Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Eloise
A knock on the window makes me jump so hard that the apple flies out of my hand and lands on the floor. Panic fills me as I turn toward the window. It takes me a moment to register that two of the other men who work with Cannon are standing next to the SUV.
Cannon opens the door. “We good?”
The larger one answers, “Yes. Blade is with June. He’ll drive her back in the Camaro. Ghost and I will take Blade’s SUV. Are you good?”
“Yes.” Cannon leans back. “Angel, this is Tank and Ghost, two of the men I was telling you about.”
The shorter man—only in comparison—smiles. I’m pretty sure he’s Ghost. “Angel’s a pretty name.”
Cannon chuckles. “Angel’s not her name. Or maybe it is. I’m not sure yet.”
Ghost grins. “Well, it works for the time being. Do you need to take her to the police or the hospital?”
I shake my head. “No,” I insist emphatically.
I get the distinct impression it would be messy for these men to take me to the authorities, and I secretly hope I’m right.
I hope they cut that fucking asshole into ten pieces and left his torso bleeding in the middle of the living room.
I’m not going to ask questions, though, because I don’t think they would tell me the truth, and I’m not in the mood for people to lie to me even if it’s to save me from the graphic details.
Frankly, I’d rather hear the gory facts as long as they confirm Pete-the-kidnapper is dead.
Hell, if these guys are as good at their jobs as Cannon says they are, and they’re in the business of making people dead without raising suspicion, I could give them a list of people who also deserve to be unalived. I’d sleep better at night.
I glance at Cannon. He’s given me no reason to mistrust him, and speaking of sleeping at night, he’s offering me a bed. I could really use a good night’s sleep someplace where I don’t have to keep one eye open. When was the last time I had that luxury?
Oh, right. Never.
Cannon looks toward his teammates again. “We’re hashing out her options. I’ll text you when I know more.”
Tank pats the top of the SUV. “Sounds good. Shout if you need anything. We’re headed back.”
Cannon nods. “Thanks.”
Tank shuts the door, and the two men walk toward a second SUV that I haven’t noticed until now. As I glance around, I realize these two vehicles are parked in a grassy area between some trees. They aren’t on the street.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“Hidden from view,” he responds.
“No one knows you were there?”
“Nope.”
“What if I’d wanted you to take me to the police?” I ask.
“Then I would have taken you. We have a plan for every eventuality.”
I glance out the back of the SUV in the direction of the house we escaped from, shuddering. “Is Pete…uh…”
“He won’t be hurting anyone else, if that’s what you’re asking. I’ll never lie to you, angel. I promise. But maybe don’t ask too many questions unless you’re prepared to hear the answers.”
I like that he’s implying he’ll tell me whatever I want to know. It’s refreshing. He’s not condescending. He looks me in the eyes and treats me like I matter. When has anyone done that to me?
I really want that apple, so I bend down and grab it from the floor. It’s still perfectly fine, and the floorboards of his SUV are cleaner than most things I’ve put in my mouth, so I bring it to my lips and take a bite.
The world doesn’t implode. The sun doesn’t go out.
I glance at Cannon. His brow is furrowed. He doesn’t look like a man who intends to rape or murder me. Haven’t I exceeded my quota on such people for today anyway? I mean, how unlucky can one person be in a four-hour stretch of time?
In my case, pretty fucking unlucky. I’ve actually had worse things happen to me in four hours on more than one occasion.
I chew and swallow, trying to control myself so I don’t look like some sort of savage, when what I really want to do is devour this entire apple, core included. It’s so delicious, and it’s been a while since I had anything to eat.
My stomach growls. Juice drips down my chin. I wish I could lick it off because I hate to lose even one tiny morsel of this apple, but I wipe it with the front of my shirt instead.
Cannon slowly reaches out to finger a lock of my hair. “I’m sorry for all the things that have happened to you that I’m not even aware of, angel. Please let me make you safe.”
I swallow the bite in my mouth and nod. “Okay,” I murmur.
“Do you have any belongings in your car you’d like to retrieve?”
“Yes, please.”
He smiles. “How about we move to the front? I’ll take you to your car, and then we’ll go to Seattle.”
“Okay.” I’m out of steam, and for the first time in I don’t know how long, I feel like I can trust someone.
He nods toward the front before getting out of the SUV and climbing into the driver’s seat.
I look at the water and protein bar next to me. I don’t want to leave them behind, so I toss them into the front with my free hand before climbing through the console to get to the seat. I never let go of the apple.
Admittedly, I was a bit afraid he might change his mind and drive off while I was reaching for the handle.
He doesn’t reprimand me for scrambling around in his car like a monkey. He doesn’t seem to care that I stepped on his seats with my dirty tennis shoes.
“Seatbelt, angel.”
I look at him, my mouth full of the next bite of apple. I stop breathing. The chunk of apple rests against my tongue, the flavor nearly making me moan. But I’m suddenly overcome with emotions. I nearly choke on the bite because I can’t seem to chew and swallow it.
