“I would say that sending armed bandits out to gun us down is a clear indication that Sabhad is not exactly welcoming his loving wife home with open arms.”
The scorn in her voice was obvious. He didn’t like the contempt on her face, either. “If I remember rightly,” he said, trying not to grit his teeth, “it was the guards at the gate who shot at us. Probably reacting to the moment. The goons in the car didn’t fire one shot, so I assume that Sabhad issued orders that you weren’t to be harmed.”
“Any fool could see that a man who would go to such lengths to trap his wife is not likely to win the Husband of the Year Award. I’m surprised at you, Mr. Thorne. You seem to be assuming a great deal. So far your score has been dismal.”
With an effort he held on to his temper. “Don’t push me,” he muttered. “I get ugly when I’m pushed too far.”
“Really. I would never have guessed.”
“Try me. You might get lucky.”
She lifted her chin, and he was intrigued to see the dull red flush creep across her cheeks. Whatever this lady was, she was no tramp. That was one big point in her favor. Now, if he could only make out where Sabhad figured in this, he’d feel a lot easier.
He wound up the window and started the engine. “We’ve got to get out of here. It won’t be long before Sabhad’s hatchet men realize we’ve fooled them, and they’ll be back looking for us.”
She glanced out the window and shuddered, as if realizing for the first time that they were perched precariously on the side of a mountain. “How do we get down without them seeing us?”
“Good question.” He leaned across her to open the glove compartment where he kept his maps. She shifted at the same time, and his arm brushed her breasts. The contact sent a jolt through him all the way to his knees. Sheer will power kept him from looking at her. Warning bells clanged through his head, and his body literally tingled with the aftershock. He grabbed the map and opened it carefully, hoping like hell his hands wouldn’t shake.
Whatever this woman had, it was potent. He could feel the tension crackling in the car, enough to make his hair stand straight up. Just his damn luck to run into a woman who could get him this excited—a woman he was forced to keep at arm’s length.
He pried his mind away from Valeri Richmond and studied the map. “If we could steer this heap over the rise, we could hit a back road and make it to one of these little towns here.”
“And then what?”
He folded the map and laid it on the dash in front of him. “Then we hole up until I figure out what to do next.”
“I hope you realize that you’re breaking the law. Kidnapping is a serious offense.”
“Yeah, well, put it on my tab.” He had managed to sound indifferent, but the truth was that he was more than a little worried. What she’d said was true. He could be in serious trouble if all this backfired on him. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been in trouble. But it was the first time he could get tangled up with the feds, and that could lead to all kinds of hell.
He’d taken that into consideration when he’d first been offered the job, and he’d almost turned it down. Sabhad had assured him he would take responsibility for any charges Valeri might bring against Nat. But now he wasn’t so sure anymore that Sabhad was in a position to back him up.
The only way out of this, as far as he could see, was to find out exactly what was going on, and then to make a judgment. The bottom line in all this was those two little girls. He was going to do whatever was best for them. Period.
What he’d like to do was dump Valeri Richmond into Sabhad’s lap, take his money and let them fight it out between themselves. But now that he knew for sure that Sabhad played dirty, he couldn’t just abandon her to her fate. He might have lost most of his principles so far in his struggle to survive, but he wasn’t that far gone.
He’d seen enough tragedies in his life to know that the underdog seldom wins. He considered it part of his duty in his doubtful profession to avoid contributing to that pathetic state of affairs. Most of the time he even offered a helping hand when the situation called for one.
He let out the brake and eased the compact over a small ridge. One thing he did know: the longer he stayed with this deal, the less he liked it. He had a strong suspicion that someone was making an ass out of him. Nat did not like being taken for a fool.
Right now he was feeling pretty damn gullible. He should have seen this coming. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that something was not on the level. Valeri was right: normal men did not welcome their wives home with a barrage of bullets. He wasn’t sure how they did things in Saudi Arabia, but he was pretty sure they didn’t get that drastic there, either.
He should have stayed out of it. He’d broken a cardinal rule by letting his emotions sway his decision when he’d seen those pictures. He should have learned by now, after everything he’d gone through. Now he was paying for his weakness.
He only hoped for Valeri’s sake that she wasn’t trying to outwit him. He wasn’t sure how forgiving he’d be if he found out she was the one handing him a line.
On the other hand, if he had made a mistake by snatching her off the street, then he’d have to remedy it somehow. He had a nasty feeling that it wasn’t going to be easy. Judging from the dark looks she kept giving him, he wasn’t exactly listed on her dance card.
She sat stiffly in her seat, staring straight ahead with her hands fisted on her thighs. The shirt she wore was made of some clingy material that hugged the lush curves of her firm breasts. He would have liked to linger on the pleasant view, but the bumpy trail claimed his attention.
When he looked back at her, she was still staring ahead with that stony expression. She had a good-looking profile. Her sleek, dark brown hair curved smoothly behind her elegant ears, giving him a clear view of a straight nose and rounded chin. He noticed for the first time a slight dimple at the corner of her mouth.
