How many women could come face to face with evil, set eyes on a bloody, severed finger—and then on top of all that, have a complete stranger steal her away because her life was now in danger, all without losing her shit?
Most women—hell, most men too—that he knew would be hysterical at this point, but she was holding it together like a champ.
She’s a remarkable woman, his dragon said as the furious pacing he’d been doing since Justin went missing slowed while he contemplated her. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was a shifter—maybe even a dragoness. She’s got enough strength to be one.
Pursing his lips, Colton nodded slowly. The only female dragon I was ever around was my mother, and I don’t remember her well, but I think you’re right. Katia is as amazingly resilient as I imagine my mother was.
He glanced over at her, watching as she bit her lip in concentration while she sketched. Warmth filled his chest, catching him off guard, and he quickly turned his attention back to the road.
Brow furrowing, he wondered where the hell that sensation came from, and whether he liked it or not. Hell, who was he trying to kid? He enjoyed the hell out feeling it, and he knew if he was going to feel it for anyone, there wasn’t anyone better than her.
But the timing fucking sucked, because until he found Justin, there wasn’t a damned thing he could do about it. All of his focus needed to be on keeping her safe and bringing his cousin home, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted from those goals.
And wasn’t that just his fucking luck.
Chapter Four
Blinking as she came out of the zone she fell into when she drew, Katia lowered her pencil as she gazed at the passing scenery. A sign caught her eye and her eyebrows rose as she turned to look at Colton.
“We’re in Tennessee?”
The corners of his mouth curled up as he glanced at her. “Just now noticed that, did you? Yeah, for about thirty minutes now.”
“Are we going somewhere in particular?”
“No. I honestly didn’t have a plan when we left the hotel. I just wanted to put some distance between us and them. I’m going to stop at the next exit though, and we’ll figure it out then.”
Nodding, she fell quiet as he slowed down and exited the interstate. He drove to a gas station and once he was parked, she opened the door, thankful he had step sides on the truck as she got out. She was way too short to climb in and out of the jacked-up truck without them.
Walking around as he filled the gas tank, she stretched out her legs and back, eyes narrowing on a car that slowed like it was going to turn in the parking lot before continuing on the road. Suspicion rose inside her, but she brushed it off as she strolled. It wasn’t the Camry the Creepy Dudes were driving, so it was probably just an idiot who couldn’t decide where he was going.
“Want anything to drink?”
“A Coke, please,” she replied, watching as he nodded and walked inside.
Damn, he looked good. His stride was fluid and graceful, despite how big he was, and her eyes fell to the taut globes of his ass, watching as they moved with his steps. She felt damned near mesmerized, unable to look away until he disappeared inside.
Blowing out a breath, she fanned her face as she made her way back to the truck. She didn’t think she’d ever seen a man as gorgeous as Colton in real life, and she honestly wasn’t sure how she’d managed to ignore his presence long enough to finish her sketches.
It was too bad they met under these circumstances. What she wouldn’t give to have met him in a normal setting, to be with him right now because they were maybe on a date—not because his cousin disappeared, and he was trying to keep her safe from the men who had him.
The warmth that had been building in her belly as she watched him dissipated, turning to a heavy knot of dread and fear. Suddenly feeling chilled down to her bones, she wrapped her arms around herself, shuddering as an image of the severed finger flashed through her mind.
This whole situation was fucked up and it felt so surreal. How did she go from her pathetically boring life, longing for something more to happen than just going to work and school, and spending every spare moment studying—to this?
She’d wished for something to happen that would shake up her life a little, but she hadn’t wanted her whole existence to turn upside down, and definitely not for this reason. When the Bad Guys walked into the diner the night before, it started a domino effect that was still in motion, with no signs that it was going to slow down any time soon.
First having the horrible misfortune of being able to identify the creeps, and then seeing that finger. And now fleeing from everything she knew and was familiar with in order to stay safe—and the whole time, even when she was zoned out as she sketched, there was a lump in her throat and a ball of fear in her gut.
Katia shook her head, disgusted with herself. There she was, being selfish again. Because she knew as hard as the situation was on her, it was a million times worse for Colton. His cousin went missing and then he found out that the men he was with had cut off his finger, and Lord only knew what else they’d done to him. He had to be worried out of his mind.
And poor Justin… there was no telling what he’d been through, what he was going through in that very moment.
Out of the three of them, she had it the best in their situation, and she resolved to stop feeling sorry for herself. She’d made strides in trying to help out on the drive, but she was going to do whatever it took to do more.
At first, she’d hoped Colton was taking her somewhere she could hide out while he continued to look for Justin. But she made up her mind then and there to stick to him like glue until everything was over so she could help.
Maybe it was because it felt like she was living in a movie and none of this was real, but as soon as she made the decision, determination replaced the fear in her stomach. Inhaling the first deep breath she’d been able to take since she saw the finger, she glanced over as the door to the store opened and Colton emerged.
