Secrets Inside Her: Running with the Devil Book Two

by Jasmin Quinn

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Finn paid for his purchases with his business credit card. He knew it was traceable, but it was more secure than his personal card if someone tried to trace him that way. He’d have some explaining to do when he got back to the precinct, but he could manage that. He felt lighter for some reason. Yeah, it was as cold as a bitch and the roads were covered in snow and ice, but the daylight brought some clarity with it. He was a cop after all, he was sworn to uphold the law and help those in trouble. And that’s what he intended to do. He tossed the armload of supplies into the back seat of the Jeep, then got in the driver’s side, firing up the vehicle and turning the heat on high. “Cold?” he asked Nika redundantly. She was shivering, her nose was red, and her lips were turning Smurf blue.

  “Yes, I’m cold.”

  He reached into the backseat and pulled a bag forward handing it off to Nika. “They didn’t have boots or winter coats, but pretty much everything else, mittens, a toque and thick warm socks. And a heavy sweater that you can you put on under your jacket. That should warm you up. I also got you a blanket to wrap around you.”

  Nika took the bag gratefully, “Thank you.” She pulled out a white knitted cap with a maple leaf on the front and shoved it on her head and over her ears. Finn watched her as he put the Jeep in gear, a small smile playing at his lips. She was completely unaware of the affect she had on him – one minute, she was exotic, the next, she had a toque on her head and looked bloody adorable. Finn suspected she could be dressed in a burlap sack and he would still have a hard-on for her.

  Nika was completely absorbed in what she was doing to the exclusion of everything and everyone else, giving Finn a chance to openly watch her. She took off her jacket and dragged the sweater on over Finn’s shirt, pulling it down past her hips and under her shapely ass. It dwarfed her, concealing her feminine curves. Then she put on her jacket, zipping it up to her chin. Before she put on the red mittens, she tucked the blanket tightly around her.

  “Better?” he asked her, unable to contain a smile of amusement. She was bundled up from head to toe, brushing some strands of loose hair out of her eyes and trying to tuck them into the toque with the bulky mittens.

  She nodded at Finn’s question and returned his smile, rewarding him with a flash of her pearly teeth. “I am better. Thank you, Finn.”

  He pulled out of the parking lot, using the GPS app on his phone to follow the coordinates that Doug texted him earlier. The elevation would increase, they were headed inland and up. There was a possibility they’d lose cell reception at some point – the cabin was remote, and the high altitude meant more snow and cold. Finn grimaced as his bad leg throbbed at him. He hoped the roads were passable.

  The next two hours were passed in silence except for the occasional oral direction from the GPS. Nika had fallen asleep again and Finn was grateful for that. He was fatigued from the long drive, the somewhat treacherous road and the lack of sleep. He didn’t want his brain to have to process a conversation with her, especially since the tension between them had eased. He didn’t want it to escalate again, which he thought could easily happen given his current state of mind.

  He found the road he needed, snow covered, but drivable with his four-wheel drive engaged. About 10 kilometres in, he turned left down a long winding drive, the road obscured by snow. He drove slowly and carefully to ensure that he was staying on the road and not straying off into a snow-filled trench. The cabin came into view, snow-covered and picturesque, the front framed by a covered porch and a chimney stretching skyward from the roof. As he slowed to a stop in front of the cabin, Nika stirred. She looked over at Finn with sleepy eyes as she stretched and uncurled. A voracious longing jerked through him. He looked away and back to the cabin.

  It was neither old nor run-down and he sent a little thanks of gratitude Ted’s way for that. It had a little set of steps leading up to the porch, and the sun glinted off the snow on the roof top. High drifts of white covered the ground and the walk way and some had even settled on the porch. No power and no pile of wood outside that he could see, maybe around back. He wondered where the well was, whether water was piped in or if they’d have to haul it. Considered how long they might be here, how long the bottled water he purchased would last. If no other alternative, he could melt and boil up some snow. He hoped there were supplies inside, canned food, coffee, a bottle of scotch, rye, vodka – hell at this point, he’d even drink wine. At least there was still plenty of daylight left to get things sorted.