He wondered what she looked like when she smiled. Without warning, he found himself fantasizing about kissing that dimple. He snatched his gaze back to the road. “You hungry?” Maybe if he concentrated on food, he’d forget how she affected his hormones.
“Yes.”
Her snappy answer warned him that conversation might be difficult. She looked pale, and obviously needed a rest. On top of everything else, she must still be feeling the effects of the accident.
He decided to wait until they were safely tucked away in a motel somewhere, before trying to find out what he wanted to know. Now all he had to do was find somewhere suitable, preferably nearby, and close to a fast-food joint.
Valeri made an effort to unclench her hands as the car bounced and bumped over the rough ground. She was beginning to breathe a bit easier, now that Sabhad’s men were out of sight. She was not out of the woods by any means, but right now Nathan Thorne’s solid presence at her side was a good deal more comforting than the sight of armed thugs bearing down on her.
Although he’d abducted her and was basically holding her prisoner, he’d made no attempt to hurt her. He had, in fact, saved her from what seemed to be a very dangerous situation. Although she wasn’t about to trust him, she did feel fairly confident that he wasn’t going to harm her—though she wasn’t quite sure how she knew that.
At least one truth had emerged from these past terrifying minutes. She knew, without a doubt, that she had never married Ahmed Sabhad. She would have sworn she’d never even met the man, if it hadn’t been for those photos.
And one thing she would swear to. Whoever those children were who held her hands in the picture, they were not hers.
Feeling somewhat comforted by that conviction, she tried to remember where she might have met Sabhad. She thought Alex might have spoken his name, which worried her. There had to be an involvement.
The big question was how Nat fitted into all this. He seemed to be as confused as she was. Then again, that could be an act for her benefit. What she didn’t understand was, if Nat was the ene
my, why had he rescued her from Sabhad’s men?
If only she could remember where Alex was hiding. He must be desperate by now. She just had to escape at the first opportunity.
Her flashes of memory were happening more frequently, gradually filling in some of the time she had lost. Apparently her business was doing well, and she’d adjusted to living alone.
Alex hadn’t married again, either. She knew that now. She was also on very good terms with her father, which made it all the more imperative that she remember the events of the past few days. Apparently she’d been the only one he could trust, from what she could make out from the garbled visions she’d been getting.
Alex was somewhere in Sylvan Springs—she was sure of that. Wherever that was. And how was she going to go about finding him? He’d warned her not to trust anyone. Especially the police.
What she needed were more answers, and right now her best bet seemed to be Nathan Thorne. He must know more about this than she did. Maybe if she could get enough information out of him, it would jog her memory and she’d remember the rest.
The trail had smoothed out a bit, making the ride a little easier. She wasn’t sure if the bruises she could feel were a result of the car wreck, or of the rough treatment she’d taken riding over the mountain in Nat’s battered Volvo.
“There’s a road down there,” Nat said, squinting against the sun that was now sinking lower in the sky. “Looks like we’ll be off this commando course any minute now.”
She’d have preferred not to answer him, but that would not get her the information she needed. “Is it safe, do you think?”
He shrugged. “As safe as any other. I’ll feel a lot better once we find a motel.”
His words produced a tingling sensation deep in her belly. What was it about this man that made everything he said seem like an innuendo? Maybe it was the way he looked at her, with a kind of primitive hunger in those feline eyes that stirred her blood.
As far as she could remember, she hadn’t looked at another man since her divorce. There was no point, since she couldn’t give them what they wanted. She’d convinced herself she could be perfectly happy without them.
But now, seated next to this virile, earthy stranger who could or could not be a dangerous enemy, she felt a vibrant, aching restlessness that had nothing to do with her memory loss or her father’s problems.
It had everything to do with the sight and the feel and the smell of Nathan Thorne, who was at that moment looking for a motel where, presumably, he intended to share a room with her until one or the other of them sorted out what was going on.
The prospect was frightening and incredibly exhilarating. Valeri couldn’t remember when she’d felt so alive, and so vulnerable at the same time.
She had to be mad, she told herself. Allowing a man like this to get under her skin. He could be a cop. He could be something much worse. So far she’d heard nothing to prove he wasn’t. She was simply going on gut feeling—which had not proved too reliable in the past, judging by her divorce.
“I want you to stay down when we hit the road,” Nat said, reminding her that they were not out of danger, yet.
She slid down in her seat, wincing at the sting of pain from her bruises. She was exhausted and hungry. A cool shower sounded good, too. In spite of her misgivings, she was actually looking forward to getting to that motel.
She felt the car level out, and heard the blissfully smooth hum of pavement beneath the wheels. She stayed where she was, hoping it wouldn’t be long before Nat found a motel. On top of everything else, she was in dire need of a bathroom.
“This looks like it might do,” Nat muttered after several minutes of silence.
She wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or to her, but it didn’t really matter since the car had swerved to the right and come to a shuddering halt.
“Before we go in,” Nat said above her head, “there’s a few things we need to get straight. I’m not done with you by a long shot. At this point I don’t know what to believe, and until I get at the truth, I’m sticking to you like a burr to a terrier’s coat. So don’t try anything cute, okay?”
