Chapter 4
NATASHA
Idrummed my fingers against my thigh as I stared at the black television screen.
I hadn’t brought myself to be able to turn it on, not wanting the added background noise.
I wasn’t used to it. From the serious newscasters that seemed to only be harbingers of bad news to ridiculous game shows that mixed for entertainment but missed their mark, I couldn’t be bothered.
Not when my world had fallen apart so recently.
But despite my recent tragedy, I couldn’t stop staring down at the picture of that smiling face. Why did I feel this unexplained attraction to him?
Could he help us with our problem? He was a doctor.
I grabbed a screenshot of the photograph that had become my new beacon of hope and backed from the article about Alex Stone’s recent wedding. With the search bar available again, I tried again to search for information about Dr. Kyle Carter.
After a bit of digging, I found an article linking him to energy mogul Grant Harrington. Apparently, Grant was his long-lost father.
My heart skipped a beat, and I searched my memory as I scanned the write-up for more information. Had I met Dr. Carter before?
I shook my head. I would have remembered meeting him. We’d had an instant connection–at least I’d hoped so.
But maybe I’d been so desperate for a connection with anyone since my impromptu exile to the States that I’d made the entire thing up.
After reading further, I settled onto the idea that I couldn’t have met Kyle. He’d only met his father two years ago.
The last time I’d seen Grant had been at least five years ago.
I searched for more information, but I couldn’t come up with anything that helped. Instead, I returned to staring at the picture of him.
“Are you my savior, Kyle Carter?”
My heart ached as I stared at the picture, a mix of longing for real companionship and a return to my home filling me.
I chewed my lower lip as I switched into my empty message thread with Nadia. I couldn’t leave the messages on my phone. I couldn’t take that chance that anyone figured out who I was if they got a hold of it.
I typed a message and sent it to her. Anything on our man?
As soon as it sent, I deleted it from my phone just like Nadia had told me to do. I waited for a response.
My stomach twisted into knots, and I found myself unable to sit in this room any longer.
I leapt from my seat on the bed, grabbed my jacket and purse, and headed for the door.
My phone chimed as I started to unlock it. Searching now…will send info when I have it.
Thanks, I answered, leaving the messages on my phone as I hurried out the door, ignoring the chime that came through.
Cool air caressed my skin and the sea breeze ruffled my hair, despite me being a few blocks from the beach.
In my searching for Kyle, I’d managed to find Alex Stone’s address. A seaside modern home befitting of a tech genius, it would be easy to find with its uncommon architecture style.
I set my map for his street, following the walking directions. I was alone, but maybe I’d feel less so if I was in proximity of my new doctor friend.
He had no way to contact me because I’d run off without giving him any way to find me. But I couldn’t. Could I?
I searched my mind for some way that I could remain in communication with him. Maybe a second burner phone?
That could work, I thought as my feet slapped against the pavement of the ritzy area of town. Cutting through a fence-free yard, I found my way down to the beach.
I tucked my shoes under my arm, allowing the sand to squeeze between my toes. I’d been on plenty of beaches, but we didn’t have them in Belvaria. The sand, still warm from the sunny day felt foreign to me, just like the rest of my life did right now.
My phone chimed when I reached my location. I twisted to stare up at the house. Warm lights glowed from within. Was Kyle inside right now?
It didn’t matter if he was. I couldn’t walk up to the door and knock. How would I explain finding him?
While I was no stranger to operating outside of the normal boundaries, I couldn’t risk it…not yet.
I needed to know more first. I needed to be more certain he could help us.
If he could, then no boundary or norm would stop me–or Nadia–from getting to him, but for now, it was better to play it cool.
I wasn’t sure what I hoped to accomplish by being here. Maybe just being near him would bring me some clarity—or the courage to figure out if I could trust him.
I stood for another moment, staring longing at the light pouring from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Tears formed in my eyes as a shiver shook me. I wanted to be inside, to be with them, to be anywhere but where I was, but that couldn’t happen.
Ruefully, I tore my eyes from the glass above me and slowly made my way further down the beach.
I slid my eyes closed as I meandered through the sand, the cool breeze tousling my hair and the lull of the undulating ocean doing its best to relax me.
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to soothe my nerves when a voice split the soft sounds of nature.
“Nattie?”
My heart stopped for a moment, my stomach twisting. I snapped my eyes open, peering through the evening’s growing darkness.
My breath caught in my throat as I spotted Kyle standing a few yards in front of me.
I sucked in a sharp breath, my jaw dropping open. A moment of terror shot through me. What was he doing here?
Then I spotted his shoes dangling from his fingers, recalling I was only steps from his back door. He was probably just enjoying his evening.
“Hey,” he said, a wide grin on his face as he closed the distance toward me. “What are you doing here?”
