Zoe lifted her head, leaned over, kissed her mom gently on her cheek and whispered, “Stay strong, Mom. I’ll be back.” She stepped away, brushing the tears from her eyes, and left her mother’s room, passing Harrison’s two sentries just outside.
Harrison walked out the door with her. In the hallway, she searched for the ladies’ room, found it on the left near her mom’s room and headed straight for it. She checked to see if Harrison followed her, but he remained outside her mom’s door, talking to his two men. Seeing her mom like that—broken, bruised, and nonresponsive—had been heartbreaking.
Her mother had always been there for her. She might not have had the answers Zoe wanted, but her mom always had a hug and a kind word. It’d been frustrating at times, because when Zoe had wanted action, her mom was all about acceptance. Her mom kept saying how she’d already seen so much in life that nothing surprised her anymore. How she didn’t like it, but one couldn’t fight some things. And that was true enough. But Zoe also knew one had to fight other things because the alternative was too devastating.
In the bathroom, Zoe quickly washed her face, blew her nose and then used the facilities. After washing her hands, she stared into the mirror, thinking of what had been going on with her family. Harrison had nailed it when he had said she was on the run. Because she was. Running to get away from her life. Running to get away from her past. Running to get away from her family. And look what happened. She bowed her head, feeling the tears coming on yet again. She wanted to go in one of the stalls, curl up and cry.
But, if she didn’t leave the restroom in a timely manner, she knew for a fact, Harrison would walk in and open every stall until he found her. He was like this indomitable presence. She didn’t know where he came from. Sure, it was easy to say Legendary Security. Whatever the hell that meant. And he was hired to find her. If so, why? She straightened her shoulders, glared at her image in the mirror and whispered, “Well, it’s damn time you found out.”
She stiffened her hands into fists and strode from the bathroom. And all the stuffing went out of her as soon as she saw Richard.
He turned to look at her, and with that gentle smile said, “I’m sorry she wasn’t awake for you, Zoe.”
Instantly she was that little girl, back again in her mother’s arms. She nodded mutely. “May I come see her again?”
Richard nodded. “Of course you can. But because of the security around here, we do need to know ahead of time.”
“May I get your number so I can call to let somebody know?”
He pulled out his wallet, reached inside and grabbed a card for her. “Call me. I can set up whatever you need at the time.”
“Thank you.”
Harrison stepped beside her, gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said, “Thanks for letting us come in, Richard.”
“It’s definitely the best thing for Trish too. Maybe next time she’ll be awake.” With a gentle smile, he turned and walked to his small office.
Harrison led Zoe to the elevator, his two men once again stepping into place behind them. She wanted to insult them, to send them away, to get rid of the feeling they were here to protect her. Because that was what it felt like. And she didn’t care for it. As a matter of fact, she hated it. But at the same time, it worried her. Did she need their protection?
Or were they about stopping her from leaving, taking her somewhere she didn’t want to go? She might be up to fighting one of them, but she couldn’t fight all three. They looked to be damn good at what they did. And she had no doubt that was something she didn’t want them to do.
Outside she took a deep breath and said, “When do I get to leave my prison?”
Harrison turned to face her. When she refused to look at him, he lifted her chin so she was forced to.
She glared, wishing she could hit him but knew it would go the wrong way for her.
“Have I ever indicated that you aren’t smart?”
“Not in so many words,” she said drily.
His gaze twinkled at her. “Then maybe you can relax a little bit.”
She shook her head. “You know how long it’s been since I could?”
“Who is it you’re afraid of?”
She clammed up and stared, her face now poker straight.
He sighed. “Back to that trust issue.”
She shrugged.
He motioned at the Jeep. “Where do you want to go?”
“Back to where you picked me up.”
He looked like he wanted to argue.
“You said I’m not a prisoner,” she snapped.
He gave in with a sigh. “Fine, let’s go.”
She didn’t trust him, yet she took a seat in the front of the Jeep and waited. Again his two men, silent as always, slipped into the back. The trip was much faster this time, making her realize Harrison had taken a long and winding route getting to the hospital. If they had been followed, nobody succeeded. So, whatever. She could only deal with so many things at once. She’d tell Benji how she had to move on, now with four thugs after her, but that she’d get food and coffee to him somehow.
Harrison literally drove up to the church steps and parked. “Here you go.”
She gave him a disbelieving look, opened the door and hopped out. She quickly closed it.
The Jeep didn’t move; the men talked inside.
She shook her head. She couldn’t leave until those guys did. Then she considered her sandwich bag. She sat again and looked at it. She wasn’t hungry. But she needed fuel for sustenance, so she should eat now. But what she wanted to do was have the men disappear.
When the Jeep drove away, she sighed with relief. As she glanced up, her relief turned to anger. Harrison closed the distance and sat beside her on the steps. He motioned at the sandwich and asked, “Are you going to eat that?”
