The Mercenary And The Marriage Vow

by Doreen Roberts

  The phone rang once, twice, then the line clicked open. “Hello?”

  Valeri frowned. The voice sounded too young to be her father’s. “Is Alex there?”

  There was a short pause. Then the pleasant voice said, “I think you must have the wrong number. There’s no one by that name here.”

  She gave the address of her father’s townhouse in Sacramento, knowing as she did so what the answer would be.

  “Sorry. This isn’t it.”

  Alex must have moved. Not surprising, given his restless nature. Six years was a long time for him to stay in one place. She thanked the young man, depressed the button and dialed again. This time her own phone number. A recorded message answered her in a voice she didn’t recognize.

  Her call to the office went unanswered. Two more calls to friends both proved fruitless. It seemed as if everyone and everything from her past life had simply vanished along with her memory.

  Depression settled over her in a dense, black fog. The maze was getting thicker by the minute. The medication was working and she was almost asleep, but roused herself with an effort. This was ridiculous. Everyone she knew couldn’t have died. All she had to do was track someone down. Starting with Alex.

  She glanced at the clock. Of course. He would still be at work. She dialed the number, and was rewarded by a brisk voice announcing she’d reached the government offices in Sacramento. She was about to ask the woman for her father’s lab, but the voice went on, advising her to dial the number for the department she wanted.

  Irritated, Valeri stabbed out the number. Another disembodied voice told her to hold, and she waited, wondering what had happened to the cheerful receptionist who had always before answered her calls.

  At last a human voice came on the line. “Can I help you?”

  “I’d like to speak to Alex Forrester, please.”

  The pause on the end of the line seemed ominous. “I’m sorry, Mr. Forrester is not in the office today.”

  Valeri sighed. “This is Valeri Richmond, his daughter. I seem to have misplaced his home phone number. Could you give it to me, please?”

  Again the pause. Valeri was beginning to get a nasty feeling that something was wrong.

  “Could you hold for just a moment?” the voice said.

  She waited, the phone feeling clammy in her hand. Finally a man’s voice said pleasantly, “Ms. Richmond? This is Detective Chasen from the Sacramento Metropolitan Police Department. Would you mind telling me when you last spoke to your father?”

  “I’m not sure...I—” She closed her eyes as pain burned across her forehead. As she did so, she experienced again that strange brief flash of recognition. She had talked to Alex recently. She remembered his voice, low and urgent, though she couldn’t remember what he’d said. All she knew for certain was that she must not tell that to the police officer.

  “Ms. Richmond?”

  She started guiltily. “I’m...sorry. I’m calling from the hospital. I’ve been involved in an accident and I’m trying to get in touch with my father. He’s all right, isn’t he? I mean, he’s not hurt or anything?”

  Dear God, Alex was injured He’d told her that.

  “I see you haven’t heard,” the detective said gravely.

  She gripped the phone, willing herself not to give anything away by her voice. “I haven’t heard anything. What’s wrong with my father?”

  “Nothing, as far as we know. Not physically, anyway.”

  The detective paused, and she knew, with a dreadful certainty, that he was preparing to give her bad news.

  When he spoke again, his voice had the careful note of someone watching his words. “Ms. Richmond, I’m sorry to have to tell you that your father is wanted for questioning in a murder case. He left the scene of the crime and is currently being hunted by the sheriffs department.”

  Her cry of dismay echoed down the line. “No, I don’t believe it. Not Alex. He would never hurt anyone. He’s the most gentle man I’ve ever known.”

  “I’m sure he is.”

  She winced at the irony in his voice. “Who is he supposed to have killed?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t disclose any details of the case.” The detective sounded genuinely sorry. “I have to remind you that should you discover the whereabouts of your father, you must contact the sheriffs department immediately. I trust we can count on your cooperation?”

