by Laura Gordon
* * *
WHEN TESS OPENED the door she thought at first that she’d walked into the wrong hotel room. The wanton destruction that greeted her took her breath away.
Furniture had been overturned, the mattresses had been dragged from the beds and sliced open. The table lamps lay in jagged pieces on the floor and the pictures had been ripped from the walls.
As she backed out of the room slowly, her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes burned with the combination of the horrors she’d already experienced tonight and the violent destruction before her.
Her first instinct was to call hotel security, but she didn’t make a move toward the lobby. Instead, she walked cautiously back into the room and closed the door behind her.
A glance at the open closet revealed that most of her clothes were gone. Gone, too, were Selena’s clothes and her luggage. Reed’s duffel bag and a few odd pieces of her own clothes remained, but Selena’s things had all been stolen.
All that was left behind was the senseless, blatant destruction that caused hot anger to sizzle inside her. Even though her anger was numbing, Tess remained clearheaded enough to realize that hotel security or even the local police were no match for the individuals who had wreaked this havoc.
Besides, even if she trusted the island police to handle a case as dangerous and complex as Selena’s kidnapping, how could she begin to answer all the questions they’d ask? Why hadn’t she called them sooner? What about the journal and the theft of her purse and the explosion tonight in Georgetown? The thought of the Pandora’s box she’d be opening made her dizzy.
Quickly packing her few remaining belongings into a small carryon that had been left behind, she reminded herself that the most important thing now was Selena’s safety. In the lobby a few moments ago, Reed had hinted that he had a plan, a plan to act instead of merely reacting to the deadly situation into which they’d been unwillingly thrust. The ball was in their court, he’d said.
“All right, McKenna,” she whispered. “Work your magic.” He’d asked her to cooperate with him, to believe in him and, as she stood in the middle of the pillaged hotel room, it shocked her to realize that she’d handed control of the situation over to Reed from the beginning. Now that she’d made such a commitment, she was in much too deep to consider backing out.
“You’re getting that second chance, Reed,” she said with conviction.
And for Selena’s sake, Tess could only pray he wouldn’t let her down the way he had the last time she’d been fool enough to trust him.
Chapter Eleven
He saw her looking for him in the lobby and hurried over to meet her. Her face was pale and in her eyes he saw trouble. “What’s happened, Tessa? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Are you ready to go?” she asked him, her demeanor strangely calm.
He took the duffel bag she passed him. In his other hand he held a bag of sandwiches and fruit he’d ordered to take back up to the room. “Yeah, I guess so. Where are the rest of your bags?”
“They’re gone,” she said, her voice level but low as she looped her arm through his and guided him out of the lobby onto the circular drive in front of the hotel. “Ask the valet to bring the Jeep around, McKenna. And don’t ask me any questions, okay?”
He responded to her strange behavior by doing as she’d asked, following her lead and smiling at the attendant when he brought the Jeep around and ushered them into it.
When they were both inside with the doors closed, Tess turned to him and said, “Now, get us out of here, McKenna, before we get stuck with a hotel bill neither one of us can afford to pay.”
* * *
A FEW MINUTES LATER on the highway outside Bodden Town, Tess finished telling Reed about the ransacked hotel room.
“It was a nightmare,” she said, “like someone had gone through the room with a machete.”
“I think that proves that it was a common thief who stole your purse out of the restaurant, don’t you?”
Tess nodded. “Until this minute, I hadn’t taken the time to put it together, but now I realize whoever trashed my hotel room was searching for Selena’s journal.”
“I only hope their search convinced them you still have it.”
Tess nodded again, but said nothing.
“Grab the flashlight out of the glove compartment and check that map again, will you? I don’t want to miss the turnoff.”
According to the information he’d gleaned at the hotel, there were small beach houses scattered along an isolated strip of beach just a few miles outside Bodden Town. Although it had cost him a hundred dollars for the clerk and a promise of two hundred to a cousin in Bodden Town, Reed had arranged to rent one of the small, private cottages for the night.
A sidelong glance at Tess, at the uncharacteristic downturn of her pretty mouth, of the dark circles beneath her eyes and he was glad he’d been able to make the arrangements for a place to stay. She looked exhausted, and he was feeling the strain as well.
“Not much farther,” Tess replied as she studied the crude map the hotel clerk had drawn. “Judging by those lights up ahead we should be pulling into the village in just a few minutes.”
“Do you know the locals claim pirates stashed their treasure in Bodden Town?” Reed said, trying to lighten the heavy mood that had permeated the atmosphere inside the Jeep ever since Tess had told him about the break-in and vandalism of her hotel room.
Tess sighed. “Right now I’d trade all of Blackbeard’s gold just to know that Selena was all right.”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it. She rewarded him with a tired smile that sent a rush of warmth straight to his heart.
“According to this map, when we reach Bodden Town we’re to bear to the right, toward the beach. The cutoff is supposed to be about four miles from the edge of town.”
As they entered the small village, Tess felt apprehension closing like a vice around her heart. Her imagination had given her a frightening picture of the man with the silver eyes that Davey had described for Reed. That the man was in some way responsible for the explosion at Davey’s bar, frightened Tess beyond any fear she’d ever experienced. Yet, here she was in Bodden Town for the precise purpose of finding this dangerous messenger.