  He shivered as he stepped out of the truck. His clothes were barely more adequate than Nika’s. He hoped there was suitable bedding – he doubted that the cabin was used much this time of year but figured that at this elevation it would get cold at night even in the summer. “Stay in here until I get the cabin open,” Finn said to Nika before shutting the door. Nika immediately followed him out. He furrowed his brow at her. “Was I not speaking out loud?”

  “I’m sorry Finn.” Nika looked from him to the snow-covered cabin and trees. “I am too curious to wait. I want to see everything right now.”

  There was no point in arguing – his reasoning for her to stay in the truck was to keep her warm. But she was a grown-up. If she wanted to freeze her ass off while he fucked around looking for the key, then she could go for it. He watched as she took a few steps into the snow and then reached down with her mittens and brought a handful up to her face, looking at it.

  “Don’t tell me you’ve never seen snow before?”

  Nika looked at him quizzically. “Of course, I have.” Then she turned her attention back to the snow in her hands and continued scrutinizing it. Finn shook his foggy head as he headed toward the cabin trying not to lose his patience. His earlier lightness had dissipated. He was cold, tired and hungry. At least the key to the padlock on the door was exactly where Doug told him it would be, under the eaves of the porch overtop of the left-hand window. He silently thanked the gods. He opened the lock with fingers stiffening from the cold and stepped inside the cabin. Nika brushed up beside him like a cat, stamping her shoes on the small carpet meant to catch the snow.

  They were greeted by a large room, which served as a kitchen, dining room, and living room. The dining room was to the right of the door, with the kitchen tucked in behind it. The living room was across from the dining room. A large fireplace dominated the inside wall that separated the living room from what he suspected was the bedroom. Thankfully, there was some wood in the hearth and a full wood box next to it. Nika spotted it too. “We need a fire, Finn,” she said.

  Finn looked down at her. Her head barely reaching his shoulders, her big eyes gazing up at him. The corner of his lips quirked. “You’re a bossy little thing, aren’t you?”

  Nika considered this for a moment. “No, I don’t think I am bossy, Finn. It just seems like the next logical step.”

  “Yeah,” Finn agreed. “I’ll get a fire going, but we’ll have to be judicious with the wood until we get some more. I don’t want to freeze to death tonight.”

  Nika nodded her head seriously. “I don’t want to either. I’ll go get the bags while you start the fire.”

  Before Finn could protest, she bolted outside again, shutting the door firmly behind her. He rubbed his shoes on the carpet, making sure that he didn’t trail too much snow across the wood floor. He planned to take his wet shoes off as soon as the cabin warmed up and it would be nice not to step in the remnants of the snow once it melted. As he lit the fire, Nika blew in the door with the bags of supplies he’d picked up at the service station, dropped them on the dining room table and then flew back out the door. The fire was roaring, and the room was already heating up as Nika struggled through the door with Finn’s suitcase. She kicked her shoes off and then dragged the suitcase across the floor, past the living room to the bedroom. “The floor is still cold, Finn,” she observed as she disappeared into the room.

  Finn followed her to see what the lay of the bedroom was. It had everything a couple needed t
o be cozy – a queen size bed pushed against the far wall, a little night table flanking the only open side. A nice sized window looked out over the back yard, which was small but cozy – a firepit lay under the snow, a small toolshed nestled about 40 feet from the house.

  The bed had a large blue duvet on it, and four pillows. It made Finn want to crawl in and go to sleep. Maybe he would, for just a while. They were safe here. He thought he could relax.

  Nika dropped the suitcase onto the floor and unzipped it, then started transferring their clothes to a dresser that stood next to the bedroom door. “You can have the top drawer, Finn,” she declared and then added as an afterthought, “or do you want two drawers? I think I only need one.” Finn shrugged. Was she playing house? She seemed excited to be here, her fear of him gone. All he could see on her face was a sense of anticipation.