  “Of course,” Valeri mumbled, knowing full well she was not going to turn Alex in at any cost. There was just no way she was going to believe he was involved with murder. She had to find him and find out what really happened. She was fairly certain now that she did know where he was, but that she just couldn’t remember.

  “From which hospital are you calling?” Detective Chasen asked, his voice casual now.

  “I’m sorry,” Valeri said hastily. “I have to go now.” She dropped the receiver into the cradle and sank back on her pillows. This latest news had shaken her more than anything she’d heard so far.

  Up until that moment everything had seemed unreal, like a bad dream that would eventually go away. But now she knew that Alex was in deep trouble and needed her. What’s more, she had a strong feeling that Nathan Thorne was somehow involved in all this.

  She wasn’t sure exactly what she knew, but somewhere in the shadowy crevices of her shattered memory lay the answers. She would have to dig them up. And soon.

  Thanks to the medication she’d been given, she awoke the next morning after a long night’s sleep. The fragile hope that her memory would return was quickly squashed, though she wasn’t really surprised. The doctor had warned her that it could take some time.

  During his final examination later that morning, he also warned her not to try to force herself to remember. That was a warning she intended to ignore. Alex was out there, somewhere—a fugitive, alone, injured and needing her. She had to find him.

  One thing of which she was quite certain was that she was not going “home,” or anywhere else with Nathan Thorne until she’d found her father and had answered all her questions. She’d worry about dealing with her so-called family if and when she was convinced she had one.

  She wasn’t looking forward to telling Nat of her decision. She didn’t trust him. He was just a little too charming, and she sensed a hint of menace behind the smooth mask. He intimidated her. He had a way of making her feel self-conscious. She wasn’t used to confronting that much potent masculinity.

  He arrived after lunch, about five minutes after she’d signed the release papers. He must have called the hospital to find out when she was being discharged. It was almost as if he’d been waiting to pounce on her in case she tried to escape. The odd thought did nothing to alleviate her uneasiness.

  She’d dressed in the chinos and soft blue rayon shirt she’d apparently worn when she’d wrecked the car. She didn’t recognize the clothes, but she was grateful to discover they’d been sent to the hospital laundry by a thoughtful nurse.

  The way Nat looked her up and down when he walked into the room, she might as well have still been wearing the hospital gown. Unsettled by his frank and thorough inspection, she took refuge in a cool, distant manner.

  “Thanks for the offer,” she said, when he asked if she was ready to leave, “but I’ve decided not to go back with you. I don’t think it would be a good idea. I don’t remember a husband and children, and it would only be confusing for everyone. Especially those little girls. I think it would be best if I remain close to the hospital until I get my memory back.”

  “I don’t agree.” His strange eyes mirrored his disapproval. “That could take months. What am I going to tell those little girls? That their mommy doesn’t want to see them?”

  “I don’t feel that I am their mommy. It would be worse for them to have a stranger come back and pretend to be their mommy, wouldn’t it?”

  She hadn’t meant it to come out that way, but she saw something flicker in his steady gaze. More certain than ever that the man was lying, she fel
t a little more secure of her ground. “In any case, that’s my decision.”

  “How will you manage without credit cards, or ID?”

  “The staff here has been kind enough to arrange for me to go to a halfway house until my...background has been established.” She had been going to say until she found her father, but had stopped herself just in time.

  “I’ve already established your background. Once you get home, your husband can help you renew your ID.”

  “I’m not ready to accept that yet. Dr. Harrison agrees that this will be better for me for the time being, until I’m ready to accept my new life. Until then, I’ll retrace the years I’ve lost.”

  She could tell by the way he tightened his mouth that he was annoyed. “How are you going to do that if you don’t have anything to go on?”

  She shrugged, trying to appear unconcerned. “I know my social security number. The hospital people are checking into it for me. It shouldn’t take too long to reestablish my credit and my driving license. There are people out there who know me, who should be able to fill me in. All I have to do is find them.”

  “Valeri, you don’t have any friends. You live a pretty isolated life.”

