Steal My Heart

by Lisa Eugene

  It was late when they finished dinner. Maggie took her second shower since getting home, hoping to wash away some of her tension. When done, she cleaned the bathroom to a sparkling perfection. If she could affect order in her environment, then she could affect order in her head. She could stop reliving the bright explosion of color from the crash. Her mind kept conjuring the orange-red flames and the billowing black clouds. The news reported that there’d been a total of ten people on the craft. She took a deep soundless breath, saying a silent prayer for the people who’d lost their lives, and mourning Victoria Rollins, a woman she hardly knew. She used the corner of the towel wrapped around her body to absorb the stubborn well of tears. Gabe was sitting on the bed, and upon seeing her enter the room, rose and enfolded her into his strong arms. His lips brushed across her forehead, and he cradled her head on his broad chest. A solitary lamp lit the large bedroom, challenging the darkness with its fledgling light, and the sorrow that filled the air seemed to coerce an eerie quiet.

  When the steady beeping started on the computer, Maggie found herself pulling away and looking to Gabe for confirmation that she wasn’t hallucinating. She saw a similar sentiment expressed in his eyes. But when the intermittent bleeps continued, they both raced to the computer in the alcove.

  IS ANYONE THERE? IS ANYONE THERE? IS ANYONE THERE? IS ANYONE THERE? IS ANYONE THERE? IS ANYONE THERE?

  Gabe: WHO IS THIS?

  IT’S ME, VICTORIA ROLLINS. THANK GOD I GOT YOU!!! SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED!!!

  Gabe: THE PLANE CRASHED. DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?

  Victoria: OH GOD, MY HUSBAND, PAUL. HE KNEW! HE KNEW SOMEHOW! HE KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO MEET ME AT THE AIRPORT AND RETURN THE DATA. HE DELIBERATELY LOCKED ME IN THE ROOM AND MADE ME MISS THE PLANE. HE PLANNED ON MEETING YOU BY HIMSELF.

  Maggie’s eyes grew wide and round as she read the information Dr. Rollins conveyed. She couldn’t believe the woman was alive. A wave of elation rushed over her like a mighty squall crashing against stones. It appeared her husband, in his deceit, had unknowingly been her savior. She watched Gabe’s fingers attack the keyboard.

  Gabe: WHAT WAS HE PLANNING ON DOING WITH THE RESEARCH?

  Victoria:I THINK THAT FOOL WAS GOING TO GIVE IT TO CANE HOWARD. HE NEVER REALLY AGREED WITH MY DECISION TO WITHHOLD THE DATA FROM CANE. HE FELT INDEBTED TO HIM. PAUL HAD PROBLEMS. CANE BAILED HIM OUT A FEW TIMES. I TOLD HIM CANE COULDN’T BE TRUSTED. I TOLD HIM! CANE’S THE DEVIL HIMSELF IN DESIGNER CLOTHES! NOW LOOK WHAT’S HAPPENED! HE MEANT TO KILL BOTH OF US! I KNOW IT WAS HIM WHO CAUSED THE CRASH! THE MAN IS EVIL!

  Maggie shared a glance with Gabe. His face was impassive, but she could sense his restrained anger.

  “Oh, that poor lady.” She could sense the hysteria emanating from the woman in her frantic writing. She couldn’t imagine the betrayal she must be feeling. Her heart wringing tighter, she bit her knuckles as Dr. Rollins continued.

  Victoria: I THINK PAUL WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE CANE ALL OF MY CODES AND PASSWORDS.

  Gabe: WE CAN’T TALK LONG. WHERE ARE YOU?

  Victoria: A MAID FOUND ME. I CHECKED OUT OF THE HOTEL. I’M STAYING AT A HOSTILE IN KLAGENFURT. I’M SO SCARED.

  Gabe: SIT TIGHT. I’LL BE IN TOUCH.

  Maggie watched Gabe sign off the computer and run long fingers through his thick wavy hair. She didn’t know which emotion she felt stronger: relief or fear. Dr. Rollins was alive, but alone in a foreign city, and now Cane Howard wanted her dead too. Her husband must have told him of their plans to return the research to her. She focused on Gabe as he stood to his full height. She watched him silently cross the room to rummage through his duffle bag. Puzzled, she drew up to his side, needing to discuss how they would handle this unexpected turn of events. His jaw locked square as he took out his spoof phone and perfunctorily jabbed a series of numbers. His dark eyes smudged to a cloudy charcoal and he took a deep breath before he spoke into the phone.

