Unexpected Destiny (Assassins and Sweethearts Book 3) (4 page)

“It’s what you do?” She shook her head. “I want to believe you.” She pursed her lips and stared out the window. “I want to believe you can figure this all out. The alternative is too frightening and I can’t go back there.” Fear crawled up her legs, squeezing out all hope that her troubles were over. “I can’t handle this. Not again.” She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Let my team do their thing. We’ll have questions for you tomorrow but for now I want you to know you’re safe with me. You can trust me.”

Going back into hiding wasn’t an option. She couldn’t handle one more second of running from life. A shiver stormed through her. It wasn’t a reason to trust a stranger either, but it was exactly what she wanted to do. She watched him sitting there all confident and calm. Aidan was what she needed.

She placed the call to the doorman but made no mention of her apartment, only the code words to end his security protocol. Feeling safe hadn’t come easy to her in the last year and for whatever reason, she felt safe with Aidan. That’s the feeling she wanted to explore, not all the dread and fear. She wanted the desire and comfort coming off him in waves. A muddled mix of emotions stirred in her belly.

He covered her hand with his. Warmth seeped into her. They rode the rest of the way to his place in silence. He held her hand as they walked up the back staircase to his studio apartment.

It was a large sparse space. Everything appeared black, white, or some shade in-between. The brick walls were painted white and a metal island separated the kitchen from the living area. There didn’t seem to be anything out of place, even the blanket on the couch at the far end of the apartment was neatly folded. Their apartments couldn’t be more different.

“How long have you lived here?” She had to admit the sparse space wasn’t lacking in necessities.

“Off and on for about five years.”

“Off and on?”

“I travel a lot for work.”

“So, what is it you do exactly?” She rubbed her knuckles. “Knowing might calm my nerves.”

“Ah.” He turned around, searched his fridge, and then closed it slowly. “I’m an independent problem solver.”

“That’s pretty cryptic.”

“Well, it’s exactly what I do.” He shifted around to the island. “People hire me to solve their problems.” He tapped his fingers on the metal top.

“You’re not going to give me details, are you?”

“Are you hungry?”

“You’re not telling me anything else. I get it.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay. Sure, I could eat. It would help get my mind off my apartment.” She turned around. “Isn’t there a great pub around here?”

“Yes. Mulligan’s is right around the corner. We can take the side street to get there.” He took her hand and pulled her to the door. “You know the place?”

“I’ve been going there for years. Their fish fry is pretty good, but their burgers are really something.”

“I’m a fan of their mac ’n’ cheeseburger on the—”

“Pretzel roll. Yes, it’s fantastic.” She looked at her watch. “They’ll still be open, right?”

“Oh yeah. Their kitchen doesn’t close until two in the morning.”

“Nice. I’ve always gone for lunch. This will be yummy.” She tugged on his hand. “Thanks for helping me.”

“No problem.” He pulled her in close. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

“Good, because you may have changed the subject successfully, but I want to hear more about your work. Especially if you’re in the position to help me.”

“We’ll see.” He opened his door and held it for her.

“I’m not letting you off the hook.” She tapped his chest.

He pinched her butt.

“Ouch!” She shook her head and scooted around him, out the door and to the stairwell, keeping her ass far from his reach and a smile plastered on her face. This man had a gift for distraction. Bad luck may be plaguing her life but she was going to take full advantage of this diversion.

He advanced toward her in an unhurried pace, pushing the door to the stairwell open before it closed behind her. “You think your ass will be safe if you walk faster?”

“Maybe.” She stopped at the first landing and spotted him at the top. His devilish grin gave her a fit of giggles. One part of her wanted to run, make him chase after her and the other part, the part that won, wanted to stand her ground and wait for him.

He kept to his unhurried pace. So damn confident. She sucked on her bottom lip. He backed her up to the wall and positioned his feet on either side of hers. His hands landed over her head and he pressed his firm body to her.

She let go of her lip and breathed through her anticipation. Damn, she wanted him to kiss her. Her stomach rumbled, successfully ruining the moment. “I guess I’m hungry.” She ducked under his arms and put some distance between them.

Once she got out the side door, she didn’t know which way to turn. She twisted around to face the building, but couldn’t find her midnight snack accomplice. Goose bumps rose over her arms and down her back. “Aidan?”

Chapter
Four

“I’m right here.” He whispered from behind her.

“What the …” She turned and clasped her chest. “I didn’t hear you come out.”

“Sorry.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“You must have been in my blind spot.” She rubbed her chest and wished her heart rate would slow. “I think I’m still on edge.”

“Understandable. I’ll try to stay within your line of sight.” He took hold of her hand and squeezed. “Come on. Let’s go get some good eats.”

They walked in silence. It was one of the things she already liked about him. He didn’t always need to talk, unlike Reese. That man would talk even if he was the only one listening. Her thoughts filled with how different her life was from a month ago, from a year ago. Her life with Reese was a fairy tale or so she’d believed. She had a feeling the worst of it all was on its way, like life was setting her up for one last big fall.

Aidan tugged on her hand. “You okay?”

