by Karen Kirst
She rubbed her hands down her face. “Speculation isn’t going to get us out of hiding.”
“Tired of my company already? It hasn’t even been an hour.”
“We can’t stay here indefinitely.” She spread her hands. “You have to go back to work, and so do I. Felicia isn’t working for free.”
“Trust me, I wish we could be out there searching for answers, too. But until we put faces on every one of these guys, we have to stay out of sight.”
“It angers me that he’s manipulated us into putting our lives on hold.”
Cade wondered what frustrated her more. Being isolated in a hideout for an unknown amount of time or being isolated with him. Despite their agreement to start fresh, tension swirled below the surface. He was still attracted to her, and he was positive she felt the same pull.
“It won’t last forever.”
“I know.” Her teeth sunk into her full bottom lip. Looping her duffel bag over her arm, she inclined her head toward the stairs. “I’m going to take my stuff to my room. Maybe read a book.”
They’d agreed he’d take the first-floor bedroom and that she’d have the second-floor area to herself.
Cade hid his disappointment. He’d anticipated spending the next few hours with her, reconnecting over shared memories and a childhood board game.
Her foot was on the bottom step when she stopped and changed directions. Skirting the dining table and chairs, she went to the short bar-style counter separating the eating area from the kitchen and pulled a large knife from its wooden holder.
“You have your Beretta. I’ll keep this on my nightstand.”
He didn’t mention all the ways that knife could be used against her, especially considering Aaron’s military training. If having it in her room helped her sleep better, so be it. Cade wasn’t going to let anyone get to her.
THIRTEEN
Tori hadn’t been asleep long when a noise woke her. It took her a few seconds to recognize the rattan furniture and tropics-inspired ceiling fan. This was her fourth night at the condo. Since she hadn’t left the confines of these walls, she should be used to these surroundings by now.
Pushing upward to rest against the headboard, she listened for unusual sounds and failed to detect anything that would be cause for alarm. Her window was above a portion of the parking lot, and sometimes the slamming of car doors or loud conversations would leach through it. That was mostly during the day, though.
Right before she’d gone to bed, Cade had mentioned he had another half hour before his show ended. A quick glance at the nightstand told her more than an hour had passed. He was probably snoozing already.
She thrust the covers aside. Because of the circumstances, she’d opted against her usual pajama short set and chosen to wear a soft T-shirt and loose cotton pants to bed. She picked up the knife and trudged to the door. Sleeping wouldn’t be an option until she reassured herself the windows and doors were locked tight.
Or maybe you’re hoping to share a midnight snack with your gorgeous ex-fiancé?
Being cooped up with Cade had her traversing an emotional tightrope. It amazed her how quickly they’d fallen into old patterns, teasing and challenging each other, working as a typical couple when it came to meals and cleanup. Like the boy she’d adored, the grownup Cade was witty and, at times, insufferably obstinate. But considerate and committed to making this time of isolation bearable for her.
Beyond her door, thick silence greeted her. Cade was probably asleep. The light from her room created a thin shaft on the stairs, and she descended into the dark lower floor, the carpet soft and cool against her bare feet.
In the small foyer, she reached for the doorknob and went still. Something felt off.
Squeezing the knife handle until it dug into her palm, she peered into the living area and kitchen. The shadows were complete, thanks to the drawn blinds and curtains. The area where the couches and entertainment center were situated was inky black. Her heart pounded in her ears as she crept toward the kitchen. When the curtain billowed and a briny breeze wafted through the condo, Tori realized she was hearing the waves hitting the surf.
The sliding glass door was open.
Please, let it be Cade outside, moon gazing.
Hugging the wall on her left, she inched along the smooth surface, intent on reaching Cade’s room. Maybe he’d heard the same noise that had disturbed her. Or maybe he’d planned to go outside and gotten a phone call, but his phone was in his room.
Her overactive brain ran through various scenarios.
Bottom line, Cade wouldn’t have left them vulnerable to attack. No matter that they’d been here since Monday without incident and their location was known to a few select people.
As she neared the hallway, the sense of foreboding enveloped her.
Knots formed below her sternum. Her palms grew sweaty.
Offering up a prayer for protection, she whipped around the corner and tripped over something in the open doorway. Gasping, she bumped into the wall, using it to keep her upright.
She fumbled for the light switch. A scream ripped from her lips at the sight that greeted her. The knife clinked onto the tiles.
“Cade!” Dropping down beside his prone form, she struggled to turn him onto his back. “Please be okay,” she repeated again and again.
Still dressed in his T-shirt and pants, he had no visible injuries. No new ones, anyway. But his eyes were closed, his mouth slack.
She pressed her fingers to his neck. A pulse. He had a pulse.
The scrape of a shoe against the tiles behind her warned her she wasn’t alone. Too late. A body slammed into her, shoving her to her stomach. Her cheek glanced off the hard floor, pain ricocheting through her skull. She tried to crawl out of reach. Failed.
His knee hit her mid-back and pinned her in place.
Cold terror shafted through her. The next time you see her, she’ll be in pieces.
