Assassin Territory [Assassins Book 1] (20 page)

Christy moaned with her desire. His movements and tender pressure strove harder to help her find a release they both knew she needed. He looked for her special place. Christy could see his great joy as he became aware he could find enjoyment in being compassionate, knowing he could be aware of the needs of another while taking his own pleasure. He did this for her; the alighted wonder on his face was a gift just for her. The sheer depth of her feelings of surmounting tenderness toward him was almost her undoing. He found release before she did. But his slow sensuous movements didn’t stop until she went rigid, her body closing all around him. This was the safest place in the world for her to be.

“Lando,” Christy whispered. She shuddered and lay still. Lando shifted his body off her immediately and held her in his arms.

“Christy?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. “Did I hurt you? I tried so hard to be as careful as possible.” He cupped her face with a large hand, and she gazed into his eyes feeling adoration.

“You are so wonderful. I love you, Lando, I love you so much,” Christy whispered. She clutched his arm around her and was asleep soon after, feeling safe and secure.

Lando picked her up off the rug as she slumbered, moving to the master bedroom, and tucked her into a large, king-sized bed. He sat next to her hip and smoothed the hair from her warm, sweat-beaded forehead. She said she loved him.
Him.

And he knew she meant it. No one had ever in his entire life uttered those three words to him until now. How could she love him? He was mean, demanding, and rough. Tonight he hadn’t been. Tonight he had been overcome with a feeling of such intense protectiveness it consumed him.
About time you were the one being consumed
, a thought flashed through his mind.

Lando climbed into bed beside Christy. She reached for him and he cuddled her to his chest, feeling a sense of awe. Could he return the love? Absently, Christy was rubbing at his back. He knew she was asleep. Even in slumber she wanted him, she needed him close. Lando knew love wasn’t simple need. The feeling was so foreign. Confused, Lando gave his head a shake, and then closed his eyes. They had time. He could explore the feeling.

* * * *

Christy smiled when Lando brought her a mug of hot chocolate in the morning.

“You’re looking much better,” Lando said, he looked relieved.

“I feel better. I feel wonderful,” Christy declared.

He smiled cheekily at her. She knew he was feeling a bit smug. After all, it had been him who helped put the smile there.

“Lando,” Christy began, now feeling a bit apprehensive. “I know you want to wait, but I want to get on with our lives. I want to start a new life with you and put this behind us. When we get back, I’ll clean out my bank accounts and tie up any loose ends. I’ll be waiting for you while you do what you need to. I’ll do or say whatever you want me to. My apartment won’t be hard for you to find, or I can stay somewhere else.”

She watched as he appeared apprehensive, his brows knit into a fine line. It was more than apparent he chose his words with some hesitancy.

“I want to see if maybe a friend will stay with you,” he said evasively.

Christy became alarmed. She knew what his ‘friends’ did. Lando had been outspoken about some of his assassin acquaintances cruelty that didn’t just center on men, hinting some took out their anger on women. And never before had he used the term to describe them as friend. Obviously the word was meant for her benefit. He took great pains to point out how vulnerable she would be against assassins if they found her and questioned her about him. Both she and Lando knew if they were to be brutal, or even just malicious or cruel, Christy would cower in fear. She had been traumatized too often. These people were skilled in the art of another’s vulnerabilities. She was no match for them; hardly anyone was a match for them.

“Lando,” she said uncertainly, and began shaking her head.

“It’ll be fine, sweetheart. He can take care of you,” Lando soothed.

“But I’ll be afraid. I don’t trust other men.”

Lando took her mug from her and climbed on the bed beside her. He took her into his arms. Placing his chin on her head, he began in a reasonable tone, “Sweetheart, who better to keep you safe than another assassin? Who else to better understand what action to take?”

Though Christy could see his reasoning, she couldn’t help but feel it would be like the fox in the henhouse deal.

“But what if he hurts me?” she said, already the tremors began in her shaky hands. She couldn’t live through another attack like Rick’s.

