He poured some hydrogen peroxide over the wound. The liquid bubbled up, and she gritted her teeth at the sting.
“I know it’s old-school to use this, but I’ve always thought it worked the best. Believe me—I’ve cleaned a lot of wounds in my day.”
“As a ranger?” she asked, curious to know a bit more of his history.
“That’s right.”
“Why’d you get out?”
“It was time. I’d seen too much, felt too jaded, wanted to settle down.” He patted the area around her wound dry and pulled out a tube of antibiotic ointment.
“So you became a police officer? Then a detective?”
He nodded again. “That’s right. I did that for about eight years. Then I decided to go into business for myself.”
“Why’s that?”
His face went taut, and he began concentrating even more on dabbing her wound with ointment. “Long story. But I needed a change. Believe it or not, I’m usually a committed kind of guy. But sometimes you just can’t ignore when changes need to take place in your life.”
“I see.” He didn’t offer any more information, but, boy, did she want to know. What had happened to cause the sadness that crossed over his features? He wasn’t willing to share, so she couldn’t prod anymore, despite her curiosity.
Finally, he bandaged her wound, removed the towel and lowered her leg back onto the couch. He dropped the blanket over it and then settled back for a minute.
She felt she owed him something more than the bits and pieces of her life she’d shared. All he knew was that she’d dated a man who’d turned out to be a homicidal maniac. But there was so much more to the story.
She stared into the fire a moment, gathering her thoughts.
“There was a time I thought Leo walked on water,” she started.
Her revelation seemed to startle him and he glanced her way, but said nothing.
“I was one of those girls who was really picky when it came to dating. I’d been out with guys before, but nothing really serious. I wanted to save everything for my one true love. Maybe I’d watched too many romantic movies. I don’t know. But I didn’t want to give my heart to someone if we weren’t meant to be together forever.” The memories came back stronger. “Then I met Leo. He swept me off my feet. I was working as the director at one of his art galleries. He was charismatic and handsome. He asked me out five times before I said yes.”
“Five times? He didn’t give up?”
“Leo isn’t the type to give up.” She cleared her throat. Leo had made that abundantly clear over the past few days, hadn’t he? “Anyway, I finally said yes. I figured he’d try to impress me by taking me to a fancy restaurant and flaunting all of his successes. Instead, he took me on a picnic at a local park. We ate on a blanket, and he’d even made some sloppy sandwiches himself. I saw a different side of him that day. Maybe he wasn’t the spoiled rich kid I thought he was. We were inseparable after that.”
“It does sound like a whirlwind romance,” Trent said.
“I literally thought he was the best thing that ever happened to me—until that day I caught him doing the arms deal. Then my eyes were truly opened to who he was. He’d been wooing me this whole time and keeping me distracted from everything happening right under my nose at the gallery. If I hadn’t been so lovesick, I would have noticed that things weren’t right. But I thought he could do no wrong.”
“Love can be like that.”
“In the blink of an eye, my life changed. I went from feeling like the happiest girl in the world to running for my life. Feeling betrayed. Feeling angry at myself for being so blind.”
“It’s not every day that someone’s boyfriend is actually a terrorist in disguise. No one can really blame you.”
“I blame me.”
“Maybe you need to change that.”
She stared at Trent moment. “You’re right. I do. I was just thinking earlier that I’d let Leo have too much control in my life. That’s a choice I made. I need to undo it.”
* * *
Trent’s admiration for Tessa grew. At first he’d thought she was a scared rabbit hiding in a little hole away from the rest of the world. But as the layers began to peel back, he’d realized that not only was she a survivor, but she was also protective of her loved ones.
She’d been hurt, but she’d also been prepared to face the consequences. Not many people he knew would take the initiative to learn how to use a gun, to pick a lock, to defend themselves.
As he stared at her now, the firelight dancing across her face, something squeezed in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to scoot closer, to touch her cheeks, to smooth away her hair.
He’d tried to extinguish his attraction to Tessa, but nothing he told himself seemed to work. No matter how he looked at it, Tessa was one of the most beautiful and intriguing women he’d ever met.
He saw the same look in her eyes—his feelings were mutual. Their emotions had grown quickly—a crazy situation like this could accelerate feelings. He had no doubt about that. But it almost felt as if there was something deeper between them that just a surge of attraction.
The fire dimmed, so he stood and stoked the flames a moment. When he sat down again, he was closer. Her legs draped over his lap.
“This seems surreal, doesn’t it?” she said softly. “Being here. Everything that’s happened. I just want to let you know that if we don’t get out of here, I appreciate all you’ve done.”
He glanced at her and saw a tear trickle down her cheek. “Don’t say that. We’ll survive this.”
“I know what these men are capable of.”
Before he could second-guess his decision, Trent scooted closer and pulled Tessa against his chest. She didn’t resist; instead she rested there. They sat in silence, neither needing to say a word.
EIGHTEEN
“Where’s Trent?” Tessa asked Zach the next morning.
“He went outside to get some more firewood,” Zach said. “He’s one of those hardworking guys. Always dependable.”