That’s what Aaron had said.
Gloved hands wrapped around her throat and squeezed. Hot breath scalded her ear.
This wasn’t Aaron, her dazed mind realized. No smell of smoke. And he was lighter. Not as stocky. The masked man from the woods?
Tori maneuvered her left hand to try to pry his fingers away. He increased the pressure, bruising the sensitive skin and cutting off her air supply. His complete silence was horrifying.
He was going to wait until she was unconscious and transport her to another location. Unless the plan had changed and the decision was made to kill her first and then move her lifeless body.
Fight, Tori! Fight!
She squirmed and kicked. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him.
But he was stronger and in a position of control.
The knife!
With her right hand, she swiped the floor in a wide arc. Her fingertips brushed against metal. There. If she could scoot just an inch closer to Cade, she could grab it.
Black dots danced before her eyes. Time was running out. Her lungs felt like they were going to burst.
Somehow, she managed a weak grip on the weapon. Summoning all her strength, she twisted her head and jabbed the blade into his leg.
An anguished hiss blew through her hair. The second his grip loosened, she slammed her head back against his nose and shimmied from beneath him. Gulping in air, she stumbled to her feet. Her attacker was between her and the exit.
She dashed into another bedroom and slammed the door closed. Before she could lock it, he shouldered it open.
Tori backed away, searching the room for a makeshift weapon. There was none. Besides, he had the knife in his hand.
Her heels encountered the baseboard between the dresser and nightstand. Nowhere else to go.
He stopped by the foot of the bed and glared at her, chest heaving, blood dripping from the tear in his pants.
&nb
sp; Unnerved, Tori experienced a rush of anger. “Why won’t you speak? Your boss likes to gloat and taunt. Not you.” Her fingers dug into the Sheetrock. “You haven’t made a peep.”
She sensed rather than saw his scowl. Then a thought hit her.
“I know you,” she breathed. “I know you, and that’s why you haven’t spoken. Because you’re afraid I might recognize your voice.”
He grunted and lifted the weapon. Took a step in her direction.
Out of options, Tori began to beat on the wall and scream as loudly as she could manage. The units shared common walls. It was late. Someone had to be sleeping on the other side. If she could wake them—
“Tori!”
Cade. She spun around, fully expecting to find her attacker about to pounce.
He was gone.
Tori bolted into the hallway in time to see him flee through the open patio door. Cade was using the doorjambs to leverage himself up.
“What happened?”
She rushed past him and secured the door with shaky fingers. Then she returned to his side and, looping an arm around his ribs, assisted him to the couch.
“I heard something. Found you passed out.” Sitting so that there wasn’t even an inch separating them, she let her hands roam over his face, his shoulders and arms. “Do you remember anything?”
“I was preparing to turn in when I heard a noise. I went to investigate. That’s it.” He raked his hand through his hair and, wincing, came away with traces of blood on his fingers.
Tori carefully explored his head and located a sizable lump. “He knocked you over the head with something.”
“Raising a commotion was smart thinking. Considering the amount of people occupying these units and milling about the grounds, he had to have counted on rendering you unconscious before moving you.”
“The walls aren’t soundproof,” she said. “I’d hoped to rouse someone’s attention.”
Pounding on the front door startled her.
Cade’s eyes shot to hers. “Looks like you succeeded.” He pushed himself off the cushions and trudged to the door.
“Is everything okay in there?” a male voice boomed.
Cade peeked through the peephole. “Don’t recognize him.”
* * *
On the other side of the door, a big, barrel-shaped man with a beard stood in nothing but a pair of swim trunks and sandals. A woman waited behind him wearing a bathrobe. Their eyes widened at the sight of Tori. Of their own volition, her fingers touched her throbbing cheek.
“Do you need me to call the police, miss?” The man cast a hard glare at Cade. “You can wait in our condo until they arrive.”
At his implication, she rushed out, “Oh, no, this isn’t what you think. We had an intruder.”
The woman gripped her husband’s arm. “The kids are asleep. If there’s someone breaking into the units, we shouldn’t leave them alone.”
Tori slipped her hand in Cade’s. “Thank you for coming to check on us. I wasn’t sure if there was anyone on the other side of the wall.”
He looked Tori in the eye. “You need us, just holler.”
When they’d gone, Cade shut and locked the door. Then he turned to her.
Smoothing a wayward lock of hair behind her ear, he cupped her jaw and brushed his thumb lightly across her throbbing cheek. Fury built in his eyes, darkening them to almost black.
“We have to call Claxton. Get a team up here to go through this place with a fine-tooth comb. We’re going to identify this guy and everyone else in Aaron’s circle. And then they’re going to pay for hurting you.”
“Not yet.” Her body began to shake. “I need for you to hold me.”
* * *
Cade gingerly traced the purplish-yellow marks on her slender neck, again reliving the helplessness he’d felt when he’d regained consciousness to the sound of her screams. Helplessness that had given way to anger. Anger at himself for failing her. Anger at Aaron and the beasts doing his bidding.
