“Here we are.” He nodded forward as Roni turned back to look at the cabin that appeared as they rounded a turn in the road.
Situated beneath a thick growth of trees, the small cabin and attached garage would be damned near invisible from the air, and just as hard to find on the ground. He pulled into the rough garage, shut off the engine and jumped from the vehicle.
Roni moved much slower. There had to be a way out of this, she thought with an edge of desperation.
Things like this didn’t happen to people like her. Her life was supposed to be uneventful. She was dull.
Boring. Hell, Taber hadn’t wanted her when he had the chance, what made anyone in his right mind think he would want her now?
He had fired her from the job she loved, the only escape she had known at the time from her demanding father. He had disappeared for months. Didn’t even speak to her the few times they had run into each other over the year or so. A mark on her neck was not going to change that, was it? Not as far as she was concerned it wasn’t.
The interior of the cabin was decorated with a miser’s hand. There was a lone couch in front of an unused fireplace, a dusty kitchen table and four chairs. No rugs, no curtains and dust damned near thick enough to plant petunias in.
“Bathroom’s in the back.” He pointed to the closed door at the far end. “Make yourself at home.” He was too casual, too accepting of his sudden role as rescuer and guardian until Taber showed up.
“Why are you doing this?” She turned back to him, watching him carefully.
He looked at her, his eyes glimmering in surprise. “Doing what?”
“Helping me, so certain Taber will show up. What’s in it for you?” He arched a flame-colored brow, amusement replacing the confusion. “I was just helping, Roni.”
“Bullshit,” she muttered, shaking her head in denial. “I’m not stupid. There’s more to it. What?” She needed to make sense of something, even if it was the only helping hand that had been offered to her.
He sighed heavily. “More or less, that’s all there is to it,” he told her firmly. “I help Taber and the others when I can. That’s all. Besides, you’re a friend. I would have helped you anyway.” Which still didn’t completely answer her question.
“Why is he coming here?” She pushed her fingers through her tangled hair, ignoring the trembling in her hand. “That mark didn’t mean anything when he made it. Why should it now?” This was the question that plagued her more than most.
“You can ask him when he gets here. I’m going out to make sure we weren’t followed. Stay in the cabin.” He unclipped the cell phone at his side. “Taber’s number is the first one keyed in. If something happens, you call him. You hear?”
She glanced down as he laid the phone on the table, feeling her mouth dry out with fear. “What could happen?”
She met his gaze as she raised her head, her heart racing in warning. He watched her, his expression somber.
“Like I said, others would have seen that broadcast. And some of them are a hell of a lot closer than Taber was. I just want to be cautious.”
She swallowed tightly. “Mercenaries?” She had heard the reports of the constant battles Taber and his family had fought through the years with the men sent to either recapture or kill them.
A glimmer of sympathy lit his eyes. “Yeah,” he finally muttered. “But we should be secure. Only a few people know about this place, and by the time anyone figures out where we are, Taber should have you safe and sound wherever he thinks is best. You’ll be fine.” He turned before she could comment and left the shelter. Only then did she notice the gun he carried in his other hand. It was black, lethal, and he sure as hell carried it like he knew what he was doing with it.
Great. She collapsed into one of the dusty kitchen chairs and stared around the one-room cabin with a sense of despair. Mercenaries were after her. Just what she needed on top of everything else.
She lifted her hand, rubbing the mark on her neck that had caused so many problems. It ached more than normal. Not a painful ache, rather one with the remnants of pleasure, reminding her of the incredibly sensuous feel of Taber’s mouth there. His teeth scraping her skin, his tongue laving it heatedly. She shivered uncontrollably at the memory.
Jerking her hand back down, Roni stared at the cell phone for a long second before she rose to her feet and paced to the small, dusty window beside the door. She could call him. She should let him know just how much she appreciated the mess she was in right now. Dammit, he wanted her out of his life, had made that plain. How was she was supposed to feel good about any help he would give her now?
She stared out the window, knowing that for now, there was nothing she could do. That sense of helplessness ate at her. She hated being dependent on anyone, especially for her life.
As she stared into the forest, she could see John canvassing the thickly forested area. His body weaved in and out of the trees, relaxed, yet on guard. He reminded her of some of those military types she had seen profiles on during the few times she found time to watch television.
Time was passing too damned quickly. There was no chance to think, to become accustomed to the sudden changes sweeping around her. No time to prepare herself to face Taber again. It seemed mere minutes before John re-entered the cabin and picked up the cell phone. He glanced at her as he coded in the call.
“I hear a ‘copter. That you?” he asked quietly, his pale blue eyes cold and confident. “Good. We’re safe and sound so far. I’ll have her waiting in the clearing.” He disconnected then looked over at her. “Ready to go?”
“No.” She pushed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Wake up now, she thought desperately.
Come on, Roni, time to wake up.
“Too bad.” He grinned as though he was more than aware of the fact that she was desperate to deny any of this was taking place. “Time to move.”