“How on earth do you already know all that?”
Logan looked up, seeing her brows lowered, her mouth pursed. “This wasn’t just handed to me yesterday. Been gathering intel for a while.” He watched as her brows lifted almost to her hairline as her eyes widened.
“But, if you know all that, then why are we needed?”
“Not all intel can be gathered by computers or satellites or—”
“Satellites?” She leaned back in her chair, shaking her head. “But…but…that sounds like something out of a movie.”
“Movies are shit. I work in the real world.”
Vivian sucked in her lips, her mind swirling with questions. Taking in her face, he asked, “What are you thinking?”
Her gaze jumped to his, surprise in her eyes. “How’d you know I was pondering something?”
“Viv, you’d better not play poker. Your face hides nothing. In fact…” his mouth pinched as he rubbed his jaw. Leaning back in his seat, he pinned her with a hard stare. “This may be a big mistake.”
“What? Are you saying I’m a mistake?”
Nodding, he said, “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“I’ll have you know—”
Throwing his hand up, he said, “Don’t get riled up. This isn’t personal. But, why the hell did the DHS security think it was a good idea to put a woman with no investigative, security or military experience out here? Viv, your face is an open book, easy for anyone to read.”
“I was sent to analyze the materials and compounds they’re using and creating. I can test what you find and let you know what it is.”
“And our cover? Jesus, it’s more than just us living in the same house. We’ll see them out in the yard…maybe at the store. Sure, you can act the part of my wife from a distance, but how will you ever shutter your face so they can’t see your suspicion when we’re close?”
Shoving her chair back, she stood quickly, walking into the living room. Logan dropped his chin to his chest, sighing heavily. Watching her stand, motionless, in the middle of the room, he stood and walked up behind her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he turned her gently around.
“Viv, I’m sorry,” he said. “I swear, I’m not trying to be a hard-ass. I’m just used to…to working with a trained team.”
Vivian’s eyes stayed on his chest, not trusting herself to look higher. Nodding jerkily, she continued to stare straight ahead.
He lifted her chin with his finger and said, “Let’s get back to planning, okay?”
Shrugging, she replied, “What’s the point? As far as you’re concerned, I’m not right for this job.”
Not having an answer to her question, Logan simply tugged on her arm, leading her to the sofa. Once seated, he said, “I was a SEAL.”
A SEAL? Damn. At that pronouncement, Vivian’s gaze jumped to his as her mouth opened in stunned silence.
“Guess you know something about SEALs.”
Not wanting to admit she read SEAL romances, she snorted, “Not officially, but yeah, I know. Mostly from TV, movies, and…uh...books.” She thought about what she knew—they were the best of the best, could take on any mission, highly trained. She sighed, then spoke, defeat in her voice. “I’m so not what you’re used to. You’re right…this is a mistake.”
They sat quietly for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Logan said, “Look, maybe we’re both thinking of this all wrong.” Seeing her brows lift in surprise, he continued, “I always worked in a team. We each had our own strengths, our own particular jobs that we were to do, but we worked as one. Seamless. We spent so much time together we could read each other’s faces, body language. We knew the mission, planned it out, but could change on a dime and reassess what needed to be done. And this only came with intense, twenty-four-seven training over a long period of time.”
She nodded, dejection still on her face. “But this only goes to prove why we can’t make this work.”
“No, no,” he said. “It just means that I need to change what I’m used to. And, so do you. I’m not on a SEAL team anymore and you’re not stuck in a lab.”
“But how do we do this now…with no time for training together?”
He stared into her deep brown eyes, so dark it was hard to distinguish the pupil from the iris. Dark chocolate. That’s what they looked like.
“Logan?”
Blinking rapidly, he looked away, forcing the heat from his face. “We need to be clear on what our different roles are. We need to carefully review the information we have, but I’m not going to force you to learn anything. After all, if we were just newlyweds moving to the neighborhood, you wouldn’t know their names ahead of time. You’d stumble over their names. Hell, you might even get the names mixed up, if you saw a different person over there.”
Nodding, she agreed. “Okay, so I need to review the information as to what you know and what you’ll be doing, but I need to keep to my role of just a neighbor until you bring over samples for me to analyze?”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Looking up suddenly, as a thought slammed into him, he urged, “But I don’t want you over there by yourself. At all. Do you understand me?”
Crinkling her brow, she shook her head. “But why? What if we get invited over for…for…I don’t know. Maybe coffee?”
Incredulous, he growled, “Jesus, Viv. You think a terrorist is going to invite you over for coffee?”
“No, I mean…no,” Vivian floundered, feeling the blush heat her cheeks.
“You do not go inside that house by yourself. Ever. I won’t yield on this, Viv, so you’ve got to promise.”
“Okay,” she agreed rather hurriedly, hoping to reassure him.
“What do you need to do for your analysis?”
“I brought equipment with me but, honestly, I haven’t figured out where to set up—”
“How big a space do you need?”
“A room that is about as big as one of our bedrooms, but not in this house. It could be potentially deadly materials—”
“I found a shed.”
