The Woman He Knows

by Margaret Watson

  He slid one leg between hers and kissed her, and she pressed closer. As she opened to him, touched his tongue with hers, she heard a muffled thump from downstairs.

  Patrick froze, then let her go. “Damn it. Nathan. I forgot all about him.” He slid out of bed. “Sorry. I have to help him.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” she said, sitting up and clutching the sheet to her chest. “I understand.”

  He tugged on the sheet, a tiny smile on his face. “What’s this about?”

  It was one thing to be naked in the dark of the night. It was another to sit here, bared to him, in the bright sunlight. “I’m cold.”

  His grin widened. “Is that right?” He kissed her once more. “Too bad I can’t stay and warm you up.”

  He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “No. I’ll get dressed and come downstairs.” No way could she make love with him now, knowing Nathan would hear the bed creaking, hear the sounds she’d try to muffle.

  His grin softened into a smile. “Okay. I’ll put out some towels in the bathroom so you can take a shower.”

  He kissed her again and left the room. She closed her eyes and listened to him descend the stairs. Then, blinking back tears, she stood up and reached for clean clothes from her duffel.

  * * *

  DOWNSTAIRS, Patrick poured a cup of coffee for Nathan, then one for himself. As he sat down at the table, water rushed through the pipes. Darcy was taking a shower.

  He wanted to be up there with her, their bodies touching each time one of them moved in the small bathtub. He wanted to slide a soapy washcloth down her back, wanted to watch as she did the same to him.

  He wanted to press her against the wall and slide inside her as water sluiced over their joined bodies.

  “Darcy sleep okay last night?” Nathan asked with a smile.

  “What?” He jerked his attention to his brother, noticed the gleam in his eyes. “Yeah, I guess so. I didn’t hear her up during the night.”

  Nathan’s smile faded, and he set the mug on the table. “You break her heart, I’ll kick your ass.”

  “I... Of course I’m not... What are you talking about?” God. He deserved to have Nathan kick his rear, just for that lame-ass answer.

  “Give it up, Paddy. I saw the way you looked at her yesterday. The way she looked back. You two have something going on.”

  Patrick slumped in his chair, unwilling to look his brother in the eye and lie to him. “I’m not going to hurt her, Nate. I want to help her settle some...stuff. Clear the way so we can talk about the future.”

  Nathan leaned closer. “A future that includes moving back to Chicago?”

  “Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know.” He shoved away from the table. “That’s the last thing I’ve been thinking about.” Although it wasn’t. He’d been rolling the idea around in his brain for a while. “We have a lot of shit to straighten out first, between Darcy’s issues and the alderman and the money. Okay?”

  “Yeah, I know.” Nathan drummed his fingers on the table. “We’d all love to have you closer. To see you more often.”

  “I’d like that, too. And even if I can’t move here, I’ll be coming back on a regular basis.”

  “Good for Darcy, if she got you thinking about that.”

  “It’s not about Darcy.” He wanted her with him, no matter where he was. “This is about you and Marco and Frankie. I’ve missed you. I want to spend more time with you.”

  “We want that, too.” Nathan shifted in the wheelchair. “Who else but my hard-ass FBI brother would have forced me to deal with the money thing? Thanks for that. It was stupid to hide it from all of you. But once I had, I didn’t know how to deal with it.”

  “You’re welcome.” He leaned across the table and knuckle-bumped Nathan. “It’s a mess, but we’ll get it straightened out. Together.”

  “Think we should take Cal’s money?” Nathan asked.

  Patrick scowled. “Sticks in my craw. You know?”

  “Yeah, mine, too. But I think—as much as I don’t want to do it—that it would be good for Frankie. Make her feel like we’ve accepted Cal. That he’s one of us.” He looked away. “I was tough on him in the beginning. Thought he was just using her.”

  “I hate it when you go all rational and reasonable.”

  “That’s me. The rational guy who took money from a thug.”

  “There is that.” As Patrick sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee, the water upstairs went off. He heard Darcy’s footsteps heading into his bedroom. She’d be getting dressed. Coming downstairs for breakfast. But for now, it was just him and Nate. And he needed one more answer from his brother.

  “Nate, do you think it’s my fault that Mom and Dad died?”

  “What?” Nathan stared at him, puzzled. “Why would I think that?”

  “Because I was driving.”

  “Don’t be an idiot. Did you run that red light? Were you drunk?”

  “No,” Patrick muttered.

  “Then it wasn’t your fault. I never once thought it was.”

  “I have. Ever since they died.” As he said the words, it felt as if a boulder rolled off his chest.

  Nathan shook his head. “I thought you were supposed to be the smart one, Mr. Scholarship-to-Northwestern. Now I find out you’re a dumb-ass after all.”

  “If Dad had been driving, they might still be alive.”

  Nathan leaned toward him. “You can’t think that way, Paddy. It was an accident. They happen.” He narrowed his eyes. “You ran away to Detroit and never came home because you thought we blamed you for them dying. Didn’t you?”

  Patrick shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “Now that you know you’re a dumb-ass, you need to come back home. Guy that slow needs his family around to point out when he’s being an idiot.”

