Enemy Outside (Unseen Enemy Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Marysol James
said.
“Hey, Jim.”
He gestured at her hair. “Brown today, huh? I like the red.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Suits you.”
“Thanks.” She cocked her head. “So – how come you’re here?”
“Can we talk somewhere?” he asked. “Somewhere quiet?”
Kat looked at him, saw that something was bothering him. “Sure. Maybe the café next door?”
“You’re not busy now?”
“No. I have thirty minutes until my next client.”
“OK, so let’s go.”
Jim held the door for her and they walked in to the late-autumn chill. Kat shivered, thinking that the air felt like snow. She hated this time of year; what had happened to her had happened almost exactly four years before, in the early winter, on a gray day much like today. She shook her head, trying to stop the thoughts from creeping up on her.
She stepped in to the warmth of the café gratefully, then sat at a table and watched Jim at the counter. The man looked just as good from behind, she thought, with his back muscles clearly visible through his shirt. And the man had an ass that just wouldn’t quit.
Argh. Eyes up, girl.
Jim turned from the counter, their coffees in his hands, and he looked across the busy room at Kat. As always, she was almost totally motionless and still. He’d never met anyone with the ability to remove herself so completely from a room that she was still physically in. Kat was an expert at disappearing and hiding in plain sight, and Jim had wondered more than once how she’d perfected that skill. And why.
Jim knew that he was a suspicious bastard and that he saw enemies and dangers everywhere, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that something about Kat was just… off. Like she wasn’t being totally straight with anybody, not even her friends. Like she put lots of thought in to every single word she said; like she weighed and measured every syllable before uttering a peep. She was holding back, he truly believed, and Jim wanted to shake her up by just coming straight out and asking her what she was hiding.
But as someone holding on to his own secrets and with things he preferred to not discuss, he didn’t think he really had any right to push anyone else to disclose anything. So, he bided his time and watched. Maybe one day she’d slip up and he’d get some sense of what was going on with her. Until then, he could wait.
Kat looked up as Jim came back to the table. She smiled and took her coffee. “Thanks.”
“Sure.” He sat down and took a sip of his own coffee. “So, listen. I wanted to come and tell you about Liv.”
Kat stared at him, a feeling of dread moving through her chest. “What’s wrong? Is she OK?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, she is. But she had a bad scare last night, and a few things have come out since. She asked me to come and talk to you, since she’s at Dallas’ place right now, going over everything with him.”
Kat fought to stay calm. “OK…”
As Jim told her about Liv’s stalker, Kat felt the color drain from her face. Her hands trembled so much that she couldn’t bring her cup to her mouth, so she just clutched it tightly, grateful for the warmth on her chilled fingers. The thought that Liv had been threatened for months scared her; knowing that whoever it was had gotten as far as Liv’s living room terrified her. Kat knew exactly how frightened Liv must have been the night before – Kat knew all about being trapped in a bathroom with a man just outside it intent on harming her.
Jim looked at Kat, worried. She was pale and shaking and seemed to almost be on the verge of passing out. Slowly, he reached out and touched her hand. She jumped and pulled it away, but not before he’d felt how cold it was.
“Kat?’ he said. “You OK?”
She nodded and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Yeah… just freaked out for Liv.”
Jim believed that she was, but he didn’t believe that was the whole story. “OK,” he said, then hesitated. He wanted to ask her what else
“Hey, Jim.”
He gestured at her hair. “Brown today, huh? I like the red.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Suits you.”
“Thanks.” She cocked her head. “So – how come you’re here?”
“Can we talk somewhere?” he asked. “Somewhere quiet?”
Kat looked at him, saw that something was bothering him. “Sure. Maybe the café next door?”
“You’re not busy now?”
“No. I have thirty minutes until my next client.”
“OK, so let’s go.”
Jim held the door for her and they walked in to the late-autumn chill. Kat shivered, thinking that the air felt like snow. She hated this time of year; what had happened to her had happened almost exactly four years before, in the early winter, on a gray day much like today. She shook her head, trying to stop the thoughts from creeping up on her.
She stepped in to the warmth of the café gratefully, then sat at a table and watched Jim at the counter. The man looked just as good from behind, she thought, with his back muscles clearly visible through his shirt. And the man had an ass that just wouldn’t quit.
Argh. Eyes up, girl.
Jim turned from the counter, their coffees in his hands, and he looked across the busy room at Kat. As always, she was almost totally motionless and still. He’d never met anyone with the ability to remove herself so completely from a room that she was still physically in. Kat was an expert at disappearing and hiding in plain sight, and Jim had wondered more than once how she’d perfected that skill. And why.
Jim knew that he was a suspicious bastard and that he saw enemies and dangers everywhere, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that something about Kat was just… off. Like she wasn’t being totally straight with anybody, not even her friends. Like she put lots of thought in to every single word she said; like she weighed and measured every syllable before uttering a peep. She was holding back, he truly believed, and Jim wanted to shake her up by just coming straight out and asking her what she was hiding.
But as someone holding on to his own secrets and with things he preferred to not discuss, he didn’t think he really had any right to push anyone else to disclose anything. So, he bided his time and watched. Maybe one day she’d slip up and he’d get some sense of what was going on with her. Until then, he could wait.
Kat looked up as Jim came back to the table. She smiled and took her coffee. “Thanks.”
“Sure.” He sat down and took a sip of his own coffee. “So, listen. I wanted to come and tell you about Liv.”
Kat stared at him, a feeling of dread moving through her chest. “What’s wrong? Is she OK?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, she is. But she had a bad scare last night, and a few things have come out since. She asked me to come and talk to you, since she’s at Dallas’ place right now, going over everything with him.”
Kat fought to stay calm. “OK…”
As Jim told her about Liv’s stalker, Kat felt the color drain from her face. Her hands trembled so much that she couldn’t bring her cup to her mouth, so she just clutched it tightly, grateful for the warmth on her chilled fingers. The thought that Liv had been threatened for months scared her; knowing that whoever it was had gotten as far as Liv’s living room terrified her. Kat knew exactly how frightened Liv must have been the night before – Kat knew all about being trapped in a bathroom with a man just outside it intent on harming her.
Jim looked at Kat, worried. She was pale and shaking and seemed to almost be on the verge of passing out. Slowly, he reached out and touched her hand. She jumped and pulled it away, but not before he’d felt how cold it was.
“Kat?’ he said. “You OK?”
She nodded and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Yeah… just freaked out for Liv.”
Jim believed that she was, but he didn’t believe that was the whole story. “OK,” he said, then hesitated. He wanted to ask her what else