Chapter 6

CHAPTERSIX

Cora sat next to Pipe on the Metro, his thigh against her own, and couldn’t remember when she’d felt so safe. Usually when she used public transportation, especially this late, she was on edge and fully alert. But with Pipe next to her, looking badass and wearing a scowl on his face, people gave them a wide berth.

She would’ve laughed if she wasn’t so concerned about Lara.

It was hard to believe things had worked out so well. When she’d left her place earlier that evening to head to the auction, she had no idea what would happen. If she won the bid for Pipe, she didn’t know when they might go to dinner. She didn’t know if he’d believe her, or if he’d think she was just some paranoid, desperate, on-the-brink-of-bankruptcy nutcase.

She hated to think anything good about Eleanor fucking Vanlandingham, but the woman had actually done her a favor tonight by being her usual horrible self.

They rode the Metro in silence until they neared her stop.

“This next one is me,” she told Pipe. He nodded and stood, holding his hand out to her.

Cora must’ve stared at his ink-covered fingers for a beat too long, because before she could take his hand, he shoved it into his pocket as if embarrassed.

She wanted to apologize. Tell him it wasn’t that she didn’t want to take his hand, just that she wasn’t used to people helping her. She wasn’t the kind of woman for whom others, men especially, went out of their way to assist. She wasn’t flirty or coy, and she definitely didn’t come across as helpless. She dressed for comfort, didn’t wear makeup, didn’t care about using womanly wiles to get her way…not that she had any. In this city in particular, her attitude didn’t go over well. People were always trying to impress others, and if you didn’t play the game, you were overlooked.

But this man didn’t seem to care that she’d come to a fancy event in a dress from a big box store and cheap heels. In fact, he hadn’t looked at her any differently after she’d changed into her jeans and sweatshirt.

Making a split-second decision, Cora reached up and took hold of Pipe’s arm and used it to help her stand in the still-swaying Metro car. He immediately tightened his muscles, using his core strength to assist her.

“Thanks,” she muttered.

They stepped off the subway into the mostly deserted station near her apartment, heading for the stairs. Cora stopped when she saw Milton, the homeless man she’d known for years. He usually spent the colder nights here in the station. She stopped beside him, and could feel Pipe’s gaze boring into her as she crouched near the other man.

“Hey, Milt,” she said softly.

The man, who couldn’t be that much older than her, rolled over. At seeing her, he grinned and sat up. “Cora. It’s good to see you. What are you doing out so late, you shouldn’t—” Whatever he was going to say abruptly cut off when he caught sight of Pipe behind her.

“This is Pipe. He’s my friend,” she told Milton. “He’s escorting me home.”

Milton turned back to Cora and said suspiciously, “Haven’t seen him before.”

“I know. He’s going to help me find Lara,” she said in a low tone. She’d talked to Milton about Lara on a couple of occasions, usually when she brought Milton some food. He knew that Cora was worried, that she thought Lara had been kidnapped. Milton might be homeless, and smelly, and drunk a lot of the time, but he was a good man and she considered him a friend. She didn’t know his story, about how he’d ended up living on the streets, but since she’d felt as if she was days away from being right where he was at times, she never judged him.

Milton stared up at Pipe and narrowed his eyes. “You take care of her,” he said in a menacing growl.

Instead of laughing or rolling his eyes at the empty threat obvious in Milton’s voice, Pipe nodded once. Respect filled Cora. Not many people looked twice at homeless men and women, whose population seemed to be growing year after year in DC. The difference between the haves and the have-nots in this city, and many cities across the country, was becoming more and more obvious.

Cora shrugged a shoulder and brought her backpack around so she could unzip it. She reached in and fingered the white envelope under the dress and shoes she’d worn earlier that night. She took out a few bills and held them out to Milton. “Here.”

He looked down at her hand and blinked in surprise. “Nope,” he said with a shake of his head, not reaching for the money.

“Please, Milton. Take it. I’ll be gone for a while, and I’m worried about you with the weather getting colder.”

