Page 5 of Protecting Bree
CHAPTER TWO
Bree looked through her lashes at the man sleeping in the chair across from her. He’d left a light on in the kitchen so she wouldn’t wake up in the middle of the night and wonder where she was.
As if that would happen.
Bree knewexactlywhere she was. In Jude Stark’s apartment. On his couch. And she’d never felt safer. At least in the last several months, that is.
Her life had been turned completely upside down, and she still wasn’t sure how it all happened. One day she was at her job, having just broken up with her boyfriend, and the next she was kidnapped, hogtied, and informed that her ex hadsoldher—and that she now belonged to an organization that had every intention of selling her for sex.
It was unbelievable. And yet it had happened. Toher.
She’d been extremely lucky that the man who’d kidnapped her had stopped to pick up a second woman that night, before taking her to his contact. And even luckier that the second woman, Josie England, had a NavySEAL boyfriend who wasn’t about to let his woman disappear into thin air, as so many people did year after year.
She’d had a terribly close call, and the fact that Smiley’s face was the first one she’d seen when he’d opened the kidnapper’s car door and found her…
It had a profound effect on Bree. Yes, some would say she only felt a connection with him because he’d saved her that night. And maybe it started off that way, but as she’d followed him and his friends around Riverton, Bree had gotten a pretty good insight into his character.
She’d been watching him for quite a while now. He didn’t drive like an asshole, opened doors for people—menandwomen—tipped generously, if the smiles on the faces of anyone who served him were any indication. And while it was true, most of the time he had a scowl on his face—was resting bitch face a thing for men?—he’d been nothing but kind and accommodating to her.
She reallyhadalmost turned around and run when Kelli opened his door about a week ago. Bree had truly thought he’d gotten a girlfriend, and she’d somehow missed it. But it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he’d given up his apartment for his friends because they were in danger.
Bree had a feeling if she pointed out all the good things about Smiley, he’d simply scowl at her and say she was wrong, that he was an asshole.
Well, if he thought he was an asshole, so be it. She knew differently. And the fact that she was lying on his couch, warm, clean, and with a full belly, hammered that belief home.
His words before he fell asleep echoed in her brain.
If he finds you, I’ll come after you. I won’t stop until I’ve found you—and he’s got my bullet in his forehead.
One of her worst fears was that she’d disappear and no one would notice. Or care. She didn’t know why Smiley had developed an obsession with finding her after that night in Vegas, but she wasn’t upset about it.
Bree smiled as she stared up at the ceiling. His promise was such a…Smiley thing to say. He was very rough around the edges, saying a lot of things that most people would consider inappropriate, but knowing that he wouldn’t hesitate to inflict harm on the man who was hunting her feltgood. Comforting. Other people’s opinions on the matter be damned.
The truth was, she was at the end of her rope. She put on a good front, but inside she was dying. She had no idea how she’d ended up in this situation. She’d been a good girlfriend…loving, supportive. Then out of the blue, Carl had asked her to participate in a three-way, and she’d said no. Anunequivocalno. He was pissed, and he began to bug her about it almost daily. Calling her a prude. Claiming it would make their sex life better. Telling her that if shereallyloved him, she’d want him to be happy, and fulfilling his fantasy of sleeping with two women at the same time would do exactly that.
So Bree dumped him. Because she realized that shedidn’tlove him. She could never love a man who wanted to be intimate with someone else when he was with her, as if she wasn’t enough.
And that’s when her life had taken a sharp turn.
Carl hadn’t taken her rejection well and vowed that she’d regret it. And it was true—shedidregret it. But not for the reasons he’d probably thought.
She regretted not dumping him much sooner.
He’dsold her. Like she was nothing. Property. A piece of trash.
And thanks to him, she was on the run, and nothing she did could shake the man who was after her. Bree figured he was probably pissed about losing not only her, but Josie as well. But if that was the case…why wasn’t he after the other woman? Why justher?
She was nobody. Mid-thirties, average height for a woman at five-five. Her reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes weren’t anything special. Neither was her body. She was utterly normal. She worked hard, liked puppies and kittens, went out of her way to be kind to people.
And yet, here she was.
Turning her head, Bree looked back over at Smiley. His mouth was slightly open as he breathed deeply in his sleep. His hair was flat on one side, where he’d been sleeping on it, and his facial hair looked a little too long to be a five o’clock shadow, too short to be an actual beard. His brows were furrowed even in his sleep, which gave off angry vibes.
She should be afraid of this man. She didn’t really know him, after all. But she wasn’t. She felt safe. Which was crazy, because she wasn’t really safeanywhere. Not until whoever wanted to add her to their stable of women had given up or was dead. So maybe it was just that being with Smiley gave her theillusionof safety. She’d felt it all those months ago, when she’d first met him, and she felt it again now.
It was the reason she was here. In Riverton. On his couch.
She recalled his words from earlier.