Need sprung to life in her eyes. Her lips quivered.
“When is this going to stop? What if the next time is the time he gets it right?”
Cade pulled her close. Curling into him, she rested her cheek against his chest and hugged his waist. His heart raced at the same frantic pace as the night of senior prom, when he’d finally admitted his feelings and kissed her for the first time. Not since Tori had he experienced a connection like this. A deep, emotional bond forged by friendship.
He stroked her hair, reveling in her complete surrender, her willingness to lean on him.
“We have to remember God’s in control,” he murmured, more for himself than her. “He has a plan.”
Her arms tightened. “For the life of me, I can’t see any reason for such a plan.”
“I know.” He brushed a kiss to her temple, ignoring the dull ache in his skull. “It’s hard to trust Him when we’re in the middle of a storm.”
“How did you do it? When you were in Afghanistan?”
“I kept repeating a verse I learned years ago. ‘For without faith, it’s impossible to please God.’”
Cade didn’t always like or understand the ways of His Creator. He couldn’t fathom why an upstanding guy like William Poole had to lose his life or why a kindhearted, generous woman like Tori would be targeted. But he believed God was all-knowing and all-powerful. He believed God loved people and wanted a relationship with them.
“‘His thoughts are above our thoughts, His ways above our ways,’” she softly quoted.
Cade didn’t stand a chance against the need swamping him. Tipping up her chin, he gazed deep into her eyes, searching for answers to questions he dared not give voice to. She looked lost. He yearned to take away her anguish. When her fingers curled into his sides and she snuggled closer, he dipped his head and slanted his mouth over hers. Her lips were as soft and welcoming as he remembered. She clung to him, returning his kiss.
The woman she’d become fascinated him. He wanted to know more, to know everything she was willing to share.
The chemistry that had always simmered between them roared to life, temporarily blocking out their surroundings. His world centered on her. Victoria Elaine James. The only woman he’d ever envisioned a future with. For a few brief, blissful moments, she was his again. Nothing stood between them.
Tori abruptly ended the embrace, pulling away and hugging her arms around her middle, as if she required protection from him.
“Has nothing changed?” he said, already aware of the answer.
A battle waged in her eyes. “I respect you, Cade. I admire what you stand for, what you fight for.”
“But you want nothing to do with the type of life I lead.”
“I’m sorry.” She threaded her hair out of her face with trembling hands. “I can’t make decisions about us right now.”
Cade’s initial reaction was hurt, followed by disappointment. He tamped them down. Ten years ago, he’d made the mistake of being rash. He’d learned the value of patience since then.
“Understood.”
Anguish twisted her mouth. “The last thing I want is to hurt you again.”
“I shouldn’t have pressed you. Probably shouldn’t have kissed you, given our current emotional states.”
“Right. This wouldn’t have happened if not for the danger we’ve found ourselves in.”
Cade pressed his lips together to restrain the argument building inside. He wasn’t sure he agreed with her assessment. But it wasn’t the time or the place.
“Whatever the case,” he finally said, “we have bigger problems to focus on.”
They could determine the significance of that kiss later.
He prayed there would be a later. His enemies weren’t going to stop until they were apprehended or he and Tori were dead.
FOURTEEN
> “I don’t think there’s any damage to the condo,” Cade said. “If you notice anything I missed, I’ll cover the cost to fix it.”
Brett sprawled in one of the metal patio chairs, fingers clutching the armrests and his knees bouncing. He’d insisted on coming when Cade had called. “I thought no one would find out about this place.”
“That’s what we assumed, too.”
The curtains had been drawn, and all the lights inside were on. Through the glass, he could see Emerald Isle police officers milling around. Tori was in deep conversation with her brother, Jason. Fatigue bracketed her mouth, and her shoulders were curved inward, her fingers periodically touching the bruises on her throat.
He mentally kicked himself again for giving his emotions free reign. Kissing her hadn’t been the wisest thing to do, not when they were both distracted and on edge.
“And you said your Jeep’s a total loss?”
Cade shifted against the patio’s low concrete barrier. “There’s no saving it.”
He’d poured time, energy and money into modifying the vehicle. He regularly scoured online forums for the latest information and had joined a local club that went off-roading on weekends. His friends had teased him about never being satisfied with it. They didn’t know Jeep stood for Just Empty Every Pocket.
“That girl isn’t worth the trouble.” Brett’s mouth became an irate slash.
“None of this is Tori’s fault.” Cade worked to contain his annoyance. “She was dragged into this in order to punish me.”
His knees stopped bobbing. “What?”
“I haven’t had a chance to update you, I guess. Aaron let it slip that he’s avenging William Poole’s death. Hurting her is a means to an end.”
“Before he kills you, you mean. Stands to reason that if Tori had stayed in Knoxville, none of this would’ve happened. Your life was normal before she came around.”
His head throbbed. “How did you know she lived in Knoxville?”
His brows crashed together. “You told me.”
“I told you she was in Tennessee. I didn’t mention what city. Furthermore, you’re the only person I confided in about her.”