was tempted to confirm with his father, but there was no way to bring up the topic without raising Mason’s already roused suspicions.
Still, what if there was no picture? Lee paused, his spoon hovering over his morning cereal. Then that meant that his suspicions that A.J had met were right. That they’d met before. If so, why would she lie about it?
None of it made sense.
Still confused, Lee headed to work. Today, they were having the first script-reading for the new movie he was working on. His day was so busy that he hardly had any time to spare a thought for his nightmares. A.J, on the other hand, was constantly in his thoughts. No matter how many doubts he had, he still wanted to see her.
By the time his meetings ended, it was closing in on nine p.m. A less desperate man would’ve headed home – but he wasn’t that man. Lee called A.J. She picked on the second ring.
“Hi,” she greeted. Even hearing her voice was enough to cool some of the desperation spiraling through him.
“Hi.” He smiled. “Did I wake you up?”
“Nah. I was watching a movie.”
He hesitated before asking, “Can I come over?”
A.J didn’t hesitate. “Sure.”
Lee grinned. “Give me twenty.”
Only traffic rules kept him from speeding to her. He missed her that much. Minutes later, he parked his car in the space in front of her building. Though the store was closed and dark, the light in her apartment was bright and alive. Lee took the side stairs two at a time until he got to her doorstep. He knocked, and a moment later the door swung inwards.
And there she was. His woman. Looking as beautiful and sexy as ever. It was obvious she wasn’t wearing a bra from the way her nipples jutted through the fabric of her tank-top. The shorts she wore clung to her sleek thighs and showed off her long, long legs. Seeing her looking like this was enough to make Lee’s cock swell in appreciation.
“Hi.” Her lips lifted in a smile that left his heart thumping strangely. That smile disappeared a second later and was replaced by a frown. “You look tired.”
How could he not be tired when his sleep was marred with nightmares? But for some reason he already knew that if he was with her, he’d have a peaceful night.
Instead of responding to her comment, he took a step closer, closed his hands around her waist and carried her into the house. As soon as he kicked the door closed with his foot, he swooped down to capture her lips. His tongue stroked then clashed with hers in a dance as old as time.
God, he’d missed this. Still kissing her, he walked her backwards until her back was against the wall. He lifted her up, forced her to wrap her arms and legs around him. Ah, he’d missed her.
Having her like this, her whole body wrapped around his, sealed tightly to him. It felt so damn good. Propping her against the wall, he kissed her like his life depended on it. When that still wasn’t enough to quench the almost painful hunger biting at him, he carried her to her bedroom.
CHAPTER 14
Almost an hour later, they lay panting on A.J’s bed. There were no words to describe the intense sensations that Lee had put her body through. If this was sex, then A.J had waited too long.
My Goodness. The things this man could do with his mouth should’ve been declared illegal. He’d driven her closer and closer to the brink of madness then mercilessly tipped her over. Even now she could feel heat rise up to her cheeks at the memory of how loudly she’d screamed. It was fortunate her walls were soundproof otherwise the neighbors would’ve knocked her door down.
Lee’s low chuckle pulled her from her trance. She turned to face him and found him staring at the ceiling with a grin.
“What so funny?” she asked.
His amused gaze met hers. “Now we know something else you’re amazing at. Keep this up and we might have to make our own sex-tape.”
“Heh! You wish.” Grinning, A.J moved until she was lying half over him. She set her arms on his chest and her chin on her arms. “What’s the other thing I’m good at?”
Stroking her hair, Lee mused, “Where do I start? There’s so much about you that is amazing. So much that I love.”
It wasn’t exactly a declaration of love, but his words sent something warm and sweet spiraling through her. She shifted slightly so she touched her lips to his. “You’re amazing too.”
“I know,” he retorted cockily, earning a laugh from her. When her laughter died down, he asked, “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “Ask away.”
“Why did you become a thief?”
The question was so unexpected that she was startled. Why did she become a thief?
She thought over it then said, “At first it was for Casper.”
“For Casper?”
She nodded. “He was my father, and I wanted him to love me. I thought that the only way that could happen was if I did what he wanted. If I became a good thief. But after a while I realized that it was a waste of time. Casper was incapable of loving anyone but himself. The only thing I was doing was making him more money.”
“But you still worked with him afterwards.”
“Yeah.” She laughed self-depreciatively. “Because I was already so deep in that lifestyle that I thought it was the only thing I could do. All that mattered was getting the most out of jobs without getting caught. And that meant working with the best people. Believe it or not, Casper is the best at what he does.”
“And what is that?” An amused light flashed in Lee’s eyes. “Scaring people?”
“That’s just his side-hustle.” She chuckled. “His real job is being a getaway driver.”