  “You decide,” he grunted as he stepped out of the room. Her good mood was irritating him. She was a study of contrasts; the only consistent factor was the effect she had on him. He left her to her decision-making as he turned in the other direction, passing a closet for storage, and stepping into the bathroom; a toilet, a sink with a pump and a plumbed tub. That was good, a well with water that he could pump in. Life just got a little bit easier.

  “Be right back,” he said to Nika as he walked outside again. He circled the cabin, finding a wood box, with two, maybe three days worth of wood depending on the weather in the next few days. He didn’t know how long they’d be here. A couple of days at most, he guessed. Just enough time for them to catch up on sleep, for Nika to tell him her story and for him to decide what next. But he still needed to collect more wood; he wanted to make sure they had enough to see them through bad weather should some set in.

  He found an axe in the tool shed along with a lawnmower, a shovel, a couple of rakes, and other such shit. He took the axe back to the wood box and left it there. He didn’t want it in the house – didn’t know why, maybe he’d seen too many horror movies. Next, he loaded up as much wood as he could hold and carried it back into the house, banging open the door, and then kicking it shut behind him. Nika was curled up on the sofa in front of the fireplace, her new blanket tucked around her snugly. Her hat and coat were hanging neatly on hooks by the door. Her sweater was nowhere to be seen – probably in her drawer in the bedroom, Finn thought sardonically. He kicked off his shoes before he crossed the floor to the fireplace where he dropped his armload of wood unceremoniously on the floor. Then he pulled off his coat and gloves and dropped them next to the wood, feeling unburdened as he collapsed onto the couch next to Nika.

  “Give me some of that blanket,” he said as he drew a corner of the blanket over his thighs, then propped his feet up on the coffee table. A heavy sigh escaped him as he dropped his head against the back of the couch. The warmth of the fireplace brushed over him, and a sweet smell of lavender drifted from Nika, both serving to relieve some of the tension that was weighing him down.

  Nika was watching him carefully, maybe trying to assess his mood. “I wasn’t sure what to do with your gun, Finn. I put it on the table by the groceries. I hope that was okay to do.”

  Finn nodded as he closed his eyes. A minute passed and then Nika said, “I don’t think we should talk now, Finn.”

  His eyes popped open and he lifted his head, so he could see her. She was sitting on her knees facing him, one elbow on the back of the couch, head leaning on her hand. She was looking directly into his eyes and he wondered what the hell she thought she was doing. Yes, he had a hard-on for her that wouldn’t quit, but if she thought that he was a teenage boy who could be seduced into doing whatever she wanted, not only was she naive, but she was stupid. “Why the hell not?” he growled at her.

  But she didn’t flinch at his tone, just kept staring at him, making him want to fuck her until those eyes clouded with her need for him. “I think we should eat something first, Finn. And then you should get some sleep. After that, we should talk. I think you won’t get so mad at me then.”

  He struggled for the words to reply to her. Maybe she was exactly who she was – not a woman who played games, who seduced men to get what she wanted. She said what she was thinking, spare with words, but direct and logical. And fuck if she wasn’t right. He needed something in his gut and he needed a pillow under his head. “Okay,” he agreed, “let’s eat something.”

  Nika smiled broadly and jumped up off the couch. “I will cook.”

  “I thought you didn’t cook.”

  “I don’t, but I saw this recipe in a movie once. It’s easy.” She replied as she rifled through the bags on the counter, pulling out wieners and hot dog buns. Then she searched through the cabinets in the kitchen, taking out a couple of plates and two kabob skewers. She carried them over to the coffee table and dropped down to the floor on her knees. “This is what you do, Finn,” she explained as she handed him a skewer and pulled out a wiener. “You take the wiener and place it on the stick like this.” She pierced the hotdog with the tip of the skewer and slid it down until it was solidly in place. “Then you roast it over the fire.” She shuffled her knees closer to the fire and carefully held the wiener over the flames. “Until it is sizzling and bursting open.” She smiled brightly at him. “I’ve always wanted to try it.”

