By Honor Bound

by Ruth Ryan Langan

  Micah removed a metal plate from the wall and peered at the maze of colored wires. “This might take a while.”

  Margot Jamison looked over his shoulder with an impatient frown. “I don’t care how long it takes, Mr. Lassiter. Just so you get everything up and running smoothly. When one of my staff phoned me last night to say the system was malfunctioning, I found your card in my file with the notation that you were the best in the business. Since this is a fairly old system, the company that installed it is no longer in the business.”

  “That’s not a problem. I’m glad you called. I’ll do what I can.”

  She turned away. “I’ll leave you to your work. My office is at the end of the hall. Drop by when you’re finished.”

  He nodded and waited until she was gone before attaching two simple wires. At once the lights on the unit began flashing. Moments later the monitor lights turned green, announcing that the unit was armed and ready to be activated.

  Humming as he worked, Micah disconnected the wires once more and watched as the lights flickered, then faded. He had no intention of finishing his work so easily. Of course, he wouldn’t bill the Children’s Village for his hours. Especially since he’d been the one to disarm the unit in the first place. But he needed an excuse to stay close to Prudence Street. What better way than this?

  He replaced the metal plate and decided it was time to take a closer look around the place where Prudence spent so many hours each day.

  As he moved from the main office building to the activity center, he noted a dozen different places where a prowler could lurk without calling attention to himself. This was, after all, a public place. In order to accommodate the many professional people who worked or visited here, it had to be accessible during business hours.

  Not the optimum situation for guarding someone’s life. But then, he’d faced a lot worse.

  He began making notes of the most obvious places, with ideas on how to make them safer while remaining open to the public. A few well-placed security cameras would help, and perhaps one of his operatives added to the staff for observation until this threat was lifted.

  He headed toward Margot Jamison’s office. It would be a whole lot easier if Allen Street would just allow him to be honest and open about this threat. But until Street gave his approval, Micah would just have to bluff his way through and see what came of it.

  “As far as I can see, the security system should be operating at full capacity in a few days.” Micah sat across from Margot, pausing every few minutes while she answered her phone.

  “Sorry.” She returned the phone’s receiver to the cradle and sat back for the third time. “Some days are just busier than others.” She managed a tired smile. “There are days when I feel like a juggler with too many balls in the air.”

  He nodded. “I don’t want this to sound complicated. But I think, considering the number of children involved in this operation, you ought to consider tightening your security a bit.”

  “Tightening our security? Why, Mr. Lassiter? Do you think there’s a danger?”

  “There’s always a danger when you’re dealing with dysfunctional families. There could be an angry parent who feels that your agency is about to take his children away from him. Or one who fears jail because of what the authorities have found in the home.”

  “None of that has anything to do with us. We simply try to find shelter for abused or neglected children. And help for their families.”

  Micah held up a hand. “Sometimes even the best intentions can backfire. I’d like to draw up a map with a list of your most vulnerable areas, and a few options you might want to consider. There’ll be no charge, of course. It’ll just be an estimate of things you can do to protect your staff and the children who come here.”

  She sighed. “Thank you. I’d be happy to look at it. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. It’s just that I have so much on my plate.”

  “I understand.” He got easily to his feet and started toward the door. “I’ll come by your office tomorrow with something you can study.”

  Minutes later, as he headed toward Pru’s office, he saw the director of Children’s Village walking to her car.

  He paused in the doorway and studied Pru at the computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone type that fast.”

  Her head came up. The little frown on her face eased into a smile. “I’ve been playing on a computer since I was big enough to sit at the keyboard. How about you? Don’t you have reports to write? Or do you have a secretary for that?”

  He stepped inside and settled himself beside her desk. “No secretary. Just an assistant. But she makes me file my own reports. And my typing is pathetic. It’s more the hunt-and-peck style.” He nodded toward the flashing cursor on her monitor. “You almost ready to call it a day?”

  She nodded. “This is the last file of the day. How about you? Is our security system up and running?”

  “Yeah. Such as it is. If you’re leaving soon I’ll wait for you. We can walk out together.”

  “All right.” She turned away to hide the pleasure she knew would be visible in her eyes.

  Micah watched as she efficiently backed up the file to disk, then placed the folder in a cabinet before shutting down her computer.

  She opened a drawer and retrieved her purse. As they walked outside, she glanced around. “Where’s your car?”

  “Parked over there.” He pointed to a row of cars behind hers. “You go ahead. I’ll follow you home.”

  As Pru climbed into her sports car and revved the engine, she saw Micah stepping into a dark sedan with tinted windows. Once inside he became invisible.

  It occurred to her that the car definitely suited the man. Solid, but with a hint of the mysterious.

  Chapter 5

  Micah pulled his car into the garage beside Pru’s. They’d navigated the traffic and made it home just as dusk was beginning to take over the city.

  He held her door as she climbed out. When she brushed against him, he felt the quick sizzle of heat and struggled to ignore it.

  “Do you have any plans for dinner?”

  She shook her head, sending her hair dancing. “None. But I was thinking on the way home that I just might heat up that leftover pizza.”

