Chapter Two
Peter
Niamh wasn’t a total fucking idiot. That surprised me. The moment I entered the diner three days ago, I saw the way she tensed up. She sensed danger while I was close by. That was a good thing. She knew there were enemies out there, and at least she attempted to do something about it. Still, I didn’t fucking like it either way.
Sticking to my cell phone was the easiest option. Also, glancing through emails was quite innocent. Pickle Quest didn’t have a whole host of jobs, but there were some I didn’t wan t— like trash collecting. I didn’t have a problem with cleaning up trash, but that didn’t give me the opportunity to get close to Niamh. According to the information Ivan had sent me, she had a library card, worked at the diner, and it would seem she had joined the local gym.
I wasn’t working at a library on the off chance she’d turn the fuck up to bring back a book. Nor was I working in the diner, that would be too … suspicious. The new guy getting a job at the diner just wouldn’t work.
Niamh wasn’t stupid, which was also a benefit to her. I had a great deal of respect for her because of her nervousness.
No, the only way I was going to blend in and make this work was the fucking gym. I had no problem with working out, but I had to become a personal fucking trainer. Again, not a problem, but I had to hope Niamh arrived at the gym.
Getting the job on the day of my arrival into town had been easy. I’d already told Ivan my plans, and my resume was fucking ace. He’d also sent me a load of documents that gave me a few days to become acquainted with my new role. I’m a quick study, and since I had no problem working out, this was the easy part.
The guy who owned the gym, Carl Fields, wanted me to slowly get acquainted with everythin g— all the equipment, the room s— and to assess each room before taking on a client.
This is what I’d been doing the last three days. The gym opened at five-thirty in the morning, and didn’t close until eight at night. I didn’t have a problem with the long hours. It worked with my plan to blend in. According to Ivan, no details had gone out about Niamh being missing. I didn’t expect there to be.
Finn Byrne wasn’t going to announce to the world that his bastard daughter was missing. I got the message loud and clear from Ivan. Just because a notice hadn’t gone out, and there were no alerts didn’t mean someone wasn’t out looking for her now. So, I had to be careful.
I also needed to protect Niamh while also winning her heart. It shouldn’t be too hard to win her over. I expected this to be easy. Niamh was curious about me. I detected a bit of fear as well, but that was expected. She didn’t know who I was or what I was doing there.
After dealing with the Finn Byrnes of the world, I knew I was going to blow her mind.
Walking around the gym at six that morning, I saw a couple of women who’d appeared. I knew I was on their radar and if needed, I had plenty of women to keep me company while I worked on winning over Niamh. For a split-second I wondered if gaining her attention would come from flirting with someone else.
I stepped into the swimming pool area and stopped, because the very woman I’d been thinking about was sitting at the edge of the pool.
The door closed behind me, but it was silent and Niamh was so lost in her own little world, that she didn’t even look up to see what had caused the noise. She kept staring down at the water below her.
I watched as she moved her feet through the water. Her lips moved, but I didn’t know what she said. Pulling her feet from the water, I watched as she squared her shoulders and then moved to the corner of the pool. She gripped the metal rail leading into the water, and slowly began to climb in.
It was then I realized what the problem was. Niamh was terrified.
She got into the water and still held onto the steps. She took several deep breaths, and I saw the fear in her eyes, and she let go of the rail and began to sink into the water. There was no one around.
I didn’t even know why she had opted to go in the swimming pool if it scared her so freaking much. I didn’t like it, though. She looked so small, so fragile. Stepping toward the pool edge where she was gripping the handle for dear life, I crouched down.
“You know, if you can’t swim, you’d be better served learning by going to the top of the pool,” I said.
“Thanks, but I’m not afraid.”
“You’ve nearly bent the handlebar,” I said.
This did get her attention. The handlebar was fine. There was no way she was going to break that, but she did loosen her grip a little.
“If you can swim, then you want to tell me what the problem is?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“You’re not afraid?”
“No, I’m not afraid.”
“Most people who come to swim don’t look like they’re afraid of the water wrapping around them and dragging them down,” I said.
“Why would you say something like that?” Niamh glanced down into the water.
The deep end was always a darker color and this made me smile, because you couldn’t see the bottom of the pool. I sighed, got to my feet, and then climbed in, fully clothed.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
I ignored her. I had a feeling that getting close to Niamh would not be smooth sailing, as I anticipated. Unlike some of the women I’d caught the eye of, Niamh didn’t like the thought of me getting too close.