  “I need the plane. I have to get someone out of Austria.”

  Maggie’s breath drew in sharply and her brows twisted at his curt tone. Who was he talking to? His CIA friend? How could be calmly ordering a plane like he was ordering a pizza pie? She listened to him issue several more abrupt orders.

  “Who was that?” she asked anxiously when he signed off the phone.

  He peered down at her, his lips thinning to a harsh line.

  “My brother.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Brother?” she choked. “Your brother owns a plane that can fly to Austria at a moment’s notice?”

  “Well, it technically belongs to both of us, but I don’t use it much,” he returned casually, heading back towards the computer.

  What the fuck? This-brooding-enigmatic-hobo-ex-Navy SEAL-oh-and-by-the-way-I-own-a-plane-and-don’t-want-to-discuss-it-routine-was-getting-old! Who was he? Was she screwing James Bond? She wanted answers. Privacy be damned! She’d just told this man her entire life story. She knew nothing about him.

  She stood rigid, her feet braced apart. “Gabe, what the hell is going on? Who are you?”

  He turned to her, his hands resting on his narrow hips. She couldn’t read his expression, but could sense the sturdy bricks stacking in his stone wall.

  “Maggie, I need to make arrangements for Dr. Rollins. I don’t—”

  She fisted her hands at her sides, hating the dismissal in his voice. Her anger buoyed her. “I’ve slept with you, for God sakes. I think I deserve some explanations!”

  He blinked, and then blinked again. Then he sank to the edge of the bed and patted the area next to him, indicating that she should come over. She stayed rooted in her spot, her anger a grounding force.

  He sighed audibly and looked away. “You already know I was a SEAL and that I hire out my services. I’m from a very prominent, wealthy family, of which I’m estranged.”

  “Estranged?”

  She couldn’t see his eyes, but knew the look that haunted them. “Yes. After I—what happened with my father, I quit Harvard. I joined the SEALs. I trained hard. It was my outlet. I’ve had very little contact with them.”

  Maggie frowned. Who was his family? Why would he not just tell her? The answer hit her like a punch in the gut, knocking the wind from her lungs. He wanted a clean break. He didn’t want her knowing who he was in case she ever tried to track him down. After this was done, he wanted to dump his baggage and move on without any ties. She was sure he also wanted to protect his identity, considering his lifestyle, but she knew in her soul that his primary intention for keeping his secrets was to fade out of her life and leave nothing behind but memories.

  He probably knew she was falling in love with him. He didn’t want a hysterical woman with questionable mental faculties stalking him. This house probably belonged to him too. He didn’t tell her because God forbid she ever found her way back here. No strings. Her fingers quaked with a fine tremor, and she clasped them behind her back. She couldn’t explain why she was blinking back the press of tears, or the crushing pain expanding in her chest. She felt the same way he did. It was better this way. Really.

  “Maggie?” His husky voice floated to her ears and her watery gaze met his. “I never lied to you.” He stood and crossed the room to her.

  “I know. You’re very good at skirting the truth. How convenient.” She knew she was being churlish, but couldn’t muster the strength to care as she spat the words out. “So many things just didn’t make sense.”

  She’d always found the incongruities vexing. Now pieces of the puzzle came together. His worldliness, his refusal to speak of his past, the sports car he drove around that probably cost two hundred thousand dollars, his amazing physical condition. What hobo discussed Shakespeare?

  She didn’t protest when he enveloped her in his muscular arms. Even though she felt miserable, she still craved him, craved the warm comfort he always provided. Her body pressed against his and his ridged abs and powerful thighs molded against her. She pressed her nose into his shirt, inhaling the fresh natural scent
of Gabe. She loved that smell. God, she was pathetic! Quit the shit, Mag! David’s intrusive voice helped her to stem the threatening tears. She sniffled and pulled away, avoiding his astute gaze. His long fingers entwined hers and she swayed.

  “We have work to do. How can I help with the arrangements for Dr. Rollins?” she asked.

  “I have a few more calls to make.”