She opened her mouth and snapped it shut, then muttered, “Maybe.”
“I figured it was for Benji.”
She stiffened. “You better stay away from Benji,” she warned.
He raised one eyebrow. “Have I hurt you? What makes you think I would Benji?”
She slumped in place but didn’t answer.
“You know, I think you’ve been looking at the world as an enemy for too long. You don’t know how to tell who is a friend anymore.”
“So? Are you a friend now?”
“I could be. But you’re quite the clinical porcupine. If you aren’t fed, it’s like getting scratched by a feral cat.”
For some reason that hurt. “That’s not fair.”
“No, it probably isn’t,” he said calmly. “I think, when you finally do decide that somebody is your friend, you defend them to your death if necessary. But you won’t let anybody close because you’re afraid to get hurt.”
Startled, she looked at him again. “Are you some kind of shrink now?”
He shook his head. “No, but I was in the military for a lot of years. I saw things that could break anybody’s heart and soul. I’m out now. But the world hasn’t changed. Neither have the people.”
She thought of all the things she knew about the military, and then all she’d seen since she’d left it and realized he was right. “Sometimes I hate people.”
“Absolutely. But then we should be specific about those we hate.”
“I haven’t gotten very specific yet.”
“That’s the heart talking. That’s the anger looking for an outlet. If you can cast a wide net, you’re more likely to find somebody to beat up or to knock down so you feel justified hurting them. Set anger has an avenue, a path, a goal. But when you really look, you’ll see—most likely—good people. And you can’t justify hurting them.”
“You don’t know anything about me.” She jumped to her feet and walked along the street, her footsteps hard and rapid. But he was bigger than she was, his legs way longer than hers. He caught up with no trouble. “Go away.”
“Nope, won’t do that.”
She came to a halt and turned to face him. “Why not? Why are you still with me? What do you want?”
“The truth. And then maybe some cooperation.” His face was grim.
She glared at him suspiciously. “The truth about what? And what do you want my cooperation with?”
“You can push as hard as you want. You can be as mean and nasty as you want. You can be as prickly as a cactus. I don’t really care, but you can’t push me away.”
Frustrated and angry, she spun on Harrison. The sandwich bag bashed against her thigh.
“You know, you can give that sandwich to Benji, and we could go somewhere nice to have a meal.”
She snorted and continued down the street.
“We can also go to a friend’s house, and you could have your own room and a shower, potentially grab some clean clothes if you have any. Someplace where you’ll be safe while you sort this out.”
She shook her head. “There won’t be any sorting this out.”
“Somebody hunting you?”
Her back stiffened, but she wouldn’t give an answer.
“And is it the same person who shot your father and beat up your mother?”
She gasped and walked faster than ever. She was almost running.
He jerked her arm, making her stop. “If you want to go for a run that’s fine, but I’d really rather put on my sneakers first. If you want to take on a 10 or 20K, I’m up for it. I haven’t done a twenty in quite a while, but I could use the exercise.”
She was panting now and didn’t know what to say, except, “Leave me alone.”
His voice softened, and he stroked her cheek. “I’m afraid that can’t happen.”
She looked up at him, her bottom lip trembling. She bit down on it hard and then whispered, “Why?”
He gave her that sweet smile again and said, “Because … I’m not sure I can.”
*
And how the hell had that happened? He understood her disbelief. Hell, he was right there with her. His job had been to find her. That he’d done. But leaving her…that was something he couldn’t force himself to do.
Is this what his friends had gone through? He had taken one look and in less than an hour, realized he was in trouble. He thought it was supposed to happen slowly, build on original lust and passion, good friendship. He didn’t know what the hell he was feeling right now. He didn’t know what to call it. He couldn’t believe there was a name for this. But as he stood there and stared at her, he’d realized what he had said was quite true.
He couldn’t make himself leave her.
She opened her mouth and snapped it closed again. After shooting him a fulminating look, she stepped back and said, “I don’t understand.”
Always one to be honest and upfront, he nodded. “Neither do I.”
He looked around, people walking up and down the street, more homeless claiming their quarters. The business day over, the evening starting. “I suggest we find a place to sit and have a hot meal. Take that sandwich to Benji and move forward.”
She studied Harrison for a long moment, then nodded slowly. “But just dinner,” she warned in a hard voice.
He gave her as gentle a smile as he could manage. “I’m not known for beating up girls, abusing women or doing anything with them against their will.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I’m making too much of this, aren’t I?”
He shook his head. “No. You should do what you’re comfortable with.”
“Okay then,” she said as calmly as she could. “I don’t want to waste this sandwich. So, you’re right. Let’s give it to Benji.” Together they crossed the street and walked down the block to where the blind man sat, gently strumming his guitar.
