John looked frantically at Sasha as if for assistance. “If I tell you what you want to know I won’t be able to hide anywhere in the world,” he argued, fear making his gaze wild. “You don’t know this man. He has people everywhere. He’d find me and kill me in ways even you couldn’t imagine.”
“I can make it simple for you, John. Tell me about your boss, and I’ll make sure you’ll never have to worry about him.” His voice beckoned to the man, offering safety.
“Sure, you would,” he scorned. “You want me dead for what I did to her. I’ll tell you, and you’ll still kill me. He wanted you dead, so why should you care what happens to me,” he argued. “All I was told was to rough up the woman. He figured you’d come out of hiding once you heard she’d been attacked. He’d done what he could and couldn’t find you. He knew the two of you were lovers and he was able to track her down.”
Riley couldn’t help it. He grabbed the front of the man’s hospital gown and pulled him upward.
“Who? Who wanted me so bad he’d have you beat up a defenseless woman?” he growled, shaking the man. “So help me, if you don’t give me the bastard’s name, I’ll feed you to the fishes.”
“He’ll kill me!”
“He won’t have to, John, because I’ll kill you first.” Riley’s grip on the man’s hospital gown tightened.
The man looked into Riley’s eyes. He could no longer succeed in his assignment which signed his death warrant with one man. It didn’t matter because he read his own death on this man’s face.
Chapter 12
Jenna hated waiting. It reminded her too much of the hours she’d spent waiting at the courthouse before she had to testify. Memories of hours waiting in small rooms with an armed U.S. Marshal by her side flooded her brain.
This time was even worse because she was waiting for Riley. She had no idea how long she’d waited, because she refused to look at the clock. Seeing the minutes pass by so slowly only made it worse.
She lay in bed trying to relax but couldn’t. She filled the bathtub with hot water and laced it with bath oil with the idea of relaxing there.
Except every time she closed her eyes, she saw her attacker’s face. Reading was out as was watching television. She paced the length of the parlor, all the time wishing she smoked so she could have something to do with her hands.
She jumped and exhaled a soft scream when the door opened and Riley stepped in.
“Who were you expecting? Dracula?” He grinned.
Jenna ran over to him and quickly examined his hands and arms.
“I didn’t hurt him, Smitty,” he said softly.
“I hate that nickname.” She sniffed, feeling as if she was going to cry.
“No, you don’t.” He gathered her into his arms and rested his chin on top of her head. “I always thought it fit you.”
She hugged him tightly around the waist because she needed the contact. “Tell me you put electrodes on his body and made him miserable.”
“I told him you wanted me to use medieval torture instruments. He got so scared he talked before I had to bring out the rack and iron maiden,” he assured her.
Jenna tipped her head back in order to look up at him. “Then he told you where to find Grieco’s men.”
He blew out the breath he’d been holding.
“He doesn’t work for Grieco, Smitty.”
She broke out of his embrace. “What do you mean he doesn’t work for Grieco?” Her voice rose. “Why did he come after me, then?”
He looked as if he wished he was anywhere but here. “He came after you because the person he was really after was me, even the first time.”
Jenna dropped unsteadily onto the nearest chair before her knees gave out. She kept shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“What do you mean?” she asked, still unable to comprehend what she just heard. “If he was after you, why did he come after me? I don’t understand how he could even find me. I would think it would have been easier to find you than to go to so much trouble going after me.”
Riley shook his head. “I guess I wasn’t all that easy to find. I don’t own a phone, and I keep to myself. I didn’t want anyone to track me down so I covered my tracks pretty well after I resigned. I guess I did a better job of it than I realized.”
Jenna looked away. She couldn’t keep the pain from etching lines on her features.
“Yes, you must have done a wonderful job. Obviously better than the Marshal’s Service did for me.”
“This man’s employer had a connection in the Service that he used. The connection had access to relocation records since he worked in that department. Obviously, he was able to get the information he was paid for,” Riley explained. “After the man’s employer got it, he had the man killed.” Jenna winced. “It seems he never likes to leave any loose ends. Plus, he probably knew I’d find out who leaked the information and I’d kill him.”
She shuddered at his grim words. There was no doubt he would have carried through and made sure the man didn’t live another day.
“It’s sad when a man values money over his principles,” she murmured.
“He probably got what he deserved.” Riley paced the length of the room. He looked deep in thought.
Jenna sat huddled in the chair not sure whether to be afraid or relieved the man who had attacked her was caught. Because, either way, she knew it wasn’t over for them.
Now Riley had to find the man who wanted him dead, and he had to do it before he, himself, ended up the victim.
She rested her chin on her drawn-up knees and silently regarded Riley. His body was taut and he couldn’t seem to stop pacing back and forth across the room.
“What are we going to do?” she whispered.
It was several moments before Riley answered her.
