Sean nodded.
“Mom?” Zoya’s voice squeaked. “Can Sean stay?”
Anesia raised her eyebrows and looked at her daughter. Words tripped over each other in her mind. Was her daughter afraid? “Sure, honey. If you would feel more comfortable.”
“I would.” She closed her eyes.
Anesia tore her gaze from her daughter and glanced at Sean. “The guest bedroom is down the hall, Sean. Do you mind staying?”
“Not at all. After all, I did offer.”
“Thank you. I still think I’ll stay in here to wake her each hour, but it’s comforting to know you’re here.”
Expressive green eyes held hers. This man was such a mystery. The silence stretched as she couldn’t look away.
“Well, I think I will turn in. But don’t hesitate to let me know if you need me.” Sean turned and headed down the hall.
Butterflies danced around in her stomach as she watched him walk away. Exhaustion must be making her delirious. Yeah, that was it.
Pure exhaustion.
* * *
RICK
January 29
Hotel North Pole
11:04 p.m.
Well, that didn’t go well.
He’d spent all evening chewing on what he said to Anesia, reflecting on what he could’ve done differently. Rick even sent a man to the hospital and found out Zoya was okay, but it didn’t ease his conscience.
Would he anger the spirits more if he didn’t fulfill the promise he’d made to Dan? The ancient tribal elder he’d gone to for advice had given him more doubts and superstition. But the answers weren’t easy to come by. The fear in his gut grew. As a young boy, he’d thrown off the teaching of his father in a fit of rebellion. Didn’t think it mattered. And then odd things kept happening. Bad things. That Dan received warnings for.
Then Dan died.
It all had to be true. That meant the fault lay at his feet.
The ringing of his phone made him jump. He glanced at the caller ID. Great. Just what he needed.
“Yeah?”
“It’s time to get rid of the girl.”
Not now. Please. “What are you talking about? I thought we agreed—”
“Kon’, shut up. She’s the only one who can help the FBI discover my identity. And that’s not gonna happen. She’s the only one who saw my men. We’ve worked too long and too hard to let some little brat ruin everything by opening her mouth. I’ve got a plan in motion for tomorrow. Your job is to make sure it gets done.”
“But—she doesn’t know anything, she just witnessed the shooting. It will only draw more attention—”
“I don’t care! I don’t know what your problem is, but you work for me. I’ve dealt with enough imbeciles. Do your job.”
Rick couldn’t catch his breath. The pain in his chest intensified. He knew the implication. The boss had gotten rid of everyone but the shooter. And he’d only let him live because he needed him. At least for a little while.
“Understood?”
“Sir.” The one word was all he could get out.
Click.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
ANESIA
January 30
4:00 a.m.
The BlackBerry beeped and vibrated. Anesia opened her eyes and reset the alarm for the next hour. Four a.m. wasn’t pretty on any day as far as she was concerned, but especially not today. Muscles ached all over her body as she stood and stretched. Shuffling over to Zoya, she ran a few fingers through her hair. What a sight she must be.
“Zoya, honey, wake up and talk to me.”
“Ugh.” The word wasn’t much more than a moan. More groaning followed.
She poked her daughter.
“I’m awake, I’m awake.” Zoya glanced at the clock. “It’s four in the morning, and you’re standing over me. Your hair’s a mess, and I’m coherent. See?”
Anesia laughed. So far so good. Zoya seemed fine. She talked more in the middle of the night than before.
“Can I go back to sleep now?”
“Yes.” She bent to kiss her daughter on the top of her head.
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too.”
Covers shifted and moved, a fist hit the pillow, fluffed it, and Zoya shifted into a position only a teenager could find comfortable.
Darkness surrounded her, but the nightlight from the hallway illuminated half of her daughter’s face. What a precious gift this child would always be.
Anesia had endured ridicule and gossip for so many years. All those “good” Christians who looked down their noses at her for the sin she committed. She’d known right from wrong. But she’d loved Dan so very much. They’d planned to marry after the baby was born, but Dan died in the middle of her pregnancy. Shame surrounded her like a cloak as grief choked her almost to the point of death.
But then Jenna wrapped her arms around her in love. She defended Anesia. Gave the gossiping old biddies what-for when they started their destructive missions time and again. And Jenna showed Anesia God’s love through it all.
Yes, God did a wonderful thing through her mistakes. She shook her head. Anesia would never think of her daughter as a mistake. Zoya blessed her every day. That blessing was from God. Her mind hummed the tune to the doxology. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow . . . That’s right. He took her shattered and disappointing life and molded it into something beautiful. It took Dan’s death to get her attention. And it made her stronger.
A verse from James stuck out in her mind, Every good and perfect gift is from above . . .
She looked at her daughter again. Yes, God had given her so much.
