Dare She Stay — Chapter 5
Sisters are clueless
Her brother’s ongoing innuendos sabotaged Stormee’s confidence in her decision to accept Dirk Savage’s help. The two men he’d sent to accompany her were not ordinary company employees. Their bodyguard demeanor could land them a starring role in a class B gangster movie.
She hated to agree with Josh, but the man standing at the top of the loading ramp did resemble a crime boss more than a charitable acquaintance. He was certainly full of himself and made no effort to conceal a fundamental premise that men controlled and women submitted. Dare she put both herself and Josh completely under his control?
“Miss Waters,” the man by her side gestured upward with his open hand. “Mr. Savage is awaiting your arrival. Please proceed so we can meet our flight schedule.”
His request, spoken in an unthreatening tone, sounded reasonable. She needed to stop reacting to her brother’s melodramatic warnings and assume the take-charge persona of the woman she aspired to be.
“Come on, Josh.” She tugged on her brother’s sleeve. “We need to get to Chicago as soon as possible. Nana needs us.” Stormee ascended the stairs with what she hoped passed for fearless determination.
“Good morning, Stormee, Josh, welcome aboard Falcon One.” Dirk stepped away from the door and gestured toward the seating area. “Make yourself comfortable. We’ll be taking off at once so please fasten your safety belts.”
Stormee did as he asked, and without further resistance, Josh circled a small table and chose a seat facing hers. The arrangements struck her as spacious until Dirk took the seat on her right side. She shifted and leaned away from the man who had just managed to affect time and space, stopping one and shrinking the other.
“As soon as we gain our cruising altitude, refreshments will be available,” he said, stretching his legs forward and crossing his ankles.
Josh pointed his finger at their host and squinted his eyes. “My sister and I don’t need anything else. After we reach Chicago, you go your way and we’ll go ours.”
His rude reply startled Stormee. She shook her opened hands at him and barely uttered his name through her gritted teeth. “Josh!”
“What?” he said, grabbing both armrests. “It’s the truth so why not say it?”
“Please show some manners.”
“Why? This is about hooking up, and if you weren’t so dense, you’d know what’s on his mind. Most guys get girls with the price of a movie ticket. Rich ones do the same thing with a jet ride.”
Josh bent toward Dirk, puffing out his chest. “How about it, Savage? I bet this kind of thing works every time with clueless girls like my sister. You got the guts to be honest?”
The confrontational fire in Josh’s eyes scared Stormee. She couldn’t breathe as Dirk copied Josh’s movements and leaned toward her brother. He glared at his youthful antagonist in merciless silence.
Josh returned the piercing glare for longer than Stormee believed possible before lowering his gaze and slouching back in his seat.
“In the future” — Dirk paused and leaned back in his chair — “if you have something to say to me, don’t insult the woman I’m with to get it said. Also, you’d do well to remember I never allow any man a second chance to disrespect me.”
Stormee’s heart sank. Her brother was speechless as if Dirk had pushed his mute button. A familiar, protective instinct seized her. “I’m sure he didn’t mean to be impertinent. This is somewhat disconcerting for him and…”
Dirk glared in her direction and without apology, raised his palm to command her silence. “Stay out of this, Stormee. No man wants his sister to make excuses for him. What’s more, Josh is more intuitive than you think.”
“What are you saying?” Staggered, she shook her head in confusion.
Dirk stared at his teenage adversary and answered her question in an emphatic tone. “Josh requires an honest assessment of my intentions toward you. He wants to know if I’m man enough to give you a fair warning. Isn’t that correct, Josh?”
“Right.” Josh sneered.
The two stared at each other like dueling pistols, cocked, and ready.
Bewildered, Stormee crossed her arms and turned her face to the side. Outside her window, billowy clouds lay in an infinite blanket, the very epitome of tranquility as they hid the world beneath. She wished she could do the same and hide the embarrassment heating her cheeks.
“What intention? I’m not anyone’s objective. I want you both to stop. This is ridiculous. Josh, take back what you said, and let’s end this here and now.”
Dirk grasped her chin in a gentle but decisive grip, turning her face to him. “Your brother is right, it’s time for you to be quiet and listen.” A peacemaker’s smile softened the grit in his voice. He released his hold and turned back toward his antagonist.
“Where women are concerned, they’ve been a pleasant diversion, and as you’ve pointed out, money makes them easy to acquire. And although she’ll resist the inevitable, your sister and I will enjoy a close relationship in the future.”
Stormee couldn’t believe her ears. The deeper significance in his words hadn’t escaped her radar. “This is absurd. What kind of jerk are you?” Venomous words spewed from her throat in an attempt to stop him from saying something more outrageous.
Dirk’s dark eyes burned as he again focused on her. “I’m the jerk that’s telling you to keep quiet. This conversation is between Josh and me. You’ll get your chance later.”
The stern clench of his jaw hinted at a temper she had no way of measuring.
“I’m not going to just stand around and let you use my sister!” Josh’s voice sizzled with teenage boldness.
