THE WRONG BROTHER

by Bonnie K. Winn

  "Any closer and we'd have been killed!" she gasped, automatically running her hands over Paul, checking to see if he was hurt.

  Paul's hands loosened their grasp. "I didn't mean to be so rough."

  Shakily she clung to him, shock insulating the pain of any bumps and bruises. "Rough? You saved our lives."

  People swarmed around them. Katherine thought she recognized some of the agents who were protecting them.

  The horror struck then.

  This wasn't an accident. It had been a deliberate attempt on Paul's life. The fact that she would have been killed, too, hadn't swayed the assassins. She raised her terror-filled gaze to Paul's and saw the grimness that confirmed her suspicions. As long as she participated in this trap, she was in extreme danger. Heart and body – both were taking great risks.

  * * *

  Jessica fluttered anxiously around the kitchen, preparing tea. Because she was caring for Dustin, she'd quickly learned about the incident.

  Paul had brooked no arguments about driving Katherine to Jessica's so they could pick up Dustin. Katherine hadn't put up much resistance.

  Jessica glanced out the window as she brought the tray into the sitting room. She had insisted on serving tea, wanting to calm them down before they woke Dustin. "That car on the street – agents?"

  Paul nodded. "They're with us."

  Jessica smiled weakly. "I thought so."

  "Did you have any unexplained calls or visitors tonight?" Paul asked casually.

  But Jessica wasn't easily fooled. She paled, the hand holding the teapot trembling. "Do you think someone would come here?"

  "I'm the target," Paul told her, "but my training says take no chances, leave nothing unturned. I'm going to request that an agent be stationed here round the clock, but only as a precaution."

  Jessica's worry eased a bit. "Knowing the boys are protected will be a relief."

  "It's really only a precaution," Paul emphasized. "They have no reason to harm the children."

  "I know, but it still makes me feel better. And I'm glad you're here to take care of Katherine." Jessica's glance rested on her friend. "I don't want anything happening to her."

  "Don't fuss, Jess," Katherine protested. "We weren't hurt, just shaken up." She glanced pointedly at Paul. "Some of us are like cats, and have more than one life."

  Jessica caught Paul's gaze and sent him a sympathetic glance, before turning to Katherine. "Sounds like it was too close a call, Katie."

  Paul watched their interaction, thinking again that he could have learned a great deal about Katherine from this friendship. But he'd been too cynical to accept anything at face value.

  A short time later they were able to leave. With Jessica still fussing over Katherine, Paul picked up Dustin and carried him outside. Warm and baby soft, Dustin snuggled close in his arms, his face trustingly against Paul's chest. At the car Paul hesitated. He stroked the silky hair away from Dustin's forehead, feeling both protective and possessive. Even though Paul had tried to distance himself, he'd grown too close to the little boy. Reluctantly he eased Dustin into the child seat, knowing how difficult it would be to leave him, too. He was getting damned tired of saying goodbye.

  * * *

  A solicitous Jessica lingered on the doorstep after they said good-night. Heading toward the car, Katherine paused and watched Paul with Dustin. She saw the gentleness in his touch and realized that he had grown genuinely attached to her son. His reluctance to relinquish Dustin was equally telling.

  Cautioning herself not to make too much of it, Katherine hurried down the path to the car. She reached for the door handle, but Paul beat her to it. Their eyes met as Katherine stepped behind the opened door. Longing and something else lurked in his expression. Unwilling to think about those feelings, Katherine dragged her gaze away and hastily climbed into the car.

  In moments Paul skirted the hood, put Dustin in the child seat and joined her. But Katherine didn't want to meet his eyes again, so she deliberately kept her gaze averted.

  Paul started the car and eased it onto the street.

  She noticed that he looked in the rearview mirror periodically, no doubt checking for the agency car. She resisted the shudder gripping her.

  Glancing over at her, Paul spoke quietly. "Are you okay?"

  She nodded. "Sure."

  "In the morning I'll relocate," he told her. "It's too dangerous for you and Dustin."

  "What?"

