Chapter 6
At the sound of a scream, Oliver jerked around to see several nearby people losing their balance as though pushed, and his arms snapped out to catch an older woman who teetered near him. In the chaos, he steadied her even as he jerked his head around to see the cause of the problem.
Movement outside the now-open door caught his eye, and he watched as the two teenagers raced down the street, clutching three boxes of carry-out pizza in their hands.
The hostess was still screaming that they’d been robbed, and it was obvious the two teenagers had darted in, grabbed several pizza boxes off the carry-out table, and raced back out the door.
Determined to intervene, especially at the thought of his table companion being a possible target out on the street, he navigated through the crowd. Passing the hostess stand, he finally made it to the door and dashed outside. He caught a glance of the teenagers as they rounded the corner at the end of the block, and he ran in that direction, pursuing them relentlessly, ignoring the stiffness in his leg.
As he approached the corner, fast-approaching footsteps heightened his senses. He rounded the end of the building and was suddenly struck by a flying figure hurtling toward him. A high-pitched squeal hit his ears, and his arms wrapped around the person. Unable to keep from falling, he twisted his body to cushion the fall, landing on the sidewalk with the other person on top. Continuing to roll to pin them underneath him, he looked down, stunned to see that he had his dining companion instead of one of the teenagers. His body was prone on top of hers, and even though he’d taken the brunt of the blow from the fall, her delicate curves were trapped underneath him on the hard pavement.
Just as he was about to inquire if she was all right, distant curses hit his ears. His gaze snapped toward the end of the alleyway, where a gated fence impeded the escape progress of the two teenagers. They were struggling to climb with the pizza boxes clutched in their hands. Oliver disentangled himself from the woman and pulled her to her feet, offering a hasty apology. Turning, he darted after the teens who were halfway up the fence while precariously balancing the pizza boxes.
Racing forward, he closed in on them and shouted, “Stop!”
The older boy dropped to the other side and tried to assist the smaller boy, who was still struggling with the one box he was carrying. The older boy set his boxes on the ground and then lifted his arms toward the younger boy.
Oliver heard a female voice call out, “Stop!” and jerked around to see the woman running up behind him. Her gaze was initially fixed on the teenagers, then shifted to him.
Worried for her safety in case the teens pulled out a weapon, he ordered, “Get out of here. Go back. I’ve got this.”
“No!” she argued, her gaze still on him before she looked over at the teens.
Furious she was putting herself in danger, he barked at her again. “Go back!”
Ignoring him, she stepped to the side with her hands on her hips and stared at the two boys. “I’ve seen you before. I know where you used to hang out. Stealing isn’t the way. The last thing you want is to get picked up by the police.”
The younger boy gasped, his eyes wide, looking between the other teen and the woman. The older teenager grabbed the smaller one, tugging him to the ground. As they stood on the other side of the tall chain-link fence, he bit out, “Why? We can’t arrive empty-handed. Anyway, we only get a few bites before we have to give it up.”
Oliver’s gaze darted among the three people around him. His training had him keep his eye on the teens, yet the woman’s presence drew him in. He was fascinated and had no idea how she fit into their little trio.
With a tight-lipped, determined expression, she reached into her shoulder bag and retrieved the plastic bag with the boxes from the pizza parlor containing her leftover slices and the breadsticks. “Come on. If you have to share with anyone else, at least take something just for the two of you.”
Neither boy spoke. They watched in silence as she popped the top and showed that there was plenty of pizza for both boys.
The younger boy stared at the plastic boxes from the restaurant, his eyes growing big, and it was obvious his loyalty wavered between the food held out in front of him and what he thought he needed to do.
The woman tied a knot in the bag and tossed it over the fence. As the older teen caught it, she said, “You know where I am. Come whenever you want.”
The tension was palpable in the dimly lit alley as the teenagers’ gazes darted back and forth nervously between Oliver and the woman. Indecision played out on the older boy’s face before he gave a subtle nod to the younger one. Oliver’s muscles tensed as he prepared to take action when the woman’s gaze rose to meet his.