Dirk leaned back in his seat, crossed his legs, and conferred a tight-lipped smile on her reckless brother. “I don’t intend to exploit Stormee. I have the utmost respect for her. Why don’t you wait until you have something to condemn before passing judgment,” he drawled with cool disregard.
Stormee’s shattered self-confidence didn’t allow for defying Dirk’s command to stay quiet. Besides, she couldn’t think of even one battle-worthy reply. Intimate images of the rogue male at her side raced across her mind like a slideshow. For the first time, the sinewy strength concealed in his eye-catching physique touched her on an elemental level. Thanks to her idiot brother, she was now forced to acknowledge Dirk as a man, a hunter, one who’d marked her for acquisition. After what he’d just said, how could she hope to keep their association on a professional level? She swiped at the trickle of perspiration slipping across her temple.
Josh moved his gaze to her. “Are you getting all of this? You recognize what this guy is saying, don’t you?”
Stormee remained mute. Dirk and Josh reminded her of two ravenous dogs, and she, the piece of prime steak between them.
“Like I told you” — Josh met Dirk’s gaze — “ she’s clueless. So what I’m saying is this — you give it your best shot. But if you hurt my sister, I’m coming after you.”
Dirk’s lips tightened against his teeth. “Fair enough.”
He cocked his head toward Stormee. “Would you like some coffee now?”
Though his smile was warm and his tone courteous, the slight lift of his left eyebrow told her he was at the edge of his patience.
“I don’t think so.” She turned her back to him and laid her head against the seat, the need to escape his disturbing presence uppermost in her mind. Blessedly, both her adversaries took the hint and lapsed into silence.
Dirk pushed the control panel next to his chair and dimmed the overhead lights. He glanced at the rigid shoulders of the woman beside him. Even after thirty minutes, She still couldn’t hide her anger. Her small, fisted hands trembled where they lay pressed together in her lap. This wasn’t how he’d planned to reveal his intentions.
He shifted his gaze to the boy who slept in peaceful ease, despite the wreckage left by his immature anxiety. Thanks to this underage opponent, whatever progress he’d made with Stormee no longer existed. Judging by his experience with her in the last two days, he’d wager she’d lose no time laying a minefield to keep him at bay.
He wanted to kiss the nape of her neck where it lay exposed by her short hair, to whisper in the small, delicate ear that he wasn’t a predator to be feared. A frustrated sigh vibrated down his throat. The one attribute he lacked in quantity was the one thing he needed to win Stormee’s trust — patience.
Stormee climbed into the backseat of the sleek white SUV next to Josh. Dirk took the driver’s seat and a man he’d introduced as Skeeter filled the front passenger space.
“We’ll get breakfast then go to the hospital if that’s okay with everyone,” Dirk stated, turning to direct his words to Stormee.
“I want to go straight to the hospital.” She rushed to reply before Dirk could interrupt. “Josh and I can get something in the cafeteria later. There is no need to trouble yourself further. We can make the return trip without assistance.” She stared out the side window to avoid making eye contact.
An unfamiliar ring-tone echoed through the car and Dirk slipped on an earphone. “Yeah, we’re leaving the airport now. Tell Condor to refuel the Falcon and stand ready. Prepare the shack and other specs I sent earlier.” His strong voice filled the car’s quiet interior.
Twenty minutes elapsed and Stormee began to relax, allowing her mind to sort through possible scenarios that might lay ahead. She’d arranged for a three-day leave-of-absence from work and Josh’s school schedule. Her available cash would barely stretch, with hotels, food costs, and the price of bus tickets home.
Josh punched her shoulder and stepped out of the vehicle, giving Stormee the first clue the vehicle had stopped. She grasped the door handle and almost tumbled out as it swung open. Strong fingers gripped her upper arm, saving her from falling headfirst on the concrete.
“Are you okay,” Dirk asked, helping Stormee to stand.
“I’m — I’m fine.” She shook off his hand and slammed the car door with agitated force.
“Hey, I thought we were going straight to the hospital.” Josh stared at his sister, confusion scrunching his eyebrows.
Stormee scanned the immediate area for the hospital’s entrance. Nothing presented itself except for a small eatery painted in multiple shades of pink and green with a sign reading Mom’s House of Pancakes.
“I don’t know about your sister, but I’m sure you’re just as hungry as Skeeter and I,” Dirk addressed Josh with a conspirator’s grin.
“You’re right. My stomach is beginning to cave in on itself,” Josh responded with a nod.
Stormee glared at her brother. What happened to the earlier antagonism toward the man he’d warned her not to trust? Some character building was needed if his loyalty sold for a mere stack of pancakes.
The three deserters disappeared through the cafe door, each swearing they held the title for most pancakes eaten at a single meal. Their desertion hurt and started a whirl of retaliatory options forming in her sleep-deprived mind.
The jarring blare of a car horn reminded her she stood in the only open parking slot. She moved to allow the taxi room to unload passengers. An idea sprang up like a weed in the summer sun and she acted before losing courage. The image of them choking on their beloved breakfast, when they found her gone, revived her spirits.