  “I’ll think about it,” he said, feeling lighter than he had in a long time.

  * * *

  DARCY PUSHED AWAY from the table and carried her plate, as well as Patrick’s and Nathan’s, to the sink. Patrick had made pancakes for breakfast, and as she rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, she said casually, “I promised Marco I’d be at Mama’s this morning to accept the cheese delivery.”

  Nathan rolled his eyes at Patrick. “Did he have a hot date again last night?”

  “Probably. He ran out like his ass was on fire.”

  “He shouldn’t ask you to do his work,” Nathan said to Darcy.

  She shrugged. “I don’t mind. He’s done me some favors.”

  “Okay, but I’m coming with you,” Patrick said.

  She bent to scrub the griddle as tears threatened again. “You don’t have to do that. I’ll park on the street in front of the restaurant and walk in the front door. Lock it behind me. I’ll be fine.”

  “It would make me feel better,” Patrick said.

  “Listen to the dumb-ass,” Nathan added. “He likes to protect people.”

  “I know he does.” She turned around. “But in this case, it’s not necessary.”

  “Maybe I’d like to come with you.”

  Her heart squeezed when she saw the concern in his eyes. The caring she’d miss when she left. “I know you have things you need to do, and I’ll be home before noon,” she lied.

  Home? This wasn’t her home. But it felt comfortable here with Patrick and Nathan. Easy. The conversation at breakfast had been fun. Nathan had taken turns teasing first Patrick, then her.

  One more thing she’d miss when she left.

  “Stay here with Nathan, Patrick. I’ll be fine.”

  As she walked into the living room, Patrick followed her. “If anything freaks you out, anything feels wrong, call me. Please?”

  “I will
.” She reached up and kissed him. “I called you yesterday, didn’t I?”

  His arms closed around her. “Yeah. You did. I never thanked you for that, did I?”

  She kissed him again, lingered for a moment, then eased away. “Oh, I think you took care of that last night,” she whispered.

  “Hmmm,” he said, kissing her again. “I can do better. We’ll practice.”

  Her throat swelling, she backed away from him. “The, uh, cheese guy isn’t coming for a couple of hours. In the meantime, I’m going to check some things on the internet. Do you have a laptop I could use?”

  “Sure.” He opened a briefcase and pulled out a laptop, turned it on and typed in his password. “You’re all set.”

  “Thanks,” she whispered. “I’ll go upstairs so you and Nathan can spend some time together.”

  “You don’t have to leave.”

  She forced herself to smile. “If I stay down here with you, I’ll be distracted.”

  He took her hand and pressed his lips to her palm. “That’s a problem for me, too. We’ll discuss it later. In private.”

  “I can’t wait,” she murmured, then turned and ran upstairs before the tears could fall.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  PATRICK WATCHED the sway of Darcy’s hips as she dashed up the stairs. Beth.

  She’d told him her name. Her ex-husband was a cop who’d probably been prosecuted for domestic abuse. It wasn’t much, but he’d have an agent run it through the Bureau’s system, see if anything popped.

  He would find her husband. Make sure he could never terrorize her again.

  She wanted to go to Mama’s this morning, and his first reaction had been No. You’re not going anywhere without me.

  But maybe she was right. Maybe he was being overprotective. She wasn’t going back to her apartment, for God’s sake. The restaurant was on a main street. In broad daylight. She wouldn’t be alone.

  If anything, Patrick should be worried her ex had found Nathan’s house. Worried that his brother, who couldn’t defend himself, was in danger.

  He pulled out his phone and called Danny Kopecki.

  “Hey, Danny,” he said when his friend answered. “You still have Chuck?”

  “Yeah. Funny, but no one’s showed up to pay his bail. Chuckie is getting a little worried.”

  “That right?” The alderman must be concentrating on finding his wife. “Maybe we can lean on him a little. Show him the advantages of cooperating with us. Can you keep him another day or two and let him think about why he’s still there?”

  “Not a problem,” Kopecki said. “If O’Fallon wanted him, he’d be out by now.”

  “That’s what I’m counting on. In the meantime, could you arrange for regular drive-bys at Nathan’s place? Darcy, one of the waitresses there, is staying with us. Her place was trashed yesterday, and I don’t want to take any chances.”

  “That the redhead you’re interested in?”

  Old friends had no respect for boundaries. “Ah, yeah. That’s Darcy.”

  “Consider it done.”

  “Thanks, Danny. At this rate, you’re going to be eating free at Mama’s for a long time.”

  “Looking forward to it, pal.”

  Patrick turned off his phone and headed back to the kitchen. Nathan had moved to the dining room table and was studying the books from Mama’s. Patrick sat across from him. “What day does Chuck pick up the money?”

  Nathan didn’t look up from the computer, but his face turned dull red. “Tuesdays. They wait for the weekend receipts, when they know we’ll have some cash.”

  “So someone’s coming over tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. Chuck, probably.”

  Patrick smiled. “Not Chuck. He’s still sitting in jail. Apparently, the alderman forgot to send over his lawyer.”

  Nathan raised his head. “That right?”

  “Yeah. And I think it’s our chance to finish this.” Patrick hesitated. “You sure you want to take Cal’s money?”

