Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
S awyer led Hollis into the apartment. It was nice. Really nice. Vander had clearly spared no expense for his safehouse.
The first thing that caught the eye was the expansive view of the Bay and the Bay Bridge as it snaked across the water to Oakland. The view was showcased perfectly by the floor to ceiling windows.
“Oh, wow.” Hollis walked past the long kitchen island and cream leather sofa. She stood at the windows, staring out over the water. The sun was setting in the opposite direction, but the growing shadows over the bay were still breathtaking.
“You must be tired,” he said.
She turned and smiled, her red hair tangled around her face. “A little. It was a crazy night last night. Go to bed in Maui, escape killer assassins, and end up in San Franciso.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “You did great. You didn’t panic, didn’t lose it.”
She leaned into him. “There were a few moments where I wanted to, but knowing you were there, and Park, helped me keep my cool.”
Sawyer pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her.
He felt so damn much for this woman. It somehow both scared the shit out of him, and made him happy.
“Why don’t you take a shower?” he suggested. “Vander said we’ll find some fresh clothes in the closet. I’ll put some dinner together.”
She nodded. “A shower sounds amazing.”
“Leave your shoes at the door.” He checked his SIG and set it on the kitchen island, along with his cellphone.
Her lips quirked. “You’re always in protection mode.”
He met her gaze. “When it comes to you, I am.”
She toed off her shoes near the front door, then headed for the bedroom.
In the kitchen, Sawyer opened the fridge and pulled out some food. The apartment was done with touches of warm, sleek wood and cream-colored tiles. Modern light fixtures and bold artwork brightened the place up, and kept it from being plain.
Park was one floor up in a second apartment. Vander had dropped them off, assuring them that the building had good security.
“The floor below you is getting renovated, so there’s no one close by,” Vander said. “All the stairwells, the hallways, and the lobby have CCTV.”
“Thanks, Vander,” Sawyer said. “For everything. I owe you.”
“I’ve always got your back, Sawyer. And your woman’s.”
Sawyer stared blindly at the food on the island, listening to the shower run down the hall.
His woman.
Yeah, that felt right. He started making some sandwiches. He realized that he wanted Hollis to be his. Forever.
Hell, he’d never thought he’d let someone that close. Put someone in the position where losing her could tear him apart. Thoughts of Tabish ran through him.
But could he give her up?
Hell, no.
There were obstacles, for sure. And risks. But Hollis was worth it. She was worth everything. They could make it work. A part of him had felt right with her, from the first moment he’d met her.
She wandered back into the kitchen wearing gray sweatpants and a T-shirt. Even in the casual clothes, she still managed to look beautiful.
“Ham and cheese sandwiches.” He set a plate on the island. “And a glass of wine.” He poured the white wine he’d found in the fridge into a glass.
She slipped onto one of the stools at the island. “One glass of wine and I’ll be out,” she warned.
Good . He wanted her to get some sleep.
On the island, his cellphone vibrated, and he glanced at the screen. “It’s a message from Vander.” Sawyer read it and his jaw tightened. “Damn.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The FBI can’t find Reuben. They searched his home, offices, his studio, and other properties. No sign of him.”
“God.” She rested her fisted hand against her chest.
Sawyer circled the island. “It’ll be okay. He can’t hide forever. And now he’s a risk to national security. That means he’s on a lot of people’s radars, and they won’t stop until they find him.”
She nodded, but there was worry on her face.
He pushed her hair to the side and kissed the back of her neck. “Trust me?”
“You know I do. More than anyone?—”
The lights went out, plunging them into darkness.
“Oh, God,” she said. “What’s happening?”
His hands tightened on her. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a power outage.” His instincts were screaming at him. His eyes adjusted to the city light filtering through the windows.
He wasn’t going to take any chances with Hollis’s life.
He felt around on the island and grabbed his cellphone and SIG. He pressed the phone screen and swore.
“Sawyer?”
“There’s no signal.”