“We’re going to do what I should have had us do more than a week ago. We’re going to get out of here,” he said. He rubbed his hand over his jaw in thought. “Boss man knows where we are, and once he doesn’t hear from his errand boy, he’ll send someone else down here. Next time we might not be so lucky.”
He dropped into a chair and buried his face in his hands. He swore long and hard under his breath. Most of it was directed at himself.
Jenna imagined she could feel the pain Riley was experiencing. She pushed herself off her chair and went to his side. She knelt on the floor and placed her hands on his knees. Her lips were close to his ear as she spoke softly.
“I shouldn’t have insisted Dave find you for me. If you hadn’t come, he would have lost.”
He lifted his head and turned his head to look at her. “I don’t know who this bastard is, but I do know one thing. Anyone who would order to have you so badly hurt, would not hesitate in ordering your death,” he said flatly. “He knew if I didn’t show up because you were injured that I would go after him with a vengeance if you were killed.”
She blinked to keep back the tears, but it wasn’t easy. His life was more at risk than hers was.
“This is all my fault. I was selfish. I wanted you with me because I wanted to feel safe,” she told him. “I’ve always felt safe with you. That you would protect me.” She touched her fingertips to his lips when he started to speak. “I knew better than to put you on a pedestal. You have the scars to prove you’re not indestructible.” She lightly touched a puckered scar on his upper arm just below his tattoo.
“I never considered myself indestructible,” he admitted. “My work was unpredictable, so I was always careful.”
“Then I came along and fell right into your world,” Jenna teased gently, lifting her hand to brush a stray lock of hair from his forehead. “Am I going to have to cheer you up right now, Riley? Or can you do it on your own?”
Riley reached down and hauled her into his lap. He held on to her tightly as if he was afraid she would suddenly disappear into thin air.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” His words were muffled against the curv
e of her neck. “You’ve let me bully you and drag you down here without a word of explanation. I had Sassy give you a makeover and—”
“And you showed me that you hadn’t forgotten me, and you made glorious love to me that echoes all the colors in the rainbow,” she said. “Should I start packing?”
He exhaled a deep breath.
“You may as well. I’m going to see what I can arrange for transportation.” He didn’t move.
Jenna wasn’t about to protest. She was reluctant to leave the protection of his arms. She kept her cheek against the warm strength of his chest and just held on to him.
No matter what, they were together and would stay together until this was settled.
If either of them hoped for more than that, they didn’t speak of it.
Riley knew preparations had to be made fast. He didn’t think John Smith’s employer would be too patient once he didn’t hear from his employee.
Before leaving the resort, he stopped by the infirmary but was told the man snuck out during the night. Riley instinctively knew that all the man cared about now was saving his own life, and he wouldn’t be coming after them.
Jenna could feel that Riley’s senses were on alert as they entered the terminal. As he checked them in, she covertly scanned times for other outgoing flights. If she could find a way to sneak on one of them, she could be gone before he’d know it. She couldn’t be a pawn in this deadly game, and he would be safe.
“I need to use the rest room,” she murmured as they headed for their gate. “Why don’t I meet you at the gate. I’ll be fine.”
Riley hesitated.
“Please, Riley, I’ll be fine. It’s only two gates down.” She pushed him. “Go.”
Once inside the rest room, she pulled off her cap and fluffed her hair with her fingertips. She added a bright color of lipstick and shrugged on a T-shirt she had in her bag. After she added sunglasses, she checked her reflection in the mirror. Not a big change, but enough.
“Forget it, Smitty.”
She spun around at the sound of a familiar voice.
“What are you doing? You’re in the ladies’ room,” she hissed.
“What I’m doing is making sure you don’t do anything stupid. How did you think you could sneak onto another flight? What were you going to use? With what, your smile?” He grabbed her hand and practically dragged her outside. “Now you’re getting your butt on that plane, and you will not say one word,” he ordered her in a low, fierce voice. “Do you hear me?”
She looked up. Her gaze was steady and not the least bit intimidated by his temper.
“You’d do better without me.”
“I said, do you hear me?”
She didn’t look at him as they walked swiftly down the aisle. “Loud and clear.”
Jenna didn’t say another word during the long flight to Houston. Once they arrived, Riley made a random pick of airlines and chose a flight that would be leaving within the half hour.
By the time they reached the destination Riley had in mind, they’d taken four flights, crossing several states.
Jenna was exhausted from their nonstop traveling. She was angry with Riley for dragging her from one state to another. And now she was cold. Her clothing, which was suitable for a southern climate, wasn’t warm enough when they finally arrived at the Denver airport.
Riley put his arm around her shoulders. She was too grateful for his extra warmth to shrug him off.
“Do not ask me to get on another plane. There’s no way I can even get close to one,” she said wearily. “So help me, if you try to drag me on one, I will scream.”
“Don’t worry, we’re finished with the flying part.”
“That’s good because I—what do you mean finished with the flying part?” she whined.
Riley shook his head and guided her to a rental car desk.
