by Cara North
“Yes, he has a birthday coming up soon.” Joshua didn’t know why, but hell, why not. If she wanted to act like a child, he’d treat her like a child. “If you’re a good girl, maybe I’ll take you to his party.”
Evelyn glared at him with a murderous look. If he hadn’t hid her gun, it would have been summoned to her by sheer will. Who does he think he is? Obviously he doesn’t know who he is talking to—a woman who could kill him in his sleep. Hell, a woman who could kill him right now.
Evelyn pushed the recliner handle and sat up. Slowly, quietly. With both feet on the floor she stood. As soon as she stepped on the left foot, it almost collapsed sending her into a half jumping start. Pushing past the pain, she headed to the kitchen. She would set Joshua—whatever the hell his last name was—straight, right now.
Joshua had pulled two skillets and set them on the stove. That’s probably why he didn’t hear her until she was in the kitchen. At least that’s what he told himself. He turned to face her.
“Where is my piece?” Evelyn stood with her hands on her hips at the counter. She wanted to reach for it, to support her weight, but she’d be damned if he would see her weak right now.
“Safe.” Joshua turned back to the task at hand. “You want pancakes, eggs and bacon, what?”
“I don’t think you understand me.” Evelyn’s voice went low. She wanted it to sound serious, but he bent over in the refrigerator, and instead it sounded lustful. Shit. Don’t look at his ass.
“You can say that again.” Joshua felt the heat from that tone. He was sure he didn’t understand her. He knew she was mad. He had riled her by the comment, but that voice was low and sensual, not angry. It sent a thought straight to his cock, and he needed to block that immediately.
“I don’t think you understand me.” Evelyn said it with anger this time, her eyes closed to avoid bodily distractions.
He watched her close her eyes, and as soon as she did, he stepped close to her, silently in his bare feet. She thinks she’s stealthy. I was one of the best.
“Then tell me what you mean,” he whispered and his breath brushed past her ear.
“Shit.” Evelyn pushed back off his chest hard almost falling backwards thanks to her ankle, and his massive arms caught her.
“Son of a bitch!” When did she get sloppy?
“Whoa there. I got you.” He wrestled with her arms knowing she had to be in pain. Finally he gave up and just picked her up. Joshua carried her back to the recliner and loomed over her as he pushed it back. She was laid out beneath him except his legs were off to one side. “You’re hurt. Stop it.”
“Do not talk to me like I’m a child.” Evelyn was embarrassed. None of her training kicked in. For the first time since she was a child, she was overpowered by a man, her arms pushed and flailed like a normal woman. He took over so easily. Too damn easily.
“Stop acting like one.” Joshua was right in her face. Any closer he could kiss her. Not that he would since her lip was busted, but he could.
“I’m not.” Evelyn huffed and crossed her arms, just like a child would. Damn if he didn’t irritate her. And now, those green eyes burned through her and made her feel childish; hell, she was being childish.
“What do you want to eat, Wonder Woman? And please, don’t ask for your weapon again. You can have it when you leave, or when I trust you. Whichever comes first.” Joshua lifted up and crossed his own arms.
Looking down at Evelyn he knew that her life had been hard. That she somehow intimidated men who knew her. And probably shocked the hell out of men who didn’t, but he was more intrigued. Curiosity came with being a cop. She had a lot of secrets. He wanted to know them all.
“I’ll leave then.” It was more of a pout than a statement, shocking to her ears. Not getting her way was new. She didn’t like it.
“Not in my underwear you’re not.” Joshua went back to the kitchen and waited.
“I’ll have whatever you’re having.” Evelyn still sat cross armed in the recliner, steadily losing control. “I don’t want to leave hungry.”
Joshua knew damn good and well she wasn’t going anywhere. Grace said this was her safe house. Evelyn never put a return address on the postcards, never put Grace’s name as a recipient. She was careful that no one knew about this place. Good thing he liked some of them, always quirky, or a picture of a place he may want to visit. He saved a few. That would be useful now. He wished he had saved them all. Maybe he could track her by the location and postage dates. He scrambled eggs and fried bacon in silence. Evelyn stewed in her temper tantrum.
