me some answers first, and then you ask me
whatever you want?”
Jack signed. “No. I can give you some
information, but James has to talk to you about your parents, who
you are and why you are so important for us. I know most of the
answers, but I’m here to keep you safe, to try to help you with the
change. Or at least do my best to figure out why you suffer so
much, and to take you safely to Red Cliffs and your family. I wish
I could be the one who would tell you everything you need and you
want to know.”
“So you are not authorized to tell me
anything? You didn’t strike me anyone who would blindly carry out
somebody else’s orders,” she said in a sharp voice.
“If you are ready to give orders, you need to
know to take them sometimes. I have no problem with that. But my
orders aren’t the reason why I can’t discuss some things with you.
You’ll talk to James,” Jack said in a low, controlled voice.
It started raining in a fine mist. A small
diner was visible in the distance. She wanted to suggest stopping
for coffee, but snapped again instead, bitter and disappointed, “So
your job is to deliver me, like a parcel. Well, James could have
sent somebody less important for such a humble job.”
“Pull over!” Jack said. “Pull the damn truck
over!”
Astrid pulled into a small parking lot and
turned the ignition off.
He got out and shut his door with unnecessary
force. As he walked around to her side, she caught a fragment of
his angry grumble.
“Damned if I know what’s going on...”
Before she had a chance to touch the lock,
the door swung open. “I need coffee. Let’s go.”
Astrid jumped out, grabbing Jack’s
outstretched hand.
Another loud slam and he closed her door.
Astrid tried to pass him, but Jack’s warm fingers circled her
wrists as he pushed her back—gently, in complete opposition to his
anger—until her back touched the door.
She was now trapped between Jack and the
truck.
“Why are you making it so difficult?” A quiet
growl came out of Jack’s chest. His amber eyes slightly changed
their shape and darkened. A gray shadow lurked beneath the solid
gold hue of their depths.
Jack’s hand moved up and lifted her chin,
forcing her to look right into his eyes. She stared without
blinking, mesmerized by their untamed beauty.
“What do you want from me, Jack?” she asked
quietly, turning her head away from his gaze. “You complicate
things, not me. You’re here to take me safely to Red Cliffs, not to
hike with me.”
“It’s been left to me how I would carry out
the orders,” he said in a throaty voice and moved his head close to
her. His sweet, hot breath brushed over her face.
“Is that how you decided to proceed, then?
You tried to seduce me last night. Today you barely talk to me and,
even worse, you treat me like an unpleasant job you need to finish
nonetheless. What did I do wrong? What happened?”
He rested his forehead against hers and
closed his eyes. “You, Astrid. You’ve happened to me, and now I’m
completely out of balance,” he said. “And I’ve happened to you,
Astrid, don’t you feel it?”
“I do, Jack, and I don’t know what to do,”
Astrid said quietly. “I’m not afraid of you; I’m afraid of myself
because I’m losing control. You came two days ago, and I shouldn’t
be feeling like this, if for no other reason than because two days
ago I barely knew you existed.”
Jack’s lips touched Astrid’s forehead,
eliciting a small sob from her chest.
“It’s going too fast, and that scares me. I
need more time, Jack. I’m not an impulsive person. I might have a
nicely developed emotional side, as Arnaldur likes to say, but I’m
also logical and a common sense-driven person. And my cool logic
and my common sense are telling me that I’m going too fast. Way too
fast. Zero to one hundred in five seconds.”
“I know that, Miss Spock.”
The wind picked up and the drizzle turned
into cold, heavy rain. Jack wrapped his arms
whatever you want?”
Jack signed. “No. I can give you some
information, but James has to talk to you about your parents, who
you are and why you are so important for us. I know most of the
answers, but I’m here to keep you safe, to try to help you with the
change. Or at least do my best to figure out why you suffer so
much, and to take you safely to Red Cliffs and your family. I wish
I could be the one who would tell you everything you need and you
want to know.”
“So you are not authorized to tell me
anything? You didn’t strike me anyone who would blindly carry out
somebody else’s orders,” she said in a sharp voice.
“If you are ready to give orders, you need to
know to take them sometimes. I have no problem with that. But my
orders aren’t the reason why I can’t discuss some things with you.
You’ll talk to James,” Jack said in a low, controlled voice.
It started raining in a fine mist. A small
diner was visible in the distance. She wanted to suggest stopping
for coffee, but snapped again instead, bitter and disappointed, “So
your job is to deliver me, like a parcel. Well, James could have
sent somebody less important for such a humble job.”
“Pull over!” Jack said. “Pull the damn truck
over!”
Astrid pulled into a small parking lot and
turned the ignition off.
He got out and shut his door with unnecessary
force. As he walked around to her side, she caught a fragment of
his angry grumble.
“Damned if I know what’s going on...”
Before she had a chance to touch the lock,
the door swung open. “I need coffee. Let’s go.”
Astrid jumped out, grabbing Jack’s
outstretched hand.
Another loud slam and he closed her door.
Astrid tried to pass him, but Jack’s warm fingers circled her
wrists as he pushed her back—gently, in complete opposition to his
anger—until her back touched the door.
She was now trapped between Jack and the
truck.
“Why are you making it so difficult?” A quiet
growl came out of Jack’s chest. His amber eyes slightly changed
their shape and darkened. A gray shadow lurked beneath the solid
gold hue of their depths.
Jack’s hand moved up and lifted her chin,
forcing her to look right into his eyes. She stared without
blinking, mesmerized by their untamed beauty.
“What do you want from me, Jack?” she asked
quietly, turning her head away from his gaze. “You complicate
things, not me. You’re here to take me safely to Red Cliffs, not to
hike with me.”
“It’s been left to me how I would carry out
the orders,” he said in a throaty voice and moved his head close to
her. His sweet, hot breath brushed over her face.
“Is that how you decided to proceed, then?
You tried to seduce me last night. Today you barely talk to me and,
even worse, you treat me like an unpleasant job you need to finish
nonetheless. What did I do wrong? What happened?”
He rested his forehead against hers and
closed his eyes. “You, Astrid. You’ve happened to me, and now I’m
completely out of balance,” he said. “And I’ve happened to you,
Astrid, don’t you feel it?”
“I do, Jack, and I don’t know what to do,”
Astrid said quietly. “I’m not afraid of you; I’m afraid of myself
because I’m losing control. You came two days ago, and I shouldn’t
be feeling like this, if for no other reason than because two days
ago I barely knew you existed.”
Jack’s lips touched Astrid’s forehead,
eliciting a small sob from her chest.
“It’s going too fast, and that scares me. I
need more time, Jack. I’m not an impulsive person. I might have a
nicely developed emotional side, as Arnaldur likes to say, but I’m
also logical and a common sense-driven person. And my cool logic
and my common sense are telling me that I’m going too fast. Way too
fast. Zero to one hundred in five seconds.”
“I know that, Miss Spock.”
The wind picked up and the drizzle turned
into cold, heavy rain. Jack wrapped his arms
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