  “Okay. How about I contact her and get information on her exact location while you work on making arrangements for getting her out.”

  He nodded, but as she walked away he failed to sever the link of their fingers and their arms hung, connected like a line between them. She stopped, unable to go any further, and they stood anchored like joined statues, staring, wanting, and dreaming. The dark room closed in around them and a far off clock ticked noisily with indifference. Gabe was the first one to close the distance between them. He tilted her chin and raised her lips to his. Maggie couldn’t have pulled away even if she’d wanted to. His lips were gentle and soft, slowly sipping from her mouth. His tongue was a slow sweeping caress. It was the sweetest kiss he’d ever given her and she grew limp from its tenderness. When he pulled away, she experienced a profound sense of loss and couldn’t help the feeling that he was kissing her goodbye.

  Gabe glanced back at car where he’d left Maggie just minutes ago. He could barely make out the dark vehicle. In fact, it was hard to find unless you were looking for it. It was tucked into a grove of tall leafy trees in the park about half mile away from The Edge Corp, the headquarters of Cane Howard’s operations. The day was overcast with pillows of grey sleepy clouds that seemed to be contemplating rain. Gabe jogged through the empty park, keeping his eyes on the brown delivery vehicle that had pulled to a stop in the lot of a set of office buildings across the street.

  He skirted the side of the truck, avoiding the delivery man now busily emptying boxes from the back. He waited patiently until the man pulled his dolly to the sidewalk, and he slipped silently into the back of the truck. The phone call he’d made to the UPS Company to complain about the delay of his fictitious packages confirmed that the truck should be reaching The Edge Corp building at eleven thirty am. Concealing his large body behind a row of tall brown boxes, he checked his watch, shifting his backpack off his shoulders. Eleven fifteen. The Edge Corp should be the next stop. He pulled the ropes and tape from his bag, centered his focus, and awaited the return of the UPS driver. The guy was about to get paid for taking a little nap.

  At precisely eleven thirty Gabe flashed his doctored UPS ID to a guard at the lot of The Edge Corp. He took quick inventory of the guard and could find no obvious weapons, but a slight bulge under his jacket told Gabe all he needed to know. The lot had two guards posted and from what he could see, two perimeter cameras.

  A rap on the door to the driver’s side stole his attention from his surveillance, and squinting his eyes he peered at the second guard.

  “Where’s Pete?” The hefty guard stared up at Gabe, his face questioning, a hand shadowing his eyes.

  Gabe let his face slacken and tugged on his brown cap. “Pete’s nursin’ a hell of a hangover. Got me doing his route today. He was out all night partyin’….you know he’s a crazy mothur-fukur!” It was amazing what story the contents of one’s wallet told.

  The guard chuckled roughly, nodding his head. “I done told him it’d catch up to him one day. He loves ta party.”

  Gabe leaned close and winked conspiratorially. “He told me to say hi to Sally for him.”

  The guard gave a yellow, toothy grin. “He’s always eyeing her up, thou’ she looks at him like he’s a bug.”

  “From what I hear, she can swat me anytime.”

  “Good luck with that one!”

  The guard snickered loudly and motioned for him to proceed to the large door that read: UNLOADING. Gabe took his time unloading the boxes, surreptitiously scanning the area once again. Dr. Rollins had briefly mentioned Sally: Cane’s, as she’d put it, attractive but ‘bitchy-barbie’ secretary. He smiled. He liked the fact that Dr. Rollins never diluted her words. He found her candor refreshing. Despite their time constraints, he had been able to gather valuable information. He’d tried to get as much from her as he could, knowing that every detail, no matter how mundane, could be used to his advantage.

  Once inside the building he summoned the mental map he’d constructed from the details she had given him. As he traversed the empty halls, he was impressed. She had an amazing memory. This was where she’d held her monthly meetings with Cane to update him on the status of the research. She told him that she’d never met any of her other sponsors. Cane would update them. He’d brought them in and they never required updates beyond the periodic published reports. Cane though, had been very insistent on meeting monthly. That didn’t surprise Gabe. Cane was probably a control freak.

  Gabe quickly disabled the cameras in the hall. This was sure to get noticed if someone was doing his job, but he planned to be long gone by the time a dispatched team realized what was amiss. He continued down a long hall, pushing his dolly of stacked brown boxes; normally deliveries would go to the right, but he made a sharp left and proceeded through another door.

