"Do you want to eat in here or out there?” Joshua was satisfied she was talking. He didn't want to keep thinking of all the things that could go wrong with her here. Like touching her, she looked him over constantly, he was aware. It was unnerving. It had been over two years. He just stopped after Candace. He had trusted her. She betrayed him. Now he wanted to find a nice woman and make a family. The problem was he wasn't interested in any woman he had met so far. Evelyn, she was all wrong, but had his attention.
"Do you mind if I eat in here?” She knew he would carry her to the kitchen and didn't want him to carry her anymore. “Oh and can I get some more ice?"
"Anything else?” Joshua said it with a sarcastic tone.
"Coke if you have any.” Evelyn thought about it for a second. He didn't know her, and she was asking for coke. They called it soda around here last she knew. “As in soda, not drugs."
"Well since you put it that way. I mean I'm stocked with narcotics; the kids love em.” Joshua set the plate of breakfast on a tray and took it to her. His mind was twisting with the insult. Did he look like a drug man? Well, he did when he worked narcotics, but the thought that he looked like a criminal in plain clothes was ridiculous.
He made another trip to the freezer and put ice in a big plastic ziplock baggie for her ankle and a smaller one for her eye. “You want a glass of ice for that? And I mean ice as in frozen water, not diamonds."
"I didn't mean that. I didn't want you to think ... Nevermind.” Evelyn wasn't sure why it was important, but she didn't want him to think less of her. If she was going to be here, and she had to be here, she would have to let him know who she was, and what she did for a living, a good living.
Joshua set the large bag on her ankle. “This for your eye.” He set the small one on her tray then went back to the kitchen for his own plate. Of course he had eaten cereal this morning, but he was hungry again. When he sat down, he looked at Evelyn. She was looking at him; she wanted something. “What?"
"You just sat down.” He lifted his brow at her and so she shrugged. “Bread."
"Aggggh.” Joshua made no attempt to hide his frustration. For a warrior she suddenly reminded him of a diva. “You're lucky you're injured."
Dropping the bread on her plate he realized she had eaten half already. She must be starving. “When was the last time you ate?"
"Couple days ago.” Evelyn shrugged and took a bite of the bread. Her ribs felt much better, just bruised. Thank God for that vest, and Nikolai's weak ass hit. “I had energy bars so..."
"Damn it.” Joshua scraped his brunch off and onto her plate. “You should have told me that."
"Wait, this is your food. I can't..."
"I'm going to make more. I had no idea and didn't want to insult you by giving you too much.” Joshua remembered Grace's tale of Ethan making a huge stack of pancakes and putting cookies on it before giving it to her. She said it made her feel fat, and that he thought she was fat. Evelyn had made the whale comment and damn! What did he care about that? “Why didn't you tell me you hadn't eaten?"
"Why would I?” Evelyn asked a genuine question. No one else cared if she had a meal in two weeks much less two days. So why should he?
"Evelyn, what is your job? I mean what do you do?” Joshua turned the stove back on and broke more eggs in the skillet. “I mean what job has a woman like you beat up, starving, and toting a gun?'
"I'm not a criminal if that's what you think. My job's legit. Mostly.” Evelyn thought about his comment,
a woman like you.
What kind of woman did he think she was? The scrambled eggs and bacon were filling her belly and loosening her lips, she felt like talking. Besides, she hadn't had casual conversation in, well, years.
"Mostly? That's reassuring.” Joshua laughed and shook his head. She was an enigma. A hot little piece of fire that was bound to burn any man who tried to hold her. Including him, yet like a moth to the flame.
"I'm a bounty hunter, sometimes a mercenary.” Evelyn shrugged again as Joshua laughed; he didn't believe her. The phone rang, so she couldn't offer any proof.
"Young here."
Her head lifted in attention. She answered her cell that way; it set a little alarm off. He's a school teacher, she reminded herself.
"Evelyn Blade, damn boy, you know when to call one in.” Stevens whistled through the phone.
