Chapter 6
“Here, hold onto the puppy. He’ll make you feel better,” Zane said.
They were standing beside King’s Jeep, and he was impatient to get on the road. King would have to take an indirect path home, in case the shooter was tailing them.
“Yeah?” Savvy asked, glancing at the dog speculatively.
“Trust me.”
There was something in Zane’s tone, King didn’t quite understand. Had he personally found a dog’s presence comforting?
They hadn’t been on the same SEAL team, but they’d known each other for years, and their units had worked together on several operations. And yet, King hadn’t heard much about Zane’s past. Zane liked to joke and laugh, and never took anything seriously.
I can’t do this right now. There would be time enough for speculation later.
Zane handed Bomber over to Savvy, and she hugged him to her chest. The dog snuggled against her and Savvy sighed, petting his fur.
Adam watched them from the front porch, with a sour expression on his face. He’d argued against it, but Savvy told him she was going. End of discussion.
King smirked.
If King had his way, the creep would be out of her life permanently. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell her what to do. At least they were ditching the whole entourage.
Finally, I’m gonna have her all to myself.
Okay, I’ll share her with the team. Close enough.
At least King liked the people he worked with, and he wouldn’t have to actively resist the urge to shoot them.
She sat in the back seat, clutching the dog, staring out the window. Savvy spoke to it softly. Once they were all settled, they took off for HQ, and King kept an eye on her in the rearview mirror.
Savvy had every reason to be afraid. Someone was hunting her down, and they didn’t have a fucking clue who the shooter was, and who’d hired him.
Once they got back to HQ, he’d work with his team to figure out what was going on.
And then King would put a stop to it.
Once and for all.
***
This can’t be it.
Savvy frowned when King pulled up in front of a rustic red and white barn, which must’ve been converted into a house/business.
It looked more like a charming inn.
It sat atop a brick foundation on the edge of a hill, surrounded by a couple of lush acres. There were large windows on the front of the structure. It was encircled by a brick patio with a large fire pit.
She had trouble believing her eyes.
Once they parked, Zane hopped out of the car and loped up the driveway, leaving them alone. Bomber was asleep on her lap, and she scooped the sleepy puppy up into her arms. Meanwhile, King unloaded her luggage and took it inside, while she trailed after him.
Sure enough, there was a square panel on the wall, King punched a code into it, and the alarm was set.
Yet another layer of security between me and the hired gun.
She blew out a relieved breath.
King was right, this place was fortified and much safer than her momma’s house.
In the foyer, a huge brick fireplace was situated in the middle of the room. Roughhewn stairs led up to the second floor. Another staircase led to a third floor, and when she leaned to the side, Savvy glimpsed an open bedroom door.
Those must be the living quarters.
King gave her the grand tour, showing her an industrial-sized kitchen, a small gym, a comfy-looking living room, a bathroom, and eventually, they stopped in the doorway of her bedroom. There was a full-sized bed, a nightstand, a closet, a chest of drawers, and a small desk in the corner of the space. The linens on the bed were clean and looked new.
It wasn’t exactly the Hilton, but she’d slept in worse places, like the cramped, rusted out old trailer they’d lived in back in the day.
“Can I get you anythin’ else?”
“Naw, I’m just gonna settle in.”
“I planned on introducin’ you to everybody, but they’re gone. They must be workin’ on the new case.”
“It’s okay, I’ll meet them later.”
“Do you want me to take the puppy?” King held out his arms, but she shook her head.
“No, he can stay with me.” Savvy clutched Bomber protectively.
Zane had been right. She’d forgotten how nice it was to have a dog. Savvy hadn’t had one since Angus had died all those years ago. Once this was over, she planned on getting a pooch of her own. Maybe she’d get a big one, so the animal could double as a guard dog. She’d sleep a lot better with a Rottweiler lounging on the end of her bed. It would alert her anytime someone came near.
“Okay then, I’ll leave you to it.” And yet King hovered in the doorway.
“What about the six feet rule?” Savvy realized she didn’t want him to leave. Without King, she felt vulnerable.
“Since we’ve got a few extra precautions in place, I can afford to give you more privacy.”
“Oh.”
‘That’s what you wanted, right?”
“Yeah, of course.” Savvy nodded, squashing her disappointment before he could see it.
“Well, I should go. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.”
After unpacking and playing with the puppy for a while, Savvy found a bedtime yoga routine on YouTube, and she’d done the sucker twice, before taking a long, hot shower. Then she’d thrown on a fuzzy pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt before climbing into bed.