  “We can do better than that.” He hadn’t given a thought to dinner until this very minute. But the touch of her made him realize that he wasn’t ready to say good-night just yet. “Do you have a favorite restaurant in Georgetown?”

  She thought a minute before nodding. “A couple. There’s a Chinese place, a Greek restaurant and a little French bistro that features an outdoor café when the weather permits.”

  “Sounds like just the spot.” He’d noticed the way her eyes lit when she’d mentioned it. “Let’s try the French cooking.” He nodded toward the stairs. “Why don’t we change into something comfortable first?”

  At her murmur of approval, he followed her from the garage.

  At her doorway Micah paused. “I’ll stop by for you in an hour. Is that enough time?”

  “More than enough. I’ll be ready.” It wasn’t until Pru had stepped inside her apartment and leaned against the door that she realized he’d done it again. With almost no effort at all on his part, he’d persuaded her to spend the evening with him.

  Not that she objected. In fact, she found herself looking forward to it.

  She danced across the room, unbuttoning her jacket as she did. An hour gave her time to shower and try on at least three outfits before he knocked on her door.

  Pru’s bed was littered with slacks and tops, long cotton skirts and simple springtime dresses. All of them discarded in haste after one look at herself in the full-length mirror.

  She’d finally settled on simple flax-colored slacks and top with a heather-toned sweater tossed carelessly over her shoulders. Her hair was left long and loose, her face free of makeup.

  When Micah knocked, she was ready. Afte
r a quick look through the peephole, she threw the dead bolt and opened the door.

  “Right on time.” He shot her a dangerous smile as he stood back, allowing her to step into the hallway and lock the door.

  “It would be pretty difficult to be late when you live just across the hall.” She pocketed her key and started walking beside him. When she realized he was heading toward the garage, she stopped him with a hand to his arm.

  She felt him tense as he stopped abruptly and turned to her. “What’s wrong?”

  “I thought we’d walk. It’s only a few blocks from here.”

  “Walk?” His eyes narrowed slightly and he seemed to be considering the implications before giving a reluctant nod of his head and turning toward the front of the building.

  He walked out ahead of her and paused a moment before stepping aside and holding the door for her.

  In that brief moment she had the strangest sensation that he’d been studying their surroundings, much the way a bank robber might survey the scene before stepping up to the teller. What nonsense. She shrugged aside the feeling.

  When they started along the sidewalk, she gave him an admiring glance.

  Drops of water still glistened in his dark hair from his shower. He was wearing charcoal slacks and a black cotton crewneck. He was, she realized, as easy to look at as he was easy to be with.

  She flushed when he caught her looking at him, and needing something to say, blurted, “You look like you work out.”

  “I do.”

  “Every day?”

  He nodded. “How about you, Prudence?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve tried from time to time. But I guess that’s the problem. Time. I never seem to have enough of it.”

  “Yeah. I know what you mean. That’s what stops most people from getting into a regimen of exercise. Mine’s probably more like a compulsion.”

  “Why?”

  “My line of work, I suppose.”

  When they came to a crosswalk he casually brought a hand to her elbow and kept it there as they crossed the street.

  Once again she was forced to absorb the shock of his touch. But she had to admit that it wasn’t an altogether unpleasant sensation. Especially when he kept his hand there and continued walking beside her. With each step, she could feel the heat growing.

  Suddenly a car’s headlights flashed in their eyes and there was the sound of tires screeching. Pru’s reaction was to freeze in midstride. Micah’s was a far different reaction. He didn’t flinch as, in one smooth motion, he drew her behind him and turned to face the unknown.

  The transformation in him was amazing. Though he’d gone deadly still, he seemed poised to take on whatever came toward him, even if it proved to be a car hurtling through the air straight toward him.

  In that instant she imagined him, like a super-hero, catching the car in his hands and tossing it aside as though it weighed no more than a feather.

  The driver brought the speeding car under control and turned down a side street. In the silence, Micah mentally shifted gears and once again caught her arm. “Crazy driver.”

  Pru touched a hand to her heart. “Scared the daylights out of me.”

  He dropped an arm around her shoulders and could feel her trembling. “It’s a good thing we’re almost there.”

  “How would you know that?” She looked up at him. “Have you been here before?”

  “No. But I looked it up before leaving the apartment.”

  That brought a smile to Pru’s lips. “Don’t you ever leave anything to chance?”

  “Not if I can avoid it.”

  She was still grinning as they rounded a corner and caught sight of Café Paris. Lights had been strung in the trees and shrubs, offering a warm welcome. In a small courtyard were tables with white cloths and flickering candles. Inside it resembled a French bistro, with waiters in starched white shirts and black pants balancing trays laden with bottles of wine and covered dishes snaking their way between crowded tables.

  Micah turned to Pru. “What’s your choice? Indoors or out?”

  She glanced around. “Outside if there’s a table available.”

  Micah spoke with the maître d’. Minutes later they were led to a table in a quiet corner of the courtyard.

