“So I kidnap her.” Shoving a hand through his shaggy curls, Alex bent his head and stared at the floor, then eyed Devlin again. “Here and now?”
“You’d have to transport her halfway across the country to get her to your place, but if you’re game...” Devlin smiled slightly. “I say go for it.”
“Why do I have to take her there?” Alex retorted. Then, referring to the head of the government agency that employed them both, he added, “Surely McConnell has a safe house somewhere around here I could use for a few days.”
“Because you’ll have better luck finding out what Selby is up to if you’re reasonably close to his base of operation. And your place is nice and secluded. Kari won’t have much choice but to stay there.”
“Well, I can guarantee I’m not driving cross-country with a woman who’s more than likely going to fight me every inch of the way.”
He wasn’t that crazy. At least not yet.
“I can’t say I blame you,” Devlin admitted, his voice tinged with laughter. “But there is an alternative.”
“And what, pray tell, would that be?” Alex asked, not nearly as amused as his friend.
“Waylay her at the San Antonio airport,” Laura replied, rejoining their conversation.
“Come on, give me a break. She’ll scream bloody murder and I’ll end up in jail. Or worse, she’ll haul off and knock me senseless. I’ve seen the way she handles those horses she rides. She may look like a fragile little thing, but she’s not.”
“So knock her out,” Devlin advised.
“Are you nuts?” Alex growled. “We’re talking about your sister. And surely you haven’t forgotten how I feel about using violence against a defenseless woman.”
“I didn’t mean for you to hit her over the head.”
“Well, then, what did you have in mind?”
Alex stared at his friends dubiously as Devlin outlined several alternatives. They eyed him in return, their expressions intent, as if they weren’t quite sure what he would say or do next.
Instinctively, he wanted to run—far and fast. Yet he was caught by the bonds of their friendship. He had a duty to honor those bonds in whatever way he could, regardless of the emotional toll doing so might take.
They had asked very little of him in return for all they’d given him. To turn his back on them when they so obviously needed his help would be unconscionable.
Much as he would like to believe they’d simply concocted some sort of scheme to throw him and Kari together, he knew better. Having seen Brandon Selby in action, he had no doubt crossing the man could prove dangerous. And that might be just what Selby would assume Kari was doing by declining his proposal.
With an inner sigh of resignation, Alex shifted his backpack again. “Sounds like you two have given this a lot of thought.”
“We were going to talk to you about it earlier, but we were afraid Kari might overhear us,” Laura acknowledged. “Devlin figured you’d try to leave before morning, so we decided to wait and catch you on your way out.”
“So this was a setup?”
“Sort of,” Devlin admitted with a sheepish smile.
“Sort of, my butt,” Alex retorted, aware he’d been well and truly had. All for a good cause, of course. But that didn’t make him any happier about what was in store for him in the days ahead.
“You know I’d handle this myself if I could,” Devlin said, resting a hand on Laura’s shoulder.
“Yeah, I know.”
Alex bent his head and tried to order his thoughts. Devlin had enough to worry about, and he did have a month’s vacation coming to him. Might as well use a few days of it doing a good deed. How much would it cost him in the long run? Not much provided he kept Kari at a distance. And that certainly shouldn’t be a problem. Not considering what she thought of him.
“So, what’s the plan?” he asked. “Because I’m sure you’ve got one.”
“She’s booked on a five o’clock flight nonstop to San Antonio. We’ll make sure she’s on the plane,” Devlin said. “Since you’re leaving on an early-morning flight, you should have time to make whatever preparations you consider necessary and be waiting for her when she arrives, right?”
“Right,” Alex agreed. “What about Selby? He’s expecting her back at work Tuesday morning, isn’t he? Surely he’ll raise some sort of hue and cry if she doesn’t show up as scheduled.”
“I’m going to call him as soon as Kari is on the plane and tell him she’s ill. Too ill to talk to him herself,” Laura said. “That should buy you three or four days, and maybe that will be all you’ll need.”
“Maybe,” Alex muttered, somehow doubting he would be that lucky.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of headlights cut through the darkness beyond the front window, then heard the muted hum of the taxi’s engine as the vehicle drew to a halt in the circular driveway. Finally. The dispatcher had told Alex he’d have a thirty-minute wait, but he felt as if he’d been standing in Devlin’s living room much longer than that.
“You’ll let us know she’s all right?” Laura asked.
“I’ll call just as soon as we get to my place,” he promised.
“We know you’ll take good care of her.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“And you’ll keep us apprised of the situation, too,” Devlin urged.
Suddenly eager to be on his way, Alex nodded as he edged toward the door. He had a lot to do in the hours ahead. Without careful planning, Kari could slip by him. And he simply couldn’t allow her to go back to Selby until he was absolutely sure she had nothing to fear from the man.
“Have a safe trip,” Devlin said.
“And remember you’re supposed to be staying with us when you come back to see McConnell next month,” Laura added. “We’ll be expecting you.”
“I’ll be here,” Alex promised her. “As long as I’m still welcome.”
“You’ll always be welcome in our home, Alex. Always,” Laura assured him.
