Don't be an idiot, honey. You might be all on your own with the devil tonight. God help you, please help you. Even if he can't help me.
Raine laughed at Seth's queasy expression and tried to pull the washcloth out of his hands. “It's not as gory as it looks.”
“Easy for you to say. You're not looking at it.” Seth yanked the washcloth back and dabbed at her face, looking greenish. “Weird. I've seen plenty of blood, and I've never been bothered by it before.”
“Give me that.” She seized the rag and finished the job, then flung the grisly looking cloth into the garbage. She looped her arms around his waist and lay her head against his chest. “Thanks for galloping to my rescue. My white knight.” She turned her head quickly as his arms tightened. “Careful of the nose, please.”
“Sorry. God, Raine. You scared me so bad,” he muttered.
She pressed her cheek against the slippery cold leather of his jacket. “I'm sorry about my tantrum,” she said. “You get to say I-told-you-so for the rest of your life, if you want.”
“Yeah, and you better believe I'll milk it to the bitter end.” He tilted her face up and glared into her eyes. “Better not even get me started on that. I'll just get pissed off all over again.”
“Fair enough, fair enough “ she said hastily. “Let's change the subject. Like, how can I tell if my nose is broken?”
That worked like a charm, to her relief. His glare faded. He reached out to touch her nose, very gently.
“Ow! Careful,” she snapped.
“Not broken,” he said with conviction.
“How do you know?” She touched it, frowning. “It hurts like hell.”
“Mine's been broken three times. Believe me, I know,” he assured her. “You're going to have two black eyes, though.”
She winced “Ick.” “Could have been worse. Let's get you to an emergency room.”
She blinked. “Why?”
He snorted. “Hello! Raine, you're the one who just got attacked by a guy in a ski mask and thrown down the stairs!”
“Where I landed conveniently on top of you.” She rose up on tiptoes to kiss his jaw. “I'm OK. Just shaky. And I have a sore nose.”
He studied her face with troubled eyes. 'You seem awfully calm.”
“I know. Probably it just hasn't hit me yet. I'll fall apart later for sure.” She stroked his jaw, running her fingers over the small muscle that pulsed there. “It can hit me whenever it wants, as long as you're with me. Don't leave me alone tonight, Seth. You make me feel strong enough to face anything.”
He grabbed her hand, and kissed it. “No way. Not tonight, or any other night. Not in this lifetime. I cannot believe how close that was.”
The tremor in his voice moved her, almost to shivering tears. She fought them back, still petting his tense face. “It's strange,” she said. “I don't mink he meant to kill me. He didn't hurt me all that much, even when I whacked him with the lamp. He knocked the wind out of me, slapped me, and bonked my nose against the wall. That's it.”
“That was enough,” Seth growled. “And don't forget, he threw you headfirst down a flight of stairs. You could have broken your neck.”
“If you hadn't caught me. He knew you would catch me.”
He grunted, unimpressed. “And your point is?”
“No point,” she said thoughtfully. “Just details. Like the fact that he was afraid.”
“Huh?”
“I could smell it,” she explained. “He was scared to death.”
Seth looked doubtful. “Of you?”
She made a dismissive gesture with her shoulders. “I doubt it. But he was afraid of something.”
Seth kissed the top of her head. “He's going to have to have a damn good reason to be afraid when I get my hands on him. Let's get out of here. We've hung around too long as it is.” He scooped her up into his arms and carried her out the front door.
“Put me down, Seth. Don't be ridiculous. I can walk.”
“Stop wiggling.” He deposited her in the passenger side, and stared up and down the street, as if he were smelling the wind. He got into the car and started it up.
“Shouldn't we call the police?” she asked tentatively.
“Police? Sweetheart, do you feel like spending the rest of the night explaining to the nice officer what you've been up to lately? And the many possible reasons why a hit man might have just paid you a visit?”
“I see your point.” She stared down into her lap. “Not really, I guess. So you think that man... is connected with what's going on?”
He shot her an eloquent look.
Raine twisted her hands together, feeling foolish. “I would never have thought that Victor would hurt me,” she said softly.
Seth let out a grunt of derision. “Are you sure he didn't see you plant that thing?”
“Don't condescend to me “ she snapped. “I've had a bad night”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” he retorted. “One thing's for sure, though, sweetheart. You don't need any help from me in hunting down the ghosts from your past. They're saving you the trouble. Stand still for fifteen minutes, and they'll be right on your ass.”
Chapter 22
He had to assume that the car had been compromised. Time to ditch it and get a clean one. His bag hadn't been out of his sight since the day before, likewise his clothing. Raine had to get rid of every stitch of clothing that Lazar had provided, and they could look for someplace to hide and rest. He stared at highway signs, trying to orient himself. He saw signs for a mall, and flicked on the turn signal.
“Seth, how did you know that guy was in my house?”
He'd been dreading that question. He shook his head, considering and abandoning various lies and prevarications.
She waited. “You planted your spy stuff in my house, didn't you?”
Her still, quiet voice revealed nothing. That made him extremely nervous. He let his breath out slowly. “Yes,” he admitted.
“Why?”
He turned off onto the strip mall that led to the neon signs for the mall, noting with relief that there was a car dealership right down the road. “It had nothing to do with you at first,” he said reluctantly. “Victor's mistress was the previous occupant of your house. We were watching her. Then she disappeared, and you showed up.”
“And you watched me,” she finished.
“Yeah.” He pulled into a parking space and cut the motor. “I watched you. After a while, I couldn't stop watching you. Not if you'd put a gun to my head. I don't regret it, and I won't apologize for it.”
He braced himself to withstand fury and outrage, but none was forthcoming. When he dared to peek, she was gazing out at the Home Depot across the parking lot, her face misty and perplexed. She turned to him with worried eyes. “Have other people seen us make love?”
“No way,” he said emphatically. “I saw to it.”
She looked down. “That's good I wouldn't like that at all.”
“Me neither.” He reached for her hand “What's mine is mine.”
She looked down at her slender wrist, engulfed in his big hand. A laugh exploded out of her. “Conan the Conqueror,” she murmured.
He shrugged and just sat there, holding her hand in the dark for forty or so precious seconds that they could not afford to waste.
Her fingers wiggled inside his. “I've told you everything, Seth. It's time for you to lay your cards on the table, too.”
'Truth time has to wait. We've got to shake off your ghosts.”
Her eyes widened. “You think we're being pursued?”