“What made you decide to retire?” Lee watched her. “Prison?”
“Nah, I’d decided way before that.” A.J thought over his question for some time before saying, “I don’t know. The whole thing just wasn’t working anymore. I tried to justify stealing by saying that I was taking from people who had too much anyway, but it felt like a hollow excuse. And I couldn’t get away from the fact that I was hurting someone even if it wasn’t physically. So I quit.”
Lee smiled. “I’m glad you did.”
So was she. With a smile, she snuggled closer to him. If she hadn’t decided to quit being a crook, and open Warehouse 17, she never would’ve met him again. And he was certainly the best thing that had happened to her.
“How did you learn to fight?” he asked. “The moves you pulled are not something I see every day.”
Instinct told her
to make a flippant comment to avoid answering the question, but for some reason her heart wanted to be honest with him.
“When I still lived with Casper, there was this ex-military guy called Michael who was the head of security.” Her finger drawing circles on Lee’s naked chest, she added, “Michael used to practice his martial arts moves on the lawn every morning, and I liked watching him.”
Lee gave a short laugh. “Watching or stalking.”
“A bit of both,” A.J confessed bashfully. “But it wasn’t in a creepy kind of way. I just loved seeing him fight. Plus, he was way too old for me. I was thirteen and he was thirty-God-knows-how-old.”
“Never stopped anyone from having a crush.” Lee chuckled. “My first crush was my high school English teacher, and she was thirty-something too.”
“That’s because you were a perv.” A.J laughed. “My interest in Michael was purely professional. I used to watch him practicing then I’d try out the moves when I was on my own. When he finally got tired of the peeping, he called me over and started to train me. For three years we practiced together. The rest is history.”
“He was that good?”
“He was that good.” A.J nodded. “Better than me. And I’m good.”
“Toot your own horn why don’t ya?” Lee teased.
“It’s not tooting if you’re just stating facts,” she countered cheekily.
“Okay. All right.” Chuckling, Lee tilted her chin up and lifted his head so he could press a light kiss to her lips before lying back down. “Where’s Michael these days?”
A.J hesitated then answered, “He died.”
Immediately, the light, teasing atmosphere in the room disappeared. Lee’s gaze turned grave. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize.” She forced a smile. “It’s not like you killed him.”
Lee’s eyes widened. “He was killed?”
“Yeah.” A.J nodded. The evenness in her tone belied the sadness threading through her as she explained, “One day Casper found out that Micheal was undercover FBI, the next day he disappeared. A month later his body turned up on a beach in Staten Island.”
Of course Casper had done it. A.J couldn’t prove it but instinct told her that he was behind Michael’s death. It was the wedge that had decisively driven her and her father apart. As much as A.J knew Michael was an undercover, he was still her friend and even if he wasn’t, she still wouldn’t have supported his killing. Human life was sacred to her. It certainly wasn’t worth taking just so she could protect herself from the law.
“I’m sorry,” Lee said, cutting into her thoughts.
“It’s okay. I’m over it now.” She shrugged. A moment later, the side of her mouth lifted in a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You must think my past is complicated, huh?”
“At least you have a past.” Lee scoffed as he shifted her off his body then turned her so that they were lying face to face. “I don’t even remember mine.”
She should’ve known this topic would come up sometime. Nervousness and curiosity threaded through her in equal measure as she asked, “You don’t remember anything at all?”
“I don’t.” He paused then frowned. “Actually that’s not entirely true.”
Her heart bumped nervously in her chest. Struggling to keep her voice even, she asked, “Really? You remember something?”
“Not exactly.” His brow crinkled as if he was trying to rack his brain for the memories. “Sometimes I have these weird nightmares that are too vivid and real to be simply imagination. They feel like a past that I’ve forgotten.”
If she wasn’t already nervous enough, his words would’ve taken her there. However, she still wanted to know exactly how much of their past he remembered so she asked, “What exactly happens in these nightmares?”
“It’s strange,” he said. “Sometimes I’m alone in a room waiting for a monster. Sometimes, I’m with you-”
“Me?” Her pulse jerked erratically.
“Yeah. You.” He nodded. “In my dreams you’re always there protecting me.”
My God, he did remember! Those weren’t nightmares; they were part of their past. Should she tell him, should she not? No, she shouldn’t. No good could come from him remembering what had happened back then.
Lee studied her. “Are you sure we’ve never met?”
Suddenly feeling cold and breathless, A.J said, “You’ve asked me that question before.”
“I have, haven’t I?” He offered her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I guess it’s annoying, huh?”
“It’s okay,” she said through suddenly dry lips. She swallowed then said, “Maybe it’s a good thing that you don’t remember your past. Who knows what monsters are really lurking in there.”