  "I'm not going to put you and Dustin in danger any longer. I'm the bait. There's no need for you—"

  "We're in this together," she protested. "You can't back out now. I plan to do my part to catch Matthew's killer."

  "That's what I want, too, but not enough to risk you and Dustin," Paul replied.

  Katherine felt her heart hitch, both at the danger he was in and the protectiveness he'd voiced. She was certain of one thing – Paul shouldn't do this on his own. She knew he'd take more chances alone than with them. "The trap's been set. You can't change it now."

  "I can and I will," he said firmly.

  "And suppose you do?" she asked, certain he intended to take chances that might get him killed. "And suppose the Falgettis come after Dustin and me and you're not there to protect us?"

  Paul whipped his head toward her, searching her expression, before glancing back at the road. "The Falgettis have no reason to harm you or Dustin. You don't know anything that could jeopardize them."

  "They don't know that," she said, guessing that would push his buttons.

  The silence thrummed between them for several moments.

  "I don't understand," he said finally. "Why do you want to do this? Matthew wouldn't have expected it of you. He wouldn't have wanted you and Dustin in danger any more than I do."

  "Maybe you two were more alike than you ever realized," she observed.

  His voice was hoarse with emotion as he said, "Maybe we were. I just wish I hadn't waited until it was too late to discover that."

  * * *

  Chapter 21

  «^»

  "You're certain?" Paul said.

  "There's no doubt," John replied. "The chandelier was tampered with. By the time we found the entrance to the catwalk over the ballroom, the perp was long gone."

  "It seems out of character for the Falgettis," Paul mused. "They usually use a more direct method – like a gun."

  "Not always," John reminded him. "Don't forget – they sabotaged the plane. That was a first."

  Paul's eyes were grim. "Great. So, they're branching out. I'd hoped the plane was an exception."

  "My guess is they want the hit to look like an accident, making it harder to trace back to them. You're a key witness, Elliott. They won't want to make it obvious they're the ones who knocked you off – it wouldn't look good to a judge."

  "That's reassuring," Paul said dryly.

  "It wasn't meant to be. But it does mean your bait attracted the Falgettis."

  Paul crossed to the picture window, ignoring his own advice that the position made him an easy target. "I want Matthew's killers, but I don't want Katherine or Dustin to get hurt."

  "We're close," John warned. "I understand your concern, but this isn't the time to waffle. Surely Katherine understands that."

  "Too well," Paul admitted. "I tried to convince her that I should relocate, removing the danger to her and Dustin, but she wouldn't hear of it."

  "Good for her. She's made of strong stuff." John hesitated, then asked, "Do you know how Jessica's handling things?"

  John's casualness didn't fool Paul. "She was shaken up when she heard about the chandelier incident, but I told her we'd put an agent on her house as a precaution."

  Concern furrowed John's forehead. "Has something else happened?"

  "No." Paul studied his friend's face, realizing John's interest was more than superficial. When had that happened? Paul knew John had been attracted to Jessica; he hadn't known his friend's emotions had become involved, as well. "As I said, it's only a precaution sinc
e she takes care of Dustin."

  "Who's the agent assigned to her house?"

  "Forrester. He's a good man."

  John nodded reluctantly. "I can swing by periodically, as well."

  Paul met his eyes. "One of us has to keep a cool head, my friend."

  "Of course," John replied stiffly. "I was only thinking of Jessica's welfare."

  "Which isn't in jeopardy," Paul reminded him. "I'm the target and I seldom visit her home. Katherine picks up Dustin. I insisted on going with her after the chandelier incident because I thought Katherine was too upset to be on her own. Don't worry, John. There was no other reason." Paul couldn't prevent the note of sympathy that crept into his voice. "And no reason for us to think she's in any danger."

  John passed a hand over his face. "Jessica's a special woman. I wish it hadn't been necessary to bring her into this … to hurt her."

  Paul's sigh was heartfelt. "I know exactly how you feel. Exactly."

  * * *

  The early-morning sun warmed the sand. Joggers made their runs, implanting the first footprints of the day on the tide-washed beach.

