Chapter 6 #2
She unlocked the dead bolt and took a deep breath before pushing open her door. She didn’t have to look behind her to see if Pipe followed or not. She heard his footsteps and the click of the door shutting. “I’ll be right back,” she told him as she made her way toward the one bedroom.
Her cheeks felt warm, and she knew she was blushing in pure mortification.
But she went to her closet and knelt down and opened her backpack.
She grabbed the envelope of cash and ignored the dress and shoes.
It wasn’t as if she’d need those in New Mexico or Arizona.
She rifled through the stacks of T-shirts, pants, and long-sleeve shirts on the floor of her closet and packed them into a larger duffle bag.
She grabbed a handful of underwear from another stack, as well as socks and a few extra bras.
She headed out into the hallway with the bag, into the bathroom, refusing to look in the direction where she could see Pipe standing near the galley kitchen. She reached into the shower and got her shampoo and conditioner and a shower pouf. Then collected some toiletries on the counter.
True to her word, she was finished packing in less than five minutes. She went back out into the main room and finally met Pipe’s eyes. “I’m ready,” she told him.
As she’d thought, he didn’t look happy. But he also looked thoroughly confused as well.
“Where the fuck is your furniture?” he asked between clenched teeth.
Looking around, Cora tried to see the apartment from his point of view.
The only furniture in the room was a battered bookshelf against one of the walls, with pictures of her and Lara and a few well-read paperbacks.
That was it. She had a moment to be glad he hadn’t gone into her kitchen and opened the cabinets.
He would’ve found them just as empty of dishes, cookware, and even silverware.
Following Pipe’s gaze, she looked back into her bedroom, and the lack of furniture in there as well. She had a blow-up mattress on the floor, one that she’d borrowed from Lara a while back, and that was about it.
“Cora? Seriously—what the hell? You live here?”
Straightening her shoulders and feeling defensive, she nodded. “Yes. I sold my stuff to get the money for the auction,” she explained, voice steady.
“You sold your stuff,” Pipe repeated.
Cora had never felt as humiliated as she did right now. But it didn’t last long before she mentally shook her head. She had nothing to be ashamed of. She’d done what she’d done to help the only person who’d ever treated her as if she was more than a piece of trash.
“Yes,” she said, her chin inching up.
Pipe ran a hand through his hair as he stared at her almost empty apartment.
“I would’ve invited you to stay the night here, rather than taking the Metro all the way back to your hotel, but…well…” She lamely gestured to the empty room.
In response, Pipe surprised her by walking into the kitchen.
Cora stiffened as she watched him open her fridge and several of her cabinets. She waited for his judgement. For comments about her lack of food, and anything to cook or eat it with.
But he surprised her again by simply turning back to her and saying, “You got everything you need?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Let’s go.” He reached out and grabbed her bag, swinging it over his shoulder and gestured toward her front door.
Cora narrowed her eyes, fully expecting him to lay into her.
Tell her that she was stupid for selling literally all her belongings for a ridiculous bachelor auction.
For just a chance to talk to him, not even a guarantee.
But he didn’t. He simply waited quietly while she locked her door behind her.
Then he put his hand on the small of her back as they walked toward the elevator.
The trip back across town was quiet. Neither said a word. But Cora didn’t miss the way Pipe’s gaze never stopped scanning their surroundings. They’d arrived back at his hotel before he finally spoke again. “I can get you a room of your own.”
She looked up at him. “It’s okay. I mean, if it’s still all right that I stay in your room.”
“I’d prefer it,” he said simply.
With his fingers lightly resting on her back again, they walked toward the bank of elevators.
Cora felt edgy. Unsettled. Her skin under her sweatshirt tingled where his hand rested. She was keenly aware of Pipe standing so close. She inhaled deeply and realized the piney scent she’d gotten whiffs of throughout the evening were coming from him.
The urge to rest her head on his shoulder was suddenly hard to resist.
They walked down a hallway to the very end, to a room next to a stairwell.
“Owl’s across the hall,” Pipe said, pointing to the door to their left. “We always choose rooms close to the stairs. It’s safer.”
Cora’s lips twitched. She actually wasn’t surprised in the least. Anticipating danger was practically bred into these men. It was one of the reasons she’d thought the guys from The Refuge would be perfect for helping her rescue Lara.
Pipe hadn’t been wrong, she was kind of a stalker.
She’d read everything she could get her hands on about each of the men.
She didn’t know any of the specifics about the missions they’d been on while in the military, because they were obviously classified or top secret or whatever it was called, but she felt as if she’d gotten enough of an insight into their characters by reading the news reports of Alaska Stein’s rescue from Russia, and the subsequent incident at The Refuge itself.
Then when Reese Woodall was stolen away by Colombian cartel members and almost taken across the border.
And from what residents of Los Alamos were quoted as saying about the men when Jasna McClure disappeared, how desperately they’d helped search for her.
Yeah, it was safe to say she was impressed by Pipe and his friends. The level of commitment toward ensuring the safety of the women who lived on the ranch had made Cora suspect they’d be willing to help her as well.
And she hadn’t been wrong.
Pipe held the plastic key card up to the sensor on the door and it clicked open. He pushed open the door and held it for her. Taking a deep breath, and praying she hadn’t been mistaken in her evaluation of Pipe, Cora walked into the room.
It was nothing fancy. Just two queen beds like he’d said, a dresser with a TV, a small, uncomfortable-looking chair in the corner, and a typical hotel bathroom.
Pipe shut the door, threw the dead bolt and the little thingy above it that would prevent the door from being opened, then walked past her to the bed by the window and put her duffle bag on the surface.
“You want the bathroom first?” he asked almost nonchalantly.