“Hmm. I don’t know.” Lee was looking at her but his eyes were glazed as if his thoughts were somewhere far off. “I think I’d rather know what monsters are in there rather than constantly wondering and having these stupid nightmares.”
If he knew the evilness of the monsters in his past, he wouldn’t make such flippant comments, A.J thought as she watched him. If he really knew what was behind those stones he was so determined to turn, he would jump away. Furthermore, even if she wanted to tell him about his past, she couldn’t. Not when his parents hadn’t told him themselves. It wasn’t her place to usurp their duty.
Sighing, she shifted closer to Lee and hugged him. His memories were best left right where they were. In the past.
*
LEE LEFT EARLY the next morning. But it wasn’t early enough given that his father was in A.J’s store the moment she opened up to question her over the matter.
“You’re here early.” A.J, who was lightly dusting her collection of watches and clocks, smiled when Mason walked into the store.
“Morning to you too.” Mason’s gaze swept around the store. His jaw dropped when he spotted Ten.
The younger woman was seated at the visitor’s table, looking annoyingly at home with her booted feet on the tabletop. As usual, Ten looked like she’d spent the night hanging out with vampires. Her black eye-shadow matched her boots and leather jacket perfectly. The black chocker she was wearing was the perfect complement to her silver nose ring, and the denim pants she was wearing were so ripped it seemed like there were more holes than fabric. No wonder Mason was shocked.
Still staring at Ten unblinkingly, he asked, “Did you hire someone new?”
A.J guffawed. “No.”
She had no intention of explaining any further, but Ten piped in. “I’m her sister.”
The amused look in Ten’s eyes and her smirk said that she’d probably only revealed that information to see Mason’s reaction, and he didn’t disappoint. His eyes widened until they almost bugged out of your closet.
“Sister?” He sidled up to A.J. “You have a sister?”
“Step sister.”
“I see,” Mason murmured, but the dazed look in his gaze as it switched back and forth between A.J and Ten left no doubt that he ‘didn’t see’.
“What can I help you with this morning?” A.J drew his attention back to her.
“Ah, yes!” Mason shook his head as if bringing himself back into the matter at hand. “I was just passing by and decided to drop by.”
This early in the morning? A.J’s eyebrows shot up, but she didn’t say anything.
Staring at the antique grandfather clock directly across him, Mason asked, “How are things going around here?”
Something told A.J that that wasn’t what he really wanted to ask. She answered anyway. “Can’t complain much.”
“Good. Good. Good.” Still avoiding her eyes, Mason asked, “And with Lee? How are things going with him?”
Ah, so that’s what he wanted to know? Aware of Ten unabashedly listening in on their conversation, A.J picked up a pocket-watch. Dusting the watch, she simply said, “They’re going.”
It was obvious that her answer wasn’t satisfactory by the frown that immediately creased M
ason’s brow. He snatched a quick glance at her before turning back to look at the clock. “This is a quality piece. Where did you get it?”
“A collector in England sent it over for me.” A.J tilted her head to study the piece. “It’s a nineteen twenties piece that’s been handed down four generations of one family.”
“They must’ve taken excellent care of it.”
“They did,” she agreed. “But circumstances forced them to sell.”
“That’s a pity.” Mason hesitated before saying, “Um… Susan told me she saw Lee’s car here this morning.”
“Yes, he dropped by my place.” A.J saw no reason to lie, but she also didn’t feel the need to add that Lee had actually spent the night. However, judging from Mason’s frown and his shifting on his feet, it was obvious that he’d already figured that out for himself.
He was quiet for a long time then asked, “Are things getting serious between you two?”
There were two reasons A.J didn’t want to answer that question. One; because she suspected that Mason wasn’t thrilled about hers and Lee’s relationship. He’d never said anything or even been impolite to her, but there was something in his expression that told her he was uncomfortable with it. The second and most important reason was that Ten was in the room. Who knew what information she’d carry to Casper if A.J answered truthfully.
Setting the watch back in its place, A.J hedged, “I think that’s a conversation you should have with Lee.”
Mason’s eyes shot to her. “You’re right. I should talk to him.”
He turned back to stare at the clock. He was quiet for such a long while that it started to get uncomfortable, but A.J couldn’t exactly tell him to talk or leave. Finally, he turned back to her.
His gaze was as intense as his tone as he asked, “Are you sure you weren’t a foster child?”
Her heart immediately jerked in her chest. This again? Struggling to keep her voice even and cold, she hedged, “You’ve asked me this question before.”
“I have, haven’t I?” His gaze didn’t waver from hers, and she met him head on. If he was looking for the truth in her eyes, then he’d be looking for a long time. A smile crooked his lips but didn’t reach his eyes. “Sorry, it’s just something that’s been bothering me.”