  Paul grinned at the tiny tracks Dustin left, then at the hole he was earnestly digging with a toy shovel. Paul remembered when he and Matthew had believed they could reach China if they dug deep enough. They'd believed in a lot of things back then.

  "What're you hoping to reach?" Paul asked, casually glancing toward the dune, noticing the agents shadowing them, some on foot, others in a surveillance car.

  "Brian says monsters live way down inside, but you gotta dig really really deep."

  Paul blinked. So much for China. "And you want to reach them?"

  Dustin continued digging as he considered this. "I want to see 'em."

  "You aren't worried about letting them out?"

  Dustin frowned. "I can't dig a hole that big."

  "Good point," Paul said, amazed at the thinking processes of the little boy. "I guess monsters need a pretty big opening to get out."

  "Uh-huh." Dustin continued his quest.

  "Could you use some help?" Paul offered.

  "Uh-huh." He handed Paul an extra shovel. "But don't make the hole too big."

  Paul nodded, then silently worked next to him for quite some time. Several discreet glances told him that Dustin was tiring. After a while, he stretched his own arms, groaning. "Whew. I'm getting kind of tired. I don't suppose we could take a break, could we?"

  Dustin's face scrunched with concentration. "Okay. But then we gotta keep digging."

  "Right." Paul looked at the mounds of sand created by their digging. "I don't guess you'll need all this sand to see the monsters."

  "Uh-uh."

  "Would you mind if I built something with the sand?" Paul asked, hoping to distract Dustin from the futile dig to the center of the earth.

  "What?" Dustin asked.

  "I was thinking maybe a space station," Paul suggested.

  "On Zorak?" Dustin squealed.

  "Yep. We could probably even build a spaceship."

  Dustin jumped as high as his small legs allowed. "Zorak! Zorak!"

  From the corner of his eye Paul noticed an agent moving closer, no doubt wondering what had caused the sudden clamor.

  He had debated about bringing Dustin to the beach, but Katherine had an emergency wedding cake to prepare. The first one had been destroyed in transit. Katherine had promised the outing to Dustin, and Paul didn't want to see the child disappointed. He'd briefed the security team, who agreed it was unlikely the Falgettis would choose such an open spot. They needed reasonable cover to elude detection, and there wasn't any on the beach.

  Paul filled a plastic bucket with sand, helping to form the base of the space station. Dustin followed his lead, enthusiastically patting the sand in place, then mimicking Paul's more careful movements as be formed the levels. It was inexplicably warming to Paul, having the child imitate his actions. He was also moved by the faith Dustin showed in his ability to build a space station.

  It was a little thing, he supposed. But not having his own children, he'd never guessed what powerful emotions they could evoke. And he was incredibly touched that Dustin had accepted him so completely after learning he wasn't Matthew.

  Though he knew it wasn't his right, not even his place, Paul wanted to ensure that this child would always be equally safe and happy. But after Matthew's killers were apprehended, he doubted Katherine would let him see the boy. She would want to put this painful episode behind her. And he would be a reminder of the worst sort.

  "We hafta build the spaceship!" Dustin reminded him, his small hands patting the oval roof they'd fashioned.

  "Can't forget that," Paul agreed, picking up a bucket of sand. "Wouldn't want you stuck on earth with a great space station already built."

  "Yeah!" Dustin clapped sand-coated hands together.

  Several minutes later Paul had a facsimile of a spaceship built out of sand, one with a seat large enough for Dustin. It wasn't perfect, but Dustin didn't seem to mind. "Think that will get you to Zorak?"

  "Yeah!" Dustin said again, and patted the last of the sand in place. "But we both gotta fly in it."

  "Don't you want to pilot it alone?" Paul asked with a grin, enjoying Dustin's make-believe world.

  Dustin shook his head. "You gotta come. Then we'll be safe."

  Paul's smile faded. "Safe?"

  "Uh-huh. You won't let nothin' get us."

  Ignoring the sand that rubbed off on him, Paul hugged Dustin. "As long as I can, pal, I'll keep you safe." Releasing him so that Dustin could climb aboard his ship, Paul made a silent vow to keep him safe. He only wished he didn't have to leave – that he could protect Dustin from that hurt, too.

