Above Protection (Imperfect Heroes Book 1) (14 page)

“Maybe it’s you who should finish
eating,” he said in that deep, smoky voice, knocking me out of my
daydreams about home and the beaches there.

I nodded and bit into my bacon, not
looking at him but thinking of a way I could get him to take me
somewhere. An idea came to me, but he wasn’t going to like it. I
finished my food then folded my hands in my lap.

“I hate to tell you this, but I’m
gonna need to go to the store again,” I began.

His head was shaking before I finished
my sentence. “Nope, not gonna happen.”

I smiled with as much charm as I could
and said, “But I need more of my… stuff.”

“What stuff? Your feminine crap?” He
got up and snatched my plate from the table, and carried it and his
to the sink. “You got what you needed. We’re not
leaving.”

With more courage than I felt, I said,
“No, I ran out. I only got a little bit but, um, I need
more.”

Total lie. Aunt Flow had left town a
couple days ago, but I knew this was the only way I’d get this guy
to take me into town. I had to get the hell out of this house. And
as much as I knew he was meant to be protecting me, I didn’t think
there was any way the maniac threatening me had traced us to
bum-fuck Virginia. We had no cell phones, or any electronic devices
for that matter. We’d paid cash at the Walmart earlier… it wasn’t
possible we’d been traced and I had to get the heck out of
here.

I refused to call myself a
manipulator, even thought that was the word Duke had thrown out a
few times. I wasn’t one. Maybe I was extroverted and found my
energy by being around people – I’d read something about it in one
of the magazines I’d bought at the store when we’d gone. But
regardless, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t happy that I’d
gotten my way.

The town was tiny. With only a few
stores, a gas station, and few select hardware and fast-food
places, there wasn’t much to it. Not that I cared.

“Get what you need, and make it quick.
We can’t afford to be seen,” Duke said as soon as he turned the
engine off.

“Yes, sir,” I said, saluting
him.

He rolled his eyes and got out of the
car. I waited in the passenger seat for him to come around and open
my door. I’d learned early on that he liked to do that. I wasn’t
going to fool myself into thinking he was actually a gentleman. I’m
pretty sure he did it to control where I went and to guard me from
any potential danger. Either that, or he was a control freak, but I
sort of didn’t believe that. I chose to believe the former. It
helped me keep my sanity. Plus it made him even hotter.

What the hell is wrong
with me? I’m not supposed to find this guy hot. He’s a jerk. Sure
he’d softened a little in the past few days, but in no way was I
gonna be some stupid girl and believe that anything I’d done had
contributed to that. Except kiss him.
God,
that kiss…

Instead of going to Walmart, I told
him we could find a drugstore. I knew I could buy books there too,
and magazines, and a bunch of other stuff to occupy me. He found
the only chain drugstore in town, and as he opened my door, he
closed it behind me and locked it, then grabbed my hand. He looked
around the parking lot before we went inside, the automatic doors
greeting us.

Once we got inside, he kept hold of my
hand, his eyes darting around. I led him straight to the feminine
products, hoping he’d let go of my hand once we got there. He
didn’t. Duke seemed to be on edge a little more this time, and his
grip wasn’t hurting me, but it was tight. I reached for a box of
pantyliners, because really, it wasn’t like I’d never use them, I’d
just pack them in my suitcase and bring them home when I needed
them next month. He made a face but didn’t let go of my
hand.

I decided to have some fun with him,
and jutted my chin at the end of the aisle. “Sure you don’t need
anything? Some condoms or maybe some spermicide?”

He raised both eyebrows, his eyes
widening a little before his face recovered, and he actually
smirked. Damn, I was hoping to get more of a reaction out of him.
“No, why? Did you have something in mind for them?”

Crap, walked right into that
one.

So shrugging, I said, “I’m game. It
beats sitting around watching TV and being bored. Wouldn’t you
say?”

Yep, two can play at this. His eyes
moved down to my mouth the way they had last night, and back up to
my eyes. “I’d say. But I already have my own condoms, should we,
er, should I ever need them.”

I winked at him. “Okay, well better
check the expiration date on the one in your wallet, Cowboy. Could
be expired.”

He snorted and dragged me to the end
of the aisle. He picked up a black box of “extra-large” ones and
set them on top of my box of pads. “You’re right, it might be
expired. Better stock up for when I get back home to Tampa. I’m
gonna need to blow off some steam after this.”

With that, he let go of my hand, and I
stood there with my mouth open. Dick. I chucked the box of condoms
back on the shelf and didn’t bother looking for him. I found the
aisle with magazines and looked to find a few I’d like to read. I
also found a small rack of Harlequin paperbacks, and grabbed a few
of those too. Smiling at my find, I turned to head toward the front
to pay for them and saw my personal bodyguard standing at the end
of the aisle. His arms were folded over his dark blue polo shirt,
his legs shoulder-width apart, and his jaw… was he chewing gum? Oh,
my God. All he needed was a curly white earpiece and some
sunglasses and he’d look the part.

But holy crap, did he look
hot.

Maybe I should go back and grab those
condoms… I wasn’t kidding when I teased him about how it could pass
the time. Not that I’d ever have the bravado to seduce him. Or any
guy. What was wrong with me?

“Are you done?” he asked, chomping on
his gum.

Well, at least it wasn’t
dip…

I nodded. The strap on my white sandal
had come loose, so I bent down to adjust it. The stupid clasp
always came undone. I really need to get some new ones. When I was
satisfied the buckle was secure, I stood up and was met with stormy
blue eyes.

