appealing, like cinnamon and pumpkin pie.
Always Home. She’d created a home, all right, a cozy refuge for the teenage girls. The kind of place he had no right to after that debacle in the desert sand.
He shifted his gaze, taking in the half-dozen girls clustered by a wooden staircase—all pregnant, all young, their eyes too knowing for their tender age. Like the kids he’d seen in Afghanistan. They’d had those same half-dead, traumatized eyes.
“We need to leave,” Haley told the girls. “Right away, before that gang comes back. Gather your things and meet me back here. Fast.” Her voice was soft and calm, but authoritative—the voice of a woman used to taking charge. And the girls obeyed without question, racing up the staircase while she pulled out her phone.
“You have somewhere to go?” he asked, catching her gaze.
She nodded, but a small crease marred her brow. “There’s another shelter near here. I’m calling them now to see if they have room.”
Sully crossed his arms and waited while she murmured into the phone. In less time than he’d expected, the girls traipsed back down the stairs. They all traveled light, each carrying a single knapsack slung over their backs.
A siren broke out in the distance. A second later, another one joined in. Haley pocketed her cell phone and turned to the girls. “All right. Is everyone here?”
The teenagers murmured assent.
“Good. I want to get out of here before the police show up.”
Sully didn’t blame her. The cops would descend in droves. They’d cordon off the street and canvass the neighbors, questioning everyone multiple times. He’d resigned himself to the scrutiny; he could hardly avoid it since his pistol shell casings littered the road. But Haley couldn’t afford the delay. She needed to get those kids to safety before the gang regrouped.
“We need to stick together,” she continued. “It’s not far, just a few blocks. Walk as quietly and quickly as you can.”
Sully’s head came up. “Wait a minute. You don’t have a car?”
Her gaze swung to his. “It’s in the shop. They’re going to meet us by the bridge and take us there.”
Frowning, he rubbed his bristly jaw. He didn’t like this. They’d be too exposed on foot. They’d been lucky enough to survive the first attack with just one kid in tow. An entire group of pregnant teenagers made them sitting ducks.
“I’ll go with you.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“The hell it isn’t. What if that gang shows up?”
Her face paled, but she raised her chin. “We’ll deal with it. You’ve done enough. I appreciate your help, a lot. But—”
“I’m armed, and you’re not. You need somebody to guard your back. Now, let’s get going. We’re wasting time.”
Doubt flickered in her eyes. She glanced at the girls and back, clearly reluctant to agree. But then she gave him a nod. “Fine. Thanks.”
He knew she didn’t want to involve him. And who could blame her? Who’d want a derelict like him around? But he had to give her points. She did what she needed to protect the girls.
Or she knew more about that gang than she’d let on.
She turned back to the pregnant teens. “Let’s go, then. We’ll leave through the back.”
Careful to keep his distance, Sully followed the girls through the kitchen to the fenced-in patio, then waited while she locked the door. She paused to embrace Lindsey, then murmured something to another teen, evoking a shaky smile.
The girls liked her, he realized. And why not? There was something comforting about her. She was gentle and warm, but in a take-charge sort of way. She radiated confidence, reassurance. She was the kind of woman they knew they could depend on, a woman who’d confronted a gang to save their lives. No wonder she drew them in.
Without warning, a wistfulness rose inside him, a yearning to bask in that soothing warmth. To forget the past, forget the evil lurking in the world, to feel whole and happy again.
Shocked, he pulled himself upright. What was wrong with him tonight? That gunfire hadn’t only triggered a flashback, it had knocked something loose in his head. Maybe once upon a time, he could have pursued her. Maybe before he’d lost his illusions. Maybe before he’d gone to war.
But not now. Not ever. He hardened his jaw, determined to keep his focus on what mattered—getting her and those kids to safety fast. Then he’d head back into exile where he belonged.
Before he succumbed to his sudden insanity and lost what little remained of his common sense.
* * *
Haley led the way out the back gate and through the alley, her senses sharp, the persistent feeling of danger mounting with every step. She scoured the deep shadows blanketing the tomb-like lane, the bushes frothing in the cold, night breeze. The sirens began to draw closer, the eerie sound ratcheting her tension up another notch, adding to the urge to flee.
But she had to give the girls credit. No one complained. No one panicked or lagged behind. They padded along in silence, the faint crunch of dried leaves under their feet the only sound. Now if she could just get them to that van in time....
She stole a quick glance back at their protector looming behind the girls. He walked with a decided limp, his steps amazingly stealthy despite his size. An ex-soldier, without a doubt. Possibly suffering from post-traumatic stress, given his reaction to the attack—sweating, shaking, his entire body bristling with the need to bolt.
She turned around with a sigh. She hated involving him in her problems. He’d already risked his life enough—and he’d clearly wanted to leave. But frankly, she needed his help. She had the lives of six pregnant teenagers on her hands, not to mention their unborn babes.
And she had to admit that he intrigued her. That naked longing she’d glimpsed in his eyes—that hint of vulnerability he’d quickly masked—had aroused every nurturing instinct she possessed. He was an enigma, a strong, taciturn man wrapped in a body that vibrated with sexual hunger—nearly impossible to resist.
But she definitely had to resist him. She had no business thinking about Sully Turner that way. She had nothing to offer a man like him long-term. Short-term, either, if her nightmares had come true and her past had caught up to her at last.
She stopped at the end of the alley and waited for the girls to catch up. Her apprehension growing, she glanced around, wondering if she’d made a mistake. She thought they’d have time to escape before the gang returned. But what if they didn’t? What if the gang came back sooner than she’d anticipated and caught them out here alone? Even with Sully providing cover, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
The girls formed a circle around her, waiting for instructions. The wind blew hard, and she shivered inside her wool coat. “Okay, listen up.” She didn’t want to scare them, but she had to make sure they understood. “There’ll be a white panel van waiting on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue. I don’t think anything will happen, but if it does, if you hear gunshots or we get
