Desperate Measures. Christy Barritt

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СКАЧАТЬ took a step toward the staircase leading to her apartment over the restaurant. “I don’t have any time right now. I’ve got to go.”

      She rushed up the stairs. Halfway up, she dropped her purse and the contents clattered down. John retrieved some lipstick and a pen. He handed the items to her, noticing how she jerked back when their hands touched.

      “Thank you,” she muttered before hurrying away.

      John stomped back down the stairs and joined Nate at the back door. He wanted to get his friend’s take on the situation. They moved away from the staircase so their voices wouldn’t carry.

      “What was that about?” John asked.

      Nate rubbed his jaw, looking just as perplexed as John was. “I have no idea. She’s scared.”

      “Someone roughed her up,” John muttered.

      Images of Alyssa flooded his mind. He blanched at each memory before regret filled him. He should have done more to protect her. He should have known that the man who’d caused her so much misery in her past would return, that he wouldn’t be content to leave her alone.

      “I’ve seen that look before. She’s terrified.” John shook his head, unable to get the images to leave his mind. “What do you know about her?”

      Nate shook his head. “Not much. She keeps to herself. Always pays her rent on time. Dotes over her son. But she’s offered very little in terms of personal information. We don’t ask. If she wants us to know, we figure she’ll tell us.”

      John clenched his jaw, still replaying the conversation with her. “She said, ‘Be safe.’ It sounds as if trouble might be coming.”

      “I’ll keep my eyes open. We’ve had problems around here before.”

      “And they landed you in the hospital,” John reminded him. “Maybe I should stick around, be an extra set of eyes....”

      “You do your thing, John. Smuggler’s Cove is your dream. I’ll take care of things here or call the police if I have to.”

      John hated to walk away when a storm could be brewing. Especially since Nate and Kylie had a toddler and another baby on the way. Nate would need all the help he could get.

      John prided himself on always being there for friends when they need him. That’s one of the reasons why his failure with Alyssa hurt so much.

      He’d let her down. He’d let their unborn baby down.

      “I don’t like this,” John finally said.

      Nate clamped his hand on John’s shoulder. “It’s about time you did something for yourself. The change of scenery will be good for you.”

      But John didn’t know if he could do that. The image of Samantha standing in the doorway with fear in her eyes would haunt him. So would the remembrance of her busted lip and the cut on her forehead.

      Could he really go on with this new chapter of his life just as he’d planned? He didn’t know.

      * * *

      Samantha’s thoughts raced a mile a minute as she zipped her suitcase. Her jaw and her head ached. Even her eyes hurt as tears threatened to push out.

      She had to get a grip. She had to pick up Connor and keep moving. And she didn’t have much time.

      Samantha didn’t know where she’d go, how she’d get there or what she’d do once she arrived. All she knew was that she had to leave.

      She gave one last glance at the apartment. At one time, she’d thought the small space was perfect. She’d wondered if they might find a home here in Yorktown. And maybe one day Kylie and Nate could be her friends.

      She should have known better. A stable life—feeling normal and without fear—none of those things were her reality right now. The notion of a safe, happy life was only a farce.

      Stepping back onto the landing, Samantha closed the door behind her. She heard the lock click, the sound cementing her plans to run.

      Here I go...again. Lord, watch over me. Show me where to go. Pour Your wisdom over me.

      Hauling her suitcases behind her, she thumped down the stairs. Her heart raced, pounding in her ears. Each pulse seemed to echo the urgency of the situation.

      Go. Move. Run.

      All she wanted was to find a place to stay. Rest. Be.

      At the landing by the back door, she looked back. Just as she expected, Nate was standing there, waiting for her. She’d known he wouldn’t accept her flimsy explanation. His friend was gone, though. John was gone.

      That was probably good. The man’s eyes had seemed too intense, too curious...too compassionate. She feared her reaction to him. Whenever he’d come into the restaurant and Samantha had spotted him, her heart had raced.

      The man was attractive. Really attractive. He was tall with dark, neat hair. His body looked sculpted and firm. He seemed to be a loyal friend to Nate and Kylie. He wasn’t the loud or pushy type. Instead, he seemed steady, patient and strong.

      “Samantha, are you sure you have to go?” Nate asked. Concern stained his eyes, pulling her back to reality.

      She nodded, her throat dry. She crept closer and closer to the door, unable to stay in one place. “I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t bring trouble your way.”

      “Trouble?”

      She licked her lips, panic fluttering through her. “I’ve said too much already.”

      What was she thinking? She should have just slipped away quietly. Too bad there wasn’t a training course for how to effectively go on the run and disappear off everyone’s radar. The problem was that Nate and Kylie had a toddler, and a baby on the way. She’d never intended to put them in harm’s path.

      “Maybe Kylie and I can help....”

      “No one can help, but thank you.” She stared at him another moment, wishing she could offer more of an explanation. “Thank you for everything.”

      He finally lowered his chin, his lips pulled into a tight line. “Be safe.”

      She nodded again. “Thanks.”

      She stepped outside into the warm, dark summer night. She really had liked it here. Living above the little restaurant. Enjoying the waterfront, the shops, the history.

      The area had seemed so safe, so quaint and friendly.

      Her desire to keep her son safe trumped her wish for a stable life, though.

      She ambled across the parking lot, pulling her suitcase and heaving Connor’s backpack up higher on her shoulder. Was she really ready to start another new life? Exhaustion pulled at her at the thought.

      As she rounded the corner, a figure in the shadows caught her eyes.

      Oh, СКАЧАТЬ