Think. Damn it. Evelyn had no place else to go. Her pride was strong, and her ego was bigger than Joshua, but both had been shut down or at least set down in this recliner. Men who knew her knew she was lethal. Men who didn’t know her learned that quickly. But Joshua seemed unfazed, and unafraid. This was new. After a life of hating men, she never had to live with one, not like this. The Marines were easy. Once she proved she could handle her own, she was one of the guys, and that was that. Her stomach growled.
“God, that smells good.” Evelyn wasn’t aware of how hungry she was until the aroma filled the air. She hadn’t eaten in two days, aside from energy bars. Tracking down her sister had taken years. They told her Noel was dead, but something inside her said otherwise. When she arrived at the dive they called a bar, no one was there to meet her. The rain was heavy, and instead of a contact she found Nikolai. How he knew she’d be there was a mystery. Why he turned on her, she didn’t know that yet either.
“Do you want to eat in here or out there?” Joshua was satisfied she was talking. He didn’t want to keep thinking of all the things that could go wrong with her here. Like touching her, she looked him over constantly, he was aware. It was unnerving. It had been over two years. He just stopped after Candace. He had trusted her. She betrayed him. Now he wanted to find a nice woman and make a family. The problem was he wasn’t interested in any woman he had met so far. Evelyn, she was all wrong, but had his attention.
“Do you mind if I eat in here?” She knew he would carry her to the kitchen and didn’t want him to carry her anymore. “Oh and can I get some more ice?”
“Anything else?” Joshua said it with a sarcastic tone.
“Coke if you have any.” Evelyn thought about it for a second. He didn’t know her, and she was asking for coke. They called it soda around here last she knew. “As in soda, not drugs.”
“Well since you put it that way. I mean I’m stocked with narcotics; the kids love em.” Joshua set the plate of breakfast on a tray and took it to her. His mind was twisting with the insult. Did he look like a drug man? Well, he did when he worked narcotics, but the thought that he looked like a criminal in plain clothes was ridiculous.
He made another trip to the freezer and put ice in a big plastic ziplock baggie for her ankle and a smaller one for her eye. “You want a glass of ice for that? And I mean ice as in frozen water, not diamonds.”
“I didn’t mean that. I didn’t want you to think ... Nevermind.” Evelyn wasn’t sure why it was important, but she didn’t want him to think less of her. If she was going to be here, and she had to be here, she would have to let him know who she was, and what she did for a living, a good living.
Joshua set the large bag on her ankle. “This for your eye.” He set the small one on her tray then went back to the kitchen for his own plate. Of course he had eaten cereal this morning, but he was hungry again. When he sat down, he looked at Evelyn. She was looking at him; she wanted something. “What?”
“You just sat down.” He lifted his brow at her and so she shrugged. “Bread.”
“Aggggh.” Joshua made no attempt to hide his frustration. For a warrior she suddenly reminded him of a diva. “You’re lucky you’re injured.”
Dropping the bread on her plate he realized she had eaten half already. She must be starving. “When was the last time you ate?”
“Couple days ago.” Evelyn shrugged and took a bite of the bread. Her r
ibs felt much better, just bruised. Thank God for that vest, and Nikolai’s weak ass hit. “I had energy bars so...”
“Damn it.” Joshua scraped his brunch off and onto her plate. “You should have told me that.”
“Wait, this is your food. I can’t...”
“I’m going to make more. I had no idea and didn’t want to insult you by giving you too much.” Joshua remembered Grace’s tale of Ethan making a huge stack of pancakes and putting cookies on it before giving it to her. She said it made her feel fat, and that he thought she was fat. Evelyn had made the whale comment and damn! What did he care about that? “Why didn’t you tell me you hadn’t eaten?”
“Why would I?” Evelyn asked a genuine question. No one else cared if she had a meal in two weeks much less two days. So why should he?