Constant interruptions would normally drive her crazy, but she quickly realized this was the way Logan worked. It appeared his mind worked so efficiently, he was already ready with an answer halfway through a question.
Sighing, he said, “I’m sorry.”
Surprised, she blurted, “What for?”
“Just…just for…hell, being me, I guess.”
A smile slipped out, accepting his apology, knowing how this whole situation was as difficult for him as it was for her. “No problem. And, yes, a shed would be good, but where can we find one that’d work?”
“On my run last night, I was doing a reconnaissance of the area—”
“That’s why you were gone so long?” she asked, now the one interrupting.
“I had intelligence of this area before coming, but wanted to check it out myself. So, going on a run was the perfect way to check out the neighborhood and the woods surrounding us. ‘Bout fifty yards to the west in the woods is a shed. Abandoned. Looks like it was part of this property at one time, but hasn’t been used in years.”
“To the west…that’s away from their house, isn’t it?”
Admiration filled his eyes as he nodded. “Makes it perfect for you to get to without being seen.”
“So, can we make this work?” she asked, hesitation in her voice, her eyes searching his.
Rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, he said, “Truthfully? I’ve got no idea. But, I’ve never failed in a mission before and I sure as hell don’t plan on failing this one either.”
Her smile widened as she took his words to heart. Slapping her hands on her legs, she said, “Okay then. Tell me what’s next.”
8
An hour later, Vivian stretched her arms over her head, working out the kinks in her neck and back. She and Logan had reviewed the pictures of the major occupants of the suspect’s house and formulated a basic plan of action: she would
keep an eye on the neighbors and catalog their comings and goings, including any cars, license plates, and descriptions.
Logan had a part-time job at the small airfield as a mechanic, just enough hours to provide cover until the covert part of his mission kicked in, which was something he did not divulge, assuring her that it was best for her not to know. He would be running often at night and had intel equipment coming that he was pissed was not already here.
He also let her know that as soon as he was able to get inside, he would smuggle out samples for her to test, so she needed to get her supplies in the shed and see if there was anything else she deemed essential.
With a simple plan in place, she glanced down, realizing she was still in her flannel pajamas. Logan had just finished changing the locks on the doors, re-entering the house when she jumped up, hustling toward the bathroom, as she called out, “Dibs on the shower!”
Watching her jog down the hall, he was unable to keep the smile from tugging at his lips. Once the bathroom door was closed, he sat and leaned back in his chair, his mind in motion as he rethought their plans. Closing his eyes for a moment, he wondered if there was any chance for this mission to succeed. Hearing the water in the shower turn on, his mind slid down another path—one where he imagined her body, wet and naked.
Jerking his eyes open, he stood quickly, forcing those thoughts away. Fuckin’ hell…she’s a pretend wife…a scientist…not some girl for me to pant over. Grimacing, he thought of her innocence in this type of situation and wondered about the bastard who set her up on this mission, based on her heritage alone. The mere thought that she could be in danger caused him to stand abruptly and head into the kitchen, where he gripped the counter, his knuckles turning white. Not on my watch, he vowed, knowing part of his mission was keeping her safe.
Inside the bathroom, Vivian lathered her body and quickly washed her hair, unsure how long the hot water would last. Closing her eyes as the water sluiced over her, the image of her fake husband filtered through her mind. Tall. Dark. Handsome. A giggle erupted as she realized how conventional her description sounded. How about towering, somber, athletic? Soaring, shadowy, muscular? More likely glowering, angry, irritable. Shaking her head, she knew there were infinite ways to describe him, each one accurate. Rising her hair, she turned the water off, knowing it was time to turn off her physical attraction to Logan as well.
It was time to do her job and do it well. Determined to accomplish that feat, she dressed for the day, sure that nothing could go wrong.
With Logan gone into Fairbanks to check on his helicopter, Vivian sat by the window waiting for a chance to meet the neighbors. Reading on her eReader, she lifted her head to see a woman coming out of the house next door. Hurrying to her car, she intended to take out a bag she had left in her trunk for the express purpose of having an excuse to go outside. From a distance, it was hard to see if the woman was Farrah, but she was desperate to make contact as soon as possible.
“Hello!” she shouted over to the woman.
Vivian observed the woman looking up quickly, her gaze jumping from Vivian to her house and then back to her again, before a short smile crossed her face as she nodded slightly.
She began walking toward her, smiling widely in return. Approaching the woman, she now recognized as Farrah, she was surprised as she took in her modern dress, her hijab her only concession to her Muslim faith. The young woman was wearing a black skirt and white blouse. A beautiful leather belt cinched her waist, but most surprising were the stylish leather boots on her feet.
Feeling frumpy in her jeans and heavy sweatshirt, she nonetheless thrust her hand out. “I guess we’re neighbors. I’m Vivian. My husband and I just moved in.”
“And I am Farrah,” the woman said, shaking her hand delicately. “I live here with my husband also.”
“The houses seem nice here, although kind of old. But we just got married and the rent fits our budget.”
Nodding, Farrah agreed. “We have not been here long, but I have tried to make it our home.”
