by Desiree Holt
“Well, we’ll have to do some tall talking.” She got up to clear away their dishes. “I know how Ruben will react.”
“We have to tell him about the bus incident,” Nick insisted. “If he’s aware that there’s real danger, he’ll want to take every precaution possible. We’ll just say it’s to back him up. I sure don’t want that man to feel I don’t think he can take care of you.”
“You really believe whoever this is will follow me out to the ranch?” Lindsey felt her good humor slip away. “That seems a little farfetched.”
“Nothing about a stalker is farfetched, honey. The only predictable thing about them is their unpredictability.”
“All right. I’ll call Mary and tell her she’d better have plenty of food to feed you.” She turned toward the sink.
She sensed Nick move up behind her. In a moment, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her neck. “Good. I need to keep up my strength.”
They’d been eating lunch in every day, just as a simple precaution, Nick sending someone on the team for takeout. They ate in the apartment, enjoying the quiet break in the day together. But Lindsey was beginning to get claustrophobic.
“How about going out for lunch today?” she suggested. “I haven’t been outside these rooms in three days.”
“Lindsey,” he began.
“You’ll be right beside me,” she pointed out. “Just for a change, please? I’m going nuts. We’ll even take extra bodyguards if you insist.”
“I insist. But I just want you to know I’m not too happy about it.”
Craving Mexican food, she decided on La Fonda, just off Loop 410. Nick was agreeable, but when they went to the underground garage, plans for lunch disappeared.
Someone had maliciously attacked Nick’s SUV, which was parked in its usual spot near the stairs. The windshield and side windows were smashed, and the side view mirrors completely ripped off. The tires were slashed, and the body had been viciously keyed. Looking at Nick’s face, Lindsey was stunned by the visceral rage she saw.
“Stay right here,” he commanded in a tight voice.
With a visible Herculean effort, Nick managed to get himself under control and walked around the vehicle to fully assess the damage.
“There’s something inside here,” he said, looking in the driver’s side. He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and reached in and lifted out a piece of paper.
I’m watching you, too. Beware the eyes. They are all around you. You cannot save her.
If it hadn’t been evidence, Nick would have crushed it into a tiny ball. “So they want me, too? Well, bring it on. I’ll be ready for them.”
He took out his Nextel cell phone/walkie talkie and spoke into it quietly. In seconds, a young man in a gray suit came jogging down through the garage.
“I’m sorry I didn’t see any one, Mr. Vanetta.” He stopped next to Nick. “I thought I heard something at the other end of this floor and went to check it out. They must have created a diversion to draw me away.”
“Ya think?” Nick snorted. “From now on you stay with the vehicle. And keep your eyes open from wherever it’s parked.”
“Yes, sir. This won’t happen again.”
“Damn straight it won’t.”
Nick speed dialed his office and got Reno on the horn, relating what happened to him. His partner received the information with a quiet that belied his fury.
“You watch your ass,” he told Nick. “This is getting very ugly.”
“No worry on that score. But I may need to tighten up the security arrangements.”
“Whatever you need, just let me know. I don’t take kindly to someone threatening my partner. Have Tony pull the tapes from the security cameras, although I’d guess whoever this is would have made sure to conceal his face.”
When Nick walked back to Lindsey, she was standing near the damaged vehicle, looking both scared and angry. He cradled her cheeks in his hands and scanned her face. “Are you okay, honey?”
She sighed. “I’m fine. What did the note say?”
“Nothing you need to see. Believe me.”
She jerked her head away and curled her hands into fists. “Don’t bullshit me. I’m not some hothouse flower. Tell me exactly what it said.”
He swallowed a smile. His little spitfire wasn’t going to be cowed by anything. Good for her. He watched the anger flash in her eyes as she listened to him.
“So he’s after you, too. This is too much.” She shoved her hands in her pockets. “Now you’ll be in danger, all because of me.”
“Lindsey, I’m paid to be in danger, remember? And we still don’t know what this is really about.”
“Except it sounds very specific.” She pointed toward his vehicle. “This isn’t just collateral fallout from the job. This is very personal.”
“Only because it centers around you,” he told her. “It isn’t the first time I’ve had this happen with a client, and it won’t be the last. “
“I don’t want you hurt because of this.”
He could see that, despite the anger, she was fighting to hold herself together. Heat surged through him that had nothing to do with sexual awareness. It was the first time since he was an adult that he could remember anyone except his parents caring about him this way. Damn! Maybe something good was coming out of this after all.
“I can take care of myself. Promise.” He walked her back to the elevator and nodded at one of the gray suits waiting for him. “This is Angelo. I want you to go upstairs with him. Go into your apartment and wait for me. You can fix us a couple of sandwiches, since our lunch trip is out for today. I have some things to take care of, and then I’ll be up.”
“I think I’ve lost my appetite.” She moved into the elevator, leaning on the door to keep it open.
“You have to eat. We both do. No time to get sick.” He put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to look at him. “We’re leaving for the ranch right after I get done. Tell Brianna you have some personal business to take care of that came up suddenly and get her to change any afternoon appointments you have. I didn’t see much on your calendar, anyway.”