“I’ve noticed that,” Tessa said, sitting at the breakfast bar. She glanced outside and saw Trent gathering wood in the snow. Her heart warmed at the sight.
How had her feelings grown so quickly? She not only felt indebted toward the man, but she also felt an unmistakable bond.
“Look, he’s still reeling from what happened with Laurel. I don’t want to see him get hurt again,” Zach said, lowering his voice.
“Laurel?” Her pulse spiked.
He paused, squinting with thought—and maybe some surprise. “He hasn’t told you about her?”
Tessa shook her head.
“He will when he’s ready. In the meantime, I just want him to be careful.”
Tessa got the warning loud and clear. Zach was protective of his friend. Tessa had no intentions of hurting Trent. She wondered what his story was and, once and for all, who was Laurel?
She’d trusted him with her own story, and she had to admit that it didn’t feel good to know that Trent hadn’t offered that same trust in her.
Just then, the back door opened and a gust of frigid air swept inside. Trent spotted Tessa and a smile tugged at his lips. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Her return smile felt a little shy.
“I wanted to wait until you were both down here before I broke the bad news,” Zach started, leaning against the kitchen counter, a new heaviness seeming to press on him.
Tessa instantly tensed in preparation for whatever he had to say. “Okay.”
Trent sat beside her, and she found comfort in his mere presence.
“The bad news is that there’s an APB out on Tessa,” Zach said. “It’s extended beyond Gideon’s Hollow, beyond West Virginia and made it all the way to national law enforcement agencies. Someone reported that she was involved in a terrorism ring. Apparently, bomb-making materials were planted in the basement of the house she was staying in in West Virginia. She’s a suspect in the explosion that took
place at your cabin, Trent.”
She gasped. “What?”
Zach nodded. “It’s true. That makes a difficult situation even more difficult right now.”
“That means the two of you could get in trouble, also. For being with me.” Tessa’s heart thudded with grief at the thought.
“You’re being set up,” Trent said, pulling off his gloves.
The grim lines on his face told the true story of what he was thinking, though: she had little chance of getting out of this situation. Either Leo killed her or she ended up in jail.
“Leo knows how to do it right,” Tessa said. “What can I say? If they catch me, I’m dead. If the police find me, I’m locked up for life.”
“I hate to continue with the bad news, but your face is on the news right now, also,” Zach continued. “It says you’ve been going by an alias.”
She squeezed the skin between her eyes as despair tried to bite deep. Maybe she should just turn herself in. That might save a lot of people heartache, including Trent and Zach.
“Leo knows how to play a sick game,” Tessa said. “He’s managed to trap me, no matter which direction I try to run.”
Trent squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll get through this.”
She shook her head. “You should just let me go out on my own right now. I’ve already caused you both enough grief and upheaval. This was never either one of your problems to begin with.”
“We can’t let you do that,” Trent said. “We’re in this together.”
“But you have a choice. You can get out.”
“I choose not to,” Trent said, no room for argument in his voice.
“Same here,” Zach said. “You need all the support you can get. You’ll never survive this alone. Men like these... They’ll just keep coming after you until you’re destroyed.”
“Besides, I have an idea,” Trent said.
Tessa turned toward him, her full attention on him. “Okay.”
“You said when you downloaded all the information, you dropped the jump drive, right?”
She nodded. “Yes. After I copied it, I deleted it from their server so they wouldn’t have access to their contacts. Unfortunately, the information I hoped to take to the police also disappeared in my moment of klutziness.”
“Where did you drop it?”
“One of the vents in the office building.” Her eyes widened as she realized what he was getting at. “You want to see if it’s still there?”
He nodded. “I do.”
“And how do you propose to do that?”
“I’d like to dress like an HVAC guy and say I came to look at their system.”
“That sounds risky.”
“It’s going to take some planning, but I think it’s feasible. However, I will need some help.”
“You know my hands are kind of tied here, Trent. After Baltimore, I can’t exactly run around like a free agent anymore,” Zach said.
Trent raised his hand. “I would never ask you to do that. No, I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Tessa.” He shook his head as Tessa started to object. “I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it wouldn’t be wise to leave you alone. You know what these men are capable of.”
She couldn’t argue with that. “You can’t do it alone, though, Trent. Maybe I can help—”
“That’s out of the question. One glance at you and we’ll be made.”
She couldn’t argue with that, either. “Then, who? Who will help?”
“I know some guys,” Zach said.
Trent and Tessa turned toward him, waiting to hear what he had to say.
“You know Eyes, that private security firm I told you about? They do freelance work. My friend works for them now. He might be able to assist.”
“Let’s see what we can put together, then. Tessa, you remember anything about the HVAC company they used?”
“At the gallery they used Thomas and Sons. They had for years. It used to be that Tom or one of his boys would come out personally. Of course, now that it’s grown in size, I’m sure they have various employees that they send out. I can’t guarantee the gallery still uses them, but it’s a good guess.”