“That’s too much,” he insisted. “I know you can’t afford it.”

“I can,” Cora lied.

“No.”

“Yes.”

They glared at each other for a heated moment before Milton sighed. “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”

“No. Please take it. If you don’t, I’ll be stressed out. Then I’ll stop eating and fade away into nothing,” she teased.

Milton rolled his eyes but reached for the money. “Wouldn’t want that,” he mumbled.

“Thank you,” Cora said, then leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek. He smelled pretty horrible, and his face was dirty, but she didn’t care. He was a decent man deserving of care and affection. They’d met when he’d intervened while she was being harassed by two other homeless guys. He’d saved her that day, and they’d been friends ever since.

“Be careful,” Milton said solemnly.

“I will.” Cora stood and smiled at Milton, then turned to Pipe. “Ready?”

She couldn’t read the expression on his face. He nodded.

They walked toward the stairs once more.

When they reached the street, Pipe asked, “How much did you give him?”

“Two hundred bucks. He’ll probably spend it all on alcohol in the next few days, but I don’t mind.”

“How much do you usually give him?” Pipe asked.

Cora glanced at him. “How do you know I’ve even given him any money before?”

He raised a brow in response.

She sighed. “Maybe five dollars or so. Enough that he can get some coffee and a sandwich at a place around the corner,” she mumbled.

“Hmmmm.”

Cora didn’t know what that noise meant. If he thought it was too little, or if he didn’t think Milton deserved to be given any money. But she wasn’t sorry. All it took was a few life crises and anyone could be in his shoes, at any given time.

She led the way to her apartment building, and when they entered, she turned to Pipe. “It’ll only take me a few minutes to pack.”

He stared at her with another look she couldn’t interpret. Then said, “I’ll walk you up.”

Cora shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’ll be all right.”

But he wasn’t budging. “It’s one in the morning and nothing good ever happens after midnight. I’ll walk you up, Cora.”

Her chest got tight. “Seriously. Just wait here in the lobby for me.”

“No.”

They glared at each other, even as panic tickled in. Pipe couldn’t come upstairs. He couldn’t see her apartment. Despite barely knowing the man, she knew he wouldn’t be happy if he did.

“What are you afraid of?”

Her back straightened. “Nothing,” she said too quickly.

Pipe’s gaze bore into her own. “You’re lying.”

If anyone else talked to her like this, Cora would’ve lost it. Not only had he accused her of being a scaredy-cat, but a liar as well. But the truth was, he was dead-on correct—on both counts. She really didn’t want this man to see her apartment.

As she and Pipe engaged in a stare-down, she realized he wasn’t going to relent. He was determined to protect her, which was a weird feeling in and of itself, and he wouldn’t let anything she said deter him. That very stubbornness was one of the things that would help her get to Lara. But she was beginning to understand it wasn’t good for her own peace of mind.

She finally broke the eye contact, turning toward the elevators. “Fine,” she said belligerently.

To Pipe’s credit, he didn’t crow over her acquiescence. He simply stood next to her as they waited for the elevator to arrive. They rode up to her floor in silence. She appreciated that he didn’t comment on the many lights that were out in her hallway, or the nasty smell of the carpet, or the general lack of maintenance in the place.

It wasn’t the Taj Mahal, that was for sure, but it was a roof over her head, and Cora was content with that. After all the ups and downs she’d had over the years, and the many times she’d had to sleep on Lara’s couch, she’d finally felt as if she was getting ahead when she was able to afford a place of her own again.

And then Ridge fucking Michaels happened.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to Pipe when they reached her door. “Will you wait here for me?” she asked, hoping against hope he’d agree.

He studied her face for a moment before asking, “What don’t you want me to see in your apartment, Cora?”

“Nothing…I just…I don’t really know you,” she finished lamely, lying yet again.

“You think I’m gonna hurt you? Force you to do something you don’t want to do?” Pipe asked, taking a step backward, giving her more space.