She laid down in the hope of getting some rest, but it didn’t work.
Instead, she stared up at the ceiling, obsessing about the man trying to kill her. And when she wasn’t worried about being hunted down, she freaked out about her music career.
And then Bomber scrambled into bed beside her, and she stroked him, until he fell asleep. Eventually, after Savvy did a couple rounds of breathing, she joined him.
She didn’t wake up until late in the evening. When Savvy walked down the hallways, it was deserted. Although, she saw a light shining underneath one or two of the closed doors. Because Savvy didn’t know anyone, she was reluctant to knock on them.
And where did King go?
When she strolled into the kitchen, Savvy found a short, curvy redhead at the table. She had a pair of headphones on and waved at Savvy when she glanced up.
She tugged the headphones down. “Hey, Savvy, I’m Mackenzie Pierce, but you can call me Mack.” Evidently, Mack was a country music fan, or King had made the introductions for her.
“Pleased to meet you.” They shook hands.
“Likewise. How’s your room?”
“It’s great.”
“I’m glad.” She offered an apologetic smile. “And I’m sorry to cut this short, but I get up at five am and its way past my bedtime.”
“No problem.”
Mack nodded to the fridge. “Help yourself. We’ve got a fresh pitcher of sweet tea, soft drinks, whatever you want. By the way, King went to the bakery and bought you a couple of pies. He said you needed some comfort food.”
Did he? How thoughtful.
The man’s just bein’ polite. Don’t read anythin’ into it.
When Mack headed upstairs, Savvy peeked in the fridge and found a peanut butter pie, her favorite. So, he’d been paying attention. She made a half a pot of coffee to go with dessert. Unlike most people, caffeine didn’t keep her up.
Savvy cut a piece of pie, poured a mugful of coffee, and sat at the end of the table. Just as she was about to take a bite, Savvy heard shattering glass once more, only this time it was merely echoing in her own mind.
She dropped the fork and shut her eyes.
Go away. Stop it. Savvy pressed her palms on either side of her head. She shivered, and her heartbeat picked up.
Someone cleared his throat, and she glanced up to see King standing on the other side of the table.
“What’s wrong?” King leaned over.
“Nothin’. I’m fine.”
“Bullshit. You’re upset’.” He took the seat beside her.
“Am not.” She inhaled and then released it, the way he’d taught her.
“Savvy, come on, talk to me. If you don’t, the fear will eat you alive.”
“I don’t get it.” She wrapped her arms around her midsection protectively.
“Get what?”
“Why anyone would want to kill me?”
“Trust me, they’re a lot of crazy folks out there. Some of them don’t even need a reason.”
Well crap.
“So, you’re sayin’ I have an unhinged gunman after me.”
“No, I’m bettin’ the shooter’s sane, but his boss ain’t.”
“Fantastic.” She sighed. “All I wanna do is sing my songs. I don’t wanna bother anybody. Why can’t he leave me alone?”
“It doesn’t work that way.”
“Well, that sucks.”
King chuckled.
“Look, while we’re talkin’, I owe you an apology. When I haven’t been cranky, I’ve been weepy. I’m under a lot of pressure, and it doesn’t bring out the best in me.” She bit her lip. “No, that’s not exactly true. Stress pushes me to do better, but not this kind.”
Everything about the situation was batshit.
“Don’t worry about it, you ain’t been so awful.”
She snorted. “Who are you kiddin’? I’ve been a hot mess, and I’m sorry. And it isn’t just the gunman after me.”
“No?”
Savvy shook her head. “You don’t wanna hear this.”
“Of course, I do.” He laid a hand on her shoulder, grounding her, letting Savvy know she wasn’t alone. It was a tiny gesture, with enormous implications.
Savvy bit her lip, considering him for a moment, and he seemed sincere.
“Sometimes I feel trapped. I don’t like the way my career’s goin’ and I keep tryin’ to make changes, but Adam’s afraid I’ll mess up my carefully cultivated reputation.”
King considered what she said for a moment. “I don’t know what it’s like to be famous, but I’ve always believed, if you don’t like what’s goin’ on, change it.”
Could it really be so easy?
“Thanks for listenin’.”
“Anytime, queen.”
“Queen?”
“Yeah, like I said, country music will bow down to you one day.”
She remembered an interview Madonna gave once, where she’d said she wanted to “rule the world” and Savvy had lofty ambitions, too.
Savvy smiled, secretly pleased. “I’m gonna eat my dessert. Do you want a piece of pie, too?” Flustered, she stood, backing away from him.
