Sarah Tu was married to Adam’s youngest brother, which made Sarah family. Adam had ingrained himself into Calista’s world to protect his family.
“What’s wrong?” Father Anthony asked.
Jennie nodded toward the house, and said, “It’s just my in-laws and brother-in-law, Noah.”
“Where’s Adam?” Calista couldn’t keep the tremble from her voice.
“He showed up around five this morning. He was gone when Jared and I came downstairs.”
What the hell? “If he went after Ludis, I’m going to kill him.”
Father Anthony stepped in front of her. “Don’t jump there just yet.”
She shot a glare at the priest. “He knew exactly who I was the day we met. Adam didn’t just walk into my grandfather’s place because he was hungry. He came to see what kind of friend would leave her best friend to be attacked by a serial rapist.”
Father Anthony’s face flushed. “You got it wrong…”
“He worked as a spy, right? That’s what the CIA does. And, of course, let’s not discount his security business. How long has he been following me, making sure I wasn’t a threat?”
“You have a right to demand answers, but Adam is the only one who can answer them.” He paused for a moment. “Just remember one thing. Adam trusts you with his daughter. That is out of character for him. He doesn’t rely on anyone for help and hasn’t for as long as I have known him.”
Father Anthony placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and headed toward the door. “Why don’t we go inside and talk about this. I don’t feel comfortable out here and I’m sure Anna is wondering where you are.” His eyes scanned the neighborhood. “If you want to leave, I’ll drive you someplace safe.”
Anna. That was why she was here. There was no way she would leave that precious little girl hours after she lost her mother. Keeping that thought close to her heart, Calista squared her shoulders and entered the house.
Once inside, Anna ran into her arms. Calista lifted her up as she was introduced to Jared’s parents, Thomas and Mary McNeil. A man almost identical to Jared took a step toward her, then stopped. He shot a glare at Jared and Jennie. Calista wasn’t sure what was going on, but it made her very uneasy.
“Calista Martin, right?” he said. “What are you doing here? Maybe you don’t remember me, but I…”
“Detective McNeil, of course I remember you.”
“I’m Noah.”
The twins stood shoulder to shoulder, examining her as if she were a bug under a microscope. Before, Noah had been so relaxed, open, even empathetic. Neither brother was approachable today. They stood on guard, their shoulders tense, irises turning a dark shade of blue. They were ready for an attack.
Noah broke the uncomfortable silence. “Why are you here and who is this?” His expression softened when he glanced at Anna.
A door banged shut from the kitchen. Everyone turned as Adam stormed into the room.
“What the hell took you so long?” he said to Father Anthony.
“I drove the speed limit. You should try it.”
Anna squirmed out of Calista’s arms and raced for her father. He scooped her up, kissing her gently on the cheek. With his free hand, he reached for Calista, but froze. “What’s wrong?”
She wanted to slam a fist right smack into his sneaky, deceitful nose until she took a closer look. Adam’s eyes were bloodshot and ringed with dark circles. His shirt was clean, free of Rina’s blood, but his suit had that slept-in, unkempt quality about it. He probably hadn’t slept a wink.
Despite the new wariness edged into every feature, he was so damn good looking. Miss Gullible. That’s what Pete would call her. Calista just couldn’t bring herself to hit the guy when he was so down, but she had no intention of letting him off the hook. He owed her an explanation. This just wasn’t the time or the place.
“Calista, please answer me?”
Holding Anna against one hip, he placed his other arm around Calista’s waist. His genuine concern melted a little of her resentment.
“You stepped over the line and better have a good explanation.” She scanned his family. All eyes were on them. “I told you from the start of this I’m here for Anna. For this to work, we have to trust each other. So, this is me, trusting you. But keep that line in sight.”
From day one, there was a calmest, almost serene demeanor to Calista. But fire ignited in her expression now, and damn if she wasn’t more beautiful even though that heat was directed at him.
“You have bigger problems on your hands. We’ll talk later.”
“I told you I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye. I would never do that to Anna. Or you.”
