Rhys (4 page)

“Jake’s one of the few people I trust,” Rhys said. “He watched over you for a few hours this morning so I could get some sleep.”

The tattoo guy—Jake—put the knife down on the window seat and stood up. If he thought that he looked any less intimidating without a weapon, he was dead wrong.

“Sorry if I upset you, Dr.,” Jake said. “But I can assure you that if anyone had come in here last night, they would have regretted it.”

“Th-thank you,” Tessa said. She wasn’t sure how exactly she was supposed to react to that statement.

Tessa looked between the two men. They were a matching pair—fire and ice. Both lethal, just in different ways. It made sense that they were friends.

But what didn’t make sense was why they were here with her.

Who the hell were they anyway? It struck Tessa that she really didn’t know much more than their names. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She knew Rhys had no problem knocking out a couple of heavily armed guards, and that Jake
really
liked his knives.

It wasn’t the sort of knowledge that inspired a whole lot of confidence.

“I’ll be out front if you need me,” Jake said, patting Rhys once on the shoulder before heading toward the door.

Rhys nodded. He waited until his friend was outside before he turned back to her. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore.” That was the understatement of the year. She twisted at the waist, trying to stretch away some of the tightness, then hissed in a breath as a stabbing pain seized her side. She almost collapsed on the mattress, but Rhys’ hands clasped her shoulders, steadying her.

“Careful,” he said. “Don’t do too much. It’s going to take some time to heal after what you’ve been through.”

Tessa cocked her head to the side.
What she’d been through
? What could he possibly know about that?

She ran through her memories of last night. The escape. The drive. The resetting of her arm. After that everything became fuzzy.

Fuzzy and floaty and warm.

Because he’d drugged her.

He’d said he’d given her morphine for the pain, but here she was, waking up in a strange house, with strange men. All of them knowing a hell of a lot more about her than she knew about them. God only knew what she’d blabbed to him last night after he’d dosed her with opiates.

Hopefully nothing about San Jose.

San Jose.

Tessa’s stomach turned over in her belly. How could she have forgotten for even a second?

Tessa glanced at the window as she scooted over to the far side of the bed. The soft yellow light filtering in through the blinds told her it was morning. Hopefully, that meant she still had time.

“I’m actually feeling much better,” she said, turning her back to Rhys as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Thankfully they held her weight as her feet hit the floor. Just barely, but still. “I appreciate everything you did for me last night, but I think I should be on my way.”

“I don’t think that would be a very good idea,” he said. “Boyd is out there looking for you, and you’re hurt. You’re much safer here than wherever you’re trying to get.”

“I’m not that bad,” Tessa said, looking down at herself. She froze as, for the first time, she realized that she was no longer wearing her own clothes. Instead she was wearing a man’s white oxford shirt. She swiveled around to face Rhys. “Why am I wearing your clothes?”

“Yours were ruined,” he said plainly. “I didn’t think you’d want to be left uncovered after I’d seen to your injuries.”

“
Seen to my injuries
?” Tessa pulled back the collar and looked down. Sure enough, her cuts had been cleaned. A fresh bandage was wrapped around her ribcage, but black and purple marks still showed above and below its borders.

Tessa closed her eyes and let the shirt fall.

Memories of how she’d received those bruises rose up in her mind. Tessa fought to push them back, but like a breaking wave, they washed over her.

She wasn’t upset that Rhys had tended her wounds. She was ashamed that he—that anyone—had seen her in this state. Hot tears pricked at her eyes.

“I really need to go,” she said. Her legs were shaking as bad as her voice as she started looking around the bed for her clothes.

“Like I said, Tessa, I don’t think that’s the best idea.”

Her head snapped up. The bed was still between them, but suddenly, it didn’t seem like a big enough buffer. Then again, Tessa couldn’t think of a distance large enough that would make her feel safe from the swirling mass of conflicting emotions this man conjured in her.

He’d rescued her from the worst situation of her life, but she knew nothing about him. He’d expertly treated her injuries, though he was obviously a dangerous man. She knew she couldn’t trust him, but she couldn’t help but feel safe when he was by her side. Her head spun.

“No offense, but I don’t really care what you think,” Tessa said, as panic started to bubble inside her. “You don’t understand what’s really going on here.”

“So, explain it to me,” he said, taking a small step toward her.

Tessa tensed. “No.”

The mood in the room changed, becoming heavy as Rhys’ eyes locked with hers. Seconds ticked by, but he didn’t make another move.

“Then I can’t let you go out there, Tessa,” he said.

Something inside Tessa snapped. Fear and desperation swelled inside her chest.

She swiveled around and grasped the knife that Jake had left behind and held it out in front of her. Rhys glanced at the blade, but his flat expression didn’t change.

Tessa lifted her chin, meeting his silent challenge. “Am I prisoner here?”