She gave him a look loaded with disdain. “Is it all right if I sit up now?”
“Yes, it’s all right if you sit up now.”
He’d mimicked her voice and she flushed. How could she ever have considered him attractive? The man was obnoxious. Devil was a good term for him.
She wriggled up in her seat, smoothed her hair back with both hands, then brushed the dust from her shirt. She’d never felt so grubby in her entire life.
Nat wound the window down. “I’m going in to book a room. You stay in the car. If anyone asks, you’re my wife. We just got married in Reno.”
She avoided looking at him, afraid her discomfort would show in her face. She wasn’t about to let him know how much he unsettled her. That would be like handing him a deadly weapon. The best way to handle a man like him was to pretend he didn’t affect her in the least.
They were parked outside the office of a shabby-looking motel. The rooms on both floors led straight out into the parking lot. There was only one car—a rusted, mudcovered station wagon—parked outside one of the rooms.
The land around the motel looked flat, dry and barren, with only a few clumps of coarse grass and wildflowers to break the monotony. “Nice place for a honeymoon,” Valeri murmured.
“If there’s one thing I hate,” Nat growled as he climbed out of the car, “it’s a woman with a smart mouth.”
“If there’s one thing I hate it’s a man without principles.”
His face darkened. He shut the door, then leaned in through the open window. “Stay there, and don’t move. If you try to run, you won’t get far, I promise you. And no one is going to believe that dumb story of you losing your memory. If I don’t catch up with you, you can bet Sabhad’s men will. And this time I won’t be around to protect you.”
Valeri flashed him a sweet smile. “Oh, is that what you’re doing?”
She expected him to answer with a sharp retort. Instead, she was disturbed to see his gaze drop to her mouth. “Don’t tempt me, sweetheart,” he drawled. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been this cozy with a woman.”
All her good intentions flew out the window. Totally flustered, she sat back in her seat, mortified to feel the heat burning her cheeks. His soft laugh as he strode off did nothing to calm her jitters.
How could she imagine she’d be safe with a man like that? He’d kidnapped her, threatened her, and worked for a man who would obviously stop at nothing to get his hands on her. The best thing she could do was get away from him and try to find Sylvan Springs. Or maybe it would be better if she went back to her apartment. Perhaps there she’d find enough answers to jog her memory.
If only she could go to the police. But Alex’s voice, warning her not to contact them, was too strong to ignore. She’d have to try hitching a ride back to Sacramento.
She looked over at the door of the office, but couldn’t see anything through the window blind. It was now or never. He’d be back at any minute.
Dusk was drawing in fast. The sun painted the sky a deep red as it drew closer to the horizon, and already the long shadow of the motel crept across the parking lot. It would be dark soon. She wasn’t sure she fancied wandering around the desert after dark, but it was better than taking her chances with the devil.
She leaned across the driver’s seat—farthest from the motel office—and carefully pulled the door handle down. The door stuck and she had to shove to get it to open. It swung out of her hand and she held her breath, praying it wouldn’t slam again.
Valeri slowly slid down until her head was below the level of the window, then crawled across the seat and scrambled out. Keeping her head down, she closed the door again and twisted her head to look around for cover.
The only thing she could see was a Dumpster at the edge of the parking lot. It would have to do for now. Making sure she kept the car between
her and the office door, she scuttled over to the metal bin and crept behind it.
She peered over the top of it, knowing as she did so that she was too exposed. She would never escape the eagle eye of Nathan Thorne. She had to move, right now. Even as she formed the thought, the office door opened. Valeri froze.
Nat paused in the doorway, looking back at someone inside who must have said something to him. She didn’t stop to think. She bent double and scooted for the parked station wagon.
Darting behind it, she held her breath, waiting for the sound of Nat’s footsteps to come pounding after her. Instead, to her immense relief, she heard the Volvo’s engine start up. He must have figured she’d headed for the road.
After what seemed an eternity, she heard him drive out of the parking lot. A minute or two later, the roar of the engine died away, leaving only an unearthly silence behind.
Even so, she waited a long time before venturing out from behind the station wagon. The parking lot was deserted. Hardly able to believe how easily she had hoodwinked Nat, she crossed to the road and looked both ways.
It was almost dark now, with stars beginning to dot the night sky. The road lay flat and straight in one direction, with no glimmer of lights to indicate a car. In the other direction lay the mountains from which she and Nat had driven just a short while ago. That stretch of road looked empty, too.
Valeri was beginning to feel very alone. Her body ached with weariness; someone was hammering nails to the inside of her head; and she was hungry. And she still needed to go to the bathroom.
She looked longingly back at the motel. It would be so blissful just to open one of those doors, climb into a refreshing shower and then sink into a soft, clean bed.
Impossible, of course. In the first place, she had no credit cards. In the second place, Nat would probably come back to the motel when he couldn’t find her. In the third place, she needed to get home to her apartment.
Her best bet, she decided, was to walk down the straight stretch of road. It was probably safer than the mountains. That way she could see if anything was coming—long before it got to her.
The Mercenary And The Marriage Vow Page 5