Survive, that’s all she had to do. That was the start and the end of her plan. It had been her only reason for the last ten months. Survive first, everything else second. Her rule of survival was to keep moving. Troy couldn’t find her if she didn’t stay still.
This was Evie’s fifth town in ten months. Five new houses, five new jobs, and five new towns of new people. It was hard, but not as hard as it would be if he found her.
As Evie started putting away the groceries, her mind swung back to her neighbor. He had to be at least six foot three or four. That was a good foot taller than her. Not that another inch or two would make her any closer to his equal physically.
Glancing down at her stringy limbs, she would probably lose a fight to a puppy. The diet of canned tuna and noodles she’d been rationing herself over the last few months sure hadn’t helped. If Troy didn’t get her, it was very possible malnourishment would.
Putting away the last of the groceries, Evie caught a glimpse of her resume on the kitchen counter. Lies. All lies. But she needed a job. A job meant money, and money meant survival. Every move put a severe dent in her dwindling funds. Tomorrow she would find something. She always did. There was no other option.
About to move away from the kitchen, scratching at the back door made her pause. As her heart started to race, she took a knife from the cutlery draw before moving forward. Glancing out the window, Evie saw nothing.
Strange. Maybe the months were finally catching up with her, and she was losing it.
Turning, Evie was about to step away, when the scratching sounded again. Frowning, Evie looked through the window one more time, directing her vision down. There, sitting on the mat, was a small golden mound. Not hesitating, Evie unlocked the door and opened it. The instant the door pulled open, the cat walked straight in like it owned the place and rubbed against her legs.
Quickly locking the door behind it, Evie then bent down to pat its back.
“Why hello there. Who do you belong to?” As soon as her hand touched its mane, the cat arched its back and purred. Evie’s heart expanded. She had always been an animal lover.
Noticing how thin the poor thing looked and that there was no collar around its neck, she wondered if it had an owner.
Making a snap decision, Evie went into her cupboard and pulled out one of the cans of tuna she’d just put away.
“You look hungrier than me, you can have this can.”
Emptying the contents onto a plate, Evie placed it on the ground. Confirming her earlier thoughts, the cat ate the food like it hadn’t eaten for weeks.
“I’m going to call you Misty, and if you visit again, I’ll share some more of this yummy tuna.”
Yep, she was definitely losing it. Dreaming about her too sexy neighbor and abducting cats.
Standing up, Evie’s eyes flickered over to her open laptop. Moving over to the couch, she opened it and found the encrypted file she was working on. Switching her mind off from her neighbor, resolve filled her. Cracking the file was her focus. It had to be.
Making herself comfortable, she felt movement on the couch and turned to see Misty eyeing her. Curling into a ball next to her, Evie couldn’t stop herself from giving it another rub. Maybe this town wouldn’t be so bad.
As her fingers flew across the keyboard, she felt her confidence return. The answers were in there somewhere. The answers to why Troy had turned into the monster that he was. Evie would find them. No one could crack a file like her.
CHAPTER TWO
NEVER AGAIN. WHAT the hell did that mean?
Luca Kirwin pumped his legs faster, trying to outrun the same sad green eyes that had been stuck in his head since yesterday. The two whispered words had been going back and forth inside his mind since hearing them.
He knew she hadn’t intended for him to hear those words. She wouldn’t even realize he was able to. His ability to hear what others couldn’t was a blessing and a curse.
Shaking his head, Luca tried to push her face out of his mind. What was it about her that had him so captivated?
The look she’d had in her eyes alone should have sent him running. Fear. Fear of what, Luca wasn’t sure. Was it just him, or was it all men that filled her with terror? Knowing he should drop it, Luca and his team had enough going on.
There was something inside of him that needed to know the reason. Did she know him? Was she at the facility when he was? Had she worked there?
Shaking his head, Luca shut that thought down. No. He refused to believe that she had anything to do with that place. Evie had the eyes of a victim, not someone who got their kicks out of gambling with people’s lives.
Recalling the speed of her heartbeat, he wondered how often she felt that level of fear. He was definitely big at six foot four, and he kept his body in good shape, but he had made sure to assume a non-threatening stance. An expert at reading people, Luca knew when to modify his behavior to encourage a reaction out of others. Yesterday he hadn’t been able to put Evie at ease though. Why?
“Yo, Rocket, slow down, man. Someone’s going to notice how fast you’re moving.”
Asher’s words cut through Luca’s thoughts. Immediately he worked to slow his pace. Glancing around discretely, Luca checked to see if anyone had noticed, relieved to see it was just him and Asher.
“You’re fine, brother,” Asher said when he caught up, giving Luca’s shoulder a friendly shove. “What’s up with you today? It’s like you forgot I was with you. Come on, no one forgets me even on a bad day.”
Luca glanced at his longtime friend and teammate. At a similar height and breadth, some might mistake them as brothers. But where Luca was calm and controlled, Asher was more spontaneous and a risk-taker.
“I’ve got a new neighbor.” Luca’s voice was even. No one who heard him speak would think he had just run ten miles.
The shock was clear to see on Asher’s face. That reaction didn’t surprise Luca. The place was a dump. Luca had thought it would be vacant for good.
“In that old house that looks like it could fall over with a single push? I could probably give it a good shove and it would go.” A laugh escaped his friend. “Hope they brought their toolbox.”
Toolbox? He bet she packed one suitcase with the bare essentials. Ready to pick up and go at any moment.
“She shouldn’t be living there. The place is a health hazard. It’s not safe.” Luca’s voice was hard, leaving no room for debate.
“Perfect for those with little cash.” Exactly what Luca was thinking. “What’s got her stuck on your mind?”
As Asher gave Luca a side glance, the smirk on his face was clear to see.
Picking up his pace, Asher easily kept up. “She’s running from something. Or someone. I’m not sure.”
Asher’s expression went from joking to serious in an instant. It was the same with all the guys from their team. They were protectors first and foremost, it was why they had become SEALs. “You sure?”
With a slight nod, Luca kept moving. He tried to wear his body out. Make it so tired his mind would stop thinking about her. But that seemed an impossible task these days.
“I could tell by her body language. Looked like she was going to pass out at any moment. Just the sight of me made her want to make a run for it. Flickering eyes, as if waiting for someone to grab her.”