Cora shook her head. Pipe nodded and headed for the small room without another word.
When he’d shut the door, Cora wandered over to the bed that was obviously going to be hers for the night, and sat on the side.
She should be doing something, planning, thinking of things to tell Pipe and the others that would help them get Lara away from Ridge…
but suddenly she was exhausted. She hadn’t been sleeping well because of her worry for her friend, and the stress of trying to make as much money as she could before the auction.
She flopped to her back, and her eyes closed as she waited for Pipe to be finished in the bathroom—then jerked awake when she felt someone touch her arm.
Cora threw herself to the side out of reflex, immediately embarrassed at her over-the-top reaction when she saw Pipe backing away from her with his hands up, as if showing her that he wouldn’t hurt her.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, running a hand over the back of her neck. “I’m not a fan of people touching me to wake me up. Bad memories.”
She wasn’t scared of Pipe when he scowled at her words, and actually made a growling sound in the back of his throat. Instead, she was…turned on?
No, that couldn’t be right.
But it was. It had been a long time since someone had been pissed off on her behalf. And this man didn’t even know the half of it.
“Someone hurt you when you were sleeping?” he bit out.
“Well, not when I was sleeping, but…after they woke me up. Yeah,” Cora said, not meeting his gaze. “It was a long time ago. And no, he didn’t get to do what he wanted. I didn’t…cooperate.”
“Good for you,” Pipe said, though still not sounding happy.
“Right. But as a result, I was kicked out of that house the next day, after the asshole made up a story about me stealing money out of his wife’s purse.”
“Wanker,” Pipe said under his breath.
For some reason, Cora smiled.
“What? This isn’t funny.”
“I know, it’s just…wanker?”
His lips twitched. “I’ve been here in the States a while, but sometimes my Britishisms come out.”
“Yeah.”
“Anyway, I’m sorry I touched you without your permission. I’ll remember next time. I’m done in the bathroom.”
For the first time, Cora noticed that Pipe had changed out of the black slacks and white dress shirt he’d been wearing all night. Lord help her, he had on a pair of gray sweatpants and a black tank top that showed off the tattoos on his arms and upper chest.
But it wasn’t his tattoos that had her attention. The outline of his cock was prominent in the sweatpants, and she swallowed hard at seeing his size. She tried not to stare, but it was difficult.
She’d had her share of sex, but she’d never instantly craved a man like she craved Pipe at this moment. It wasn’t just the fact that his dick was above-average in size, it wasn’t the tattoos…it was the entire package that was Bryson Clark.
He’d been pissed on her behalf when he’d heard Eleanor talking shit about her, open about listening to what she had to say, empathetic, protective, understanding…
and generous. It wasn’t exactly surprising for Cora to realize she wanted him.
And not just sexually. She wanted to know everything about him.
Why he’d chosen the tattoos he had. What put the shadows she’d seen in his eyes.
Why he’d left his country and moved to the US.
How he’d gotten involved with The Refuge. All of it.
“Cora?” Pipe asked, his brows furrowing as he looked at her. “You can trust me.”
She hated that he thought her silence meant she was second-guessing staying in the room with him.
“I know,” she said, forcing herself to tear her gaze away from his crotch. “I’ll just go and do my thing now…” she said a little lamely, picking up her bag.
Pipe stepped into the space between the two beds, giving her room to pass without having to worry about brushing against him.
When Cora shut the bathroom door behind her, she leaned against it and sighed. “Get a hold of yourself,” she scolded softly. “He’s helping you find Lara. That’s it.”
She quickly did her business, changed into a pair of boy shorts and an oversized T-shirt, and brushed her teeth before heading out of the bathroom.
She left her duffle inside because it wasn’t as if she’d need anything for the—she looked at her wristwatch—next four hours or so that she’d be sleeping.
The room was dark, except for a sliver of light coming through the curtains that hadn’t been shut all the way. Cora pulled the covers back and crawled under the sheet. She fluffed up the pillows behind her and sighed in contentment as she finally relaxed.
The blow-up mattress had been fine, better than the hard floor, but it felt heavenly to be on an actual bed at the moment.
“Pipe? Are you asleep?” she whispered.
“No. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just…thank you.”
“Don’t thank me until we find your friend,” he countered.
“No, seriously. No one else would listen to me. Or they’d listen to me, then quote me an exorbitant price to do nothing more than some searches on the Internet.
Even if you guys can’t find her. If she’s…
if Ridge has…you know. I’m grateful for your help.
I know this isn’t normal for you guys, and I don’t want to get anyone in any trouble.
But I’m so relieved you gave me a chance to tell you my story. ”
She heard the covers in the bed next to her rustle, and she looked over at where she knew Pipe was lying.
She could barely see his shape in the darkness of the room, but she could feel him looking at her.
“I promise that I’m gonna see this through.
I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I give you my word that we’ll find out what happened to your friend. ”
Tears sprang to Cora’s eyes. She wasn’t a crier.
Ever since a kid in one of her foster homes called her a crybaby and made fun of her, she’d done her best to keep any tears to herself.
But she couldn’t help but hear the sincerity in Pipe’s voice, and it felt like the gentlest and warmest of hugs. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day,” he said.
Cora nodded. It was hard to believe she was actually going to The Refuge.
She’d read so much about it, she was actually excited about getting to meet Melba and Scarlet Pimpernickel, and the squirrel with the missing legs, and the other guys, and even the women.
Cora had a hard time making friends, but she’d gotten the feeling Alaska and the others were pretty down to earth.
She expected to lie awake thinking about her evening, and Lara, and worrying about what was to come, but because she felt down to her bones that she was safe with Pipe in the other bed, within moments of her closing her eyes, she fell into a dreamless sleep.