Where he was really going, well, Dax wasn’t sure. His boss hadn’t divulged that yet. He didn’t even say whether he had to change his name. The unknown bothered him. Worried him.
Why should it worry him? It’s not like he had much family to worry about missing him. His parents were dead. Ten years already.
God, it’s as if it happened yesterday. Stripped from his life without a backward glance. A man with a temper and a gun. Greed shielding his eyes.
A bank robbery turned deadly. His parents, with five other hostages, taken from the world without remorse.
Ryan asked why he dropped off the face of the earth. Well, grief had done a number on him. He had taken his anguish and put it to good use. Joined the FBI. His only family now.
But now they were being ripped out of his life as well.
Maybe that was another reason he couldn’t connect to Bridget like she wanted him to. Connecting meant inevitable pain.
Or not.
He barely had a chance to connect with Sarafina and he was feeling the pain. Almost as if she had been shoved from his life like a quick push off the edge of a cliff.
He missed her. Her sweet laugh. Her beautiful innocence. Her delectable body. He missed it all.
And he couldn’t tell her a damn thing. Oh, he wanted to so badly. He couldn’t count on his hands how many times the urge to see her one more time came over him. The number was too high to contemplate.
He held it, though. Seeing her again would only make the pain worse. Not to mention, he might take her with him. Kidnap her. Steal her. Bribe her.
Whatever form seemed necessary.
But that wouldn’t be fair to her.
So, he stayed away.
A trophy slipped from his hand when his phone rang for the third time.
Probably his boss—again. The man hadn’t stopped bothering him since he told him the fatal news over a week ago.
Stay home. Don’t worry about work. Pack up. Forget about the life you had.
His words in a nutshell.
He no longer had a caseload. He had no life anymore.
So, yeah, his boss could leave a damn message. He didn’t need to hear for the umpteenth time, “I’m sorry, Dax. I wish I didn’t have to do this.”
He was sorry as hell as well. The main reason—giving up Sarafina before he even had the chance to call her his.
Picking the trophy up again, he threw it in the box. Not a dent, scratch, or clink happened. His life was broken, but his damn trophies refused to break.
Figures. Meaningless shit stayed perfectly together.
Walking away from the box, knowing if he didn’t eventually call his boss back, he might send the cavalry. That was the last thing he needed. They wanted to ship him away to a faraway land. Fine! Then they could leave him the hell alone.
He didn’t want pity, apologies, or hell, even moral support. He just wanted to be left alone.
Swiping his phone from the counter, he scrolled through the miss calls.
Yep. Two from his boss. No surprise there.
The last one had him hesitating. Not a number he recognized.
He hit the voicemail button and listened with half an ear as his boss droned on in two messages just seeing how he was.
Fine, damn it. Quit asking.
The third message froze his heart, the pain searing him right to the bone.
Sarafina.
“Hi…Dax…umm…it’s Sarafina. We really need to talk. Please come over. Please. I need you to come right away. Call me back.” A slight pause. “Oh, and be very careful. Very careful. I don’t doubt anything you’ve told me anymore. Please come. I need to keep you safe in my arms.”
Safe in her arms? What the hell was she talking about? She didn’t doubt him anymore?
She could only be talking about one thing.
The Chilani family.
And she thought she could keep him safe. More like, he might have to keep her safe now.
13
Dax knocked on her door for the third time. If she didn’t answer her door in the next ten seconds, he would be picking her locks and be damned the consequences. She called, left that terrifying message riddled with puzzles and the fright in her voice, and now she wasn't answering the door.
She said to call her back. He didn’t think that was very safe or wise. His panic would’ve only increased as he drove through the city trying to reach her. Hearing her voice, how scared she sounded, he wouldn’t be able to hear it again. Not until he could see her face, pull her into his arms, and caress it away. If that would even be possible.
“Shit.”
He turned to grab some tools from his car to pick the lock when the door finally swung open.
“Dax?”
Shoving her inside without a word, he slammed the door closed, locked it, and pulled her into his arms. He waited for no invitation. His lips claimed hers with a searing kiss. She was safe. Unharmed. His heart still wouldn’t calm down.
Lifting for air, even though he could kiss her all night, he knew they needed to talk first. Plus, he did need air. It all left his body when he listened to her message. About a dozen times, if he was being honest.
“What the hell is going on? You can’t just leave that kind of message on my phone. Do you hear me?” He kissed her again, unable to stand the fright in her eyes.
“If I knew a simple call would have you rushing here, I would’ve called you a lot sooner,” she said with a short laugh after he gave her a breather from another hot kiss that should’ve told her how scared he was.
“Are you telling me that message meant nothing? You missed me? Damn it, Sarafina, that’s not okay.”
He dropped his arms and stepped back. She was dressed in loose black drawstring pants and a tiny tank top. No bra. The picture before him was very enticing. Too enticing. But he needed to keep his mind on track. Get in and get out. Coming hadn’t been the best idea. Or safe. Clearly, she didn’t understand that.
But the fright in her eyes. What was that about?
She wrapped her arms around her chest and shivered. “I did miss you.”
“Yeah, I got that.” He swiped a hand through his hair.
“You didn’t let me finish. I called for a reason.”
“Please, elaborate.”
“Don’t be mad at me. What did I do wrong?” She threw her hands in the air and walked toward the living room.
Willing himself to calm down, not sure that would be possible, he followed her to the couch and took a seat next to her. “You scared the shit out of me. Forgive me if I’m having a hard time staying calm right now. The message sounded serious, even though you gave me no specifics. It’s what you didn’t say that has me worried.”
Clasping her hands, she stared at the floor. “I’m scared, Dax. For you.”
The fear again. Her voice trembled with it.
Cupping her chin, he pulled her eyes to his. “Why? Tell me what’s going on.”
“I went over to Lily’s house today. I mean, Mr. C’s house, to help her pack up her old room. I walked from my parents’ house and made it there before her. I heard Mr. C talking on the phone. I heard him…” Her eyes drifted down.
He brushed his lips against hers, then dropped his hand from her chin and grabbed her hands. Prying them apart, he linked their hands together and squeezed. “What did you hear? Tell me.”