“Hope you like gas station sandwiches.” Caid threw one toward her, and she caught it.

“Yum, turkey.”

Caid shot her a warning glare.

“What do you want me to say?”

“How about thank you?”

“I’m not talking about the fucking turkey sandwich, Caid. What do you want me to say to you? To make it better?”

“How about, ‘Caid, I’m sorry I lied about being a wanted man’s daughter and that I might get you killed’ or better yet, ‘I have a plan’. That would be nice to hear at this point seeing as how we can literally trust no one.”

“I trust you,” she offered, knowing he wouldn’t understand just how much those three words meant. It had been years since she had trusted another person.

“Well that’s great for you, but unfortunately there are two of us against an invisible army of who knows how many.” Caid took a bite of his tasteless sandwich.

“Listen, they are after me.” She stood and tossed the sandwich back down in the chair. “If I just turn myself over--”

“Abso-fucking-lutely not.” Caid got to his feet, and Jemma could feel his breath on her face.

It shouldn’t have been a turn on, but here she was, her body roaring to life as she faced him.

“Why not? It would solve everyone’s problems.” She knew it was wrong to goad him, but she was so frustrated, it didn’t seem like there were any other options.

“Who’s problems, Jemma? Yours?”

“Obviously not, since if he didn’t kill me, he would probably force me to marry someone who might.”

“Not. Going. To. Happen.” Caid ground his teeth together. “We can figure something out, but we’re going to need some sleep. Do you have any external security?”

She nodded. “I have motion sensors set up everywhere on the property and a backup plan if we need to escape.”

“What exactly is that?”

She walked to the corner of the room and opened a trunk. “Ever repelled down a wall before?”

Caid shook his head, and then to the surprise of them both, smiled. “Seems you have a plan for everything, don’t you?”

“Just about.”

“All right, let’s get some sleep. I’ll take the couch.”

Jemma nodded and opened a trunk at the foot of the bed. She carried a stack of blankets and an extra pillow over toward him, and he took them from her arms.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“For what?”

“For helping me.”

Caid nodded. “It’s my job, but you’re welcome.”

She tried to shake off the sting that his words had left. In her mind, it was more than just his sense of duty that had him helping her. But even though she hadn’t meant to, she had betrayed him, and she knew that was something he probably wouldn’t be able to forgive her for.

Caid watched as Jemma disappeared into the bathroom, and then let out a breath. Fuck, he was in a predicament. What the hell were they going to do? Pax had the thumb drive -- at least hopefully she still did -- there was no telling if she was even going to be able to make it out alive now that word got out Jemma had been working with the FBI.

The Runner had contacts everywhere, and somehow managed to reach even those who should be deemed “untouchable.” Last year, the man had been responsible for the deaths of two men in line for the senate.

Caid looked back to the bathroom door. Even after all the years Caid had been tracking him, a daughter had never crossed his radar. How had he missed her? That gorgeous, fiery blonde who caught his eye that day at the gym?

How had her mother gotten wrapped up with The Runner in the first place? There had never been any mention of a wife or mistress in all the years Caid had held that file.

The door opened, and Jemma stepped out in a pair of shorts and white tank. His mouth went dry, and he had to force himself to look away.

“Night,” she said softly and climbed into bed.

“Night.” Caid started to turn off the lights, but she stopped him.

“I’m sorry, I’m a--” --she closed her eyes-- “afraid of the dark.”

He tried his best to hide his surprise. For a woman who kicked ass, toted a gun around, and was currently on the run from one of the most dangerous men in the world, the dark seemed to be the least of her problems. “No worries.” He smiled. “We can sleep with them on.”

“Thanks.” She smiled and leaned back against the pillows to close her eyes.

Caid popped a couple Tylenol and laid on the couch to stare at the ceiling. They were knee-deep in a growing pile of shit, and if they didn’t get control of it soon, or at the very least determine a plan, it was going to smother them.

He looked back at the sleeping form on the bed. Even though he hadn’t known her long, Caid was willing to risk everything to keep her safe. What was it about her that had him so attached already?

He closed his eyes and tried to trick his mind into thinking the room was dark around him, it was going to be hard as hell to sleep with the lights on, but he was learning that when it came to Jemma, he was willing to do anything.

