He pushed away from the wall and moved back to the table. Before he did anything else today, he had get back to his truck and the weapons stashed there. After last night, Eleanor would be waiting for his next move. He had no intention of walking into a fight without the means of
protecting Maddie.
***
Maddie tilted her face up to the showerhead and let the spray massage her skin. She was a fool—a fool to kiss Jon, and a fool to ask that damn question.
And what had she really expected him to say? If she wasn't certain of her own emotions, why should she expect him to be any different? They were strangers thrown into a dangerous situation by chance. When it was over, and Evan was safe, they would go their separate ways. Why would she ever expect anything more?
Because when I 'm with him it almost seems as if I've found the other half of myself. She closed her eyes and turned her back to the spray. Maybe she felt so attracted to the man simply because he seemed to understand. For the first time in her life, she'd found someone who didn't mock or belittle her abilities. Only death had stopped Brian's viciousness.
Memories rose unbidden. She clenched her fists and tried to stop them—to no avail. Once again she felt the pain of Brian's fists smashing into her body, her face. Felt fire burn uncontrolled through her body. Heard his laughter turn to screams as the flames engulfed him.
She shuddered and leaned her forehead against the shower wall. In the worst of her dreams, she could still see him burn, could see his flesh blacken and peel away, smell his death in every pore of her skin. In reality, though, she'd run the minute he'd let her go. She'd never seen him die, hadn't wanted to, despite everything he'd done to her. But neither had she called for help, not until she knew he was well and truly dead.
I've killed, and I'm still a risk, because I can't control my abilities. That she'd managed to control those same abilities long enough to see the location of the cabin in which Evan was a prisoner meant nothing. They might help save Evan, but it would never really ease the weight of guilt.
It was all very well for Jon to suggest she find help, but what if it was too late to make any true difference now? What if her firestarting had grown so wild it could never be truly contained?
It wasn't a risk she was willing to take. It was safer to stay alone—and lonely. At least then she could kill no one but herself.
If only Jon's kiss hadn't stolen her breath and her heart and made her want him more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life. If only she didn't have to face him this morning and pretend that nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
She sighed and stepped out of the shower. Maybe they'd get lucky and find Evan and the other teenager this morning. Then she could leave before she did something foolish.
Like admit her feelings to a man who just didn't care.
She dressed quickly and ran a comb through the thick tangle of her hair. Then she took a deep breath and eyed her reflection in the mirror. The woman looking back had dark rings under her eyes and a figure well hidden by a loose, vibrant green sweater. Not her most attractive outfit, which was probably just as well. If he gave her one of his heated looks of last night, she might just melt. Only he didn't even bother looking up from the newspaper he was reading when she walked out of the bathroom.
So much for worrying about any lingering tension, she thought with a scowl. She sat down at the table. Maybe all the heat had been little more than a fallout from the drug—at least on his part. Maybe he couldn't even remember it.
"Eat up," he said, picking up the coffeepot and pouring her a cup. "It'll be light soon, and we don't want to waste too much time, in case they move the kids."
She picked up the coffee to warm her hands and looked at the toast and cereal. She suddenly didn't feel hungry any more. But she picked up some cold toast and ate it anyway.
He only looked up when she'd finished, and there was nothing but polite interest in his face. "Ready to go?" he asked, pulling his gaze away from hers. But not before she'd seen the shadows under his eyes. Maybe he hadn't slept as soundly as she'd first thought.
She rose and collected her purse and keys. "Can we take your truck? That way I can study the map and look for the place I saw last night." He hesitated. "It's still parked near the inn. I walked to the restaurant to meet Eleanor, remember?"
"Oh." She frowned, not wanting to think about him and Eleanor. Even if he hadn't succeeded in seducing her, the thought of them together still churned her stomach. "It's just that I'm worried about my brakes—
they're not really safe at the moment, especially if it rains, as they're predicting."
"The inn's not that far away, Maddie. We can walk there, or catch a cab."
"What about Hank? And Eleanor?"
"With an inn full of guests to guest to worry about, and the clean up after the fire, I doubt they'll be spending too much time staring out windows. Besides, it's parked on a side street."
There was more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "I was only asking a simple question."
"And I was answering. What do you want to do?"
"Walk. The sun is out." And she didn't have enough spare cash for another cab ride.
"Are you going to be warm enough in that old coat of yours?" he asked, following her out the door.
She glanced up. The sun might be out, but it didn't look as if it would hold for long. Dark clouds were racing across the sky, and the wind was ice-cold. She shivered and quickly zipped her coat. It barely kept out the wind's chill. Against heavy rain, it would be useless. But she'd be damned if she'd admit it. Not when she wanted to be seen as a useful member of this partnership rather than a burden.