God who loved her more than anyone ever had. God who forgave her and accepted her and gave her a fresh start each morning. God who turned her sorrow into joy.
The God of heaven and earth.
Feet shuffled down the hall. Anesia gasped—then remembered.
Sean.
He appeared in the dim light, blond hair all spiked around his head. “Anesia, are you doing okay? Need anything?” His words a hushed whisper.
What a heart. She’d never met anyone like him. Dare she risk it? “I could use a little company for a while, if you’re up for it.”
He shuffled the rest of the way into the room and sat on the floor. “Do you need talking company or silent company?”
His thoughtfulness made her chuckle. “Talking would be good.”
“All right. What do you want to talk about?”
She sat on the floor next to him, peering at her daughter on the couch. What would get her mind off all the horrific events of late? “What are your dreams, Sean?”
He rubbed his eyes like a little boy then leaned back on his hands, his long legs stretched out in front of him. “Well, to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t have been able to answer that question a few weeks ago. Other than starting over, I didn’t have a clue.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “But now, and please don’t misconstrue this as the proverbial kissing up, I believe you’ve given me a dream. I love this kennel. Love the dogs. Love the racing. Love . . .”
His words were filled with such passion. Passion that matched hers.
Back to the topic. Focus. “Go on . . . love what?”
He shifted his weight to one hand and scratched his forehead with the other. “Oh, just about everything around here. That’s basically what I was saying.”
She’d made him uncomfortable. Oops. “Well, I have to say, that makes me happy. We like having you around.” Don’t do it. Don’t say anymore. Glue those lips shut.
“Thank you.”
“And I’ve got to tell you, you fascinate me.”
Really? Was she dreaming? Or was her tongue betraying her?
“Y
our history, your education, your travels. Even though you don’t think you were you during all those years, I do believe that all of it shaped you into who you are now.”
He took a slow, deep breath and pulled his knees up. “That’s a valid point. And in my quest to leave the past behind, I’ve forgotten that important piece. Thank you for reminding me.”
“You’re welcome.” Now zip it. Don’t say anything else.
“What are your dreams, Anesia?”
Too late. It was like she’d taken some evil truth serum. She couldn’t stop the words from oozing out if she tried. “That’s an easy question. I want to be the very best mom on the planet. I want to see Zoya grow up into a strong, God-loving, God-fearing woman. And of course I want to be known around the globe for the very best racing dogs. And it wouldn’t hurt if I could win the championship every year.”
He nodded. The lines in his forehead portraying that he took her words to heart, mulled them over. “Those are all awesome things. But it sounds a little lonely. What about love?”
* * *
SEAN
4:13 a.m.
He did not just ask that.
Idiot. Just tell her she’s pathetic next time.
The most spectacular woman he’d ever known, and he had to open his big mouth.
Then insert his foot.
It would probably take surgery to undo the damage.
Brain transplant surgery.
She’d fire him for sure. But he loved his job. Working at the dog kennel made him feel alive. He needed to beg her for forgiveness.
His horror must’ve been visible on his face, because Anesia just stared at him. Then she laughed. “Don’t look so upset, Sean. You’re right.”
“I’m sorry. I had no place to say any of that. Maybe I should return to bed now.”
“Oh, stop. I’m not mad at you. Just shocked that you were bold enough to be blunt with me. To be quite honest, it’s been a sore subject for me, and poor Jenna has had to avoid it like the plague for fear I’ll bite her head off.”
“I’m still sorry. Maybe I should rephrase—”
“Nonsense. It’s an honest question.” Her gaze met his. Held it. “And it deserves an honest answer.”
* * *
COLE
January 30
Tikaani-Gray-Maddox Home
4:15 a.m.
His phone vibrated and buzzed itself toward the edge of his nightstand. Cole caught the phone just as it plunged off the side. He propped himself up on the bed with one arm and answered the call. “Maddox.”
“Cole, sorry to call so early, but I need to ask you some questions.”
He lay back. The FBI wouldn’t be calling unless it was urgent. “Go ahead.”
“How well do you know Anesia Naltsiine?”
Anesia? What kind of harebrained idea were they following this time? “I know her well. I’d trust that woman with my life.”
“Cole, we know that you have close ties with her, but we need you to be unbiased.”
“My answer remains the same.” His jaw began to ache from clenching it.
“All right. But we’re getting some interesting info.”
“Just spit it out.”
“We’ve been tracking a guy named Rick Kon’. Turns out he’s the brother of a certain Dan Kon’. Recognize the name?”
Zoya’s dad. “You know I do.”
“He was seen speaking to Anesia yesterday after the race. Right before Zoya was injured. Then he disappeared. And not ten minutes ago, we followed him to the Naltsiine property.”
“And?”
“We think he’s the link.”
“To what?”
“The arms ring.”
“So what does that have to do with Anesia?”
