Masked (8 page)

She turned to look at him now, her mouth dropped open in shock. “Thirteen?” she said softly. “What did you do for money? For food?”

A wry smile pulled at one corner of his mouth. “I stole, Lottey. That’s what you do when you live on the streets.”

She searched his eyes; saw the hardness there that had been built up from a difficult youth. Her parents had never been overly affectionate, but at least they had provided a roof over their heads, and food to eat. Bridgette couldn’t imagine having to rely on just herself at such a young age.

“When did you meet Ludwig then?” she asked.

He tilted his head, watching her carefully. Both eyebrows rose when she asked the question. “Since when are you so interested in my past?”

“We’re friends, aren’t we? Why wouldn’t I want to know more about you?”

“Because every time I tried to talk about something like that before, you always said, and I quote, ‘I’m not your damn therapist. Go tell someone who cares, or is paid to listen.’”

It surprised them both when Bridgette broke out into a fit of giggles. Roman smiled, watching her. Leave it to Charlotte to say something like that. She took a deep breath when her laughter stopped, looking out at the city with a shake of her head.

“Just tell me, and leave it be,” she said. What explanation could she really give for all her personality changes?

He placed his hands on the bricks in front of them, his long fingers gripping the edge. He had beautiful hands, she decided. They looked strong and capable, the kind of hands that knew how to do things to a woman’s body. Her face went up in flames at the thought. What was it with this man? Any time she was near him she turned into a puddle of hormones.

“Ludwig found me when I was fifteen.” He went quiet for a moment, lost in his memories. “He saved me from the streets. Without him, I’d probably be dead right now.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He gave me structure and discipline. I didn’t have either of those things when I was on my own. I got into trouble a lot, and hung around the wrong kinds of people. Ludwig saw something in me and nurtured it. He took me in, gave me a home and the encouragement I needed to make more of myself.”

“And this life? This is what you would have wanted for yourself?” She didn’t believe that. How could anyone want to become a renowned killer? Ludwig might have saved him from the streets, but what he gave him in return wasn’t all that much better in her opinion.

Roman looked over at her, capturing her gaze. She saw so much confusion and an inner conflict there. It made her wonder if the mighty Roman Adamson was as happy with his life as he appeared to be. Was there a heart beneath that tough exterior?

“What about you?” he asked, ignoring her question. “Is this the life you would have chosen?”

“If it were a perfect world, I’d want to be anywhere but here,” she answered.

He smiled a sad smile, his eyes roaming over her covered face. “Well, since it isn’t a perfect world, I’d just like to say that I’m happy you are.”

A warm feeling spread through her chest at his words. Roman Adamson liked that she was here with him. She wondered how often he got to just talk to someone the way they were. Now that she thought about it,
she
hardly ever had this sort of interaction with another person. Bridgette was so used to walking with her head down, going from work to home, and back again, she hardly gave herself a chance to get close to anyone. There was McKay, but they were only close because they’d known each other since they were youngsters. Besides McKay and the rest of his crew, she didn’t really have very many friends.

The girls at work didn’t count really. Sure, she’d call them her friends, but not very many of them knew much about her. No one had in-depth conversations, or asked each other about their past, or even their future. Michelle was the closest thing she had to a best friend, and even she knew very little about Bridgette. Perhaps people’s reluctance to grow close to others was simply a result of how different the world had become. You couldn’t really trust people in the New World like you could before the war.

“I’m not sure what I’d do without you, Lottey,” he said, dousing the warmth instantly. It wasn’t her he was here with, it was Charlotte. Her chest ached, and she found herself absently rubbing at it with the heel of her palm. He continued without waiting for her reply, “I know I told you I regret ever bringing you here, and a big part of me does. I wish life could have been easier for you. But another part of me is thankful, because you’re the only person that seems to keep me sane amongst all of the chaos.”

Bridgette had no idea how to reply to that, nor did she get the chance. There was a whistling sound, the only warning, but enough to catch her attention. She didn’t think, she just moved, throwing her body against Roman’s so hard, both of them slammed to the ground behind the brick wall. More shots rang out above them. Bridgette covered Roman’s face with her upper body, curving it around him. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the commotion to end.

A second later the shots ceased, the night returning to the quiet peacefulness it had been only moments before. Bridgette raised her head a fraction, looking down at Roman’s shocked face.

“Are you okay?” she asked, placing her hands on the ground at either side of his head, so she could lift herself up more to see him properly.

“How did you move that fast?” he asked, his voice low.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. She started to move off him, but a heavy hand landed on her back, just above the curve of her buttocks. He pinned her where she was, his eyes glued to her face.

“Careful,” he said. “Don’t raise your head above the bricks.” She nodded, sliding off him carefully when he finally removed his hand. Staying low to the ground, Bridgette plastered her back to the brick, her body shaking from the rush of adrenaline.

“What was that?” she asked, her voice quivering.

Roman sat up beside her, his mouth set in a firm line. He was pissed. A cold gleam had entered his eyes. “That was a lame attempt by someone trying to assassinate us.”
Oh yes, he was beyond angry
, she thought.

“Who would do something like this?”

