Chapter 6
NATASHA
My heart thumped a little harder against my chest as I walked into the modern-styled, beach-front home. Strangely, I’d felt somewhat more settled with Kyle’s hand wrapped around mine.
It was a shame this would all come crashing down later. I genuinely liked him. But that didn’t mean a thing. The poor man thought I was an abuse victim. Some downtrodden woman who had been taken advantage of. In a way, I was. Just not in the way he was thinking.
I couldn’t afford a single mistake. One slip, one wrong word, and they’d find me. They’d already proven they had the resources and the ruthlessness to eliminate anyone in their way.
And when he found out the truth, I was convinced he’d probably hate me. And even if he didn’t, there would be the rest of the protocol that would work to keep us apart.
Ava sent me into the living room while they prepared a room for me.
I nodded at her as they disappeared up the stairs, not looking forward to facing her husband.
Kyle’s idea had such promise in those moments when I’d been desperate to escape that horrid motel, when I’d needed companionship.
Now, thrown into a household of three others, I suddenly questioned my own motives. And Nadia certainly would.
I would never hear the end of this. But things had to be done. We needed a path forward. If I could do a little reconnaissance of my own, it would move the process along faster.
I shuffled through the arched doorway Ava had pointed to moments ago, finding the shaggy haired man with a laptop balanced on his lap.
“Was it Doc?” he murmured.
“Yes,” I answered.
He snapped his gaze to me, his eyes wide. He flushed a little as he bobbled the laptop, shifting it awkwardly off his lap as he rose on his gangly limbs. “Oh, hi. Nattie, right?”
“Yes, hello again,” I said, my accent slipping a little. I’d have to speak slower. I could not afford to slip and show them my real face. “I’m afraid Kyle invited me to stay. He said it would be all right. And your wife agreed.”
The man stared at me for a moment before he nodded, crossing his arms. “Absolutely. Our house is Kyle’s house. And now your house.” He chuckled nervously.
“It’s very kind of you.” I stumbled, a slight wince crossing my lips as I wished I would have chosen simpler words. In Belvaria, formality was second nature. Here, it may as well have been a flashing sign over my head. “I was at the Beach Rider and…it’s not a very nice place.”
“Oh, right. Umm, yeah, it’s way better here.” He motioned toward an armchair. “Uh, why don’t you sit down? Can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you.” I slid my eyes closed as I skirted past him to take a seat, quickly realizing should have said thanks, not thank you. It was too formal. “I’m fine.”
“Well,” he said as he plopped onto the couch, “this is your place now, too, so if you want anything, the kitchen’s right through there. You can just get it. And if there’s something not stocked, just let someone know, and we’ll make sure it’s there.”
“That’s incredibly generous of you,” I answered.
My mind whirled with possibilities. I needed information from him, but I wasn’t certain what the best way was to get it.
If Alex Stone truly was as brilliant as his reputation suggested, he might be the key to solving problems far beyond what Kyle could address. But I’d need to tread carefully—Ava’s watchful eye wouldn’t miss a misstep.
“So, uh, tell me more about yourself, Nattie.” Alex leaned back into the soft couch cushions, tossing his arm out to the side.
I shifted, avoiding his gaze for a moment. This was exactly what I hoped to avoid. I hated to lie, but I couldn’t do anything else. Or could I?
“There’s really not much to tell,” I said with an apologetic smile. “I’m pretty boring.”
“Oh?” He raised his eyebrows. “Somehow, I don’t believe that.”
I grinned, lifting my shoulders. “It’s true.”
“Well, you certainly have captivated Doc. He couldn’t stop talking about you after dinner.”
My heart sped a little, a flutter in my chest that I’d never felt before. I was always cautious in the past. After all, in my situation, whether or not a person was actually interested in you as a person wasn’t always clear. And the answer was usually no.
But Kyle didn’t know me. I was just a simple woman who had fled from an abusive situation. Could he actually like me for me?
The idea appealed to me, but I remained cautious–with both my life and my heart.
I realized I was smiling to myself, and let the expression fade as I sought to find something to answer. Thankfully, Ava and Kyle returned to the room before I had to make more conversation.
“Hey,” Kyle said with a wide grin as he crossed toward me, perching on the arm of my chair. “I put your bag in your bedroom. It’s all ready.”
“Thank you,” I said, my eyes trained on him as I tried to imagine what it would be like if he really did like me for me.
I finally forced my gaze to Ava who plopped onto the couch next to Alex with a tiny dog in her arms. “And thank you.”
“Of course.”
“So, Nattie,” Alex said, brandishing a controller, “do you like video games?”
My jaw tightened. I felt like an animal being corralled into a corner. This was the problem with staying here. I was not prepared for the level of familiarity that would be expected.
I hadn’t played many video games. “I have nothing against them.”
“Ohhh, we’re going to have to change that,” Ava said with a tongue-in-cheek grin on her face. “We’re gamers in this house.”
“Hardcore,” Alex said.
“Even Doc’s a convert,” Ava answered as she fished another controller from a drawer.
Kyle smiled at me, rubbing my shoulder softly. “It’s fun. Want to try?”
I swallowed hard. If anything would give me away, it would be my inability to blend in with them. Did American girls all know how to play video games? Surely, there were some who didn’t.
