Unexpected Destiny (Assassins and Sweethearts Book 3) (3 page)

It figured he held a contract to kill her in his pocket. Clery luck at its finest.

Chapter
Three

Finally, the cab pulled in front of her building. Aidan paid the driver before the car stopped moving. “Out you go,” he said.

She swung the door open and he was on her heels pushing her toward her building. “Are you afraid I’ll change my mind or something?” She pulled the door open and wiped her damp palm on her hip. Her nerves were all fluttery and she hoped he hadn’t noticed.

“Nah. It’s getting cold out here.” He rubbed her shoulders, then took hold of the door and waved for her to go in ahead of him. “This is a tall building.”

“Sixty-five floors. My place isn’t the penthouse, but I have a pretty good view. It’s just high enough to make it possible to jog up the stairs if needed.” Two years ago, this place had her believing she’d landed in a fairy tale. Reese had been her prince until almost the moment he disappeared and taken her happily ever after with him. A thousand times, she thought about moving and leaving all the bad memories behind, but tonight she was glad she still had the few perks the building offered.

“Hi, Jerry.” She waved to the night doorman. “I have a visitor tonight.” The code words seemed silly when she moved in with her new husband but not now. Jerry would check on her in an hour if she didn’t call down with another code word.

“Okay. Sir, you need to sign in here.” Jerry pushed forward a clipboard. “And I need to see some identification.”

“Sure. Glad to see you have decent security here.” While Aidan signed the sheet, Jerry scanned his ID.

“Yes, Ms. Elizabeth is important to us. Have a good evening, you two.” He grinned and winked at her, probably glad to see her with a man.

She was really doing this, bringing home a man for the sole purpose of sexual pleasure. A thrill ran up her spine. Taking control of her life was an unbelievable rush.

The second Aidan had his ID back, she pressed the button for the elevator. Several long minutes later the doors opened and they stepped inside. She pushed the button for her floor and then positioned herself in the back corner, a good spot to observe him. Damn, he was good looking. Emily had picked well for her. He had this dreamy look about him except there was also something mysterious, dangerous even. She leaned on the wall of the elevator. Her thoughts filled with many things she wanted to try with him and none of them included being this far apart or clothed.

This devilishly sexy man, in his jeans, t-shirt, boots, and leather jacket was turned on by her. If the bulge in his pants was any indication, she’d soon be quite satisfied. She licked her lips and watched him watching her.

But she only knew four things about Aidan. He enjoyed going commando, he liked her at least a little, he was kind enough to help a few drunken strangers, and he owned a company. Surely it was plenty to know about a man she just wanted to have sex with. She bit the inside of her cheek.

Nope. It was most definitely not enough to know about him. She shifted her weight from side to side and considered running to the stairs the second the doors opened.

“Shit. This is pretty dumb of me to invite you up here. For all I know you could be a serial killer.” The elevator opened on her floor and she scooted out ahead of him. Now, her building security felt insufficient. How had she let Sherri and Emily talk her into this? Because she needed this. She really needed this.

“Well, I’m not.”

She turned on a dime and walked backwards toward the stairway. “Not what? You’re not a killer?”

“I’m definitely not a serial killer.”

“Ah.” She snorted and covered her mouth.

“Besides, you did Google me.”

“Well, it no longer seems enough.” She tilted her head and tried to figure him out. “Or am I overthinking again?” She twirled her hair around her finger. Sherri would tell her to listen to her instincts and they were screaming at her to give in to this incredibly handsome man. This is what she’d been looking for. This is what she needed.

They both took a step forward and bumped into each other. His mouth came within an inch of hers and he wrapped his arms around to squeeze her ass.

“I’m here tonight to bring us both incredible pleasure.” He claimed her lips. Strength plundered her mouth and his tongue caressed along hers. He smelled of the night air and something a bit spicy, aftershave maybe. White hot heat coursed through her. Oh yeah, she wanted this.

When they came up for air, she breathed in deep, “I believe you.”

He took a step away and pulled the keys from her hand. “Which one is yours?”

“This way.” She pointed to the door on her right and stripped the keys from his hand.

“Your husband won’t mind you bringing me home?” He followed her.

“No.” She stiffened and turned around. “Wish Sherri hadn’t mentioned him.” She shrugged her shoulders. “He disappeared over a year ago.”

“He’s not responsible for the bruises on your neck?” He tugged on her scarf.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.” She pulled the fabric free and rubbed the fading black and blue. “I was mugged a couple weeks ago.” She stuffed it in her purse.

“Shit, Liz. Did you get hurt anywhere else?” He stepped back and checked her over. “There are no obvious signs.”

“No, not obvious.” She looked away. “I held onto my purse strap and he used it against me.”

“Don’t do that.” He grabbed her shoulders. “I mean it. None of your possessions are as important as your body, your life.”

“I get it. I do.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “It was just instinct. It all happened so fast.” She’d still be rocking herself and crying in her apartment if her girlfriends hadn’t helped her to stand back up. It had taken her months to gather the courage to socialize again after Reese disappeared. The mugger had stolen the courage she’d managed to pull together, along with her purse. “Sherri got me to take a couple self-defense classes. The first thing he taught me is not fighting back.”

“Sounds like a great start.”

“I hate those classes. How much am I supposed to take before I get to whoop someone’s ass?” Things kept happening to her and she wanted back in the driver seat.

“Keep taking the classes. You’ll get to kick ass.” He rubbed her arms and she wished the chill of terror would leave her alone for good. “It’s important you understand the time for letting go and when to fight back. It will save your life.”

“That sounds important. But I’m going to tell my instructor I get to kick ass.” She held up her fists and threw a couple tiny punches.