  “No, I’m not. But maybe you’re right. Maybe we have to do it for Frankie.”

  Patrick nodded. “Yeah, I think we do. Why don’t you text Marco and get his okay. Then figure out how much you need, call Cal and tell him.”

  Nathan stared at the screen, then slammed the computer closed. “I know exactly how much I need. Every week, the total was carved into my brain. It went down way too slowly.”

  “See if Cal can get us a check by tomorrow. Then call the alderman. Tell him you’re paying off the loan and he has to come himself. If he says no, bullshit him. Tell him your brother the accountant needs something from him in writing. Tell him there’s a problem you need to discuss with him. Whatever you have to say to get him over here.”

  “What are you thinking, Paddy?”

  He hadn’t been here for Nathan while he was struggling with this problem. But he was here now, and he’d make sure this was solved, once and for all. “I’ll talk to the FBI office in Chicago. We’re going to nail that bastard and whoever he’s taking orders from. The FBI will handle that part. All you have to do is get him over here tomorrow.”

  Nathan sat up straighter in the chair. “I can do that, Paddy.” He clenched his fists. “Hell, I can’t wait to do that.”

  “Your part consists of getting him here and introducing us. Period,” Patrick said sharply. God! The last thing he needed was his brother playing hero from a wheelchair. “I’ll take it from there. And don’t say anything to Darcy when she comes downstairs.”

  “Why don’t you want Darcy to know what’s going on?” Nathan asked.

  “I want to get everything set up before I decide where to stash her when the alderman comes by,” Patrick answered absently, running scenarios in his head.

  “Stash her? Darcy? Are we talking about the same woman?” Nathan shook his head. “She’s not going to like that. Darcy isn’t a doll you put away on the shelf when you don’t want to play with her.”

  Patrick refocused his attention on his brother. “I know, and I don’t care. I want her safe. I don’t want her anywhere near the alderman. Especially since she helped his wife get away.”

  “Okay. You can stash her. But make sure you tell her it’s your idea.”

  “I think she’ll figure that out for herself.”

  * * *

  WHEN DARCY REACHED Patrick’s room, she closed the door. Then she sat on the floor next to her duffel, sorting through the clothes and toiletries she’d packed yesterday.

  She couldn’t walk out of here with her luggage if she was supposed to be going to Mama’s. So she put the absolute necessities into the deep bag she used as a purse. She could buy whatever she needed when she reached her next destination.

  Cat meowed outside the door to Patrick’s room, and her hands stilled. Oh, God. She wouldn’t be able to take Cat.

  Rising to her knees, she opened the door a crack. The big black cat slipped inside and rubbed against her leg. Darcy dropped to the floor, scooped him into her lap and began to weep.

  She had to leave him behind. Tears fell onto his back, the moisture making his black fur glisten. He licked her hand, and she closed her eyes as she swallowed the sobs.

  “I’m going to miss you,” she whispered, rubbing her face over the top of his head. “But you’ll like it here with Nathan and Patrick. Heck, you were sleeping with Nathan last night.”

  While she slept with Patrick.

  Tears pouring down her cheeks, she rocked the cat back and forth until he finally freed himself.

  She let him go and watched as he roamed Patrick’s room, sniffing, then jumped on the bed.

  Patrick wouldn’t toss Cat out the door. He’d take care of him. He knew how much Cat meant to her.

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she repacked her
duffel bag, then pushed it into a corner. If it was out of the way, it would take Patrick longer to realize she was gone.

  To St. Louis.

  She’d researched a number of cities over the past three years and decided that would be her next destination.

  It had a downtown area and suburbs that sprawled in every direction. Lots of small neighborhoods. She’d find another one like Wildwood and burrow in. And once she figured out how Tim had found her, she’d know what not to do the next time.

  Taking a deep breath, she sat down on the bed and opened Patrick’s computer. Entered “Darcy Gordon” into Google and watched as a number of entries popped up on the screen.

  Most of them were clearly not her. There were a few Facebook profiles, a LinkedIn profile, a soccer player. A university student. But towards the bottom of the first page, she found a link to the Mama’s Place website.

  Her heart began thudding as she opened it. She clicked on each page and read it carefully. Nowhere was her name mentioned.

  The last page was Private Parties. It explained the packages the restaurant offered for private events. There were photos, and one of them was from Frankie’s engagement party.

  Darcy’s face took up one corner of the photo. Her hair was shorter than when she’d fled. It was auburn instead of blond. But anyone who’d known her well would recognize her.

  How had Tim gotten her name, though?

  Through the gang. She shivered as she realized what must have happened. The gang trafficked in stolen identities. Tim must have pressured them for a list of names they’d sold around the time she disappeared. Tracked down all of them until he found her.

  She slumped against the headboard and stared at the photo for a long time. She’d been so careful. No Facebook, no smart phone, no email account, not even a computer in her apartment. She’d thought she was doing everything right.

  One photo on the Mama’s Place website. That’s all it had taken for Tim to find her.

  She wasn’t sure how long she sat on the bed, staring at the computer screen. But when she heard a soft knock on the door, she flinched. Forced her shoulders to relax. “Come in.”