Now she felt guilty. “No.”

Pipe stared at her for a few seconds, then nodded stiffly and looked away. “I’ll wait out here.”

Cora sighed. She didn’t want him to feel as if she didn’t trust him. “No. It’s okay. You can come in.” She turned toward the door, every muscle tense. He wasn’t going to be happy when he saw her apartment, but it didn’t matter. As long as he and his friends would help her, it didn’t matter if her living situation was embarrassing. She wouldn’t change anything about what she’d done, not if it meant helping Lara.

She unlocked the dead bolt and took a deep breath before pushing open her door. She didn’t have to look behind her to see if Pipe followed or not. She heard his footsteps and the click of the door shutting. “I’ll be right back,” she told him as she made her way toward the one bedroom.

Her cheeks felt warm, and she knew she was blushing in pure mortification. But she went to her closet and knelt down and opened her backpack. She grabbed the envelope of cash and ignored the dress and shoes. It wasn’t as if she’d need those in New Mexico or Arizona. She rifled through the stacks of T-shirts, pants, and long-sleeve shirts on the floor of her closet and packed them into a larger duffle bag. She grabbed a handful of underwear from another stack, as well as socks and a few extra bras.

She headed out into the hallway with the bag, into the bathroom, refusing to look in the direction where she could see Pipe standing near the galley kitchen. She reached into the shower and got her shampoo and conditioner and a shower pouf. Then collected some toiletries on the counter.

True to her word, she was finished packing in less than five minutes. She went back out into the main room and finally met Pipe’s eyes. “I’m ready,” she told him.

As she’d thought, he didn’t look happy. But he also looked thoroughly confused as well.

“Where the fuck is your furniture?” he asked between clenched teeth.

Looking around, Cora tried to see the apartment from his point of view. The only furniture in the room was a battered bookshelf against one of the walls, with pictures of her and Lara and a few well-read paperbacks. That was it. She had a moment to be glad he hadn’t gone into her kitchen and opened the cabinets. He would’ve found them just as empty of dishes, cookware, and even silverware.

Following Pipe’s gaze, she looked back into her bedroom, and the lack of furniture in there as well. She had a blow-up mattress on the floor, one that she’d borrowed from Lara a while back, and that was about it.

“Cora? Seriously—what the hell? You live here?”

Straightening her shoulders and feeling defensive, she nodded. “Yes. I sold my stuff to get the money for the auction,” she explained, voice steady.

“You sold your stuff,” Pipe repeated.

Cora had never felt as humiliated as she did right now. But it didn’t last long before she mentally shook her head. She had nothing to be ashamed of. She’d done what she’d done to help the only person who’d ever treated her as if she was more than a piece of trash.

“Yes,” she said, her chin inching up.

Pipe ran a hand through his hair as he stared at her almost empty apartment.

“I would’ve invited you to stay the night here, rather than taking the Metro all the way back to your hotel, but…well…” She lamely gestured to the empty room.

In response, Pipe surprised her by walking into the kitchen.

Cora stiffened as she watched him open her fridge and several of her cabinets. She waited for his judgement. For comments about her lack of food, and anything to cook or eat it with.

But he surprised her again by simply turning back to her and saying, “You got everything you need?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Let’s go.” He reached out and grabbed her bag, swinging it over his shoulder and gestured toward her front door.

Cora narrowed her eyes, fully expecting him to lay into her. Tell her that she was stupid for selling literally all her belongings for a ridiculous bachelor auction. For just a chance to talk to him, not even a guarantee. But he didn’t. He simply waited quietly while she locked her door behind her. Then he put his hand on the small of her back as they walked toward the elevator.

The trip back across town was quiet. Neither said a word. But Cora didn’t miss the way Pipe’s gaze never stopped scanning their surroundings. They’d arrived back at his hotel before he finally spoke again. “I can get you a room of your own.”

She looked up at him. “It’s okay. I mean, if it’s still all right that I stay in your room.”

