Free Survivor (The Soul Mates Series Book 1) by Victoria Johns

routine, but you could still feel if something was wrong. 
    First thing in the morning it was up and out for a run, we’d use the time wisely and play the game of questions.  I was just as keen to learn about Jake as he was about me.  This time of the day was when I smiled the most because I could see the changes and difference was me, I was getting stronger.  The strap welts caused by sweat from the knife on my thigh had begun to toughen and harden up, either that or I just no longer felt the pain.  My breathing was more controlled, less woman in danger from a horror movie and more female kick ass warrior .  The only thing I couldn’t sort out was my involuntary counting, but as I began to see the changes it made me feel amazing, I was finally seeing a more confident me, one that believed I could pull this off.  In a small amount of time I’d soaked up Jake’s targeted training and achieved exactly what I wanted, I was becoming battle prepared.  With my growing confidence came my desire to live again and by live again, I mean live sexually with Jake.  The tension between us was so noticeable that it was taking on a life of its own.  My hyper awareness of every detail was just making me that much bolder and I began to look forward to the time we spent together.
    “I think you’re ready for some defense moves,” he suddenly announced one morning when we got back to the junkyard after our run.
    “Fighting?  As in Combat?  As in karate chop!, really?”
    “Calm down, I’m not talking about desert rat commando shit, but enough that it might buy you a few minutes to get runnin’ again.”
    “Is it wrong that I find this nervously exciting?”
    “How could it not be?  Rollin’ around with me is serious shit,” he replied with a smirk on his face.  The problem was that the more we became friends and he came out with these lines, the more I really wanted to step over that line and plant myself on the other side of it.  It was only the last few outstanding quivers of self confidence that stopped me in my tracks.
    “When?”
    “After breakfast, you put some eggs on and I’ll get shit ready out here.”
    Doing as he asked, I made my way inside to Old Sam’s kitchen and as I would when he was here, I made fresh coffee and laid out two glasses of juice.  I was nearly finished with scrambling the eggs when I heard a cell phone ring in the kitchen drawer, following the sound accordingly, I located it.  The display simply registered the letters JD .  Curiosity was never my friend and I’d learned long ago that snippets of information would either, prepare you for something, disappoint you or kill you.  It stopped ringing so I took it as a sign of divine intervention and closed the drawer on it.  My brain began to spin through its data banks, Old Sam never used a cell phone, I’d not seen one on the counter tops before and the make and model was different from the one Jake used or carried with him.  When it began beeping in the drawer, I decided to investigate further and see what information it was holding.  A text message had been sent to it.
    JD: Jane Doe info acquired.  Call ASAP.  Red Flag.
    Fuck.
    The smell of the eggs cooking began to curdle my stomach.  I’d broken my rules, rules I’d set to keep me alive and worst of all, I’d started to trust Jake.  I’d let my guard down.  All this time he’d been working to solve his biggest puzzle, me.
    Hearing the shed doors close, I threw the phone back in the drawer and returned to rescue the breakfast.  I needed time to think, I needed to assess whether I was in danger and get the fuck out of here.  Knowing timing would be everything I breathed a sigh of relief when I remembered that I’d brought my money down from the cabin, a detour to receive it would cost me precious time.
    “Them eggs burnt woman?”
    “Nearly,” I rushed a little flustered to grab the bread from the cupboard and the pan of eggs, before heading toward the table,