Blindsided

  Scott had been even quieter than usual the entire day, resorting to one-word answers, initiating no unnecessary conversation, and staying out of any discussions between her and Alan.

  “Is something bothering you?” she asked, happy to turn her focus outward.

  His gaze strayed reluctantly in her direction. “Besides being on the run?”

  “Yeah.” She swallowed hard, not sure how to ask her question, not sure she wanted the answer. “Are you mad at me for—”

  “No.” His gaze moved beyond her, out the window.

  Relief mingled with irritation. She would almost prefer anger to his indifference and complete lack of communication. “Then what?”

  His fingers curled into a fist. “Someone went after my mom,” he finally said, his voice low and hard with the leashed fury of a bear in a cage.

  “Oh, no.” Fear skittered through Valerie’s stomach. “Is she okay?”

  Scott’s head dipped slightly. “So far. Jason—one of Kurt’s guys—was there.”

  “I’m sorry she got dragged into this. I’m glad she’s okay.” She tugged at the heavy sweatshirt she still hadn’t returned. “You’re lucky to have such a good boss.”

  “Doesn’t take much to top yours.”

  “True.” Her half-smile faded. “Why didn’t you tell me about your mom earlier?”

  “Because there’s nothing you can do about it, it’s being taken care of, and you have enough to worry about.”

  “And you don’t? Talking about it can help, you know.”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Oh, yeah,” she said, feeling far more petulant than the situation required. “That would imply we have some kind of relationship. God forbid.” She faced the front again and crossed her arms. Why was she letting him get to her like this?

  A long sigh emanated from the back seat. “Valerie.” Her name was tired and achy on his lips. A burden. “Last night—”

  She whirled to face him, her skin hot. “Last night has nothing to do with it. We don’t have to ever touch again, but if we’re going to work together to take down Duncan, I thought it might be nice if we talked like human beings. Maybe even friends. Or does your ‘killer’s code’ prevent you from having those too?”

  His lips compressed and his jaw tightened. She usually rejoiced when she could get him to show any emotion, but the menacing look on his shadowed face made her instinctively shrink away.

  The driver’s side door snapped open and Alan slid into his seat with a jangle of keys. “Who’s up for some dinner?” He glanced between her and Scott, frowning. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” they said in unison.

  Alan shook his head. “Why don’t you guys just fuck and get it over with already?”

  Before he even returned to the car from the Taco Tavern restroom thirty minutes later, Scott could tell something was wrong. Something else. Half of him had expected Alan’s Acura to be gone. The tension after Scott and Valerie’s argument had driven them all to silence for the short ride to get food and relieve themselves.

  Under the yellow lamplight that penetrated the windshield, he could see Valerie and Alan talking animatedly. Her eyes were narrowed, her mouth turned down. She crossed her arms and turned away from Alan, her lips compressed. And then she noticed Scott approaching.

  Her eyes widened, and she glanced at Alan before exiting the SUV and intercepting Scott on the sidewalk that ran between the drive-thru lane and the side door of the building.

  “What’s up?” he asked.

  She looked over her shoulder at Alan, who fumed in the front seat, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, mouth stuck in a scowl. “We need to talk.”

  A group of young Hispanic men in dusty hoodies and baseball caps entered the restaurant, a thirty-something blonde with a screaming toddler dragged her kid toward a minivan, and two weathered cowboys—either of whom could have auditioned to be the next Marlboro Man—stood next to a dented F-350 shooting the shit. None of them spared a glance for Scott or Valerie.

  “In the car,” he said.

  “No.” She shook her head, causing the light to throw sparks off her newly blond hair. “Just you and me.”

  The thought made him breathless. “Not here.” He took her small, cool hand in his and tugged her across the parking lot to a stand of gnarly trees with low-hanging branches and plenty of shadows. He faced her with a view of Alan over her shoulder. He didn’t trust the guy not to leave them behind, especially if Alan and Valerie were fighting. “What’s wrong?”