“I’d prefer it,” he said simply.

With his fingers lightly resting on her back again, they walked toward the bank of elevators.

Cora felt edgy. Unsettled. Her skin under her sweatshirt tingled where his hand rested. She was keenly aware of Pipe standing so close. She inhaled deeply and realized the piney scent she’d gotten whiffs of throughout the evening were coming from him.

The urge to rest her head on his shoulder was suddenly hard to resist.

They walked down a hallway to the very end, to a room next to a stairwell.

“Owl’s across the hall,” Pipe said, pointing to the door to their left. “We always choose rooms close to the stairs. It’s safer.”

Cora’s lips twitched. She actually wasn’t surprised in the least. Anticipating danger was practically bred into these men. It was one of the reasons she’d thought the guys from The Refuge would be perfect for helping her rescue Lara.

Pipe hadn’t been wrong, she was kind of a stalker. She’d read everything she could get her hands on about each of the men. She didn’t know any of the specifics about the missions they’d been on while in the military, because they were obviously classified or top secret or whatever it was called, but she felt as if she’d gotten enough of an insight into their characters by reading the news reports of Alaska Stein’s rescue from Russia, and the subsequent incident at The Refuge itself. Then when Reese Woodall was stolen away by Colombian cartel members and almost taken across the border. And from what residents of Los Alamos were quoted as saying about the men when Jasna McClure disappeared, how desperately they’d helped search for her.

Yeah, it was safe to say she was impressed by Pipe and his friends. The level of commitment toward ensuring the safety of the women who lived on the ranch had made Cora suspect they’d be willing to help her as well.

And she hadn’t been wrong.

Pipe held the plastic key card up to the sensor on the door and it clicked open. He pushed open the door and held it for her. Taking a deep breath, and praying she hadn’t been mistaken in her evaluation of Pipe, Cora walked into the room.

It was nothing fancy. Just two queen beds like he’d said, a dresser with a TV, a small, uncomfortable-looking chair in the corner, and a typical hotel bathroom. Pipe shut the door, threw the dead bolt and the little thingy above it that would prevent the door from being opened, then walked past her to the bed by the window and put her duffle bag on the surface. “You want the bathroom first?” he asked almost nonchalantly.

Cora shook her head. Pipe nodded and headed for the small room without another word.

When he’d shut the door, Cora wandered over to the bed that was obviously going to be hers for the night, and sat on the side. She should be doing something, planning, thinking of things to tell Pipe and the others that would help them get Lara away from Ridge…but suddenly she was exhausted. She hadn’t been sleeping well because of her worry for her friend, and the stress of trying to make as much money as she could before the auction.

She flopped to her back, and her eyes closed as she waited for Pipe to be finished in the bathroom—then jerked awake when she felt someone touch her arm.

Cora threw herself to the side out of reflex, immediately embarrassed at her over-the-top reaction when she saw Pipe backing away from her with his hands up, as if showing her that he wouldn’t hurt her.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, running a hand over the back of her neck. “I’m not a fan of people touching me to wake me up. Bad memories.”

She wasn’t scared of Pipe when he scowled at her words, and actually made a growling sound in the back of his throat. Instead, she was…turned on?

No, that couldn’t be right.

But it was. It had been a long time since someone had been pissed off on her behalf. And this man didn’t even know the half of it.

“Someone hurt you when you were sleeping?” he bit out.

“Well, not when I was sleeping, but…after they woke me up. Yeah,” Cora said, not meeting his gaze. “It was a long time ago. And no, he didn’t get to do what he wanted. I didn’t…cooperate.”

“Good for you,” Pipe said, though still not sounding happy.

“Right. But as a result, I was kicked out of that house the next day, after the asshole made up a story about me stealing money out of his wife’s purse.”

“Wanker,” Pipe said under his breath.

For some reason, Cora smiled.

“What? This isn’t funny.”

“I know, it’s just…wanker?”

His lips twitched. “I’ve been here in the States a while, but sometimes my Britishisms come out.”

