Page 10 of Phantom
I tried to stay tied into her intoxicating eyes. “You look amazing. I’m trying to be respectful.”
“If I didn’t want you to see it, I would have asked you to leave.” She leaned forward a little bit, and I couldn’t prevent my eyes from dropping down to take in her enrapturing chest. “That was a hint, you know.”
I’d gathered. The problem was, I’d spent most of the night calculating any outcome of allowing myself to take even a small bite of Tess. There was no way I couldn’t get attached. What would start as sex would quickly grow into something more because I had never gotten over Tess. She was the only person in my entire life that I’d allowed to see my mind, my emotions. Did I want to rip her nightie off and tackle her onto her bed? Sure. Would I then want to run away with her and act like I didn’t have a sick brother in Germany and a madman hunting me? One hundred percent, yes.
“I’ll meet you in the living room,” I said, and the words burned coming out. “I want to say goodbye.”
I turned to leave, but Tess’ hold on my arm clenched tighter, and she pulled me back. “You’re not going anywhere.”
God, please don’t make me have to verbally turn Tess down.I wasn’t strong enough for that. “I’m still recovering,” I managed to grumble out as an excuse.
“No. I mean you’re not leaving Hoppa.”
I furrowed my brow. “I can’t stay here. If I stay in one place for too long, I’ll get caught. It’s dangerous.”
“If you keep running, you’ll never heal, and you’ll get caught. That’s more dangerous because you won’t even be able to defend yourself.”
“I have medicine, and the doctor treated my wounds. I can deal with it well enough from here on out.”
Tess shook her head. “No. You came to me for help. This is me helping. You’re staying until you’re healed, and then you can go.”
“That could be weeks, Tess.” I imagined the scene from this morning and how convinced I was that Luther had found me. I should have known that he’d do much worse. I couldn’t let him get his hands on Tess. “It’s not safe for you either. I can’t protect you if they show up.”
Tess scoffed. “I’m not a damsel, I don’t need you to protect me, and as far as protecting yourself goes, I’ve got that figured out, too. You’re gonna prospect for the Steel Knights and get protection.”
If I was a man who laughed, I would have at that suggestion. Sure, Tess didn’t know that I was a former Unchained Dog, but she did know that I was a man she hadn’t spoken to in fourteen years who had shown up out of the blue, burned to shit and asking for help because I was being hunted. That suggestion made no logical sense, and that was very unlike Tess. She was probably behaving on the same impulse that I was trying to resist. It would be a convenient excuse to be together, but the idea on its own wasn’t smart.
“Tess, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Of course it doesn’t make sense,” she replied. “None of this makes sense, but as long as you’re in the condition you’re in, you need to be stationary. Dr. Marteau said that he’d need to see you again in a few days and that you’re even worse off than you’re thinking. I get it. I get that you need to go, but if you try to leave now in your state, you’ll die, and if you try to stay and just fly under the radar, we could both die. This way, my dad and the Knights can keep us both safe, and as soon as you’re cleared, you can go. I won’t stop you.”
“I’m not about to drag you and your family into my mess.”
Tess stepped closer to me, bringing my attention back to how scantily she was still dressed. “You know, Colin. The medical attention cost a lot, and it was a huge risk. My bike is even damaged. You owe me.”
I clenched my jaw as the final three words hissed across her lips. I was painfully aware of how much I owed Tess for the last twelve hours. “I don’t have any money.”
Tess’ hands drifted up to my stomach and slid up to my chest. “I don’t want any money. I want a prospect.”
“Why?” I said, standing stone still and begging my hands to stay put.
“My father’s men don’t like me very much. I’m the VP in title alone. I want someone on my side for once. Even just for a little bit. You’re likable. Maybe they’ll like me more because they like you.”
Behind Tess’ minx-like expression was something genuine and pleading. Maybe it was because I was a man of honor, maybe it was because I was weak to Tess standing in front of me naked for as much of her body that her clothes covered, or maybe it was because I’d struggle to make it beyond the city limits without my bike, but for the first time in my entire life, I was considering banking on the lowest probable outcome. There was a possibility, minuscule though it may be, that I could successfully become a Steel Knight, stave off or even kill Luther, and get to be with Tess. Maybe I was staring down a barrel no matter what I did. If there was a chance that Tess’ plan could work or that I could at least improve her life a little bit before my inevitable end, wasn’t that worth trying?
“Fine.” I looked at Tess. “I’ll stay.”
Tess smiled. “Good.”
My brain immediately started working on a new plan. Germany.
If I could successfully prospect and start earning a little money, I could buy a one-way ticket to Caid. That was my freedom, my mecca, my Graceland. Germany was my way out, and maybe…maybe I could convince a certain redhead to come with me.
I’d never been much of a gambler, but running wasn’t looking much better than staying, and staying kept me near Tess. “Now,” she continued. “Are you going to take these off, or am I going to have to?”
I smirked. Words couldn’t express how muchIwanted to take them off, but I couldn’t risk it. “Like I said,” I huffed. “I’ll meet you in the living room.”
I tried to ignore Tess’ challenge-accepted expression as I turned my back to her, but as I walked away, I heard her low, taunting chuckles and knew that I was in trouble.