“What in the hell do you think you’re
doing?” Duke asked, his dark eyebrows bunched together.

Confused, I replied, “Fixing my
sandal. Why?”

His eyes traveled the length of me,
then back up into my eyes. “It’s bad enough you wore those shorts,”
he said, his eyes flicking to, well, my jean shorts, then back up
to my eyes, “because it’s entirely too distracting to have you
bending over, along with those… those… shoes.”

I huffed and shoved my hand onto my
hip. “What the hell is wrong with my shoes?”

Do not disrespect the shoes. He was
out of line and I wasn’t going to tolerate it.

“You can’t be serious,” he murmured,
turning around and walking away.

I followed him to the check-stand,
where I paid cash for my books, magazines, some candy, and a tube
of lip-gloss that was on display near the register. We then left
the store, and Duke disarmed the small sports car and opened the
passenger door, ordering me in.

Chapter 17

Duke

I shut the door to the tiny car, and
as I was rounding it to get into the driver’s seat, I spied
something I hadn’t seen in a very long time: A pay phone. Smiling,
I walked to it, happy I could still keep an eye on the vic as I
used the phone.

Digging in my pocket for change, I
shoved some quarters into the antiquated machine and dialed Kyle’s
cell phone number.

He answered on the third ring.
“Hello?”

“What’s up, man?” I greeted
him.

There was a short silence, and then he
said quietly, “Duke?”

I chuckled. “Of course. Just checking
in. How are things?”

“Great, just great. All quiet on this
end. Luke, Lucy, and I have been keeping an eye on the house. Isn’t
that right, Luke?” I heard him pull the phone away from his mouth
at the last part.

A child’s voice in the background made
me smile a little. “Yes, Daddy.”

“You watching him around the water,
man?” I asked, still concerned about Kyle bringing his kid near my
pool. I wasn’t sure exactly how old Luke was, but I’d guess between
four and six, and since I had no idea how old kids were when they
learned to swim, I was always on edge.

Kyle laughed. “Yeah, Hawthorne. Luke
does just fine in the water.” He paused, then said, “Hey, son, go
hang your wet trunks over the side of the bathtub, okay,
buddy?”

“Okay, Daddy,” I heard in
response.

A short pause later, Kyle said,
“Honestly? He mostly hangs out in the Jacuzzi. He likes the pool
but he seems to prefer the hot tub, where he can stand
up.”

Sighing a little in relief, I replied,
“Well, that’s good, I suppose. Anything else going on?”

“I got a job interview at Mathis
Associates,” he replied.

That piqued my interest. Mathis
Associates was the largest nonprofit in Tampa dedicated to helping
veterans. “What will you be doing there?”

Kyle chuckled. “Oh I’m sure something
that involves me being chained to a desk and all.” Then he got
quiet. “I’ll take what I can get, though. I need to keep
busy.”

I understood his reasoning, being as
he was missing half his leg. “I hear ya, brother,” I responded,
nodding against the heavy black receiver of the phone.

I glanced to the car. Rayanne appeared
to be flipping through radio stations.

“Any news on when you’ll get back?”
Kyle asked.

Contemplating my answer, and knowing
pay phones were most likely not bugged, I responded, “The trial is
in about five days. I’m hoping to get back to the land of the
living then.”

The gum in my mouth was beginning to
irritate me, so I spotted a nearby trash can and chucked it in
there.

Kyle said in my ear, “Thanks, good
luck, Duke. Stay safe.”

“Thanks, brother,” I responded. Then I
hung up.

Deciding I didn’t have many other
opportunities like this, I glanced over at Rayanne in the front
seat of the car, laughing at her scowl. I then shoved more quarters
into the pay phone.

My brother, Mason, answered on the
second ring, “Hello?”

“What’s up, soldier?” I asked, using
the greeting I always did.

“Not much, Devil Dog,” he responded, a
smile in his voice at his nickname for me from my Marine Corps
days.

“Everything good?” I asked, sincerely
meaning it.

“Yeah… holding down the fort here.
Where the hell are you?”

I paused, wondering if I should say
anything. I figured Mason was probably wondering where I was. Or
hell, maybe he wasn’t. I had left my work cell back in the vic’s
apartment in St. Petersburg. I had an ancient, pre-paid flip phone,
but Mace didn’t have the number to it.

“Anything going on there?” I asked,
ignoring his question. I was just happy to hear my brother’s
voice.

“Of course, but I’ll fill you in when
you get back. You are coming back, aren’t you?” Mason asked,
sounding genuinely concerned.

Chuckling nervously, and while still
staring at Rayanne sitting in the passenger seat of the car, I
said, “Of course. I’m on a case. I should be back in about a week.
Maybe less.”

I could hear telephones ringing amidst
all the background noise. “Well, I worry about you, dude. Stay
safe. I gotta go to a call.”

“Cool. See you soon.”

I hung up and quickly racked my brain
for anyone else I could call while I had the opportunity. I really
couldn’t think of anyone so I got in the car. Rayanne looked over
at me. “You get to use the phone and I don’t?” She folded her arms
over her chest and stared out the front windshield.

I felt my face get hot with anger and
I narrowed my eyes at her. I used my hand to grab her chin so she
would look at me. “Yes, that’s exactly right. Every person I’ve
ever known, including my family, doesn’t have their phones and
houses bugged or are being watched. Nobody cares where I am,
Blondie, but I guarantee you there are a lot of people who would
love to know where the hell you are. So no. You will lay low for
the next five days, and once this trial is over, you can throw a
party in the middle of the fuckin’ street for all I
care.”