“Adam Blake, don’t get me wrong here, it’s nice to see you, but why are you here?” Noah interrupted, taking a step closer to him. “And is that what I think it is smeared all over your suit coat?”
“I would like to know the answer to that question myself.” Thomas McNeil moved around the coffee table.
His biological father was a tall man, a good two inches over Adam’s own six-foot height. The room grew silent, and the McNeil men were building a wall around him.
Anna touched Adam’s cheek and drew his attention to her. She opened her mouth and tried to say something, but only a throaty hiss sounded. Her eyes filled with tears and she buried her head into his shoulder.
Calista moved in close to him, placing a comforting hand on Anna’s shoulder. She was his shield, and it was so damn charming. It took everything in him to keep from pulling her into his arms and kissing her.
“I would like to know how you know my sons, and while you’re on that, why didn’t you ever mention that fact to me?”
Before Adam could respond, Jared interrupted.
“Dad, how do you know Adam?” His stance grew rigid and his eyes narrowed.
“We’ve been chess partners for almost two years.” Thomas glanced at his oldest son for a second. “Where did the two of you meet?”
Anna squirmed from Adam’s arms. Once her feet hit the floor, she grabbed hold of his hand and tried to pull him toward the front door.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong? It’s okay. You’re safe here,” he said, drawing her close to his side.
“And who is this little doll?” Thomas asked. Anna kept her head buried in Adam’s side and her body seemed to shiver just as badly as when he lifted her out of the dresser. What had her spooked?
“We have to leave. Now!”
Anna’s words sliced through his head. The pain was so severe, his knees buckled. He leaned over and pressed his fingers into his temples.
“We shouldn’t be here. Daddy, we have to go.”
Adam squeezed his eyes shut as a moan escaped his throat. Seconds passed before he opened his eyes and glanced at his daughter.
“Anna, please stop.” The words came out in a rough whisper. He swiped at the moisture sliding down the side of his face. His finger came back stained with blood.
He leaned his mouth close to his daughter’s ear and tried to keep his voice quiet, but the words filled the still room. “We can’t leave yet, but it’s going to be okay.”
His little girl shook her head back and forth. She opened her mouth and desperately tried to speak. When no sound came from her lips, she burst into silent tears. Adam moved to the sofa and cradled her in his arms. Surprisingly, Calista sat beside him and even offered him a warm smile.
Anna yanked at his collar, drawing his attention back to her. “We can’t be here.”
The last four words were a desperate cry. Each word cut a new pathway through to the back of his skull.
“Give her what she needs, Adam,” Calista pleaded.
“I can’t.”
Mary McNeil, who sat alone on the loveseat, reached for her husband’s hand. “I think we should all sit.” After everyone settled, she sat on the coffee table in front of Adam and dabbed the side of his eye with a folded tissue. “My husband has spoken often of you. I’m Mary.”
Adam
tried to offer a smile. “Thomas spoke often of you as well.” He didn’t know what else to say.
“I don’t know if Thomas mentioned it, but I’m a doctor. What’s wrong?” She pulled more sheets from a box, swiping the blood-stained tear from his cheek. “How long has this been happening?”
Adam cleared his throat and glanced at his watch. “First time was about twelve hours ago.”
She slowly shook her head from side to side. Time seemed to stand still as she continued to stare.
She knows. Was she trying to come up with a plan to protect her family from him, or protect him from her sons?
When she finally spoke, her voice was gentle. “This isn’t normal.”
“Yes, ma’am, but none of this is normal.”
She moved her fingers over his pulse. No one spoke as the seconds ticked away. A minute passed and she released his hand. “What are my chances of getting you to the ER?”
“Slim to none. Anna has had a rough night and…”
“Adam!” Calista nudged him. “Tell them what’s going on or I will.”
“Or I will,” Jared murmured, his eyes hard as ice.
Adam clenched his jaw and wished they’d all stop with the commands for even a few minutes. “Can’t alkta in rontfa of the idka.”
