Chapter Thirteen

It’d been an interesting few months since Kara had collapsed against his front door and changed his life for the better. Every day he found good deeds to do and every night after work he sought pleasure in Kara’s arms, the two of them rekindling the fire they thought had burned itself out a year ago.

The daily sparring was good, fun—they learned from each other, and it was surprising to find how much he enjoyed it. They’d collapse on the floor, gasping for breath and reveling in the simple basic release. He’d missed this—and it was obvious she did as well. It brought them closer, both exciting and worrying him.

He wasn’t a fool—this wouldn’t go on forever. But it was what it was and right now it was fantastic.

Marie’s continued research didn’t find any links between the mysterious woman at the hotel and other recorded crimes, putting his and Kara’s mind at ease. At least she didn’t have to worry about being hunted down for something more severe than credit card theft.

Liam, on the other hand…

He shook his head as he pulled out of the warehouse parking lot early in the morning, noting the icy roads. The temperature had been dropping consistently during the last week, the light snowstorms a taste of what was to come.

This year he’d be staying warm with more than a space heater to keep him company.

That morning Liam had agreed to meet Kara for breakfast at the cafe, allowing her to treat him to a meal using her own funds. The clean-up job at Mrs. Dubois’s house had generated more business for Kara, through Marie’s word-of-mouth—mostly women looking for one of their own to run personal errands to and from various places in town.

She went to pick up light groceries at the store for the seniors, purchased “intimate” items at the drugstore, and blushed when Liam noted he never got such good tips. But he had to admit it was a good alternative for those in town who felt more comfortable with a woman helping them out.

He pulled into the parking lot and looked up at the gray, ominous clouds hanging over the valley. The temperature was dropping, and the forecast was for snow—a lot of it. The last few storms had been barely enough to cover the ground but everyone in the town were holding their breath, waiting for The Big One.

This could be it.

He rubbed his hands together as he stepped inside the diner.

“She’s here.” The waitress smiled and gestured at the corner booth. “I’ll get you a coffee.”

Liam grinned as he slid in beside Kara, giving her a fast kiss. “I thought I’d beat you here. Don’t tell me you were up all night.”

“No way.” She covered her mouth as a yawn escaped. “I promised Geraldine help putting up the Christmas tree today. She’s opening up an hour earlier, so we can start decorating.”

“Half the town is gone.” He pointed out. “And the other half won’t be visiting the library after that storm hits—they’ll be curled up in bed with a good book.” He squeezed her knee. “Or someone else.”

“Really?” Her innocent smile shot straight to his groin. “What are you going to be reading?”

Liam leaned in, dropping his voice to a whisper. “The Karma Sutra. The Joy of Sex. Maybe some of those sexy romances to get ideas. Anything else you’d recommend?”

Her cheeks reddened, and she sat back, relinquishing the battlefield.

The waitress came over for their order before disappearing back into the kitchen to talk to the cook. They were alone in the cafe, a more common occurrence now that the season had shifted.

A shadow split the sunlight coming through the side window of the diner, triggering Liam’s curiosity. He glanced out at the lone figure walking down the street, hands deep in his trench coat.

An invisible sledgehammer slammed into his chest, forcing the air from his lungs in a single, low groan.

No.

He put his arm around Kara’s shoulder and pulled her close as the door swung open, admitting the stranger. A cold breeze shot through the diner as Liam pulled the elastic off his ponytail with a swift yank, letting his hair fall over his face as he nuzzled Kara’s ear.

The man sat down at the counter and spoke in a low, measured voice. He flipped open his leather trench coat and pulled off his leather gloves, nodding as the waitress read the order back to him.

She passed the slip of paper to the cook before pouring a cup of coffee for the stranger, a man with short black hair and a strong, square jaw.

He wasn’t a stranger to Liam.

His heart raced as the scout looked directly at them, scouring the couple with an intense gaze. A cold, greasy ball of fear rolled around his stomach as Liam leaned back, keenly aware of the pistol digging into the small of his back.

Only yesterday he considered leaving the pistol behind, putting it back in the shoe box under his bed. Now he was extremely glad he went with his gut and kept it at hand.

“Laugh,” he ordered Kara.

She went to turn toward him, mouth opening to question his request, but his fingers held her still.

“Giggle.” He put all he had into the single word, knowing it could make the difference between a shootout in the middle of the diner or a chance to get away.

Kara gave a high-pitched laugh as he kissed her cheek, taking up the game. Liam moved his lips along her jawline, glancing every few seconds through his long hair at the man sitting at the counter.

The faux-making out continued until the waitress returned with the plastic bag holding the disposable container of food, refilling the customer’s takeout coffee before taking payment.

The man stood and gave them one last inspection before nodding to the woman and walking out with his food.

“Fuck,” Liam whispered into Kara’s neck.

“I’m assuming you’re saying that in a different context.” She cleared her throat. “What’s wrong?”

Liam tugged his hair back into a pony tail as the waitress approached with their meals. “Just remembered I left the keys in the truck.” He forced a smile. “Got all excited about having breakfast with you and forgot them in the ignition.”

She gave a soft laugh. “Worried about car thieves? I thought you said everyone in the Ridge was cool.”

“Yeah, well…don’t want to tempt fate.” He rose from the table, fully aware his target was on the move. “I’ll be back.” Liam gave her a fast kiss before grabbing his jacket and bolting for the door, knowing he was leaving her mad and confused. He would deal with the consequences later.

If they survived.

Kara stared at the cooling eggs on her partner’s plate, her stomach churning.

Something was wrong.

She’d watched him rush out of the diner, but instead of stopping by the pickup truck, he’d continued on into the nearby alley—almost at a flat-out run. No hesitation, no looking back at the diner, no signal of what he was doing.

Her teeth ached as she realized how hard she’d been gritting them, the anger and confusion at being left behind boiling up inside her. After all this time, all these months together…

The waitress came over and refilled Kara’s coffee. “Everything okay, sweetie?” She studied the abandoned meal, the cold cup of coffee sitting in wait.

“Sure.” Kara forced a smile. “Jack had to go do something. He’ll be right back.”

April laughed. “He’s a darling. How ’bout I take this, put a plate over them so they’ll still be warm when he gets back? Or I can get Dave to make them up again—no problem there.”

“Sure,” Kara acquiesced. “Let’s do that. Thanks.”

As the waitress hustled the cooling bacon and eggs into the back, Kara cupped her mug in both hands, trying to calm the panic building in her belly. For some reason Liam lied and left—after what she thought was a little roleplaying, the order to laugh echoing in her ears.

Did I miss something?

Kara wracked her memory, searching for a reason for Liam’s strange reaction and departure and finding none.

She dug in her pocket and threw down a few bills before finishing off her coffee.

She wasn’t about to let this go without an explanation. And it better be a hell of a good one.