Dangerous Deceptions: A Christian Romantic Suspense Boxed Set Collection

by Lisa Harris

  “I believe it’s possible God can use a stubborn epidemiologist to stop a worldwide pandemic.”

  He studied her closely, but she could tell he was really wondering if what she’d just said was true. “If that’s the case, then it’s a good thing I’ve stepped up my game.”

  How was it possible that someone who made up their own rules and wasn’t afraid of breaking those made by others could draw her in so quickly? And yet, he had. “How does a rich kid like you end up fighting for the marginalized of this world?”

  Aiden’s hand went to the leather cord with three beads on his left wrist. “Long story.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Come on.” He held out his hand. “I want to show you my favorite place in the world, the place where I decided years ago that I want no part of my father’s plan for the Ballingers to gain world dominance.”

  He held her hand down the long staircase leading to a six-foot wide pier that spanned a stretch of sand made pink from thousands of years of tiny red sea creatures crushed by the powerful waves of the mid-Atlantic. Around the little cove, huge limestone rocks jutted from the water like sentinels of a private fortress. Together, she and Aiden followed the decking toward the sea until it stopped at a fan-shaped platform above the water.

  He took her to the railing. “What do you think?”

  “I can see why Mark Twain came here in the late 1860s and never wanted to leave.”

  “You know about Twain’s visit?”

  “I know he loved being free of harassments. The quiet of this place gave him a deep peace that allowed his conscience a rest from his ‘devils’ as he called them.” She dragged her gaze from the water. “What devils are you running from?”

  “This is what I want you to see,” he said, ignoring her probing question.

  At the center of the platform was a glass floor. Aiden flipped a switch on the deck railing. Underwater lights came on, providing a bird’s-eye view of the nighttime activities of the colorful marine life swimming among the coral.

  No wonder the man had such a fascination with science. As an only child, he’d entertained himself in his own personal nature lab. “It’s stunning.”

  “The reef is a very delicate eco-system.” Aiden dropped to his belly and invited her to do the same.

  She dropped down beside him, their elbows touching, her eyes fixed on the incredible scene below.

  “See how the parrot fish and angelfish exist together?” He pointed at the beautiful creatures gliding effortlessly and without note of each other. “But every so often, a Portuguese man-of-war will try to infiltrate their serenity.” He pointed to a jelly-like blob moving in on the happy world. “They’re a harmless looking glob, but in truth—”

  “Their tentacles can deal a deadly sting.”

  “Exactly.” He rolled over on his back, pillowed his head on his interlaced fingers, and looked at the stars twinkling in the velvety sky. “I fell in love with the idea that nature holds the key to so many things. I thought if I could unlock the secrets, I could keep the world’s men-of-war from destroying the beauty.”

  Rachel rolled onto her side and faced him. “Like giant viruses.”

  “Like the killer virus I found in Tibet.” Moonlight lit more than his features. It lit the depths of his soul.

  She could imagine a lonely boy lying out here for hours, longing to connect to something greater than himself. This was a contemplation she understood. After her mother moved her and Josiah back to Kansas, she’d married a wheat farmer. Lonely, bored, and far removed from the land she’d grown up in, Rachel had spent many a starry night lying in the middle of her stepfather’s wheat field and wishing for the exact same thing. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to disappoint my father.” The pain in Aiden’s voice let her know he’d not come to this decision easily.

  “How?”

  Aiden rolled to face her, propping his head on his bent elbow. “My dad owns Gaumond Technology, including Gaumond Labs, and a number of other companies.”

  Rachel bolted upright. “What?”

  “You work for my father.”

  “I don’t—”

  Aiden sat up so now they were eye to eye. “We both work for my father.”

  “But you’re a virus hunter. With a team.”

  “Dad humored my virus hunting sort of the way some parents allow their children to backpack around Europe—you know, a phase they hope their kid will outgrow. Anyway, I talked him into funding the Rapid Response Support Team.”

  “Your father pays for your research trips?”

  “Yes.”

  “And for things like your suite at the Watergate? Private charters? Lear jets?”

  “All of it.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s trying to buy my loyalty.” Aiden’s eyes implored her to understand. “He wants me to come in from the field and take over some portion of the company. He says if I wear a suit for a few years I’ll make enough money to buy a private island of my own.”

  “Do you want your own island?”

  “I don’t want any part of his plan. As soon as I figure out how to render this virus useless, I’m going to work for Doctors Without Borders. I’ve already sent in my paperwork and been hired.”

  Rachel felt the dreams she’d buried deep within herself sprout. A vine of hope leapt from her heart and drew her toward Aiden as if he were a source of light she must have. Desire pushed away her well-trained self-control. Without taking the time to gather all the facts or weigh all the consequences, she leaned in and kissed him. He smelled of soap and tasted of salty sea spray and hope. Between the two of them, perhaps her father’s dream of changing the world could be realized.

  Aiden hesitated, then took her into his arms and kissed her back.

  When she finally broke the kiss, he gulped and sat back. “Whoa. I didn’t know geeky girls could kiss like that.”

  “Geeky girls have many talents, but. . .” Her smile faded. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.”

