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KAYLEE CLUTCHED THE burner phone in her hands, listening to the other end of the line ring. She’d tried Nick earlier, but his number had gone straight to voicemail. For all she knew, his phone was turned off because Nick had been on a flight again. He could be on the other side of the world right now, unable to help her. She could contact Shadow Security directly, but she didn’t know anyone else there. Kaylee couldn’t exactly use her credit card to pay for their services—not without someone potentially finding out her location. She’d run for a reason, and Kaylee instinctively knew that the men who’d hidden her away would be looking for her.
“Please pick up,” she whispered as Nick’s phone rang again.
She looked around the sparse motel room, feeling lonely and scared. The heater beneath the motel window was barely keeping up with the winter weather, and she shivered at the chill in the air. Kaylee had been running on adrenaline since sneaking out of the safehouse, but now that she’d finally stopped? She was trembling, both cold and frightened. Tears smarted her eyes. What was she supposed to do? Kaylee was about to end the call when suddenly Nick’s gruff voice answered.
“Hello?”
A different kind of shiver raced down her spine at hearing his voice.
She hadn’t spoken to Nick in more than a year, when they’d run into one another in Omaha. He’d looked good then—more muscular than when they’d been teenagers, but still tall and lean, with a gruffness and alertness about him that came from years of military service. Nick was the total package—smart, strong, lethal. He was a full-grown man now, not the teenage boy she’d once fallen in love with. She’d watched him that night, noting the differences. Nick was harder. Intense. His broad shoulders, corded forearms, and veined hands had been intriguing when he’d approached her. But she hadn’t missed the way his eyes had grown hot as they looked her over.
Every time she’d seen him over the years, her body still went on high alert. Her cheeks flushed. Her heart rate increased. He’d once known every inch of her body, kissed and caressed every part of her.
She’d had boyfriends over the years, but no one serious. No one who made her feel the way that Nick did. They’d merely chatted for a bit that night, dancing around the obvious attraction they still felt for one another, and then gone their separate ways. He’d been meeting some old friends, and he’d left her to her own evening. Their groups had briefly mingled at one point, Nick shooting her the occasional look, but that was it.
Seeing a man she felt nothing for shouldn’t have been that hard.
And that was the kicker.
Kaylee feared she’d never truly gotten over her first love.
“Hello?” Nick asked again, and adrenaline spiked through her veins.
She cleared her throat, finally finding her voice. “Nick? It’s me. Kaylee,” she added, hating that she had to even mention that.
A beat passed. “Kaylee?” he asked in surprise.
“Yeah. I’m sorry to call you out of the blue like this, but—”
“I’m at your apartment,” he said abruptly, shocking the hell out of her.
“You’re in Omaha?” Kaylee was dumbfounded. She’d texted him a month ago asking for help but never expected him to fly out there and literally show up on her doorstep, especially not after all the time that had passed since then.
“I just came from your parents’ house. Your mom gave me your address, even though we both knew you wouldn’t be here. I wanted to come check things out for myself. Where are you? Are you okay?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know,” she said, flustered. “You saw my mom?” she asked, her heart racing. “They told me they’d contact my parents to let them know I was okay, but I didn’t know what or who to believe. Is she okay?”
“She’s okay but worried about you. Who told you that they’d speak with your parents?” he asked, and Kaylee could hear the concern in his voice. “Hang on. I probably shouldn’t talk right in front of your apartment. Just give me a sec. I’m heading back to my rental car.”
She heard movement, a shuffling sound as Nick jogged down the stairs, and then a car door slammed a few seconds later. “Okay, I’m inside my vehicle. I haven’t checked it for bugs but just picked it up today. We should be able to speak freely.”
Bugs. Not the creepy crawly kind. She heard him starting the engine. “Wait, why’d you go to my apartment if you knew I wouldn’t be there?”
“I wanted to look around, see what I could find. Your mom gave me your spare key. I was just about to go inside when you called me. And I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear your voice,” he said, and Kaylee could hear the truth behind his words. “No one knows where you are. I was hoping to find a clue or something so I’d know where to start.”
“That’s just—wow. Okay. I still can’t believe you flew to Omaha to check on me.”
“And I can’t believe you’re calling me right now,” he countered. “What number are you calling from anyway? This isn’t your cell.”
“A burner phone. I just bought it today. I’m scared, Nick.”
She heard him swear in the background. “Where are you? Your mom explained the basics, but I’d like to hear from you exactly what’s going on, and I’d prefer we talk in person. I’ll come to you, and then you can fill me in on everything.”
“I’m not in Omaha.”
The line was quiet for a moment, then Nick cleared his throat. “Are you still in Nebraska? Or should I head to the airport?”
Kaylee blinked in surprise. “You’d jump on another airplane and come to me.”
“Of course I would. You might’ve said you needed my help and then blown me off afterwards, but—”
“What do you mean I blew you off?” she asked, confusion coursing through her.
“I texted you after I got back, and you said not to worry. Then you never responded to my texts or messages after that,” Nick said, his voice gruff.
“Nick, I left that same night. I texted you and said that I needed a bodyguard, but then I was whisked away by the men who showed up at my door. That wasn’t me who sent you the message about everything being okay.”
“Damn it,” he swore. “I knew something was off when I didn’t hear from you on my birthday. I’ve been worried,” he said.
Kaylee let out a breath. “I’m sorry. I thought I was safe where I was being held, that I was being rushed away from my regular life for my own protection. I would’ve tried to contact you sooner if I thought I was in immediate danger. They put me in a safehouse and told me not to have contact with anyone. After a week or so, I was beginning to doubt everything. No one would fill me in, and I still couldn’t contact my family. I had no idea what was really going on. I finally snuck out and took a bus out of town. I’m several hours away from Omaha and not even sure if I should stay here more than one night.”
“I’ll come get you,” he assured her. “I’ve got a rental car. You can explain everything once I arrive, and we’ll figure this out together. If it’s something big, well, I’ve still got my contacts from the Army. You won’t have to deal with this alone.”
“Okay,” she said, her voice breaking. She swiped away the tears, thankful he couldn’t see her, and sniffled. The last thing she needed to do right now was fall apart.
“Hell. Don’t cry, Kaylee,” he said, his voice husky. His words washed over her, soothing her in a way she hadn’t even realized she’d needed. Nick was former military. A bodyguard. He could protect her physically, but until that moment, she hadn’t realized he could still protect her emotionally as well.
“I’m okay,” she said, her voice trembling. Kaylee shivered again in the motel room, wishing he was already there.
“I’m going to help you,” Nick assured her. “Text me your address, and I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
“I’ll send it when we hang up.”
“Okay. We’ll figure this out, I swear. I promise that I’ll keep you safe,” Nick vowed.
“Thank you,” she whispered, emotions swirling within her. She and Nick hadn’t been a couple in well over a decade. He had no reason to go out of his way for her right now, but she couldn’t deny there was still a connection between them. She’d felt it a year ago at that bar, and she felt it now, despite the miles separating them.
They said goodbye and ended the call, and then she was fumbling with her burner phone, texting him the address of her motel. It would be several hours before he arrived. She was on-edge but knew she’d feel calmer once Nick got here. It was in his nature to be protective, solving problems and watching out for others.
And until he arrived late that night?
She’d do her best to stay calm and hope like hell that he would know what to do to help her.
