“What about your parents? They didn’t offer to help?”
“I never knew my dad, and my mom skipped out when I was ten. She calls Sergei every now and then, so I know she’s alive, but I never have any inter
est in talking to her. He raised me after she left, and he did a damn good job of it. Better than she ever did. But he didn’t ask for any of that, and he didn’t have to step up like he did. I felt like I owed him. I still do, honestly, and I don’t want to take anything more from him.”
Compassion and admiration welled up inside him. She’d been dealt a rough hand at a young age, but she hadn’t let it slow her down. She was working hard to fight for her dreams, and she wanted to do it all by herself, with help from no one.
“Your uncle sounds like a good man.”
“He’s the best,” she replied with a soft smile. “Although I’m starting to think I listened to his stories about the mafia in his homeland a little too often.”
“Is that where your Russian mafia comment came from?”
She shrugged wryly as she laughed. “Yeah. I grew up listening to those stories. Even before my mom flaked, I was with Sergei more than her. He’s her brother, and he swore their family in the homeland is the mob. I enjoyed listening because I loved his accent and the stories are always entertaining.
“It was a combination of those stories and the mystery and suspense novels I read that made me think the guys in the diner were the Russian mafia. I told myself it was stupid, but my gut said they were creepy and Bad Guys, and I couldn’t make myself shake the thought.”
Arching an eyebrow, he glanced over at where she was still sketching away. “Why do I get the impression that you just capitalized bad guys like it’s an official title?”
Katia laughed again, the light sound sheepish. “Because I do in my head. That and Creepy Dudes. It’s weird, I know, but I feel like they deserve it as a title.”
Colton chuckled as they fell quiet, and he concentrated on driving while she went back to her drawing. Not only was she beautiful, but he found himself drawn to her personality. She was charming and funny, and she was strong as hell.
How many women could come face to face with evil, set eyes on a bloody, severed finger—and then on top of all that, have a complete stranger steal her away because her life was now in danger, all without losing her shit?
Most women—hell, most men too—that he knew would be hysterical at this point, but she was holding it together like a champ.
She’s a remarkable woman, his dragon said as the furious pacing he’d been doing since Justin went missing slowed while he contemplated her. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was a shifter—maybe even a dragoness. She’s got enough strength to be one.
Pursing his lips, Colton nodded slowly. The only female dragon I was ever around was my mother, and I don’t remember her well, but I think you’re right. Katia is as amazingly resilient as I imagine my mother was.
He glanced over at her, watching as she bit her lip in concentration while she sketched. Warmth filled his chest, catching him off guard, and he quickly turned his attention back to the road.
Brow furrowing, he wondered where the hell that sensation came from, and whether he liked it or not. Hell, who was he trying to kid? He enjoyed the hell out feeling it, and he knew if he was going to feel it for anyone, there wasn’t anyone better than her.
But the timing fucking sucked, because until he found Justin, there wasn’t a damned thing he could do about it. All of his focus needed to be on keeping her safe and bringing his cousin home, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted from those goals.
And wasn’t that just his fucking luck.
Chapter Four
Blinking as she came out of the zone she fell into when she drew, Katia lowered her pencil as she gazed at the passing scenery. A sign caught her eye and her eyebrows rose as she turned to look at Colton.
“We’re in Tennessee?”
The corners of his mouth curled up as he glanced at her. “Just now noticed that, did you? Yeah, for about thirty minutes now.”
“Are we going somewhere in particular?”
“No. I honestly didn’t have a plan when we left the hotel. I just wanted to put some distance between us and them. I’m going to stop at the next exit though, and we’ll figure it out then.”
Nodding, she fell quiet as he slowed down and exited the interstate. He drove to a gas station and once he was parked, she opened the door, thankful he had step sides on the truck as she got out. She was way too short to climb in and out of the jacked-up truck without them.
Walking around as he filled the gas tank, she stretched out her legs and back, eyes narrowing on a car that slowed like it was going to turn in the parking lot before continuing on the road. Suspicion rose inside her, but she brushed it off as she strolled. It wasn’t the Camry the Creepy Dudes were driving, so it was probably just an idiot who couldn’t decide where he was going.
“Want anything to drink?”
“A Coke, please,” she replied, watching as he nodded and walked inside.