Retribution by Lietha Wards

stilled and slowly set down her
glass but still gripped it tightly. “If not the sun, it’s something
else, then.” She was beginning to feel that familiar prickling of
fear.
    “We’ve been followed.” So
much for not telling her, but it looked as though she was about to
faint.
    Her hand started to shake
sloshing the juice.
    He reached over and
steadied it with one of his own. “They aren’t going to do
anything,” he reassured softly.
    “How do you
know?”
    “Because they would have
done it already. They had opportunities.” This was about him. He
was new, and if they were as informed as much as he thought they
were about Peter’s organization, the new guy would raise eyebrows.
They were being cautious and he was sure now that Katya was still
in danger.
    She narrowed her eyes in
anger. “Why didn’t you say something to me sooner?”
    He released her and sat
back in his chair. Anger was a good compromise from fear. “You
didn’t need to know.”
    “Mr. Casey, how can I trust
you if you don’t tell me anything?”
    “You’ll just have to. You
don’t need to know everything, Katya, or you’ll never relax. A
moment ago, you looked as if you were going to pass
out.”
    Well, maybe he was right
about that, but still she couldn’t help feel irritated. She wasn’t
a wilting flower. “Fine. That’s just fine. I’ll just let you be the
macho bodyguard and me the damsel in distress, but don’t expect me
to jump when you want.”
    He actually smiled. Oh, you’ll jump when I want all right because I
won’t give you a choice.
    There was that challenging
smile again. The same one he gave her when he was tying her sneaker
before they went jogging. It made her breath still in her chest.
This man was way too good looking. “Why didn’t you tell me,
really?”
    “I had to assess if they
were a threat at the moment or not. They aren’t. I didn’t need you
going into another panic attack.”
    He had a point. “That makes
sense. I don’t like it, but it makes sense.”
    “My first concern is your
safety. You don’t have to like anything I do.”
    He’d meant that. She met
his confident gaze just as the waiter brought their food. “I don’t
know if I even like you ,” she added with irritation. To her surprise he smiled again
not even bothered by her statement.
    She turned her attention to
her food. Arguing with him was a lost cause and she was starving.
She’d hardly eaten anything the night before, and despite his
confession about being followed, she was still hungry. She knew
why. She really did feel safe with him near her. She didn’t like
feeling like she needed anyone, but she already knew, she needed
him.
    Surprisingly, she cleaned
her plate. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he did either. He
had a healthy appetite, but she should have expected it with his
physique. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your run this
morning.”
    It was refreshing for him
that she didn’t hold onto her anger too long. Another trait of hers
he liked. With her father, of course, it was a different story. “I
did.”
    Her brows arched. “You did?
When?”
    “I went at five thirty. You
were still sleeping when I got back.”
    Didn’t this man sleep?
“Aren’t you tired? I mean, did I keep you up?”
    He sat back in his chair
and stared thoughtfully at her. “No.”
    She flushed a little and
pretended to look at something past him. Apparently he got by on
very little sleep and found it amusing that she jumped from
ridiculing him to concern.
    The waiter brought the
check and he paid for it even when she argued. It was her idea, but
he smirked and said he was pretty sure he could afford twenty five
bucks.
    Once back inside the car,
she felt the need to ask. “Is being a mercenary lucrative?” He
looked slightly chagrined. “What?”
    “We’ve discussed this. I’m
not really a mercenary.”
    “You are a gun for hire,
though.”
    He shook his head. “Not
quite. I’m specially trained and I don’t run