Deceived

by Julie Anne Lindsey

  I shivered. My fingers wrapped around the mug for warmth as the cold air settled around us. “Dad called last night. He’s calling for me today.”

  “When?” Nicholas’s mom spoke nearby. Mrs. Austin smiled in the hallway off the kitchen. “Sara and I are going shopping. We hoped you’d come along.”

  I shook my head. “I think I should stay here.” Dad had given up everything trying to keep me safe. I needed to get back to him in one piece, no matter how good gourmet coffee and a hot pretzel from the food court sounded.

  “You can spend the day with me.” Nicholas sat beside me with a bottle of water.

  Awkwardness settled on my shoulders. I pressed the mug against my lips.

  I dressed in jeans and a hoodie after breakfast, but Nicholas zipped his parka over me too, insisting that the wind off the bay was ruthless. Sun shone over the water behind the Austin home, twinkling on the surface and blinding me temporarily.

  “I love the water,” he said. “I grew up tubing on this water. Jet Skis, kayaks, you name it. I love it.”

  “I grew up loving our cabin in the woods. I’m more of a tree climber, four-wheeler girl.”

  Nicholas took my hand in his, warming me from head to toe. We walked along the water and onto a short private dock. He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. Quick and gentle. No big deal, like he did it all the time. Then he dropped it and handed me a rock.

  I scrunched my nose. “Thanks?” A giggle slipped out. Weird guy.

  “Okay, Outdoor Barbie, can you do this?”

  I lifted an eyebrow. No one had ever called me a Barbie before.

  Nicholas made a big show of winding his arm back and rocking on his heel like a professional baseball pitcher, then came forward in slow motion, whipping his wrist at the last moment and tossing his rock against the water. It skipped and spun several times before disappearing. I clapped and whistled through my teeth and two fingers.

  “You want to see that again?” He tossed another smooth, flat stone in the air before us. A stack of stones sat at our feet on the wide wooden planks.

  While he wound up, I lifted a rock from the pile.

  “What? No cheering this time? One cheer is all I get?” He popped one hip in a what-gives pose.

  “Can I try?”

  He smirked and bent down to choose a rock.

  “Oh, no I’m ready.” I held my rock between my fingers.

  Nicholas gave me an underhand wave and I let it loose. My rock glided over the water like it had an engine, touching and jumping endlessly until it disappeared in the distance. Unable to hide the smug look on my face, I looked at my feet, enjoying the burn of my cheeks.

  A round of applause broke out from the lawn behind us. His brothers and their friends clapped, some with footballs tucked under their arms.

  The youngest wrapped fingers around his lips and yelled, “She schooled you, son.”

  That was it. I laughed. My world went topsy-turvy as Nicholas tossed me over one shoulder and took off toward his house. The crowd of boys came running after us. I laughed until my sides ached from lack of oxygen and sheer joy.

  “Nicholas?” Our run stopped short when his mother opened the rear deck door. “Elle’s phone’s ringing.”

  Nicholas set me on the tile inside the back door. I jumped and stumbled over my feet getting to my bag and pulled half the contents out with the phone.

  “Dad! Is that you? Oh my goodness, I’ve been so freaked out.” I didn’t care that all of the Austins probably listened. I also didn’t care about the lies or any of it. Dad was safe and that was all I needed to know. As long as he was safe, I had hope for a different future with him. We could make sure the Reaper never tore another family apart.

  Having all the lies stripped away made it so much easier for me to really know my dad. For once, we were in cahoots instead of avoiding one another. Dad had kept his distance in the past. He didn’t need to anymore. We’d reached a turning point.

  “Elle, can I come and get you? I can be there in a few hours. We have a lot to talk about.”

  I shook my head and struggled for a full breath. “No, don’t, Dad. I’m doing fine here.” He sounded so eager to be with me. My heart warmed. “I’d like to see our new house. Maybe I can come to Texas for Thanksgiving?”

  “It’s not safe to travel. You need to take this more seriously. Let me come to you.”