“Who else? The rebels,” he answered through clenched teeth. If it had been her father, then she highly doubted she had been the target. Not that she was going to point that out. The sound of footsteps came from inside the stairwell a second before the door to the roof opened to reveal five soldiers.

“Are you two okay?” the man at the front asked.

“We’re fine,” Roman said. “Stay back in case they’re still there. I don’t need any of you getting a bullet in your head.”

“We already have teams searching the surrounding rooftops,” the soldier answered. “Whoever it was is probably running for safety by now.”

“They think they got him,” someone said from inside the stairwell. “A building, the next block over on the north side.”

“Tell them to surround the building,” Roman ordered, “and wait for us to arrive before going in.”

“Sir.”

Roman turned to her. “Let’s go, Lottey. We have a rat to catch.”

Every part of her wanted to say no, but she knew she had to play the part. Nodding her head, she started to stand when he clamped down on her shoulder.

“Let me get up first,” he said. Rising to his feet, rather gracefully for someone his size, Roman looked out at the night, his expression daring someone to try again. When it stayed quiet, he reached for her hand, pulling her up in front of him so his body shielded hers. In the next second she found herself lifted into his arms. She squeaked in surprise, her arms wrapping around his neck instinctively.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her cheeks flaming beneath her mask.

“Protecting you,” he said in an obvious tone. “Plus, you don’t have shoes on. I don’t need you stepping on something and hurting yourself before we even get going.”

“For goodness sakes, Roman, I can walk just fine.”

He looked at her, smiling for the first time since the shots started. “I know.”

He finally set her down in the hallway even though she had protested the whole way. “Go get your shoes and weapons on,” he said, giving her bottom a small tap as she turned to leave. When she looked back, he was expecting to see her usual reaction to his teasing, which was normally an expletive of some sort followed by a similar hand gesture. Instead he got a wide eyed look and a blush. He couldn’t see it, but somehow he knew it was there. Then she turned back around and hurried away.

Roman stood watching her in confusion. The night wasn’t turning out the way he had imagined. Finding her on that roof had been both a blessing and a curse. He’d gone up there looking for some solitude. Their time together in the gym had remained in his mind during the rest of the day, and he needed fresh air to figure out why he was feeling such a pull toward her suddenly. The light in her eyes that had never been there before called to him on a deeper level.

When you had spent your life surrounded by darkness and misery, it was refreshing to have someone around that didn’t appear tainted by it. He always thought Lottey was, that’s what made them such great friends. But her show of playfulness today was at odds with what he’d come to expect from her. Something had definitely changed in Lottey, he just wasn’t sure what.

Then on the roof, she had actually shown interest in what he’d been saying. He even saw a glint of compassion when he spoke of his younger years. It had hit him in the chest like a physical blow. Roman didn’t like pity, never wanted it from anyone. But he didn’t sense that it was pity Lottey felt for him up on the roof, just a general sense of empathy. When those shots had rung out, and she all but plastered herself to his body, the thoughts that had surged through his head had shocked him. For a moment, he hadn’t even been concerned that someone had come extremely close to killing them. All he’d been able to focus on was how she’d felt, and the way she had shielded his body with hers.

Perhaps carrying her had been pushing it a bit too far, but his body hadn’t been ready to put any distance between them. It had been a small indulgence he’d allowed himself, knowing that despite all the new and strange emotions he was feeling, there was no way he would act on any of them. Lottey was like a sister. He’d remind himself of that a thousand times if that’s what it took.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The phone rang twice before the other end picked up.

“What?” The General’s voice was firm, emotionless.

“I’m stuck,” Adam said, pressing back against the wall, his eyes trained on the New World soldiers surrounding the building even as he spoke.

Tense silence. “How badly?” he asked.

“I can see about a dozen soldiers already outside,” Adam answered. “Another SUV is pulling up now.” He watched as the new arrivals stepped out of the vehicle. He cursed under his breath. “Roman Adamson and Bridgette just got here too.”

The General was silent on the other end again, until he said, “there’s a manhole down the back alley. If you can get to it, someone will be waiting there to lead you through the tunnels. You’ll be able to lose anyone following you easily.”

The soldiers outside were talking, but he couldn’t hear what they were saying from where he hid. It would only be a matter of time before they started searching the building. If only he hadn’t missed Roman with his shot. It was all Bridgette’s fault, damn it.

“How do I get out to the alley?” he asked, pushing his luck. The General didn’t like people who were incapable of figuring things out for themselves, but Adam was having a hard time focusing through his anxiety. If they caught him, he was dead. There was no doubt about it.

“Wait for them to enter and use Bridgette as a hostage,” was his answer. “They won’t make a move on you if she’s in danger.”

“I don’t want to hurt her,” Adam said, uncomfortable with this new plan.

“You won’t. She’s not really Weapon X, Adam. She’ll be so scared, she’s likely to just freeze up and go with you. Do it, and get out. Now.”

He hung up. Adam looked back outside to see if they were getting ready to enter the building. Summoning up his courage, he hid near the stairwell that led to the second floor where he was waiting. The elevators no longer worked, since the building was empty and deserted. The stairs were the only way up. And if Adam’s assumptions were correct, Weapon X would be the last person to come up. Roman wouldn’t put her in direct danger by making her take the lead. Praying this would work, Adam hid and waited, his gun at ready by his side.