Predator - A Stand Alone Suspense Romance (17 page)

The next time I wake up, Damian’s staring at me and for a moment I think he’s fallen asleep with his eyes open, but then he blinks.

“How are you feeling?” he whispers as he moves closer to the bed.

“Alive,” is the only word I can think of. “Annie? Is she okay?”

“She’s just fine. She’s gone home but said she’d be back soon,” he says and then his face goes real serious.

This is where I hear it for running into the house to help Annie. This is where I hear how stupid I was. I’m surprised that I can remember it all so crystal clear.

“Cara.” He comes to sit on the bed and leans in real close, his elbows rest on either side of my head. I won’t be able to get away from his words as his face is inches from mine. Too late do I realize he’s trying to give me strength when he says, “The bullet hit real low.”

He pauses as if he’s waiting for me to take it in. As if he’s waiting for me to blame him for not being fast enough.

“The bullet hit…” He takes a breath and it really sounds like he can’t find the words. Then he just spits out the words. “I can’t say it. I’m sorry.” I stare at him and I’m surprised by how gutted he looks.

“You can’t say what?” I try to encourage him while I’m getting more nervous.

“There was a lot of damage. You were out of it for a couple of days,” he whispers, and I can see it’s hard for him to keep his eyes on mine. “The baby is gone.”

“Oh.” I try to think what would be a good thing to say to him. I see the hurt on his face and I say the first thing that comes to mind. “I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head. “Why are you apologizing to me?” His hands are shaking as he caresses my hair.

“I don’t…” The words trail away as the full impact of what he just said hits hard. “The baby … my baby.” My voice grows thick with tears. “I lost my baby?” My voice cracks with emotions I wasn’t expecting to feel.

I lost my baby. I didn’t even have a chance to decide whether I wanted a baby. It’s just another decision forced on me.

Tears spill over my cheeks and Damian’s arms slip in under me. He holds me to his chest as I cry for yet another life that was taken from me.

When the tears stop flowing, Damian moves back to the chair. He holds one of my hands but he doesn’t say anything else.

The familiar emptiness I haven’t felt in a while sinks into my soul. It weighs a ton. Who would’ve thought emptiness could weigh so much?

How much pain can one human being take before they just die?

A heavy silence lies between us but I’m still grateful for Damian being here. Once again, he is my pillar of strength.

I’ve been in hospital for almost a week. I hate hospitals.

Annie comes to see me in the early hours of the morning. She holds me tight and then whispers, “Jason is going to come ask questions today. I can’t hold him off any longer. We told him it was a break-in gone bad. You just tell him that, and everything will be fine.”

Annie stays by my side when Jason comes to see me. Damian is with him and both their faces are set in a dark scowl. “Let me guess,” Jason says angrily, “it was a break-in gone wrong?”

My eyes dart to Damian’s where he’s standing behind Jason. Damian nods at me and I start nodding too. “Yeah.” The one word is hoarse.

“Yeah?” Jason raises an eyebrow, and then he tucks the small notepad back in his pocket. He takes a deep breath and his eyes find mine again. “I’ll make you a deal.” He steps back so he can see both Damian and me. “You both leave and never come back to my town, and I’ll let it go as a robbery gone wrong.”

I open my mouth to protest when Damian moves forward. He comes to stand next to me and then he gives Jason a look that would scare the bravest of men. “It’s a deal. As soon as my wife is released we’ll leave your town.”

“No!” Annie gets up and her cheeks flush with anger. “You can’t tell them what to do!”

Jason shakes his head hard. “Annie, I promised Pete I’d look after you. I won’t break my promise to him. Trouble follows them and I can’t just stand by while your life is in danger. Now, you can be angry at me all you want, but I’m not backing down on this.”

Jason nods at us. “As soon as you’re released I want you gone.” With his cold words he leaves.

I hold onto Annie’s hand and I put a brave smile on my face. “You’ve been like a mother to me. Thank you so much for all you’ve done.”

Her chin trembles and she places a kiss to my forehead. “Don’t listen to the boy.” She gives my hand a squeeze and then she sets off after Jason.