“Glad it all worked out, girlie.”
She laughed. “Well, it has for the moment. It’s still early yet.” She laid the bag with the sandwich against his knee. “Another sandwich for you. This guy will take me out for dinner.”
Benji tilted his head and stared directly at Harrison. Then he nodded sagely. “You’ll be safe with him.”
Harrison crossed his arms over his chest and watched and waited.
She leaned forward and kissed Benji gently on the temple. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Benji shook his head. “Maybe you will, and maybe you won’t.”
She straightened and nodded at Harrison. They walked on again. At the end of the next block she asked, “Where are we going?”
“We can go out for dinner, or to Richard’s place for a meal.”
“Oh, no. That would be imposing too much.”
“I figured you’d say that,” he said. “What about that steakhouse there?”
“Steak? I haven’t had it in ages.”
“Any particular reason?”
“Money,” she said simply.
“And here I thought you were a rich girl,” he mocked.
“When your life completely flips around, you don’t waste money on unfruitful frivolities like a steak dinner. Sandwiches make your money go a whole lot further. Without knowing if I would get a job, or where I would live, I couldn’t blow it like that. I had to save it all.”
“Understood.”
They walked in silence until they came to the steakhouse entrance.
He held the door open for her. She looked at her dirty leggings and T-shirt and winced. “They might not let me in.”
“Then we’ll find another place.”
He stepped up to the hostess and asked for a table for two. The hostess smiled at him and seemed not to even notice what Zoe wore. That last part worked for him.
When they were seated at a booth by the window, he looked at her and smiled. “You worried for nothing.”
“No,” she said. “The hostess was under your spell. She never once glanced at me.”
He chuckled. “Whatever works.”
Their server came around with menus and asked if they wanted anything to drink. They both refused and ordered dinner. Silence once again fell between them.
He could tell she was avoiding talking to him. She stared at the rest of the patrons, looked over the large floor, watched the comings and goings of the staff. He sat and waited. He’d been playing this game a lot longer than she had.
She glanced at him and in an irritable voice asked, “Why are you staring at me?”
“Because I like to.”
He wanted to laugh when her glare deepened.
His phone rang. “Excuse me. I need to take this.” He stood and walked to the washrooms so he could have a little more privacy and not disturb the other patrons. “Levi, what’s up?”
“That’s basically what I’m asking you. Saul and Dakota checked in. Said they left you downtown. On the church steps. And followed you to a restaurant?”
Harrison said, “Yep, they sure did. I’m with her now. Took her out for dinner. She’s looking on the starved, lost, and lonely side. I think she’s been on the run since she left her house. She still isn’t talking. So I’m short on answers for her behavior. I did get her to the hospital so she could see her mom. No way she’s responsible for her mother’s injuries.”
Levi gave a heavy sigh of relief. “Well, that’s one good thing.”
“Any updates?”
“Only that the father’s condition has been downgraded yet again. They’re worried about brain injury.”
“Any word on the brother?” Harrison asked.
“No. Have you mentioned him to her at all?”
“No. She’s really angry, but underneath all that, is fear. I’m not sure why she’s running or what from.”
“Time to find out.” Levi hung up.
Easy for Levi to say. Harrison put away his phone and walked back to his seat. This was hardly an interrogation. One wrong move from him, and she would bolt.
She glanced up when she saw him and smiled. “Not trouble I hope.”
“There’s always trouble in my corner,” he answered easily. “The good thing is, that’s what we do. We handle trouble.” He deliberately emphasized his words, hoping she heard them and realized he could help her.
She cast her gaze at the water glass in front of her but didn’t say anything.
“And, yes, we handle all kinds.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that easy.”
“Trouble never is.”
Then the waiter arrived with their platters of steak.
He smelled the aroma appreciatively. “This looks wonderful.”
She stared at the mountain of food in front of her. “Oh, my God. I can’t eat all this.”
“Well, I would’ve agreed with you a year before, but, since then, I’ve met at least five women who could polish off that entire platter, down to nothing, without even trying.”
She gave him a look of complete disbelief.
He nodded. “Give it a try. You might surprise yourself.”
For the next ten minutes, he tackled his steak and enjoyed every bite. He made sure she kept eating. She was lean and fit, but it looked like she’d fallen on tough times. But she could eat. Once he’d given her permission to polish off the whole thing, that she didn’t have to act like a debutante at a society dinner making do with a few forkfuls, he realized how long it had been since she had really eaten properly. She’d only had two sandwiches all day today.
Of course that brought up the next issue. Where the hell was she sleeping? Or, like Benji, did she not have a place to go? Then he thought about Benji, how well fed and happy he appeared to be, and realized chances were Benji had a bed to sleep in tonight. Probably a whole lot nicer than her accommodations.