Dirk grinned at Josh who was busy floating a super-stack in blueberry syrup. “Your sister seems to have a stubborn streak. How long do you think she’ll hold out before she decides to come in?”
“I told you she’s not a pushover.” Josh paused to lick the syrup from his bottom lip. “Get her mad and there’s no telling what she’ll do. At times, she can be really scary.”
Dirk cut into his stack of buckwheat pancakes and savored their nutty flavor. “The car is locked. She can’t enjoy standing in the sun. I’ll give her a few more minutes.”
Ten minutes later, he washed the last mouthful of breakfast down with a swallow of coffee as hot as his growing annoyance. Women generally did everything possible to please him, unlike Stormee, who resisted at every turn. She’d willingly go hungry, rather than surrender. “You two finish up and meet me at the car.” He paused long enough to pay the bill before stalking toward the parking lot.
After making two rounds of the building’s perimeter, he still hadn’t found Stormee. His palms itched, from what particular urge he wasn’t sure. But giving her a thorough shaking would be a good place to start.
“She’s with Nana” — Josh spoke from behind him, his cell phone clutched in his hand — “She grabbed a taxi.”
Dirk slammed his open palm against the side of the SUV. “Of all the pig-headed, stubborn…”
“Ah, Boss,” Skeeter cut him off, nodding his head toward Josh.
Dirk took the hint. “Get in the car. We’ll catch up with her at the hospital.” The pancakes he’d enjoyed with gusto now churned in his stomach.
Stormee pulled the blanket over her grandmother’s shoulders, tucking it around her neck so the air blowing through the ceiling vent wouldn’t chill her. Nana hated to be cold. Her grandmother appeared weaker than Stormee remembered, her pale skin blending with the white sheets. She adjusted the covers one more time and stepped into the corridor to wait for Nurse Abbot.
“Hey, why did you disappear?” Josh’s voice echoed through the quiet hallway.
Stormee turned and raised her finger to her lips. “Quiet. This is a hospital, remember?”
“Okay, okay. Where’s Nana?”
“She’s sleeping. You can go in but don’t wake her.”
Stormee watched Josh as he eased the door open to Nana’s room. She ought to acknowledge the men who’d accompanied him, but the truth was, now her little rebellion was over, she didn’t know what to say.
“Miss Waters, would you like for me to bring you something from the cafeteria?”
Skeeter’s solicitous offer calmed her uncertainty. A peep in Dirk’s direction, however, made the hair stand erect on her arms.
What right does he have to be angry? I’m the one being ordered around or ignored. She tossed her head and threw him a look of smug victory. He stiffened as though she’d smacked him. With a mouth clenched tighter than a bank vault, he was in jeopardy of cracking his stubborn jaw.
She stepped backward, intending to duck into Nana’s room when Nurse Abbot rounded the corner.
“Miss Waters, I’m so glad you could get here this soon.” The middle-aged woman dressed in a pristine white nurse’s uniform grabbed Stormee’s hand, squeezing it gently. “I spoke to the floor supervisor, and she assured me your grandmother has no serious injuries and should be released in a couple of days.”
Thankful for the chance to shift her focus, Stormee turned her back on Dirk. “Yes. I checked and she appears to be okay.”
“Sorry to interrupt, Miss Abbott. I’m Dirk Savage. We spoke on the phone earlier.”
Stormee jerked in surprise. Dirk stood close beside her as if he had a right to meddle in Nana’s business. Before she could tell him to back off, she watched Nurse Abbot capture his hand,
“Mr. Savage. Thank you for your assistance. You’ve completely relieved my concern for Mrs. Langley’s safety. Furthermore, I’m happy a capable man will be assisting Miss Waters.”
“He’s not…” Stormee uttered only two words of complaint before the arm Dirk snaked around her waist interrupted her ability to speak.
“You no longer need to be concerned for Stormee or her grandmother. I’ll be taking personal responsibility for both.” He moved to stand behind Stormee, his hand resting on her ribcage.
“Oh, I’m pleased,” Miss Abbott's smile reflected total acceptance. “Stormee is too young to bear this load alone.”
“Miss Abbott…” Stormee attempted to regain control of the conversation and, at the same time, pull away from Dirk’s hold.
His fingers splayed, and with little effort, he tugged her flush against his muscled frame. “Don’t worry, Stormee, I’ve already had a long discussion with Miss Abbott, and I’ll share that information later. I’m sure you’d like to spend time with your grandmother, so let me take care of the rest, okay?”
To an outsider, his gesture no doubt appeared attentive. But Stormee knew differently. A stranger wouldn’t pick up on the distinct mockery in his tone, or the possessive movement of his fingers as they flexed against her ribs.
He was far madder than expected. If she didn’t want to become a public causality, common sense demanded she let his temper subside. Despite wanting to do the opposite, she allowed her body to relax.
“Hey, Sis. Nana wants to talk to you.”
Dirk dropped his hand from her waist.
To be continued…
Chapter 6: https://readmedium.com/dare-she-stay-chapter-6-767e169abf84
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