  Her gaze strayed to darkness behind him. She took a deep breath and hugged herself. “Alan’s been keeping an eye on the news, and the reporters have dug up some new information.”

  “About Hollowell?”

  “No.” Her feet shuffled in the dark. “About you.”

  Shit. Scott’s heart boomeranged in his chest. The sound of passing cars, the faint voices from the parking lot, the buzz of overhead power lines all faded, overridden by the rush of blood in his ears. “About me.”

  Valerie nodded and swallowed hard. “He said you were in jail. Is that true?”

  “Yes.” He should have known she’d learn his secrets. His records were protected, his name had been kept out of the papers due to his age back then, but it wasn’t hard for anyone with half a brain to put the story together. The townspeople had figured it out pretty fast. It wouldn’t surprise him at all to find out his old neighbor had contacted the national press when he saw Scott on TV.

  “For…” She cleared her throat. “For killing your dad?”

  His face turned hot and he fought the urge to flee. Maybe it was better that she knew. Better that she understood why he kept pushing her away. He locked gazes with her in the dark. “Yes.”

  Her shoulders trembled but he didn’t dare touch her.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “Does it matter?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because…” She pressed a fist to her chest. “In my heart, I don’t believe you’re a murderer. And if I’m wrong, how can I trust myself?”

  He scoffed. “Valerie, I got paid to shoot people.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not the same. That was war.”

  “I killed a man in St. Isidore last year.” Probably not info he should give away, but he needed to burst her little bubble of adoration. She wanted to make him out to be some kind of angel. “Guns are illegal there. The local police have no idea who did it.”

  “Just for fun?” she asked flippantly. “Another day, another dead man?”

  “Of course not.” Goddamn her. Why wasn’t she running back to the car, running far away from him? “There’s nothing fun about it.”

  “Then why?”

  “He was a threat to my teammates.”

  “And your dad?”

  “He was a threat to everyone in my house. He nearly killed my mom the last time he beat her.” Scott clamped his mouth shut, and breathed slowly through his nose to regain his control.

  “You are a protector.”

  Memories of his little sister’s accusing eyes speared him. Not everyone would agree. He shook his head and forced his muscles to stay loose. “I’m a fucking tool, Valerie. A weapon with a brain. It doesn’t matter who’s behind the order, or the reason for it. The fact that I can do it at all should bother you. Maybe even scare you.” Didn’t she understand?

  “You don’t scare me,” she said in a soft voice. “I envy you.”

  His head tipped back in surprise. “Why the hell would you do that?”

  “Because you did what I couldn’t.” She stepped closer and flattened her palm over his heart, sending his pulse into overdrive. “You saved your mom.”

  Aw, shit. “Don’t—”

  “If I’d been braver or stronger or… I don’t know, maybe my dad would be alive now.” Her voice cracked, and kept his hands safely clenched in his pockets. “If I’d listened to him when he pleaded with me to stop w
orking with Papá, if I’d understood the threat…” A tear slipped down her cheek.

  “Hey, no, baby.” Scott had her in his arms before he could think it through. Caressing her hair, her back, pressing her close as she burrowed into him. “Don’t do that to yourself. You were a kid.”

  “So were you,” she said, her words muffled against his chest.

  He wasn’t sure he’d ever been a child. “You don’t want to be like me.” Holding her in his arms was heaven, and he was an ass for even noticing at a time like this. “I’m sorry about your dad, but what happened to him is on the man who killed him. One hundred percent.”

  “Maybe someday I’ll believe that.” She sighed and lifted her head to meet his gaze, her golden-brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You know what does scare me?”

  “No,” he said, unable to look away.

  “The thought of not having you with me to face down Duncan.”

  Scott’s heart twisted, and he swallowed hard. She knew exactly what to say to tap that protective instinct she’d called him on earlier. No doubt she wanted him to stick around, but was her seduction a cold calculation to ensure she had a bodyguard, or did she actually want him?

