Read Online Enemy From The Past (Unseen Enemy Book 4) by Marysol James - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marysol James
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buy you a ticket to wherever the hell you want to go. But not yet. Give Dallas a chance, let us take care of you a bit. Just… take a breath. Just rest, for the first time in four-plus years.”
She thought about it, and the men watched her, their hearts pounding.
“Kat.”
Startled, she glanced up at Jim. She’d never heard that tone in his voice before. Kat had seen him gentle and supportive with her friends; she’d seen him take care of them when they needed him. But this – this was a different side of Jim. Sweet. Tentative. Penitent, almost. He actually looked frightened and small, and that stopped her cold.
“What?” she said.
“Please don’t go.”
“Why not?”
“Because. You belong right here, with all of us.” With me.
Their eyes met and held. Kat couldn’t tear her gaze from his.
I swear I can hear him begging. Goddammit.
With a sense of falling, Kat turned to Dallas. “His name’s Michael Ferguson. He’s the sheriff of Foxburg Falls.”
They stared at her, disbelieving, then they saw how terrified she looked all of a sudden. With jerky movements, Kat got to her feet as if to run, but she backed away from them until her shoulders rested against the door. She hugged herself, trying to physically hold in her sobs, turning her face from them.
I never wanted to say his name out loud, not ever again. And now they know everything I’ve tried to hide, worked so hard to forget. How the hell can I look any of them in the face?
Jim got to her first. He held her tightly, cocooning her between the door and his wall of solid muscle, his large body covering her smaller one, giving her a sense of privacy. He didn’t say one word as her tears soaked his t-shirt and her whole body shook against him. The others stood back a respectful distance, wishing like hell they could make her promises, offer her guarantees, bring her that fucker’s head on a stake, anything, anything to give her the peace that she so desperately wanted.
That she fucking deserves.
Gradually, her sobs tapered off and Jim pulled back to look at her. She stared at the floor, embarrassed and ashamed, but he wasn’t having any of it.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Look at me.”
She took a breath, lifted her chin.
“You’re not in this alone, baby. Not anymore.”
“I know,” she whispered, tears threatening again.
“And I’m not leaving you on your own until Dallas knows exactly where this asshole is. You hear me? I’m going to do whatever I have to do to make you feel safe.” His eyes were blazing at her. “That means staying here, sleeping on your sofa, taking you to work, picking you up. When we’re sure that twisted prick’s safe and sound in Foxburg Falls, then we’ll see where we are. OK?”
She nodded, her throat too tight to speak.
Jim stepped back now, and she tried to smile at the other men. “Thanks, guys.”
“Sure,” Dean said gruffly. “Whatever you need Kat, just ask.”
“I will.”
They gave her a hug on the way out, and Jim shut the door behind them. Kat sat on the sofa, suddenly completely and totally wrecked and exhausted. He saw it in her face, and he sat next to her.
“How you doing?” he said.
“I’m not sure.” She considered. “Worried. Relieved. Tired. Happy.”
“All at the same time?”
“Yeah.” She smiled at him, and he loved how her face lit up. “I’ve got a blender going full-speed inside of me. I’m all mixed up.”
He grinned at that. “You want to go lie down for a while?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“OK, you go do that. And when you get up, we’ll drop by my place and pick up some of my clothes and stuff.”
She started. “Oh, Jim… you don’t have to do that. I mean, I’ll be fine here on my own.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What did I tell you?”
She squirmed under the intensity of his gaze. “When?”
“Not even three minutes ago.” He glowered at her. “Didn’t I say that I wasn’t leaving you alone?”
“Yeah.”
“You trying to
She thought about it, and the men watched her, their hearts pounding.
“Kat.”
Startled, she glanced up at Jim. She’d never heard that tone in his voice before. Kat had seen him gentle and supportive with her friends; she’d seen him take care of them when they needed him. But this – this was a different side of Jim. Sweet. Tentative. Penitent, almost. He actually looked frightened and small, and that stopped her cold.
“What?” she said.
“Please don’t go.”
“Why not?”
“Because. You belong right here, with all of us.” With me.
Their eyes met and held. Kat couldn’t tear her gaze from his.
I swear I can hear him begging. Goddammit.
With a sense of falling, Kat turned to Dallas. “His name’s Michael Ferguson. He’s the sheriff of Foxburg Falls.”
They stared at her, disbelieving, then they saw how terrified she looked all of a sudden. With jerky movements, Kat got to her feet as if to run, but she backed away from them until her shoulders rested against the door. She hugged herself, trying to physically hold in her sobs, turning her face from them.
I never wanted to say his name out loud, not ever again. And now they know everything I’ve tried to hide, worked so hard to forget. How the hell can I look any of them in the face?
Jim got to her first. He held her tightly, cocooning her between the door and his wall of solid muscle, his large body covering her smaller one, giving her a sense of privacy. He didn’t say one word as her tears soaked his t-shirt and her whole body shook against him. The others stood back a respectful distance, wishing like hell they could make her promises, offer her guarantees, bring her that fucker’s head on a stake, anything, anything to give her the peace that she so desperately wanted.
That she fucking deserves.
Gradually, her sobs tapered off and Jim pulled back to look at her. She stared at the floor, embarrassed and ashamed, but he wasn’t having any of it.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Look at me.”
She took a breath, lifted her chin.
“You’re not in this alone, baby. Not anymore.”
“I know,” she whispered, tears threatening again.
“And I’m not leaving you on your own until Dallas knows exactly where this asshole is. You hear me? I’m going to do whatever I have to do to make you feel safe.” His eyes were blazing at her. “That means staying here, sleeping on your sofa, taking you to work, picking you up. When we’re sure that twisted prick’s safe and sound in Foxburg Falls, then we’ll see where we are. OK?”
She nodded, her throat too tight to speak.
Jim stepped back now, and she tried to smile at the other men. “Thanks, guys.”
“Sure,” Dean said gruffly. “Whatever you need Kat, just ask.”
“I will.”
They gave her a hug on the way out, and Jim shut the door behind them. Kat sat on the sofa, suddenly completely and totally wrecked and exhausted. He saw it in her face, and he sat next to her.
“How you doing?” he said.
“I’m not sure.” She considered. “Worried. Relieved. Tired. Happy.”
“All at the same time?”
“Yeah.” She smiled at him, and he loved how her face lit up. “I’ve got a blender going full-speed inside of me. I’m all mixed up.”
He grinned at that. “You want to go lie down for a while?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“OK, you go do that. And when you get up, we’ll drop by my place and pick up some of my clothes and stuff.”
She started. “Oh, Jim… you don’t have to do that. I mean, I’ll be fine here on my own.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What did I tell you?”
She squirmed under the intensity of his gaze. “When?”
“Not even three minutes ago.” He glowered at her. “Didn’t I say that I wasn’t leaving you alone?”
“Yeah.”
“You trying to
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