  When a waiter approached, Micah picked up the menu. “Would you care for some wine?”

  Pru nodded. Within a short time the waiter returned and filled two stemmed glasses with pale white wine before discreetly leaving them alone.

  Pru sipped her wine and seemed to hesitate before asking, “Why were you reluctant to walk here?”

  Micah shrugged. “There can be a lot of dangers out on the street.”

  “You mean like that car we heard?”

  “Not exactly. Even riding in a car is no guarantee you’ll survive being hit by a driver who’s out of control. But walking, especially after dark, leaves you open to all sorts of other dangers.”

  “I suppose, because of the sort of work you’re in, you’re more aware of the dangers than the rest of us.”

  “Yeah. I guess that’s true.” He managed a smile and deftly changed the subject. “What do you feel like eating?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it all the way here.” When she wasn’t thinking about Micah Lassiter, she thought with a flush. “The specialty of the house is a beef bourguignonne made with brandy and burgundy that may be the best in the world.”

  His smile grew as the waiter approached. “You’ve just made my choice easy.”

  He gave their order, then leaned back. He’d already studied the faces of everyone seated nearby, and none of them had sounded any alarm bells in his mind. He decided to relax and allow himself to enjoy the moment.

  “What’s that smile about?” Pru was running her index finger around and around the rim of her glass.

  “It’s about the place. This was a good choice. And about the night. It’s just about perfect. And the company. Also perfect, I might add.”

  He saw the way her cheeks colored. It was so endearing. It was a good thing he hadn’t mentioned just how lovely she looked by candlelight. That would have had her face flaming.

  “I’m glad you like it. At first I started coming here because it was close to home, and I wasn’t comfortable roaming too far until I got more familiar with the town. But then I decided that I liked coming back to the same place time and again.” She ducked her head when she saw him studying her. “I suppose that exposes my timid nature.”

  “I don’t see you as timid, Pru.”

  “You don’t?” Her head came up and she forced herself to meet his direct gaze.

  “No.” He caught her fingers that kept worrying the stem of her glass. Held them when she tried to pull away. “A timid person wouldn’t settle into an apartment all alone in a new town. Would you like to know what I see when I look at you?”

  “I’m…not sure. Is it good or bad?”

  He couldn’t help chuckling. “I see a bright woman pursuing her doctorate at a very good university. A sweet, generous woman who donates her time to a worthy charity, when she could be doing a million other things. Like lunching with her friends. Or shopping.”

  She shook her head. “I hate shopping.”

  He gave a look of pretend shock. “What’s this? Can it be true? A woman who hates to shop? If the word gets out, scientists will want to clone you. Men will want to nominate you for sainthood. Women will want you put out of your misery.”

  Her laughter was a warm, musical sound in the night air.

  They were both still laughing when the waiter brought their meal.

  At his first taste, Micah paused, closed his eyes and gave a sigh of pure pleasure. “Now that’s something I’d walk miles for.” After that, he dug into his food.

  “I’m glad you approve.” Pru nibbled the garlic potatoes and found herself enjoying the way Micah seemed to savor everything with such zeal.

  He glanced up. “Have you ever brought any of your co-workers here?”

&n
bsp; She shook her head. “They all have families to go home to. Most of them are so busy, I often wonder how they find time for all the people who depend on them.”

  “Margot Jamison mentioned that she felt like a juggler with too many balls in the air.”

  “Exactly.” Pru nodded. “I’m in awe of all the people who manage work, home, family responsibilities and the dozens of demands made on their time. When do they ever find time for themselves?”

  Micah grinned. “Remind me to ask my mother.” He glanced up when the waiter returned. “Coffee?”

  Pru thought a moment. “Espresso, I think.”

  Micah turned to the waiter. “Make it two. And a crème brûlé with two spoons.”

  When the waiter returned with their dessert Micah winked at her across the table. “Now if you really want to live dangerously, I dare you to try to take just one bite.”

  “Unfortunately, I know what you mean. It happens to be my favorite dessert.”

  She dipped a spoon into the creamy confection and tasted, then gave a sigh of pleasure and helped herself to a second taste before moving it closer to him.

  He took a bite, then another, before passing the dessert back to her. Leaning back, he sipped his espresso and enjoyed her look of pleasure.

  She had the most expressive face. He didn’t think it would be possible for Prudence Street to keep a secret.

  Maybe it was just as well that her father hadn’t revealed the threat to her. It would be a shame to deny her such an innocent pleasure as this.

  They sat for almost another hour, sipping coffee, watching the parade of patrons come and go. Finally he settled the bill and caught her hand. When they reached the sidewalk and started home, she was surprised when he kept her hand tucked in his.

  In the darkness his voice sounded deeper, richer. “I remember always loving the springtime when I was a kid. You could see each day growing longer. That meant more time to toss hoops out in the driveway.”

  “You and your brothers played basketball?”

  “And my sister, Bren. She couldn’t help being a tomboy with three brothers. The minute we’d start roughhousing indoors, my grandfather would send us outside to work off our aggression on the basketball hoop.”