  “I am.” I bit into the thick of my lips. Maybe he didn’t get the whole story. I was taking it very seriously. “I’ll bring my Marshal with me.”

  I heard a few coughs from the next room, and I smiled.

  After a few minutes of begging, he agreed. Then he requested to speak with Nicholas.

  “Your turn,” I whispered to Nicholas, extending the phone in his direction.

  His family backed away.

  Nicholas smiled a charming smile and took the call on the front porch.

  I paced around the kitchen island for an eternity. When the latch on the door sounded, I jumped. “What’d he say?”

  “He’ll see us for Thanksgiving.”

  I nodded and pushed the thought from my mind before heading to take a shower. I did a double take when I opened the bedroom door. The room looked different. White eyelet lace had replaced the blue comforter. There were several outfits strewn across the bed. I looked around for evidence that another Austin might be staying there.

  “We went shopping.” His mom’s voice startled me. She stood in the doorway smiling. “We got you a few new things. Olivia joined us at the mall. The girls had fun picking it all out. The bedspread is one of mine. It’s been in my family for years. I thought it suited you better than that old blue thing.”

  “The clothes are … ”

  “Gifts. We wanted to do something nice. You don’t like them? They’re probably all the wrong size, but you’re so small, we went with those. Will they work?”

  “No. I mean yes. I love them. Thank you. I … I don’t have anything for you, and you’ve done so much already.” I sat on the bed feeling small like she said but not in the way she meant.

  “You’ve done more than you know.” Her voice was soft before she closed the door, leaving me to my shower.

  I lived the next few days in a fairy tale, my fairy tale. I blended with Nicholas’s family. His dad was just like mine. His mother was more than I could’ve hoped for, and all the siblings made chaos enjoyable. The boys attended high school like me, and they had a continuous parade of friends coming through the house. They were all welcomed, all known by name, and they all called Nicholas’s parents Mom and Dad.

  I hated to leave them, but I missed my dad.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Nicholas and I packed our bags and headed to Dallas. If I thought about it too long, terror seized my chest. I’d promised to bring my Marshal for protection. I hadn’t told Dad I’d fallen in love with him. Nicholas’s dad, Daniel, warned us. If we had any personal stories to tell, they’d have to be told by us. In other words, he wasn’t getting involved. That shot of awkward was on us. Telling Dad how I felt about Nicholas would be more difficult than telling him about being attacked.

  I waited for my luggage at the carrousel, bouncing in place a mile a minute. Nicholas stayed close to capture each bag as it came riding by. Once he had them all, he reached out and pulled me to him.

  “Hey, it’s going to be fine. I promise. We’re going to have a great Thanksgiving. You’re surrounded by security. There will be one military-trained professional with you at all times. You have nothing to fear.” He leaned in close enough to kiss me, and my heart fluttered. He pressed his forehead to mine instead. It was hard to be upset with Nicholas so close.

  I never knew how to take his gentleness. Sometimes it felt like he was coddling a child. Before he straightened, he pushed the hair from my shoulders and planted a feathery kiss below my right ear. My temperature rose ten degrees. The moment was brief but intimate. Hope rose through my chest. I took his hand, and we turned together to meet
Dad outside of the terminal.

  Before I’d taken my first step I saw him. He must’ve used his badge to get past security because he stood, frozen, not twenty feet from us, staring. I had no defense for what came next. The look on his purple face told me the exchange between Nicholas and me hadn’t gone unseen. Incapable of bravado, I shut my eyes to hide. It never worked. Nicholas dragged me toward him.

  “Mr. Smith, it’s nice to see you again, sir.” Nicholas stretched his arm out to shake my father’s hand. “It’s an honor to be here and to work the Reaper case with you. We’ve made some real headway these past few months. I’d love to talk to you about it.”

  My father stared at me, waiting. I smiled, hoping I looked innocent.

  Dad ran a hand through his graying hair. “Nicholas.” He shook his hand and the pain in my chest eased slightly. “Gabby.” He pulled me to his chest and held me tight. Dad rested his cheek on my head and made no effort to release me. “I missed you, baby girl,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. He stroked my hair against my back.