“The clerk at West Palm told me his cousin’s house was at the north end of town,” Reed said, dragging Tess out of her morbid introspection. “See if you can make out any of these street signs.”
In a few minutes, they found the residence where they were to pick up the key to the bungalow. When they pulled into the rutted drive, a dog the size of a small horse stood in the pool of light coming from a bare bulb beside the door and almost immediately lights came on inside the small, dilapidated house.
“Our innkeeper awaits,” Reed said. “Stay here, I’ll go get the key.”
When the huge dog began edging toward the Jeep, growling and barking louder, Tess actually laughed. “That’s the first order in two days that I don’t mind obeying, McKenna.”
His wry smile caused a spark of intimacy to flash between them, a spark that warmed Tess, even as it unsettled her. Two days, her mind whispered. How could she have allowed him to get so close to her heart so quickly when she’d spent eight long years resenting his memory and associating him with her deepest heartaches, when everything she knew of him told her he would hurt her again? When she knew full well that her next heartache would come when he walked out of her life again. And this time he would be walking out for good.
But why should she even care, her common sense begged to know. Surely the chemistry simmering between them was merely the result of their having been forced together under the most bizarre and stressful circumstances, of being thrown together in a situation where they could trust no one but each other. The intimacy came from fighting to achieve a common goal, the struggle to survive and ultimately to save Selena.
Surely these feelings were transitory, emotions erupting out of turmoil that had no effect on the future and coul
dn’t change the past—a past Tess couldn’t pretend never happened. Even if she’d wanted to, her memories of Meredith wouldn’t let her forget.
If there was some way for Tess to forgive and forget how Reed had deserted her, she might be fool enough to try it. But how could she forgive him for deserting Meredith? It was a question without an answer, a question Tess was still asking herself ten minutes later when they were back on the road, headed for the bungalow Reed said the leasing agent had described as “quaint.”
As they bumped along the ragged road in the darkness, Tess felt every jolt as if her spine were made of glass. Her muscles felt as though they’d been pummeled and the lack of sleep and food had conspired to give her a whopping headache.
“Better slow down,” she warned as the road curved sharply to the left. “We don’t want to miss the turn.”
Reed eased off the accelerator and leaned forward over the wheel, studying the area intently. “I think that’s it. Up ahead on the right. It looks like a marker of some kind.”
The dilapidated wooden sign had been almost obliterated by the elements, but the words had been burned deeply into the wood and with the headlights shining on them, they were amazingly legible.
“Cave Cove,” Tess muttered, “one mile. Jack’s Bay, two miles.”
“According to the leasing agent, the hills around Bodden Town are dotted with caves.”
Right now, with mental and physical exhaustion pressing down on her, Tess would have settled for a cave if it had provided a safe place to rest. “How much farther?” she asked.
“We’re supposed to follow the road—or what there is of it—until it dead-ends.” Reed’s voice echoed his own weariness and Tess felt suddenly overwhelmed by despair.
“God, this is just all so unreal!” she breathed, slumping back against the seat and bringing her hands up to cover her face. “Here we are, running around in the middle of the night, looking for a place to stay. And in the morning—if we somehow manage to survive the night—God only knows what we’ll have to face.” She pressed her palms into her tired eyes and released a sigh laden with frustration. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
Reed put his arm across the back of the seat and kneaded the burning muscles knotted at the back of her neck. Though she fought against the feeling, the warmth of his touch soothed her.
“Listen, Tessa,” he began, “things may not be as bleak as they seem. Whether you realize it or not, we do have a couple of advantages.”
She twisted around to face him. “Really? I can’t imagine what they could be, but please...if we have any edge at all, I’d love to hear what it is. Right now, I’d welcome any good news you’d care to share.”
“Well, for one thing, Bodden Town isn’t large. In fact, it’s not a town at all, but a small village. A man as physically distinctive as the one we’re looking for shouldn’t be that hard to track down. I hope to cover a lot of ground tomorrow, ask a lot of questions. With luck we’ll find him. But even if we don’t, it shouldn’t take long for word to get out that we’re looking for him. Perhaps he’ll come to us.”
She groaned and fell back against the seat. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“It should. Right now, the silver-eyed man who contacted Davey is our only link to Selena. It could be that he’s not one of the abductors. Actually, I doubt he is. The kidnappers are smart, too smart to let themselves be identified the way this guy was identified by Davey. Chances are our messenger is a local, the kind who’ll do anything for money, a courier who was unwittingly used by Morrell’s men. If he can be bribed, our search could be over sooner than you think.”
Finding the messenger still seemed a mixed blessing to Tess. “I can’t help hoping we find him before he finds us.” The dangerous scenarios that came to mind every time she tried to envision a confrontation between Reed and the silver-eyed man who had become a monster in her imagination made Tess’s blood run cold.
Edward Morrell was an infamous crime boss; the ruthless tactics employed by his underlings were straight out of every detective novel Tess had ever read.
