Desire.
It rocked through her and flushed her entire body with a sweet warmth. He felt it, too. She saw it in the sudden burn of his eyes as he gazed at her.
She leaned closer and parted her lips in invitation. Her heart stuttered to a near halt as she waited to see what he was going to do. And then his lips were on hers. At first it was a hesitant, tender kiss, but then it became more insistent, far more demanding as his tongue swirled with hers.
His hands tangled in her hair, and she turned to grip his shoulders. Oh, she’d missed this...she’d so missed him. His mouth felt so familiar and yet at the same time so exciting and new to her.
The kiss spoke to a place deep inside her that had been dormant since the day they had parted ways, a place that now felt alive and as necessary as the very air she breathed.
“Annalise,” he moaned as his mouth left hers and found the spot just behind her ear that often drove her wild with desire. He then blazed a trail of nipping kisses down the side of her neck.
How on earth had she ever walked away from this man? His simplest touch electrified her, and his kisses made her feel more alive than any man she had ever dated before or would probably ever date in the future.
Slowly his hands untangled from her hair and moved down her back. He pressed her tightly against him as once again his mouth found hers for another soul-stirring kiss.
She wanted him. She leaned back, pulling him with her so they both were lying on the bed. She could feel his heart beating rapidly against her own, letting her know he wanted her as much as she wanted him.
One of his hands began to caress her stomach, each stroke bringing him closer and closer to her breasts. She wanted his touch. Oh, dear heaven, she wanted them both naked and moving together beneath the sheets.
“Evan.” She breathed his name as his mouth once again left hers. As he kissed down the side of her cheek, his beard created an additional pleasant sensation.
Finally his hand covered one of her breasts. Even though she wore a T-shirt and a bra, her nipples hardened as if eager for a more intimate touch.
She pushed against him and raised up just enough to pull the T-shirt over her head and toss it to the other side of the bed.
He unbuttoned and took his shirt off as well, and once again they came together. Her skin remembered the warmth and pleasure of his. As they kissed, their tongues once again swirled together in a wild dance of half-breathless passion. His fingers moved to her bra hooks...
At that moment a knock fell on the door.
Evan jumped up, half-dazed with his desire for her. He grabbed his shirt and quickly buttoned it while Annalise grabbed her T-shirt and ran for the bathroom.
He drew in a deep breath, grabbed his gun from the nightstand and then opened the door to see Davis. “I just wanted to let you know that Phil is now a guest in Chief Cummings’s jail.”
“Thanks, man. I’m now wondering if all the members of that group are as rabid as Phil.”
“Whatever they call themselves, they are definitely a cult,” Davis replied. “According to Phil, a bunch of them are planning to set up a protest of some kind later this evening outside the hotel. I have a feeling it’s going to be a circus.”
That made up Evan’s mind. The last thing he wanted was to try to stay focused and concentrate while a bunch of crazy cult members set up camp outside the hotel. Davis nodded to Annalise as she returned to the room.
“Annalise has offered the use of her house to me...and I’m going to take her up on it.”
He had to admit that what had happened just before Davis had knocked on the door had shocked him. His desire for her had caught him off guard, and he didn’t want that to happen again. Surely a house would be less intimate than the hotel rooms, and it really didn’t matter where he did his work.
“My place is only minutes from here,” she said to Davis.
“Sounds like a perfect way to avoid the circus that might go on here,” Davis replied. “It’s going to be difficult to completely secure the hotel now, and that’s going to take manpower. Instead of being out looking for the fugitives, a bunch of officers will now have to be here. When are you planning on making the move?”
“As soon as we can,” Evan said. He could see no downside to moving to her house.
“Then I’ll get out of here,” Davis replied.
“I’ll text you and the others as soon as we’re settled at Annalise’s place,” Evan said.
Once Davis was gone, he turned to Annalise. “You need to get packed up.”
She stared at him for a long moment. “Shouldn’t we talk about what just happened between us?”
“There isn’t much to talk about,” he replied. “Adrenaline was running high. We’d just been through a tense situation with Phil, and what happened between us was a mistake and we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I’ve got a missing child and two dangerous fugitives on the run, and I need to be completely focused on that.”
“And I want you to be completely focused on getting Sadie back, but I will tell you it didn’t feel like a mistake to me. It felt wonderful, and now I’ll go pack up my things.”
When she left the room, Evan drew in a deep breath. Yes, it had been wonderful to have her in his arms again, but he wasn’t here to explore a relationship with her. He had a job to do.
Thirty minutes later they were in the rental car and heading to Annalise’s home. The ride was silent other than her giving him directions. He was grateful for the silence and he used it to recenter himself.
Annalise’s rental ranch house was located in a quiet neighborhood with lots of mature trees. The first thing he did when they arrived was a quick walk around the house to orient himself to his new surroundings. Then she guided him into a pleasant living room decorated in browns and golds.