“The doctor said you should be able to leave tomorrow or the day after, depending on the wound,” Damian says suddenly.

“What’s one day?” I look at the only person who hasn’t left me yet, not even when I shoved him away. “Take me home, please … now.”

He rubs a hand over his beard and his eyes dart to the door. “Fuck this. Let’s go home. Let me just get a nurse.”

He walks out of the room to go find a nurse while I struggle into a sitting position. There’s a hollow pain in my abdomen that serves as a reminder of what I’ve lost. 

When Damian stalks back into the room, there’s an upset nurse behind him. “Sir, she can’t leave without the doctor saying so.”

Damian swings back to her and I see fear flitting across her features. “Take out that IV, or I’ll do it myself.”

Her lips set in a thin line as she comes over to me. I swing my legs off the bed and then she places a hand on my knee. “Wait for the doctor, please.”

I smile as best I can and then shake my head. “I want to go home. Just take it out and leave. Say you didn’t see us.”

“Just so you know,” she huffs, clearly upset with us, “I’m not agreeing with this.” She pulls the needle from my arm and I wince, which makes Damian take a step closer to me.

“What are you going to wear?” the nurse asks and she gets a smug look, like she’s won.

Damian takes the blanket from the bed and throws it around my hospital gown clad shoulders. The nurse is just about to open her mouth again when he yanks his wallet out. He throws a couple of dollars on the bed and then he shoves her away from me.

“Time to go home, Gorgeous,” he whispers. He wraps the blanket tightly around me, and then he picks me up. Without sparing the stunned nurse another glance, he stalks out of the room.

I avoid any eye contact with the people around us and keep my eyes on Damian’s chest. When we’re out of the hospital it hits me that I won’t see Annie again. I’ll miss her so much.

I’m so tired of never getting to say goodbye to people. They always just fade into my past.

Damian~

I drive until I feel that we’ve put enough distance between us and that town. I find a motel and when I turn off the car, I take a moment to look at our surroundings.

It’s close to midnight and the parking area is quiet with just four cars.

It’s dark in the car and I hate leaving Cara here, but I need to go get us a room. “I’ll be right back.” She doesn’t answer me and I get out quickly. I make sure to lock the doors, and then I jog to the office.

The place is filthy and run down, but it’s the best place to hide. People don’t notice you around places like this. They’re too busy dealing with their own shit.

The man at reception doesn’t make eye contact as he comes to stand in front of the counter. “What can I do you for?” he asks, either half drugged or half asleep.

“One room for one night.”

He checks me in and gives me a key. I rush back to the car and quickly take my bag from the trunk. It has the first aid kit in it and I’ll need it for Cara. I unlock her door and when I have it open, I pick her up. Her head falls to my chest and for a moment I think that she’s asleep. I glance down and see that her eyes are open. The only life in them is the tears shinning in the dim light coming from the dingy motel sign.

I walk to our room and let her body slide down mine. “Just lean into me while I unlock it,” I whisper. Her hands are fisted in the blanket but she leans into me. At least she’s still with me.

I quickly unlock the door. I move us into the room, and then lock the door behind us. I switch on a light and then help Cara to the bed. I close the curtains and then I get the first aid kit.

I sit down next to her and only then do I take a deep breath.

What a fucking mess. We’ll have to get new identities. I have so much cleaning up to do so they won’t find her again.

I rub tiredly over my face and take a moment to close my eyes.

“I keep losing people,” she whispers brokenly. “I just keep losing them like they’re a set of keys or a sock.” She sniffles, and I open my eyes to look down at her.

The first time I saved her she was beaten and out of it, but not even that compares to the haunted look staring back at me right now.

“Let me clean your wound and then we’ll get some sleep.” I have no false words to offer her as comfort. She’ll just have to find her way back to me on her own and at a pace she’s comfortable with. We’re back to square one, but this time around I can’t find it in me to be clinical. She’s not just a job anymore. She’s become so much more than just a person in need of help. I’m not sure what she is, but she’s not just another target.

I reach for the blanket but then pause. “Is it okay if I clean the wound?” I don’t want to be the cause of any discomfort for her.

