against his hand but he ignored it and kept lecturing. “I know you want to yell for help but screaming could bring more attackers. Do you want that?”
She took several breaths before she shook her head.
Pax inhaled long and deep, trying to see this from her perspective and keep his anger in check. With her family history it was no wonder she went with wariness over fear. He knew only the scraps in her brother’s file about a deceased mother, but the background of Kelsey’s criminal father wasn’t a mystery. His name had seen a lot of time in the papers a few years back. The truth, whatever really went on in this family, could be much worse.
“You see me every day,” Pax pointed out as he stood up again. This time it took longer and more energy. Too many more deep knee bends and he’d crash to the floor.
“As a customer only.”
Joel chuckled. “And she lands a verbal blow. I bet that hurt.”
“You’re not helping,” Pax said under his breath and included a string of profanity to make his point.
Last thing he needed was a real-time reminder of just how attracted he was to Kelsey and how it suddenly seemed to run in only one direction. Especially since she was scowling at him, looking as if she might be planning his funeral.
“Joel, is it?” She shifted her weight and slid her body up the wall. When her knees wobbled, she reached out for Pax, grabbing on to his forearm and steadying her balance again. Her hand dropped a second later.
“Joel Kidd. Yes, ma’am.” The corner of Joel’s mouth kicked up in a smile when she talked to him.
“Call the police.”
The smile fumbled. “I’m afraid I can’t—”
“Do that. Yeah, I get it.” She stepped away from the wall and inched closer to the far end of the hallway. “Paxton … or whatever his name is, said the same thing.”
“My name really is Paxton. I just prefer Pax.”
But she’d stopped listening. She glanced around the floor and took a wide jump over the bleeding attacker’s body. “I’m going to go out front and check on Mike. I might even scream if it looks like it’s clear and you’re the problem instead of the solution.”
Pax grabbed her arm in time. He had her spinning around and standing only a few inches in front of him. At six feet he loomed over her by a good six inches. All those years playing football and the genes from a father he never knew had gifted Pax with broad shoulders.
His size tended to intimidate people. Using the factor to get his way never bothered him before. If it meant saving her, it wouldn’t bother him now, either.
“No.” Enough talk. He started walking toward the back door, taking her with him. He didn’t squeeze or pull, but with his elbow tucked and her body swept in close to his, he had the balance advantage and moving her didn’t take much pressure against her skin.
“Excuse me?”
He kept the lock on her elbow. “I tried this the nice way.”
“When?”
They blew by Joel, who had dropped to the floor to check the pockets of both fallen attackers. “Uh, Pax.”
The tone signaled caution as much as if Joel had thrown up a flashing red light. Pax shortened his stride and stopped a few steps from the back door.
“We are going to walk out there and get into the SUV.” He lowered his voice, forcing the tension to leave his jaw before it cracked from the pressure. “We are going to get out of here and to somewhere safe. Then we can talk all of this out. But, Kelsey—and you need to understand this—we are leaving. No discussion.”
The muscles in her arm went slack. All of a sudden it was easy to glide her across the floor and direct her where he wanted her to go. Pax knew that was a very bad sign.
This lady had the moves down cold—force your body to relax, and the person holding you will ease the grasp. Pax knew because he taught self-defense classes at the YMCA and had advised more than one class of women to avoid ever getting into a car with an attacker.
As the realization hit him, her body jerked. She slammed to a halt and pivoted away from him as she whipped her arm up, shrugging out of his hold. When he reached for her again, she ducked under the arc of his swing. Doubled over and head down in determination, she sprinted.
With his messed-up leg, she could have vaulted and took off and left him sputtering, but her sneaker snagged on the foot of the guy on the ground and she tripped. Her momentum took her flying and stumbling. She crashed against the wall next to the back door and stopped.
He swooped in before she could take off again. “Whoa.”
He trapped her against the wall with his body, ignoring the uneasy sensation rumbling through him from mimicking the actions of the man who had attacked her earlier. Pax slapped his palms against the uneven cement on each side of her head and rested his body against hers, careful to crowd her but not smash into her.
She clearly saw it differently because the second his body touched against hers, she whipped into a wild frenzy. “Not again.”
She kicked out behind her and raked her fingernails against the back of his hand. With her head shaking and shifting, she struggled and grunted. Energy pounded off her as every limb, every muscle, moved in concert against him.
This time, he threw his weight into the hold. He pressed his chest against her back and grabbed her wrists and stretched her arms out to keep them from flailing. Their heavy breathing mixed together as air pounded in his lungs. Beneath him, he could feel the rise and fall of her upper body on rough gasps.
She turned her head to the side and stared at Joel. Until that moment, Pax had forgotten his partner was even there. So much for calling in reinforcements. He could only hope Ben was having an easier time with the crowd out front.
“You could help me,” she said to Joel.
“If it’s any consolation, I plan on telling everyone back at the office about how close you came to getting the jump on Pax.”
Pax swore under his breath. As if the shot to the thigh wasn’t enough cause for ribbing. Now he’d have to hear about this. “Kelsey, listen to me.”
“Why should I?” The harsh words lost their impact under the weak thread of her voice.
“You’re in danger.”
She turned her head and balanced her forehead against the wall. The position cut off all potential of eye contact with Pax and Joel. “Obviously.”
“Not from me.”
“You’re the one who threw the knife. The same guy who’s holding me now.” She shrugged. “You’re hurting me, by the way.”
He eased his stance, shifting his weight to his heels and thinking to move away. Then he stopped. In addition to the sweet face and impressive legs, she was smart and skilled. He wouldn’t put it past her to use guilt to break free.
He