“We’re in the middle of San Francisco. How is that possible?”
“Someone’s jamming it,” he said grimly.
“What?” she gasped.
“Shoes on.”
He pulled Hollis across the room, and she stumbled behind him. He slowed down and steadied her.
“I can’t see a damn thing,” she muttered.
“Don’t worry, I have good night vision.”
Her hand twisted in his T-shirt. “You think I have another hitman coming to kill me?”
“Possibly.”
“That’s just great .”
He spun her and kissed her. He waited until her tense muscles relaxed and she melted against him. “Better?”
“Yes.”
“We’re leaving. Do everything I say.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Shoes on.”
While she fumbled into her shoes, Sawyer’s mind ticked over. He needed to get her out of there. He guessed the elevators weren’t working, so they’d need to take the stairs.
When he reached out a hand to open the front door, that’s when he realized it was ajar.
The hairs on the back of his neck rose. That could only mean one thing.
He spun and shoved Hollis to the side.
The man attacked, coming out of nowhere.
Their bodies collided. Sawyer’s gun went flying. He slammed a punch toward the man’s head. The guy was big, the same size as Sawyer, and he was fast. The asshole jerked his head to the side and rammed his own fist up. Sawyer blocked the blow. They traded several punches and shoves.
Fuck this . He hadn’t used all of his skills in a long time.
But he would now.
For Hollis.
Sawyer rammed his elbow up in a vicious blow. Bone crunched and the man grunted. Sawyer followed through with two brutal jabs. Ribs cracked and the man made a pained sound.
It only took Sawyer seconds to disable the man. He dropped the unconscious man to the floor.
Chest heaving, he pulled in a breath.
He looked up and saw Hollis standing there, holding a vase over her head.
“I was going to help.” She lowered it. “It looks like you didn’t need it. That was…”
He waited for her to say something. For her to tell him it was brutal, horrible…
“Badass,” she said.
His chest inflated. “Come on. This guy will have friends.”
He took her hand, and they headed out into the hall. He searched for any movement in the darkness, but didn’t sense anything. The thick carpet muffled their footsteps as they moved toward the stairwell. An emergency exit sign glowed in the darkness. He opened the door.
More low emergency lighting gave the stairwell an eerie glow.
“This reminds me of a movie where you shouldn’t go down the stairs,” Hollis whispered.
They had no choice.
“I’m not letting these assholes have you. Now, let’s move.”
Could her life get anymore crappy?
Hollis couldn’t believe she was hurrying down a scary stairwell in the dark with someone else out to kill her.
Sawyer’s broad back was in front of her, the soft fabric of his T-shirt stretched over his hard muscles. He was her lifeline in all this craziness.
She was so glad he was with her. Once again, he was protecting her.
He stopped suddenly, and she caught herself before she ran into the back of him.
There was a bang of a door. It echoed from above. They both looked up, and Hollis heard voices—urgent and angry.
Sawyer muttered a curse, and grabbed her hand. He glanced around, then pushed open the door to the floor below their apartment.
Inside was thick darkness, and she struggled to see anything. As he started forward, she had to trust that he wouldn’t let her trip over anything.
Sawyer held up his phone, and turned the flashlight function on.
Oh . The entire floor was open, dotted with pillars, construction tools, and drywall stacked in piles. It looked like someone was turning multiple apartments into one large place.
“Come on.” He set off across the floor. She followed him, her eyes adjusting to the gloom of the city light filtering in through the windows.
They hadn’t gone far when she heard voices behind them. Oh, no . Whoever was behind this had just entered the floor.
Sawyer extinguished the light and pulled her down behind…something. She thought it was a stack of bricks.
His warm lips pressed to her ear. “Quiet.”
Like she planned to make any noise. Biting her lip, she waited. She heard the sounds of people moving in the darkness. They were talking to each other in low, hushed voices. In Russian.
She squeezed her eyes closed. Reuben. These guys had to belong to him. The sound of footsteps got closer. She tensed, fear trickling down her spine.