Climbing into the water, I put my hand over hers, and this caused her to let go of the handle rail. It wasn’t exactly my intention to cause this.
She sunk beneath the water and on instinct, I grabbed the strap of her bathing suit, hauling her up to her feet, and keeping her head above the water. I paddled my feet and kept hold of the rail.
“You can’t swim,” I said.
“I can, and it’s not like it’s so hard.” She frowned.
The last thing I wanted to do was argue with her, so I let go of her suit and she sunk beneath the water. She screamed, so I grabbed her suit again and lifted her up.
“What the hell?” she asked, pushing her hair out of her face, but I noticed she didn’t shove at me to let her go.
“Do you want to keep arguing with me?” I asked.
“No, I don’t want to argue with you. This was a big mistake, and right now I need to go home.”
“Or, you can swallow your pride and ask me to help you.”
“What?”
I didn’t know if it was wrong to find her entertaining, but I did.
“You can say, ‘Peter, I don’t know how to swim, can you help me?’” I tempted to mock her and do it in a female voice, but instead, I decided I was already embarrassing her, and the last thing I wanted to do was make her uncomfortable.
She frowned and I saw her gaze past my shoulder. She wasn’t so stupid after all. Niamh was already planning her escape because she didn’t have a clue who I was, and she was starting to think like a survivor.
“Who is Peter?” she asked.
“Me, my name is Peter.”
“Is that your real name?”
This made me smile. “Yes, it does happen to be my real name.”
She nodded after a few seconds.
I waited.
She looked at the water, then at me, before her gaze went behind me. There she went with her deep breathing, and I waited patiently.
Holding onto the strap of her suit, I couldn’t help but notice how … full her tits were. This was a surprise to me, because I didn’t plan to notice Niamh. I’d do exactly as Ivan said. Put a baby in her womb, make her mine. I didn’t need to be attracted to her to achieve that. I could get my dick hard and ready for her when the time came. For now, there would be no fucking until I worked on winning her over.
“Peter, will you teach me how to swim?” she asked.
This surprised me. I expected her to be a dick over this, and stubborn.
Offering her a smile, I let go of the handle rail. I’d never taught anyone how to swim, but it wasn’t exactly hard.
My father liked the hard and rough way of training. He had no qualms about throwing his kid into the deep end and forcing him to learn to swim. He did this to me many times. There was no room in the Orlov family for a weak man. He wanted strong men, and if any of his sons, or daughters for that matter, were to drown, then so be it.
I lost a sister and a brother to that method. He didn’t shed a tear. Now that I think about it, neither did my mother. I nearly died that day, and during every task he gave me.
He was a cruel man.
Leaving Niamh to fight was not an option. I now gripped onto both straps of her swimsuit. As much as I’d have loved to stay in the deep end of the pool, Niamh had to learn to swim.
“What are you doing?” she asked, almost in a state of panic.
“I’m going to teach you how to swim, but you’re going to be doing it my way. Kick your feet out and stop fighting me. I’m not going to hurt you.” Not unless Ivan demanded it.
Right now, Niamh was on the “safe and protected” list. If that were to change, I’d have no qualms about doing what needed to be done. If Ivan wanted her dead, she’d be dead.
Niamh surprised me by doing exactly as I asked, and she kicked her feet out. I know she struggled as I moved backward, swimming toward the shallow end.
My feet hit the edge of the pool, and now I was able to stand and simply walk back. Once we got to the center of the pool, I let Niamh go, and she got to her feet and stood. The water came to our chests, but it was safe enough for both of us.
“Thank you,” Niamh said.
“Do you think that is the end of your lesson?” I asked.
“I … I … just thank you.”
“Why did you go to the deep end of the pool if you didn’t know what you were doing?” I asked.
Niamh shrugged and at the same time tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “I don’t know. I figured it would all come to me on instinct. I didn’t exactly get a lot of time to learn to swim.”
“Your parents didn’t teach you?”
This made her laugh. “My parents didn’t have time for me.”
I saw how vague her answer was, and this made me smile. She was cautious. This was good. I didn’t have to worry about her telling anyone her little secret. The fewer people who knew meant it would be easier to keep her safe. In the small town of Pickle Quest, strangers were easy to detect, and the easiest way to be left alone was to blend in.
