It’s a weird request, but I nod instantly and open the back door. She steps out, and I watch as she takes deep breaths, filling her lungs. I should give her a second—no doubt she needs to process things—but the thought of leaving her right now just doesn’t sit well with me.
“Are you okay?”
She nods and looks in the back yard from one end of the house to the next. There’s a wooded area to the left and open field to the right. “You don’t have any neighbors?”
I take a step toward her. Her back is to me, and I want to reach out to her and pull her into my arms and reassure her it’s going to be okay, but I don’t. I fist my hands at my sides instead. “No neighbors. But I promise you’ll be safe here.”
I haven’t felt a physical sexual pull like this ever before. If it was under different circumstances, I would want to see where this goes. She’s attracted to me. I can see it with every look she gives me and the way her eyes follow me. It makes it that much harder because I can’t act on it. Not now, not while she’s so vulnerable. I won’t take advantage of her. I have to step away from her and put a little space between us. “I’m going to go in and call Hollywood. I know he and your sister are both worried.”
She’s shaking her head, following me inside. “You promised you wouldn’t tell him.”
I nod, understanding that she wants to keep her family safe. “I know, but I have to let him know you’re safe.”
“You won’t tell him what’s happening?”
I nod. “I won’t, but Karina, you have to know that Hollywood is going to find out. He works with some of the best intel in the country. He’s going to know. But I’m going to be the one to keep you safe. I’ll tell him.”
There are so many questions, I can see them forming on her face. I wait to see if she’s going to say anything, but when she doesn’t, I point to my room. “We’re going to have to get you some clothes. Until then, grab anything out of my closet or my drawers. I know you want to get out of those bloody clothes.”
She looks down at her shirt and oversized sweatshirt, and without another glance at me, she walks toward my room. I want to follow her in there. I want to make sure she’s okay, but I don’t. Instead, I lean against the kitchen counter and pull out my phone to call Hollywood.
“Is she okay?” he asks as soon as he answers. I can hear the worry in his voice.
“Yes, she’s fine. We, uh, checked out of the hotel. I have her at my house.”
“Great! I’m glad you talked some sense into her. I’m going to send Fish to come get her, take her to my house.”
I tense when he mentions the other man’s name. I remember him. He is a good guy. He was hurt and lost his arm, and the last I heard he lives in Idaho with his wife. “Why would you send him?”
“Karina knows Fish. She trusts him.”
At that moment, Karina comes out of the bedroom. No doubt she heard the conversation. She’s shaking her head side to side. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. By doing that, you’re putting your family in danger.”
“Karina is my family!” he all but yells into the phone.
“I know, Hollywood. But I don’t want to get your wife and daughter mixed up in this. Do they have protection right now?” I haven’t talked to Karina about it, but I wonder if Blake’s twin has a way of getting to them. Even though my gut tells me they went for Karina because she was easy to find and hence the easy target.
“They’re always protected.” Hollywood’s voice is low and lethal, and right now, I know exactly how he feels.
“Karina is being followed. Someone is wanting to hurt her, and I don’t want to take that to your wife and daughter. You called me to protect your sister-in-law. That’s what I’m doing.”
Karina is leaning up against the opposite counter right in front of me. She has one of my T-shirts in her hands, and she’s clenching it so tightly her knuckles are turning white.
Hollywood takes a deep breath, and it’s loud through the speakers of the phone. “Fine. Who’s after her? Is this one of the many assholes she’s dating?”
Karina flushes, and her face turns red. Her eyes won’t meet mine. She didn’t appear to me like someone that dated a lot. As a matter of fact, she’s seemed almost shy and innocent around me. Especially when I’ve caught her staring at me. She always turns away, embarrassed.