“I really need a beer.” She gave him a halfhearted smile and hoped to God trusting him wasn’t just another pipe dream. “What do you usually drink with your burger?”

“You’ll never need to ask me that question again.” His eyebrows rose. “The answer is always beer.”

“Oh really? It’s my preference as well.” Her shoulders scrunched. “Do you like micro and craft beer?”

“I do, but do you know the difference?”

“Ah, pop quiz, huh?” She raised an eyebrow.

“I want to know if you’re all talk.” He opened the front door of the pub. “After you.”

“Thanks.” She walked past him and found a booth on the right side, away from the crowd around the bar. “Prepare to feel bad.”

“Bring it on.” He sat on the bench seat opposite her.

“First of all, a craft-brewery is not always a micro-brewery.”

“True and what makes craft different?”

“Malt.”

“It’s all about the malt, baby.” He winked at her.

“Ugh!” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “It’s not all about the malt. Don’t tell me you’re a purest. You probably favor Adams, don’t you?”

“I sure do.” He sat back and stretched out. “The best beer, craft beer, has recipes of half malt. The flavor of craft beer is fucking fantastic.”

“Craft is good, but I like all the options in micro-breweries.”

“Good.” He slapped his palms on the table. “Craft isn’t good, it’s incomparable.”

“Unless it’s up against the best of the microbrews.” She cocked her head and smiled, watching him take in her challenge.

“You guys are cute.” The waitress set down two cocktail napkins. “Have you known each other forever?”

“Us?” Liz pointed between Aidan and herself. “No, we just met, actually.”

“Huh, oh well, can I get you something to drink?”

“Aidan will have your most popular micro-brew.” She raised her eyebrows at him.

“And Liz will have your most popular craft brew.” He returned the look.

Liz fought against her schoolgirl giggle.

“I bet fate brought you together. You two look good together. I’m glad you met.” She slipped her pen inside her apron pocket. “I’ll be right back with your beers.” Her ponytail flipped back and forth as she bounced her way to the bar.

Liz felt the heat of a blush kissing her cheeks and, when she checked on Aidan’s reaction, she noticed the tips of his ears were bright red. She scanned her thoughts for any random idea to divert from the waitress’s observation. “Oh … you know what’s really good?” She didn’t wait for him to answer and continued with her detour technique. “Beer aged in whiskey barrels.”

“Yes.” He nodded. “There’s a place on the west side that does it and they also age whiskey in beer barrels.”

“They do?” she grabbed his hands and leaned in. “I didn’t know they did it the other way around.”

“Sounds like I’m going to have to drink you under the table sometime.”

“Yes, you will. Well, I rarely drink enough anymore to get a buzz, but I can do it with coffee.”

“You’re going to drink me under the table in a coffee drinking contest?” He shook his head.

“What a wonderful idea.”

“You’re adorable.”

“Shut up.”

The waitress set down their glasses, each had the perfect amount of froth on top. “Agreed. You two are adorable. Do you want anything to eat tonight?”

“Yes,” they both said in unison.

She just shook her head at them.

“Aidan, do you want to get the mac ’n’ cheeseburger?” Liz asked him.

“Sure, can I have it medium please?”

“No, problem. Honey, what do you want?” the waitress asked Liz.

“I’ll have the double cheeseburger. I’ll go with medium too.”

“Excellent, I’ll get these orders in. It shouldn’t be long. The kitchen isn’t busy anymore.”

After the waitress left their table, Liz asked, “So, did your grandmother live in Buena Park?”

“She did. Wish you could have met her. She would have loved you.”

“Aw. Thanks.” She bit her lip. “I can’t say the same about my gran.”

“Hey, I’m a likable guy.”

“She would have eventually liked you.” She chuckled and rubbed his hand. “Her interrogation technique was entertaining.” She reached for her necklace and didn’t find it. “Usually, I wear her locket. Guess I was nervous about tonight. Oh, shit. What if—”

“Whoever tore through your apartment wasn’t looking for keepsakes. I’m sure it’s right where you left it.” He squeezed her hand

“I’m going to be sick with worry until I know for sure.” She sat back, pulled her hands free of his reach, and rubbed them on her thighs. That locket meant everything to her. She closed her eyes and silently chastised herself for forgetting to wear it.

“Hey. Come on. I bet its right where you left it.”

“I can’t believe I forgot.”

“Give me your hand.” He left his palms open on the table. Once she placed her hands in his, he stroked his thumb over her wrist. “Tell me about the necklace.”

“It’s made out of gold and has mini pictures of my grandma and grandpa inside.” She squeezed his hand. “I like to think by wearing it, she gives me her strength.”

“I see that kind of strength in you.”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged.

“One day you’ll see it.” He leaned forward. “My grandmother was a strong woman too. Some say crazy but she could see things others couldn’t.”

“I bet she was a remarkable woman.” She shifted her weight on the bench. “I moved in with my gran in high school after my parents died.”

“You lost them young. I’m sorry.”

