The Private Serials Box Set(19)

I didn't have a chance to ask him what exactly I should hold on to in  his tiny sports car before he gunned the gas pedal and tore off down the  street in the middle of downtown Portland. It was Friday night in the  city and people and cars were everywhere. My feet planted firmly on the  floor of the car. One hand pressed against the door and the other hand  had found its way to Preston's bicep.

He wove in and out of traffic, breaking a few laws, I was sure, and  managed to avoid hitting any of the pedestrians I alerted him to with my  screams. Either he was used to driving with a woman yelling at him in  the passenger seat, or he was doing a bang-up job ignoring me.  Regardless, my heart rate was through the roof and I was getting tired  of being thrust from side to side as he flung his Lotus around corners  and through parking lots, all in an effort to lose the person who was  following him. Eventually, he managed to get the car turned so it was  heading north and I started to relax as we made our way from the area of  town full of bars and nightlife, entering the part that was more  industrial.

I turned and saw the car was still behind us, even after all that fancy driving, and I looked to Preston.

"He's still there. What are you going to do?" I‘d never been in a car  chase before. In all the movies I'd seen, the car being followed either  lost the other car, or it crashed. We hadn't achieved the former and I  hoped to avoid the latter.

"Just hang on tight," he said again, making my eyes roll. I resumed my hold on the door and his arm.

He pulled into an empty warehouse parking lot, luring the other car into  it behind him, then he gunned it, aiming his car for a small alley that  ran along the back of the building. Even for such a small car as the  Lotus, it was a tight squeeze, and I found myself closing my eyes in  fear, my fingers gripping Preston's arm. Surely, the car following us  couldn't make it through the same alley. I felt the car leave the  ground, causing the same feeling in my stomach as when you hit the  summit of a roller coaster and then quickly fall. Weightlessness. We  were airborne. I let out a strangled cry, but was thrust back into  silence when the car jolted back onto the pavement.

My eyes popped open, and I was relieved to see we were, indeed, on the  ground and in one piece. I looked to Preston and his eyes were focused  as he was driving. I turned quickly to look behind us, but didn't see  the car any longer.

"I think you lost him," I whispered, the car silent aside from our heavy breaths.

Preston didn't respond immediately, but when he did, all he said was,  "Hold on." Suddenly, I flew forward and to the side, only to feel  Preston's arm swing out and press me back into my seat. Then we were  still for just a second. His hand flew to the gear shift, putting the  car in reverse. Preston placed his arm over the back of my seat and  looked out the back windshield of the car, lurching backward down yet  another alley. I closed my eyes tightly again, fearing we would crash.

Then we were still. The car was off, as were the headlights.

I opened my eyes and felt Preston's hands on my face, turning it toward him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes roaming over my face, inspecting me.

"Preston," I breathed. My voice was gone and his name was just air.

"Lena, baby," he said, pulling me into him, guiding my face into his  neck, his arms wrapping around my shoulders. "It's okay. I'm sorry," he  whispered. I breathed into him, trying really hard not to cry, the  adrenaline making my heart race and eyes well with tears.

"I'm o-okay," I stammered. Then the car lit up and he pulled away from  me. Two headlights were beaming right into the car and I was frozen,  aside from the trembling, not knowing what was going on. Preston grabbed  my face again and looked at me, speaking clearly and quickly.

"I'll handle this, Lena. Don't get out of the car, okay?"

I nodded, his hands still on my cheeks. Then he pressed a very quick  kiss to my lips and went to open his door. He was halfway out when I  heard a man's voice.

"Not so fast, Reid. Get back in the car and roll the window down." The  headlights went off, shrouding us in darkness again. Preston folded  himself inside the car and rolled the window down as asked.

"Shit," he mumbled under his breath. He reached over and gave my knee a  quick squeeze. "Everything's going to be fine. I promise," he said  quietly.