  He searched her eyes for any signs of manipulation, any hint of dishonesty, and found none. Only a look of desire that tightened his chest. But then, she was an expert. He didn’t know whether to run away or to kiss her. But honestly, there was no choice.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, and leaned in to capture her soft mouth.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Fort Worth, TX

  Tuesday, 5:45 p.m.

  VALERIE WELCOMED SCOTT’S LIPS LIKE a parched desert flower welcomes the rain. The kiss instantly turned deep and hungry. She laced her fingers into his hair, tugging him closer as she explored his eager mouth, the rough slide of their tongues hurling delicious shivers down her spine.

  His eager touch set her on fire as the sounds and sights of the cold night faded away. She never wanted to leave the protective cover of the broad oaks with their twisted branches and wide boughs. Never wanted to leave Scott’s warm embrace.

  “What. The. Fuck?” Alan’s angry voice shattered the moment.

  She jerked her head back, breaking the kiss. How could she have forgotten about Alan? She tried to pull out of Scott’s arms, but he held tight, every muscle in his body rigid as he looked over her head at the other man. Scott’s unreadable expression had returned, but his thumb still traced a slow, thrill-inducing sweep along her waistline.

  “I tell you he murdered his father and you start making out with him?” Alan said to her back, his voice angry and hurt and incredulous.

  A shadow crossed Scott’s face, but he showed no reaction to Alan’s taunts other than the tightening of his jaw.

  “Let me go,” she whispered.

  Without taking his gaze off Alan, he loosened his hold.

  She reluctantly left the warm, protective circle of Scott’s arms and turned to her old friend, her chest tight. “He’s not a murderer.”

  Alan put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “The law says otherwise.”

  “You want to talk about the law?” She almost laughed.

  Alan’s expression was like a thundercloud during a summer monsoon, dark and scary and wild. He glanced at Scott and then returned his gaze to her. “He’s a trained killer, Valerie. For all we know you’re his next target.”

  Shaking her head, she said, “That doesn’t make sense. He’s done nothing but protect me, even as this whole mess has upended his life.” She could sense Scott behind her, motionless and radiating frustration and anger, letting her handle this on her own, but there if she needed him.

  She loved him for that.

  Her thoughts tripped. No, no, no. She loved that about him. She couldn’t—

  “What about what I’ve done?” Alan asked. “I’ve been protecting you for years. I still am.”

  “I know.” She forced herself to lower her voice. The last thing they needed was to draw attention. “I’ve never doubted your intentions. I’m just asking you to trust Scott’s.”

  “I can’t do that,” he said quietly. “Especially now that I know the truth about him.” He closed the gap between them and gripped her shoulders. “I think you should stay with me.”

  Behind her Scott shifted, but didn’t interfere.

  “I need to get to D.C.,” she said. “The sooner the better.”

  “You don’t even know who’ll be on the plane. It could be Duncan’s men, or…worse. Come with me instead. We’ll figure out way to get you there. Hell, I’ll blow off my client and drive you myself.”

  “Please don’t.” She stepped aside, dislodging his hands. “Don’t make me choose between you.”

  He scowled and crossed his arms. “I think you just did.”

  “Alan.”

  “Forget it.” He turned and strode toward his car. “Let’s go.”

  Scott ate his tacos in the car in silence. Alan and Valerie did the same, the tension between the three of them as thick as the guacamole on his flimsy plate.

  After their latest kiss, Scott could hardly take his eyes off Valerie. He enjoyed watching her eat, especially when she licked hot sauce from her fingers…

  Turning his attention away from temptation, he scanned the strip mall located down the street from the taco joint where they had parked for more privacy.

  “We have an hour to kill until you have to be there,” Alan said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “What do you want to do until then?”