“You can use this bedroom,” she said as she showed him to one of the guest rooms.
He scarcely noticed the bedroom, instead intent on getting his work area ready. The dining room table was large, and on a desk nearby was her computer with a large monitor. He set up his computer on the table and immediately checked in with Davis, Nick and Daniel back at the hotel.
While he was talking to his men, Annalise powered up her computer at the desk. He checked his watch, shocked to realize it was only a little after two in the afternoon.
He definitely wanted to have Sadie back before nightfall and right now he racked his brain to see what else he could do to make that happen.
* * *
HENDRICK AWOKE WITH a start. He sat up, raised a hand, raced it through his hair and tried to shrug off the last of his sleep.
When Director Pembrook had insisted he needed to get some rest, he’d finally gone to a break room where there were several cots for the agents to use. He’d fallen asleep almost as soon as his head had touched the pillow.
He checked his watch, thankful that he’d only been out for about two hours. What was going on with the case? What had he missed while he’d slept? He hoped it was all over, that Sadie had been found and Jacob and his creepy wife were behind bars.
He got up and headed to the locker room for a quick shower. Once the shower was done, he changed into a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt from his locker.
Immediately after that he headed to the nearest coffee machine. He filled up a disposable cup with the dark brew and then hurried to the tech office where Agent Curt Corkland was seated in front of the computers.
“Hey, man, anything happening?” he asked.
“You weren’t down for very long,” Curt said. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
“I feel pretty refreshed. I’ve never required too much sleep. So, tell me what’s going on?”
“I’ve just been working on gathering the backgrounds on some of the school faculty members. So far nothing is bringing up any red flags. There are still a f
ew to check out.”
Hendrick frowned. “Evan seems certain that Jacob and Gretchen had inside information when they entered the school, and the van belonging to the school seems to confirm that. I just want to catch that rat.”
“Well, there are a few more people I haven’t gotten to yet. Maybe you’ll find your rat among them,” Curt said.
“Heard anything from Evan?”
Curt shook his head. “No, nothing from anyone.”
Hendrick took a drink of his coffee and motioned Curt up and out of the seat. “I’m good now. Thanks for manning the post.”
“No prob,” Curt replied. He showed him the list of faculty and staff that he’d managed to get through so far, and then he left the room.
Hendrick settled in his chair and began the background search on the next person on the list. He’d been dividing the background checks, not only checking out the staff at the school, but also the members from the Brotherhood of Jacob. He was trying to discover if any of them had any property anywhere, any place where Jacob and Gretchen might be able to go into hiding.
He clicked over to the page where Annalise hoped Sadie would make contact. So far...nothing. He took another drink of his coffee and fought against a level of frustration he’d rarely felt since leaving the cult behind.
Before going down for his brief rest, he’d also been in touch with the men at the compound who were sending him the tag numbers of the cars coming and going. Hendrick had been pulling up DMV records to identify the owners.
His biggest fear was that the vehicle Jacob was now using was one that had left the compound before the police presence there had been established. It was also possible somebody connected to the school had provided Jacob with another ride. Who in the hell was the insider who had helped organize the evil that had taken place at the school?
Another night would soon approach, and the more time that passed the less the odds were of finding Sadie alive. God, he wanted to help rescue this kid. He needed her to be okay.
Despite the fact he knew it wasn’t true, he felt somehow if they didn’t manage to save little Sadie, then it would mean he’d never really escaped the bonds of the cult that had nearly destroyed him.
Chapter Nine
It felt odd being in her house, among her things. She made them sandwiches, and then they settled side by side at the table to eat.
After two years with Annalise, Evan knew what was important to her and what was not. Almost three years had passed since they’d been in each other’s lives, but he didn’t really want to know anything more about her than he already knew. He didn’t want to open any doors that had already been closed.
Yeah, it had been great to hold her, to kiss her once again, but he told himself their brief intimacy had been the result of adrenaline from facing Phil and the frustration from where things stood in the investigation. He told himself it had really meant nothing to him.
They ate quickly and without much conversation. When they finished, she settled at her computer at the desk and he got on the phone to check the status of all the arms of the investigation.
When Annalise’s doorbell rang, he jumped up from the table and pulled his gun. He wasn’t about to get caught unaware again. Annalise got up as well and followed him to answer the door.
He opened it to see Rowan. “Hey, Rowan,” he said, and immediately holstered his gun and gestured her into the house. “What’s going on?”
“I just wanted to check in with you before I head back to headquarters,” she said.
“You’re leaving me here all alone with that waste of a police chief?” he asked.
Rowan grinned. “Afraid so. Director Pembrook called me back to Knoxville. Besides, your interaction with Chief Cummings should be fairly minimal at this point. I have confidence that you can handle it.”
“Well, that makes one of us,” he replied dryly.