“Sure.”
“And coffee?”
“Yeah, I’ll take a cup. I like it black.”
“Me too. Thanks for rememberin’ I like the peanut butter kind of pie.”
He grinned. “You’re welcome.”
His gaze followed her over to the fridge. Damn, she must look a sight and not in a good way. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and she didn’t have a scrap of makeup on. Not to mention—she wore old, comfy clothes.
So, what? This ain’t a date.
One glance down at the stainless-steel stovetop confirmed all her worst fears. She looked like a college student who’d stumbled out of bed, on her way to class after spending hours cramming for an exam.
So much for my powers of seduction.
Rolling her eyes, Savvy cut him a piece and poured King a cup of coffee, and then handed it to him.
He took a bite and moaned.
Evidently, it was good.
She tasted the dessert, and sure enough, it was delicious. Sugar and caffeine was pure magic together. Although, she was itching to make her own. While Savvy was here, maybe she’d indulge her inner Food Network Star. Keeping busy would be better than having a panic attack every twenty minutes.
They smiled at one another, in the grip of an awkward silence.
King licked a bit of whipped cream from the corner of his mouth, and she stifled a moan. Damn. Savvy had a craving for something a whole lot tastier than dessert.
His pupils dilated.
Something sizzled in the air between them.
And I shouldn’t be sitting here, thinking these thoughts.
Savvy was paying King for a service. Once the threat was gone, he would be to, and she couldn’t get attached to him.
Time to turn this love ship around and find some rocky shoals to crash into. A little reality should do the trick.
“Tell me about yourself.”
King shrugged. “Ain’t much to tell.”
“I don’t believe that. Besides, you’re riskin’ it all for me. I wanna know more about you.”
“I’ll tell you a bit. But why don’t you go first?”
“My story’s out there.” Countless magazine and newspapers had been printed about her upbringing, and how she’d gotten started in the business.
“Yeah, but I wanna hear it from you.”
She sighed. “Okay, but I’m keepin’ it short and sweet. I was the youngest of three kids, and the baby of the family, everyone’s darlin’.” Savvy had told the story many times over the years to countless reporters, so she had it down pat.
“It must’ve been tough to support so many kids.”
“Yeah, times were tough. My dad worked in the coal mines, and my momma cut hair at a beauty shop, but they made it work. My momma was a coupon queen, and we had a huge garden in the summer, so we canned lots of vegetables for the winter.”
It had been a family affair, and she had fond memories of sitting on the porch when they filled up a crock of sauerkraut. Everyone got together, cutting the vegetables. Her parents had made it a fun activity, laughing and telling jokes, and old family stories while they worked.
And then her father had died, and everything changed
“We didn’t have much growin’ up either. I think it makes you appreciate success even more.”
Savvy nodded. “I totally agree. I wore hand-me-downs all through school. It was a big deal whenever I got a new outfit. And it still is.” Savvy remembered every piece of clothing she’d gotten, either for her birthday or Christmas, and she’d treasured it.
“Enough about me. You’re up.”
“Okay, here goes. My dad was in the Navy, and my mom ran a daycare center. There was only me and my sister, Ellie. We didn’t have much either.”
Her family didn’t have material wealth, but she’d never felt deprived.
“When my sister was in high school, we both worked part-time jobs to pay for extras. It was really hard on my momma whenever my dad was deployed. Me and Ellie took up the slack. I cut the lawn, took out the trash, and raked the leaves, whatever needed to be done. Ellie learned how to make crock pot meals, so my momma didn’t have to cook when she got home.”
King had come from humble beginnings too, and he’d also made something of himself. No wonder she felt comfortable with him. They had a lot in common.
They’d both pitched in to help the adults in their lives, making it work for the family unit. Savvy just didn’t understand rich people, even though she was technically one of them now.
“I liked helping out.” Savvy had wanted to make things easier for Barbara. “Especially after my dad died.” She swallowed. “There was a cave in at the mine.”
Savvy still remembered her momma waiting for them on the front porch. Her face had been ashen, and she kept wringing her hands.
“I’m sorry.”
“Me, too.”
“So, are you close with your sister? I hardly see my siblings.”
His face clouded. “We used to be very close, but things are a bit strained.”
“What happened?”
King didn’t answer her straight away.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You aren’t. She took up with Dave, and I didn’t approve.”
“Dave?”
“Her live-in boyfriend.”
“And you don’t like him?”
“No, I hate his guts. He doesn’t treat Ellie right.”