  “Recon,” Scott said, even though Alan had addressed the question to Valerie. With this situation, they were on Scott’s turf. Finally, an opportunity for him to contribute. “We need time to look around and ensure that we don’t get ambushed.”

  “How would anyone know to look for us here?” Valerie asked.

  He shrugged. “You’re the expert on that. It’s unlikely, but we have the time to take precautions. Let’s do it right.”

  Alan’s jaw tightened, but he nodded and started the engine. As he drove the dark road on the outskirts of Fort Worth, Scott squinted into the night at the streetlights stationed like sentries along the curving road of the small neighborhood. The airstrip was lined on one side by massive two-story homes, each sporting a hangar in the backyard on the edge of the runway. Being small and private, the airfield didn’t require its own air traffic control tower and didn’t have a TSA security presence.

  It was the pilot’s equivalent of an avid boater living on a lake. A pretty sweet setup. The residents were likely to notice a plane essentially doing a touch-and-go, but hopefully no one would look too closely.

  Scott peered through the windows, but he couldn’t see much. “I’d kill for NVGs right about now,” he muttered.

  “NVGs?” Valerie asked from her spot up front. The faint glow from the dashboard threw shadows across the angles of her face.

  “Night vision goggles.”

  “That would be helpful.” She focused on the scenery. “What are we looking for?”

  “Mostly right now, I’m trying to get a baseline for the area so we’ll notice if something changes. But keep an eye out for cars parked where they don’t belong, potential sniper roosts, anything that looks…off.”

  The land around them was flat, the horizon broken by occasional stretches of leafless trees. No high ground, little concealment. Bad for snipers and potential attackers. Mostly good for them.

  “We also need to figure out where to wait.”

  “What about next to one of the hangars?” Valerie asked. “I see at least two houses that look empty. No lights on inside anyway.”

  Scott’s thoughts exactly. “Drop me at the corner and continue around the circle. I’ll meet up with you here in a few minutes.” He didn’t want to leave Valerie with Alan—what if the man convinced her to leave Scott behind?—but he wanted to get the lay of the land on foot.

  All was quiet as the Acura continued down street
without him, visible in the warm circles of light cast by streetlamps. Scott jogged along the side of the first house and around the back fence to the airstrip. It was a nicely maintained concrete pad that ran beyond the curve of the neighborhood loop, meeting up with a paved path that connected to the off-runway homes.

  A dog barked once or twice as Scott ran by the third house, but traffic from the nearest major road provided the only other sounds. The first dark house was in the middle of the string of homes that boasted security lighting and open blinds. The second showed more promise. It was the last before the street turned away from the runway. The neighboring house to the north had all its shades drawn, and the only lights were in the living room where the blue glow of a television flickered. Faint rumblings from what sounded like an action movie escaped into the night air. Perfect.

  The house on the other side was the first on the curve and was set at an angle that blocked its view of the dark home’s back yard from all but the rear windows, which were covered with sheer curtains. He and Valerie would have to take their chances.

  Scott squinted as he ran over the uneven grass, trying to make out the terrain. The last thing he needed was to step in a hole and break his leg. Or step on a snake.

  Something small scurried through the brush nearby. A squirrel or rabbit, maybe. Beyond the airstrip, nothing moved, nothing glinted. There was no sign of any hides, or odd breaks in the skyline or shadows. Of course, a good sniper wouldn’t be seen, but even if Hollowell’s goons somehow knew Scott and Valerie were going to be here, the chances of his getting a shit-hot shooter here on short notice were low.

  Within a few minutes, Scott was back at the neighborhood entrance and found Alan’s Acura idling with its headlights off at the stop sign where Aviation Circle met the side road from the main drag. His shoulders relaxed.

  Valerie opened the passenger-side door and slid out with both of their bags.

  Alan grabbed for her. “Valerie, wait.”

  “No.” She pulled away and smacked the top of his doorframe. “Goddamn you, Alan. How could you?”