He nodded again, then slipped out the door. He could only hope that would still be true four weeks from now. But he couldn’t guarantee it.
Though neither Devlin nor Laura would ever admit it, he could be as much a danger to Kari as Brandon Selby. And while he would never intentionally do anything to hurt her, physically or emotionally, there was no telling what might happen between them in the coming days.
They would be thrown together in such a way that he would have to keep his own emotions deeply buried. He’d have to think of her as his best friend’s sister, nothing more, nothing less. And he’d stay as far away from her as he could in the little house they’d be sharing. Not only for her good, but his, as well.
In an upstairs bedroom overlooking the driveway of her brother’s house, Kari Gray pressed her forehead against the cool glass and watched as Alexander Payton climbed into the waiting taxicab. He did so swiftly, without a backward glance, evidently anxious to be on his way.
She should be glad to see him go. Instead she was filled with a sudden, bewildering sense of loss.
How silly, she thought, brushing at the single tear sliding down her cheek. You couldn’t lose someone who had never really been a part of your life. Someone who had also made sure you understood—in no uncertain terms—that he never would be.
But she had fallen in love with Alexander Payton the first time she had laid eyes on him. And though she had tried hard to put him out of her mind and heart since the night he’d so rudely walked out on her six years ago, the just-stepped-off-a-cliff sensation she’d experienced upon seeing him again Saturday afternoon had been a cruel reminder of just how futile her attempts had been.
She had read somewhere that your first love was often your true love, and that people who were reunited after years of separation often rekindled their romance, became permanent partners and experienced the most intense emotional satisfaction of their lives. And she had hoped that maybe, just maybe, one day that would happen to her and Alex.
&
nbsp; But then, she had never been able to accept the probability that he hadn’t ever cared for her in quite the same way she had cared for him.
The first time Devlin had brought Alex home to San Antonio she had been only sixteen, a late-in-life second child, twelve years younger than her brother, shy and somewhat sheltered. Alex had been twenty-two, a cool and aloof second lieutenant recently graduated from West Point, a loner without any family according to her brother, who had been his commanding officer.
He had obviously felt out of place in the laid-back atmosphere of the Gray household. But once he’d learned to relax a little, Alex had treated her much as Devlin did, with the teasing fondness of an elder brother. She had wanted so much more from him, yet she had schooled herself to be patient. Because she had believed that one day he would see her as a woman and claim her as his own.
He had come home with Devlin several times over the next five years, and with each subsequent visit, he had spent more and more time with her. And then, when he’d visited just after her parents had died, one after the other within a few weeks, Kari had sensed a definite change in their relationship.
Alex had stayed a week, then two, helping her deal with her grief. Devlin, now married with a young daughter of his own and assigned to the American embassy in El Norte, hadn’t been able to be there for her. But Alex had stepped in and filled the void, not so much as a brother but as a very dear friend.
He had helped her sort through her parents’ belongings and get the old house ready to put up for sale. And when he had found her crying alone in the dark, he had held her and kissed away her tears.
Though he had done nothing but kiss her that night, Kari had begun to believe he loved her as much as she loved him. And when he put off leaving for another week, she had been sure that their time had finally come.
Over the next few days, she had told him about her dream of raising horses and children on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country. When he’d agreed that would be a wonderful life, a life he wouldn’t mind living himself, she had assumed he meant with her, and she had been elated.
Throwing caution to the wind, she had gone to him with her heart on her sleeve that last night. Lying down beside him, she had offered him all she had to give, and after some moments’ hesitation, he had responded as she’d always hoped he would. But in the midst of making slow, sweet love to her, he’d suddenly rolled away, gathered his clothes and fled as if he had the hounds of hell at his heels.
To say she had been devastated would be putting it lightly. For days she’d agonized over what she’d said or done to chase him away. Then anger at herself as well as him had taken hold of her. Gradually she began to realize she’d done nothing to warrant such crass treatment. Nothing but love him with all her heart, then make the mistake of letting him know it.
Her fury at his unconscionable behavior had enabled her to shake off the vestiges of the painful humiliation he’d caused her, and she’d finally pulled herself together. She had gone back to work at the small stable where she kept the books and gave riding lessons. And she had ridden for every owner who offered her the opportunity, winning at show after show, attracting the attention of Brandon Selby, who had eventually invited her to join his staff.
Deeply flattered, she had accepted, only to realize all too soon that she’d made a big mistake, one that left her convinced she had no savvy at all where men were concerned.
But at least with Alex only her ego had been hurt. Unless she was very careful, her relationship with Brandon Selby might end up costing her life. If he was doing what she was almost certain he was doing, and realized she was onto him, he wouldn’t have any qualms about getting rid of her permanently. And the longer she stayed at Selby Stables, the greater that possibility became.
Yet she couldn’t just walk away. Not until she had enough evidence to put the bastard behind bars.
Unfortunately, Brandon Selby was among the most highly regarded trainers in the equestrian world. He was also a celebrated member of San Antonio society. Without some verification that her suspicions were valid, who would give credence to her claim that he was killing million-dollar show horses for the insurance money? Certainly no one in the business, and more than likely, no one involved in local law enforcement, either. Why, she hadn’t even considered the possibility herself until Moonwalker was put down.