“Only one appointment, and she can move it. Oh, Nick. When will this end?”
“Soon, sweetheart. Believe me. Now go on with Angelo.”
****
To Lindsey, it seemed to take forever until Nick was back upstairs. Angelo lounged unobtrusively in the background, eyes ever alert, listening through the ear bud comm, obviously monitoring what was going on with the other members of the team. She cleaned up the files on her desk and arranged her sketches on her worktable for Monday. Then she buzzed for Brianna.
“You’re leaving early?” The woman tilted her head, a questioning look in her eyes.
Lindsey nodded and gave her the story she and Nick had concocted. “Before we could leave for lunch, I got a call on my cell. I have to take care of some personal business with the ranch. Cancel my three o’clock, and tell Mark I’ll meet with him on Monday.”
“Everything okay, Lindsey?” Bri’s sharp eyes took inventory of her face.
“Yes, fine. Everything’s fine.” She hoped her voice sounded calmer than she felt.
“Okay. I’ve got plenty to keep me busy. Don’t worry about that.”
“You and Mark can cut out early, too, if you want,” Lindsey told her. “It’s been a tense week for everyone. Go have a drink someplace.”
“Thank you. We’ll see.” Brianna stood up and gave her a brief hug. “You just take care, okay? See you Monday morning.”
Lindsey locked up the drawers of her desk before going into her apartment. She changed into shorts and a loose shirt. She had no idea what Nick planned to do, since there weren’t any casual clothes for him here, and he wouldn’t do too well at the ranch in a suit. Finally, she scrounged around in her kitchen and fixed peanut butter sandwiches and milk. She offered food to Angelo, too, a watchful figure in the background, but he shook his head.
“I’ll ca
tch something later,” he told her.
“I hope you like childhood comfort food.” She smiled at Nick when he finally came upstairs.
He took the plate and glass and laughed out loud. “Are you kidding? The only thing I can’t live without is peanut butter. My mother thinks it’s a staple of every diet.”
He wolfed down the sandwich and milk, put his plate and dish in the dishwasher, then threw toiletries into his shaving kit. The only clothing he took was his dirty laundry.
“We’ll stop by my house so I can pick up some more clothes and ditch this stuff,” he told her. “Let’s go. I hope you said your goodbyes in the office because I want to leave from the apartment.”
“Any special reason?”
“Yup. The door from your apartment opens into an opposite hallway leading to the back elevator, right? So it’s hard for anyone to tell if you’ve left. Angelo’s going to hang around and see if anything catches his eye.” He took her arm. “Let’s get out of here.”
He triple checked the alarm before hustling her out to the elevator. When they got to the garage and he walked to his parking spot, she stopped, speechless.
“What exactly is that?” She pointed.
The shiny SUV had been replaced by a dark green pickup truck, dusty and with its share of dents.
“That, sweetheart, is our new transportation. I’ll fit right in at the ranch, don’t you think?” His eyes were twinkling.
“You have got to be kidding.”
“Nope. It’s part of the company fleet. They towed the SUV and sent it out for repair. This one would be very hard to damage. Also,” his voice dropped conspiratorially, “don’t let its looks deceive you. The doors are reinforced steel and the windows are all bulletproof glass. I’m not taking any more chances.”
“Unbelievable.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the truck. “Nick, how did this person know that was your vehicle, and what you’re doing here?”
“He’s obviously been paying closer attention than we realized. I briefed the team staying behind on what to look for while we’re at the ranch. We’ll see if they come up with anything.”
Nick threw their small cases in the space behind the seats, then helped her climb up into the truck. “We’re going to take a little scenic tour on the way to the house. I’ve got someone riding tail behind me to see if we draw anyone’s interest. My phone number is unlisted so they’d have a hell of a time finding out where I live. I don’t want to make it easy for them by leading them there.”
Lindsey’s head was spinning. So much had happened in such a short time, but she was impressed by the speed with which Guardian operated and their firm grasp of the situation.
She was actually glad they were going to the ranch. Maybe she could get Nick to go through those boxes with her, the ones she’d already opened as well as the ones still shut tight. With his investigator’s mind, he might spot things she had missed. Or know the questions to ask. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she’d approach the subject with him. Maybe drag him up to the attic with her.
Nick muscled the truck expertly through the traffic, cruising around the streets downtown, then heading East on I-35, exiting and doubling back. They had passed El Mercado, the Mexican Marketplace, and driven west for a few exits on I-10 when Nick’s little communicator beeped.
He pressed the walkie/talkie button. “Yeah? Good enough. Thanks.” He disconnected the phone and laid it on the seat next to him. “We’re clear,” he told Lindsey. “We’ll run by my house and then head on out.”
The house smelled of lemon and mint and something else indefinable but pleasant. As before, it was immaculate.
“Have you been sneaking out during the day and cleaning your house?” she asked.
Nick laughed. “I have a housekeeper who comes in three days a week, four if I need it. Sometimes, when I’m on a job, I don’t see my house for weeks or even months. I’d never leave it unattended that long, and I also don’t have a lot of time for housework. She does my laundry, too, in case that was your next question. And shuttles my suits back and forth to the cleaners.”
