Chapter Four
Shane
I pick up fast food on the way to a cheap motel, wishing I could take Talia to a nicer place and at least get her a decent meal and higher-quality lodging.
But we are better off holing up at an off-the-beaten-path dive where I can see the parking lot from my window and hear if anyone comes up the walkway outside.
She doesn’t seem to mind, which I appreciate. We eat in our room. She curls her legs beneath her on one of the beds, ignoring the ugly plaid covering, and eats quickly, devouring her food.
She was obviously hungrier than she let on, and I feel bad I didn’t think to offer an extra stop.
“Next time you’re hungry, say something,” I instruct as I finish my burger, ball up the wrapper in my hand, and pitch it into the trash can across the room.
She pauses, French fry in hand. “You know what? I will. I hate being hungry.” She laughs and picks up the soda, taking a long sip.
I study her intently. She doesn’t react the way I expect.
To anything. She isn’t frightened and fragile, she is dealing with the situation with humor, even joking about her predicament earlier.
Nor is she a panicked mess of nerves, and I have to admit, maybe she is made of sterner stuff than I gave her credit for.
It bothers me, though, the way she speaks about relationships.
A warm, giving woman like Talia shouldn’t close herself off from experiencing love because she is afraid of loss.
Of course, I understand where she is coming from.
A teenage girl losing her mother at such a crucial age, and her father a few years after that.
I might have given up on having that in my life now, but I haven’t ruled it out forever.
When I am ready to slow down or take a desk job, I figure I’ll be able to open myself up to trying again.
But Talia deserves to have someone to come home to at night.
To take care of her, to be there for her when she needs him.
My chest aches at the thought.
Before I can think on it further, she clears her throat, capturing my attention. “I could use a shower and that good night’s sleep you mentioned.” She scoops up her garbage and rises from the bed. She throws all of it in the trash.
I nod. “I’ll wait until you’re out and then I’ll take a quick one, too.” I dig through my duffel and pull out a stun gun. “Here. Keep this on the dresser. Just in case.”
Her pretty brown eyes open wide behind the frames. “What? No. I don’t even know how to use one.”
“And that’s what lessons are for.”
I stand beside her, breathing in her sweet scent as I walk her through the basics of use.
I can’t stop the reaction to being so close, my dick hardening in my jeans.
It doesn’t help when she leaves to shower, leaving me pressing a hand against my cock to alleviate the discomfort caused by the vision of hot water running over her naked curves.
My imagination goes wild with thoughts of the drops sliding over her slick body, following them with my hands, catching them with my tongue as they trail over her dusky nipples.
I groan, knowing it is going to be a long fucking night, sleeping in the same room and not being able to touch.
* * *
Talia
Aware of Shane just a few feet outside the small, dingy bathroom, I shower and change into a T-shirt to sleep in.
I’m not a girly girl, don’t dress up to climb into bed, and rarely have a man I need to impress in the same room.
It is too late to wish for something sexier to put on that shows off my curves, reminding myself I am on the run, not looking for sex with my hot companion.
Although I have to admit, I wouldn’t turn him down this time.
I draw a deep breath and step out of the bathroom. Shane has taken off his shirt, revealing the muscular body with tanned skin I saw so much of earlier this morning. Was it only less than twelve hours ago that this crazy journey began, bringing Shane back into my life?
I swallow hard. “Bathroom’s all yours,” I say, glancing away from his spectacular body.
“I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“Take your time.”
He strides into the bathroom and shuts the door, turning on the water, which I already know is tepid and weak. But that doesn’t stop me from envisioning him naked, as he was in the outdoor shower.
He’ll wash himself, only this time, maybe he’ll be thinking of me in the next room. And if his thoughts are going the way of mine, he’ll be hard and in need of relief. He’ll grip his cock in one hand and pump himself with a meaningful stroke.
I moan out loud at the sensual notion. I shake my head and grab a hairbrush from the bag, pulling the bristles through my thick hair, the pain from the tugging helping me to forget the arousal ever present around Shane.
Without warning, a loud bang sounds, and the entry door comes crashing open. I scream and dive to the far side of the bed as a big intruder looms large, scanning the room. A glance and he finds me, crouching low beside the furniture.
I don’t recognize the man who stalks toward me.
“Just give me what I want,” he says in a too-reasonable tone.
He wants the formula I put my sweat and tears into. “No way.”
He reaches for me at the same time I lurch backward to get away from him, my back hitting the nightstand hard.
I am trapped with nowhere to escape.
“Formula, bitch. Where is it?”
I shake my head in refusal.
He puts his hands around my throat and squeezes, cutting off my airflow. Pain shoots through me, and spots appear in front of my eyes.
“Feeling more cooperative now?” He eases the pressure off, hoping for an answer.
