by Wendy Byrne
"Hey, you two. I'm hungry," Caitlyn announced, the innocence of her words slicing through the air and releasing the tension. At least for the moment.
"You could definitely use a little meat on your bones."
Sabrina wasn't naïve enough to believe all Caitlyn's problems had disappeared over the short time she'd slept. She knew, without a doubt, it would take time and patience to regain what she'd had. But compared to how Caitlyn looked when they'd found her, this recovery was nothing short of a miracle.
"To think all those times I dieted. Now I'm looking to put on weight. The irony of it all." Caitlyn laughed, the sound as close to normal as Sabrina could expect given the circumstances.
"The stuff from earlier has gotten cold. What would you like?"
"Breakfast." She giggled. "Although I think it's closer to dinner. I have a taste for"—she shrugged, a smile lining her face—"anything and everything."
"I can do that," Kane responded, picking up the phone.
It didn't take long for room service to arrive and the food and coffee to be brought in. Croissants, jellies, eggs, breads, fruit, and pasta piled high on the plates.
They sat down at the table, and ate in silence for a few minutes before Caitlyn spoke. "What's with you two? Are you boyfriend and girlfriend or something?"
Kane glanced over at Sabrina, one eyebrow raised, his dimpled smile firmly in place. He was definitely enjoying the sense of discomfort the question provoked in her.
A shot of nerves skittered through. It was weird after all she'd been through that such a simple question brought about that type of response.
"Kane helped me find you. Of course, I did most of the work," she teased, trying to lessen the knot of tension in her stomach. "But he did come in handy a time or two."
"Come in handy? Is that all the thanks I get? You need somebody to rein in that impulsive streak of yours."
Caitlyn giggled. "You two look good together. You should definitely be a couple."
Sabrina felt heat flame her face. How could she kill a man without a hint of nerves, but one relationship question and she was about ready to crawl out of her skin?
"I'm never in one spot long enough to be a couple." Finally, the words spurted out of her mouth.
Caitlyn didn't seem to be listening as she paled and stopped eating, putting down the fork she was holding. Tears sprang up on the corners of her eyes. "It's the little things I missed. My dad always burns the bacon and my mom…well…she burns everything. But Dad eats it anyway."
Sabrina nodded. Although she didn't have the same experience as Caitlyn growing up, she could remember tidbits of her life before her parents' death. She could remember having some great times with her brothers. Times that weren't consumed with fear. Even Petrovich had his kinder side at times.
"Families might get on your nerves, but that doesn't mean you don't love them," Kane said.
Sabrina felt a little queasy as the need to flee overtook her in a rush. Something about what Caitlyn said, the words she spoke, unnerved her. Long-held beliefs tumbled inside her head as she fought to make sense of it all.
"I'll be back in a few. I need to borrow your phone."
Kane gave her a stare-down before handing her the phone. She knew he was curious. But also knew he wouldn't ask. She turned and headed out the door without another word.
Her heart pounded in her chest as if she'd run a couple of miles uphill. Need and desire and pain and hurt tousled inside like a giant tornado.
Sabrina fought with the urge to succumb to memories. She'd done some horrible things in her life. But had she done them for the right reasons? Would she ever know? Rescuing Caitlyn she could feel good about. But lingering doubt seemed to dog her every step of the way. Remnants of striving for perfection to gain Goren's approval tumbled through her head. He wasn't abusive to her or her brothers, but none of them ever wanted to disappoint him. Was that about fear that he'd cast them out, leaving them once again vulnerable to the whims of others? Or more about that sinister side to him he showed once in a while that kept them in check? And why, in the end, did he set the three of them up to be killed?
She rushed through the lobby and into the cool evening air, and the soft breeze sifted through her hair. She walked the streets of Zurich for about twenty minutes. Discharging all the feelings swirling around her brain was a welcome relief.
At thirty, she was much too old for make-believe. She was way too old to think the past could be erased. And she was way too smart to think Caitlyn and Kane Travis could change her cold heart.