  * * *

  The kitchens of Combined Catering were bustling. Every counter was filled to overflowing. The Newman anniversary party was huge. The affluent couple had given them an unlimited budget to provide the finest food, imported delicacies, vintage champagne and an open bar. It wasn't the most elaborate function they had scheduled, but it was important.

  Carter, who had been promoted permanently to executive chef, had worked tirelessly on the innovative menu. Now they were in the final stages of preparation. Alice, Ben and Frank scurried to carry out Carter's instructions. Several temps had been hired, some as kitchen assistants, others to supplement the serving staff.

  Katherine stepped through the whirl of energetic bodies. Her own desserts had to be spectacular. But she didn't mind the work. She welcomed the distraction.

  Since the night the chandelier had narrowly missed killing them, she had seen a threat around every corner, in every shadow. Katherine told herself she was being foolish, yet she couldn't stop. While she'd never thought much about it, she'd always considered herself a person of some courage. She lived far from family, rarely depended on anyone else, stood on her own two feet. But the other night had shown her a new side of fear.

  She could have accepted Paul's offer to leave. Her refusal had been a surprise to both of them. Katherine wanted Matthew's killers to be apprehended, but that hadn't prompted her protest. Knowing that Paul would deliberately put himself in more danger had swayed her. It wasn't something she wanted to examine too closely.

  Katherine measured the sugar, adding it to the creamed butter. As the mixture blended, she organized the liqueurs, lining them up in the order she would need them. She picked up her marble rolling pin, anxious to roll out the dough and create layers of paper-thin pastry. There was something comforting in the familiar work, the normalcy of it, the safety. Even the roar of the huge professional mixer, along with the rattle of the beaters, was welcome.

  Suddenly feeling a hand on her shoulder, Katherine screamed and whirled around, the rolling pin raised like a weapon.

  Ben stepped back, looking startled and concerned. "Katherine?"

  She put one hand over her chest, feeling the runaway beating. "Ben," she gasped.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized. "But Cart
er wants to know when the truffles and shiitake mushrooms will be here."

  Guiltily Katherine remembered her promise to check on both items first thing. With everything else on her mind, she'd forgotten. She calmed her breathing. "Tell Carter I'll check right now. If the delivery can't be here in an hour, I'll send someone to the dock." As she glanced up, she saw that everyone in the kitchen was staring at her. Her regular employees looked concerned and some of the temps looked frightened, others appalled. The scream must have been high in decibels, she realized in embarrassment. "It's okay, everybody. Just a bad case of nerves about tonight."

  A few heads nodded as some of them turned back to their workstations, breaking the unnatural silence. But others still watched her. Ben asked cautiously. "Katherine, do you want me to call Elliott?"

  She smiled sadly, wishing it was that easy. "I'm afraid that won't help."

  Suddenly she had to escape. Someone else could finish the desserts. She couldn't bear their scrutiny.

  These people all knew she had lost a husband and had allowed his brother to take his place. Even though Elliott had told the employees that she had been in on the plan from the beginning, she knew some of them didn't believe him. Fear and embarrassment sent her running from the building. But as she jumped into her car, Katherine knew she couldn't outrun the truth.

  * * *

  Paul pulled slowly into the parking lot of the catering company, weariness settling over him. It had been a rough evening. The Newmans' party had gone smoothly enough, but it had lacked Katherine's special touch. At first he'd panicked when he learned she had run out on the staff. Their legitimate concern was unsettling.

  Then Jessica had called to report Katherine's whereabouts. Paul had been prepared to go to her house, but Jessica had tactfully suggested that might not be for the best. Translation: She doesn't want you here. Jessica had added that Katherine wasn't up to the Newmans' party. Could he handle things?

  He had, but certainly not with Katherine's expertise. All the extra unneeded equipment in the back of the car was proof enough. Paul could have returned the equipment in the morning, but he was in no hurry to face Katherine, guessing she was home by now. These days her eyes were filled with hurt and accusation.