Under the soft glow of streetlights, her wheat-blond hair shimmered like a halo around her head. Her eyes, the color of dark honey, locked onto his face as though she had completely forgotten about the two miscreants.
The retreating footsteps echoed in his ears, but Oliver knew he could easily scale the fence and still catch them. Just as he was about to turn, her hand snapped out and gripped his arm while pleading, “Don’t! Please.”
He lowered his gaze to meet her intense stare and then glanced at her fingers, which had now slid down to wrap around his hand, anchoring him in place. A current passed through their touch, as though she had a hand buzzer as a prank. “What the hell?” He wasn’t sure if his question was about the inexplicable current zapping through him or why she was pleading for the boys.
“Please,” she implored. “Don’t go after them, and don’t call the police.”
Narrowing his eyes as suspicion settled in his mind, he asked, “Why not? Are you in on this with them? Is that your arrangement? Do you scout out a place and then give them a call? I watched you… you knew they were there. Did they watch you leave the restaurant, knowing there was food by the door, and then they try to rob them?” His gaze flicked to the side where the teenagers had now rounded the corner of the next building, their footsteps fading away.
Frustrated with her silence, he propped his hands on his hips and glared down at her. She was only about five foot four inches, bringing her head to the top of his shoulders. Just where it would tuck under his chin if she were close to him. Shaking his head, he wasn’t sure where that thought came from.
As his gaze roamed over her, he noted her flushed cheeks and the tendrils that had fled her braid. Her chest heaved with each breath. Her eyes glowed, no longer dancing with the mirth and ease they had in the restaurant. She was even more beautiful than he’d thought when he first met her.
However, the days when he might be completely taken in by a beautiful face were over. Right now, all he saw was a woman who may have been entangled in a scam. “Well?” His voice was rough and felt like gravel as his breath came out in a ragged exhalation. Without thinking, his hand lowered to rub his aching thigh. “Are you going to tell me what the hell you’re doing here?”
She held his accusing gaze but took a cautious step backward, slowly shaking her head. “No,” she replied softly. “I don’t think I will.” Glancing down at his hand on his leg, she added, “I’m sorry you’re injured.” With that, she turned and hurried out of the alley until she was back on the sidewalk.
He followed her without understanding why but was pulled along by a magnetic thread that seemed to keep him from walking away. She turned around, her expression carrying a deep sadness. He blinked as he looked around, realizing they were back outside the pizzeria. She threw open the door and walked inside.
Now, curiosity taking hold, he followed her with a purpose. As he stepped inside, his feet stuttered to a halt as he watched her talking to the hostess.
“I heard what happened, and I feel terrible for the people who paid for their pizza that was taken. I’d like to pay for what was stolen.”
The hostess’s brow crinkled as she scowled. “You want to pay for the pizza those thugs stole?”
“No. I want to pay for what those kids took.”
A barking scoff left the hostess’s lips. “What’s the difference? Thugs or kids?”
“I’m not going to argue semantics with you. I just want to pay.” She handed her credit card to the hostess, who Oliver noted had no problem taking it while they were still arguing.
“I don’t know what semantics are, but I do know a dirty thief when I see one.” She ran the card, then handed it back to the woman.
Tucking the card into her purse, the woman turned while unsuccessfully hiding an eye roll from Oliver. She stepped to the door, saw him standing there, and her eyes flew wide open. “Are you following me?”
“I was curious about what the hell you were doing.”
They held each other’s gaze for a moment, and she sighed. “Did you think I would come in here and steal pizza?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to offer a quip, but the expression on the woman’s face had the words die on his tongue. As he stared at her pensive expression, he slowly shook his head, realizing that, regardless of not understanding her motives, he knew she wasn’t going to steal.
She pushed past him, walked through the door, and stepped out onto the sidewalk with her phone in her hand.
Following once again, he hastened until he was walking beside her, careful not to have her too closely. “Why are you doing this? What those kids did was illegal, and you helped them get away with it.”
“The pizza has been paid for. The restaurant is not out any money.”
“True, but only by the goodness of your heart. I still don’t understand why you let them get away with it.”