She nods and lies flat on her back. The previous time I had to clean her wounds, she would look away and stare blankly at some spot on the ceiling or wall, but now her eyes find mine.

“I’ll be quick,” I whisper. I pull the blanket from her and then I push the stupid gown up until I have a clear view of the bandage around her wound. She’s wearing one of those hospital panties. I’ll go and get her clothes first thing in the morning. She can’t travel in a hospital gown and blanket.

I open the first aid kit and take out the antiseptic and some wipes. I pull the bandage off and throw it on the floor. I can feel her eyes on me as I start to clean the area around the wound. I’ll have to take her to a doctor to get the clips removed.

Once I’m done cleaning the wound, I glance at her. “Can you sit up so I can put the fresh bandage on? There’s no tape to stick it on.”

She struggles until she’s resting on her elbows. This is the part where I should let her struggle, so she can get stronger, but … I just can’t.

I reach for her and slip an arm around her back. I pull her slowly into a sitting position.

She looks away to some spot on the other side of the room. “Please don’t be like this,” she whispers.

I frown, not sure what she means. “Like what?”

When her eyes come back to mine, her chin is quivering. “Don’t be nice to me. I don’t deserve it. Be like you were when you first found me. Just be cold.”

Her eyes dart away again but I take hold of her chin, bringing her face back to me. “Look at me,” I bark and her eyes snap to mine. “What the fuck are you thinking up in that head of yours?”

Her hands clutch the harsh material of the gown and she swallows hard. “It’s all my fault,” she whispers hollowly. “You said so yourself.” I frown at this.

“What’s your fault?” I work my jaw to stay patient with her.

“Everything,” she whispers and her eyes drop to my chest. “They found me because I was careless. They beat me … they raped me because I let my guard down.” A tear slips over her cheek and for a moment I stare at it, thinking how wrong she’s is.

“No, Cara,” I say. “You might have let your guard down but it was never your fault that they beat and raped you.” I hate the words as they leave my mouth. They’re such ugly words to link to her.

She shakes her head, while her eyes are staring blankly at my chest. She’s losing it! Fuck. I wish she would scream and cry. I wish she would show more emotion and just let it all out.

“I … I brought it on myself. I didn’t fight hard enough. I didn’t … I ran away and they found me again … I killed my baby,” she gasps, every breath coming faster than the previous one.

I frame her face with both my hands, forcing her to keep still. Her hand grips my wrist and her nails dig into my skin.

“You didn’t kill your baby,” I say. My voice cracks under the weight of the sadness I’m feeling for her. “Cara …” I don’t know what to say to her. I press my forehead to hers and just hold her still. Her breaths are heavy with guilt and pain.

“Life throws these curveballs at you so you’ll grow from them, so you’ll become the best possible version of you. It sucks, but you’ll get through this, and you’ll be so much stronger.”

She lets go of my wrist and grabs my shoulder. She pulls at me and I move closer, enveloping her in my arms.

“I can’t, Damian,” she chokes on the pain that’s eating her alive. “I can’t take any more. I’m done. Fuck life. If this is what life is like, then I’d rather die.”

I press a kiss to the top of her head and just hold her tight. She’s been through hell. All I can do right now is to help keep her standing. She just needs time.

When she calms down, she pulls slightly away. “I don’t understand,” she whispers. “How did they find me again?”

The muscle in my jaw starts ticking. She can’t deal with more shit. Fuck!

Her eyes search mine and a slight frown forms between her eyes. “Tell me,” she urges more insistent this time.

I wipe a hand over my face and shake my head. This is going to kill her.

“Damian,” she whispers, her voice filled with fear of the unknown. Her mind must be conjuring up all kinds of shit.

I can’t look at her as the words come. “He knows my name. When they have to pay me, I give them my name and bank details.” I shake my head again, knowing that it was my fault this time. They found her because of me. “They must have people in law enforcement, and when the search for Weston popped up, they went to check if it was you. I was stupid. I slipped up and you paid for it.” The words settle heavy in my gut. Cara got hurt because I led them straight to her.

