black
surface.
To the far left sat a circular bistro table
with wrought iron chairs. Not far from that was a bar that
connected to the kitchen, laden with food. Kevin handed her a heavy
black plate. “Caprese quiche. Prosciutto wrapped asparagus. Croque
monsieur. Fresh fruit. Croissants. Your choice of traditional
Mimosa or raspberry Bellini.”
Maybe he was trying to impress her. It kind
of worked. Dani wasn’t entirely sure what a couple of the dishes
were but everything looked and smelled good, so she piled her plate
high and took a seat at the table. They ate in silence, Dani going
back for seconds while he made coffee.
Finally full, she pushed her plate away and
rested her elbows on the table. “So when do you start asking me
questions?”
Kevin set two steaming cups on the table and
returned to his seat. “I’m ready when you are.”
“You know I won’t answer everything. I
probably won’t answer much at all.” The food had been amazing and
the coffee smelled divine as well. She looked out at the view
instead of at him, more than a little unsure of herself in such
surroundings.
“How about we start with something simple.
What can I call you?”
She liked that. He didn’t ask for her name,
he asked what he could call her. Maybe that was why she told him
the truth. “Dani. My name is Dani.”
Understanding filled his eyes. He offered his
hand. “My name is Kevin.”
They shook hands. He held onto hers for a
beat longer than strictly necessary, but there was nothing
possessive or domineering in his grip. He wasn’t trying to assert
control, or test her, or any other kind of dickish hypermasculine
move. It was like he just wanted to keep touching her for a moment
longer. So she allowed it, and realized that it wasn’t bad at all,
being touched by this man.
He let go and sipped his coffee. “Thank you
for helping me that night outside the shelter. You saved my
life.”
“You’re welcome.” She didn’t know what else
to say.
“I do have a lot of questions, but we need to
talk about last night first. If I’m going to help you, I’d like to
know what happened. I think I deserve that much.”
“You’ve already helped me, and I appreciate
that. But I need to leave.”
“And do what? Where will you go? Do you have
any money? Do you even have ID? How are you planning to hide from
those people?”
All damn good questions, and she had no
answers. The weight of that reality pressed down on her. Enhanced
strength, endurance, hearing and vision, plus other things she’d
barely used – but it did her little good if all she could do was
hide out in abandoned buildings, having to steal to eat. And now
she’d made herself the target of violent, dangerous criminals, on
top of the high likelihood that the lab was searching for her.
She had to get out of Point Sable. Nothing
else mattered, not right now. She had to leave, and she had to do
it before anyone traced her to an innocent man’s door.
“I appreciate your concern,” she said. “I
really do. But you know I have to get out of here, as soon as
possible.”
“I know.”
“If they find me with you, they’ll kill you
too. They won’t care about your family name or your trust fund.
They’ll put a bullet in your head and step over your body to get to
me.”
The bright blue of his eyes darkened to a
stormy twilight. “Look, I’m not going to pretend to be some kind of
badass. You’ve got the market cornered on that.” He chuckled
self-consciously and pushed his glasses up. “There are other things
I can do to help you. You saved my life, Dani. I owe you. Let me
repay that debt.”
How could anybody think this guy was just
some airhead trust fund douchebro? She sat back in her chair and
regarded him for a long moment. “The clothes are great.” She
smiled. “A pair of good boots to go with them would be great,
too.”
Red stained his cheeks briefly. “I can get
you boots. I was thinking a new identity, too. Seed money.
surface.
To the far left sat a circular bistro table
with wrought iron chairs. Not far from that was a bar that
connected to the kitchen, laden with food. Kevin handed her a heavy
black plate. “Caprese quiche. Prosciutto wrapped asparagus. Croque
monsieur. Fresh fruit. Croissants. Your choice of traditional
Mimosa or raspberry Bellini.”
Maybe he was trying to impress her. It kind
of worked. Dani wasn’t entirely sure what a couple of the dishes
were but everything looked and smelled good, so she piled her plate
high and took a seat at the table. They ate in silence, Dani going
back for seconds while he made coffee.
Finally full, she pushed her plate away and
rested her elbows on the table. “So when do you start asking me
questions?”
Kevin set two steaming cups on the table and
returned to his seat. “I’m ready when you are.”
“You know I won’t answer everything. I
probably won’t answer much at all.” The food had been amazing and
the coffee smelled divine as well. She looked out at the view
instead of at him, more than a little unsure of herself in such
surroundings.
“How about we start with something simple.
What can I call you?”
She liked that. He didn’t ask for her name,
he asked what he could call her. Maybe that was why she told him
the truth. “Dani. My name is Dani.”
Understanding filled his eyes. He offered his
hand. “My name is Kevin.”
They shook hands. He held onto hers for a
beat longer than strictly necessary, but there was nothing
possessive or domineering in his grip. He wasn’t trying to assert
control, or test her, or any other kind of dickish hypermasculine
move. It was like he just wanted to keep touching her for a moment
longer. So she allowed it, and realized that it wasn’t bad at all,
being touched by this man.
He let go and sipped his coffee. “Thank you
for helping me that night outside the shelter. You saved my
life.”
“You’re welcome.” She didn’t know what else
to say.
“I do have a lot of questions, but we need to
talk about last night first. If I’m going to help you, I’d like to
know what happened. I think I deserve that much.”
“You’ve already helped me, and I appreciate
that. But I need to leave.”
“And do what? Where will you go? Do you have
any money? Do you even have ID? How are you planning to hide from
those people?”
All damn good questions, and she had no
answers. The weight of that reality pressed down on her. Enhanced
strength, endurance, hearing and vision, plus other things she’d
barely used – but it did her little good if all she could do was
hide out in abandoned buildings, having to steal to eat. And now
she’d made herself the target of violent, dangerous criminals, on
top of the high likelihood that the lab was searching for her.
She had to get out of Point Sable. Nothing
else mattered, not right now. She had to leave, and she had to do
it before anyone traced her to an innocent man’s door.
“I appreciate your concern,” she said. “I
really do. But you know I have to get out of here, as soon as
possible.”
“I know.”
“If they find me with you, they’ll kill you
too. They won’t care about your family name or your trust fund.
They’ll put a bullet in your head and step over your body to get to
me.”
The bright blue of his eyes darkened to a
stormy twilight. “Look, I’m not going to pretend to be some kind of
badass. You’ve got the market cornered on that.” He chuckled
self-consciously and pushed his glasses up. “There are other things
I can do to help you. You saved my life, Dani. I owe you. Let me
repay that debt.”
How could anybody think this guy was just
some airhead trust fund douchebro? She sat back in her chair and
regarded him for a long moment. “The clothes are great.” She
smiled. “A pair of good boots to go with them would be great,
too.”
Red stained his cheeks briefly. “I can get
you boots. I was thinking a new identity, too. Seed money.
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