Tilting her head, Lando cupped her chin and gazed into her eyes. “I would never hand you over to anyone I thought would harm you.”

“Couldn’t I stay here alone?” she asked in desperation. She could feel her heart rate quicken.

“I can’t leave you alone, not only at the mercy of others, but of the elements. The snow will be falling in greater amounts. You could get trapped here. I can’t leave you to starve or freeze to death. The gas for the generator will run out soon. Then what would you do? How would you keep warm if you lost power? I need the jeep, you have no transportation.”

“I was so afraid of you when we met, but I love you. If you say to trust you, I will,” Christy said, bowing her head in acceptance.

“Trust me,” she heard Lando reply. Christy nodded.

* * * *

Christy’s body rocked as the jeep bumped down the dirt road. They were going to find a town. Lando needed to find a phone. They drove in silence; Christy struggled with the concept of what he was expecting her to do. Lando said he would buy supplies and they would return to the cabin. When she asked him where he would get the money, he was evasive. He told her he would worry about it when the time came.

When the small town appeared in view, Christy couldn’t ascertain from his look if Lando was feeling relieved or not. She became curious when he stopped at a pay-phone. He seemed to be making numerous calls. Christy was positive they must have been collect calls—he had no money.

When Lando returned to the jeep, she thought he was less agitated. They were off again, only this time to a bank. Christy remained in the car as Lando entered the building. She felt great relief he didn’t take the shotgun with him. From where she was positioned in the car, Christy knew Lando was watching her from behind the tinted windows while conversing with the teller.

Lando’s gait was exuberant as he exited the bank. He smiled at her when he jumped in beside her. He drove straight for the grocery store. The town was small; everything they needed was on the main drag. Christy could have appreciated the quiet solitude of the sleepy little village if it weren’t for the circumstances. She wondered if maybe Lando could be convinced to settle somewhere like this.

When he stopped the jeep, he looked at Christy, assessing her. She wasn’t wearing a disguise. He appeared to be in deep conflicting thought. Christy gazed back a bit apprehensively. She didn’t want to be left all alone in the vehicle near the back of the store; the jeep was stolen, after all. Lando wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on her through the windows of the grocery store—too many blind spots. She also wondered if the bodies of Rick and his men had been discovered. She continued to gaze at him, and felt her face pale.

“Come on,” he said to her finally; it was apparent he reached a decision.

Christy smiled at him and, with his hand gripping her forearm, she followed him inside trailing slightly behind, a bit hesitant. Lando grabbed a cart and began throwing mountains of food into it. Christy became concerned, wondering how they would pay for it. She couldn’t see the bank giving him money out of charity. She knew he hadn’t robbed it. There was also a great deal more food than she and Lando needed.

“Lando, how will we pay for all of this?”

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine, but I don’t want you to say a word. When we get to the front I don’t want you talking to anyone. Understand?” Christy did understand, she could see how apprehensive he seemed. She vowed to remain as unobtrusive as possible.

* * * *

“You folks from out of town?” the young girl behind the cash register asked.

“Yes.” The purchases were tossed onto the belt as fast as the huge man could unload the cart. The girl rang them in, checking over each item, not really concerned at the look of consternation the man showed. She was used to the out-of-towners always being in a big hurry, while she had all the time in the world. She studied the eggs for a moment, opening their carton and inspecting each one individually to make certain none were broken, then lazily running them through, settling them into their own bag.

“The market down a ways has fresh brown eggs if you’re interested,” she mentioned.

“These are fine.” The man was abrupt.

“Where you from?” she asked.

She was bored, and the couple in front of her was the first people to have been in all day. They were certainly an interesting pair. When the girl could finally take her interested eyes off the massively built, impressive form of the man before her, she looked at the woman. She noted with a bit of dismay the bruising on the woman’s throat and face, the frightened look from pretty dark eyes that gazed back at her for only a brief moment before trying to hide behind the huge man.

“Look, we’re in a hurry,” the man snapped.

