Read Online Saved by a Dangerous Man by Cleo Peitsche - Free Book Online

straight ahead, afraid to turn around and see what Henry was doing. And unlike the flight out, he didn’t try to get my attention or give me food or ask me if I needed something to read.
    And that scared me more than anything. Never would have thought I’d miss his pathological level of attentiveness.
    When the plane landed, I jumped up with all the other passengers. Just focus on walking away, Audrey, I told myself.  
    I grabbed my stuff and turned to look as the rows ahead of me emptied. Henry was staring.  
    I waved goodbye and blew him a kiss and mouthed, “Thank you.” I mimed a phone call and waved goodbye again.
    “Wait,” he called out as I turned. I pretended not to hear him.
    A rotund woman a few rows up slowly backed into the aisle. She pulled her bag down from the overhead compartment, unzipped it, and started digging for something.
    “Can I squeeze by?” I asked.
    She mumbled something in a language I didn’t understand. Then I saw Henry coming down the other aisle. By averting my face, I managed to avoid eye contact.  
    The woman finally located her hat and gloves, zipped everything up, and bumped down the aisle, smacking her suitcase on every row of seats.
    Henry and I reached the exit at the same time.
    “Didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” I said brightly as we walked through the terminal. “How was your flight?”
    “Would have been better if I’d been closer to you.”
    I couldn’t tell if he meant it. “The guy I got stuck next to played video games with the sound turned all the way up,” I said. “That was fun.”
    “It’s late. We’ll grab a taxi to my place—”
    “Henry, I’m not—”
    “And I’ll drive you home from there.” He slanted a reproachful look my way.
    “Oh.” Crap . How the heck was I supposed to get out of that? If I insisted on going my own way, it would make him even more suspicious. If I claimed someone was coming to pick me up, he would expect a ride. “Actually, I need to get going. I’m not feeling so great.”
    “That’s right. I forgot to ask how you are.”
    Technically, he still hadn’t asked, and I didn’t think it was an oversight. I smiled weakly. “Guess I’m coming down with something.”  
    “Poor thing.” His tone of voice said something quite different. Something that rhymed with “you little lying bitch.” Or maybe I imagined it.
    “My mom’s picking me up,” I stammered. “She offered, you know, last night when we talked. After the bar, in the room.” Take a breath. Keep it simple. “You go get your cab.”
    Henry stared at me. Stalemate. “You came to Florida for me, didn’t you?” Something sinister flashed in his eyes. He blinked and it disappeared—if it was even there to begin with. “So I’ll wait with you.”
    “You’re the best,” I said. “One sec.” I ducked into a bathroom, went to the stall the farthest from the door and turned on Corbin’s phone, holding it deep in the bag while simultaneously flushing the toilet so that Henry wouldn’t hear the startup chime.
    Great. I was completely paranoid.
    No new messages. I can’t get rid of him, I tapped. Don’t come here.
    I waited. Flushed again. Waited several minutes more. Nothing.  
    Just as I was about to walk out, the phone vibrated. I’m already here. Do not go anywhere with him.
    My hands trembled as I fixed my hair.
    A tween girl I recognized from the plane walked in. She gave me a funny look, and I turned to the mirror. My face was a stressed out disaster.
    No, I wasn’t cut out for this spy thing.  
    Deep breath. Now. One foot after the other.
    Henry stood next to a trash can, hands deep in his pockets as he intently watched the restroom. No wonder the girl had seemed freaked out.
    “Oh, good,” I said. “I worried you might have left.” It came out a little sarcastic; my forced peppiness was fading.
    “I’ve gotten accustomed to your spending large amounts of time in bathrooms. You should talk to your doctor about