“We think she’s helping him.”
His temper couldn’t be contained any longer. “What?”
“And hiding the program on her property. The payment she’d get would fund her kennel for a long time.”
“You can’t be serious. Anesia has worked her tail off—”
“Exactly the motivation she’d need to go along with the plan.” The agent’s voice was clipped. He’d already bought into the lie.
“There’s no way Anesia is involved in this.”
“Believe what you want, Maddox, but you need to be prepared for the possibility.”
Cole hung up the phone. No, he didn’t. Because Anesia was innocent.
And he would put everything on the line to prove it.
* * *
ANESIA
Naltsiine Kennels
4:17 a.m.
She could do this. Maybe the weight that had been sitting on her chest all these years would lift. She might even be able to acknowledge to Sean the fact that he had captured her attention. And maybe, just maybe her heart. “I had dreams of marriage a long time ago.”
One of Sean’s eyebrows shot up.
“His name was Dan. Zoya’s father. We were so in love, and we knew full well that God wanted us to wait until marriage, but . . .”
“You were young.”
She nodded. “Too young. I got pregnant with Zoya.” Suck it up. Spit it out. “The wedding was planned for after the birth of our baby. Everyone knew, and even though we messed up in the order of things, we wanted to do things right. So we went to premarital counseling, made a promise to be abstinent until our wedding night, and anticipated the arrival of our little bundle of joy.
“Dan loved racing as much as I did. We had the plans for this kennel and purchased the property, saving each and every penny we could—” The last words choked her.
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.”
“No, it’s okay. I need to talk about it.” Another deep breath. “Anyway, Dan was killed a few months before Zoya was born. It’s one of my deepest regrets, that she never knew him. And there are certain people who won’t let her—or me—forget that her dad and I weren’t married.”
“What happened? To Dan, I mean.”
His eyes were so kind, so concerned. “A training accident. He fell through the ice.”
“I’m sorry.”
“The grief almost won, but Jenna was there for me.” She allowed a small smile as the memories came back for the second time that night. “Talk about a mother hen. She protected me and challenged me to break through. But I still allowed the guilt to hover.
“Zoya was born, and then Jenna and Marc had Andie a couple months later. By this time, I was so smitten with my daughter that I decided then and there that I would prove to everyone what a blessing she was. Beauty from ashes, you know? So I put on my little armor of independence and determined to never allow another man close.”
It felt good to let it all spill out, but Sean was so quiet. What was he thinking? Was he disappointed in her? Did he think she was—
“Anesia, I had no idea of the journey you’ve faced. It gives me a better perspective on your drive and tenacity.”
Well. Wasn’t that nice and . . . formal. “Thanks. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. As you can tell, we’ve done very well by ourselves.” She hated the edge that tinged her voice. Where did this anger come from? It didn’t roll in like a tsunami but erupted in an instant. Did she want to prove to him and everyone else that they’d done just fine, in fact, incredibly fine all on her own? That she and Zoya didn’t need anyone? That she didn’t need a man?
He leaned forward and placed a gentle hand on her knee. The heat radiated up to her shoulders and helped her relax. If one touch could do that, how could she guard her heart from this man?
“I don’t feel sorry for you at all. In fact, to be quite honest, you amaze me. And scare me. All at the same time.” He removed his hand.
She wanted it back. “I scare you?”
His smile broke through the dimness of the room. “Not in the way you’re thinking.”
“Well, by all means, please explain.” There went her anger again.
“I don’t think you really want to know that.”
Like a volcano. “And just how are you supposed to know what I want, Mr. Connolly?”
He chuckled.
How dare he laugh at her?
His hands shot up, signaling surrender, as though he could read her mind. “I’m just saying that it is intimidating for a man to be attracted to a beautiful woman, for that same woman to be his boss, and again for that same woman to be so strong and independent and in no need of anyone to come alongside her on the journey of life.”
Oh.
Her heart raced.
He sat. Waiting for a response.
But she couldn’t make her brain or her mouth work.
The silence stretched.
“I’m sorry. I went too far. Forgive me, please.” He hopped to his feet. “It’s the middle of the night. I think I’ll head back to bed. Let me know if you need anything.”
He was attracted to her? A door clicked, shaking her from her thoughts. Wait!
But he was already gone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
SEAN
January 30
Naltsiine Kennels
9:12 a.m.
The cold penetrated his bones this morning. Unlike all the other days when the excitement and love for the job, for this place, for its people, warmed him from the inside out. How could he have been so stupid?
Anesia didn’t speak to him—didn’t even look him in the eye—when she awoke and disabled the alarm. She headed to her bedroom and waved at him when he said he’d water the dogs. Not a word. Not a glance. Just a complete dismissal.
Of his words. Of him.
Sean went from dog to dog. Maybe the work would help him forget his stupidity.
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