  “Then it’s no wonder I left.”

  He narrowed his eyes, and for an instant she saw a darkness there that frightened her. Something told her that Nathan Thorne could be dangerous when crossed. “I suppose all this is on the level,” he said, with just a hint of suspicion in his voice. “After all, it wouldn’t be all that tough to fake a loss of memory.”

  A spark of anger sharpened her voice. “That’s a disgusting thing to say. You have no idea how terrifying it is to wake up and not know where you are...or who you are anymore. Surrounded by strangers in a strange environment, not knowing where you’re going or where you’ve been. I can assure you, Mr. Thorne, this isn’t something I do for laughs. And even if I were, just what business is it of yours, anyway?”

  He studied her for another long moment from beneath his drawn brows. She stared back at him, daring him to contradict her.

  Finally, he said smoothly, “I apologize. It was a dumb thing to say.”

  “Thank you. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a cab waiting for me at the door.”

  He lifted his hands in a gesture of defeat. “Okay, I’m going. All I ask is that you contact your husband as soon as possible and let him know where you are. Here’s the phone number. It’s unlisted so you’ll need this.” He thrust a folded piece of paper at her, then, with a mock salute, turned on his heel and left.

  Valeri let out a long breath. She was surprised to discover that her hands shook as she unfolded the paper. A phone number was scrawled across the page in a bold hand. If this was her own phone number, she didn’t recognize it at all.

  She shoved the paper into a pocket of her pants, then looked around the room. It seemed strange not to have a purse, or something to pick up. Her hands felt empty, and she walked out the door, feeling as if she were leaving behind the only real security she had.

  She stopped at the desk, and the receptionist gave her a sympathetic smile as she handed her a small envelope. “Your cab’s waiting outside, and there’s your prescription. When we heard what happened to you, we collected a few dollars together to help tide you over until you can get back on your feet. It’s in the envelope.”

  Valeri felt like crying.

  “That’s really kind of everyone. Please thank them for me.”

  The receptionist nodded. “Sure. Just take care, okay? We all hope you get your life back soon.”

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know when I do.” Valeri tucked the envelope into her pocket and headed for the door. Once she was settled, she assured herself, she could set about finding her father. There had to be someone who knew where he was. She just had to make some phone calls. Something would turn up. If the doctor was right, the more she found out, the faster her memory would return.

  She couldn’t escape the sense of urgency that had been with her from the moment she’d woken up in that hospital bed in this strange town. Whatever she’d buried in her mind, it was important. It was imperative that she remember. Alex was in trouble, and something told her that she didn’t have a whole lot of time.

  Nat sat in the front seat of his black compact, his eyes glued to the main doors of the hospital. He wasn’t happy with this assignment. He wasn’t crazy about Ahmed Sabhad, and might have turned down the job, if it hadn’t been for one factor.

  After Sabhad had given him the picture of those two little girls, he’d played a tape of them crying for their mommy. He’d begged Nat to find her and bring her back. He’d told Nat he hoped that once Valeri saw how her kids were suffering, she’d have a change of heart.

  That had pushed a pretty sensitive button as far as Nat was concerned. Anyone who ill-treated kids was lower than low in his opinion. He knew, only too well, what it meant to children to be deserted by someone they loved. He’d been there.

  Sabhad’s story of Valeri abandoning her daughters— simply because she’d grown bored—infuriated Nat. He’d acted on a gut instinct and agreed to accept the assignment.

  When he’d heard that Valeri had lost her memory, he’d invented the story of being her neighbor. He had figured it would make his job that much easier than if he told her the truth: her husband had hired him to bring her back.

  Now it looked as if he might have to play it tough, after all. She’d refused to go along with his plan, but he would have to insist. He had a big problem with that. It had been one thing to agree to bring back the hard, selfish thrillseeker Sabhad had led him to believe his wife was. Valeri Richmond was something else.

