This just kept getting worse. Somehow he had to get through to this woman. Not an easy task with her mad and hurt and convinced she didn’t need his help.
“Where were you planning to go?”
“Home,” she whispered.
“Where exactly is home right now?”
“Not here.”
Her short, terse answers were getting them nowhere. He took a deep breath and resisted the urge to shake her. “Well, let’s think about this. You could go back to your apartment in Portland and wait for Sinclair’s hired guns to show up. That’s if Dennelli doesn’t get to you first. God knows what he’d do. You might be able to leave the country, but there’s no real guarantee one or both of them wouldn’t find you anyway. Or… you could stay here until the threat is over.” Stepping in front of her, he lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him. “It’s not so bad here, if you’ll give it a chance. I promise I’ll take you home as soon as this is over.”
“When will it be over? When everyone’s dead?”
Her eyes were about to rim over with tears, and he wasn’t surprised when she jerked away and turned her back.
“Cara, damn it! Look at me.”
A moment passed as she brushed angrily at her cheeks, before she turned back, her arms crossed. When she met his gaze, he smiled, but she quickly looked away.
Beneath her brave front, he knew she was scared. Was she afraid of what was out there or what was in here? In either case, he’d made a tactical error. He wasn’t going to get anywhere keeping her here against her will.
“Look… I know I tend to get a little overzealous when I get an idea in my head. Trying to keep you here wasn’t fair, even though I did have your best interest at heart. It’s not safe out there for you right now. You know I’m right. Please stay here, Cara, at least until we take Brian out of the equation.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms and took a step closer.
“I’m not like you and the rest of these people. I can’t do this.”
“You’re not packing up because one young girl got in your face, are you? I’m pretty sure you’re tougher than that.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with her. I just don’t belong here. It was a stupid idea, thinking I could actually do what Charlie couldn’t.” The words came out in a rush.
“You’re right. It’s too dangerous, and I can’t teach you everything you need to know in two weeks. So, if you decide not to go through with it, I’ll back you up. Murphy won’t be happy, but he’ll get over it. I’ll come up with another plan. It might take a little longer, but it’ll be just as effective.”
She was shaking her head. “No… putting Brian behind bars is the only way I can rid myself of this unbearable guilt. I have to try. Please, let me try.”
Against his better judgment, he nodded. “I want something in return, though. I’m asking you, as a favor, to stay here until it’s safe to go home. Besides, learning what I have to teach isn’t the worst thing that could happen. It might save your life someday, considering the circles you seem to run in.”
“Like dangerous men who lock me in dungeons?” She leveled an accusing glare at him.
He tried to hide his amusement. “Irene would be hurt if she knew you referred to your room as a dungeon.”
“I would never hurt Irene.”
Her distrust was born of hurt and betrayal, and Joe had unintentionally contributed to that out of frustration and the ill-concealed desire to take her ex-husband out of the picture. The pain in her eyes twisted the knife in his gut. He had to make her believe he would never hurt her, and he wouldn’t let Sinclair or Dennelli hurt her either. Emotions, so overpowering… and ones he shouldn’t have for a woman he’d met only yesterday, bred guilt within him. She’d been Charlie’s girl, for God’s sake. What the hell was he thinking?
Right or wrong, he’d do what was necessary to keep her here until the danger was over. After
“Where were you planning to go?”
“Home,” she whispered.
“Where exactly is home right now?”
“Not here.”
Her short, terse answers were getting them nowhere. He took a deep breath and resisted the urge to shake her. “Well, let’s think about this. You could go back to your apartment in Portland and wait for Sinclair’s hired guns to show up. That’s if Dennelli doesn’t get to you first. God knows what he’d do. You might be able to leave the country, but there’s no real guarantee one or both of them wouldn’t find you anyway. Or… you could stay here until the threat is over.” Stepping in front of her, he lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him. “It’s not so bad here, if you’ll give it a chance. I promise I’ll take you home as soon as this is over.”
“When will it be over? When everyone’s dead?”
Her eyes were about to rim over with tears, and he wasn’t surprised when she jerked away and turned her back.
“Cara, damn it! Look at me.”
A moment passed as she brushed angrily at her cheeks, before she turned back, her arms crossed. When she met his gaze, he smiled, but she quickly looked away.
Beneath her brave front, he knew she was scared. Was she afraid of what was out there or what was in here? In either case, he’d made a tactical error. He wasn’t going to get anywhere keeping her here against her will.
“Look… I know I tend to get a little overzealous when I get an idea in my head. Trying to keep you here wasn’t fair, even though I did have your best interest at heart. It’s not safe out there for you right now. You know I’m right. Please stay here, Cara, at least until we take Brian out of the equation.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms and took a step closer.
“I’m not like you and the rest of these people. I can’t do this.”
“You’re not packing up because one young girl got in your face, are you? I’m pretty sure you’re tougher than that.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with her. I just don’t belong here. It was a stupid idea, thinking I could actually do what Charlie couldn’t.” The words came out in a rush.
“You’re right. It’s too dangerous, and I can’t teach you everything you need to know in two weeks. So, if you decide not to go through with it, I’ll back you up. Murphy won’t be happy, but he’ll get over it. I’ll come up with another plan. It might take a little longer, but it’ll be just as effective.”
She was shaking her head. “No… putting Brian behind bars is the only way I can rid myself of this unbearable guilt. I have to try. Please, let me try.”
Against his better judgment, he nodded. “I want something in return, though. I’m asking you, as a favor, to stay here until it’s safe to go home. Besides, learning what I have to teach isn’t the worst thing that could happen. It might save your life someday, considering the circles you seem to run in.”
“Like dangerous men who lock me in dungeons?” She leveled an accusing glare at him.
He tried to hide his amusement. “Irene would be hurt if she knew you referred to your room as a dungeon.”
“I would never hurt Irene.”
Her distrust was born of hurt and betrayal, and Joe had unintentionally contributed to that out of frustration and the ill-concealed desire to take her ex-husband out of the picture. The pain in her eyes twisted the knife in his gut. He had to make her believe he would never hurt her, and he wouldn’t let Sinclair or Dennelli hurt her either. Emotions, so overpowering… and ones he shouldn’t have for a woman he’d met only yesterday, bred guilt within him. She’d been Charlie’s girl, for God’s sake. What the hell was he thinking?
Right or wrong, he’d do what was necessary to keep her here until the danger was over. After
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