I cough and remain silent, glaring at him defiantly. I’m not about to give up my life’s work. He squeezes his big hands tighter. My head spins until I begin to crumple against the dresser.
Suddenly he releases me, and I gasp for air, drawing a big, gulping breath, as I realize Shane threw the man off me, slamming him into the wall across from me.
Unfortunately he comes up swinging.
The room still spins, but I push myself to my feet, catching sight of the Taser. I grab the gun. Shane swings at the man, the blow hitting his jaw, and he goes down. Before he can shake it off and rise again, I aim at the intruder and fire.
He jerks hard, his body in spasms, giving Shane time to rise over him and place a foot on his chest, ignoring his twitching form.
He glances at me. “Grab my bag. There are zip ties at the bottom.”
I pull out the restraints, and in no time Shane has tied up the man, leaving him in flex-cuffs, writhing on the floor.
“Are you okay?” I ask Shane at the same time he asks me the same.
He comes up beside me, fixing my glasses, putting them more securely in place before running his big hands gently along my sore neck. He rubs his thumbs over my skin, causing me to shiver. His eyes are glazed with a combination of concern and anger, but his touch is so very gentle.
“I’m fine,” I assure him. I am trembling, but since this ordeal started, I’ve learned quickly to adapt.
He showed up in time, I think, and I exhale a long, relieved breath.
He glances at me, scowling as if he doesn’t quite believe me. My scratchy voice might not sound great, but I’ll live. And that’s what matters.
“How the hell did he find us?” he mutters, running a hand through his hair.
“We must have had a tail I missed. Grab your things…” He hesitates.
“No. Get dressed, but leave everything you can behind. We can stop for new clothes and shit when we put miles behind us. Let’s get out of here before someone comes looking for him. ”
“What about the bag with the formula?” I ask quietly.
“We’ll put the items in my duffel. Leave the satchel itself here.”
In no time, we are back on the road, my heart pounding hard in my chest.
Shane doesn’t show what he is feeling. He has nerves of steel as he focuses on the road ahead… and behind us.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“We’ll drive toward Portland till morning. Then I’ll call Ian, check in, and ditch the car at a used car lot. I also want to scan you one more time. Maybe I missed something.”
His gaze alternates between the front and rearview mirror, his aggravation at being found evident.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know how they tracked me.” I curl into myself on the passenger seat.
“It’s not your fault. As a matter of fact, you’re pretty impressive under pressure.” He turns toward me and smiles. “You stepped up and tased the bastard. Are you sure your neck is okay?”
“It hurts, but yeah. I’m good.” I appreciate his concern.
I am glad he sees my strength, too.
* * *
Shane
While Talia dozes beside me in the passenger seat, I drive north, my head full of recriminations over the fact that they were discovered, wondering what I missed. I glance over, also marveling at the fact that Talia stepped up.
She didn’t shrink in the face of danger, she didn’t panic, she did what she needed to do and helped save my ass in the process. Yeah, I’d have taken the guy, but she made it a hell of a lot easier on me.
I grin, listening to the soft little noises she makes while sleeping, her eyeglasses on her lap. A glance at the clock tells me I can call the office, so I pull a burner from the bag on the floor at Talia’s feet.
Ian answers on the first ring. “Talk to me.”
“We were made at the motel. Damned if I know how. I’m going to switch wheels and stop somewhere we can scan everything again. Not that I imagine we missed much. Fucking big pharmaceutical conspiracy. They could have tagged her anywhere.”
“Agreed. My sources at the Dallas PD tell me Talia’s assistant was found bound and gagged in a closet in the lab. Guy’s petrified, but otherwise fine. I don’t think he’s involved in any way. Unfortunately, the security guard in the front was taken out.”
“Dead?”
“Confirmed,” Ian says.
Talia pops up at my use of the word. I place a calming hand on her thigh, and a jolt of immediate awareness hits me hard.
Her gaze meets mine, and she draws her tongue over her lips.
“Stay safe, and keep in touch,” Ian said, disconnecting the call.
“Who’s dead?” Talia immediately asks.
I draw a deep breath, knowing there is no way to sugarcoat the truth. “The security guard from your lab. Your assistant was found tied up but unharmed.”
If I had to guess, there was a confrontation with the guard. Her assistant was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Talia and her work are clearly the targets.
She flinches at the news. “That’s awful.” Her voice cracks, and I don’t remove my hand from her leg.
“Talia, don’t blame yourself.” I know the tendency will be there. “They’d want the formula no matter who created it. Greed is the root of all evil, remember.”
“Yeah. It’s just… I knew him. He was a nice man. He had a wife, kids. Suddenly it’s just so real.”
I turn my hand over and cover hers.
“Thanks for understanding,” she says softly. “And caring.”
I do care. More than I want to admit.