Her brothers would help her find Ponci. Then they'd help her track down Trinity. She didn't waste a minute before she made the call and filled them in on everything she'd been up to, including Caitlyn, Trinity, Ponci, and Kane.
"What do you need?" Max asked.
"Money and a phone, and most of all I need both of you to help get this done."
"Give me the info on your hotel, and I'll have a phone in your lobby within an hour. And we'll take the next plane out," Jake said.
A sense of relief hit her as she hung up. Together they could do this. After Ponci, they'd hunt down Trinity. Maybe then she'd be able to sleep and put to rest her past transgressions.
After walking around town to waste some more time, she picked up the phone Jake had sent. She sent her brothers a text so they'd have her new number. Only then did she make her way back to the room. Stepping off the elevator, she heard music. Then a giggle. And a warm, tingly feeling rushed through her before she opened the door and spotted Caitlyn and Kane laughing. And dancing?
The normalcy of the scene made her believe Kane was right about Caitlyn. Maybe she was a lot stronger than Sabrina believed.
Caitlyn shouted as soon as Sabrina walked inside, "Look, Sabrina. I'm teaching Kane how to dance. I thought he'd be much too old to learn." Caitlyn laughed again as Kane mimicked the girl's movements while music blared from the TV.
"Pretty smooth, don't you think?" He winked, sending a wash of an unidentifiable emotion slithering through her.
How could he do that? She had rectified all this weirdness in her head about him and then he did something so darn…well…adorable, even if he'd loathe her use of the word.
"Come on, Sabrina, join us," Caitlyn said, motioning toward Sabrina.
"Naw, I don't think so. I'll let Kane make a fool of himself while I watch along the sidelines."
He tugged at her arm. "Oh no, girlie. I don't think so." He pulled her alongside him.
Caitlyn and Kane continued their dance, her with the concentration and skill, him…hot damn…he looked downright sexy. Although she'd rather die than reveal that bit of information to him. It cost her enough admitting it to herself.
"Come on, Sabrina," Caitlyn urged.
"I don't think she knows how. She's led a rather sheltered life, filled with boring stuff that made her a rather dull little lady." A wicked sneer pulled up the left corner of his mouth, and the dimple popped to the surface.
She elbowed him in the stomach. "All right. That's it. You've left me no option but to show you both up."
The pull was irresistible. The normalcy of it all blended together with hope as she jumped in the middle of the step. Never prone to flights of fancy, letting the music guide her body felt more freeing than she'd dared believe. Was this some kind of weird metamorphosis taking place in her? One that she wasn't very receptive to even while simultaneously drawn to it.
For the first time in a very long while, Sabrina felt at peace. The sheer joy of the moment overcame her, as something she couldn't even fathom, let alone remember, oozed along her spine.
When the song finished, and the next began, Caitlyn stopped. "You two dance together. I need to sit down for a minute."
Fear sat low in Sabrina's belly while Kane shimmied up next to her, his arms outstretched. When she shook her head, he motioned over to Caitlyn, who then replaced her smile with a pout.
Push. Pull. Push. Pull.
Reluctantly, Sabrina
moved toward Kane as if marching off to her execution. Touching him, or letting him touch her, brought out the worst in her. When he did that, she felt out of control. Definitely not a feel-good.
Something about him made her insides go all mushy, for lack of a better word. And she didn't appreciate that feeling. She was not a mushy kind of gal. Besides, it made her feel raw and vulnerable. And that was not something she could welcome with open arms.
But there she was, between the proverbial rock and the hard place as she glanced over at Caitlyn, who seemed to be relishing in her newfound matchmaking skills. Without an option, she slipped into Kane's embrace, fighting against the pull.
Not having the energy to resist, every muscle in her body relaxed. With his left arm positioned at her back, his right hand wound within hers and rested on his shoulder. Letting her head relax against his chest resembled coming home.