Within moments they were settled in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Riley turned the heat on high while Jenna curled up into a tiny ball in the passenger seat.
“Now what?” she asked wearily, closing her eyes.
“Now we work on blending in,” he replied, speeding up.
Riley drove until he reached a mall. He found a parking spot near a door and pulled in.
“We should be able to find everything we need,” he told her as he led her inside.
“Right now long underwear sounds wonderful.”
Jenna was tired, but the idea of shopping was a nice pick-me-up.
With Riley and his credit cards on her heels she turned into a woman on a mission.
She wasted no time in choosing jeans, corduroy pants, sweaters, warm tops and a coat. Then she went on to select underwear and shoes. Riley didn’t look pleased at the flannel nightgowns, but didn’t say a word.
After she finished she followed him to the men’s department where Riley made his own purchases.
Pleading hunger, Jenna was able to convince Riley to stop long enough to eat. When they walked back outside, she was relieved to have her heavy coat, boots, gloves and woolen cap to battle the freezing cold.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going next?” she demanded.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said cryptically as he assisted her into the passenger seat.
“I liked it better when we hid out in a warm climate,” she muttered, scrunching down in her seat with her legs curled under her.
“That’s the way it goes,” he murmured, pulling out onto the highway.
Not long after, he noticed Jenna had fallen asleep. Her coat billowed out around her, and for a moment he swore she looked as she would if she were pregnant. He thought of her body ripe with his child. The idea of her having his child was heart stopping. He could see a little girl with Jenna’s delicate features that would know how to wrap him around her tiny fingers. A little boy who ran reckless because he knew no fear. But since he bore his mother’s eyes, he could do no wrong.
It was a future he didn’t dare plan for himself. But now it was a future he figured it wouldn’t hurt to dream about.
Something fierce welled up inside him, and his hold on the steering wheel tightened as pictures of babies flashed before his eyes.
He knew he had to get this situation settled fast. He refused to think she might pay the price because of him.
He thought of his emotionally scarred childhood that left him not wanting to be that kind of father to a child. Not wanting to put any child through that kind of hell. It was a vow he’d made as a young man and a vow he refused to break.
What he hadn’t counted on was Jenna coming into his life. He thought of finding the home pregnancy test kit in what seemed so many eons ago. Jenna, softly rounded with his child, had come into his head at that time. And, for a scant second, it hadn’t seemed so bad. Until the memory of his vow had intruded with head-banging clarity.
Maybe he was finally seeing things differently.
Fate seemed to enjoy playing tricks on him. It threw him with Jenna again. He learned he could never forget her because she had always been a part of him. She carried his heart.
And if he had an ounce of sense, after all this was over, she’d carry his child.
Jenna was still sound asleep when Riley parked the vehicle by a boat dock. He kept the motor running so she could stay warm while he unloaded their packages. He carried them down to the end of the dock and placed them in a speedboat moored there. Once they were loaded, he returned to the truck for Jenna. He carefully picked her up so as not to awaken her and carried her over to the sleek speedboat.
Riley looked around at the barren landscape. It was exactly what they needed.
He made sure Jenna was secure on a cushioned bench before he sat behind the boat controls. She mumbled something incoherent and settled back to sleep.
The boat ride was wet and cold. Riley didn’t flinch against the icy spray hitting his face as he guided the boat across the lake. He knew the first thing he’d have to do is get hold of Dave and tell him they’d moved.
He hadn’t been able to reach the man before he’d left Mexico. John Smith claimed the marshal who’d leaked the information was dead. That didn’t mean there wasn’t someone else working for John’s boss, and Riley wanted Dave to check into that.
Damn, he felt so powerless! He looked down to see his hand clenched in a tight fist.
Riley was used to wading right into the thick of things. He was a man of action. Sitting around and waiting for something to happen wasn’t his style.
Oh, he’d had more than his share of sitting at stakeouts. He considered it an activity equal to watching grass grow. And he’d drawn his share of watching over witnesses. But he still preferred being out there doing something.
This time was harder for him. He vowed he would protect Jenna with his life. But he wanted to be the one to be out there and do all the dirty work. He wanted to make sure no one would ever come after her again.
He’d had no idea that meant someone would use her to get to him.
He thought back to the first time he’d seen her—standing by the road. She was furious with her date for driving off.
If he knew then what he knew now would he have settled for politely assisting her and never seeking her again?
That was a question he didn’t want to answer. Because the answer he should give would be a lie.
He couldn’t afford to lose her again.
Chapter 13
Jenna woke up feeling disoriented after her long nap. She found herself lying on a bed with a soft flannel quilt placed over her. Her coat and shoes had been removed along with her sweater and jeans. She sat up and pushed her hair away from her eyes as she narrowed her eyes in the dim light.
“I see you finally decided to join us. Want some?” A cup filled with aromatic coffee was passed under her nose.
She grasped the mug with both hands and carefully sipped the hot liquid.
A Stranger Is Watching Page 15