Her breath caught as she watched him walking toward her, cowboy hat perched firmly on his head and a smile directed her way. Butterflies teased her belly, and she decided that rather than viewing this as a horror movie like she had been, she was going to pretend it was a romance.
Maybe it would help her keep the fear of their reality at bay—she just had to make sure she didn’t forget that this wasn’t truly a love story. Viewing it that way was probably one of the stupider ideas she ever had, but that was okay as long as it helped her overcome her fear to do what was right.
Instead of rushing after the Creepy Dudes who had his cousin right away and rescuing Justin, Colton got her the hell out of Dodge first to keep her safe—possibly costing him the opportunity to find them quickly. Didn’t she owe it to him to help him?
The guilt welling up inside her over the fact that she could be the reason Justin was hurt worse, while she herself was perfectly safe, said she sure as hell did.
Walking over to the truck, her eyebrows rose as she saw him opening her door for her. She put her foot on the step side and started to smile as he put one of the drinks down, cupping his big hand around her arm to help her inside.
But in the next moment, her smile faded as the warmth of his hand sunk into her, and she sucked in a breath as she felt her eyes widen.
Good Lord Almighty, what was that?
It felt like a bolt of electricity arched from his hand to her skin, and tingles raced down her arm, goosebumps raising the hair on her arm in its wake. Swallowing hard, she tried to compose her expression before he could see just how shaken she was.
Had he felt that too, or was she a little too good at pretending this was a romantic movie?
Settling into her seat, she inhaled shakily as she searched his eyes for any hint that he was as off balance as she was. “Thank you,” she whispered, not able to give her words any substance.
He nodded silently, his hazel eyes seeming to turn greener as she gazed into them. He was sea
rching her eyes intently, like he was looking for confirmation of his own, and it made her think that maybe—just maybe—he’d felt it, too.
“You’re welcome,” he replied huskily, stopping to clear his throat. “I would have done it earlier, but we were in a hurry.”
Nodding, she watched as he closed her door and walked around to his side, not taking her eyes off him until he climbed inside. Handing her the Coke, he started the truck but only went as far as the parking lot of the hotel next door.
Puzzled, she glanced at the clock to find it was only four in the afternoon before looking over at him. “What are we doing?”
“I figured this is as good a place as any to stop for the night and work out a plan. We need to figure out where we’re going next before we keep driving.”
Narrowing her eyes, she started to protest, but he was out of the truck and getting their bags before she could. She didn’t think they needed to stop for the whole night, but he was right when he said they needed a plan.
Shoving her sketchpad into her backpack, she zipped it up just as he opened her door and held his hand out for her. Curious to see if the spark happened again, she placed her hand in his, butterflies exploding in her stomach as electricity raced over her skin.
His hand tightened around hers and her eyes flew up to meet his shimmery green and yellow gaze. His eyes dipped to her lips for a moment and when he met hers again, the heat she saw made her glad she was still sitting down as her knees weakened.
Katia inhaled deeply, willing herself to break eye contact long enough to find the strength to get out of the truck. It took longer than she thought possible, and the whole time, both of them stood completely still, locked in each other’s eyes.
It was a passing car honking its horn that finally did it, and she quietly blew out a breath as she stepped down. They were quiet as they went inside, and her mind was swirling with so many thoughts and questions that she forgot to stop him from renting a room.
“I hope you don’t mind that I only got one room,” he said quietly as he led her to the elevators, his deep voice caressing her nerve endings. “I don’t want to take the chance that we were followed, though, and leave you to fend for yourself. I got two beds, and I promise to stay in mine. You’re safe with me.”
Well, that was a damned shame.
For one horrifying moment, she feared she said the thought out loud, but when she risked a glance up at him, he gave no indication that she had. Breathing a sigh of relief, she followed him to the room in silence.
When they were inside, she set her backpack on one of the beds before saying what she’d meant to earlier. “I agree that we need to figure out a plan, but we didn’t need to stay the night to do that.”
Shrugging, he put their bags down and sat on the edge of the other bed. “I thought it was for the best, and we can get a fresh start first thing in the morning. Besides, I didn’t sleep very much at all last night. I was too busy looking for Justin. I didn’t want to miss him if he checked out.”
“You spent the night in your truck?” she asked, eyebrows high. “But you had a room at my hotel.”
“Like I said, I didn’t want to miss him. When I checked in, I put my stuff in my room and when I came back out, the car was gone. I panicked and drove around in circles, and when I got back, the car was there again. I didn’t want to risk missing him for good the next time.”
A fresh wave of guilt washed over her, and she exhaled softly as she sank down onto her bed, facing him with their knees almost touching. “And you ended up missing him for good anyway, because of me.”
Brow twitching, he immediately shook his head. “Technically, I missed him when I ran inside to use the bathroom and get my phone charger. He’d already left by the time I got back out there. You had nothing to do with it.”
“I still feel like it’s my fault, though. If I’d let you into his room sooner, or not freaked out and needed calming down, you might have been able to catch up to them.”