  “I missed you too, Dad.”

  “I’ve been worried sick. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m in good hands.” I smiled at the memories I’d collected in Maryland.

  Dad straightened, took one of my hands, and pulled me away from the baggage claim.

  Nicholas kept pace, pulling our things along with him.

  I couldn’t form a complete sentence the whole way to our new house.

  That didn’t stop Nicholas. “Being assigned to Elle has changed my life, Agent Smith,” Nicholas said in the car.

  My mouth popped open, and Dad glared at him in the rearview mirror.

  Nicholas had thick skin. He just kept going. He told Dad all about his family and what they’d been up to for the past few years. Some of it seemed to entertain Dad, but mostly, it all led back to the glaring.

  Once Dad started speaking, he and Nicholas had a long discussion regarding the details of my attack and what had gone on since then. They communicated in that same odd code Nicholas had used on the phone at the cottage. This time, I was more familiar with the lingo and acronyms. Mr. Austin had given Dad the framework. Now Nicholas filled in the details.

  We pulled into the driveway of a large one-story home. An inviting front porch adorned an otherwise standard red-brick construction. My new home looked abandoned. I followed Dad to the door. Nicholas carried in the bags behind me. The heat was unreal, and I’d run out of layers to remove. I needed another shower.

  Inside the front door, the entranceway led into the family room. The dining area and kitchen flowed together. Bedrooms were nestled on the other side of the house. Boxes lined the walls in every direction. None of them had any labels in Sharpie like I told him. Some had been torn open and stuffed shut again. I sighed. Welcome to my new home.

  “Dad, how long have you been here?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Honestly, most of these boxes have spent more time here than I have. I’ve been on a plane headed to Dallas from Indiana, then back to Illinois, then back to Dallas, oh, and I stopped for a day in Branson. It’s been a runaround.” He looked defeated.

  “I’ll help. You guys talk, and I’ll see what I can do.”

  They left together for Dad’s home office. I opened the boxes one at a time. I moved them to the appropriate rooms and unpacked them. Three hours later the men emerged. I’d ordered delivery. The aroma must’ve been enough to break their concentration.

  “Holy smokes, Elle! How long were we in there?” Nicholas looked at the door to the office and back to me. I’d managed to clear the family room and dining area, as well as put out some décor. It wasn’t my first rodeo. The boxes were flattened and tied for recycling. Overall, the house looked more like a home and less like a makeshift distribution center.

  I didn’t miss the contrast between Nicholas’s easy disposition and Dad’s stiff posture. I shoved my hands into my pockets and looked back at Nicholas.

  “Enjoy the takeout tonight, because tomorrow I cook.” I considered them warned.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Dad, I have a list of foods, and I need to get to the grocery store,” I announced as soon as Nicholas walked into the kitchen.

  He let us out of his sight after a staring contest with Nicholas. He imposed a time limit and gave us a specific store to shop at not five miles away. We were to shop and return, nothing more. Dad had never been so protective. I wondered if it was the killer or the Marshal who had him worried.

  “I’m so sorry he’s freaking out,” I said in the car. “I told you this was a bad idea. I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Don’t be.”

  “Right. Easy for you to say. Your parents welcomed me, no questions.”

  “You’re comparing apples to circus people. I expected much worse than this. It’s been only the two of you for years. He’s right to be protective. What would he have without you?”

  I snuck a peek at him and smiled.

  “My family’s so big, what’s one more? Besides, you should’ve seen Dad when Olivia first brought Allen home. It wasn’t much better.”

  “Yeah?” I didn’t care if it was true. I enjoyed the comparison. He must not have thought of me as a pound puppy. Perhaps, if things were much different, I’d be a love interest.

  “Yeah.” He squeezed my hand for reassurance. “It’s not the same for girls. You’re more vulnerable.” He hitched an eyebrow and braced himself for the hit he deserved. Totally sexist remark, yes, but true anyway. I wasn’t as strong as Nicholas, and I hoped the Reaper wasn’t either.