“You must be his favorite student.”

“You know it.” She giggled. With a shake to her hips, she turned to her door. What she wanted now was simple—a long hot night with an intoxicating stranger. She pushed her key to the lock and the door drifted open. “What the hell.” Her quiet voice shook. “I locked the door when I left.”

He yanked her behind him. Silence filled her ears except for the racing of her heart. Before Aidan pulled her back, she’d caught a glimpse of her apartment. It was a disaster. Someone had been inside her home and torn it to shreds.

She stepped in behind him and pressed her cheek to his back. A crunchy sound broke through the silence as she followed him into her apartment. It was like walking on little pebbles that broke and cracked with each step. She glanced down and saw shattered glass for as far as she could see. All except for the television. It sat eerily undisturbed in the corner.

“Stay back.” His hand came around her.

“What the fuck, Aidan.” Another scan of her apartment and not a single item seemed to be in the same place. The pictures had been torn from the walls. All the furniture ripped to shreds with the stuffing scattered everywhere, feathers and fuzz floated through the air. “They were just here. Weren’t they?” A dark haze drifted over her. “I thought I could at least trust this place to keep me safe.”

Aidan turned and took hold of her hands. “We need to get out of here.”

Two years ago when she met Reese, she thought she was the luckiest woman alive. He’d swept her off her feet, spoiled her rotten, but then it all changed. He’d made several bad trades and got pulled off his largest real-estate account. Soon after, she never saw the man she’d fallen in love with again.

“Liz?” He tugged on her wrist.

She pulled her gaze from the disaster and focused on him. “Sorry, what did you say?” She rubbed her forehead and wished answers about why this happened or what she should do next would pop into her thoughts.

“We need to get out of here.” His brows were tightly drawn together. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” She lowered her hand and noticed the tremor. “What do I do now?”

“I’d like to get you somewhere safe and then we can figure it out.” He pulled her into the hallway and closed her apartment door.

It was a lot to process. Why would someone do this? She prayed it was random violence, but what were the chances she’d be mugged and have her place broken into in the same month? She wished she could run off with Aidan and not think about it again. He may not feel like a stranger but it’s who he was. It was too much to ask. She sighed. “You could take me back to my friends’ place. I could stay with them tonight.”

He took a step closer. “I know we just met but I won’t feel comfortable leaving you with anyone else tonight. The mugging and now this, I’d much rather stay with you, if it’s okay.” He caressed her cheek. “I need to know you’re safe.”

“Oh … I couldn’t impose.” She clutched her stomach, wishing she could take him up on his offer. “I don’t want to bring whatever this is to your doorstep. I’ll be fine.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and prayed he didn’t see it shake.

“It’s not asking too much.” He took hold of her hands. “You’ll be saving me a night of worry.”

“Really?” She searched his eyes and found his unwavering gaze. “Are you a boy scout or something?”

“A boy scout?” An amused smile lightened his expression.

She took a deep breath. “My friends didn’t scare you away with their interrogation techniques.” She forced a smile. “And you’re not scared away by this either.” Her life felt like it had been turned upside down like the wreckage in her apartment. “I mean, I wish I could walk away from my life and here you are asking to help me with it.”

“You’ll get through this.” He rubbed her shoulders. “I was a boy scout but I can assure you my skills have grown since then.” One of his eyebrows arched.

“That’s a good one.” She nodded and enjoyed a full body smile.

“You set me up for it.”

“True. A team effort, then.”

“I like it.” He caressed her cheek. “How about I show you my place?”

“Okay.” Her heart rate settled.

“Come on. Let’s head out. Stay close, okay?” He held her hand and rubbed the top with this other hand as he backed up to the elevator. “Is there another way out of here besides the front?”

“I believe so. We’ll need to take the elevator to the basement. The parking garage empties into the alleyway behind the building.”

He kept her close to his side when they ventured from her high-rise and walked behind the building next door to hail a cab.

Once she was settled in the car, she pulled her phone from her purse. “I need to call my doorman and tell him about my apartment.”

He slid the privacy panel closed, shutting them off from the driver. “Would he call the police?”

“Of course.”

He rubbed across his chin and stared out the window. “I think it was more than a coincidence we met tonight.”

“What do you mean?” She froze and watched him.

“I have unique resources that may find answers to what’s going on here. The cops are limited in their options.”

“So what, you don’t have that problem?” A chill traveled up her spine. Was he trying to trick her into feeling safe?

“Were they able to help when Reese disappeared?”

“Well, they investigated but couldn’t tell me anything definitive. I got the feeling they had no idea what happened.”

“What exactly did they tell you?”

She cleared her throat and rubbed her neck. “Based on the amount of his blood where they found his phone, they believe he’s dead. Well, murdered. They suspect it was because of gambling debts but, without more evidence, they’re only guessing, and Reese didn’t even gamble.” She shook her head. The sense of helplessness overwhelmed her again. “Not that I know of.”

“Did they test the blood?”

“They did. It matched a sample of hair they found on his brush.”

“Shit.” He pulled out his phone and typed something before putting it away. “I can’t guarantee I can locate the specific man who took Reese from you, but I will find the man responsible.”

“Who the hell are you?” She scooted as far away as she could get.

“It’s a problem I’ve unfortunately had to solve before.” He shifted to face her. “Give me a day, two tops and I’ll make sure harm never comes your way again.”

“Why do you want to help me?” She cocked her head, becoming more curious about him by the minute.

“I don’t like seeing people pay for the troubles of another. It’s why I do what I do.” He scooped up her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I’ve already got my guy looking into it. And if I can’t deliver, I’ll drop you off at the nearest police station.”