“Hang on,” Reed said as he made a sharp turn and edged the Jeep onto a steep strip of rutted pavement where, after only a few hundred feet, the road had been brought to an abrupt end by a wooden barricade.
After pulling the vehicle into the protection of a cluster of gigantic royal palms, Reed turned off the ignition and reached around to grab his duffel bag, Tess’s small bag and the sack of food he’d placed in the back seat.
“Bring the flashlight,” he said. “And pull on that door when you get out to be sure it’s locked. I don’t like the idea of leaving the Jeep here, but the leasing agent informed me that no four-wheel vehicles were allowed on the beach beyond the barricade.”
“Where’s your Harley when you need it?” she quipped wearily.
* * *
THE STRIP of isolated beach seemed to stretch on forever in both directions. Except for the pale glimmer of silver moonlight skimming the water, nothing else moved. Tess knew that under different circumstances she might have found the peace and quiet welcome, but tonight the isolated beach seemed ominous. Even the surf seemed strangely muted, whispering as it fanned out across the sand before slipping back into the sea.
After the night of chaos, the tranquillity seemed eerie and, although she guessed the temperature was still hovering around seventy, Tess was glad Reed had suggested she bring her jacket.
They’d walked for less than a mile when the flashlight beam revealed the small, wooden bungalow with a sagging thatched roof. Even in the darkness, with only the thin beam of light from the flashlight, Tess could see that the word “quaint” had been used generously in describing the tiny cabin with the crooked screened-in porch.
But right now the little hut by the edge of the sea looked as welcoming as the home she’d grown up in.
Under different circumstances, Tess could see how this secluded spot would be the perfect honeymoon hideaway.
“Well, here we are,” Reed said as he pulled open a squeaking screen door and walked across the porch before shoving the key into the lock of the wooden door behind it.
Tess followed him into the darkness. Her hand automatically searched and found a light switch on the wall beside the door. When the lights didn’t come on, Reed explained. “According to our landlord, there’s a generator out back that runs on gasoline. Tomorrow I’ll see about getting it cranked up. There’s supposed to be a small wooden boat out back, as well. I doubt we’ll have time to explore any of the small coves along the shore, but it’s there if we need it.”
A match flared and in a moment the room was bathed in the soft light of an oil lamp. Reed switched off the flashlight and smiled. “Home sweet home.”
Tess stood in the middle of the small room and took in her surroundings. The little bungalow seemed surprisingly clean, at least from what she could see by the dim light. A wicker couch and chair, laden with colorful pillows, were offset by a small coffee table and a footlocker that doubled as an end table.
The kitchen was comprised of a small refrigerator and an apartment-size stove lodged on each side of a deep sink. The dining room consisted of a wooden table and four metal chairs arranged opposite the stove.
Reed set the bag of sandwiches down on the narrow kitchen counter and lit a tall, narrow candle protruding from a wine bottle in the middle of the table. Two large windows were situated on each side of the front door and sheer, gauzy curtains covered each one.
Just off the small living room through an archway, Tess could see a bedroom—the only bedroom, she realized with an unexpected flutter in her chest.
While Reed set out the sandwiches and uncapped two bottles of beer, Tess lit another oil lamp and took it with her into the small, clean bathroom that was situated just off the bedroom. The shower was surprisingly large, but there was no tub. She turned on the single faucet and the groaning pipes eventually gave up a gush of cold, clear water.
>
Clean towels and washrags were folded and stacked on a wicker hamper by the door, along with a bar of scented soap. Tess worked the bar into a generous lather and washed her face and hands and then rinsed again and again with handfuls of cool water. When she finally emerged from the bathroom she felt immeasurably better.
Reed had opened the windows and the gentle sea breeze lifted the curtains and filled the bungalow with fresh, cool air.
“Dinner is served,” he announced with a curt bow.
He’d spread their impromptu picnic of sandwiches and fruit on a colorful beach towel he’d draped over the coffee table. He’d found two more candles, lit them and placed them at each end of the table.
After he sat down on the small couch, he patted the cushion beside him. “Sit down, Tessa. You must be famished.”
He handed her an open bottle of beer before he picked up his own and took a long swallow.
Tess sat down stiffly, feeling suddenly and uncomfortably aware of the way the candlelight played across his face, casting shadows that only served to enhance the classic line of his face and accentuate his good looks. Unwrapping her sandwich, she tried to concentrate on eating while out of the corner of her eye she was acutely aware of his every movement.
They ate in silence, their glances occasionally meeting.
Tess hardly ever drank beer, but one sip made her realize how incredibly thirsty she was and also how little she’d had to eat or drink since yesterday. The roast beef was thinly sliced and perfectly seasoned, layered generously between crusty French bread, and before she knew it, Tess had become absorbed in satisfying her hunger.
When they reached for an apple at the same time and their fingers collided. Reed smiled. “Go ahead, I’ll eat the grapes.”
She nodded, unreasonably self-conscious. The room seemed too small with the combination of Reed McKenna’s sensual presence and Tess’s senses working overtime.
“You can shower first,” he said, “although as you’ve probably already found out the water won’t be warm. I should have that problem solved by tomorrow, however.”