* * *

Caid shot up out of a light sleep the second he heard the scream. He was on his feet and ready to fight before he even realized where it was coming from. Jemma was tossing and turning in the bed, her covers kicked to the floor, and her body covered in sweat.

“No!” she screamed again, and he rushed to her.

“Jemma.” He put his hand on her arm, but she pushed the contact away as if his touch had burned her. “Jemma, it’s Caid. Wake up.”

“Don’t touch me!” she screamed again, and he dodged a punch.

“Jemma!” he yelled and shook her.

She opened her eyes slightly, and he saw the tears in them. “I’m sorry. Di-d-d I hurt-t-t y-o-o-u?” she stammered and sat up, still not entirely awake.

“I’m fine. Are you okay?”

She curled her knees up to her chest, and suddenly, she looked so fragile. Everything he had been angry with her for seemed as if it didn’t even matter anymore. So she’d lied to him? She’d done what she had to in order to survive. If his father were a murderer, he probably wouldn’t want anyone to know either.

She nodded slightly and leaned back against her headboard. “I haven’t had one that bad in a while.”

Caid looked down at her still shaking hands. He reached over to touch one, and when she didn’t pull away, he wrapped his own fingers around her hand to touch the pulse that beat at her wrist. He felt her heartrate begin to slow, and he’s followed suit.

“You used to get those a lot?”

She nodded. “Every night for the first year after I escaped. I still get nightmares every night, but they are rarely that bad.”

“That first night I ran into you, was it because of a nightmare?”

She shook her head. “I get panic attacks sometimes, and the sparring helps me keep it under control. My neighbor had asked me to go out and--” Jemma sat straight up, and her eyes widened.

“What is it?”

“Maria, she--”

“What?”

“That bitch drugged me.”

“What do you mean, she drugged you?”

“I didn’t remember how I ended up back with him. Last thing I did remember was that I was standing outside talking to Maria. She had to have drugged me, and it must have been strong enough to knock me out because I didn’t remember until now. Fuck, I bet she used chloroform. That’s why I had such a bad headache.”

“You’ve had chloroform used on you before?”

“Unfortunately, Liam’s used it on me twice before that.”

“Father of the year, huh?” Caid said dryly and clenched his fist. “I knew there was something off about your neighbor, I’m not surprised she was involved.”

“You talked to her?

“I interviewed all of your neighbors.”

Jemma stared at him. “Seriously?”

“You were missing for almost a month, I was looking for you, so yeah, I interviewed everyone in the damn building looking for you.”

She was touched, but still incredibly pissed off that she had been living across the hall from the enemy the entire time and not known it.

“How had I missed it? She was always trying to get me to go out. What if she was spying on me so they could get the thumb drive back?” Jemma leaned back against her pillow again. “I’ve been so stupid.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Jemma. We all miss things sometimes. Maria had been posing as the granddaughter of the old tenant who went missing. If I were you, I wouldn’t have suspected anything either.” Caid stood, but she grabbed his arm.

“Will you stay? Please? I promise we don’t have to cuddle.” She laughed, but it was empty, and he could see the fear she was trying to hide.

“Sure. Probably more comfortable than the couch.” He went to get his pillow and then climbed into bed next to her. He did his best to fight the urge that had him wanting to reach over and pull her into his arms. With the lights on, he could see the second she fell back asleep. Her entire body relaxed, and Caid leaned up on his elbow to look at her face.

Her features were softened, the hard lines of worry and stress had melted away and somehow made her more beautiful. Caid found himself wondering what it might sound like to hear her truly laugh.

If he hadn’t already, seeing her sleeping soundly would have made him forgive her. Who was he to judge her based on what he’d only seen in the last two days? This woman had been on the run for the last three years, and who knew what she’d been through as a child. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, and she jolted slightly at his touch. Caid laid back down beside her, a little closer now, and drifted into sleep.

* * *

Jemma opened her eyes slightly and started to stretch when she felt the weight of an arm around her waist. Her eyes widened, and her body stiffened when she felt the heat of someone behind her. She couldn’t help herself, for a moment she just laid there and closed her eyes again. It was nice to feel someone next to her, someone who knew who she was and still wanted to be near her.

When she had been a teenager, she hadn’t been allowed to date. Then as an adult, she was promised to a man she had never even met. It wasn’t until Alejandro came to work for her father that she even knew what lust was. She had given him her virginity one rainy night in her room while her father was out.

