Enemy From The Past (Unseen Enemy Book 4) Read Online Free PDF

it.”
    They stood staring at each other.
    “Kat.” His voice was as soft as she’d ever heard it. “I know what a person on self-destruct looks like, OK? And baby, that is all that I see when I look at you. You carry on the way you have been? You’re going to get hurt. Bad. I’m not going to let that happen.”
    “Jim. Just leave it alone. Just – let me go.”
    “Go where?”
    She faltered.
    “You have no idea where you’re going, do you?” he asked. “You’ve got the suitcase packed and by the door, but you have no clue where you’re off to next.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Let me guess. The plan is to get to the station, and take the first fucking bus or train leaving Colorado. Is that right?”
    Kat avoided his stare, trying not to let him see that he was bang on. But he knew.
    “Yeah, I thought so.” He moved closer to her again. “What are you running from?”
    “I can’t tell you.”
    “Are you a criminal? Did you kill someone? Rob a bank? What?”
    “No.” She looked shocked. “No. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
    He heard the inflection in her words. “So who did?”
    She pressed her lips together, to stop herself from saying any more.
    Jim studied her, and sighed. “OK, fine. Don’t tell me today. But I’m not leaving this apartment until you do tell me.”
    Kat glared at him. “No way. Get out.”
    “Nope. I know the second my back is turned, you’ll run for the hills. That’s not happening.”
    “Get out!”
    “Make me.” Jim sat down on the sofa again and crossed his arms.
    “Jim…”
    “No. You don’t want me here? Call the cops and have them kick me out.” He watched her eyes widen. “But you don’t want the cops here, do you? No, you don’t want the cops anywhere near you. I can tell. If they came, there’d be a lot of official paper, right? You’d have to produce an ID. File a report. Go on the record. All the things that a woman on the run avoids like the plague.”
    She swallowed.
    “ Or …” He held out his hands, palm-up. “You could just tell me what’s going on with you. Seems like the easier of the two options, huh?”
    “Jim, please.” The despair in her voice hurt him, but he stayed tough. “Please, let it go.”
    “I won’t, Kat. I want you to let me help.”
    “You can’t.”
    “I don’t suppose you’ve noticed, sweetheart, but I’m not some random shmuck off the street.” Jim tried to keep his voice level. “I’m a trained Ranger. I can handle shit.”
    “Yeah, I know. But…”
    “But nothing. I can keep you safe from the guy you’re running from.”
    She jumped at his words, and that’s when Jim knew that his calculated shot in the dark had hit a bullseye. Their eyes held, and he saw the truth shining out of hers.
    “What did he do to you, Kat?”
    Kat was mute, frozen.
    “Who was it? Tell me.”
    Silence.
    “Is he still looking for you?”
    Silence.
    “What will he do if he finds you?”
    Kat closed her eyes.
    “Look at me. Kat, look at me.”
    She forced herself to do so, and was surprised to see all the anger gone from his face. Now he was gentle, careful.
    “Kat.” He took a calming breath. “I am asking you to please trust me. Can you do that?”
    She was quiet for a few seconds, and Jim could tell that she was seriously considering his question. Finally, she said, “I don’t know. It’s hard, what you’re asking. I – I want to trust you. I promise. But – I haven’t trusted anyone in a long time, Jim. I think I may have forgotten how.” She gave a brittle laugh. “Hell, I barely trust myself most of the time.”
    “I get all that. I do.” He stepped closer. “I know all about not trusting a soul, least of all myself. But can I tell you something?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I trust the guys, and I mean, completely and totally.” Jim reached out and touched her cheek, was gratified when she didn’t move away. “You think you can trust them too?”
    “I don’t know,” she repeated.
    “OK, how