“Evelyn, what is your job? I mean what do you do?” Joshua turned the stove back on and broke more eggs in the skillet. “I mean what job has a woman like you beat up, starving, and toting a gun?’
“I’m not a criminal if that’s what you think. My job’s legit. Mostly.” Evelyn thought about his comment, a woman like you. What kind of woman did he think she was? The scrambled eggs and bacon were filling her belly and loosening her lips, she felt like talking. Besides, she hadn’t had casual conversation in, well, years.
“Mostly? That’s reassuring.” Joshua laughed and shook his head. She was an enigma. A hot little piece of fire that was bound to burn any man who tried to hold her. Including him, yet like a moth to the flame.
“I’m a bounty hunter, sometimes a mercenary.” Evelyn shrugged again as Joshua laughed; he didn’t believe her. The phone rang, so she couldn’t offer any proof.
“Young here.”
Her head lifted in attention. She answered her cell that way; it set a little alarm off. He’s a school teacher, she reminded herself.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 3
“Evelyn Blade, damn boy, you know when to call one in.” Stevens whistled through the phone.
“Yeah? So.” He didn’t want to let her out of his sight, especially not after the way his old friend said that. He turned off the burners and pushed the skillets to the back.
“Bounty Hunter by trade. Lethal, girl’s bagged and tagged a few, all on the up and up of course. Prior service, Marine Corps, applied to the FBI but couldn’t get in. Her old man’s a real piece of work. Should I go on?” Stevens had spent all morning tracking this information down, and the places he was led made his blood curl.
“Please do.” Joshua felt a new sense of danger, and yet there was no way that little fawn with doe eyes sitting in his recliner could actually kill a man. He couldn’t believe it, though his old friend said she had.
“Social Services received her when she was eleven. There’s a sister, but no history of her after nine years old. No death certificate, records, it’s like she vanished into thin air. Their old man, Martin Blade, was a cop in Kentucky, prior Navy. He left the force when he was tried for his wife’s murder. He got off on some botched evidence. Evelyn’s file is straight out of a horror movie. The case worker moved her through three homes and then took her in herself, says she has problems with males. From there she seemed to straighten up, no juvenile records. Your girl’s one of the best bounty hunters in the Mid-west by reputation. She is a sniper, trained with crossbow, black belt and some other martial arts shit.”
“That’s enough.” Joshua’s head was overflowing with the information. That sweetness wasn’t her; it was her cover. His need for a female companion had made him blind. Well, that was all blown now. He wanted to know what happened to her, and he was going to find out. “Thanks man.”
“No problem, oh hey, Josh.” Stevens pulled at the collar on his shirt, tucking the file away.
“Yeah?”
“Sleep with your door locked and your weapon ready.” With that the phone line disconnected.
“Who was that?” Evelyn felt his eyes all over her. At first they were light and concerned. Now, they were full of fury, pure heat.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Joshua didn’t yell, but he suspected she misinterpreted his rage at the situation as rage toward her the way she grabbed the fork.
“Eating.” Evelyn assessed the silverware on her plate. Fork, check, spoon, no knife, oh well, fork will do in a pinch. She didn’t know what happened, but Dr. Jekyll just turned into Mr. Hyde
“Do not lie to me.” Joshua’s voice was more of a growl. Each word rumbled in turn.
“You see me eating. How is that lying?” Evelyn was on full alert. “Who was that on the phone?” For the first time since she saw him she felt threatened. And though he wasn’t charging at her, his energy belted her in waves. It was confusing, just like this morning.
“Evelyn Blade, you have one more chance to tell me. What are you doing here?” Joshua knew she was trouble the minute he laid eyes on her. And that trouble kept getting worse. Instead of turning away from this, putting her out on the street, he did the honorable thing, took care of her. And now he would have to step back into a life he wanted to leave behind. It pissed him off in a major way.
“I don’t understand.” Evelyn really didn’t know. She searched his face. His expression was pure business, his jaw set and locked. It was no second grade school teacher standing there; that was pure menace, rage, and unyielding primal instinct. She knew that look well. He lied to her. He’s no school teacher. What was he hiding? Her only chance was the truth. “I came here because this is my safe house. I got my ass kicked, and I need to recover.”
