All Chapters of Enemy From The Past (Unseen Enemy 4): Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

53 Chapters

Chapter Twenty-one

Gradually, her sobs tapered off, and Jim pulled back to look at her. She stared at the floor, embarrassed and ashamed, but he wasn’t having any of it. “Hey,” he said softly. “Look at me.”She took a breath, lifted her chin.“You’re not in this alone, baby. Not anymore.”“I know,” she whispered, tears threatening again. “And I’m not leaving you on your own until Dallas knows exactly where this asshole is. You hear me? I’m going to do whatever I have to do to make you feel safe.” His eyes were blazing at her. “That means staying here, sleeping on your sofa, taking you to work, picking you up. When we’re sure that twisted prick’s safe and sound in Foxburg Falls, then we’ll see where we are. OK?”She nodded, her throat too tight to speak.Jim stepped back now, and she tried to smile at the other men. “Thanks, guys.”“Sure,” Dean said gruffly. “Whatever you need Kat, just ask.”“I will.”They gave her a hug on the way out, and Jim shut the door behind them. Kat sat on the sofa, suddenly

Chapter Twenty-two

Jim had come across abusive men in his years of training, sure, but they'd rarely made it to the elite squads. And God knows, he’d been no stranger to throwing a punch when he’d signed up for Basic, and additional training had honed and sharpened his already-considerable skills. Ranger training had made him nothing short of a lethal weapon, and he knew this ex-Marine was the same. The thought that he’d put his hands on Kat made Jim physically sick: most tall, heavy men wouldn’t be able to stay standing once an ex-Marine started hitting them. Hell, for all Jim knew, Ferguson would give him a run for his money in a fist fight. A woman like Kat wouldn’t have a prayer.Jim’s anger ballooned up in his chest and he took a deep breath, felt his heart rate drop again. The thing about really intensive and specialized military training was that the farther you advanced in it, the more deadly you became, but you also became more controlled, more focused, more disciplined. It was a delicate bala

Chapter Twenty-three

When Dean and Dallas walked into Dallas’ house, they were surprised to see Emma and Olivia sitting on the sofa, giggling and swilling champagne. Dean’s heart jumped, and he hoped this meant what he thought it meant.“Hey,” Dallas drawled at them. “Is this a party?”“Damn right,” Liv said. “Tell him, Em!”“I’m in remission,” Emma told Dallas shyly. “Cancer-free.”Dallas stared at her for a few seconds, totally stunned, then he whooped and grabbed her up in a massive hug. She held on to his muscled shoulders, laughing, as he spun her around and around. He set her down again, and just gazed at her like she was the most astounding thing he’d ever laid eyes on.“That’s amazing!” he said, then turned to Dean. “Why the hell didn’t you say something, man?”Dean looked at Emma, saw the worried look on her face. “Oh, I thought that was Emma’s job, you know? It’s her healthy bone marrow.”She looked relieved, and flashed him a big smile.“Yeah, that’s true.” Dallas bounded into the kitchen and g

Chapter Twenty-four

“Wait.” Kat shook her head. “I still don’t get why you’re so angry.”“Because you’ve been through a living hell, and you deserve better than being stuck with me.” His laugh was a sharp bark. “I’m the most useless of the four of us, but you get me anyway.”“Why do you say that?” she asked, genuinely perplexed. “That you can’t think for yourself? That you’re useless?”He shrugged again. “Because I can’t, and because I am. Dallas has access to all kinds of staff and resources that can really help you… track this guy, keep eyes on him. That’s helpful, right? Dean’s a natural-born leader, and he’s smart and calm as hell under pressure, and always knows what to do to get everyone out alive. And Chris… well, Chris knows just what to say to people to make them feel better. He’s just – he’s got that way about him, you know? He’s gentle and people trust him and like him.”“And you think you’re not as good as them?”“I know I’m not.” His eyes were unflinching. “And I just feel bad that you get m

Chapter Twenty-five

Late that night, Kat was lying in bed, every inch of her body aware that Jim was out on the sofa-bed in the living room. He was less than twenty feet away, just on the other side of that door and down the hallway. She couldn’t see him or hear him, but dear God… she could feel him.They had gone to Jim’s apartment after a late dinner, and she’d waited while he’d packed a bag. She’d been to Jim’s a few times before, but she had never really looked around. This time, though, she tried to take in as many details about this rough, tender, infuriating man as possible.The apartment was small, almost as small as hers. As a cash-in-hand hairdresser who set aside almost everything she earned in her ‘emergency fund’, Kat was pretty strapped for disposable cash a lot of the time, and she wondered if Jim was too. Odd that Dean would pay him so little, but then again, Kat had no idea what a fair rate for tattoo artists in Denver could possibly be. So maybe Jim lived in a tiny place because he was