He whispered provocatively into her ear. Memories of his touch on her body tumbled through her brain. Had it not been for Caitlyn's presence, Sabrina wouldn't have an ounce of will to resist the chemistry that sparked between them. But she didn't believe in this. In fact, everything about who she was demanded she resist this kind of lunacy.
But she couldn't. At least not right now. Her brothers would be here soon, and she'd come to her senses and morph back into her old self. For right now, she could enjoy the moment or two of mindless sensation.
With precisely that thought in mind, she gave in. Let his hands touch her, sparking her nerve endings to a jolt. The fresh scent of soap and Kane enveloped her as a shroud bringing with it memories long since denied.
Part of her wanted to give in. Part of her knew there was never any happily ever after. That was only in the movies.
And the part she didn't want to think about hoped she was wrong.
When the song ended, he didn't let her go. Rather he stood there, one hand on her back, the other still wound within hers. He chucked under her chin, forcing her head up to look into his eyes. "What nefarious purpose did you want my phone for?" he whispered.
Even though she expected the question, it still caught her by surprise. She clenched her jaw tight. "Checking in with the family."
He slowly nodded and glanced at the readout on his phone. "I wonder what that conversation was about?"
"Have you become my keeper?" She'd predicted he'd go there, but she still couldn't help the swell of resentment for no other reason than he had the upper hand.
"I know this might shock you, but I worry about your impulsivity."
"That's my problem, isn't it?" She needed to push him away, and this seemed a good time to do exactly that.
He lifted his fingers to her hair and stared into her eyes. "I don't want you to spend the rest of your life in prison."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
"Hey, what are you two talking about so secretively?"
"Nothing much. She dared me not to dip her." He winked. "But I love a good dare." Swooping in with all the style and grandeur of an old-fashioned movie, he bent Sabrina over his arm, until her head nearly touched the floor.
Before she could struggle back to a standing position, the hotel phone rang. He pulled her to an upright position and grabbed it.
"Kane Travis," he spoke into the receiver, then nodded. "You have the right number. Let me get your daughter."
He handed the phone to Caitlyn. "Mommy, are you on your way?" Tears dribbled down Caitlyn's face as she spoke. "I'm…all right…thanks to Sabrina…and Kane." She hiccupped as emotion ebbed through her body in a violent torrent, ripping the words from her throat. "Sabrina's boyfriend." Rather than say anything else coherent, she only nodded and grunted. "Uh huh," Caitlyn managed to say before handing the phone to Sabrina.
Caitlyn flung herself at Kane. He enveloped her within his arms, allowing her to release all the emotion until she was spent. With one hand, he patted her back, while he whispered that everything would be okay.
Sabrina longed to have someone give her that sense of security even though she knew she would never be willing to give over that amount of control. "I'll make sure the FBI meets your plane in Zurich in the morning," she told Martha Collins. Sabrina jotted down their flight information. "I'll pass that on."
"Will it be safe for Caitlyn?" Martha asked, her voice filled with fear. "Will you be coming back with us? I'd feel much better if you were with us on the plane." Sabrina wasn't surprised by the irrational fear. They'd been through a lot in the last six weeks or so.
"That won't be possible right now." She eyed Kane. "But the FBI will be ensuring everyone's safety. And I have total faith in them."
Kane didn't even bother to hide his laughter.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Sabrina glanced at the clock. She'd slept for nearly twelve hours. While Sabrina and Caitlyn shared the bed, Kane took over the pullout couch in the sitting area for the night.
With sounds of CNN in the background, she heard Kane moving about outside the door. She threw off the covers and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind her.
He had already ordered coffee and a slew of pastries from room service. "Good morning." He smiled and poured her a cup of coffee. "Snag a pastry and let's talk out on the terrace. I don't want Caitlyn to overhear." He grabbed his laptop on the way out.
She sat down at the bistro table, as did he. "What's going on?"
