He had a bruised lip and a purpling under his left eye, which was swollen shut. Blood still ran from his nose, though he tried to wipe it away with the back of his hand. Standing, he swayed slightly as he studied Fiona with his one good eye.
“Are you okay?” Fiona asked.
“I think...so.” Flexing his arms, and then his legs, he eyed her. “I don’t think anything is broken.”
“Luckily. What on earth happened?” she demanded.
“Thank you for helping me,” he managed, wincing as his fingers came into contact with a large gash on his cheek. “I came out here for a smoke, and he caught me.” Smoking was definitely not allowed at AAG. “He took my e-cig away, and then he demanded I pay him one hundred dollars to keep quiet. Once I told him I didn’t have that kind of cash on me, he just started whaling away on me.”
“Come on.” Fiona slipped her arm around the kid’s slender shoulders. “Let’s get you to the infirmary and see if they can patch you up.”
* * *
Clearly forgotten, Jake trailed along behind Fiona and the battered kid, turning over what he’d just seen in his mind and trying to make sense of what he’d just seen. Quiet Fiona had fought the guy like a badass. Mulling this over, he waited outside in the hallway while Fiona talked to the person inside the area that apparently served as the AAG medical center.
When Fiona finally emerged alone, she seemed surprised to find Jake still waiting. “Oh,” she murmured, her eyes widening. “I’m so sorry. I had to fill out a report while I was there, so Micheline can review it.”
Micheline. Everything centered around the most avaricious, self-involved, evil woman he’d ever met. Sometimes he wished he could purge his veins of her blood.
Shaking his head, he focused once more on the slender woman standing in front of him.
“Do you have a moment to talk?” he asked, his tone clipped, though he struggled to keep from showing any emotion.
“Sure,” she replied, her easy tone at odds with the quick flare of panic he caught in her eyes. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“Good idea.” Away from the AAG center and any possible cameras or recording devices. No doubt she knew he planned to ask her what was going on and wanted to make sure no one else overheard.
She definitely wasn’t what Micheline and the others believed her to be. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of explanation she’d give.
Side by side, not touching, not speaking, they strode out the front door. This time, instead of heading around back to that secluded little garden, she led the way down the driveway. By now, dusk had settled in. Soon it would be full dark.
“Well?” he finally demanded, when it seemed she didn’t intend on speaking.
“Well what?”
“Who are you?” Stopping, he crossed his arms. “And don’t say some random homeless woman who was found wandering the streets. I saw how you took that guy down earlier.”
“Why can’t I be both?” she asked, her tone reasonable. “You never asked about my past. How I became homeless, what the circumstances were leading up to my change in lifestyle. Isn’t it obvious that at some point, I took some martial arts classes? Yes, and it was before I became homeless. Thank you for not asking. All you ever wanted to focus on was the AAG.”
Stunned, he swallowed. Because damned if she wasn’t right. He’d been so blinded by the need to get her away from the cult that he hadn’t taken the time to try and get to know her as a person. Of course, he’d only just met her earlier in the day. And he recognized her deflection as a way to avoid answering his question.
“I just got here,” he protested. “And yes, of course I’m going to focus on what’s right in front of me. I’m not planning on staying long. There’d be plenty of time to get to know you and your reasons once I got you away from this craziness.”
“Why do you even ca
re?” Her direct look challenged him. “As you said, we barely know each other. Maybe it just so happens that AAG is exactly what I’ve been searching for my entire life. The one place I fit in. Has that ever occurred to you?”
He blinked. Damn if she wasn’t good at deflecting. He had no patience for games like this. All his life, he’d been a straight-shooting kind of guy. Micheline’s opposite. Naturally, his mother would choose to surround herself with people she could manipulate. Sadly, as much as he hated to admit the possibility, Fiona felt she belonged here, no matter what he thought of her reasons.
Maybe she was right. What business of his was it whether she chose to stay with his mother? Yet every single time he glanced at her, his heart turned over in his chest. He’d never felt such a strong tug of attraction, such a powerful urge to spend time with someone. And yes, to get to know her better, in every way possible. Too bad he wouldn’t have enough time to do that.
Since it seemed clear that continuing to press her wasn’t going to work, he decided to let it go. For now, maybe even forever. It depended on how long he actually stayed.
“Sorry.” He grimaced. “It’s been a long day. I woke up on my ranch this morning and...”
“Now you’re here, right in the middle of a bunch of drama.” She touched his arm, the light touch of her finger sending a shiver through him. “It’s still early, though. We have a few seminars that run at night if you’d like to attend one of those.”
So earnest, so sincere. Even though she had to know attending an AAG seminar ranked among the very last things he’d ever want to do.