“No.” Rhys shook his head.

“Then let me leave.”

He didn’t move an inch. “Put down the knife, Tessa.”

“Get out of my way.”

“I’m not going to hurt you, Tessa,” he said calmly. “No one here is going to hurt you.”

Her hand started to shake. “I don’t even know who you are.”

“I’m a friend.”

“A friend that just happens to hang out at Anders Boyd’s house?” She gave a bitter laugh. “How can I be certain this isn’t one of his elaborate tricks?”

“No trick,” he said. “Just put down the knife.”

“Why? So I can be defenseless when you come at me with a needle again?” She spat the words at him, her voice growing louder. “So your friend can cut me with it when I don’t tell you what you want to know? So you can press it against my throat while threatening my family?”

Tessa felt the tears streaming down her cheeks. The shake in her hands moved all the way up to her shoulders.

Rhys shook his head as he took a slow step toward her.

“No,” he said, calmly. “Because I’m afraid you’re going to fall again and accidentally stab yourself.”

“Don’t come any closer.” Tessa kept her arm straight, as he took another step.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Tessa,” he repeated. “Just put down the knife.”

“I can’t,” she said honestly. She couldn’t lower her arm. She couldn’t stop fighting. Just like she couldn’t stop running.

“I know.” There was no judgment in his voice, just the glimmer of deep understanding in his eyes.

Rhys closed the distance between them so quickly that Tessa couldn’t do much more than gasp. His hand shot out and wrapped around her right wrist. His fingers pressed deep into the base of her thumb and her fist fell open.

The blade clattered to the floor between them.

Before Tessa could react, his arms enveloped her. He didn’t restrain her, just pressed her against his body as sobs started to wrack her.

“It’s okay, Tessa,” he whispered against her ear. “I’ve got you.”

Dear God, she didn’t want to fall apart. She really didn’t. But it was as if the dam inside her had broken, and all the fear, all the despair that had been swelling inside of her came pouring out.

Her knees buckled, but Rhys stayed with her, collapsing down to the floor. He gathered her up in his lap and held her there. He didn’t try to move or calm her. He didn’t say a word. He just stayed with her, holding her. For the moment, it felt like his embrace was the only thing keeping her together.

Tessa didn’t know how long she stayed like that, sobbing on the floor, but eventually the wave of raw emotion started to subside. She lifted her face and found Rhys staring down at her.

“I’m sorry,” she said the moment she looked into his bright blue eyes.

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

Yeah, that wasn’t true. “I threatened you with a knife. I’ve never done anything like that before.” Embarrassment burned her cheeks.

The cold intensity she’d become so used to in his gaze faded a bit, replaced by a twinkle of warmth. “They say there’s a first time for everything.”

A shy smile pulled at the corners of Tessa’s lips. “I’m still sorry.”

She raised a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair away from her face, but Rhys reached it first. He slipped it behind her ear with surprising gentleness.

“It’s going to be okay, Tessa,” he said. His hand lingered by the side of her face. “I’m not going to let Dylan or Boyd hurt you ever again.”

Tessa’s brows pulled together for a fraction of a second before she caught herself and looked away. Of course, that was what he thought this was about. It was only natural to assume that she was concerned for her own safety.

It was probably better that she didn’t correct him. Let him believe that her fears were selfish. Maybe then he’d lower his guard and she’d get her chance to escape.

And she desperately needed that chance. Every minute she spent in this house was another minute that Boyd could discover her secret. It was as simple as that.

So why did keeping her mouth shut make her feel like she was betraying the man who had saved her?

Chapter Four

She was keeping something from him. Something big.

Even now, Rhys could feel her pulling away. Not physically, but emotionally.

He’d been surprised by how quickly he’d been able to form a connection with her. All it had taken was a little patience and tenderness, and she had stopped fighting. She’d relaxed in his arms. The suspicion was all but gone from her eyes.

But then all at once, the tension had returned. She wouldn’t even look him in the eye.

Was she afraid to put her life in the hands of a stranger, or was she ashamed of the reason that Boyd had taken her prisoner? Did she fear he would judge her for what she’d done, or did she fear legal consequences?

Rhys wouldn’t know which core emotion was behind her reticence until he could ask her more questions.

But now wasn’t the time.

Rhys could feel the anxious energy buzzing through her muscles. One wrong word and the fragile trust between them would shatter. She would shut down…maybe for good.

There would be plenty of time for questions later. Once Tessa had time to realize that he wasn’t playing her.

Rhys turned his head as a soft knock sounded against the bedroom door.

“
Captain’s
here.” Jake’s voice carried through from the other side.

Tessa’s eyes went wide as her face snapped to his. “The
Captain
?”

So much for calming her down.

“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s just my boss.”

Tessa scrambled to get out of his lap. Rhys helped her up to her feet. She wobbled for a moment, but quickly regained her footing.

