HeroRising (3 page)

Bale brought the bike to a stop and held out his hand for
her to use as a brace. She was shocked she didn’t hear her joints creak as she
climbed off the seat with stiff knees and a wince. Between the cold and her
bruises, she was so sore even her blood ached.

After a mumbled “thanks” she went into the restaurant.
Ignoring the delicious scent of French fries, she headed straight for the
restroom and turned the tap to hot at full blast, praying the water would
actually be warm.

“Whoop, whoop,” she hollered as the warmth seeped into her
skin when she tested the temperature.

The rush of water went a long way to soothing her frazzled
nerves. Blessed was the peace and quiet of being out of the elements for just a
moment. Soon enough she was going to have to leave this little sanctuary, but
for now there was only her and the hot water. Perfect serenity.

Tranquility lasted for all of a second as she got a really
good look at her reflection in the mirror. Damn, she looked as if she just
hopped off the boat from hell that encountered a tsunami. If the press back
home saw her now, they’d probably add drug user to the list of false adjectives
they wrote about her.

She stripped off Bale’s jacket and laid it on the tiny bit
of available counter space. Her hoodie she wrapped around her waist before she
crouched to riffle through her bag. What the hell? Makeup, power cords, soap,
undies and pajamas. No real clothes? Not even a pair of leggings? Gah, she
really needed to plan better for emergencies. The soaked cotton dress, which
had once been a favorite, was quickly becoming a hated entity, and at the first
opportunity was going to face a grisly end. Perhaps even burned in a fiery pyre
in honor of her new start.

As best as she could with cheap paper towels and an empty
soap dispenser, she attempted to clean the blood and dirt off her legs, but sadly
the effort did not do much to improve her appearance.

Priorities, girl. Where are your priorities?
At the
moment looking cute was at the bottom of the list. First order of business was
to get something warm in her belly.

Heat raced across her cheeks as a picture of a naked Bale
flashed through her mind.

Food! She meant food. Geez, had she left her mind in the
gutter? Maybe a slap in the head was needed as well.

She splashed another palm full of water on her pink cheeks
and focused on the next few minutes. First up
,
food and nothing but
food. Second, find an outlet to charge up the phone, then figure out how to get
to the city and locate a place to stay. If she was lucky, she’d be in a warm
bed by midnight.

No. She
was
going to be in a warm bed. Positive
thinking.

“Let’s do this,” she said with the utmost conviction of
succeeding and opened the door. She jumped back with a curse when she saw Bale
leaning against the opposite wall, his fierce stare nailing her in the eyes.

“I did not mean to startle you,” he said, unfolding his arms
and straightening to his incredibly tall height. “I was afraid you had fallen.
You were in there a while.”

“The water felt nice.” She licked her lips and shifted her
weight from one leg to the other. Remembering the weight in her hand, she
handed him his jacket. “Um…thanks for the ride. You didn’t have to wait for
me.”

“I promised to see you to safety. Keep the coat. You’re
cold.”

“I’ll dry out faster without the extra layer. Thanks
anyway.”

He reached out with a slow hand and accepted the jacket.
“Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?”

“No. I mean, I can get my own food. Can I get you anything?
You know, as a thank-you.”

What are you doing?

Just being hospitable. The man made an effort and a small
token of thanks was not unreasonable.

Uh-huh. Riiiight.

All right. Fine. So she wanted to spend a little more time
in his company. He was just so, sigh, drool-worthy. All too soon she was going
to be neck-deep in adult stuff like finding a new job and getting her car
towed. It was crazy, she knew, but all she wanted was to stare at him awhile
and gather images to take with her to keep warm during the lonely nights to
come. It would only be for a moment.

“Your words of thanks are all I require,” he said with a
formal nod.

All I require.
There he went with the cheesy talk
again. The trait was really quite adorable. “Seriously. You’re a big guy. You
must be hungry, or at least could use a snack. Coffee? I heard you people drink
a lot of coffee out here.”