I heard footsteps coming closer to the car, and even though Preston no  longer seemed threatened, I was still trembling and scared. Looking for  the person who had chased us, my eyes darted through the darkness.  Finally, the outline of a man appeared, coming closer to us with steady,  unhurried steps. He was a tall, round man. Easily three hundred pounds,  perhaps six-feet tall. He was lucky he'd chased us in his car, because  Preston could effortlessly beat him in a foot race.

"Reid, nice evening for a leisurely drive." The man was just outside the driver's side of the car now, looking in at Preston.

"Edgar, I'd say it was a pleasure to see you, but I'd be lying."

I swallowed hard, freaking out a little bit that Preston was mouthing off to the man who had us trapped in an alley.

"You know I like it when you call me Eddie," the man said, placing one  hand on the door and leaning down so his head was in view. His face  matched his body, round and full.

"What do you want, Eddie?" Preston's voice was low and angry.

"I'm just checking on my assets." Eddie's eyes fell on me. "Hello there,  Lena, darling. I hope our little car chase didn't frighten you too  badly."         

     



 

I saw a muscle in Preston's jaw twitch and his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

"Again, what do you want?" His voice was even lower now, nearly a growl.

"I just want to make sure you've thought through all your actions,  Reid." Eddie's eyes traveled to me again. "Some of us are starting to  doubt your decision-making capabilities."

"I don't answer to you, Eddie, but even if I did, all I'd say is that I am just doing my job."

Eddie chuckled, then sighed. "You've got balls, Reid. I'll give you  that." Eddie stood up and thumped his hand on the roof of the car. "This  job doesn't go right, you're going to lose a lot more than just your  balls, Reid. Don't say I didn't warn you." With those parting words,  Eddie walked back to his car. After a moment, his headlights came on,  flooding the Lotus with light again, then he backed up and drove away.





Chapter Two

I exhaled heavily when his car was out of sight, then turned to Preston,  who was still gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were  white. "What the hell was that all about?" Preston's hands finally  loosened on the wheel, but instead of answering me, he just started the  car again and put the gear shift in drive. He pulled out of the alley  and started driving back into the city. "Preston, why did that guy chase  you all over the city and then just walk away like that?"

He let out an aggravated sigh. "Eddie is someone I work with. He was  just trying to scare me. I don't want you worried about it."

"How did he know my name?"

"Like I said, I work with him."

"I thought you said you were in the business of secrets. I don't  understand why he needs to know my name." Something was off about the  way Eddie approached Preston. It made me nervous, as if somehow I was  involved in something I didn't want to be a part of and I'd gotten in  over my head.

"Listen, he doesn't know why you hired me. He doesn't even know the  specifics of the case. Hell, he might not have even known I was working  with you until he saw you-you're not exactly unrecognizable."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, anyone who's anyone in this town would see your face and know  your name. You're Lena fucking Bellows, for Christ's sake." He was  shouting now, his voice angry and agitated. His hand slammed down on the  steering wheel as he yelled, "Fuck!" He took another hard right turn  then pulled over on the side of the road. He threw the car in park and  then turned in his seat to face me. "Listen, I never intended for you to  get involved this way. When I took this job, I thought it would be a  slam dunk. I'd be in and out in a matter of days and then move along,  just like I always have." His voice softened as he spoke, his eyes  imploring me to listen and understand.

"I wasn't expecting to be this drawn to you, Lena. I couldn't have  prepared myself for the attraction I felt when we first met. I should  have turned the job down, should have walked away, but I'm not that  strong." His voice had lost all its roughness and anger from earlier and  was now like silk.

Thinking about him walking away caused a sudden and unexpected panic in  me. Surely, if on that first day he'd turned me down and left that bar  without taking the job, I would have simply found someone else. But  after the small amount of time we'd spent together, knowing the way he  could make me feel, the power he had over my body, and the promise of  something more to come, the thought of him ending whatever it was  between us was terrifying. I didn't want him walking away, but I also  didn't want to be a part of these strange and dramatic scenes, either.  Sexual escapades in closets and car chases weren't my idea of a good  time. I wanted quiet movie nights cuddled up by a warm fire. I wanted  inside jokes and silly notes left in obscure places. I wasn't sure  Preston Reid was the man to give me what I wanted.