By Honor Bound

by Ruth Ryan Langan

  Pru glanced at his face, wishing she could read it. But he gave nothing away. “You don’t think it’s a prank?”

  “It could be. But there’s no harm in checking it out.” He glanced at his watch before pulling a cell phone from his pocket. “I’ll have someone here within the hour.”

  He stepped quickly from her office and made his way down the hallway. When he’d put enough distance between himself and them, he dialed the private number of her father.

  “Allen Street.”

  “Micah Lassiter here. Our guy’s found your daughter’s e-mail address.”

  The voice at the other end sharpened considerably. “How do you know?”

  “She just received one of his e-mails. I’ve asked her to save it. Maybe the FBI can trace it.”

  “I’ll have someone there immediately. Is she upset?”

  “Not particularly. I didn’t let on that it was much to worry about.”

  “Good.” There was an audible sigh. “Is she at home or at work?”

  “At work. Now are you going to let her in on what’s happening?”

  “No.” Street’s tone lowered with feeling. “It wouldn’t have been too difficult for our guy to track her online screen name. It’s one she’s had for years. But that’s a far cry from knowing where she is. For all he knows, she could be on another continent.”

  “Maybe. But that’s an awfully big risk.”

  “Just stick close to her, Lassiter, until we get this guy.”

  “You can count on it.” Micah disconnected, then decided to stay busy until he had a chance to speak with the FBI operatives.

  He spotted them the minute they arrived. The man and woman were dressed in dark suits as they emerged from a van. They shook hands with him, spoke briefly, then followed him to Pru’s office.

  She looked up as they paused in the doorway.

  “Prudence Street, this is Linda and Phil. I thought I’d buy you a coffee next door while they check out your computer.”

  “But they might need my help.”

  “Trust me. They’re computer experts.”

  Pru glanced from Micah to the stone-faced couple, then nodded. “All right. If you say so.”

  He had a hand under her elbow and was steering her out the door before she had time to think.

  Once they were next door, he led her to a table in the sunshine and signaled to the waitress. Within minutes, Mindy was at their table with her usual smile. “This is a surprise. I didn’t see you two earlier today.”

  Micah returned the smile. “We were saving our appetite for good coffee until we had time to really appreciate it.”

  “I’ll bring the usual.” She looked from one to the other. “How about a sandwich to go with it?”

  “Nothing for me,” Pru said.

  Micah shook his head. “Sorry. Just coffee.”

  When she was gone he sat back and watched as Pru kept glancing at her office across the street. She waited until their coffee had been delivered before speaking. “What did you make of that, Micah?”

  He shrugged. “Hard to say. It could be somebody having fun with you.”

  “That wasn’t funny. It was eerie.”

  “Yeah.” He sipped his coffee, his eyes narrowed in thought. “It takes all kinds.”

  “Have you seen a lot of this in your business?”

  “Some.”

  She twisted her hands together on the tabletop. “Are they always pranks? Or do some of them turn out to be…more?”

  He put a hand over hers, wishing he could do more to comfort her. “Most are just harmless pranks. People who get a rush out of scaring others. Let Linda and Phil do their job. They’re good at it. Whatever this turns out to be, they’ll take care of it.”

  She nodded. When he lifted his hand from hers, she picked up her cup and drained it.

  She gave him a weak smile. “It’s lucky for me you were here today. I thought your work at the Children’s Village was over.”

  “It is, for the most part. I just wanted to check out a few things.” He looked up and saw the hand at the window of her office, a signal that the FBI had finished their work. “Let’s get back now.”

  As she followed him across the street, Pru found herself wondering again about the heat she felt whenever Micah touched her. A simple press of his hand on hers was all that was needed to light the torch. She had no doubt he felt it, too. But he seemed determined not to act on his feelings.

  Maybe she ought to be grateful. There was so much about him she didn’t know. But the fact Margot had revealed explained so much. No wonder he was tight-lipped about himself.

  She pulled herself back from her troubling thoughts as she approached her office.

  The young woman, Linda, offered her hand. “Thanks for allowing us access to your computer, Ms. Street. We’ve forwarded this message to the appropriate authorities, who have promised to look into it. If it’s anything more than a prank, we’ll deal with it.”

  “Will I get a report of some kind?”

  Linda nodded. “If anything comes of it, you’ll be notified.”

  “Thank you.” Pru watched as the man and woman left her office carrying several file folders.

  “Well.” Micah tucked his hands into his back pockets. “Guess I’ll check out the rest of the security equipment. I’ll be back later.”

  Pru nodded and settled herself at her desk. A few minutes later, as she opened a file cabinet, she glanced out the window and saw Micah talking with the couple at their van.

  It occurred to her that the three of them looked much more comfortable now that they were out of earshot. She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that she was their topic of conversation.

  “Hi.” Micah stood in the doorway of Pru’s office.

  She glanced over with a look of surprise. “I thought you’d left hours ago. I haven’t seen you around all afternoon.”

  “I did a tour of the complex and checked out all the equipment. Are you ready to leave?”