  “I didn’t mind.”

  She stood up and started walking. “I do. This isn’t some romantic winter holiday. There are lives hanging in the balance here.”

  “I know. And my dad was right about one thing.”

  “The virus needs to be cloned.”

  “Exactly. But I can’t let him send this sample back to our lab after what’s happened.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I need to take the sample to an old mentor of mine.”

  “Who?”

  “Charlie Zimmern.”

  “You’re taking a rare and potentially fatal virus to the crazy Frenchman who lost his medical license in a very public scandal?”

  “That was a setup. I’m sure of it. Charlie’s the only one I trust with this.”

  “He disappeared after that cloning debacle, and if he’s as smart as he claims to be, he’ll never let himself be found.”

  “He’s in Istanbul.”

  She wanted to ask how he knew, how he could be sure, but she could tell from his face that he’d never lost contact with his mentor. “When are you leaving?”

  “Tonight. I’ve already stowed the virus on the plane. I just need to tell my father.”

  “I’m going with you.”

  “No. You’ll be safer here. No one will think to look for you out of the country, and if they do, you’ll be surrounded by a crackerjack security team.”

  “You’re not leaving me with your mother.”

  “I’m not taking you to Turkey. No telling what I’ll find there.”

  “Wait.” Rachel put her hand on his arm. “Do you hear that?”

  “Jet Skis.” Aiden ran to the edge of the deck. “Coming from the mainland.” He wheeled and grabbed her hand. “We’ve got to get back to the house. Warn my parents.”

  Rachel tripped as they ran along the boardwalk, pulling Aiden down with her. Bullets sang over their heads. When there was a break in the firing, they r
an.

  Chapter Eleven

  Aiden’s fingers tightened around Rachel’s as they ran back down the pier then through a row of palm trees and away from the exposed shoreline. Adrenaline pumped through him fast as the round of bullets he’d just heard. How had they found them here? And how was he going to warn his parents?

  Darkness had settled over the island, leaving the beaming moon as their only source of light as he led her up the sandy dune to Cook’s Peak. From that vantage point, they should be able to see the house and what was going on before deciding what their next move would be.

  At the top of the peak, he crouched down next to her, but this time it wasn’t to enjoy the scenery. This time they were fighting for their lives. He searched the shadows in the clearing below for movement, making the logical assumption that the intruders had gone straight to the house.

  “I can’t believe you planned to leave me,” Rachel whispered.

  He forced the guilt down. “I thought you’d be safe here.”

  “Obviously, I’m not. Is there a way to contact your parents?”

  “Not from here, but the guards will have heard the gunshots. We have contingency plans for a situation like this, including two hidden safe rooms in the house, but for the moment, we’re the vulnerable ones out here in the open.”

  Two figures, dressed in black and carrying weapons, emerged from the cover of the foliage and headed for the house. He caught sight of two more figures moving through the trees along the side of the house.

  “How many do you see?” he whispered.

  “Four,” she said.

  “Me too.”

  Their options at this point were severely limited. There was no way they could make it back down the rise and to the open area around the house without being seen. To the right was the boat launch, but the lack of cover ruled out going that direction.

  The clouds momentarily blocked the moon, then slipped past again. Someone shouted. Two of the intruders were moving toward the house while the second pair turned and headed in the direction of the airfield, which lay behind them. The men were spreading out. Searching. . .

  “We need to get to the plane.” He pulled Rachel to her feet.

  “What about your parents?”

  “I can radio the house from the plane.”

  He knew the risks of leaving his parents. If the intruders discovered the virus wasn’t in the house, things could easily morph into a hostage situation. Hopefully his parents’ security team would react before it came to that. Moonlight guided them back down the sandy ridge toward the airstrip, and they were careful to stay in the shadows. The plane appeared untouched when they arrived, but he knew once he fired the engines, the intruders would figure out where they’d gone. If nothing else, the diversion would give his parents time to get out.

  He helped Rachel into the cockpit then climbed into the pilot’s seat. Headset on, he powered up the radio so he could contact his parents, simultaneously running through the mental start-up checklist. He was going to need to be ready to fly out of here the moment his parents made it to the plane.

  He fumbled with the radio until he finally heard his father’s voice crackling through the speaker. “Aiden. . .where are you?”

  “They blocked our way back to the house. Made it to the plane.”

  “And Rachel?”

  “She’s with me.” He hesitated. “The virus is on the plane too.”

  “It’s not in the house?”

  “No.”

  “Aiden. . .”

  He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Armed men in black wet suits were coming toward the plane.

  Aiden started the engine. “They found us.”

  “You need to get off the island,” his father said.

  “I’m not leaving you behind—”

  “We won’t make it in time,” his father said. “We’re in one of the safe rooms, and the guards are with us. We’ll be fine. You need to leave. Contact me when you land. I have faith in you.”

  “Dad! I’m not leaving without—”

  “He’s right, Aiden. You need to get out.” He could hear his mother in the background. “Saving the virus isn’t worth losing your life. It’s not worth any of our lives.”

  Radio contact dropped.

  They were on their own.