She had just turned nineteen, and he brought her a cupcake he had picked up on his way to the house. Jemma had always wondered why he had been there. He seemed like such a nice person compared to the thugs her father typically surrounded himself with. They had spent nearly three years keeping their relationship hidden. She had never loved him, she realized now. But she had respected him for what he’d done for his family, and enjoyed the time they’d spent together.

Jemma felt the lump burning in her throat. That night Cooper came to her room was burned in her memory. It had taken years before she could think of Alejandro without simply bursting into tears.

By the time she had escaped, Jemma had been too afraid, too scarred from what she had seen to be interested in any sort of physical contact.

Now though, with Caid pressing against her, she felt safe for the first time in years. As if he sensed her awake, Caid rolled over and sat up. “Morning,” he grumbled, and the gruffness of his voice sent shivers up her spine.

“Morning.” She smiled and climbed out of bed. “I don’t have much in the way of creamer, but I do keep some instant coffee here.”

“That’ll work, thanks.” He disappeared into the bathroom, and Jemma went to work heating up water to make the coffee.

* * *

“All right, we need to come up with a plan.” Caid took another drink of his coffee. “I need to get in contact with Pax to make sure she’s all right and find out if she was able to turn that drive in.”

Jemma sat silently drinking her own coffee and listening to Caid.

“I need you to tell me everything you know.”

“That’s a lot, Caid.”

“We have time.”

She sighed. It seemed she was going to have to relive it all sooner or later. “Where do I start?”

“The beginning.”

“Liam met my mom when she was working at a diner in Manhattan. He was a frequent customer, and she said he always seemed so nice and down to earth. She went out with him some, got knocked up with me, and he asked her to move in. It wasn’t long after that she realized exactly who he was.” She took a drink and tried to steady her hands. “It wasn’t until I was about five that I started noticing her life wasn’t all sunshine and cupcakes. He was abusive, physically and mentally, and she was miserable. She stayed with him for nine years, until he told her he was going to marry me off to one of the families he was looking to make a connection with. He would wait until my eighteenth birthday, of course, but I was promised to another man and that was that.” Jemma took a deep breath. “One day, she woke me up saying she wanted to take me into town to go shopping. I was so excited; we had already gone on our weekly outing, but since my birthday was coming up, Liam had said it was fine. So we got dressed, she did my hair like she always did, and we climbed in the car to go to town.” She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and pushed down the lump forming in her throat. “She had the guard drop us off at a nail salon for pedicures and asked him to wait in the car. To my surprise, he did, although I suppose he wouldn’t have wanted to stand in there for an hour while we got our nails done.

“As soon as we got inside, I knew something was off. There was no one else in the chairs, and my mom rushed us to the back where a man and woman were waiting for us. They showed us their badges, and my mom and I followed them out the back door and into a black SUV waiting in the alley behind the salon.”

“Cops?” Caid asked, and Jemma nodded.

“FBI. Because my mother didn’t want me to live the same life she did, she went to the FBI to turn Liam Charmont in.”

“I never heard of that.”

“Of course you didn’t. We were taken to a house where my mother and I were both interviewed and then placed into what we thought was protective custody. Not a week later, those same two agents came into my new house, my new life where we were finally happy, only this time they weren’t alone.” She ground her teeth together, and her tears flowed steadily down her cheeks.

“Liam made me watch while he shot and killed my mother. Then he took me back to his house where I was not allowed to leave the premises unless it was to attend the private school he sent me to.”

“Jemma, I’m so sorry.” Caid reached across and grabbed her hands.

“I still remember how happy we were, Caid, and every single day she isn’t here with me, I feel the guilt that I was the reason she left, the reason she died.”

“It is not your fault what that man did to her, Jemma. She wanted to save you, and she did. You are here, not with him. Jemma.” Caid lifted her chin with his hand and looked into her tear-filled eyes. “You aren’t alone anymore.”

She nodded and wiped her face. “I made a plan to kill him the second I could. He started pulling me into his meetings, saying what an honor it would be for me to take over for him whenever he finally retired. He made me study with the in-house doctor so I knew how to clean and stitch up wounds -- specifically gunshot wounds -- since his men were constantly coming in injured. That part I suppose came in handy last night at least.” She motioned to his arm. “I started to see an even uglier side to him than I ever thought possible. One of my father’s youngest guards, Alejandro, was the only person that kept me from ending my life. That’s how badly I hated it there, how lost and alone I felt. He promised me he would keep me safe, and the second he was able, help me escape.”