  We made it to the store in ten minutes. I could’ve run it if there wouldn’t have been so many bags to bring back. I hadn’t been able to run in two weeks. My hands shook, but not like before. Despite everything, I slept better, and in my dream, I fought back. There was comfort in not playing the sitting-duck role. I missed running, though, and I wondered what it would be like to run in the Texas heat. Running in the midwestern summer didn’t compare. The heat in Texas was different. Even in November the air was stifling, unless that was symptomatic of my state of mind.

  Icy air belted us in the face as we walked through the automatic sliding doors of the store. I headed to the butcher for the main dish first. Nicholas’s phone rang before I had time to choose a small turkey for three. He stepped away to answer the call, leaving me to select a bird. It wasn’t easy. Most of them were frozen, but considering we planned to eat ours in a few hours, I had to go with fresh. The choices were daunting. A lady in a white smock tried to help me from behind a four-foot counter. I looked to Nicholas for help, but the expression on his face was blank, fathomless, as he listened. The Marine. A zing jumped through my heart at what the face might mean. I pointed at a random turkey, and the counter lady wrapped it.

  I picked up the pace and headed to the checkout. Something had happened. I knew Nicholas couldn’t talk to me about it in public. I couldn’t get to the car fast enough. One hundred and twenty-two dollars later, we headed home. Nicholas hadn’t spoken since the phone rang. We loaded the car in silence, too. The minute I shut my car door, I exploded, “Who was on the phone?”

  “That was the team.”

  Nicholas and I spoke at the same time. He smiled at me, and my concentration failed for a minute.

  “Go,” I said, pointing at him. I needed to know what he knew.

  “They have a hit on the cigarette.” He smiled. I knew he thought I should be thanked for the lead. I couldn’t tell them anything other than that he smoked. Who knew that would be useful?

  “Okay.”

  “It’s not a match for any member of the student body, teaching staff, groundskeepers, alumni, or the guest speakers from the festival. It’s an anomaly. They were unable to make any viable connection between it and anyone who actually belonged at Francine Frances. The butt matched those they found on the ground outside your apartment building. Your tip about the mat was pure gold. The team had to sift through the bushes, but th
ey got what they needed.”

  My heart pounded and flipped in my chest. I was about to hear what I’d been waiting for.

  “Elle, we’ve got him. His name is Miles Thomas Wade.”

  The name rolled around in my mind, trying to sound lethal. It was disappointing on some level. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected. It’s not like his parents named him “homicidal maniac.” I knew he’d have a name just like everyone else, but it didn’t fit. Miles Thomas Wade sounded like a spoiled rich kid, or a character in a made-for-TV movie.

  “You said groundskeepers?”

  “They checked anyone who might’ve been on campus for a good reason.”

  “There was a guy. He wore tan overalls and approached me at the wall.” Images of the stranger came vividly to mind. “I saw him when I was decorating for the festival, too.” Could he have taken me then? I was so stupid to be alone.

  “Mack Harris. He’s fine. A little pervy, according to staff, but harmless. No record. I saw him talk to you and checked him out.”

  “You saw that?”

  “I see everything.” The serious set of his brow worried me. Emotion flashed over his face and was buried before I could name it. “I didn’t know he was decorating.”

  “He was helping clean up the mess we were making. There were a few groundskeepers there that night.”

  Nicholas drove back to the house at warp speed. I barely saw him or my dad for the rest of the afternoon. When dinner was almost ready, I snuck up on them. I had a few minutes of downtime while the turkey sat, before the rolls needed to go in the oven, so I peeked in on them.

  I wasn’t surprised to see my dad’s office fully set up. He was on the phone and online at the same time. Nicholas watched over Dad’s shoulder as he worked. The files lying everywhere looked a lot different to me through enlightened eyes. The whole room looked more like the Batcave than an old guy’s office. Knowing what I knew, it was hard to imagine how I hadn’t seen it for what it was sooner.

  He hung up and glared at Nicholas. “We’re all set on my end.”