Page 10 of Callen's Captive
The anger in his voice made her shiver. There was raw power there that reminded her of how he had walked through those bikers as if they were nothing more than cockroaches he’d squash the second any of them dared get out of line. It was a shame she hadn’t come to that conclusion back when one of the bikers had been feeling her up as Callen stared down their leader.
“It’s fine,” she said, dismissing the incident with a casual wave of her hand. It had creeped her out at the time, but getting out alive had been the goal so she had come out ahead.
“Which biker?” he asked, with a definite growl following his words.
The sound, low and ominous, triggered something in her memory. Her entire body recoiled. The need to escape was so great she ran into the bedroom, shut the door and curled up on the bed with only her backpack to hold on to. The dim light didn’t chase away the memories or keep the door from opening. The creak sent a chill down her spine, as if something dangerous would walk through and devour her.
Except it was only Callen, with his deep, rich skin gleaming in the low light, his muscles brimming with power, and his step filled with determination and purpose. He was definitely out of her league, but she could still admire him, appreciate his form, maybe even imagine what it would be like to have those arms wrap around her, and make her feel safe, if even for a little while.
“I scared you again, didn’t I?” His tone was as cautious as his movements.
Those dark brown eyes of his held a sadness that made her heart tighten, especially given how another frown overtook his strong face. Guilt poured through her. He hadn’t done anything wrong, except get mixed up with her. Unstable, trouble-maker Kate.
“I’ll be gone by morning.” She tore her eyes from him, which was harder than she expected. He was easy on the eyes, and there was something about the way his eyes softened for her that made her want to stand in front of him, face to face, and simply breathe him in, stern expression and all.
“You don’t have to worry about me or what trouble I’m in,” she added.
Callen sighed as he closed the door and leaned against it, one leg bent under him with his foot flat against the wood. “I’m not sure what I’ve said to antagonize you, but clearly I’ve done something. What will it take for you to give me a chance?”
“A chance? At what?” There it was, that eagerness to help her that made her entire body tense up every time. “Why are you bothering with me, Callen?”
“I’ve already answered this. Anna—”
“Yes, yes, I heard the whole ‘Anna said I needed help’ routine. But what do you get out of it? Tell me the truth. That’s all I’m asking.” She’d know the truth when she heard it. She had heard so many lies over the years they were easy enough to spot.
“My orders were to accompany Anna, Blade, and Frank back home, but then I caught your scent in the woods, before Anna was attacked, and I. . . I was intrigued.”
“Intrigued?” That sounded scary and oddly thrilling at the same time.
“There was something about your scent that called to my wolf, and to me. I wanted to follow, to investigate, but I followed orders and ignored your trail. Until Anna was attacked, and we found your note. I couldn’t rest knowing those mercenaries were hunting you. It’s as simple as that.”
Simple? Nothing about this man, this shifter, was simple. He just didn’t see it.
“If they learn you’re helping me, they’ll come after you.”
“Then they’ll have one hell of a fight on their hands because I fight to win.”
“You’re only one shifter.”
“And you’re only one woman. We’re stronger together than apart, wouldn’t you say?”
“What if I don’t want your help?”
“You could view this as a business arrangement. The WSSO is your enemy and mine, which makes us allies by default.” Callen’s foot came off the wall as he took one lumbering step toward her. “We protect our allies, Kate, even when they don’t want us to.”
Kate bit back a cry. The idea that she wouldn’t be so alone anymore, that she’d have someone helping her was more than she could have imagined. She had a few allies such as Logan, but she couldn’t even find them. They communicated through message boards and posting anything right now was risky. The WSSO seemed to be wired into everything she had ever done online.
She had been running for over a week straight, with no one watching her back, making even sleeping hard to do. Taking a chance on Callen, this large guy who had come out of nowhere and claimed to want to help her was risky. She needed something steady and solid she could count on to not hit her from behind when she least expected it.
“I promise, Kate, I won’t get mad at whatever it is you’ve done.” He moved closer, and she couldn’t help that she flinched and scurried away from him until the back of her knees struck the bed and she landed on her ass on the crappy mattress. She didn’t like anyone towering over her, even a man whose smile made her melt, whose face revealed a genuineness she hadn’t seen from anyone in a long time.
Callen knelt down in front of the bed as she sat there debating her future. It was sweet how he was trying to make her feel at ease around him. She wasn’t scared of him. It had been that growl earlier that had reached down inside of her and squeezed her soul like a vice.
“Tell me what you want, Kate. If you want me to leave, I’ll do so, but I have to be honest. I don’t think you’re going to survive long against the WSSO on your own.”
Kate reached out and lightly traced his jaw with a single finger. His breathing hitched, and his eyes closed. She wondered what was going on inside that handsome head of his. Was he as straightforward and honest as he appeared? God, she hoped so, because trusting wasn’t something she excelled at, not by a long shot, and she really wanted to trust Callen.
“How would this work?” she said as her fingers traveled down his neck to the corded muscles of his shoulder. Power and beauty. She had never met anyone like him, and he was offering to help her. She’d be crazy not to accept, but trusting him. . . that couldn’t happen until she was sure about who he was and what he really wanted from her. “I’m not exactly used to taking orders from anyone.”
He captured her wandering hand and positioned it at her side. “I’m not looking for someone to order around. I simply want to help. Get some rest, and we can talk more tomorrow.”
He rose, but before he walked away, he took her chin in his hand and held her for a moment. The yellow of his eyes swirled, mirroring the fire shooting across every nerve in her body. God, he had a way about him that would melt more than her resolve if she wasn’t careful.
“I promise, I’ll never hurt you.” With that, he disappeared into the living room.
Kate shuddered as she lay down on the mattress.I’ll never hurt you.Those were nice words. Unfortunately, she’d heard them before and had yet to see anyone live by them.