“What do you mean?” Was he abusive? Did he cheat on her?
“It ain’t physical. Yet. But he loves to flap his gums and put her down.”
Savvy laid a hand on his arm, offering him the same comfort he’d given her. And King rested his hand over hers.
“I’m sorry. She won’t talk to you?”
“Early on, I made the mistake of tellin’ her I had misgivings about the man, and she was so in love with him, Ellie couldn’t see straight.”
“So, she chose him over you.”
“Yeah, I still don’t understand why she stays with him. I’m not blamin’ her for the situation, but I’m frustrated. I can’t help Ellie until she helps herself.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, you’ve got enough on your plate without hearin’ about my troubles.”
“It’s okay, I don’t mind.”
King rubbed the back of his neck. “I wish it wasn’t so damn hard to keep the women in my life safe.”
Savvy doubted he was only talking about Ellie. What about his wife? Had King failed her? And what about Savvy herself? King seemed to collect damsels in distress.
King locked eyes with her, and she didn’t lower her gaze.
“Am I one of the women in your life?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “For the time bein’.”
Savvy didn’t want to think about walking away from King. They hadn’t known each other long, but she liked him, had gotten used to having him around. She wondered if trauma had forged a bond.
“Well, we should probably get some shut eye.” King stood and stretched his arms over his head. “The team’s gonna meet and we’ll discuss your situation, come up with a plan of attack.”
“A plan sounds like a step in the right direction.” They’d been playing defense and getting nowhere. “Can I go to the meetin’?”
“I don’t see why not. You can give us some added details.”
They headed to the staircase, and King stepped aside, so she could go first. Although she had a sneaking suspicion, he was checking out her ass as she vaulted up the stairs. Or maybe it was only wishful thinking on her part.
And then they were outside her bedroom door. Once more an awkward silence swelled between them.
“You aren’t stayin’ in my room then?” She flushed as soon as the words left her mouth. Jesus. Did that sound like an invitation?
“Why?” He raised a brow. “Will you miss me?”
“No.”
Just to annoy her, King chuckled. “This place is fortified, so I’m not as concerned about a breach.” He pointed to a door across the hall. “I’m right over there if you need me.”
“Right.”
“Right.”
And neither one of them moved.
King groaned, long and low. “We shouldn’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“You know what. Don’t play games.”
And the next thing she knew, Savvy launched herself at him.
Savvy wasn’t even sure how it happened. One minute, she was standing beside King, and the next she was in his arms.
Savvy had him by the lapels, tugging his head down and he went willingly. It was a slick, wet, sensuous kiss, all tongues, and hot need. King grabbed her ass and lifted her, rubbing his jean-clad erection against her belly. It was hard and swollen, and it felt like an iron brand.
Savvy moaned into his mouth, desperate for more of King.
Her nipples had pebbled, poking through the thin cotton of her shirt and she’d gone all swollen between the legs. King pressed hot kisses down the line of her throat and dragged her against the wall.
“No, we can’t do this.” She pushed him away, and King reluctantly released her. “I’m sorry.” Any second, she’d lose the will to stop. She wobbled back across the hall on rubbery legs.
“Well, that makes one of us.”
“Wait a second. Why am I the only one who’s apologizin’? I wouldn’t have been able to kiss you if you hadn’t bent down.”
“Trust me, queen, kissin’ you wasn’t optional.”
Savvy didn’t even know why she’d done it. It’s not like she made a habit of lip-locking with strange men. Perhaps it was instinctual, an ancient female coding in her DNA. Yeah, that’s it, it was biological. Her body had merely recognized a strong protector.
It had nothing to do with the way he looked in those jeans, or the hard-sculpted wall of his chest, or the way he’d kissed her like she was the only woman on the planet.
Who knew I could blow smoke up my own ass?
“As a matter of fact, if you ever feel like doin’ this again, have at it. Consider it an open invitation.”
“I thought you said we couldn’t do this.”
“If you check the transcripts, you’ll note I said we shouldn’t.”
“Right, because it’s a terrible idea. We have a professional relationship. There should be distance and boundaries between us.”
“Exactly.”
Why do I get the feeling a big “but” is headed my way?
“But I don’t think I can turn it off. Can you?”
Savvy didn’t respond.
“I didn’t think so. Goodnight.” And then he slipped into his bedroom.
Savvy was left in the hallway, pressing two fingers to her kiss-swollen lips, and wondering if she’d made a colossal mistake by kissing King.
Or the best decision ever.