  Shots sounded outside the jet.

  “Aiden, they’re coming.”

  “Okay.” Flaps up, he turned on the lights then started taxiing down the runway.

  Guilt dug at him for dragging his parents into this and now leaving them behind. He never should have brought his troubles to their door. Maybe his father was right. He should have stood up to his responsibilities to the family company and let someone else do the groundwork. But now wasn’t the time to drum up old regrets. Bullets showered the tarmac around them.

  “Fasten your seat belt,” he told Rachel. “We’re getting out of here.”

  He caught the fear on her face as the plane hurtled down the runway. This hadn’t been a part of his plan. He thought she’d be safe here. Clearly, he’d been wrong. A minute later, they were airborne and leaving the small island behind.

  To Aiden’s relief, Rachel waited for the plane to level off before saying anything. “How did they find us?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, mentally retracing his steps, wondering which move had given him away. “I guess it wouldn’t be that hard to trace me to my father. Maybe they assumed I would come here for help.”

  “Then it has to be someone who knows you. Or someone your father talked to today. Though I didn’t know your family owned a private island, and I’ve read everything there is to read about you.” She adjusted her headset. “Who knows about your parents’ vacation home in Bermuda?”

  He shrugged. “Most of my dad’s business associates.”

  “We’ll make a list.” She set her jaw toward the place on the horizon where the stars met the sea. “Then once we’re home. . .” She turned to face him. “You are taking me home, right?”

  He cut her a sly glance. “Have to make a little detour first.”

  “You’re still not thinking about going to see Charlie, are you?”

  He hesitated with his answer. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s our only option right now.”

  “You really trust him?”

  “I’ve known Charlie since I was a kid. He’s the one who inspired me to be a virus hunter. He might be a bit eccentric, but yes. I’d trust him with my life.”

  Which meant she was going to have to trust him.

  “I got the impression your father wouldn’t agree with that decision after the comments between the two of you at dinner.”

  “Charlie and my father haven’t spoken in years, but Charlie can help us, and he’s off the grid.”

  “How far off the grid?”

  “Far enough that whoever wants this virus won’t be able to find us.”

  “You know the kind of equipment we’re going to need.”

  “Charlie’s been working on a number of unofficial projects and has the resources.”

  He could see her putting two and two together, but instead of asking who Charlie worked for and who financed him, she said, “I still think this is crazy.” Her hand brushed his arm. “We need to go straight to the authorities and let them deal with this.”

  “Then what happens with the virus? Or your brother and his family?” He hated using the implied threat, but he’d come to realize he needed all the help he could get. “We don’t have time to jump through a bunch of hoops.”

  “My brother has a little girl. Emma—”

  “Charlie is our best bet,” he said.

  “If anything happens to her or—”

  “What I know is that I haven’t been able to contact my team, and I can’t do on my own what needs to be done to put a cork in this bottle I’ve opened. With yours and Charlie’s help, we can do more than save your brother’s family. We can save the world.”

  He wasn’t sure who he
was trying to convince, Rachel or himself. But he scanned the illuminated dials, thankful he was comfortable flying at night. In fact, he preferred a traffic-free sky and a star-lit trek, but soon enough he would be flying into the glare of the sun and the possibility this was a problem even Charlie couldn’t cipher.

  “Okay,” Rachel said, breaking into his thoughts. “I’ll help, but first I need to apologize.”

  “You don’t need to apologize for anything.”

  She held up her palm. “I’m not sure what I was thinking when I kissed you. It was a mistake. We clearly live in two very different worlds. I live in a three-room rental, have student loans to pay, and am saving to buy a house one day. Your family owns a jet, an island, and a major research corporation. Do you know how much the sandals cost that your mom wanted me to wear?”

  He glanced at her. “More than your car.”

  “Yes.” She grinned. “This is a world I could never live in. It’s not a world I want to live in.”

  So that was how she saw him. A spoiled kid playing games with people’s lives. It was why he’d never brought a girl to meet his parents. Maybe trying to live in both worlds wasn’t possible.

  “I might have been born into money, but that doesn’t define who I am.”

  “I didn’t say it did. I’m sorry if that came across judgmental. It’s just that I’m scared, and overwhelmed, and I really don’t know how to deal with all of this.”

  “Honestly, I don’t either.” He stared into the clouds building ahead, but his mind was drifting back to the few sunny, carefree days he remembered of his childhood. “Whenever I think of safe, I think of the island. Every year, we went there for a few weeks to escape the East Coast winters. From the moment our plane touched down, I had my parents’ full attention. Dad didn’t have work, and Mom didn’t have her committee meetings. All we had was each other.”

  “I’m sorry, I—”

  “Kissing you was like escaping the snow and loneliness all over again.”

  “Please don’t go there,” she whispered, her eyes wet in the lights of the dashboard.

  “Okay.” He picked up his radio. “At some point, we’re going to have to trust someone. But listen. . .” The lights of the big island of Bermuda sparkled against the horizon. “You don’t have to come with me. When we set down, I can put you on a flight to wherever you want to go. Just say the word. You could go to your brother’s or your mother.”