The girl looked harder at the brutish, now glaring man; he was obviously trying to intimidate her.
He’s a mean one,
she thought. She rang the order in faster. She felt it might be a good idea to mention them to her father. Her father was the town sheriff. She hoped the young woman wasn’t being beaten by the man. He was huge, extraordinarily muscled. It wouldn’t take much to harm the poor little thing. She already appeared terrified.

When she finished bagging their groceries with the man’s help, the petite woman beside him gave a sharp gasp of surprise when he removed a wad of cash from his front pocket. There had to at least been a few thousand dollars there. The girl behind the register widened surprised eyes as well; not many flashed that kind of wealth in this lazy town. The large man threw a bunch of bills at her, mumbled to keep the change, gripped the bruised woman to him and, grabbing up his purchases, he practically dragged the tiny woman away. The young cashier waited by the window as they left, straining to take down their license plate number. She then went to find her cell phone.

* * * *

Lando was in a beyond foul mood on the way back to the cottage. He was furious with himself; he never should have pulled out a huge wad of cash in front of the cashier at the store. He never should have allowed Christy to come into the store with him in the first place; he should have known her bruising would raise suspicion. Yet, he was loath to leave her unprotected in the jeep, or alone at the cabin. If she disappeared, he’d never forgive himself. He should have put a few hundred dollars into a different pocket instead of pulling out the entire wad of cash.

“
Damn
.” Lando viciously struck the dashboard. He’d screwed up. He hadn’t realized retiring from his profession would make him stupid. He couldn’t afford to stop thinking of survival now, when everything depended on him being his sharpest. He needed to remember who he was dealing with. In order to do that, he would have to remember what he was. That could prove tricky; he didn’t want to scare Christy.

“Lando?” Christy asked, wide-eyed. “Why are you so angry? Did I do something wrong?”

Though he knew she wasn’t afraid of him, his raised voice caused her to automatically cower against the door away from him. She stilled her trembling hands. Lando glanced at her, taking in her pale face, the way her body shook. Her eyes flickered to his then were immediately cast down. He shook his head with agitation. How was he going to be two people at the same time? Fearsome and hard, yet tender and gentle? This would prove to be tricky.

Not two people, two types of
emotions,
the voice reasoned.

Lando thought about that. He wasn’t very good with emotions. It seemed remarkable to him he had been able to gently make love to Christy. He decided she wouldn’t make him soft; he would use his ability of new and greater control with more efficiency. She was teaching him how to cope with change.

“It’s fine, sweetheart. I’m not angry with you, I’m just pissed at myself,” Lando said. He watched her noticeably relax.

“Lando, where did all that money come from?”

“From one of the phone calls I made.”

“Who did you call?”

“A detective who’s relieved I’m alive. He wired the money right after I called him.”

“So he’s coming for you? Us?”

“Not exactly,” Lando replied. His hand reached to clasp hers. He rubbed his thumb over the backs of her fingers. “I didn’t tell him where we’re staying. He knows the vicinity. I told him I needed to take care of something, and we arranged a meeting place. Honey I’m sorry but the cops can’t protect you. You’re not a priority. I need to keep you safe. Taking you with me won’t be safe.”

“When are you leaving? Will it be soon?”

“In a little while. I need to make certain you’re in capable hands.”

“Your friend is coming, isn’t he?” He heard the unmistakable trepidation in her words.

“Yes, he’s coming, sweetheart. He won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“What’s his name?”

“Wolf.”

Christy sat curled into a tight ball at the far corner of the couch in the living room. She was watching a large man, who was conversing with Lando. Periodically, his gaze centered on her. Each time, Christy wanted to hide. The way his dark gaze stalked her was eerie. He would hold her frozen stare, delving into her eyes, eyes she knew were filled with terror, and then release them. The man wasn’t as large as Lando, but big nonetheless. He had short, ebony black hair and deep brown eyes. His impressive chest wasn’t nearly as broad as Lando’s, yet he moved with a calculating walk that oozed predator. The way he held his head still as though listening intensely, the way his gaze took in his surroundings…he even appeared to smell the air. Christy shuddered. No wonder they called him Wolf.