My eyes widened a little as I struggled to remember to speak in my American accent. His question was valid. I shouldn’t be here.
“Oh, uh–“
“Sorry,” he interrupted, clearing his throat. “I didn’t mean to sound weird. Are you staying around here?”
“Uhh, I’m just…walking,” I answered, my voice soft.
I felt awful lying to him, but I had no other choice. Besides, he could be dangerous.
“Oh, right, yeah, me too. Just…taking a walk along the beach…thinking.” He bobbed his head–a lot. Probably more than the average person. I found it sort of endearing.
I hadn’t realized I was smiling, but I’d been grinning and now that expression broadened.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked, forcing my words to be slower so I could control my accent.
His eyebrows shot up, eyes going wide. “Huh?”
“You said you were taking a walk to think. What were you thinking about?”
“Oh, right, umm…” He glanced out over the water, running a hand through his hair. “Would it be weird to say I was thinking of you?”
My eyes narrowed a little as I searched his face for the truth of his statement. I’d met my share of people who said what they thought I wanted to hear, but I detected something genuine in his eyes. Something that begged me to believe him.
“Maybe,” I answered.
He winced before he chuckled, his gaze falling to his feet. “Yeah, I get that reaction a lot.”
“Do you?” I cocked my head. “Why?”
He pressed his lips together, giving a slight shrug. “I’m not exactly great with the ladies, you know? I…wear my heart on my sleeve, and I inevitably always fall for the wrong women.”
He huffed out a laugh. “And that was waaaaay too much information to share. No wonder you bolted earlier.”
“Oh, that’s not why,” I said with a shake of my head.
Was that how I’d come across? I’d raced away, but only because I was afraid I’d spent too much time outside of my room. But how could I tell him that?
“It isn’t?”
I heard the hope in his voice, and saw it in his eyes. Maybe I could trust him. Nadia would kill me, but…
I shook my head. “No, I…”
I swallowed hard, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse. “Umm…I just had to run, but it had nothing to do with you.”
“Oh, well, that’s good. I’m glad. Because I was thinking you thought I was so weird that you just ran off so you’d never have to see me again.”
“I’m sorry,” I answered. “After I got back to my room, I realized we had no way to contact each other.”
He raised his eyebrows. “And you were…unhappy about that?”
“Very,” I answered. Maybe I could find some information directly from the source. Nadia’s resources were vast, but we needed more than what would show up on paper. I needed to know if Kyle Carter would be an ally–one willing to do whatever it took to get the result we wanted.
He grinned, but it faded as though he didn’t trust what I’d said. After a second, he dug into his pocket for his phone. “Well, I have my phone here. Why don’t we exchange numbers?”
My stomach twisted into a knot. Should I give him the number for the burner phone? If he was a problem, I could always get another.
I passed my number along to him, and he sent me a text so I had his number.
Hi, it’s Kyle
A smiley emoticon followed. I chuckled, raising my phone in the air. “Thanks. Well, I should be getting back.”
A wave of unease swept over me. I really needed to get back to the safety of my motel room before someone spotted me.
“Oh, let me walk you back. It’s dark. You shouldn’t be alone.”
A rush of panic washed through me. “You don’t need to do that.”
“I insist.” He raised his chin with that sweet smile before it faltered a bit. “Not in a creepy you-don’t-have-a-say way. In like an I care sort of way, and I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
I stared at him for a moment, certain I should be politely declining, but it had been too long since I’d been ripped away from everything I knew and loved. I didn’t want to be alone. I wanted companionship. I wanted Kyle.
My lips curled into a smile, and I slid my arm through his, leading him down the beach. He grinned at me as we walked past Alex and Ava’s place. I pretended not to notice.
He cleared his throat, poking a finger at it. “So, this is my place. Well, Alex and Ava’s place. But where I’m staying.”
“I’m just a few blocks from here.” I cut up to the street through Alex and Ava’s yard, taking the most direct route I could to the motel to avoid as much small talk as I could.
We arrived at the Beach Rider–ironically named since it was blocks from the beach. I hovered on the edge of the property, not taking him to my door. “Well, here we are.”
He offered me a brief smile before he flicked his eyes to the rundown building, shoving his hands into his pockets. I wondered if he’d suddenly decide I wasn’t worth his time since it appeared that I wasn’t exactly the elites he was used to rubbing elbows with.
“Umm, this is sort of awkward, but…you know, as a doctor, I’ve picked up on a few things. And, uh, I just…don’t feel comfortable leaving you here, Nattie.”
My eyebrows pinched as he spoke.
“The thing is…I’m pretty sure I know what’s going on here. And I don’t think I can leave you here.”
My jaw tightened, my fingers involuntarily curling into fists. He’d recognized me. And now I’d led him straight to what was supposed to be my safe haven. If he didn’t kill me, my sister would.