Page 24

She slept soundly, curled up on one side of the bed with the kitten snuggled beside her. Only the top of her head was visible beneath the cream-colored sheet. He watched her for a minute or two, imagining what it would be like to sleep beside her, to be immersed in her warmth and her scent. To wake her up with slow, sweet morning sex.

He pushed that last thought out of his head, pissed off at himself for allowing his hormones to hijack his brain. It happened so easily when he was around her, which struck him as highly unusual. He was an adult, damn it, and he wasn’t the type to get stuck on a woman, especially one who’d turned him down cold a few short months ago. There were plenty of willing women out there. And yet...something about Dorcas lingered in his mind. It was like an itch beneath his skin, a familiar and uncomfortable feeling.

Sure, she was hot, but there was more to it than that. He appreciated her strength, her intelligence. Her tenacity. The fact she wasn’t willing to give up until she knew her sister was safe and sound. Not many people possessed that level of dedication, and it earned her points in his book.

Deciding to let her sleep a few minutes longer, he quietly closed the bedroom door and went to the kitchen. There weren’t any energy drinks in the fridge—not much in the way of food, either—and he berated himself for not checking last night. But there was coffee in the pantry, thank God. Normally, he wasn’t a coffee drinker, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and he needed a caffeine fix.

While the coffee brewed, he grabbed his duffel and headed for the bathroom in the hall near Shailene’s room.

The shower’s hot water worked wonders on his neck, loosening the stiffness caused by sleeping on that god-awful couch. For Dorcas’s sake, he hoped there was something in the storage locker that would lead them to Rita. Preferably alive. At the very least, he hoped for a clue to shed light on what the hell was going on.

Nate grabbed the shampoo and lathered his hair. According to Nina’s preliminary background check, the sister was squeaky clean. No criminal record, no moving violations. Not even a parking ticket. Her academic record was equally spotless, with multiple appearances on the Dean’s List. Nina said she’d dig deeper and promised to let him know if she found anything important.

He rinsed his hair, shut off the water, and toweled his body dry. Leaning over the vanity toward the mirror, he rubbed the stubble along his jaw. He’d forgotten to pack his razor, but considering he wouldn’t be meeting with clients today, he didn’t think it was a big deal. Besides, some women dug the scruffy look. Maybe Dorcas was among them. He’d give it a day or two to grow in and see what kind of reaction—if any—it got.

He dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, and ran a comb through his hair. His stomach rumbled, but the bare pantry and nearly empty fridge meant breakfast would have to wait until after they left the apartment.

When he opened the door to the bathroom, he was greeted with the scent of hazelnut. Eager for caffeine, he filled a mug halfway, took a sip, and grimaced. Talk about coffee strong enough to raise the dead. Wade would have loved it. For a moment or two, he considered pouring it out and starting another pot, but he didn’t want to wait, and, more importantly, he didn’t want to waste Dorcas’s coffee, so he manned up and took a few more sips until he got accustomed to the taste.

The bedroom door opened and Dorcas emerged, wearing pink pajama bottoms that hung low on her hips and a stretchy pale-blue tank top that didn’t leave a whole lot to the imagination.

Not that he was complaining.

Look but don’t touch, he reminded himself. She’d said no, and he respected her decision. But once this was all over, he’d ask her again, and maybe this time he’d get the answer he wanted.

The kitten trailed behind her as she crossed to the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffee pot.

“Morning,” she said on the heels of a yawn.

“Morning. How’d you sleep last night?”

“All right.” That was a lie, but he didn’t call her on it. There were tell-tale shadows beneath her eyes, and her face was a little pale. She opened a cupboard, grabbed a mug, filled it a little more than halfway, and topped it off with milk and sugar. Then she took a long sip and sighed. “Oh, that hits the spot. Thanks for putting it on. I totally forgot to set it up last night.”

The kitten mewed impatiently at her feet, its ice-blue eyes standing out against its black fluffy fur. Dorcas opened the pantry, put some food in a bowl, and when she set it on the floor beside the water dish, the kitten chowed down as though it hadn’t eaten in days.

Leaning against the counter, she took another sip of coffee and ran a hand through her tousled black hair. Even with bed head and dogged with fatigue, the woman was sexy as hell. “Sorry I don’t have anything for breakfast. I never got a chance to go to the store.”

“It’s okay. We can stop to eat before we hit the highway. Is there anywhere you need to go before we leave?”

“Just Nina’s house. She’s watching the cat while we’re gone.”

Nate froze, the mug halfway to his mouth. “Does Austin know?”

“I don’t know. I guess. Why? Is he allergic to cats?”

“No, he’s just more of a dog person.” Ever since Nina moved in with Austin, he’d been lobbying for them to get a dog. A big dog, with big teeth. One that would bond to Nina and protect her when Austin wasn’t around. Not that the woman needed much protecting. Over the past few months, in addition to aikido, she’d gotten pretty handy with a firearm.

Even so, Austin worried about her. With the death of Nina’s brother, things had settled down quite a bit. But her brother hadn’t been the only member of her family involved with the Russian mafia, and Austin was concerned about what might happen if she ever popped back on their radar.

The kitten had finished the food and was batting the empty bowl across the floor. It mewed in protest when Dorcas took the bowl away and washed it in the sink.

She turned to face Nate, a wary expression on her face. “You know, I really appreciate all your help, but you don’t have to come with me to Mayford. I’m a big girl; I’m perfectly capable of checking out a storage unit on my own.”

Like that was going to happen. “I’m sure you are. But it doesn’t hurt to have backup, especially after what happened to your place and your sister’s.”

“But I’ve already taken so much of your time. I’m sure you’ve got other work to do.”

“Yes, I do, but it can wait.” He downed the last of his coffee and rinsed the mug in the sink before he placed it in the dishwasher. He’d managed to reschedule most of his appointments, and Ryan had agreed to cover the rest. Good thing his older brother owed him a favor, or God only knew what he would have asked for in return.