“Zach, why don’t you get on the phone with your friends and see if they can offer any assistance. Explain that this is a matter of national security. I’ll research this company and see about putting together a van, a uniform—basically a cover story.”
“Absolutely.”
Tessa tried to remember the details of the gallery. Trent would need that information if he sneaked inside. He’d need the names of contacts if he wanted to appear legit.
She could hack into their server and find out that information for sure.
But there were risks involved. She had to weigh everything before making a decision.
But the possibility that she could do more to help continued to linger in her mind.
* * *
Trent put the finishing touches on his plans for tomorrow and stood. Normally something like this would take at least a week to put together. But they were on the clock and needed to move fast. God must have been watching out for them, because they had been able to get everything they needed in place at lightning speed.
Tessa had been a huge help today. It was more than her knowledge; he actually found himself finding comfort in her presence. They worked surprisingly well as a team. It was when they were on opposite sides of the field that things got complicated.
He made some coffee, grabbed two mugs and carried them both into the living room, where Tessa sat. He extended one to her. “Thought you might need a drink to warm up.”
Her bright smile in return was all the thanks he needed. “Sounds like just what I need.”
He sat down beside her—probably closer than he should have. He watched as she wrapped her hands around the mug, practically hugging it, and then she stared into the fire.
“I feel a little as though this is the calm before the storm,” she said, glancing at him.
He let out a slow breath. “Maybe it is. But maybe after the storm has passed, this will be the norm and not the exception.”
A light smile feathered across her face. “That would be nice. You seem so peaceful, even in the midst of all of this.”
Suddenly, the weight on his shoulder seemed to press down harder. “I haven’t always been like this. You asked me about why I became a PI?”
She nodded, a silent encouragement for him to continue.
“About three years ago, I put some pretty bad guys behind bars. They were gang members and responsible for the deaths of uncountable people. Mostly rival gang members, but there were a few who were simply innocent civilians who’d been caught in the cross fire. It was a really proud day for me.”
“I can see why.”
His shoulders became even heavier. “Unfortunately, my name wasn’t kept hidden. It made the news. There were a few gang members that didn’t go to jail—we didn’t have any reason to hold them. I mean, you can’t go to jail for being in a gang, only if you do illegal things while a part of it. Those men came after Laurel.”
“Who’s Laurel?”
“My fiancée.”
All of Tessa’s attention was suddenly focused on him. “Oh.”
Even she seemed to sense that this story wasn’t going anywhere pleasant. “I thought she was safe, but they found her. Before I could get to her, they put a bullet through her head.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He couldn’t stop now or he’d never tell her the whole story. “I became obsessed with finding out who exactly had killed her. Made some bad decisions. Eventually they put me on desk duty. I reached one of the lowest points of my life. That’s when my friend introduced me to Jesus, and I really found peace and purpose through that. I decided to become a PI so I could take on the cases that mattered the most to me.”
“That makes sense. I know this probably doesn’t mean much, but I’m so sorry, Trent.” She put her hand on his biceps, her eyes an en
dless pool of compassion, kindness...and something more?
In a moment of decision, he leaned toward her. She didn’t pull away. Slowly, certainly, he pressed his lips to hers. Emotions he hadn’t felt in a long time hit him at full force.
“I hope you know not every guy is like Leo,” he whispered.
Her eyes fluttered open, and a steady look of joy and trust filled them. “I know.”
With that proclamation, he leaned toward her again, stealing another kiss. This one was longer, deeper and less tentative. He was enjoying being with Tessa a little too much.
He pulled away and stood. “We should probably say good-night. We need our rest for tomorrow.”
“Good idea.” He only prayed the hopeful feeling in his chest remained long after tomorrow was over.
* * *
Tessa couldn’t deny the mix of exhilaration and fear that coursed through her. She didn’t know where these feelings for Trent had come from or how they’d come on so fast. She felt a much deeper connection with him than she’d ever felt with...well, anyone. Even Leo.
And when she’d heard Trent talk about his fiancée, suddenly he made sense. His protectiveness made sense. His determination. His drive.
She didn’t dare to tell him what she’d done earlier while he’d met with Zach. She’d sneaked upstairs and onto the internet. She’d hacked into Leo’s server just long enough to confirm the name of the HVAC company, the lay of the building and the name of the new assistant at the gallery. She couldn’t send Trent in without being certain.
She’d managed to scramble the servers, and it would be at least twenty-four hours before Leo’s tech guys could trace where she was located. By that time, they’d have the information and could go to the FBI. She knew Trent wouldn’t approve. But she’d done it for him. She’d own up to it once he got back.
She’d also looked for information that she could use against Leo, but his firewalls were too strong. He must have made them stronger after everything had happened with her. There was no way she could pull any new evidence from the reinforced system.
She’d thought about hacking into the system many times over the past eight months. But she knew she couldn’t do that while she was living in West Virginia. It would have led Leo right to her. Plus, she’d had no one on her side. But now with Trent and Zach backing her up, maybe she had a fighting chance.
Mountain Hideaway Page 15