“I’d say you’re going above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to being a private eye.”
He shrugged and glanced at Tessa again as her chest rose and fell evenly with slumber. “I can’t leave her alone in this.”
“No, you can’t. I’m glad I can help. My contact with the CIA called me back, Trent. One of those murders that was loosely associated with the family? It was a banker who’d apparently made some dirty deals. It wasn’t a nice murder. Not that murder ever is. But the scene...it was brutal.”
Trent cringed. Not that the news surprised him. But the confirmation did shake him up. He didn’t want that kind of suffering to happen to Tessa.
“Where’s this place we’re going?”
“One of my old friends from Smuggler’s Cove is ex-CIA. He works for an organization called Iron Incorporated—they also go by Eyes—now. You heard of them?”
“The military contractors?”
“That’s the one. He hooked me up with an old safe house operated by the agency. We should be out of harm’s way there for a couple of days at least.”
“Right now those men think we’re dead,” Trent said. “But they’re looking for our bodies. When they discover we’re not in that river, they’ll resume their search for us.”
“Maybe we’ll have some answers by then.”
“Maybe,” Trent muttered. “We can only hope.”
SEVENTEEN
When Tessa opened her eyes, a beautiful old Victorian house stood in front of her. She had to blink a couple of times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Sure enough, it was like a real-life dollhouse. It was beautiful.
The place had turrets on both sides, siding that reminded her of gingerbread, multiple porches and even a corner gazebo with a swing. An inviting wreath swathed the blue front door and electric candles dotted the windows.
“Where are we?” Tessa asked, a touch of awe in her voice.
“It’s where we’re staying for the next couple of days,” Trent said beside her.
Zach nodded. “Let’s get you two inside. I’m sure a shower and some clean clothes sound good.”
“Clean clothes?” Tessa questioned.
“I picked a few things up. Hope they’re your size.”
“I’m sure they will be fine.”
As she climbed out she noticed the ache in her leg had returned. She’d probably have to have her wound looked at, as much as she didn’t want to do that. She hoped she could hold off until this mess was done.
As always, Trent’s hand went to her elbow. Did he think she wasn’t steady on her feet? Was he just being a gentleman? She wasn’t sure. She only knew that every time he touched her, waves of electricity coursed through her body.
They climbed the steps, Zach unlocked the door and they all slipped inside.
Before Tessa could even let her eyes explore her new surroundings, Zach directed her to a bathroom upstairs. “This one is all yours, Tessa. Trent, there’s one downstairs you can use. I’ll fix some dinner while you two get cleaned up.”
Tessa didn’t argue. As soon as the men retreated, she locked the bathroom door and took the warmest, most wonderful shower ever. It had never felt so good to wash all the grime away.
When she climbed out, she pulled back the bandage that Trent had wrapped around her leg. Blood had soaked through the gauze there and she knew she had to change it. She’d always been squeamish around blood.
As the deep gash on her leg came into view, her head spun. The cut was probably six inches long. And it was deep. Trent had put butterfly bandages across it, trying to seal it shut. She didn’t see any signs of infection.
She found a bandage in the cabinet and then wrapped it up again. If this was the only scar she walked away with from this whole ordeal, she’d count herself fortunate.
She pulled on yoga pants, a long-sleeved turquoise T-shirt and fluffy socks with dogs on them. She dried her hair, wishing she had some makeup to cover up the circles under her eyes. But she had no room to complain, and she was thankful for what she’d been given.
She studied her reflection for a minute. This whole ordeal had taken a bigger toll on her than she’d expected. Her skin looked pale; her eyes had lost their glimmer.
Was she really going to let Leo do this to her? He could ruin a lot of the physical things in her life. But she’d let him ruin her inside, as well. She’d become a shell of the person she’d once been. That was giving someone a lot of power in her life.
Finally, Tessa stepped out of the steamy bathroom, not sure what to expect once she got downstairs.