“We should get together sometime,” she blurted, her heart pounding as she wondered what Logan would think of that plan. They had not had time to work out all the details of what she was supposed to do when she met the neighbors and she realized, belatedly, she had no clue what she was doing.
Farrah’s eyes widened at the suggestion. Thinking she was going to deny her outright, Vivian pressed, “We’ve got a grill out back that I’d like to try sometime. Um…you and your husband could join us.”
“That is very kind of you to offer,” Farrah said, her smile not reaching her eyes. “But I will have to speak to my husband. He…does not often have time to socialize. His work with university students takes up a great deal of time.”
“Well, he has to eat sometime, doesn’t he?” she asked, with a returning smile. “But if not, then we can get together for coffee or tea or something.”
Her smile faltered, but Farrah replied, “Of course. It would be an honor to have tea with you sometime.”
A slight movement in her peripheral vision caught Vivian’s eye. A man looking out of the window, his hand pulling the curtain partially back. Too far away to determine if he was one of the men in the pictures, she continued smiling at Farrah.
Hearing Logan’s truck rumbling down the road, she quickly stepped back. “Oops, I need to get lunch started. I’ll talk to you soon. Nice to meet you, Farrah.”
“You too, Vivian.”
Hurrying back to her car, she reached inside the trunk to take out the bag she had placed there earlier. Seeing Logan’s narrowed eyes on her, she smiled as he parked next to the house. Rushing over to him as he stepped out of the truck, she threw her arms around his neck while giving a little hop, causing him to catch her as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Caught off guard, Logan’s arms encircled her waist quickly, surprised as she plastered her front to his.
“Hey, sweetie!” she called out, her face joyful.
9
Stunned, Logan held on to Vivian as she clung to him. Concern clutched his heart as he wondered what had occurred to cause such a reaction. “Viv, what’re you doing?”
Placing her mouth close to his, she whispered, “Is she looking?”
Blinking slowly, his brow crinkled as he glanced over her head. “She was, but she’s gone back inside.” His eyes captured hers once more, still uncertain of why she clung to him so tightly.
She whispered, “Just in case she, or the man inside who was peeking out the window earlier, are at the window watching now, we should stay like this for a moment.” Seeing him about to question, she added, “I told her we were newlyweds. She’d expect me to greet you this way.”
Dawning slid over him as he continued to hold her in his arms, enjoying the feel of her body pressed to him more than he wanted to admit. “Oh, she would, would she?” he said, keeping his mouth close to hers.
“I tried to invite her over for tea, thinking that would be a way to get to know her without her getting suspicious.” With Logan’s strong arms holding her close, Vivian felt his warm breath wash over her cheek and, for a second, she closed her eyes, wishing his lips would move closer.
“I think it’s safe now,” his gruff voice sliced through her momentary distraction. Irritation that Vivian had made contact without a plan or him around forced his arms to loosen, afraid they might go from holding her waist to throttling her neck.
Startled, she settled back on her heels with a jolt. “Uh…yeah. Right.” Turning quickly, she walked toward the front door with him following behind. Once inside, she faced him again, only this time from a respectable distance. “I went over to introduce myself to her.”
Cocking his head to the side, he placed his hands on his hips and said, “You should have waited for me.”
“Oh, no. I didn’t go to their door. I just waited until I saw her come out and then I went out like I was going to my car to get something. I stowed a bag there just in case the opportun
ity arose. And it did! It was easy to introduce myself to her.”
“And what name did you give her?” he asked, his voice unyielding.
“Uh…Vivian?” she said, a question in her tone. “You and I didn’t talk about names, did we? Oh, dear.”
“You should have waited, Viv. I’m the one planning. I’m the one who has to anticipate what they might think or do.”
His voice was steady, but she felt the undercurrent of anger in his words. Swallowing, she protested, “But, it seemed like such a good idea.”
“Did you give your last name? Did you say Sanders?”
“No. No,” she hurried to say. “I just told her my name was Vivian. And she just said Farrah.”
A relieved breath rushed out of Logan, as he dropped his chin to his chest, closing his eyes on the way down. A soft touch reached his arms and his eyes jerked open again. Vivian was standing right in front of him, her face peering up into his, her dark eyes searching.
“I’m sorry, Logan. I just saw her and wanted so much to make contact. I figured they might get suspicious of us if they never saw us out. Now they know we’re just a couple, newly married, and just moved in. I thought you being gone would be a good thing, not knowing if she would approach with you here.”
Nodding slowly, he reached up, his fingers itching to cup her cheek, but instead resting on her shoulders. “Right. It’s done and it appears nothing untoward occurred. But,” he pinned her with a stormy stare, “from now on, you don’t make a move unless I know about it. I do not want them inside this house any more than I want you over there. Agreed?”
Vivian pursed her lips, frustration filling her. She might not be a covert operator, but she sure as hell was an intelligent woman. “Does that include the labs as well?” she asked, unable to keep the snarkiness from her voice. Immediately contrite, she realized how childish she sounded. Huffing loudly, she said, “Sorry.”
Thin Ice Page 5