“It seems like another life ago.” Her grandma always reminded her to live in the present. She closed her eyes and then let the dark thoughts go. “My gran took me in and never let me feel alone.” She watched Aidan for a moment. He wasn’t letting her feel alone either. “I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

Between their love of burgers, brew, and their grandmothers, Liz figured she could talk to Aidan all night long. When their meals arrived, Aidan passed the ketchup without her asking. It was a small thing, but she stopped and looked at him for a long second when he did.

“What?” he asked.

“My life has included many struggles of getting the ketchup bottle and you just handed it right over.” She squirted a dollop on her plate.

He smiled at her and then dunked his fry in her ketchup before plopping it in his mouth. “Serious, one of your big gripes is about ketchup?”

“Yeah, well, it’s hardly my big gripe, but it’s the little things.” She took a sip of her beer and licked her lips. The distinct nutty flavor of the malt warmed her all over. “This is good.” She examined the dark biscuit color of her beer before continuing her recollection, “Actually, it all started when I was ten.”

“Ketchup trouble at ten. It must have been catastrophic.”

“You have no idea. I was having dinner at Missy’s house. Her brothers all hated me. I always felt so self-conscious there. They were the type of family who wrote haikus while they ate breakfast.”

“Sounds pretentious.”

She lifted both of her hands. “Thank you!”

“I’ve got your back, babe. Haikus should wait until at least lunch.” He laughed.

“You’re making fun of me.” She picked up a fry, threw it at him, and then started laughing too.

He ate the fry. “Okay. Tell me about Missy’s house. I’ll be good.” He smirked.

“You better.” She shook her head. “Anyway. One night, I waited and waited for the ketchup. They ignored my polite requests and passed it to everyone, but me. Ugh, they were terrible.” She rubbed her thigh. “When I finally got the ketchup, it was empty. Her dad came to my rescue though and found a new bottle. I pounded on the bottle forever and nothing came out. Then a bubble or something gave way and a valley of ketchup spilled all over my shirt.”

“Oh. That’s not good.” He failed at smothering his laughter.

“No and her stupid brothers thought it was hilarious and talked forever how much it improved my outfit. I wanted to cram the bottle down—”

“Such a nice memory.”

“I did laugh which they thought was great.” She pursed her lips. “They lightened up on me after that.”

“You like happy endings?”

“Of course, I don’t get many. Can’t deny I like the concept.” She took a long look at him. “You don’t believe in them.”

The waitress stopped at their table. “Don’t let me interrupt your discussion. Just flag me down if you need anything else.” She bounced away.

“What were we talking about? Oh, happy endings. No, I don’t believe in them.” He took a large bite of his burger and stared at her while he chewed, then swallowed. “Things might be happy for a while, but they don’t end that way. Even with a couple married for fifty plus years, one of them is bound to die before the other.”

“You’d discount all the time they had together?” She pressed on her burger, otherwise there was no way she’d fit the thing into her mouth. The first mouthful overwhelmed her with cheese and rich beef. A sip of her beer rounded out all the edges. She dug in for more.

“No, those times can be filled with happy memories, but the end’s still painful and not usually happy.”

“You’re a literal person, aren’t you?”

“I guess.”

“Seeing things in black and white can free you from a lot of crap, but you miss all the amazing things in the middle.” She took a long sip of beer while she observed his unaffected behavior. “That doesn’t bother you?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I want to settle down. Can’t say I expect the end to be happy though.” He shrugged.

“Ah. You just left the door open.”

“Maybe.” A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. The amusement in his eyes started a warm glow in her heart.

She sat back from the table.

“Are you going to finish?” He pointed toward her half empty plate.

“Nope.” She pushed the plate toward him. “Take what you want.” Something about this guy had her letting go of all her worries, even had her sharing silly stories she hadn’t told anyone else. He put her at ease with his confidence and clear control. She’d bet he was a mind blowing lover, too.

“Thank you.” Darkness flattened his eyes. He took two more bites to finish her burger. “Do you want to play pool before we leave?”

“Sure. It’s either that or we’ll have to walk around the building a few times.” She rubbed her belly. “I’m stuffed.”

He signaled to the waitress for another round of beers and they made their way to the game area. He racked the balls and offered her the break.

“You’re such a gentleman.” She checked his hip on her way to select a pool cue.

“Hey, watch it there, Lizzy, or I may not let you win.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” She pretended to be flabbergasted and winked at him.

They played for a while before he started pointing out shots to her, not that she could make any of them.

“Do you want me to show you?”

“Sure.”

“Come around here and stand in front of me.” Aidan stepped back.

She squeezed in between him and the table.

“Press your hips back to mine.”

“Yes, sir.” She pushed out her ass and lowered over the table. His body met hers and a flush rushed through her.

“That’s it. It’s important to first consider your alignment.” He wrapped his fingers around her ribs and pulled. “Now, you’re positioned over your arm and you’ll perceive your aim correctly. Keep your grip relaxed, the cue stick nice and even, and don’t lower your elbow.”

“Lots to remember.” Her thoughts had gone all foggy. Remembering to keep anything balanced seemed like a lost cause. All she could think about was Aidan claiming her right on the table. She pumped the cue through her fingers. “Maybe I should give you control of the stick.”

“Can we get out of here already?” he whispered in her ear.