“She sounds like a gem. I hope you pay her well.”
“You can bet on it.” He was on his way upstairs. “Come on and keep me company. We’ll be just a few minutes.”
His bedroom was exactly as she’d imagined after seeing the rest of the house. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows added plenty of light to the room; the wood flooring was brightened with colorful scatter rugs. The king-sized bed, with its chocolate comforter and abundance of pillows, dominated the room. Rows of photographs completely filled a small table next to a big easy chair.
Lindsey was startled when a muscular arm slid around her waist.
“You didn’t get to see the bedroom last time,” he whispered. “Today isn’t the time, but we’re going to initiate that bed pretty soon.”
“I’ll bet that’s been the scene of some pretty hectic acrobatics,” she teased.
Nick looked at her with a tight expression on his face. “Just so you know, I’ve never brought a woman into this house before. You’re the first one who’s ever been here. I never wanted anyone here before. This is the part of me that’s private. You’re the first woman I’ve wanted to share it with.”
She swallowed hard, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Thank you for saying that.”
He touched his lips lightly to hers before setting her away from him with determination. “If we keep doing that, we’ll never get out of here. Just sit over there like a good girl, and I’ll make this quick.”
She wandered over to his dresser, drawn by a framed photograph of a large group of people. “Who are all the people in these pictures?”
He had yanked a suitcase from the closet and was stuffing clothes into it. “My family. My sisters and brothers and their respective spouses and children.”
“Are you the only single one left?” she asked inquisitively.
“That’s me. I think my mother’s given up on me, although my sisters haven’t.”
“I’m curious. You have to know Quinn gave me the rundown on your reputation. Why haven’t you ever married?”
“Never found a woman I wanted to wake up with in the morning. Every morning.” He was beside her again, giving her another quick kiss. “Until now. Okay. I’m ready.”
She stared at him, trying to figure out what his words really meant.
Don’t make too much of it.
“What?” He frowned. “Come on, sugar, we have to move.”
He’d changed into jeans and a T-shirt, exchanging his polished boots for jogging shoes. He carried a large duffel bag in one hand and a thick aluminum briefcase in the other, using the briefcase to urge her into motion. Before they left, he checked his alarm system, making sure everything was set.
“That’s a pretty complex system,” Lindsey commented, watching him.
“I’m away a lot,” he told her, “so I installed a high-powered system that I’m pretty sure no one can figure a way to bypass. Only my housekeeper and the agency have the code.”
Despite all the twisting and turning they’d done on the way to his house, Nick still kept checking the rearview and side-view mirrors, sometimes even doubling back around a block just to check the traffic. When he was satisfied they were clear, he finally headed toward the Interstate.
“Did you call Mary and tell her we were coming out?” he asked.
“Sure did.” Lindsey swallowed a grin. “I think she started cooking right away.”
Nick laughed. “Whatever else happens, I’ll be well fed by the time this is over.”
“Is that all?” she asked, suddenly shy.
Nick reached over and captured her hand, linking his fingers with hers and placing their hands on his thigh. “No, sugar, that is far from all. Believe me.”
Please make it so. Please don’t let this be just another fast ride with a bumpy end.
She hated to realize how much of that, just like the stalker, was really out of her control.
/> “By the way,” he said, “I’ve got someone working on the nursing home angle. I figured if we went in there and started asking questions, everyone would clam up the way they did with you.”
“So what are you doing?”
“They had an opening for an orderly, and one of the guys on our staff was a medic in the military. Reno pulled a few strings, and he got the job. Now he’s busy making friends and sucking up gossip.”
“I just know there’s something no one’s telling me,” she told him. “My mother was almost ready to come home when this happened.”
“If there is, we’ll find out about it. You can count on that.”
Ruben was on the porch, leaning against the railing, watching them as they drove up. When they got out of the truck, he came down to meet them. “About time you remembered where you live, little one.”
“Just had a really busy week, Ruben. That’s all.” She stepped into his hug. “Everything’s okay. Honestly.”
His eyes searched her face at length, looked over her head at Nick, then he shook his head. “We’ll see. Best you get yourselves a cold drink, and we’ll sit out here for a while. You can tell me what’s put that terrible look in your eyes.”
Nick lifted his duffel and Lindsey’s small case out from behind the seats.
Ruben took them out of his hands. “I’ll take these upstairs. You folks go get some of that lemonade in the fridge, and we’ll have us a nice little chat. And I want the truth, niña. You hear?”
As casually as she could, Lindsey said, “You can put both of those bags in my room.”
Ruben looked at her, his face totally impassive. He nodded and headed back to the house, but not before Lindsey saw a faint smile twist his lips.
Damn.
Am I making a mistake? This whole thing seems to have happened so quickly. So easily. Am I just another notch on his bedpost, despite what he keeps saying? I’m vulnerable and he knows it. Is he just taking advantage of that fact?
Lindsey shook herself mentally. She was going crazy with all these questions, and she had no answers to any of them.
Suck it up and enjoy it. Just enjoy it.