Page 5 of Nicole's Shelter

He shouted more possessive nonsense in his best imitation of a jealous drunk and kept them stirred up until he saw the flash of the cab’s turn signal. Before the vehicle eased into traffic, he rushed forward and jumped inside.

Crouched on the floorboards, Nicole stared up at him in wide-eyed panic. “Stop! Help!”

Rick caught the cabbie’s eye in the mirror and flashed his badge. “Keep going,” he ordered. “I’m her protective detail.”

“That’s—”

“Enough of your tricks for one day, I agree. Stay down.”

“But—”

“We have been through this time and again, your highness,” he added, hoping to distract the cabbie. It worked. Rick smothered a grin. Between the cabbie’s arched brows and Nicole’s stupefaction, he figured his performance was right on target. “My apologies for the scuffle.”

“Uh. No problem,” the cabbie replied. “Still headed for the train station?”

Nicole gave a tiny, pleading nod.

“No.” Her scowl gave him fair warning she wasn’t ready to give up. “One moment.” Rick checked his phone and then gave the address of a mid-rate motel across town. Respectable area, easy access to the interstate and most importantly, within walking distance of a 24-hour shopping center. They both needed to get rid of their smoky clothes.

“Do you have a camera in this cab?”

“It doesn’t work.”

Rick raised an eyebrow and held up a twenty dollar bill.

The cabbie shrugged. “It’s monitored at the barn. Sorry.”

Rick sighed. He had to hope the distraction bought them time. From who or what was the question.

He studied the woman on the floor. “Better if you stay down.”

She sneered. “Who are you? What are you doing?”

“My job,” he answered honestly, giving her a look that told her to play along. Leaning down, he added, “I promise you’re safe.”

After another moment’s hesitation, she wriggled out of her hiding place. Her jacket gaped, giving him a good look at her blood-stained shirt.

“You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine.” She tugged the jacket closed but the pain twisting her features was unmistakable.

Rick’s breath stalled, his mind full of the horrible image of a different woman, her face lax and colorless, her white blouse stained with crimson. “H-hospital,” he rasped.

“Absolutely not.” She glared at him. “I’ll clean it up later.”

Rick dragged himself out of the terrible memory and blamed his unexpected reaction on the lack of sleep from tailing Nicole. Had to be that simple. Because he’d put those awful details out of his head years ago, tucking the memories, both good and bad, into a box where no one could use them against him.

Rick turned his attention back to the immediate task. When the cabbie took the exit, Rick instructed him to let them out at the shopping center instead of the motel. They needed every advantage and he wasn’t taking any more chances until he had more information.

He paid cash for the fare and included a hefty tip, and turned down the offer for a receipt. His boss wasn’t the sort to argue about expense reports.

With his arm draped across her shoulders he escorted Nicole into the discount superstore, making sure their heads were averted as they passed the likely placement of cameras. In ideal circumstances he’d do this alone, but he didn’t trust her to stick around if he parked her in a motel room.

“First stop is first aid, then clothing.”

“I’m not staying with you.”

He smiled as if she’d just professed her undying affection. “Of course you are.” He ran his hand over her hair and then turned abruptly to the vast selection of bandages and antibiotic creams. Anything to banish the feel of that lovely silk under his fingertips and mute the sudden urge to keep touching her. “Whatever you’re running from, I can help you.”

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