Thomas laughed out loud. “Wow, horrid pig-Latin. Haven’t heard it in years,” he said, smiling at his wife. He, too, studied Adam and Calista. “If you two need a moment to talk something out, I’ll be happy to entertain this young lady.”
From the expression on Anna’s face, something serious was going on inside his intuitive little girl’s head. Anna had a channel into Adam’s mind. How he wished he had one into her thoughts.
An instant later, Anna closed her eyes tightly, and she nodded as if agreeing with someone. Then she tilted her head slightly and opened her eyes, her expression, a glazed, faraway look, seemed to softened, as if all became crystal clear. He couldn’t explain Anna’s strange behavior, but it made his heart pound.
She moved her mouth to speak, and again, nothing came out.
“Sweetheart, sing it.” Adam’s voice cracked with emotion. When she jerked her head back and forth, he hugged her. “It won’t hurt. Just talk to me.”
“I don’t want your eyes to bleed.”
Adam scanned the room. Every adult’s gaze was pinned on them. Anna drew her arms around her father’s shoulder and rested her head against his heart. The only sound in the room was the soft hum of the ceiling fan.
“We have to go, now!”
“Where are we supposed to be?”
“The bad man’s coming. You have to help the nice man with the cane. If we don’t hurry, it’s going to be too late.”
Calista tucked her hand around Adam’s arm and whispered, “What is she saying?”
“I don’t understand what she wants.” His baby girl wasn’t making any sense. Perhaps Mary had some training with children.
“My daughter experienced a trauma last night. She stopped talking. Could you please take a look at her?”
Robert, who had remained off to the side during the whole exchange, stepped forward. “Why don’t Mary and I take Anna into the kitchen for some juice and something to eat?” He held a hand out to the child. “Anna, would you like that?”
To Adam’s shock, Anna scooted off his lap.
As soon as the door to the kitchen swung closed, Thomas turned to Adam, his hand balled into a fist. “Okay, out with it. What are you doing here? How do you know my sons, and what the hell is going on with that little girl?”
Nine
Robert had tried for years to convince Adam to tell the McNeils who he was, especially since he spent so much time with them. To Robert, an omission of the truth was nothing more than a lie and held the same consequences. Now that lie stared Adam in the face.
It was the moment he’d always dreaded.
Calista took his hand in hers and spoke in a low voice. “No place to run, Batman. It’s time… past time.”
Jared shifted around Adam and dropped into a chair next to the coffee table. Noah joined his twin, his expression almost identical to Thomas’s. Jennie perched on the arm of Jared’s chair, her hand around his shoulder.
But Adam addressed his story to Thomas. It was Thomas’s story as much as it was his, and he had the right to know. “Last night, Anna’s mother was murdered by a man who’s after me. Rina was killed because she wouldn’t give up my location. Anna was in the house.”
Jared leaned on his knees. “I can feel Anna’s fear, and it isn’t pleasant. What’s wrong with her?”
“I found her curled up in the hutch of the panic room.” His eyes searched the door to the kitchen. “And since the explosion―I don’t know, maybe even before―she stopped talking. She’s doing this thing. I can’t explain it because it’s fucking crazy. I can hear her voice in my head.”
“Damn. Not another freak’n supernatural conversation thing,” Noah grumbled.
“I don’t know how much Anna saw or heard. We barely escaped the house before it blew.”
Thomas tensed his back and shoulders. “Who did this?”
“Ludis Vasnev, my uncle. Emil Vasnev, my grandfather, controls the Vasnev syndicate in Eastern Europe.”
“Next to Ludis and Emil Vasnev, Elías Mendoza looks like a damn choir boy.” Jared reach for Jennie’s hand.
“I know Mendoza brutalized you both for years, but he isn’t part of this. My grandfather is a powerful man, but even he can’t get to Mendoza inside the walls of a maximum-security prison.”
“Adam, how do you know Mendoza?” Thomas asked.
