Street Safe (10 page)

Lost in thought, she barely registered a twig snapping behind her. She turned and was seized by the shoulders. Before she could draw a breath to scream a hand was clamped over her mouth while a heavy forearm curved around her throat.

She clawed at the hand on her mouth as the blood roared in her ears. She twisted against the arm at her throat, but it tightened, endangering her air supply. The edges of her vision dimmed.

“Where is it?” the raspy voice whispered in her ear.

She shook her head and mumbled a reply. She jabbed an elbow in her assailant’s ribs. His hold loosened enough and she let out a scream before the arm at her throat choked it off.

The screen door screeched and was lost in the squeal of tires. “Hey!”

A muffled curse reached her ears and she was shoved forward. Strong arms caught her, while footsteps pounded on the earth behind her. Na’arah dragged greedy gulps of air into her lungs. Crisp, clean masculinity surrounded her and she clutched the arms holding her upright.

“You’re okay,” Street said. “You’re okay.”

She sagged against him as he folded her in his safe embrace and nodded against his chest. Safe. He made her feel safe.

With gentle fingers Street smoothed her hair from her face, his eyes searched hers. “What happened?”

“I-I don’t know. I was standing by my car and the next thing then somebody grabbed me from behind.”

The screen creaked again and Zee burst out the house, fire in her eyes. “Get your filthy hands off my sister!”

Na’arah shifted to stand in front of Street. She knew her sister wouldn’t hesitate to do some sort of harm to the man at her back.

“Zee. Calm down. He helped.”

“I think he’s helped enough,” she snapped.

Miles hurried around the house. “I lost him at the train tracks.” He panted. “Did you get a look at him?”

Na’arah shook her head.

“What did he want?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know.”

Street smoothed her hair from her face. When she lifted her head back to meet his gaze, desire simmered in honey brown eyes before it slid from view. Her heart stuttered, he still felt something even if he wasn’t willing to admit it.

She stepped back and his arms were slow in releasing her.

Miles drifted his gaze over her. “Did he say anything?”

Na’arah chewed her bottom lip. Even though she’d stepped away, Street rested a hand on her shoulder. The contact was comforting.

“He asked, ‘where is it?’”

“Where is what?”

“I don’t know.”

Zee shuffled her feet, moved closer to Na’arah and nudged her shoulder. “You okay, sis?”

She nodded.

“What are you doing here, Street?” Miles said.

“I needed a break from the bar and thought I’d deliver their order.” He reached in the back of his SUV and removed a box, several paper bags peeked over the top.

Miles studied them a moment. “Yeah. Sure.” He looked at Na’arah. “Be more careful and I’ll keep an eye out for the guy, but I didn’t get much of a look at him.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I will.”

“Will you make sure she gets home okay, Street?”

“That isn’t necessary,” she spoke up. “Zee and I rode together.”

“Her sister can see her home.” Street’s voice was gruff.

Zee grabbed her sister by the elbow and led her back in the house. “I swear, that man needs to be slapped.” She shoved Na’arah in a chair and looked her over from the top of her disheveled ponytail to her holey jeans. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, although I think you pulled my arm out the socket when you hauled me in here.”

“It was the only way to get you away from that despicable man.”

Na’arah watched her sister a moment. Zee ran a hand over her head, dislodging the white bandana holding her hair from her face. Her quick footsteps took her from one end of the kitchen to the other and a frown adorned her pretty face.

“What’s going on, Zee?”

“Promise me you’ll stay away from the bartender and Auggie.” She swung around and faced her sister, imploring her with her eyes.

Apprehension gripped her stomach. “Zee?”

Her sister chewed her thumbnail. “I think I know what the guy was looking for.”

She sat forward. “Well why didn’t you tell Miles?”

“Because the bartender was there and I don’t know if he knows.”

Now she was thoroughly intrigued. “Know what?”

“About the chest we found.”

Na’arah huffed and continued to pace the floor. “How much longer before you’re here, Zee?” Na’arah paused in front of the window and stared down into the street below. A few cars stilled lined the curb on both sides of the road. With a sigh she stepped away from the window and glanced around her apartment. The muted peach and almond brown accents did little to soothe her irritation. Her sister was late picking her up to the movies. And speaking of late...Na’arah padded down the hall.

The last two months had been uneventful. Ever since that day at Hack House when some guy attacked her and her sister dropped that bombshell on her, she hadn’t had time to go out. Missing Street hadn’t changed, but work had taken over her life, dulling the ache of loneliness. With some of the changes she’d recently implemented in the spa, business was booming and continuing to make the venture a profitable success was the bane of her existence.

Despite the shop being across the street from the bar, she’d hadn’t a chance to see Street again. Not since he’d come to her rescue. He still attended his sessions with Auggie, but never when she was scheduled to be on the premises. That was fine with her, but his lack of communication hurt nonetheless.

Hoping for some sort of reconciliation, she’d left a message or two for him at the bar, wishing he’d listen to an explanation, but nothing. Part of her longed to be in his bed one more time, yet she knew it was an impossibility. Somehow she had to move on even though her heart was reluctant to do so.

And now Zee was late.

Na’arah shrugged out her jacket and tossed it on the bed. “Are you here?”

“Not yet. So when am I getting my shoes back?” Zee said.

“Never.”

“I told you I’d pay for the dry cleaning.”

Na’arah paused with her hand on the bathroom door knob, the bracelet glinting in the overhead light. That was another thing. Auggie said she could keep the bracelet. She fingered one of the charms, an odd shaped key that was a little bigger than the other charms. At least he’d been kind enough to send her flowers and make sure she was okay after the incident, not that she was the one who needed comforting.