“Yeah.”

“Anyway, I’m sorry I touched you without your permission. I’ll remember next time. I’m done in the bathroom.”

For the first time, Cora noticed that Pipe had changed out of the black slacks and white dress shirt he’d been wearing all night. Lord help her, he had on a pair of gray sweatpants and a black tank top that showed off the tattoos on his arms and upper chest.

But it wasn’t his tattoos that had her attention. The outline of his cock was prominent in the sweatpants, and she swallowed hard at seeing his size. She tried not to stare, but it was difficult.

She’d had her share of sex, but she’d never instantly craved a man like she craved Pipe at this moment. It wasn’t just the fact that his dick was above-average in size, it wasn’t the tattoos…it was the entire package that was Bryson Clark.

He’d been pissed on her behalf when he’d heard Eleanor talking shit about her, open about listening to what she had to say, empathetic, protective, understanding…and generous. It wasn’t exactly surprising for Cora to realize she wanted him. And not just sexually. She wanted to know everything about him. Why he’d chosen the tattoos he had. What put the shadows she’d seen in his eyes. Why he’d left his country and moved to the US. How he’d gotten involved with The Refuge. All of it.

“Cora?” Pipe asked, his brows furrowing as he looked at her. “You can trust me.”

She hated that he thought her silence meant she was second-guessing staying in the room with him.

“I know,” she said, forcing herself to tear her gaze away from his crotch. “I’ll just go and do my thing now…” she said a little lamely, picking up her bag.

Pipe stepped into the space between the two beds, giving her room to pass without having to worry about brushing against him.

When Cora shut the bathroom door behind her, she leaned against it and sighed. “Get a hold of yourself,” she scolded softly. “He’s helping you find Lara. That’s it.”

She quickly did her business, changed into a pair of boy shorts and an oversized T-shirt, and brushed her teeth before heading out of the bathroom. She left her duffle inside because it wasn’t as if she’d need anything for the—she looked at her wristwatch—next four hours or so that she’d be sleeping.

The room was dark, except for a sliver of light coming through the curtains that hadn’t been shut all the way. Cora pulled the covers back and crawled under the sheet. She fluffed up the pillows behind her and sighed in contentment as she finally relaxed.

The blow-up mattress had been fine, better than the hard floor, but it felt heavenly to be on an actual bed at the moment.

“Pipe? Are you asleep?” she whispered.

“No. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just…thank you.”

“Don’t thank me until we find your friend,” he countered.

“No, seriously. No one else would listen to me. Or they’d listen to me, then quote me an exorbitant price to do nothing more than some searches on the Internet. Even if you guys can’t find her. If she’s…if Ridge has…you know. I’m grateful for your help. I know this isn’t normal for you guys, and I don’t want to get anyone in any trouble. But I’m so relieved you gave me a chance to tell you my story.”

She heard the covers in the bed next to her rustle, and she looked over at where she knew Pipe was lying. She could barely see his shape in the darkness of the room, but she could feel him looking at her. “I promise that I’m gonna see this through. I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I give you my word that we’ll find out what happened to your friend.”

Tears sprang to Cora’s eyes. She wasn’t a crier. Ever since a kid in one of her foster homes called her a crybaby and made fun of her, she’d done her best to keep any tears to herself. But she couldn’t help but hear the sincerity in Pipe’s voice, and it felt like the gentlest and warmest of hugs. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day,” he said.

Cora nodded. It was hard to believe she was actually going to The Refuge. She’d read so much about it, she was actually excited about getting to meet Melba and Scarlet Pimpernickel, and the squirrel with the missing legs, and the other guys, and even the women. Cora had a hard time making friends, but she’d gotten the feeling Alaska and the others were pretty down to earth.

She expected to lie awake thinking about her evening, and Lara, and worrying about what was to come, but because she felt down to her bones that she was safe with Pipe in the other bed, within moments of her closing her eyes, she fell into a dreamless sleep.