Chapter 5 #2
She nodded and knew without a doubt, she would need to figure a way out of the house before his father made it there. There would be no hiding her history if he saw her, and she couldn’t put them in danger. Her grandmother would never forgive her.
Ian ground his teeth as he watched Jenner check out Sam’s wound. He didn’t know why it was pissing him off that Jenner had his hands on Sam, but it was driving him a little insane. No. Not insane. Homicidal would be a better word. Possessiveness coursed through him.
The rational side of him understood that Jenner was just doing his job. He was a medic and Ian had been impressed with his skill. The irrational side of him wanted to pull off the man’s arms and beat him over the head.
That was completely out of character for him.
“I would rather you not take a shower with that concussion,” Jenner said as he put on a waterproof dressing over her wound.
Yeah, he had been harping on that for a few minutes.
“I would rather not have a concussion, so we don’t always get what we want, Boston.”
The sarcasm in her voice sent a slap of need racing through Ian. What was he going to do about this woman? She was getting under his skin in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
“I have two older sisters who are meaner than you, Sam. Also, remember, I’m from Boston. Your sarcasm doesn’t faze me.”
“I’ve had a concussion before. I promise to call out if I need help.”
That was probably a lie, but he would stay close just in case.
“Fair enough,” Jenner said. He straightened and looked at Ian. “I assume you’ve got it from here.”
“You assume correctly.”
“What the hell? I can take care of myself.”
She was frowning at both of them…pouting just a little. That lower lip pushed out, and on most women, he would find it aggravating. On Sam, he had to fight the urge to lean down and nibble on that lip.
He was sick. So, so sick.
Jenner gave him a knowing smile, then headed out of the room.
“You both are annoying. El will agree with me. I can take care of myself.”
“Don’t even pull me into that argument,” El said from the other room.
“Come on. I put your bag in there, so you will have everything you need.” He moved to the other side of the bed and held out his hand.
“I can walk to the bathroom.”
“I just want to make sure you’re steady enough to walk to the bathroom. I understand about concussions, as you like to remind me. A lot.”
Her eyes sparkled and her mouth twitched.
“Fine.”
She scooted to the side of the bed, swinging her legs over. Ian held out his hand. She looked at it, then slipped her smaller hand into his. The jolt he felt was the same one he had felt when she ran into him earlier today. Electricity sparked through his veins and left him a little lightheaded.
Pushing that aside…or trying to, he helped her off the mattress.
She wobbled a little and he had to fight the need to lift her up into his arms. He knew she wouldn’t be happy about that.
Shuffling at first, then finally walking, she made her way to the bathroom.
He kept hold of her hand the entire way.
She stopped at the door to the bathroom.
“I’ve got this,” she said.
He studied her. Her gaze was clearer than it had been, and she seemed pretty steady.
“Okay. You call if you need me.”
She gave him a sweet smile. “Aw, you care about me.”
Then, she stepped into the bathroom, shut and locked the door. Like he couldn’t get into the bathroom if he wanted to. He had been a spy so picking locks were a way of life. But he would give her this. For now.
Lila looked at herself in the mirror. She was a mess. Hell, she’d looked bad the last few months. She needed to figure out a way to put on more pounds. It was the first time in her life where she had a problem with that.
Her bag buzzed and she unzipped it, looking at the door before she opened the secret pocket to pull out the burner phone.
G: Where are you?
Yeah, she hadn’t checked in, and her one other contact would freak out if she didn’t check in once every other day.
L: Everything is fine. Have an issue. Will text when I can.
G: Are you lying to me?
L: Promise, everything is fine.
With a sigh, she turned the phone off and slipped it back into the hidden pocket, making sure there was no way for anyone to see it.
Once again, she looked at herself in the mirror, then glanced at the window. She would definitely clean up, then she would slip away. It was the only way to protect Ian and Sam, and everyone else.
She hated leaving like this, but it was the only way to deal with it. Understanding what was at stake and the promises she had made, she could not risk their lives for her comfort.
With that thought, she turned on the water in the standing shower.
Ian knew she was up to something. Call him crazy, but his sixth sense was telling him that she was trying to figure out a way to slip away from him. He had just gotten his hands on her, and he wasn’t about to let her leave.
His dick pressed against his zipper and his blood heated. Hell, his fingers were itching to touch her again. Even if it was just holding her hand.
Fuck. The woman was starting to drive him mental. She had to promise she was just cleaning up, but with Sam, he had learned that she couldn’t be trusted. He still wanted her beneath him in bed; her legs wrapped around him…
He counted backwards from ten. Then did it three more times before he got himself under control. The woman was a distraction and definitely getting under his skin. And he definitely didn’t trust her.
Still, he would help her. She’d put herself in danger to save his sister. And more than once she had saved his ass. He had a feeling that her being tracked had something to do with her interaction with him. Those were all reasons for him to help her.
But it wasn’t the main reason he was helping her. That connection…the electric spark that seemed to dance between them whenever they touched…he needed to figure that out. Figure her out.
Before he could get more into his morose thoughts, he heard a car drive up. He stepped out of the room.
“I guess that’s your father,” Jenner said.
He made a face and El laughed. “I get it, man. My parents can be meddlers with their background just like your father.”
El and Eden’s parents had been CIA operatives at one time. The twins had grown up in embassies all over the world, as their parents pretended to just be what they were. They owned a godawful number of businesses and did a lot of work in the Middle East. It had been an excellent cover.