He was standing close, and she took a step back, her phone still in her hand.
He wasn’t about to terrify her. He was pissed, but not an asshole. Trying a different tactic, he said, “It doesn’t matter what you were doing with those kids. All they managed to get was pizza, which looked like they could use. But you shouldn’t be out here after dark. Where do you live?”
She barked out a laugh, having pulled out her phone. “You must be crazy if you think I’m telling a strange man where I live.” She glanced at the screen and then looked up the street.
Knowing she was right caused his frustration to boil over. “Look, you’ve got two kids running around, playing a dangerous game.”
“First, they’re not my kids,” she exclaimed, lifting her hands in front of her. “What they did was wrong. It’s just that right now, all I can see are the two scrawny kids standing next to you.” She waved her hand up and down toward him, and then her cheeks pinkened. “You have to admit, you would’ve been a formidable adversary for them to fight.”
“It makes me wonder what they were thinking?—”
“I don’t think they were thinking.” Sadness coated her words as her expression fell. “I think they were just hungry.”
“Then why don’t they just go home?”
A wall dropped over her expression. “Don’t talk to me about something you have no idea about. It’s easy for you to walk around and judge other people when you have no clue what happens in the world.”
Her words pissed him off, and he drew himself up to his full height, looking down at her. “Lady, I served as an Army Ranger all over the world. Don’t tell me I don’t know what goes on. I’ve been in shit holes you could never even imagine.”
If he thought she was going to be intimidated, he was wrong. She also drew herself up to her full height, much shorter than he, yet he felt as though she was looking down on him.
“You may know what goes on in those shit holes, as you call them.” She pointed at the ground with a jerking motion and added, “But you need to educate yourself on what goes on right here in your own backyard.”
He opened his mouth to refute her claim but couldn’t find any words. For a moment, they simply stared at each other. He wished he could say he didn’t notice the way her chest moved as she breathed heavily, and he couldn’t deny that he was interested. Right now, everything about the woman equally frustrated and fascinated him. “Then educate me.” The words slipped out before he could think them through.
Her shoulders slumped as she slowly shook her head. “I’m not sure there are enough hours in the day to educate you.” Her voice was now soft and filled with what sounded like a touch of exhaustion.
Once again, frustration filled him, and he scrubbed his hand over his face. Then, he decided to end that discussion and go back to basics. “It’s getting dark. Please, let me see you safely home.”
She shook her head. “I have someone coming to give me a ride. Thank you for the offer.”
He was surprised when she started walking down the street. With only a few strides, he caught up to her. A car slowed down on the other side of the road, and she raised her hand to wave. He twisted his neck and spied a car with a woman behind the wheel.
The woman rolled down the window and called out, “Girl! I thought you needed a ride, but it looks like you found a tall cowboy for the night. Good for you!”
He looked back at the woman near him and watched her face blush deeply as she threw a narrow-eyed glare toward the car and shook her head. She lifted her gaze back to him and spoke softly. “Thank you for not hurting the boys.” She pressed her lips together as she tilted her head. “I hope your leg is okay. And by the way, your chivalry was noted and appreciated, but my ride is here, so I’ll say good night.”
“Can I know your name?” The question slipped from his lips, but curiosity got the better of him. She was the most intriguing woman he’d met in a long time, and he wanted the chance to know her better. He pressed his luck when she didn’t immediately deny his request. “After all, I didn’t hurt anyone.”
A faint smile graced her lips, and a small snort erupted as she hurried across the street. When she got to the passenger door, she looked over her shoulder. “It’s just charity,” she said before gracefully slipping into the vehicle.
As the car drove away, he watched as she twisted around and looked out the back window at him until she was out of sight. Charity… great. She thinks I was chivalrous and let the boys go because of charity. “Hell,” he mumbled to himself, thinking of the blond hair and light brown eyes holding him spellbound. “I didn’t do it for charity, that’s for sure.”
Heading in the opposite direction toward his SUV, he left behind thoughts of the teens. The feel of her soft curves beneath him and her face illuminated by the street lights lingered in his mind.