“You were following the rules by not letting me in, and I would have thought there was something wrong with you if you weren’t disturbed by what you saw. You did nothing wrong, Katia.”
Hesitating, she sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she glanced at her folded hands. Maybe he had a point with that, but it didn’t stop her from feeling like she’d screwed everything up—just by virtue of being there. If she’d only worked at one of those places that day, maybe her involvement could have been avoided, and he could be tracking his cousin right now.
Praying for courage, she inhaled deeply as she looked back up into his eyes. “I think we should go back to my hotel.”
He frowned as he shook his head. “No way, not this soon. I told you that you needed to stay away from there until this was over. They could still be in the area watching for you.”
“Exactly. It gives you the perfect opportunity to find your cousin and take care of the assholes who have him.”
He cocked his head as he studied her, and then his frown deepened. “Tell me you’re not suggesting I use you as bait.”
Narrowing her gaze, she studied his eyes closely. There for a moment, it looked like his pupils flickered and elongated before shrinking back down to normal. She thought she was hallucinating from stress or something the first time she saw it—although that was a weird as hell thing to imagine—but why would she do it twice?
It didn’t make any sense at all.
Filing it away to puzzle over later, she refocused on Colton. “That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”
“Have you lost your mind?” he asked, voice saturated with disbelief. “You saw what they’re capable of, Katia. And that was probably just the tip of the iceberg. Yet you want to put yourself right back in their crosshairs.”
“Do you any better ideas for finding Justin? If you had some way to track him, you wouldn’t have slept in your truck, so you didn’t lose him. If I go back to work and they’re watching me, you can be there to get answers.”
Mouth tightening, he shook his head. “It’s way too fucking risky.”
“You’ll be there to protect me and keep them from actually getting to me. I’ll be fine. And then you can get one of the bastards and make him tell you where your cousin is.”
“It’s still a no.”
Narrowing her eyes, she blew out a breath with exasperation as she contemplated how to get him to agree. She hadn’t really expected him to fight her on her plan, especially since he could find his cousin if they went back—but he wasn’t even willing to consider it.
Despite the frustration she felt that he wasn’t giving this more thought, her heart still warmed over his resistance. The only person on the planet who’d ever cared about her safety and what happened to her was her uncle Sergei. Lord knew, her mom never really had, and she didn’t remember her dad at all, since he left when she was still a baby.
Yet there Colton was, sitting across from her looking more delicious than a man had a right to, refusing to do the one thing that they knew could get his cousin back. She’d sensed right from the start how much he cared for Justin, and the fact that he was willing to put her safety first…
Well, there were no words for it. But she felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
She felt cared for.
It was such a foreign feeling that she almost wasn’t sure what to do with it, but she was going to bask in it for as long as he was still around. And she’d treasure it long after he was gone.
The thought that there was a limit on their time together made her stomach drop, and she forced herself to focus on the conversation, and convincing him that they needed to go back.
“I know not immediately following after Justin is tearing you up inside,” she said softly. “Don’t try to deny it, because I can see it in your eyes. You’re sure they were going to come back for me to silence me, and I agree with you. Going back is the perfect plan. They’ll see me and it’ll draw them out, and you’ll get them before they get me. Then you can finally
get your cousin back, and I know that means everything to you.”
Colton stared at Katia, unable to find words to reply just yet. He’d known she was beautiful, charming, and strong—but now he had to add brave to the list. She was willing to put herself right in the path of danger so he could rescue Justin, and she didn’t even know his cousin.
He searched her light blue eyes, searching for any clue as to her motivation. Maybe he was misreading it, but he swore he saw a little gleam of affection and warmth for him. Was she willing to go back into such a dangerous situation for him?
It fit with what she said about seeing the worry in his eyes, and that she knew getting Justin back meant everything to him. But it was still hard to wrap his mind around.
He snorted to himself, wondering when he became so arrogant. Maybe that was part of her reasoning, but he was sure it wasn’t all of it, or even half of it. She was a hell of a woman, and he didn’t think she ever put herself first. If she did, she would have taken her uncle up on his offer to pay her tuition and get her an apartment the moment he made the offer.
She wasn’t the type of person to be content with letting her own safety be put in front of someone else’s. He wasn’t sure why he was so certain that was the case, but he was, and it fit everything he’d learned about who she was since they met.
Didn’t mean he was going to take her up on her offer though, no matter how much he burned with the need to find Justin and get him to safety.
“Colt?”
Blinking, he surfaced from his thoughts to find her staring at him with an arched eyebrow and a question in her beautiful eyes. “You’re right, of course. I do want to find him and make sure he’s okay. I want it with every fiber of my being, Katia. But just as much as I want that, I want to keep you safe. I need to. Your safety’s just as important to me as Justin’s, and I’m not willing to risk it. Besides, your plan has a major flaw. I don’t even know what the men look like, so I’d have no idea when they were approaching you.”
Colton: Rogue Beginnings (A Rogue Enforcers Novel) Page 5