Chapter Twenty-six

Jim pulled up in front of the hair salon, glanced at his watch.“OK, I’ll pick you up after work at about six. You don’t leave here without me. Clear?”Kat looked over at him, annoyed at the alpha-male routine. “Jim. I’m sure that I can take the bus home.”His eyes flashed. “And I’m sure you’ll still be here when I come to pick you up.”“But it’s a major hassle for you.”“Keeping you safe is not a hassle, minor or major. But you know what is a hassle? Listening to you tell me what a hassle it is.” He cocked his head at her. “So give it a fucking rest.”She stared at him, then to his complete shock, she burst into laughter.“Something funny, sweetheart?” he asked.“No. Nothing’s funny,” she said between giggles. “I just – I really, really like you.”That took him by surprise. “Yeah?”“Oh, yeah.” She grinned at him. “So I’ll be waiting, Prince Charming.”“OK, good.” Jim tried to keep the scowl on his face, but he felt it slipping off, felt his expression softening. She was just so beaut

Chapter Twenty-seven

Doctor Hal Fife looked up as Emma and Dean came into his office. He studied Emma’s face and he felt relieved when he saw that she looked happy and calm.“Hi,” she said.“Hi,” Hal replied. “Come and talk to me.”“I wanted to say that I’m sorry for how I behaved the last time that I was here,” Emma said as she sat down. “I honestly can’t explain why I said the things that I did.”“Oh, Emma. No need to apologize.” Hal leaned back. “Everyone’s reaction to the news of remission is different and despite what you’d think, most people don’t jump up and dance. Tears and shock are much more common, and I also see lots of disbelief. One man actually accused me of lying to him, said that I was in on it with his family to make him feel better. It’s a huge adjustment to have to make, and it can take some time.”“Well, I’m pretty damn happy now,” Emma said. “Yes, I can see that.” Hal glanced at Dean. “How are you doing?”“Great.” He ran his hands through his scruffy blond hair. “This is what I’ve d

Chapter Twenty-eight

“So, how did you all end up in Denver?”Jim glanced over at Kat, curled up in the armchair across from him sipping a cup of tea that he’d made for her. “What?”“You and the guys. I know you all know each other from your time overseas, but you’re not all from here. So how’d you all end up in the same city after you left Afghanistan?”He set his book down on the coffee table and settled deeper into the sofa. “Well, Dallas left Afghanistan first. He used to come to Colorado to go skiing when he was a kid, and he’s always loved it here, he says. He moved to the city, started his security firm, bought two houses. Then about three months later, Dean finished his tour and packed it in. Dean is actually from Denver but his parents have a tiny place now since the kids all left home, and so Dallas offered him his one place as a rental. Dean has a local artist friend named Reena who helped him start up the tattoo parlour, and he’s been building it ever since. And me? When I came back to the Stat

Chapter Twenty-nine

Kat laughed. “Through Liv. She had this big photo shoot, and her usual hair guy totally flaked. Nigel called the salon where I work and begged my boss for help.”“Nigel, her former assistant?”“Yeah. He’s planning her wedding now.”“Oh, right. I remember him now.”“Anyway, I was new to Denver and didn't have many clients yet, so I was free that afternoon. I agreed to come on super-short notice and get Liv ready for the shoot. We talked, and hit it off, and I was so surprised, you know? I mean, she’s just never, ever had that bitchy celebrity personality, and she was so grateful that I helped her out… she paid me a huge bonus out of her own pocket and invited me for coffee. We became friends, and she asked me to her place for drinks one night and the girls were there. And that’s it, really.”“They’re good people,” Jim said. “I like that they’re with my friends. I think the guys are the happiest I’ve ever seen them.”“Yeah, the girls too.” Kat grinned, wanting to tease him a bit in retu

Chapter Thirty

Jim opened the door at Dallas’ knock, and the two men had a few seconds of silent and not-at-all-pleasant communication. Jim nodded slightly, and braced himself for what was almost certainly a shock of some kind.“Kat.” Dallas was as implacable as ever. “How you doing, darlin’?”She was on the sofa, her hands twisting over and over again. “OK, I guess. Worried about you being here, a bit.”Dallas sat down. “Nothing to worry about yet.”“Yet?” Jim echoed.“Yeah. Yet.”Kat swallowed hard. “So what’s going on?”“I spent the whole day today looking into – him. Your friend Leanne was right… he travels a lot, and I followed his credit card and cell phone activity. In the past four years, he’s been to Wisconsin, Michigan, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Arizona. In that order.”Kat turned deathly pale. “All the places I’ve been…”“Yeah.” Dallas was calm. “Everywhere except here.”“Fuck me,” Jim said angrily. “I thought you said Kat would be hard to track? That you’d struggle to find her

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