“Evan, just don’t kill him. It would make a mess of paperwork for everyone,” she replied with a small laugh.
“Rowan, I want to thank you for the personal items you got for me,” Annalise said. “I really appreciate it.”
“No problem,” she replied.
Annalise reached into her pocket and pulled out the cell phone. “I’m assuming you need this back now.”
“That’s okay. Keep it until Evan leaves and then you can give it to him,” Rowan said, and then gazed back at Evan. “It’s actually good that you two relocated here. When I left the hotel, there were about a dozen people from the compound already there for some sort of protest against law enforcement and the FBI. They have big signs declaring police abuse and all kinds of crazy things.”
Evan grimaced. “Sounds like the police are going to have their hands full there.” He smiled once again at Rowan. “Thanks, Rowan, as always, for everything you did to support the team.”
Her eyes twinkled with humor. “I have to admit there were a couple of times when I wanted to hog-tie Chief Cummings and toss him in a barn far, far away.”
Evan laughed. “There were definitely times I would have helped you with that.”
“Okay, then I’m off,” Rowan replied. She smiled at Annalise and then looked back at him. “I know you, Evan, and I hope you aren’t beating yourself up about how this has turned out so far. I know you’ll get these SOBs.”
“Thanks, Rowan.”
Evan walked her to the door, and once she was gone he had just sat back at the dining room table when Annalise’s computer dinged with a notification. Hope speared through him as he jumped up and Annalise raced across the room to the desk. A nonsensical sentence had appeared on the special page.
He couldn’t help the excitement that roared through him. Was this it? Was this finally what they had been waiting for? A note from Sadie letting them know where she was being held?
“It’s not from Sadie,” she said flatly. “It’s from Emily.”
Evan’s heart plummeted. “What does it say?”
“It says, ‘Sadie, I know you’re missing. Where are you? We’re all worried about you.’”
“You need to get on there and ask the other girls not to post anything to the page until Sadie is found,” he said.
Annalise nodded and sat at the desk. She typed what looked like an equally nonsensical message and then hit enter. “Now, let’s hope the next person who posts here is Sadie,” he said.
He sank back down in his chair and released a deep sigh. “When I heard that notification go off, I was sure it was her.”
“I feel like this is some form of terrible torture...waiting for her to make contact with us,” she said. “What happens if she doesn’t? What happens if I’m wrong about this or she doesn’t get any opportunity to get on the page?”
“Right now Jacob and Gretchen are on every wanted list in the nation. Law enforcement agencies all over the area will be on the lookout for them. Sooner or later they will make a mistake, and we’ll find them.”
She held his gaze for a long moment and then with a nod she went into the kitchen. With disappointment weighing heavily in his heart, his thoughts turned to the woman who had just disappeared from the room.
What was wrong with him? He could face an armed gunman locked in a building with his wife and kids as hostages without breaking a sweat, but being in the same space as Annalise was...difficult.
He was haunted by the ghosts of their past, tormented by how badly he’d misread her at the time and the love he’d thought they had shared.
He had to stay focused on the fact that she was an important piece of the puzzle of a missing child and nothing more. However, it did bother him that after almost three years apart he still had such strong emotions where she was concerned. It had been far easier to ignore these emotions when he had been in Knoxville and believed she had been in Missouri.
Now he was in her home and still desperate to find a little girl
who was missing and in extreme danger. He drew a weary sigh and recognized his thoughts were flying all over the place. It was probably the lack of sleep. All he needed was to fuel himself with some caffeine.
When Annalise came back into the room, he asked her about coffee. “I’ll get you a cup,” she offered. “But while you’re here, I want you to feel free to use whatever you need in the kitchen or anywhere else.”
“Thanks,” he replied.
Minutes later they were back at their computers. He was grateful when Hendrick called. “Hey, I think I might have a couple of live ones for you. In doing background on the school staff, some red flags have come up.”
“Who?” Evan sat up straighter in his chair, all thoughts of weariness gone.
“An English teacher named Susan DeKalb and a janitor named Earl Winslow.”
“Teacher first,” Evan said. He was aware of Annalise listening intently to the conversation.
“Susan DeKalb is sixty-three years old and according to the financials I have, she’s completely broke. Six months ago she pulled out her retirement funds and put her life savings into a restaurant her son owned, and it’s now gone belly-up. She’s looking at retirement with only a very small pension and a social security check.”
Evan frowned thoughtfully. “So, it’s possible she’s helping Jacob out for a financial benefit.”
“That was my thought. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a connection between her and the Brotherhood of Jacob and any of its members. I’m still digging into that aspect.”
“And what about this Earl Winslow?” Evan asked.
“Also financially struggling. He was hired less than a year ago as a janitor after not having worked for several years. Also a search of his name pulled up a three-month-old newspaper picture of him attending a sort of open house at the Brotherhood of Jacob compound.”
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