"Ponci's dead. It looks to be a professional hit." He stopped and let her digest that information before he continued. "They're closing in on Trinity. One of the men who was taken in for questioning on human trafficking charges decided to exchange information for immunity. He's given us an address in Paris for a man by the name Pierre Lennard, who is alleged by this man to be Trinity. As we speak, the FBI is doing due diligence. They're looking into the guy's financial situation, his website activity, and searching for a connection to Marco."
She sucked in a breath. "Did they make a positive ID on Ponci?" She grabbed his arm. "I mean a hundred percent."
"He has a couple of scars that match up positively."
"What do you know about this Pierre Lennard guy?"
"He's a wealthy businessman who has several homes throughout Europe. Also owns a condo in New York."
"What kind of business is he in?" Maybe she was suspicious by nature, but something seemed a little too convenient. Then again, maybe she was ready for the challenge and having this all over with so easily and being left out of the action annoyed her.
One step at a time. That meant that her journey with her brothers would get easier. Finding the man and getting the charges to stick were entirely different things.
"Here's a picture. Does he look at all familiar?" Kane pointed to a picture he pulled up on his computer.
She examined the face for signs of familiarity, but the middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes didn't ring any bells. "Don't know him. When will you hear something definite?" She let the question hang in the air. Something about this seemed a little too pat.
He eased out a smile as he examined his watch. "Not sure when I'll hear something. But since Caitlyn's parents will be here in a couple of hours, would you mind if I went to Paris to see this settled?"
Maybe she was a control freak and wanted to be there when it happened. Maybe she felt worried they'd let the slimy bastard slip through their fingers. Maybe something about the scenario didn't click into place for her.
"No problem." She sucked in a breath, "But are you sure this is for real this time? It all seems a little too convenient."
"Anybody's fair game when it means a few less years in prison."
Sabrina bit at the nail of her index finger. "But it doesn't make sense. From everything we found, nobody knew who Trinity was. Even Marco. Why would this guy know?"
How did it go from nobody knowing the real identity of Trinity to suddenly some guy turning over on him? Smelled of a decoy to her.
"We'll know soon enough if he's the right guy." Kane fidgeted a bit before he spoke again. "And if
he is…this is over."
"Let's hope."
"And we both go back to the States. Alone?"
Sabrina paused, trying to read Kane's blank expression. "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm trying to say we didn't make a half-bad team."
Sabrina snorted, trying to cover an unwelcome tide of emotion pooling in her stomach. "We made a terrible team. We fought the whole time."
Kane took a step toward her, his fingers lightly grazing her cheek. "Not the whole time," he said, infusing the words with a meaning that made Sabrina's face heat. "But you and I need to talk."
Sabrina bit at the corner of her lip, feeling a different sort of sensation ride along her spine. She trounced it down, narrowing her eyes as she stared back at him. "I don't do relationships."
Kane shrugged. "Right. Neither do I." But he took another step forward, so close that Sabrina could feel his breath on her cheek. Was it her imagination or was it coming faster? Stronger. As if emotion was backing up in his chest as well.
She forced herself to take a step back, feigning indifference that was completely at odds with the feelings tingling up and down her spine. "There's nothing between us. It's the emotional intensity we've been under. Come on, you know how the scenario works. It's Stockholm syndrome or something."
"That's about captors and their victims."
"Whatever. You know what I mean. It was adrenaline. Intensity. Sex. That's it."
"That's it?" Was she crazy or did she detect a note of disappointment in his voice?
She shrugged, allowing the unease building inside her to ooze out. "Look, you're off the hook, okay? I'm not the romantic type. I'm not the type of gal a guy brings flowers. I'm more the type they buy a beer, talk about their bitchy girlfriend, wife, lover, or whatever and hope to get laid."
Kane's eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, Caitlyn poked her head out of the door. "This is where you guys are hiding. Come on inside. It's too small out on that patio, and I'm starved." Taking a bite of a croissant, she ushered them inside and plopped down on the couch. "Hey, what's going on? You two seem weird."