The tops of his cheeks bunched and his eyes narrowed for a
brief second. Was that a precursor to a sneeze or had she amused him somehow?

“If you insist.” He bowed his head. “I would like a salad.”

“Lettuce? That’s all you want? Are you a vegetarian or
something?”

“I do not know this word.”

“It means you don’t eat anything animal related.”

“Ah. No, I am not a vegetarian.”

She waited for him to continue, but when all he did was
stare back expectantly, she shrugged and headed for the counter. Handsome, but
definitely an oddball.

Between the inclement weather and the time of day, the
restaurant was near to empty. As she went to place their order, she noticed
Bale took a table in the far corner and sat with his back to the wall. Those
dark eyes of his surveyed the entire interior and she’d bet money he knew at
least a dozen ways to evacuate the building if need be. His actions reminded
her of the Fort Leonard Wood guys who came to the bar she used to work at. Was
he military perhaps, or law enforcement?

Well, crud. Now she was intrigued and she didn’t want to be
intrigued by the man, but how could she not be?

He was like one of those giant, complicated jigsaw puzzles
you have no intention of putting together. But then someone opens the box and
leaves some of the pieces out, and each time you walk past it, you start to put
a piece or two together then, wham! Before you know it, eight hours whizz by
and you are still at the table trying to put the damn thing together.

The sight of the two salads she had purchased—because really
was one going to be enough?—sitting on the tray next to her juicy cheeseburger
and fries made her shake her head. What curiosities would she discover about
him next?

She set the tray on the table and took the seat across from
him. “Your salads, sir. And you have to help me eat the fries. If you don’t,
I’ll end up eating them all.”

“Then why did you purchase so many?”

“Because a small was too small, plus they looked good.” She
unwrapped her burger then dumped the carton of potatoes over the paper. After
blowing on a hot fry, she popped it into her mouth. “Yum. They taste good too.”

His cheeks did that weird bunch thing again before he began
to eat his salad. His shoulders curled over and his face was tilted down, but
his eyes continually scanned the room.

Wow. Suspicious much?

While she went about the task of plugging the charger to her
phone into the nearest outlet, Bale continued to eat in silence. She pushed a
few fries in his direction, which he ignored, until she gave him the evil eye
and he took one with a grudging harrumph.

“So.” She observed him over the top of her sesame-seed bun.
“Your accent is—”
Sexy as hell.
“Different. Are you from Scandinavia?”

He straightened as if she had pulled a gun on him. “Did you
say Skandavia?”

“Scandinavia.”

“What?”

“What?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.” He nodded then resumed eating.

Okaaay. “So, what part are you from?”

“The north end.”

“Oh. Of Norway or Sweden?”

“Norway?”

“Are you asking me?”

“Why are you asking at all?”

“Just making conversation. Sorry.” She picked up a fry then
let it drop back to the table. “Are you going to kill me now?”

This time his nostrils flared with the cheek flinch. “No.”

Fork to mouth. Fork to mouth. He finished one salad then
moved on to the next.

That was it? Was she to assume all was now well? “Um, thank
you?”

A sound burst from his lips that was a cross between a laugh
and a cough. She was about to offer him some of her water, but the sparkle in
his black eyes stayed her hand and made her heart do a little flip. Had she…had
she made him laugh? Damn, there was one more thing about him to find
intriguing.

“If you believe I will harm you, even though I have vowed
otherwise, why are you still here?” he asked.

Good question. “I don’t know. But you’re right. I should be
across the room, pretending you don’t exist.”

“Don’t.” His loud command drew her up short. He amended with
a gentler, “Do not go. Please.”

Oh, the way he said please probably made many a woman agree
to anything he wished. This man was dangerous on so many levels, she was losing
track of them all.

“Fine.” She fiddled with the corner of the wrapper. “Is
there any topic that is safe to discuss?”

“How about you tell me how you plan to get to the city?”

“I’ll call a cab or something once my phone is charged a bit
more.”

“Won’t that be expensive?”

Fuck yeah. Ugh, she didn’t want to think about it. “Maybe.”