“All right.” I was an intelligent woman. I could handle this.
“Racing or spies?” Alex asked, pointing a remote at the television. It bloomed to life, filling with colorful cartoon images.
“Uh, your choice,” I said with a bob of my head.
“Racing,” Ava called. “I’m about to put all of you to shame.”
Kyle settled into a seat next to her. “Ava’s really good at this game.”
I offered him a smile while the game loaded and, after a brief tutorial from Alex, we were off. Or rather, they were. I was stuck at the start with my cartoon car sideways.
“I’m afraid I’m not terribly good at this,” I admitted, cursing myself for saying “terribly.” Americans didn’t say “terribly” terribly often. They said “very” a lot, I reminded myself. I should say “very” more.
“Oh, you’re pressing the wrong button,” Kyle said, his car skidding to a stop as he let go of his controller.
“Yes, I see.” I tried to correct my attempt, but my car spun around backward before it rammed into the side and bounced off of it. A few cartoon characters jeered at me from the stands, and a curse escape my lips.
“Here, let me help.” Kyle climbed from his seat, wrapping his arms around me. His warm hands pressed against mine, guiding my thumbs to the appropriate buttons.
We managed to turn my car around, and then we were off. With Kyle’s help I made it through the first half of the race unscathed.
“Okay, I’m going to let go. You got this.”
He gently lifted his hands. I already missed the warmth of them around mine. I continued along, glancing off of a wall once and tearing up my fender, but for the most part, I made it through without incident.
I crossed the finish line and twisted to grin at him. He lifted his hand in the air, palm facing me. My smile broadened as I slapped my hand against his in my first high five.
“And you came in third,” Alex said.
“Kyle fell on his sword for you,” Ava added with a wink at him as he retook his seat and guided his car through the remainder of the race.
“Yes, he did,” I said, my eyes fixed on him. Would he be willing to continue to take risks for me?
Alex cleared his throat as he patted Ava’s leg. “Hey, Sparky, what do you say to a snack? We can let Nattie practice a little more with Kyle while we get it together.”
“Sounds good, Ace,” she answered. “Any special requests?”
I shook my head, glad to have the opportunity to practice my gaming skills so the next race wasn’t quite as much of a disaster. To be honest, it was rather fun.
“Not cheeseballs, please?” Kyle asked. “Popcorn. Chips. Anything.”
Ava offered him a warm smile as she set the little dog in his lap. “Finally ready to admit you don’t like them, huh?”
I shifted my gaze back and forth between them. They seemed so easy with one another. I wondered for a moment if they’d been closer than just friends.
“You know my stance on that,” Kyle said, returning his eyes to the screen as he navigated to remove Alex and Ava’s cars from the game for our private race.
Ava’s green eyes sparkled as she shot him a teasing grin before she shifted her gaze to me. “Popcorn okay?”
“Yes,” I answered.
The couple disappeared from the room, and I twisted to find Kyle’s eyes on me. “You ready for another round?”
I pretended to look serious. “Ready.”
“Ooh, game face—I like it. But this time…” He shook his head. “No mercy. I’m going for the finish line whether you’re stuck or not.”
I squared my shoulders. “Bring it on.”
“Oh, I will,” he promised, his tone teasing.
On the screen, our cars appeared, their engines revving as the counter counted down. A green flag waved brightly, and I jammed my thumb onto the button for the accelerator.
My little pink car shot forward, careening far faster than I’d expected. I winced as I narrowly avoided hitting a wall, taking the bend on two wheels.
When my car slammed back to the track, it nearly bumped into Kyle’s.
“Trying to take me out, huh?” Kyle asked.
“If I must,” I answered, my eyes fixed on the screen, determination driving me forward to the finish line.
Kyle and I skidded around another bend. But with me on the inside curve, I eked out a bit more speed, managing to shoot down the final stretch just inches ahead of him. The game announced I won by a bumper.
Kyle shifted his gaze to me, his eyes narrowed playfully. “I think I just got played.”
“I’m sorry?” I asked.
“You’re a game shark. You totally pretended not to know how to play just to lull me into a false sense of security so you could beat me in that race.”
My lips parted, a half-smile on my features as I defended my honor. “That’s not true. I couldn’t play. I just…am a fast learner.”
“Uh-huh, sure,” he answered, grinning broadly.
We held each other’s gazes, and for a moment, I wondered if he’d kiss me. It certainly felt like one of those moments on the cheesy movies where the man and woman shared a laugh over something unexpected, then ended up kissing.
Alex and Ava’s arrival with a big bowl of popcorn interrupted it, though. Probably for the best, I figured, as we played another few rounds.
The last thing I needed to do was fall in love with Kyle Carter. I needed his doctor skills, not his companionship. Yet I couldn’t deny the growing attraction I had for him.
He was so willing to help me without knowing anything about me. And I was all too willing to use him. I hadn’t much else. I needed him.
He was so sweet, almost too sweet. Could he handle the truth about me? Could it handle everything that came along with it? Or would his kindness turn to disgust?
I just hoped he could forgive me when it was all said and done. But I wasn’t so certain that would happen.
My heart skipped a beat as visions of the fallout flashed in my mind. I needed to proceed carefully. Very carefully.