“While still with the CIA, I worked with your son Mac on a joint task force that included several agencies, the FBI taking lead.”
“And how are Mendoza and Vasnev connected?”
“Dad, when Mac began the special task force to take down Mendoza’s organization, the Vasnev’s name popped up all over the place,” Jared offered. “Mac and Adam tried to go after Mendoza through the Vasnev syndicate, but with every move they made against Emil Vasnev, he came out smelling like a rose.”
Noah’s glare bore into Adam. His jaw tightened, causing the nerve in his neck to pulse. “We searched for a mole…”
“I’m no fucking mole, Noah. I spent years digging through the garbage trying to find a way to destroy my grandfather’s organization.”
Thomas shifted, his face distorted with anger. “What did you bring to our doorstep, Adam Blake? Why the hell are you here?”
Calista scooted closer and leaned forward slightly. “He’s here to protect you.”
Adam couldn’t help staring at the woman next to him. When he walked into the room, Calista treated him like he was enemy number one. What changed? Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time someone stood up for him without wanting something in return.
Noah shot up from the sofa. “Maybe you should leave. Anna and Calista are welcome…”
“Noah, stop!” Jared yanked on his twin’s arm, forcing him into his seat. “The man hasn’t been straight with us, but when someone risks his life to save yours, you don’t slam a door in his face when he needs help.” He turned to his father. “Adam is who you can thank for my life. He’s responsible for rescuing me when Mendoza was holding me prisoner.” He twisted to face Noah. “And he has earned the right to ask for whatever the hell he needs. You know him. He’s your friend. After what he’s done for us, how can you turn your back on him?”
“Just give him a chance to explain,” Calista whispered.
Adam could have sworn she was ready to cry. He stood and took several steps away from the group, needing space to think. “If I could have kept you out of this nightmare, I would have.”
“If Vasnev is as bad as you and my son suggest,” Thomas paused, looking between Adam and Jared, “and he’s after you, how is coming into my son’s home going to protect any of us?”
“I came to warn you and convince you to move into a safe house I arranged for your famil
y.” Adam eyed the group. “Ludis used Rina to get information about me. He went after her and my daughter, my business partner, my adopted family.”
“Sorry, Adam. Warn us of what exactly?” Thomas asked.
Adam’s throat closed. Only Calista’s expression—raised eyebrows and a slow, deliberate blink that all but dared him not to chicken out—strengthened his resolve.
“I’m Annija’s son.” He slipped his hand into the inside pocket of his sport coat and pulled out a dog-eared photo. “Do you remember her?”
Thomas reached for the photo. After a quick glance, he stood with his back ramrod straight while he tried to regain his breath. “Yes, I remember Annija. She is… unforgettable.” He pulled his attention away from the photo and studied Adam. “Is that you with her in the picture?”
Adam could only nod.
“I met her while on leave in Rome thirty-six years ago. I haven’t seen her since. She disappeared out of my life.”
Adam took the photo. “She didn’t disappear. She was grabbed off the street in front of the bakery down from the hotel where the two of you were staying.”
“By whom?” Thomas asked.
“Emil Vasnev, her father. He sent his men after her. Several weeks later, she discovered she was pregnant.”
“No…damn it to hell.”
Thomas moved toward Adam, stopping inches from him. “I looked everywhere for her for months.”
“I have no doubt about that. She was protecting you.”
“Adam, it’s okay. Just get it out,” Calista added, her voice quiet, but firm, almost encouraging. But, damn, she didn’t need any of this.
“At the first opportunity, she escaped from Emil’s compound in Latvia. She knew how to disappear; her father taught her well how to go underground. She hid until a year after I was born. She found my adoptive parents, gave me up, and went back to her father alone. She’d rather protect me from her father than have me raised under Emil’s roof. From what she wrote in her diaries, she hated what her father did for a living, but deeply loved the man.” He breathed deeply, but his lungs felt airless. “She didn’t reach out to you because she knew you would never walk away, and her father would have had you killed.”
In the Shadow of Malice Book 3 Page 8