“Your
boss
?” Her brows pulled together as she stumbled back a few steps.

“Carter Macmillan,” Rhys said, giving her all the space she wanted. “I work for Macmillan Security.”

Tessa’s eyes shifted back and forth for a moment, as though she was trying to place the name. Her head whipped up a moment later.

“You were the guys that brought down Congressman Fuller.” There was more than a hint of admiration in her voice.

“No,” Rhys admitted. “A journalist named Ally Weaver did that. We just helped her out.”

Tessa narrowed her eyes. “So, what were you doing at Boyd’s house last night?”

There was another soft knock on the door behind Rhys, but he ignored it.

“He was offering me a job,” he said. “I turned him down.”

Tessa’s lips pressed together as she mulled over his words. Her shoulders had just begun to relax a little when the knock came again, louder this time.

“Not now,” Rhys called out.

“Why is your boss here?” she asked.

“Because I want to help you, Tessa,” Rhys said. “But I can’t go after Boyd alone. I need my team.”

Tessa opened her mouth, but the bedroom door behind him creaked open before she could say anything.

Damnit.

“I said
not now
.” Rhys turned his gaze down to the floor as his back teeth ground together.

Tessa was asking questions. He was answering. They were so close to rebuilding the rapport they’d had a few minutes before.

“Sorry,” a familiar female voice came from the hallway. “But Carter is being a serious pain in the ass about seeing you, Rhys.”

Tessa’s brows shot up at the sight of the woman behind him.

“Tessa,” he said, through tight lips. “This is Charlie Keswick. She’s a…”

“…friend,” Charlie finished for him.

“…co-worker,” Rhys said at the same time.

Rhys turned around just in time to see Charlie give Tessa a wide, honest smile.

“Both,” Charlie said, stepping into the room. “Hi Dr. Rosenthal.”

Tessa eyed her skeptically, but she didn’t move away.

Charlie didn’t appear offended by the cold reception. Her smile remained as she lifted the plain green duffel bag at her side. “I brought you some clothes, along with some other stuff.”

“Thanks.” Tessa’s voice was still guarded as Charlie put the bag down on the bed.

“Don’t thank me yet. I’m not sure they’ll fit. I had to guess your size, since
somebody
couldn’t be bothered to check the labels in your old ones.” Charlie shot Rhys a pointed look.

“I told you they were ruined,” Rhys said in his defense.

“And I said you could guess,” Charlie shot back.

“I did.”

“Tiny is not a guess,” she said. “There is no size
tiny
. And if you spent any time around women you would know that.”

Rhys looked over to see Tessa pulling back the zipper on the bag. The corners of her lips lifted as she pulled a delicate blue top out.

“This’ll do just fine,” she said, looking up at Charlie. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Charlie said, before turning to Rhys. “Now, why don’t you go deal with the
Captain
while Tessa and I hang out.”

His eyes narrowed. “But—”

“I’ve got this, Rhys.” Charlie’s chin lifted a notch as she met his gaze.

Rhys stared down at her a moment longer, before shifting his gaze toward Tessa. “You’ll be okay?” he asked.

She gave him a small smile. “Yeah. I’ll be fine,” she said. It looked like the truth.

Rhys nodded. “I’ll be just down the hall if you need me.”

Charlie threw her hands up in the air. “Oh, go already,” she said. “Don’t you see we have stuff to do?”

“Stuff?” he asked.

“Yeah, girly stuff,” Charlie said in a mocking voice. “Like washing the blood out of her hair and putting on clothes that fit.”

***

“I thought he was never going to leave,” Charlie said the moment the bedroom door closed behind Rhys. “Don’t get me wrong. I know he means well, but sometimes that intensity level, it can be a little much.”

“Does he mean well?” Tessa wasn’t sure why she even bothered asking. Charlie already admitted to being both his friend and his co-worker. There was no way she wasn’t going to paint anything other than a glowing picture of the man.

Charlie shrugged. “For the most part. Of course, sometimes he can get that scary, hard look and it’s hard to tell. I don’t think anyone has ever really figured out what’s going on behind that steel wall he puts up.”

Or then again, maybe the woman could be honest.

Tessa relaxed a little as she gave the bubbly stranger the once over. Charlie was taller than her—but who wasn’t—and had bright red hair that Tessa was pretty sure wasn’t natural. Her smile was sincere, and more than a little contagious.

The strange truth was, Tessa found herself liking the woman almost immediately. If they had met at a party, Tessa could even see them becoming friends.

“I wouldn’t worry about Rhys though,” Charlie went on. “If there’s one thing that man is, it’s loyal.”

“To who?” Tessa asked.

“As far as I can tell, it’s not a
who
as much as a
what
.” Charlie went back to the bag on the bed and started digging inside. “Rhys has a soft spot for the underdog, the little guy fighting against insurmountable odds.”