  Finn suppressed a grin as he followed her instructions, putting a wiener on his skewer and then walking over to the fireplace, sitting beside Nika and propping his back against the coffee table. He placed his wiener over the flames. “Like this?” he asked her. She nodded happily.

  “The actors in the movie used sticks that had been sharpened at one end with a knife, not skewers, and they were camping in tents, so they were cooking the wieners outside over a fire pit. Once they are cooked and you put them in the buns, they’re called hot dogs. Have you had hot dogs before, Finn?”

  Finn smiled at her and nodded his head. “I’m afraid I have, Nika.” But this news didn’t spoil her mood.

  “Me too, Finn. But not ever cooked over a fire. I love this!” She pulled the wiener from the fire and inspected it before shoving it in Finn’s face. “Is it done?”

  “No. You need to be patient when you’re roasting wieners. You have to get just the right amount of char on them.”

  She stuck the wiener back into the fire then shifted onto her ass, with her knees drawn up in front of her. Silence dropped on them like a whisper of snow. Finn didn’t know what to say to her, thought he didn’t want to say anything to her. He could smell her, her sweet scent lingering on the drifting warmth from the fire. He didn’t want the fucking hot dog, he wanted her. And as he watched the flames lick at his breakfast, thought he was going to have her before this day was over.

  He knew he needed to be gentle with her – Nika was not like the other women he’d known in his life. None of them came to his bed virgins. And he’d been fine with that – he didn’t have the patience for demur women who wanted to be courted. He liked to fuck and fuck hard – he wasn’t selfish, he got more turned on when his woman was turned on. Made him feel even more in control. But all the strappings of relationships wore him out. There were enough hoops to jump through at work, he didn’t need it in his personal life. And then after he was shot, he didn’t want it at all. He still wanted the sex, but not the chase and not the aftermath. There was no reconciling all three, so he didn’t even bother to try.

  But now with Nika, sitting next to him, her bare toes less than two inches from his thighs. All he’d have to do was take the hot dogs and throw them into the fire, pull her into his lap and show her what he wanted from her. He looked at her, her chin was resting on her knees, her eyes half closed. Was she thinking or falling asleep? She looked up suddenly as if nudged by Finn’s scrutiny and smiled at him. “Sorry Finn.” She twisted the skewer in her hand so that wiener cooked evenly. “I was thinking.”

  “About what?” Finn asked softly.

  “You.” Then she dropped her eyes as a little blush crept up her cheeks.

  “Really?�
�� Finn’s groin tightened. He didn’t want to get hard, but for fuck’s sake… “What exactly were you thinking?” He had to ask.

  To his surprise, she didn’t respond to his questions. She knew some boundaries after all. Instead, she said, “I think our wieners are done.”

  After they ate their hot dogs and cleaned up, Finn showed Nika how to work the pump, so that they could get running water to use the toilet and the sinks. Hot water would only be available if they fired up the wood stove. “I’ll do that tonight,” he told Nika, “so we can wash up before bed.”

  “What can I do while you’re sleeping, Finn?”

  “Whatever you want.” And then he quickly qualified it. “Except drive my truck, go outside, shoot my gun, use my cell phone, and try to light the wood stove.”

  Nika didn’t appear offended. “That doesn’t leave much. Can I read a book?”

  “Do you have a book?”

  “I saw some in the bedroom. I’ll read them.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Finn laid in bed, drifting in and out of consciousness. Every time he caught the edge of sleep, his mind shook him awake, reminding him of where he was and why. He couldn’t comprehend the situation. He tried to look it at from a cop’s perspective, but no matter how much he puzzled over it, the pieces just didn’t fit. He knew practically nothing about Nika… only what she and Kelsie Scott told him. And all of it could be a fabrication. But why? Why would anyone want to insinuate themselves into his life? He had no cases on his desk that were complex.