“Stay down,” Sawyer murmured.
A man stepped right in front of them. She saw his dark boot.
Then Sawyer sprang up like a jaguar. Thud. Thud . Oh, man. Heart hammering in her throat, she listened to the vicious blows as he attacked. Someone grunted in pain, and she prayed it wasn’t Sawyer. The pair were just a giant shadow as they whirled and wrestled with each other. She heard another man shout across the space.
Hollis bit her lip and felt around on the floor. Her hand closed over a brick.
Sawyer broke free and slammed a hard kick into his opponent’s gut. The man flew back, tripping over a pile of tools.
Then the second man appeared out of the darkness, shouting in Russian, a gun aimed at Sawyer.
No . Emotions exploded inside her, her lungs locking. She couldn’t lose this man. This good, honorable hero.
The newcomer stepped closer, right in front of her. He had no idea that she was crouched right at his knee.
He shouted again, and she knew that any second, he’d fire his weapon.
She leaped forward, swinging the brick. She crashed into him, the brick hitting his knee. He yelped and they both fell to the concrete floor. The gun went off.
Ears ringing, she tried to free herself. She was tangled up with the guy.
Then she was lifted free.
“Hollis? Are you hit?”
Sawyer’s voice was sharp, urgent. She looked up into his angry face.
“I’m fine.”
“What the hell were you doing?”
“Saving you.”
He cocked his head. “I told you to stay hidden.”
“I couldn’t let him shoot you!”
More gunfire sounded from the other side of the floor.
Sawyer reacted before she could even think. He slammed into her, and they hit the dusty concrete floor. He moved into a crouch, then pulled her behind a stack of gear.
Bullets peppered around them.
“Dammit, there’s a third attacker,” he said. “We’re pinned down. I wish I still had my damn gun.” He patted around and lifted a hammer. “I’ll distract him. You run to the next stack of gear. Keep your head down.”
She nodded, throat tight. A hammer would be useless against a gun.
Sawyer rose on one knee, then tossed the hammer.
As more gunfire broke out, she ran, doubled over. Bullets whizzed past nearby, and she cried out. She dived in behind some more gear, and felt skin rip off her elbow.
She heard more objects hitting the ground with a thud, and realized Sawyer was throwing more things at the attacker. The man kept firing.
Then all the noise stopped.
Eerie silence echoed around her. She couldn’t hear anything, could barely see anything. What was happening?
Suddenly, a hand sank into her hair.
As Hollis was yanked upward, her hair pulling on her scalp, she cried out.
“Let me go!” she yelled.
The man with the gun had tattoos on his neck, and a scowl on his face. But as he looked at her, his lips curled into a smile. An ugly one.
Then Sawyer appeared, a gun aimed at the man. He must have grabbed one of the other attackers’ weapons.
Her captor pulled her in front of him, like a shield.
“Stay back.” The man had a thick Russian accent. “I will put a bullet in her head.”
She felt the cold barrel of the gun press to her temple. Fear tried to choke her, but she tamped it down. She had to stay focused.
She met Sawyer’s gaze.
The man behind her chuckled. “You have no options. Put down the gun.”
“No,” Sawyer growled.
“Do you want me to kill her?” He shook her.
“No.”
The man made a scoffing sound. “You cannot stop me.”
“Maybe I can’t, but he can.” Sawyer nodded.
Suddenly, her captor was yanked away. Hollis stumbled forward, and she heard the man’s gun hit the floor.
She spun and saw Parker land a punch to the man’s face. He followed through with some hard kicks and punches. The man dropped to his knees.
Thank God.
She turned and raced to Sawyer. He was already moving in her direction, and caught her against him.
“You’re safe,” he said against her hair.
“ Sawyer .” She clung to him.
Overwhelming emotions welled up inside her.
She loved him. She was in love with Sawyer Lane.
She wanted to tell him, but before she could say anything, he tipped her chin up and kissed her.