He’d also been a wealth of information when it came to local lore and one of the town’s biggest scandals, Hack House.

She paused, staring out the window. The restored stick style Victorian rose majestically against the late afternoon sun. She often toured the old home, examining the intricate patterns on the embossed steam heat radiators and ceilings.

“Are you still there?” Zee’s voice sliced through her thoughts.

“Never ever ask me to hang out with you and your friends again.”

“You gotta admit you had a good time.”

“Did you forget I had to pry you off some guy?”

“I have a vague recollection of kissing some gorgeous hottie who knew how to use his lips.”

Na’arah switched on the bathroom light. “Really Zee, the guy was like fifty and just as drunk as you.”

“I know. That’s what makes it so much fun.”

She rolled eyes and tucked a curl behind her ear. “Hopeless. Just hopeless.”

“Um Arah? About our girls’ night out,” Zee began.

Na’arah heaved a sigh. “If you’re not here in ten minutes you can forget about the movie.”

“Well, Darla and Vonda are meeting us and we want you to drive us again.”

“No. Absolutely not!” She refused to play chauffeur to her sister and her friends.

“C’mon Arah,” Zee was saying, actually more like whining. “It’s not like you have anything to do tonight. I’m just askin’ for a couple of extra hours and it’s the kickoff for the Labor Day Celebration. I’m on the committee this year and it’s supposed to be a lot of fun. And there are some really hot eligible men participating.”

Na’arah rolled her eyes and switched the phone to her other ear. Every year her hometown of Milan, MI held a race to pair off the unattached men and women. This year the town added a boat race to the festivities, along with a parade and horse drawn carriage rides. She sighed. The last thing she needed to do was chase some unsuspecting guy in a race and demand what? A date? Sex?

Been there. Done that. And the guy still hadn’t called.

Maybe the latter wouldn’t be a bad idea after all. She just needed to shift her focus a bit. Chasing some hot guy just for sex, a tingle of anticipation rippled through her body, as warm butterscotch skin and taut rippling muscles came to mind. Sweet daisies, she couldn’t get that one encounter out of her head, but if she was going to run after a man, he would be the one. She bit her bottom lip against the niggling despair. Only one problem, the man pretended she didn’t even exist. Then again the celebration would give her the perfect excuse and she wouldn’t seem desperate.

“Are you even listening to me?’

Na’arah suppressed a chuckle. “No, Zee, I’m not.”

Zee’s exasperated sigh was enough to melt her ear. “If I let you wear a pair of my shoes, will you do it?”

Borrowing a pair of heels from her younger sister was like taking a loan out from one of those payday advance places. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but paying the loan back would cost one dearly.

“You forget I already have a pair of your shoes, the red peep toes with the curlicue bow and I’m not doing anything else for you and your alcoholic friends. My car still smells like peppermint schnapps.”

The last time she’d driven Zee and her friends, Na’arah had to send her vehicle for detailing. It was clean, but the sickening sweet mint smell remained.

Another heavy sigh. “Fine.”

She picked up the white stick and frowned. No. This couldn’t be right. “Look sweetie, I need a rain check on the movie.”

“What! Are you serious? I’m like five minutes away.”

“Zee. I promise I’ll make this up to you, but I’ve gotta go.” Na’arah hung up the phone on any further protest.

Two lines. The window showed two lines. She stared at the stick in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. Not to her. Not now. It had only been one time. Okay...well maybe two, but it had been a great amazing panty melting time. She glanced at the other stick on the vanity counter, already turning blue. A third stick held a plus sign in the display window.

She plopped down on the closed toilet lid, bowing her head. Two forms of protection failed? A heavy sigh escaped her lips. Her head snapped up. What had Zee said? Na’arah jumped to her feet and rushed to her medicine cabinet, nearly tearing the mirrored door from in hinges. She rummaged on the shelves, uncaring that she knocked over cosmetics and pill bottles to get to her contraceptives.

With a sinking heart she stared at the pink plastic case, flipping it over to find the manufacturer. How was she even going to tell Street?

****

The bar was quiet for early evening and since the weather had been so agreeable, the patio was open. Na’arah stood just inside the entryway and scanned the room for Street’s broad shoulders. Not seeing him, she approached the bar and Beau, who was filling a mug with beer.

“Is Street around?”

“In the back.”

Na’arah nodded her thanks and sauntered to the rear of the building. This was not how she wanted to see him again, but he deserved to know.

The office door stood open and Street hunched over the ancient steel desk. A blush swept up her neck and heated her cheeks as she recalled the last time she was in his office. This time papers littered the scarred brown surface while he consulted a long, narrow calculator receipt. He rubbed his thigh as he muttered over the print out.

Her heart did a curious shift. After two months she just wanted to crawl into his lap and wrap his arms around her. She shook herself. Now was not the time to get overly emotional. A level head was required, because if she’d been practical all those weeks ago she wouldn’t be in this predicament now.

Swallowing hard, she knocked on the door frame.

He looked up, a scowl on his handsome face. Great. He didn’t seem happy to see her.

“Yes?”

Definitely not glad to see her. So much for indulging in fantasies. “I need to talk to you. Do you have a moment?”

He flicked his gaze over her. Heat flared in his light brown eyes and for just a second a tiny seed of hope bloomed. Maybe all was not lost if he felt even a glimmer of desire for her.

“Just.” He shrugged. “Your boyfriend not working out?”

She frowned. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Really?”

The ice in his voice chilled her to the bone. She didn’t deserve the cold shoulder, not when he wouldn’t listen to reason. “Really, and whoever told you differently is lying. Even if I did, why should it matter to you? Not once have you tried to call me since you accused me of sleeping with your uncle.”