  “I won’t be going straight home.” Pru opened a drawer and slung her purse over her shoulder. “I need a few things at the store.”

  “So do I.” His smile was quick and easy. “Why don’t I follow you?”

  “All right.” As Pru made her way from the office to her car, the uneasy feeling was back. The feeling that everything Micah did had a specific purpose. That he never did anything by accident.

  Except those few times when he’d kissed her. She was certain those had been purely spontaneous.

  She dug her keys out of her pocket and pressed the unlock button. Before she could reach for the door, Micah was there, holding it open.

  “Thanks.” She settled herself inside and turned the ignition as Micah climbed into his own car beside hers.

  By the time she was driving away, he was right on her tail. On a whim she decided to test her theory. At the end of the block, she slowed down as the light turned amber, then raced ahead, barely making it through before the light turned red. When she glanced in her rearview mirror, she saw Micah’s car behind hers. And though she couldn’t see his face through the tinted windows, she found herself laughing.

  “Well, well, Mr. Lassiter. You do stay close, don’t you?”

  She turned into the parking lot of a small specialty store. As she stepped out of her car, Micah walked up behind her. And though his features were composed, she had the feeling that his temper was close to the surface.

  “Do you usually run through red lights?”

  She gave him a bright smile. “Only when I’m distracted. I shouldn’t be too long. What are you hoping to buy?”

  “This and that. How about you?”

  She merely smiled as she stepped inside and be gan circling the aisles. Two could play the silent game.

  An hour later she wheeled her cart toward her car and began unloading the half-dozen bags of goodies. Most of the groceries she’d purchased weren’t even things she particularly liked or needed. But she’d had a grand time testing Mica
h’s patience. His own cart was practically empty, but he’d managed to linger until she reached the checkout. Then he’d stepped up behind her.

  After unloading his cart he helped her with hers, stowing bags in her small trunk.

  “Thanks, Micah.” Because she was feeling a little twinge of guilt, she called out, “This time I’ll follow you.”

  He nodded and climbed into his car, leaving it to idle until he saw Pru turn the ignition of her car. As he started moving ahead, he saw her headlights behind him. He paused to allow traffic to pass, then started out of the parking lot. Just then a car speeded up and he was forced to brake suddenly. A second later he felt the impact as Pru’s car plowed into the back of his.

  He was glowering as he left his car idling and walked back to hers. He tore open her door. “Didn’t you see my brake lights?”

  “Yes.” In the dim lights she looked unnaturally pale. “I tried to stop. But my brakes didn’t work.”

  His anger was gone instantly. He could see her hands on the wheel. They were trembling.

  When he finally spoke, his voice was dangerously soft. “Step out a minute, Pru, and come sit in my car.”

  He kept an arm around her shoulder as he helped her into the passenger side of his car. Then he returned to her car and backed it slowly away from his. When he touched the brakes, her little car continued backing up. When it rolled to a stop, he shifted gears and started it forward. Again, when he tried to brake, the car continued moving.

  With a thoughtful look he drove it to the back of the parking lot and allowed it to roll to a gradual stop. Then he pulled out his cell phone and spoke into it. Minutes later he joined Pru in his car and drove it to a spot beside hers.

  “What are we doing?”

  “Waiting here for a tow truck.”

  She shivered. “I hate to think what would have happened to me if you hadn’t stopped just then, Micah. If I hadn’t discovered this until I was in the thick of traffic…”

  “Hey.” He touched a hand to her cheek, then just as quickly withdrew it. “It’s just a little problem with the brakes. It’ll be good as new in a day or two.”

  He glanced up as the tow truck arrived. “You stay here. I’ll take care of this.”

  Pru watched as he spoke with the man in the truck. They conferred for several minutes before Micah returned to his car.

  “The garage will phone me as soon as they have the problem fixed.”

  Shortly after they had pulled away, Pru sat up with a start. “My groceries. They’re still in the trunk.”

  “Sorry. Want to go back for them?”

  She shook her head. “The tow truck is probably miles from here by now. I guess I’ll just forget about dinner tonight.”

  “Tell you what.” His mind was sharp and clear as he began mulling over the various scenarios. This could have been a deliberate attempt to kill her. Messing with her brakes could be intended as a warning. It could be someone’s idea of a cruel hoax. At any rate, if the sabotage was deliberate, it had to have occurred here in the parking lot. If her car had been tampered with at the Children’s Village, it would have been caught on one of the security cameras. And that meant that the culprit could still be watching. And following.

  There was, of course, a very slim chance that this had been an accident. Micah would have to wait until his operative got back to him with a report. His last words to his man had been that he wanted every inch of Prudence Street’s vehicle checked until all facts were determined. There was no room for error. And no room for doubt.

  “I know a great little spot. It’s quite a drive from here, but well worth the time. Want to give it a try?”

  Pru took a long, deep breath and forced herself to relax. After all, nobody had been hurt. It had been a simple enough accident. By tomorrow, she’d have forgotten all about it.

  She nodded. “All right. Sounds like fun.”

  Fun. Beside her, Micah’s easy smile faded as he watched every headlight trailing him. Somehow, the idea of having a leisurely dinner while some nutcase was out there plotting destruction was not his idea of fun.