This is why I had joined the gym. It didn’t look like I was after anything in town, other than a job. I didn’t need a job. I had a jo b— Brigadier to Ivan Volkov with my own territory to run. For now, until my mission was complete, I would be a gym employee in Pickle Quest.
Ivan had to be fucking laughing at all of this.
“So you thought about throwing yourself into the deep end in the hope of not drowning?”
“I didn’t exactly think it through.”
“Well, at least I was here, and now your lessons can start. Come on, it’s time to get you ready to swim.” I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but it wouldn’t be hard. Unlike my brother and sister, I didn’t die that day, and I had no choice but to figure it out.
****
Niamh
Taking lessons from the new guy in town wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I decided to stay away from him. It had been three days since he arrived in town, and I already knew he’d made an impression.
Several women, young and old, married and single, had spotted him as well. I heard them talking at the diner about the new guy who worked at the gym.
The moment I arrived in town, after getting the job at the diner, along with a library card, which I rarely used, I also decided to join the gym.
My parents had often criticized me about my size. It had been never ending, so I decided to change myself completely. So far, I’d been able to lose a couple of pounds. I also found them in the food served at the diner. I wanted to look so different that my parents would never recognize me. I knew it would take dedication and time.
Losing weight had never been my strong point. I’d been placed on so many diets. My mom, in trying to impress my father, had even attempted to starve me. That didn’t work either. My weight was always a problem to them.
I thought swimming would help me the most. It was a lonely thing to do. I didn’t need anyone else to watch me, or keep an eye on my progress, and it worked a lot of muscles by simply going back and forth. This sounded like an awesome plan. The only problem was I didn’t know how to swim.
Since joining the gym, I had tried different machines and rooms to help me, but none of them worked.
This was supposed to be my solid solution. Now, the one guy I’d been determined to stay away from was the one person who insisted on helping me. This surprised me.
For the next two hours, he got me working on my stance, my posture, and working my body until it was at just the right angle. He wouldn’t allow me to let go of the side of the pool.
By the end of the session, my arms hurt, and my legs felt like they’d done a marathon rather than kicked out repeatedly to the same rhythm.
Peter called time to the lesson, and helped me out of the pool.
My legs ached and I knew I wasn’t going to have any trouble sleeping tonight. I was already so tired, but I had to get ready for my shift that started at nine.
“I want you back here tomorrow,” Peter said.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“But … don’t you think there needs to be a break in between?” I didn’t know if I wanted to see him again. I wasn’t even sure if I was coming back to the gym. The thought of being around this stranger terrified me. I didn’t know who he was or why he’d come to Pickle Quest.
I couldn’t start asking a lot of questions in case he wanted to start asking questions, and I didn’t want to answer any of them.
“The only way you’re going to learn is to keep practicing. Think of muscle memory,” he said.
“And you’re going to be the one to teach me?” I didn’t want it to sound like I had a crush on him or anything. I didn’t. I’d promised myself not to get close to anyone.
“Yes, I’ll teach you, but it will have to be my method. No one else’s.”
I nibbled my lip. That didn’t exactly sound promising. In fact, it was a little terrifying.
“I don’t know how anyone else works here. I’m still new, and learning the ropes. I’m going to need to start taking clients soon. You’d be my first, and you’d be helping me out.”
I highly doubted it. Peter was a sexy man, and she’d already seen a lot of women interested in him. All he’d need to do was click his fingers and she had no doubt women would flock to him.
But, she did need this help. It was all part of her plan, and what was the point in running away if she wouldn’t learn to defend herself?
“Okay, then I will see you tomorrow, six o’clock,” I said. I’d never been able to sleep in late.
In fact, I struggled to get to sleep, kind of out of fear. I didn’t imagine it helped the fear when your mother or father could walk in and start hurting you at any time. Yes, I had that. My dad had come in once, he’d been super pissed. I think it was because of something my mother did. Again, I didn’t know the whole story, but I was the one that got hit with the end of his belt. He even made sure to use the buckle. The pain had hurt so bad, and I still had the scars on my back, butt, and thighs to show for it. That hadn’t been a good day.
Afterward, it was the first time my mother had shown me any kind of affection. She’d been the one to rile my father, but I’d taken the beating she should have.
I couldn’t help but wonder about my messed-up life.