"Yeah? So.” He didn't want to let her out of his sight, especially not after the way his old friend said that. He turned off the burners and pushed the skillets to the back.
"Bounty Hunter by trade. Lethal, girl's bagged and tagged a few, all on the up and up of course. Prior service, Marine Corps, applied to the FBI but couldn't get in. Her old man's a real piece of work. Should I go on?” Stevens had spent all morning tracking this information down, and the places he was led made his blood curl.
"Please do.” Joshua felt a new sense of danger, and yet there was no way that little fawn with doe eyes sitting in his recliner could actually kill a man. He couldn't believe it, though his old friend said she had.
"Social Services received her when she was eleven. There's a sister, but no history of her after nine years old. No death certificate, records, it's like she vanished into thin air. Their old man, Martin Blade, was a cop in Kentucky, prior Navy. He left the force when he was tried for his wife's murder. He got off on some botched evidence. Evelyn's file is straight out of a horror movie. The case worker moved her through three homes and then took her in herself, says she has problems with males. From there she seemed to straighten up, no juvenile records. Your girl's one of the best bounty hunters in the Mid-west by reputation. She is a sniper, trained with crossbow, black belt and some other martial arts shit."
"That's enough.” Joshua's head was overflowing with the information. That sweetness wasn't her; it was her cover. His need for a female companion had made him blind. Well, that was all blown now. He wanted to know what happened to her, and he was going to find out. “Thanks man."
"No problem, oh hey, Josh.” Stevens pulled at the collar on his shirt, tucking the file away.
"Yeah?"
"Sleep with your door locked and your weapon ready.” With that the phone line disconnected.
"Who was that?” Evelyn felt his eyes all over her. At first they were light and concerned. Now, they were full of fury, pure heat.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?” Joshua didn't yell, but he suspected she misinterpreted his rage at the situation as rage toward her the way she grabbed the fork.
"Eating.” Evelyn assessed the silverware on her plate. Fork, check, spoon, no knife, oh well, fork will do in a pinch. She didn't know what happened, but Dr. Jekyll just turned into Mr. Hyde
"Do not lie to me.” Joshua's voice was more of a growl. Each word rumbled in turn.
"You see me eating. How is that lying?” Evelyn was on full alert. “Who was that on the phone?” For the first time since she saw him she felt threatened. And though he wasn't charging at her, his energy belted her in waves. It was confusing, just like this morning.
"Evelyn Blade, you have one more chance to tell me. What are you doing here?” Joshua knew she was trouble the minute he laid eyes on her. And that trouble kept getting worse. Instead of turning away from this, putting her out on the street, he did the honorable thing, took care of her. And now he would have to step back into a life he wanted to leave behind. It pissed him off in a major way.
"I don't understand.” Evelyn really didn't know. She searched his face. His expression was pure business, his jaw set and locked. It was no second grade school teacher standing there; that was pure menace, rage, and unyielding primal instinct. She knew that look well. He lied to her. He's no school teacher. What was he hiding? Her only chance was the truth. “I came here because this is my safe house. I got my ass kicked, and I need to recover."
Joshua watched her fingers grip the fork. Somehow he didn't feel threatened by it. She seemed more on the defense as if he would attack her for no reason. He should feel threatened, but his gut couldn't agree with his head right now.
Joshua barely moved his lips, and the words dripped with menace. “You're holding that fork like you're going to stab me with it. Are you?"
"I don't want to, but you're scaring me, Joshua.” Evelyn was now the calm one. Internally she breathed and set the fork down. The worst thing was she was being honest. She was afraid. For the first time in her adult life she was afraid of a man. “Who was that? What's changed? I told you my job, you laughed. Now you look like you're ready to attack me. I may be injured, and you may win, but by God I will leave a mark, I promise you that."