  Still, he was getting ahead of himself. He would have to patiently wait for the report before knowing whether this was deliberate or accidental. If his instincts were correct, this charade would be all over. Pru would go home to Seattle until the guy was caught.

  Even though it was what he wanted, Micah found no satisfaction in the idea. The thought of never seeing Prudence Street again caused a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  Mere hunger pangs, he told himself sternly. But the thought of food suddenly made him queasy.

  Chapter 10

  “Micah Lassiter.” The owner of the rustic inn in the Virginia hills greeted them warmly. “It’s been too long.”

  “Yes it has, Joe.” Micah forced himself to relax. They’d been on the road for more than two hours. He’d changed directions so often, he was absolutely convinced that no one had followed them. “I’d like you to meet Prudence Street.”

  “Ms. Street.” The owner glanced around. “How about a nice private booth?”

  Micah nodded and took Pru’s arm as they made their way across the room.

  “I have a bottle of chardonnay I’ve been saving for a special occasion.” The owner signaled to a waitress. “Bring a bottle of my private stock and two glasses.”

  Within minutes the bottle had been opened, their glasses filled and pleasantries exchanged before the waitress took their dinner order.

  When they were finally alone, Micah glanced across the table at Prudence. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She sipped her wine before glancing around. “I assume you come here often.”

  “I’ve known Joe since high school. This has always been my great escape.”

  “From what?”

  “Life.” He shrugged. “If there are problems to mull over, or puzzles to solve, I seem to do it best away from my familiar haunts. There’s something peaceful about these hills and this inn. Joe serves good food, good wine and good company. Unless I’m in the mood for solitude. Then he provides that, too.”

  “I guess you can’t ask for more.” She played with the rim of her glass before looking at him. “So, what are you mulling over tonight?”

  “I just thought it would be a nice change.”

  “For me? Or for you?”

  “For both of us.”

  She continued staring at him. “You’re not a very convincing liar, Micah.”

  He managed a wicked grin that had her heart tripping over itself. “And here I thought I was doing so well.”

  He seemed almost relieved when the waitress returned with their salads. A short time later, while Prudence tucked into a seafood pasta, he cut off a piece of perfectly broiled prime rib and chewed woodenly.

  When his cell phone rang, he excused himself and walked to a secluded section of the room before answering it. For long minutes he listened, then rang off and made another call.

  When he heard Allen Street’s voice, he said without preamble, “Micah Lassiter. Your daughter’s here with me in a safe place. There’s been no harm done to her, but her car was deliberately tampered with, causing her brakes to fail. The report is being faxed to you as we speak. The next move is up to you. I say it’s time you told her the truth and asked her to fly home to Seattle.”

  The voice on the other end was brusque. “My thought exactly. I’ll confer with my people and get back to you. In the meantime, keep her with you.”

  “For how long?”

  “Until I say otherwise. Can you invent an excuse to stay in her apartment?”

  “If I have to.”

  “You have no choice. Lassiter, I don’t want her alone for a single minute. Is that clear?”

  “Perfectly.”

  There was a long, deep sigh. “Thank you.”

  Micah disconnected and glanced across the room. Allen Street didn’t know what he was asking of him. This could prove to be the longest night of his life. />
  He headed back to the booth, mentally shifting gears. This time he was determined to be a better liar.

  His smile was quick and easy. “Just a minor adjustment needed to your braking system. Your car should be good as new in the morning.”

  Pru couldn’t hide her relief. “Oh, that’s good news.” She arched an eyebrow. “I had no idea the mechanics worked this late.”

  Micah picked up his glass and stared into the pale wine with a frown. When he lifted his head, the rogue’s smile was back. “I guess it’s all in who you know.”

  “Tired?” Micah maneuvered the car around the curving ribbon of road, before glancing at Pru beside him.

  She nodded. “A little. It’s been a long day.”

  “If you’d like to close your eyes, I won’t mind.”

  She shook her head. “I’ve never been able to sleep in a car. I have this crazy need to keep my eyes on the road, even when I’m not driving.”

  “All right. You watch the road and I’ll close my eyes.”

  That had her laughing. “Now I know I’m not going to sleep.”

  “Coward.”

  She studied the lights of houses off in the distance. “I’m glad we got out of the city. I like your friend’s inn.”

  “I’m glad. Tell everyone you know. Joe needs the business.”

  “It’s funny.” She turned to watch him as he smoothly handled the wheel. “I’ve been here a year now, and have barely been out of Georgetown.”

  “You’re missing a lot of beautiful countryside.”

  “I know.” She turned to study the lighted windows of shops and houses as they passed through a little town. “There’s so much history in this part of the country. I visited some of the historic battlefields when I first came here, and I was moved to tears.”

  “Remind me to take you on a walking tour. You can feel the presence of all those soldiers. Sometimes they brush up against you as you pass.”

  “You surprise me.” She studied his profile. Margot had been right. He was so rugged, so handsome, he took her breath away. “I didn’t expect someone like you to believe in spirits.”