Turning away from the window, Kari crossed to the bed, sat down amid the rumpled sheets and stared into the waning darkness.
She dreaded going back to San Antonio. Dreaded it deeply. But she couldn’t see that she had any other choice if she hoped to catch Selby in the act.
Yet how could she go on as if nothing had changed between them? And how long could she dither over his marriage proposal before he demanded an answer? In order to stay on at the stable she’d have to say yes, and then she’d have no good reason to keep him at bay.
At the mere thought of having to submit to him sexually, she shuddered.
Looking back, she had no idea what she had seen in the man. She had never loved him. Not in the same way she had loved Alex. But for a time she had thought that with their shared interest in training horses they could have a future together. Until she began to see the cruel side of him he usually managed to hide so well, and realized he wasn’t half the man she had wanted him to be.
Recalling how she had made excuses for him, telling herself he was just slightly eccentric or perhaps a tad temperamental, Kari shook her head in disgust. She had enabled him to go on fooling others even as she’d allowed herself to be fooled. Now she found herself between a rock and a hard place. And she was there all alone.
She had come close to telling Devlin and Laura about her predicament. But seeing them together with Timmy and the baby, she hadn’t had the heart to involve them.
And she had learned to fend for herself long ago. With Devlin out of the country until recently, she hadn’t much choice.
Leaning back against the headboard, she shoved her hand through her short, dark hair, suddenly aware how desperately weary she was. Her head ached, her eyes felt hot and gritty and she was starting to feel rather sorry for herself.
She had hoped that in the relative safety of her brother’s house she would find a little peace. She hadn’t expected Alex to be there, too, stirring up old memories that taunted her mercilessly through the night.
Well, he was gone now. Hopefully, gone for good. And she still had a few hours to go before she’d be expected to put in an appearance at breakfast.
Sliding under the bedcovers, she turned and pressed her face into her pillow, closed her eyes and willed herself to think soothing thoughts. But all she saw in her mind’s eye was Alex, still and silent, watching her with his bright-blue eyes as she had caught him doing off and on all weekend, his expression one of utter disinterest.
“Damn you, Alexander Payton,” she said with a sigh. “Damn you for still being able to hurt me.”
Chapter 2
Following the crowd of newly arrived passengers shuffling through the main corridor of the San Antonio airport on their way to baggage claim, Kari shifted the strap of her garment bag from one shoulder to the other. She’d wanted to carry on her overnight bag, as well, but Devlin had insisted on checking it, saying he hated seeing her so weighed down. She had been too tired to argue with him then. Now, thinking of the added wait she was going to have, she wished she had.
All she really wanted at the moment was to find her car in the parking lot, drive home and go straight to bed. She had dozed a bit before dawn and a bit more on the plane, but that had barely taken the edge off her exhaustion. What she needed was about twelve or fifteen hours of deep, dreamless sleep. Then she might feel like a human being again instead of a muzzy-minded robot running on automatic pilot.
Unfortunately, with the wait for her bag and the drive to her little cottage on the stable grounds, she’d be lucky to make it home by ten. And Brandon would expect her to be ready for her first training session at seven o’clock in the
morning.
Just the thought of having to face him again made her want to weep. But she couldn’t afford to waste her energy on such self-indulgence.
Recognizing several people from her flight among those clustered around one of the baggage carousels off to the left, Kari moved to join them. As she tried to wedge herself between a harried woman with two small children and an elderly man, she gazed at the revolving, yet still-empty conveyor belt, willing her bag to appear.
Within moments, a huge suitcase tumbled out of the opening, followed closely by several smaller bags. Around her, other passengers crowded closer, angling for a better position. Someone jostled her elbow and she drew her arms against her sides, annoyed. She wanted out of there as much as anybody else, but pushing and shoving wouldn’t—
From behind, someone bumped into her hard. At the same instant, she felt a sting in her left hip. As if someone had jabbed her with a needle. Angry now, she whirled around, prepared to give the person a piece of her mind. But as she lifted her chin and eyed the stranger hovering less than two feet from her, she bit back her words.
Talk about a real weirdo. Dressed in black jeans and a black T-shirt, he had a black baseball cap pulled low on his forehead. Long, greasy black hair hung straight to his shoulders, a scraggly black beard covered his cheeks and chin, and thick-lensed, black-framed glasses obscured his eyes.
He looked back at her leeringly, as if given half a chance he’d gladly eat her alive, then muttered an apology, his speech slurred.
Probably drunk, she thought as she acknowledged his words with a nod. Still, a shiver of fear slid down her spine as she turned away.
She couldn’t remember seeing him on the plane, but that didn’t mean anything. She didn’t remember seeing half the people standing around her. Yet there was something vaguely familiar about him.
She was fairly sure she’d never met him. His face wasn’t one she would have easily forgotten. Maybe he worked at one of the other stables in the area. Or maybe she’d seen him at a distance at one of the horse shows. Maybe with Brandon—
The Lady And Alex Payton Page 2