“I’ve got to get ready for work,” I said.
“Ah, you know what, I’ll wait for you. I’ve been designated with getting coffee and breakfast this morning. The order has already been placed. I’ll walk you to the diner.”
Great. Every time I tried to create a distance between myself and this man, he seemed determined to close it.
“Yay,” I said, and hoped he didn’t detect the level of sarcasm I knew was dripping from my voice.
I left the pool area and went straight to the changing rooms. I pulled the key from around my ankle and opened my locker. The key was mine as I paid for my gym membership. Seeing as I was on the run from my family, I rented a small apartment, and any money I had I spent on essentials only. I only ever had enough belongings to pack in a small bag, so I could be on the road in less than thirty minutes. The gym membership was a luxury, but seeing as I didn’t plan to buy ornaments, or anything like a TV or a car, there was no point in worrying about the expense. Also, this helped toward the bigger pla n— getting into shape and changing what I looked like, so it would help me hide longer.
To me, it sounded like a genius plan. On paper, it probably made me sound like a nutjob, which I could handle. I was more than happy for people to be afraid of me.
“Oh my, did you see what he looked like? Those arms … I bet they can show a woman a time or two.”
“Arms, come on, girl, we’ve got to talk about the man’s hands. His arms don’t matter, but it’s all about the hands. He could touch me any day.”
“What is his name?”
Several women had entered the changing room, and I could imagine who they were talking about.
“I think it’s Peter. I don’t know his last name. That man does not need a last name. All he needs to do is help me forget what my last name is.”
There was a chorus of laughter.
I finished getting changed and stepped out of the small cubicle.
The ladies stopped talking, but I didn’t pay them any attention. When I left, the door closed on a round of giggles. I didn’t want to know what they were giggling at.
Peter was standing at the main desk, cell phone in his hand, one leg crossed over the other. He’d also changed out of the clothes that were soaking wet. He was in a new set of sweatpants and another shirt with the gym’s logo, which was an image of a treadmill with the initial, “CF.” Carl Fields was the owner of the gym. I heard him talking in detail about how hard it was to think of a logo.
I think his date hadn’t been quite so impressed with his idea of dinner conversation. It was kind of funny, but so boring.
“You’re ready,” he said, standing tall.
“What’s your last name?” I asked, and immediately regretted it. One of my key rules was not to ask questions. The less I knew, the better. The less I wanted to know, it meant others wouldn’t want to know my business either, and that was the way I wanted to keep it.
“Shadow. Peter Shadow,” he said. “What’s your last name, Niamh?”
I opened my mouth about to tell him. “Wait, how do you know my first name?”
“Well, besides the fact that it’s on your uniform.” He pointed toward my uniform. “It’s a pretty name and I’ve made sure to always remember a pretty girl’s name.”
This made me open my mouth and then close it. Never had I been called “pretty.” He had to be lying.
Rather than smile, I felt myself frowning even more. “Niamh Long,” I said. It wasn’t my name.
It had taken me several nights, constantly repeating my nam e— Niamh Long, Niamh Lon g— until it became second nature to say that name. I wanted Niamh Byrne to die, and the only way to do that was to make sure she didn’t exist.
Stepping around him, I wanted to slap myself silly. Breaking rules because of listening to a bunch of giggling women. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard them drooling over a guy. When they had their fun with Peter Shadow , then they’d move on to whatever flavor they wanted next. I’d seen the way this went.
Even though I hadn’t been in town long, I’d been there long enough to see the trend. They liked shiny new toys, and Peter was a prime toy.
We stepped out of the gym, and I liked the fact that it was only a short walk toward the diner, and it would be a lot faster by car. But anyone attempting to lose weight wouldn’t use a car, right? I didn’t like the thought of making small talk, that was when mistakes were made.
I wasn’t trying to be rude. I just didn’t want to make small talk with anyone. It was easier this way.
“You know, I’m starting to get the sense that I have done something to upset you,” he said.
“That’s impossible. I don’t even know you, so you can’t do anything to upset me.”
“No? Then why does it feel like I have?”
I wanted to argue with him, but as we got to the diner, I stopped and turned toward him. “You don’t have to lie to me. I’m not under any illusion about what I look like. You’re going to teach me how to swim, and I’m going to keep letting you. Lying is not going to change that, unless you don’t want to help me.”
And with that, I spun on my heel and walked straight to work.