Enemy Within (Unseen Enemy Book 1) (15 page)

BOOK: Enemy Within (Unseen Enemy Book 1)

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“I promise.”

“I’ll come and get you as soon as I’m sure that the coast is clear. You don’t move, no matter what. I’ll see you soon.” Dallas disconnected, turned the cell ringer off and put the phone in his pocket. He shrugged off his coat and approached the house slowly, the handgun held at waist level, his arms taut. He swept the gun from side to side as he walked past the garden, looking for any movement at all in the yard outside.

Dallas got to the open door, ducked his head in, pulled it out, waited. Nothing. Using his massive shoulders, he opened the door all the way and waited again, listening for movement. Silence.

Slowly, Dallas worked his way through the house, checking every room, every closet, every crawlspace. He took his time, moving quietly, making sure that he wasn’t missing anything, remembering to check the elevator from the indoor garage level. After ten minutes, he was sure that he and Olivia were the only people in the house.

The fucker scared her and then walked right out the front door. Goddamn him.

He kept the gun out and pointed down as he walked back to her bedroom. He couldn’t imagine how frightened she must be right at this moment, and he had the urge to break through the door to get to her. But he had to stay calm and reassuring; the last thing she needed was him scaring her any more than she already was.

He entered her bedroom again and approached the closed bathroom door. Not sure how she’d react to the gun, he tucked it away and made sure it was covered by the back of his t-shirt. He took a breath and as he exhaled, he let go of his hard professional persona. She needed warmth and comfort now, Dallas knew. She needed a friend, not a trained killer.

Liv jumped when she heard movement in her bedroom and she peeked over the lip of the tub at the door, terrified. A scream was building in her throat and she clapped her hands over her mouth to hold it in.

“Olivia?” His voice was gentle again. “It’s me… I’m right here. Open the door, hon.”

Dallas.

She launched herself at the door, scrambling to unlock it. She flung the door wide and practically threw herself in to Dallas’ waiting arms. The sobs that she’d been holding back came now, and she shook wildly, trying to catch her breath, her fingers gripping his shirt.

Dallas held her tightly, stroking her hair. “OK, baby, OK. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

All of a sudden, Olivia’s legs gave out under her completely, and he scooped her in to his arms. He backed up and sat on her bed with Olivia across his thighs, her face pressed in to his shoulder. Dallas’ one hand was buried in her hair; the other stroked her tense back, making big circles around and around, trying to soothe her.

Her tears and shaking slowed, then stopped, and her body went soft against him. He pulled back to see her face. She was gray with shock, her lips bloodless. Alarmed, he forced those gorgeous brown eyes to meet his own blue ones.

“Olivia? Talk to me, hon. You OK?”

She nodded. “Y – yes.”

He took her slim hand. “God, you’re freezing.” He rubbed it between both of his, trying to warm her up, and pulled her closer. “You’ll be OK in a few minutes. Just sit still.”

Dallas needed a few minutes himself. He was starting to realize just how badly this situation could have turned out, and he closed his eyes. He’d get angry as hell later, he resolved; right now, his only priority was to hold her until she felt safe again.

But Jesus Christ, if I hadn’t given her my private number that day at the hospital… this whole thing could have gone down way different.

It took a little while, but Liv’s head started to clear and her thoughts were more coherent. They were moving in a straight line again instead of tumbling around like a box of toys falling down the stairs. Something occurred to her now and she took a deep breath.

“Dallas?”

“Yeah?”

“How did you get in without the code?”

He looked at her, decided to tell her the truth. “The front door was open when I got here.”

“So… so he just – just walked out?”

“Looks that way.”

“But – how did he get
in
?”

“We’ll worry about that tomorrow, Olivia. Right now, I need to get you out of here and someplace safe and secure. You feel like you can walk?”

“Yes.”

“OK. Pack a bag.” He stood up and carefully set her on her feet, watching her to make sure she didn’t sway or fall again.

“A bag. OK.” Numbly, she moved to her closet, glad to have something to do. “Where am I going?”

“My place. Tonight, you’re staying with me, baby.”

Dear Reader,
‘Enemy Outside’ (Unseen Enemy #2) will be published on September 30th. If you want to know when it is available for purchase, please check on one of my social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, and my blog). I will be announcing its release in all of these places, and posting some teaser excerpts.
Thank you for reading!

About the author

Marysol James is the author of the 'Open Skies', ‘Fighting For Love’ and 'Unseen Enemy' series. She writes steamy, sexy, slinky romances which feature strong, complex women and equally fascinating men. Marysol is interested in producing well-written and passionate stories with characters who learn to let go of control and to trust – both in and out of the bedroom.

Her stories are very sensual (very!), and offer smart plots, a bit of humor, and lots of character development, so her books will appeal to readers who want emotional connection as well as sexuality.

When not writing, Marysol can be found swimming, doing yoga, listening to music and drinking coffee. To stay up-to-date with her, visit her blog at marysoljames.wordpress.com or follow her on Twitter (@marysoljames) or Facebook (marysol.james.romanceauthor)

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