The Spy Who Came For Christmas(18)

Maybe, shit, maybe he’d even write that spy novel he’d always thought about. He sure had plenty of material to use…

“Holly is a perfect refuge,” she said, as that furrow smoothed away. “Or at least, it was.” Her smile was sad. “I’ve been hiding here for years.”

He waited.

No secrets.

She had to tell him on her own. She had to say…

“I’ve been hiding here,” Jemma continued quietly. “Ever since I killed a man.”

***

It was freaking cold in the mountains. Not as cold as it had been in Moscow, but hell…where was Jemma White? Was the woman ever coming home?

He hunched down against a tree. He could always try breaking into her home. Waiting in there for her. Even if she had an alarm, he could bypass it. Freaking child’s play. Yeah, yeah, he could go inside. Stay all nice and warm and wait for her.

After all, Jemma had to come back. Sooner or later.

But with every moment that passed…

His rage grew.

My shoulder still hurts like a damn bitch.

Another f*cking black mark against Grayson Cole.





Chapter Seven


Grayson didn’t act shocked by her confession. He sure didn’t look horrified. He just gave a little nod and said, “Tell me more.”

More. She’d been keeping this story inside for so long that she was afraid to tell him. Her father had died when she was seven, and her mom—she’d passed the year before Jemma left for college. That was why she’d waited a year and started college when she’d been nineteen. Since she didn’t have any family left, it had been easier to keep the truth inside.

Easier, but it hadn’t made it hurt any less.

“Jemma. Sweetheart, if you think I’m going to judge you, you need to think again.” His fingers were caressing her shoulders. He stared down at her, his expression tender. “Because I know you didn’t kill anyone in cold blood.”

She shook her head. “No, it wasn’t like that.” She hadn’t been given a choice. It was fight back or die. I didn’t want to die.

“I can handle your secrets.”

Gazing into his eyes, she believed him. The other men she’d dated, hadn’t she pulled back because she’d thought they couldn’t handle her past? Or…

I didn’t want them to know. I didn’t want to open up with anyone else.

Just Grayson. He was different.

Grayson guided her to the couch and when she sat down, he went to work lighting a fire. Soon the flames were crackling and he was back at her side. Not pressuring her. Just…waiting.

So she stared into the fire as she told him her story. “You were right before, about some men not being able to take no for an answer.” She’d known a man like that. Only she hadn’t realized the truth about him, about how he was, not at first. “I met Gage right after I enrolled at college. He was friendly, popular, two years older. He was even captain of the basketball team.” Everyone had loved Gage.

Everyone but me.

“We went out a few times, but…things didn’t click for me. I didn’t want a hot and heavy relationship. I don’t know that I wanted any relationship back then. I was just…finding myself, I guess. But Gage didn’t like it when I said that I wanted to cool things down.” She’d been so nervous when she told him that she wouldn’t be seeing him again. “He said I was crazy. That just being with him…well, that made me the luckiest girl on campus.”

“Sounds like a dumbass.”

No, Gage had actually been very, very smart. And that was why it had taken so long to stop him. No one else could see what he was doing. She took a deep breath and kept staring at the flames. “He started following me around campus. I mean…it’s not like it was overt.” Not at first. “I’d leave the library, and he’d be there. I’d go to the movies and…he’d be there.” She shivered even though the fire put out plenty of warmth. “Coincidences, at least that’s what I told myself for the first week.”

“But it wasn’t coincidence.”

She shook her head. “I made the mistake of talking to a guy in my Intro To Politics class. We walked out of the lecture together—we were laughing about something, I have no idea what. I just remember, I was laughing and I looked up and I saw Gage.” His gaze had frozen her on the spot. “That night, my roommate went to a party. I was in the dorm room alone, and Gage broke in.” Her words came faster. “He put a knife to my throat and said if I ever so much as thought of being with someone else, he’d kill me.”

”Bastard.”

“He left. I was a mess. Shaking and…terrified.” Her hand lifted and touched her lips. “He kissed me while he had that knife to my throat. I was afraid that he was going to rape me.”

Grayson surged to his feet.

“He didn’t.” Her hands fisted in her lap. “I called campus security as soon as he left. Told them everything. They brought him in for questioning, but Gage just said I was his crazy ex, trying to cause trouble. He had two of his basketball buddies swear he was with them, that they were out shooting hoops.”

Grayson began to pace. She could feel his fury filling that cabin.

“I knew he’d be angry with me for reporting him, and I stopped going out. Just went to my classes. Immediately came back to my room.” Her chest seemed to squeeze as she recalled that dark time. “Everyone started thinking I was the crazy one, just like he’d said. No one believed me, not even my roommate. Like I said, Gage was popular. People loved him.”