With a sigh, Ian headed for the front door. He opened his door just as his father was stepping onto the lanai.
In his late sixties, his father and he looked like mirror images but about thirty years apart. And his hair had gotten a little crazy since he’d moved to Hawai’i.
“So, what’s happening?”
His lips twitched. You could leave the spy business, but it didn’t take much to get you back into the spy behaviors.
Ian motioned with his head to his house. He didn’t want to talk about this in the open. He had neighbors, but they were far apart. Still, it wouldn’t do with having someone pick up what was going on.
He closed the door and his father followed him down the hall to the living area.
“This is coming along,” his father remarked.
“Thanks.”
The house had been trash when he’d bought it a few months ago. The kitchen and most of the living room was done, as was his room and bathroom.
“You know El, and this is Jenner Carson. He does jobs with Dillon Security. Jenner, this is Sam, my father.”
There was a moment of silence and then Jenner barked out a laugh. “She uses your father’s name as an alias?”
“And his middle name as a last name,” El said smiling.
He opened his mouth to say something, but he heard a soft thud from the direction of his bedroom. Specifically, from where the bathroom was located. Suspicion had him frowning.
“I need to check something out. Can you two give my dad a rundown of what’s going on?”
“Son, what’s up?”
“Just give me a second, Dad.”
Then, he walked to the front door. There was a small window in his bathroom that he could never fit through, but Sam could easily slide through. He rounded the corner of his house to the sight of her legs dangling from the bathroom window.
Anger hit him first. The woman was injured and she was trying to escape him.
With a sigh, he leaned against the house and waited.
She was cussing as she wiggled through the window.
He could definitely tell she had been an analyst and not someone who had been trained in the field.
No operative he knew would make that much noise when trying to escape.
More muttered cussing, but she finally dropped down out of the window. She looked to her right, then her left, freezing when she saw him.
“And just where did you think you were going?”
Irritation and anger moved over her expression, although, he was sure that he saw relief flash for a second. It disappeared as fast as it had appeared.
“I needed some fresh air.”
“So, naturally you decided to push your way through that tiny window, rather than just walk down the hallway to the front door. I also have a very nice back lanai. You could have sat out there for some fresh air.”
She was not happy with his comment that was for sure. She studied him for a long moment before she answered him.
“I need to leave.”
That was it. No explanation, just that she needed to leave. Something swirled in his gut, something close to panic. Panic that she was leaving. Well, fuck that. She wasn’t leaving.
“You called me.”
She opened her mouth, but he pushed away from the house and stalked towards her.
“You called me,” he repeated.
“And I thanked you.”
“Actually, you never really thanked me. But it doesn’t matter. You called me.”
“You keep repeating that and I don’t understand. Yes, I called you. You were the one person I knew on the island.”
“El is here.”
“I didn’t know.”
Her connection with the fast-talking Texan was getting on his nerves. Why the fuck did that mean something to him? And why was he letting it bother him? He didn’t get jealous over women he was dating, let alone a woman he’d only met face to face hours ago. It didn’t matter.
“What is El to you?” Bloody hell, he didn’t mean to ask that.
“We’re friends.”
“And?”
She blinked. “I’ve been friends with both him and Ed for years. They are my friends.”
It still didn’t satisfy him, but he let it go. For now.
“Either way, you called me for help. You have a concussion.”
“I’m feeling fine.”
“And you are seriously underweight.”
“Rude of you to notice.”
“Come on. You’re coming back in the house, and we are talking about this attack. You are not leaving.”
“You don’t own me.”
“No, but I will turn your ass in to the authorities.” He had no idea who had a warrant out for her, but he was sure the CIA would like to get hold of her.
He was also lying. Whatever she had done, she had done for a good reason.
Ian didn’t know why he thought that, but he did.
Someone like her with her skills, she could easily steal bitcoin or sell information.
Instead, she roamed around living in the elements, saving other people.
When her face drained of color, he regretted threatening her. She stepped back from him as fear filled her gaze.
“I need to go. It’s not safe.”
“But you want to leave?”
“If I leave, it will make it safer for you. For everyone.”
He noticed she didn’t actually answer the question. “What about for you? Running around the jungle with a concussion and a stab wound is not smart.”
Before she could launch another denial, he took hold of her upper arm and dragged her toward the front door.
Sam tried to dig her heels in, but she was weak from her injuries, which just pissed him off.
She should be in bed resting, but instead, she was out here putting herself at more risk.
If he didn’t think she would freak out, he would pick her up.
As they stepped into the house, he heard the murmur of voices. Those voices had Sam freaking out even more, trying to drag him back toward the front door.
“This isn’t a good idea, Ian. Just let me go.”
“No.”
“I need to go. It’s not safe for you, for anyone if I’m near you.”
Her voice had risen with each word, and now she sounded hysterical.
This was so out of character for her. Not once in all the time he had known her had she shown any kind of fear.
She never panicked, or at least she didn’t show it.
Ian barely noticed that the voices had quieted, until he heard the footsteps.
He glanced over his shoulder at the men.
Jenner and El looked concerned as they took in the way he and Sam were fighting.
His father though, he looked like he had seen a ghost.
“Dad?”
He blinked, looked at Ian, then looked back at Sam. His father swallowed. That’s when he noticed that Sam had stopped fighting his hold.
“Lila? Is that you?”
Ian looked between the two of them. There was history there, recognition in each of their expressions. What the bloody hell was going on?
Her mouth curved. “Hey, Sam. How’ve you been?”