Joshua watched her fingers grip the fork. Somehow he didn’t feel threatened by it. She seemed more on the defense as if he would attack her for no reason. He should feel threatened, but his gut couldn’t agree with his head right now.
Joshua barely moved his lips, and the words dripped with menace. “You’re holding that fork like you’re going to stab me with it. Are you?”
“I don’t want to, but you’re scaring me, Joshua.” Evelyn was now the calm one. Internally she breathed and set the fork down. The worst thing was she was being honest. She was afraid. For the first time in her adult life she was afraid of a man. “Who was that? What’s changed? I told you my job, you laughed. Now you look like you’re ready to attack me. I may be injured, and you may win, but by God I will leave a mark, I promise you that.”
Joshua took a deep breath. His gaze dropped to the tray in front of her. Really what was she going to do? He didn’t want to scare her, and he definitely had. For all the training his partner said she had, she didn’t seem to have much fight when it came to him. He had arrested women but never had to use much force. His size alone humbled most men, and Evelyn was ready to fight him. He felt dirty, like he committed a crime. He scared her, shit.
“Okay, let’s start over.” Joshua took a deep breath. She was in his care, and she didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of his anger. Stevens was concerned, that freaked him out for a moment. Another breath and he walked back to the stove and turned the burners back on. Calmly he started again. “You’re a bounty hunter.”
Evelyn sat back but didn’t relax. Her nerves were frayed like split electric wires. “Who was that on the phone, Joshua?”
“A friend.” Joshua wasn’t hungry anymore. “Do you want this?”
“I lost my appetite.” Evelyn took another breath. “What did your friend say about me?”
“That you were a killer.” Joshua calmly walked over and took the tray, fork and all, from her lap. Standing there he watched her face. She frowned, and for a moment he thought she might cry.
“I’m no killer,” Evelyn clarified the truth. “I have killed in defense, yes. Defense of others, never myself.”
She needed to make that clear. “Three, three lives lay on my conscious by my hand. My mother and my sister, those are on my conscious, but I didn’t kill them. I couldn’t stop the bastard who did.”
Evelyn straightened the chair and pushed to h
er feet. Fuck it, she could recover in the car on the road. She had money for a hotel. Without wincing, without tears, without struggle, at least on the outside, Evelyn Blade walked past Joshua through the kitchen and up the stairs.
“Shit!” Joshua set the tray on the counter and went after her. He didn’t have to go far. She was only three steps up and sitting with her head in her hands, sobbing in silence. Joshua replayed the conversation in his head. Her father killed her mother, when she was eleven. He had abused her, probably her sister. Maybe they were split up in foster care, maybe her father. No, this was a horror movie. And she lived it.
“Come here, baby.” Joshua pulled the lethal woman into his arms and carried her up the stairs.
“I’m not a baby.” Evelyn sobbed and pushed a weak defiant hand at his chest.
“I didn’t mean it that way. Has no man ever called you baby?” Joshua pressed his lips to her forehead, and his rough whiskers scratched her face.
“Not without a kick to the nose, no.” Evelyn had never been referred to with many terms of endearment. Stella called her sugar. Sanahasan called her ga-ka, an artist. Her mother was the last person to call her baby, and that was the night she died.
The childhood memory flooded in, and there was no stopping it. Maya Blade worked like most mothers did. She came home early to find her husband branding her little girl with a knife blade on her shoulder.
The woman reacted like any mother would. She lurched onto her husband and fought; he stabbed her to death. Evelyn watched in horror. Her little sister Noel was in the closet, where she hid when her father came home. Evelyn curled into a tiny ball, waiting for Blade to turn on her as well. She curled into that same ball now in Joshua’s arms.
“Why is this happening to me?” Evelyn asked out loud.
Twenty years next week, twenty years. She carried the truth of that night. She was asked by lawyers, police, priests, and psychiatrists. But she couldn’t tell any of them the truth. He would kill her; he would kill Noel. She thought he had.