“You said ‘
he
’ knows your name? Who?” She starts to fidget with the blanket and for some reason the piece of material pisses me off. I pull it away from her. I dig in my bag for one of my shirts and I don’t think as I slip the material over her head. I pull the hospital gown down her arms and then slip one arm at a time through the sleeves. I tug the material over her chest and for a split-second I get a glimpse of her breasts. 

The first time I saw her she was naked and beaten. I saw her as a target I had to get out of a shitty situation, not a woman. Not once did I think of her as a woman … until that night she walked into the kitchen wearing that damn short skirt.

My eyes dart to her face and I’m not surprised when I see her eyes are huge and her lips parted with what looks like a mixture of shock and terror. I’ve crossed the line. Shit, I shouldn’t have done that!

I quickly grab a bandage and start to wrap it around her wound. When I’m done, I tug the shirt all the way down and then keep myself busy with getting rid of the dirty bandage and wipes.

When I walk back to the bed, I know I have to say something to break the tension that’s hanging so heavy in the room.

“Who?” she says again, but this time I can feel that she’s uncomfortable with me.

“Tom.” The name falls heavy between us.

My eyes dart around the room, and then to her face. I watch as the name sinks in and then a distraught look pulls tightly at her skin. She starts to shake her head but stops and then just looks down. She wraps her arms around her in a defensive move that makes me want to hide her from the world.

I sit down on the bed and this time I keep my distance. “I’m sorry, Cara. He thinks that by giving you up he can save his own ass.” I shake my head. “He’s as good as dead. As soon as you’re dead, they’ll kill him, too. They’re just using him to clean up the last of your family.”

“I still don’t understand any of it,” she whispers so softly I almost miss some of the words.

I can’t hide this from her. Knowledge is power. The more she knows, the better she’ll be able to protect herself.

I thrust a hand through my hair. “Tom and your father got mixed up with the wrong people. These people don’t fuck around.” I get up again and wipe my hands on the back of my jeans. “We’ll have to get new identities again. We can’t go home. Now that they know I’m helping you, they’ll be looking for both of us.”

Her head snaps up and she struggles to get up. Panic flashes over her face and then she rasps, “You need to leave. You need to … go. Go … right now!” She loses her voice and her movements grow more frantic. She manages to get to her feet and then she shoves my bag towards me with her foot. “Leave, Damian!” she begs as tears start to stream down her face.

“Cara,” I say loud and clear so she hears every word, “I’m not leaving you. There’s no fucking way I’m leaving you.”

“Please!” She crumbles to the floor and that’s about as much as I can take. I kneel in front of her and she grabs at my arm, pulling herself closer to me. Her arms go around my neck and she sputters into my chest, “They can’t get you, Damian. Please go. I can’t watch you die. Not you. Please go. Disappear. Just go.” Her breaths are way too fast as she stammers her plea.

I take her face in my hands and lean in closer to her. “They won’t kill me. They won’t find us. I’ve got you, Cara. You’re safe. I’m safe. We’re going to disappear. I’ll make sure they can’t find us.”

She tries to shake her head in my hands, her eyes wild with fear and somewhere deep inside of me it registers that the fear in her eyes is for me.

She doesn’t fear me, she fears losing me.

She cares what happens to me.

I stare hard at her as the thought sinks deep into my heart. She’s not as fucked up as I thought. She’s just in a world of pain, but we can deal with that, as long as she still cares about something.

“You won’t lose me, Cara.”

“I will,” she cries out, and her face crumbles under the weight of her emotions.

I sit flat on my ass and pull her body between my legs. I lean back against the bed and hold her to me. I pepper her head with kisses, and when she looks up, one of those kisses lands next to her eye. She doesn’t move and I feel her hair tickling my cheek. “You won’t lose me,” I whisper again.

She curls her body into me and buries her face in my chest. I feel her fingers dig into my shirt. “I lose everyone I love.”

The words fold around me like a blanket, giving me warmth for the first time since Leah died. I’ve been stuck in a frozen wasteland for so many years, I’ve forgotten what warmth feels like … until Cara.