“Drive safely, kids,” the elder woman called out to them as they reached the door, giving them a hearty wave with the broom. “Have a nice honeymoon,” she added with an exaggerated wink.
Rome gave her a friendly wave back. Harper stopped abruptly in alarm, but was shoved out the door by his strong hand at her back.
“H-h-honeymoon,” Harper sputtered as they reached the car, almost stumbling over her own feet. “What was that all about?”
“She asked about us,” Rome answered as he held the Bug door open for her and then slammed it shut. She watched him get into the driver’s side and then turn to face her. He took a deep breath that sounded a tad strained. “I couldn’t very well tell her that I’m a covert government agent hired to hunt you down because you suddenly have superhero-like mind power that came from a mysterious serum that your secret scientist brother developed and was then murdered for. But now we’re working together and on the run to find out what it’s all about, how it works, and how to stop the bad guys who keep trying to kill us.”
A moment of silence.
“You could’ve just said we’re friends on a road trip,” she suggested quietly. That sounded simple enough to her. The idea of that kind of commitment almost made her want to forget this all and run away into the night.
“Yes,” he said quietly. “I guess I could’ve just said that.” She saw his grip tighten on the steering wheel before he reached to shove the keys in the ignition and start the car. The Bug rumbled to life and he pulled out of the newly paved parking lot onto the street just as raindrops started to splash against the flat windshield.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The bright beam of light cut through the darkness, illuminating the quiet scene. The flashlight’s trail was garish against the stark ground as Jeff Donovan searched for anything that could lead him to Harper Kane.
And Rome.
Jeff hadn’t wanted to believe that the agent was a part of Ms. Kane’s desperate actions, but he couldn’t deny the facts. This was Rome’s warehouse, and it was apparent that the two of them had spent time there. And now were gone.
A shame, really. Rome Lucian was an exceptional agent. One of the best. Jeff had even considered Rome for being a subject, but hadn’t wanted to use the serum on him until the formula was perfected. The agent had invaluable skills. Now Rome would be another necessary sacrifice to the imperative project Jeff was trying to implement for the military sector.
But he had to find the two of them first. And his enhanced troops were proving to be less than adequate. Case in point, Jeff had no idea where their bodies were. He was getting very tired of Ms. Kane killing his men. Just one had survived the encounter, barely escaping, only to die soon after he’d relayed what had happened here at the site.
Jeff paced toward the dense tree line, looking for any lead. But again, Rome was very, very good. And obviously so was Ms. Kane.
His toe kicked something that made a hollow clink and skittered across the pavement. Jeff darted the beam from the flashlight around the immediate area, searching the ground for the source.
A bullet. Not just any bullet, though. He recognized the sleek and sharp ammunition his men stocked. Twisting it between his fingers, he could see a dark film coating it.
Blood. This was her blood.
His lone survivor, who had been the unnoticed backup, had told him they’d shot the woman. And she’d just pulled out the slug as though nothing had happened. He’d thought the man had been delirious.
She’d survived a powerful gunshot wound as if she’d never been hit. This was a new development. A very interesting and even more encouraging development.
Jeff smiled and squeezed his fist tight around the shell. The bitch was truly dangerous. He wanted her. Wanted her power. And he’d stop at nothing to get it.
Rome pulled into the potholed parking lot of a dingy motel. If it could even be called that. He’d been in worse places, but this spot was a dump. At least it was a surprisingly clean dump, miles from civilization.
Surrounded by leafy trees and a sprawling, overgrown hayfield, the ten-room, one-level motel was the perfect point in the middle of nowhere to hole up and spend some time going through the data that they hoped could answer a lot of their questions.
Harper was convinced it would. He trusted that she trusted her brother’s foresight, so he was also convinced the information would be valuable.
He’d dropped Harper off here with explicit instructions to stay put this time, then left to get some provisions. He’d had to drive for a while, finally finding a local all-night superstore, which thankfully had a little bit of everything, from clothing to groceries. There was no way they’d be staying at the motel for long, but they’d be there overnight for sure, given that midnight was fast approaching.
Rome felt a curious thrill while shopping for extra clothes for Harper. Her requests were simple, but actually picking out her cotton underwear seemed extremely intimate.
He’d never bought lingerie for any woman. He’d never understood the purpose of it. He wanted his partners naked, not clothed, even in just scraps. And he was very glad he’d never wasted any money on the superfluous garments.
All Harper wanted were a pair of jeans, a couple of T-shirts, and a hooded sweatshirt. Rome sighed as he hefted the plastic bags.
He’d never met a woman quite like Harper. She wasn’t apologetic or embarrassed when she rattled off the sizes of her clothes. She loved food. She was athletic, sported an honest tan from the outdoors, and was rightfully proud of her lean muscles. She was also extraordinarily intelligent.
And she wasn’t ashamed of any of it. The woman was completely confident and comfortable with herself.
Almost every other woman he’d encountered had always been on some kind of fad diet and would never in a million years have eaten a full-sized salad, let alone a whole sandwich.
Harper was the complete opposite.
Most of the women he’d dated back when he’d had time to date wore glitzy designer clothes. Any muscles were carefully sculpted for looks without much actual substance. His usual type was celebrity gorgeous, with long midnight dark hair, pale skin, and petite frames. He’d always thought their insecurity was appealing and liked the fact that they were just plain shallow-like a pill, glossy on the outside but acrid on the inside.
It kept things simple. It kept things neat and orderly. He couldn’t stand the drama of a relationship. His world of shadows, violence, and corruption had more than enough of it. So he didn’t need it in what little personal life he allowed himself.
And it had been a while. Almost two years since he’d lost himself in a woman. Which was just fine with him. His work fulfilled him like nothing else ever had. Even hockey. Besides, he didn’t want the complications of falling for anyone.
But he was falling for Harper. Hard. It was completely insane and a logistical nightmare, but he couldn’t deny it. She was everything he’d never thought he’d wanted, and something he should never have.
And when she’d said she loved him at the café, his heart had pounded so loud, he thought she must have heard it. Though he knew it was just a fleeting quip, involuntary sparks of joy had shot through his chest, warming his every fiber.
Harper was all wrong for him, yet he wanted her. Bad. For more than just a night. More than just however long this mission took. Knowing she didn’t fully trust him, he knew he needed to keep some distance.