My eyes fill with tears, and they run down my cheeks so fast I can’t stop them. I’m instantly embarrassed, and I look down, trying to control myself.
“Hey… What’s wrong?” Cannon asks, gently stroking my cheek.
I shake my head, trying to rein in my feelings, but it’s like a dam has opened, and I can’t stop it.
Cannon twists toward me, reaches over, and pulls me into an awkward hug, pressing my face against his chest. He doesn’t care that I’m getting apple juice, tears, and dirt all over his shirt. He threads his fingers in my hair and simply holds me.
It feels so good. I shouldn’t let myself enjoy his touch because I obviously can’t keep it.
He’s going to let me stay in his apartment for one night.
Maybe he’ll buy me something hot to eat.
I bet he’ll let me take a shower. I also bet he has nice soaps and shampoo.
I wonder if he has a fresh toothbrush. I haven’t brushed my teeth in over a week.
I ran out of toothpaste, and my toothbrush should have gone in the trash a month ago.
I manage to swallow the apple, but I can’t stop the tears.
Cannon doesn’t rush me. He rubs my back and kisses the top of my head. That makes me cry harder. “It’s okay, Little one. Let it out. No hurry.”
I need him to stop being so nice. It’s not helping the situation. I’m falling apart at the seams. Those seams have been held together by a single thread for a very long time. It was due to snap.
When I realize I’m getting not just tears on him but also snot, I pull back, sniffling. “I’m sorry.”
He lifts my chin with one finger. “It’s fine, angel.
You’re welcome to cry on my shoulder anytime you need.
” He gives me a gorgeous smile. He really is attractive.
His beard felt so soft against my forehead.
His smile is dazzling. And he smells so good.
It’s his brand of soap, I think. And him, of course.
“Ready?”
I nod, still holding the apple in one hand. There’s no way I’m going to let it go. I want to eat every single part of it. It’s suddenly my most favorite food.
“Can I reach across you and buckle you in, Little one?”
I glance at my hand, which is now covered in apple juice. “Yes, please.”
He chuckles as he leans all the way over, pulls the seatbelt, and fastens it at my hip. “Big fan of apples, are you?”
I shrug. “I am now.”
“When did you last eat, angel?”
I shrug, not meeting his gaze this time. I’m embarrassed again. I have no reason to be. I’m down on my luck. I barely have a dollar to my name. He doesn’t need me to tell him these things.
His voice is very gentle as he says, “Let’s get your things from your car and then go to a drive-thru.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. I haven’t had fast food in years. It was an occasional treat when one of my foster families splurged for drive-thru meals, but that hasn’t happened since I was about seventeen. It’s not like anyone has offered me any sort of kindness like this since then.
He turns on the ignition and slowly drives out of the hidden spot and back onto the road. “What’s your favorite fast food, angel?”
I swallow another bite of the apple. I don’t know how to answer him. “Uh, burgers, I guess.”
“Which chain, silly girl?”
My chest tightens. Why is it so hard to admit how out of touch I am with the world?
I don’t know why I feel so humiliated. There’s no reason.
I shouldn’t apologize. It’s not my fault.
Nothing that’s happened to me is. No matter what life has thrown at me, I know for a fact I didn’t do anything to deserve the bad hand I’ve been dealt.
I finish the apple, leaving almost nothing but the stem and the narrow core with the seeds. When I glance around, wondering what to do with it, Cannon tugs a tissue out of a box in the console and hands it to me.
I wrap it up and drop it gently on the floor before wiping my lips on my shirt again.
“There are some wet wipes in the glove box, I think, if you want to get the sticky off.”
I awkwardly reach for the lever, not wanting to get it dirty.
Cannon comes to a stop and glances at me. “Angel, I don’t give a fuck if my car gets sticky. In fact, the car is probably thanking you for messing it up a bit. It needed to be broken in. Just open the glove box.”
Suddenly, I release a strange, slight giggle at his humor. It sounds so foreign to me that I stop abruptly and bite my lip, not looking at him. I find the wipes, clean up my face and hands, and then swipe over the places I touched.
“Do you know which direction your car is, angel?”
I point. “That way.”
He pulls onto the highway. “Now, about those burgers. You didn’t answer.”
I take a deep breath and face him. “Cannon, I don’t have a clue.
I haven’t eaten fast food in over four years.
Before that, sometimes my foster family got it for us, but they didn’t take individual orders.
They just came in with a bag of burgers, and we ate them. I’ve never made a choice like that.”
I realize I’ve just dumped a ton of information on him. More than I intended, but none of it really spoke to what I’ve experienced. All he knows now is that I was in the foster system. It’s all I manage to share. It has to be enough for now.
He licks his lips and then nods. “Then we’ll just stop at the first one we come to, and you can order whatever you want. We’ll try a different one every day if you want. That way, you can make an informed decision.”
I suck in a breath and hold it. Every day… He can’t mean that. Surely he is only inviting me to stay for the night.