Zach seemed nice enough and, if Trent trusted him, then certainly she could, too. He was tall, although not as tall as Trent, and he had blond hair with a slight curl to it. Inside the house, she’d caught a glimpse of blue eyes and dimpled cheeks.
What had Trent said? He was a detective somewhere?
She found the men downstairs, sitting at the breakfast bar and drinking coffee. They both got quiet when she walked in. Instead of feeling awkward, she slid onto the bench beside Trent. “Got any more of that java?”
“Coming right up,” Zach said. He grabbed a mug and filled it for her.
Meanwhile, the scent of beef—steak, maybe?—sizzling on the stovetop made her stomach grumble. She was hungrier than she’d thought.
“About five more minutes until dinner is served,” Zach said.
Tessa stole a glance at Trent. The man had always been striking. But right now, with his hair still glistening and the faint scent of soap emanating from him, her throat caught. He wore a long-sleeved black T-shirt that showed off his defined torso and a pair of dark-washed jeans. And despite everything they’d been through, he still looked alert.
By the time Zach set their food in front of them, Tessa was beyond hungry. She took the first bite of steak and it melted in her mouth.
“Where are you located out of now, Zach? Baltimore?” She tried to remember what Trent had mentioned.
Something flashed through his gaze so briefly that Tessa thought she’d imagined it. “I was there for a while. I’ve found that I actually like being the sheriff in a small town, though. It makes the people you’re serving seem more real when you see them every day and know most of them by name.”
She nodded, not pressing it. “I see. Well, thank you for all of your help today. I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
“I hear you’re pretty resourceful,” Zach said.
Tessa glanced at Trent. “What did you say?”
“You can shoot a gun like nobody’s business and pick a lock. I might recruit you as one of my deputies soon.”
She smiled, despite the grim situation. “I don’t like being a victim. What can I say?”
“Being proactive is good.” Zach suddenly stood. “Look, I don’t want to cut this short, but it’s getting late. Just leave the plates in the sink, and I’ll get them later. I’m going to check all the windows and doors one more time and then turn in for the night.”
“Thanks again,” Tessa said.
He tilted his head, almost as if he had a hat on. “No problem. Night, you all.”
As soon as he disappeared, Tessa felt of a touch of tension fill her. It wasn’t that she was uncomfortable with Trent; she’d been around him enough to know that wasn’t it. It was... She knew what it was. It was the fact that she was attracted to him. He made her feel jittery and unsure of herself and—
“So how are you doing really, Tessa?” Trent asked, turning toward her as they sat at the breakfast bar. A candle flickered between them and the lingering scent of coffee hung in the air. “You hanging in?”
She shrugged and leaned back, the wooden chair hard against her back. “I guess. What else can I do?”
“You want to go sit by the fire?” He nodded toward the other room where the warmth of the hearth becko
ned.
“That sounds wonderful.”
They walked into the living room. Tessa sat at one end of the couch and Trent draped a blanket over her before settling at the other end.
“Do you really think we’re safe here?” Tessa asked. She didn’t want to bring up the situation with Leo. She really didn’t. She’d much rather pretend she was enjoying an evening with a handsome man. But that wasn’t reality. Reality was that there were men trying to kill her and Trent’s heart might already be taken.
“For a short time.”
When he laid a hand on her leg, she drew in a deep breath.
“What? Your leg?” he asked.
She nodded, wishing she wasn’t squinting with pain.
“Let me see it.”
He peeled the blanket back and gently tugged up the leg of her yoga pants. “You bandaged it? You mind if I take a look?”
“Knock yourself out.”
He gently unwrapped the gauze there and frowned. “I’d like to put some more medication on that, just to make sure it doesn’t get infected.”
Before she could insist she was okay and that he shouldn’t fuss over her, he stood, disappeared and returned a few minutes with a first-aid kit. “A real one this time,” he said with a small grin. Carefully, he took a towel and put it under her leg. “This is going to sting a little.”
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 s
piked.
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.
Deadly Mountain Refuge: Mountain Ambush ; Mountain Hideaway Page 35