Joshua took a deep breath. His gaze dropped to the tray in front of her. Really what was she going to do? He didn't want to scare her, and he definitely had. For all the training his partner said she had, she didn't seem to have much fight when it came to him. He had arrested women but never had to use much force. His size alone humbled most men, and Evelyn was ready to fight him. He felt dirty, like he committed a crime. He scared her,
shit
.
"Okay, let's start over.” Joshua took a deep breath. She was in his care, and she didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of his anger. Stevens was concerned, that freaked him out for a moment. Another breath and he walked back to the stove and turned the burners back on. Calmly he started again. “You're a bounty hunter."
Evelyn sat back but didn't relax. Her nerves were frayed like split electric wires. “Who was that on the phone, Joshua?"
"A friend.” Joshua wasn't hungry anymore. “Do you want this?"
"I lost my appetite.” Evelyn took another breath. “What did your friend say about me?"
"That you were a killer.” Joshua calmly walked over and took the tray, fork and all, from her lap. Standing there he watched her face. She frowned, and for a moment he thought she might cry.
"I'm no killer,” Evelyn clarified the truth. “I have killed in defense, yes. Defense of others, never myself."
She needed to make that clear. “Three, three lives lay on my conscious by my hand. My mother and my sister, those are on my conscious, but I didn't kill them. I couldn't stop the bastard who did."
Evelyn straightened the chair and pushed to her feet. Fuck it, she could recover in the car on the road. She had money for a hotel. Without wincing, without tears, without struggle, at least on the outside, Evelyn Blade walked past Joshua through the kitchen and up the stairs.
"Shit!” Joshua set the tray on the counter and went after her. He didn't have to go far. She was only three steps up and sitting with her head in her hands, sobbing in silence. Joshua replayed the conversation in his head. Her father killed her mother, when she was eleven. He had abused her, probably her sister. Maybe they were split up in foster care, maybe her father. No, this was a horror movie. And she lived it.
"Come here, baby.” Joshua pulled the lethal woman into his arms and carried her up the stairs.
"I'm not a baby.” Evelyn sobbed and pushed a weak defiant hand at his chest.
"I didn't mean it that way. Has no man ever called you baby?” Joshua pressed his lips to her forehead, and his rough whiskers scratched her face.
"Not without a kick to the nose, no.” Evelyn had never been referred to with many terms of endearment. Stella called her sugar. Sanahasan called her ga-ka, an artist. Her mother was the last person to call her baby, and that was the night she died.
The childhood memory flooded in, and there was no stopping it. Maya Blade worked like most mothers did. She came home early to find her husband branding her little girl with a knife blade on her shoulder.
The woman reacted like any mother would. She lurched onto her husband and fought; he stabbed her to death. Evelyn watched in horror. Her little sister Noel was in the closet, where she hid when her father came home. Evelyn curled into a tiny ball, waiting for Blade to turn on her as well. She curled into that same ball now in Joshua's arms.
"Why is this happening to me?” Evelyn asked out loud.
Twenty years next week, twenty years. She carried the truth of that night. She was asked by lawyers, police, priests, and psychiatrists. But she couldn't tell any of them the truth. He would kill her; he would kill Noel. She thought he had.
"Talk to me.” Joshua sat her on his bed. It was more comfortable, and he knew that. Besides, the bathroom was right there. If she needed to go, it would be less painful than walking down the hall.
"I can't. He will kill me and Noel. He will kill us both.” Evelyn still clung to her knees. Her ribs be damned she had bigger problems right now. She might just confess. Tell the secret.
"No one will touch you ever again, Evelyn, I promise. Tell me.” Joshua couldn't believe he was making promises to defend her. She could probably do some real damage to a man because they wouldn't expect it. Just like he didn't expect this.
Evelyn wrestled with the memories, the loss of control. She had buried her past deep. She made up for her crime as an adult by hunting rapists and murderers and men who abused women and brought them in for justice. Aside from returning a spoiled teenager to a wealthy family, she didn't take sugar coated jobs.