  The building was quiet at this time of day unless Cane Howard was in attendance. And according to the press, he should currently be at a breakfast honoring him for his philanthropy and support of several cancer societies and his gifts to humanity. Gabe felt his anger boil. The irony astounded him. He kept his cap low on his forehead as he headed down another hallway, then he exited to a gigantic reception room with large windows of cheval glass and an expanse of thick burgundy Turkish carpet. On the other side of the room was a polished mahogany desk, and behind it sat a stiffed-back young woman.

  He pulled his boxes right up to her desk and affected a look of benign confusion. The brown uniform he wore was snug, molding to his arms and chest. He noticed her cool gaze meander over his face and body, but then slide down the slope of her upturned nose to regard him contemptuously. Hmm…he knew her type. She liked what she saw, but could not get past the brown uniform. No ring. Her sights were set much higher. A designer suit would have clearly given him an advantage.

  “Just what do you think you’re doing here?” Her haughty tone was deliberately demeaning.

  “I have a package for Mr. Howard.”

  He leaned casually on her desk, favoring her with a charismatic smile. He was surprised at how much effort was required. This woman had straight pale blond hair cascading like a silky waterfall over one shoulder, delicate bone structure, large glassy green eyes, and apple-red pouty lips. She was stick thin. Probably ate once a week, he mused. Although he preferred his women full figured, she was undeniably beautiful, but she did nothing for him. She was a cold breeze chilling the air.

  Images of a much different woman popped into his head—an angel with wavy blonde hair, naturally full kissable lips, and slate blue eyes that regarded the world with wry humor and timid curiosity. His angel had a smile that heated his body and penetrated to the depth of his soul to soothe him. And her body…Oh, God, focus. Shit, he couldn’t allow such distractions.

  She huffed, “Dylan usually brings all of Mr. Howard’s packages in.”

  He saw her glance towards the phone. He had to think of something fast or he’d have to do this the hard way. He smirked inwardly. She was obviously immune to his charms.

  He gave her a sloppy smile and said, “Well, to tell you the truth, I heard how gorgeous Mr. Howard’s secretary was. I wanted to judge for myself so I begged Dylan to let me personally deliver these packages for Mr. Cane.” He waved a hand towards his boxes.

  He watched a light flicker behind the cold eyes. Her lips twisted into a half smile. Vanity. Bingo!

  “And, well?” she asked with conceited amusement.

  Nowhere close to my Maggie. He was surprised at the possessiveness of his thoughts. He smirked. He knew how to play this game.

  “Jury is still out.”

  Her thin brows
rose perceptibly and he wanted to laugh out loud. She was obviously shocked that he wasn’t stupefied by her beauty, but maintained her aloof demeanor.

  “Like your opinion matters, peon. You wish you could have this.” She sent the orbs of her eyes heavenward.

  She tilted her head away from him and raised her chin. Gabe had to bite his tongue. His opinion might not mean much, but he knew she thrived on the attention. He knew the next move. Now she’ll stand and pose so that he could get a full visual, see what he’d never have. Thank God!

  “Come this way.” She stood and led him towards a large door to the right, her narrow hips swaying seductively. He grabbed his dolly and rolled his eyes, growing nauseous. This was a woman who lived for praise and adulation, who fed off it for sustenance. She was probably an expert at manipulating men to get what she wanted. Even men she’d never lower herself to date. He couldn’t help comparing her to Maggie. He loved his angel’s inner spirit. God, had he really used the L word? Quickly, he resumed his thoughts, not willing to dwell too much on the question. Her kindness and compassion for humanity was like an inner sun highlighting her beauty. She would never treat people as though they were beneath her. He smiled slowly. She might be afraid that they’d cough on her, but she’d never assume superiority. He wondered briefly how she was doing alone in the car.

  The secretary preceded him into a large closet, and his gaze slid to his watch. Shit, he’d already wasted way too much time. He’d have to do this the hard way. He pulled his gear from one of the boxes. He had to move quickly. Clapping a hand over her mouth, he had her emaciated form subdued and tied in under two minutes.

  “Sorry, Barbie. And the jury is in. You’re nothing special,” he said, closing the closet door. She stared, her wide eyes never losing their frigid expression.