“Where are you staying?”

As if she was going to tell him she was on her own with no
plans. “With friends.”

“Why not ask them to come retrieve you?”

“I don’t want to inconvenience them.”

“I would hope you have friends who are more concerned with
your safety than being inconvenienced.”

“Well, we’re not that close.”

“Ari.” The way he trilled her name made little shivers run
across her neck. “Are you on your own?”

“Not completely.”

“I ask you again to trust me. On the souls of…my family. You
will be safe.”

Something in the way he somberly said his family, and the
haunted shadow that entered his eyes, robbing them of all the earlier
merriment, conveyed an intent to carry through with his vow no matter the cost.

Goose bumps erupted over her skin as she drew in a deep
breath, then another. Unable to form any words, she simply nodded. Whether she
was agreeing or answering, she wasn’t certain, but instinct compelled her to
comply.

“Where are you staying?” he asked in the same low, softly
spoken tone.

“Don’t know yet,” she whispered.

“Do you have any money?”

“Some.”

“A position for work?”

“Not yet.” She gulped, forcing saliva past the raw ache in
her throat.

Bale nodded twice. He stabbed a cherry tomato with his fork
and brought the bright-red fruit to his lips. As he chewed, he regarded her
with a tilt to his head and a gaze that felt as if he were looking right into
her soul. The muscles of his throat moved as he swallowed and she licked her
lips, already tasting the flavor of his skin. His quickly drawn-in breath
brought her gaze back to his, and she too gasped at the heat turning the black
depths into a rich chocolate brown.

He closed his eyes and shook his head with a soft murmur she
could barely hear. When they opened he said, “If you will permit me, I know of
a place you can stay however long you will need.”

“A motel?”

“No.”

“A shelter?”

“No.”

Ah, she knew this game. “Let me guess. Your place?”

“In a fashion.”

“No.” Her brain decided for her while all of her girly parts
shouted, “Yahoo, when can we go?”

“May I finish the thought, please?”

She raised a brow but said nothing as she gestured with her
hand for him to continue.

“Thank you.” That sparkle reappeared in his eyes.
“My…employer has several vacant rooms in their home that they use for frequent
visitors. I am certain they will be able to accommodate you for the evening,
perhaps two. My own residence is inside the same building, which is why I will
be close by. Allow me take you there, please.”

“Is that where you were on your way to earlier?”

“Yes,” he said with the slightest hesitation.

“What kind of work do you do?”

Another hesitation as he unscrewed the cap from a bottle of
water and took a swig. “I am in law enforcement,” he finally answered.

“You’re a cop?” Man, the criminals must piss their pants
when he closed in on them.

“No. I am sorry, that was the wrong word. I look out for
threats and eliminate them.”

“For the government or a company?”

“Not for government.”

“Oh, so you’re like a bodyguard?”

“Yes?” he replied with that little up-note as if he were not
sure that was the correct answer.

She folded her arms. “So if you’re a bodyguard, why are you
not with your employer right now?”

“I am on vacation. Or was. Please, come with me.”

A free place to crash? Tempting. Tempting. “I don’t want to
be a burden.”

“You won’t be. Believe me, Prin—Amaryllis will enjoy hosting
you.”

Now it was Ari’s turn to ruminate while sipping her water
and pushing the last of the French fries to and fro. Bale was still a stranger
and he wanted to take her to stay with other strangers. If this were a movie,
she’d be screaming at the screen for the heroine to run away, so why was she
seriously contemplating accepting his proposition?

Duh, maybe because she was out of options and her cash was
running low. Unless she wanted to live on the streets for a while, she was
going to have to find a low-cost, meaning free, way into town. If only she
could be one hundred percent positive he was being truthful.

Her gaze landed on her smartphone. Oh-ho. Maybe there was a
way.

“I will go with you, if you answer a few questions.”

Tension snapped his spine straight and his eyes narrowed.
“What questions?”

“Hey, you’re the one asking me to trust you. Before I climb
back onto that motorcycle, I want a few answers.”