They were specific. She had saved a lot of money, living meager along the way. Her weapons and gear were the most valuable things she owned. Her car, a black Honda Civic, was common, non-descript, six years old. Hadn't God forgiven her? When would she find peace?
"Say it, honey. I'm right here, tell me. I promise I'll keep you safe.” Joshua made that commitment too easily even for himself, but he meant it. He wanted to touch her bruised eye but didn't. It made him sick to see a woman with a black eye. It made him furious that he couldn't do anything about it. Not until she let him in.
"My father.” Evelyn was looking into his eyes. His warm hands held her face up forcing her to do so. Gently though, he was holding her gently.
He nodded. Waited.
"When I was eleven, he stabbed my mother. She caught him branding me with his knife. I was naked. He used to ... do stuff, you know. He never raped me exactly, but he made me do stuff.” Her eyes looked down at his chin. His hands slipped free, and she watched his throat swallow hard.
Joshua locked his jaw. This was tearing him up, piece by piece. He didn't want to hear it, but he had to. Someone had to listen to her.
"My mother attacked him. She tried to save me.” Evelyn went to another place in her head, a stronger place. “He stabbed her; we watched."
"We.” Joshua's voice was in a whisper. His hands were over her hands pulling them both into one of his and covering them with the other.
"My sister Noel was in the closet. We hid her there, so he couldn't touch her. He tried, but I told him I would do it.” Evelyn felt like the world was lifting off her shoulders. Somehow she needed to give this burden to someone else. Joshua was strong. She felt that in his hands; he seemed to want to carry it, like he had been carrying her.
"Go on.” Joshua didn't know which horror story he wanted to hear least, her mother's murder or her impending abuse.
"He never wanted us to call him daddy. We called him Blade, except, when he wanted to touch us.” Evelyn drew a deep breath. “So I did it, and I hid Noel in the closet. He never touched her again, at least not while I was there."
"You left?” Joshua's voice cracked, and he choked back tears. He wanted to be strong for her, but damn, she was killing him. He understood her plight in life; it all made sense.
She shook her head. “No, he got rid of me. He had to."
"Why?” Joshua had to know.
"He made me hold the knife. He made me wipe it on my body. He told me that's what happens to bad girls. Girls who don't listen to Blade. Then he told me if I said a word to anyone, that's what would happen to Noel; that's what would happen to me.” Evelyn was no longer crying. Her secret was out. “He told me to hide the knife. The cops came, and there I was in the backyard, trying to bury a knife, eleven years old, covered in my mother's blood and naked."
Joshua's teeth were grinding. He couldn't take much more of this. She needed therapy. Hell he might need therapy again after this. Post traumatic stress disorder. He didn't need a license to diagnose it. He had experienced it firsthand, but nowhere near this level.
Christ, it was amazing she wasn't a criminal or insane. Instead she survived, dedicated her life to justice. Evelyn Blade was an honorable woman, not a killer. Damn, he felt like an ass. No wonder that good girl comment ripped her. He wanted to take a shot at lightening her mood, not throw her into a tailspin.
Joshua didn't know what to say. What do you say when someone bares their soul and exposes their demons? He lifted his hands, opened them, and kissed the back of the hand on top.
Evelyn didn't know what to do. It was probably the most tender moment in her entire life. She didn't let her foster mother, Stella, get this close to her. She tried, but Evelyn was afraid if she told her, Blade would kill them both. He was still out there, alive. She could feel it. She could feel him hunting her, had felt it all her life. She slid her hands from Joshua's and wrapped her arms around him. Never in her life had she felt like this toward a man. She told him the secret. His huge chest was like a solid wall. Pressing the left side of her face into his chest, she practically crawled into his lap.
"He's going to kill me,” she whispered.
"No, honey, no one will ever hurt you like that again. I promise.” Joshua was determined now more than ever to get to the bottom of this. There was one week left of school before Easter break, and he would spend that week figuring this out. He had to keep her here, keep her safe.