That certainly sounded like her, especially last night. It explained why he’d risked his own skin to save hers.

But Tessa didn’t need a champion right now. She needed a way out.

“Yeah, but battling other people’s fights sounds like a good way to get yourself hurt…or worse,” Tessa said. Maybe if she could convince Charlie, she might be able to talk some sense into her
friend
.

Charlie lifted her head. “You have no idea who saved your ass last night, do you?”

Tessa blinked. She’d thought she did. “Some guy that works at a security firm.”

“Rhys is a hell of a lot more than that,” Charlie said, her grin growing. “He’s ex-Special Forces. And trust me, that
Special
means something when it comes to Rhys.”

“So, he’s a badass.” Tessa had already seen the proof of that. No regular Joe could have rescued her from Boyd’s compound.

“It’s more than that,” Charlie said, pulling a couple of bottles of nice shampoo and conditioner from the duffel bag. She tossed them down on the bed. “All the guys that work at Macmillan Security used to be in the same unit.”

“Under the
Captain
,” Tessa said. The title finally made sense.

Charlie nodded. “They became kind of famous for doing the right thing no matter the consequences. I don’t think that desire ended the day they got out of the Army.”

Great.

Tessa’s gaze slid to the floor. She was sure that Charlie was telling her this to reassure her, to let her know that she was with the good guys, and that no one was going to hurt her. And, in a way, that was a relief. But on the other hand, now Tessa had to slip away, not just from a single man, but from an entire Special Forces unit.

“You really like these guys, don’t you?” Tessa asked.

“I do,” Charlie said with a nod. “More than that I like what they do. I’ve seen them save a lot of lives. Right a lot of wrongs.”

“And that’s why you work for Macmillan?”

“That, and Carter pays twice as much as anyone else in town,” Charlie said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Be careful,” Tessa said, recoiling at the mention of money. “Believe me when I tell you it isn’t everything.”

Boyd had lured her across the country with the promise of more cash than she’d ever dreamed of. Looking back she should have known what was happening. She was smart enough to have figured it out, but the truth was, Boyd had offered Tessa her dream, and she’d been blind to anything else. Coming from a family that had struggled for every cent, Tessa had been thrilled to be given the chance to help them out for a change. She’d never imagined the cost.

Not until it was too late.

She’d carry the regret of that mistake with her for the rest of her life. Which, in all probability, wouldn’t be that much longer. Not if she did what she had to.

Her horror must have shown on her face though because Charlie’s expression had changed. Her gaze had turned critical, and her smile had faded. In its place was a look of concern.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” Tessa said, but Charlie looked far from convinced. Maybe it was better to change the subject. “What do you do at Macmillan Security, Charlie?”

“I run the IT department,” she said. “Hell, I
am
the IT department.”

“Something tells me there’s more to your job than setting up new software and printers, if they drug you all the way out here.” Tessa sat down on the edge of the mattress. Her legs were already getting tired.

“Well, I have a feeling Carter thought it would be a good idea to bring a woman along for this one.” Charlie took a seat on the opposite corner. “You might not have guessed, but our office isn’t exactly a bastion of gender diversity.”

“So, you’re just here to bring me clothes and help me wash my hair?” Tessa raised her brows.

Charlie met her gaze for a long moment, before finally shaking her head.

“No,” she said. “Carter was hoping you’d trust me, and I’d be able to get some more information from you.”

Tessa cocked her chin to the side. “More?”

“Carter had me dig up everything I could find about you after Rhys called last night,” she said.

Tessa’s heart started to hammer against her breastbone at Charlie’s words. She could feel the blood draining from her face. Rescuing her from Boyd’s house was downright noble.
Protecting
her from Dylan and his goon squad was understandable, if not misguided. But delving into her past? Rhys and his friends had no idea what dangerous waters they were diving into.

“What did you find?” Tessa asked, not bothering to mask the fear in her voice.

Charlie’s brows pulled together at the sudden change in her demeanor. “Not much, or I wouldn’t be here now.”

Thank God
.

Boyd had always kept Project Exodus a well-guarded secret. He’d said it was to keep the media distractions to a minimum, but now Tessa knew that was only half true. It wasn’t just the press he was trying to avoid. It was any number of government and defense organizations as well.

But there was bound to be some kind of trail. It might be buried deep in the SciGen archives, but it was out there. And Charlie seemed to be the type that didn’t give up easily.

Tessa grimaced as she struggled to turn her aching body toward Charlie.

“You have to promise me that you won’t keep looking,” Tessa said, grasping the other woman’s hand.

Charlie’s eyes widened at the sudden move, but she didn’t pull away. “Why?”

“Because it’s dangerous. Very dangerous,” Tessa said. “I can’t explain why. You just have to believe me.”