“What happened to him?”

“Cooper Sandoval killed him. The night I escaped, he came into my room still covered in Alejandro’s blood and taunted me. He bragged about how he’d killed my ‘lover boy’, and how he was going to teach me a lesson.”

“Is that when you thought you killed him?”

She nodded. “Alejandro had given me a knife, and that night, when Cooper attacked me, I drove it down into his eye and left him lying there, bleeding, while I made my escape. I found out later that Alejandro had only been working with Liam so he could save his family.”

“What do you mean?”

“Liam had a habit of exploiting people’s families in order to gain employment. It was the ultimate control for him. Without Alejandro, I wouldn’t be here today. He taught me how to fight and how to use a gun. He is the reason I was able to escape, and I wish I could go back and somehow keep Cooper from killing him.”

“I’m so sorry, Jemma. I know I keep saying that, and I know it won’t help. But I want you to know how damn sorry I am you had to deal with all that.”

“I know, Caid, and thank you.”

He nodded and leaned back in his chair. “We know Charmont runs the largest drug operation in this part of the country, and that he has been responsible for the deaths of more than one public official as well as countless civilians.”

“You don’t even know the half of it.” She stood and began to pace. “When I was seventeen, he took me to inspect a new shipment that came in on the docks. I wasn’t expecting anything but the usual drugs and weapons, but when he opened that container.” She closed her eyes and a tear slipped out. “It was packed full of people. It’s not just drugs and weapons he ships, Caid. Liam sells people too. Men, women, and children taken from who knows where.” She clenched her fists. “There was nothing I could do to help them, even though I wanted to so badly.” She turned to him, and there was fire in her eyes. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to know about something so horrible but not be able to do anything about it?”

Caid nodded. “I do. But we are going to do something about it, Jemma. We are going to bring him down.”

“I’ve heard that line before.”

“Never from me. When I tell you that, I mean it. We will nail him to the wall with everything he’s ever done.”

“He doesn’t deserve jail; he needs to die.”

“I agree, but we have to let the justice system do its work.”

“I suppose we will have to disagree on that, because I promise you that the second I get a chance, I’m putting a bullet in him. Even if it means I end up in jail too.” Jemma put her coffee mug in the sink, and grabbed some clothes from her trunk before disappearing into the bathroom.

Well, he supposed that was a bridge they were going to have to cross when they came to it. Caid had been raised believing the system wouldn’t fail the innocent. Watching his dad putting away criminals after spending so many years in the military had given him a heavy dose of patriotism. He still held that, but after his own experience in law enforcement, he knew that too often the bad guy got off on some technicality or another.

They were going to have to make sure they had what they needed in order to keep Liam Charmont behind bars for good. Because if he ever escaped, Jemma had no chance at a normal life, and Caid desperately wanted her to have one so he could see just how deep his feelings for her ran.

He put on his clothes and shoes, and then stared at himself in the mirror hanging on the wall. They were going to have to find somewhere to get him more clothing, he thought irritated as he looked at the bullet hole in his favorite leather jacket.

Jemma stepped out, and Caid mentally groaned. He hadn’t thought she could get any more attractive, but dammit if the black leather pants, motorcycle boots, and black tee hadn’t made her so. She probably would have hated the comparison, but she looked like a badass Barbie.

She belted on a shoulder strap and slid her .45 into the holster. Caid decided against reminding her he was an agent with the FBI and she couldn’t legally carry it.

He watched, fascinated, as she quickly braided her blonde hair down her back and secured it with a tie. He would never understand how women could do that without being able to see it.

She walked over to a full-length mirror and lifted it off its hooks to reveal a wall safe.

“You are full of surprises,” Caid commented as he stepped up to her side and watched her put a code in.

The door swung open, and Caid’s eyes widened. “Where the fuck did you get all this? Wait, don’t answer that. There’s no way you acquired them legally.”

“Better in my hands than in Liam’s.”

“What the hell did you think you needed all this for?”

“War,” she said simply, and after grabbing some boxes of ammo, sealed the safe and replaced the mirror.