  She didn’t seem at all the way Sabhad had described. That air of class he’d detected in the photos was even more pronounced in person. He had trouble acquainting the softspoken, fresh-faced woman in the hospital with the image Sabhad had conjured up in Nat’s mind.

  What was even more disturbing was that he found her attractive. She’d put on a little weight since the pictures were taken, all of it in the right places. He’d never cared for the bean-stick women who starved themselves to get into size-two jeans. He preferred a woman with curves, and when he’d examined her body for injuries last night, he couldn’t help noticing that Valeri Richmond definitely had curves.

  Staring out the window, his eyes squinted against the blinding sun, Nat silently cursed. If it weren’t for the cries of those kids haunting him day and night, and the pictures he carried, he’d call the whole thing off.

  Then again, Valeri Richmond wasn’t quite what he’d expected. Maybe there was a spark of decency in her and she would change her mind as Sabhad hoped. If so, it would be worth Nat taking the risks involved. If only his own mother had had that chance, things might have been different for him, too.

  Under any other circumstances, he could have sympathized with Sabhad’s wife. Ahmed Sabhad was not the most pleasant man he’d ever met. It would be a shock for any woman to wake up and find herself married to a total stranger, especially a sleazeball like Sabhad.

  Then again, if Sabhad was telling the truth about Valeri marrying him for his money, and then taking off to look for more excitement, she’d got exactly what she deserved.

  Again he cursed. He had to stop questioning everything. The photos didn’t lie; that was the clincher. That was Valeri Richmond all right, holding on to the hands of those two little girls. She belonged with her kids, and he was going to see to it that she got there, whether she liked it or not. What happened after that was between her and her husband.

  And if he was going to do the job right, Nat warned himself, he’d better quit feeling sorry for her. He’d been down too many dark alleys to be taken in by the helpless female act. From now on, Valeri Richmond was a package he’d been hired to deliver, and nothing more. As he always did in his unpredictable profession, he’d worry about the consequences later.

  The dry heat that greeted Valeri when she stepped outside was something of a shock. She
’d gone from winter to summer overnight, practically. It was one more reminder of the hurdles ahead of her.

  Preoccupied with her worry over Alex, she failed to notice the black car with the door standing open until a rough hand grabbed her arm and propelled her forward at such a speed that she had to struggle to stay on her feet. She opened her mouth to yell, but before she could draw breath a hand clamped over her mouth and she was forced into the car.

  “Try to run,” Nat said, almost pleasantly, “and I promise you, you’ll be sorry. I’m faster than you think. And a lot more dangerous. Just in case you’re wondering, I’m armed. Don’t make me use it.”

  She shrank back in her seat, too terrified to protest. She wasn’t about to argue with a gun. At least one question had been answered. Nathan Thorne was not her friendly neighbor who’d begged a ride into town on business. Therefore, she had to suspect he had some connection with the trouble Alex was in.

  She went cold when the logical conclusion hit her. Nathan Thorne could be some kind of cop. He probably thought she knew where Alex was hiding. If so, he was wasting his time. Even if she did know, the last person on earth she’d tell was this big ox who seemed intent on kidnapping her.

  When he slid in beside her, she shifted over as close to the door as she could get. It wasn’t a big car, and his shoulders overlapped the edge of his seat. She didn’t want him touching her again. The feel of his hands on her body had shaken her up enough.

  “Where are you taking me?” she demanded as the car rocketed out of the parking lot at an alarming speed. “I think I’m entitled to know.”

  “I’m taking you home,” Nat said grimly, his gaze concentrated on the road ahead.

  Valeri squinted at the road sign coming up on her right. If he was taking her home, he was going in the wrong direction. “Really. Is that why you made up that ridiculous story about my husband and two little girls pining for me? Forget it, Mr. Thorne, or whatever your real name is. You’re not fooling me for one second. I don’t know what you want with me, but I do know you’re not taking me back to any rich sheik.”