For Kaitlyn's Sake

by Dani Criss

  “Okay,” he said, “you cut off one avenue for him to vent on you. He may start phoning at the office.”

  “He’s tried that a couple of times already, but Mary recognizes his voice now and she doesn’t let him through.”

  “Then he’s going to switch tactics. He may start following you.”

  She stiffened, eyeing him as if trying to decide what his motives were.

  “I’m not saying that to scare you,” he said carefully. “But I should have talked to you earlier about the various situations that are bound to come up and the best ways to handle them. I should have told you to save the answering machine tapes, for instance. Should have explained that we—you—could have had him arrested.”

  “Why didn’t you?” she asked, still wary.

  “I wanted to spare you for a while. You had your mother in the hospital, had been worried whether she would make it. I wanted to give you a break. And...I’d hoped we had established a working relationship. That you would call if something happened. I was counting on that.” .

  “Really?” she asked, considering his words. Had he truly refrained from checking up on her despite his worry over her safety? Had he really been that considerate of her feelings and needs? And had he waited, giving her a chance to make the first move? But when she hadn’t followed his “plan,” he’d been very upset with her—and probably with himself for doing it her way in the first place. Would he try to accommodate her again, or would he revert to his past methods?

  “When you get back from San Francisco, we need to talk about the situation,” he said. “What could happen, how to handle various incidents. You should let someone know where you’ll be at all times. Then if you don’t show up when you’re supposed to, we can start looking for you immediately. You shouldn’t go anywhere alone. If he follows you, accosts you, you want witnesses. And having someone with you may give you some degree of protection. You—”

  Kaitlyn raised her hand to halt him. “Enough. I don’t like this. Not one bit.”

  His expression hardened. “Like it or not, your life changed the moment Craig Fallon walked in. You have no choice but to adjust.”

  Chapter 9

  Your life changed the moment Craig Fallon walked in.

  Jake’s words echoed in her ears as she drove to the airport later that evening. She’d been fairly quiet during dinner and every so often she’d caught Shelly’s worried gaze on her. She’d wished there’d been some way to ease her friend’s mind, but Kaitlyn had been too upset to find one.

  She was upset still. At first she’d wanted to disregard Jake’s words as another of his ploys to scare her into submission; however, that didn’t last long. His reasons weren’t the issue. The truth was she would have to make these changes, no matter how much she disliked doing so. She would have to be aware, alert, on her guard. All the time.

  Sighing, she checked the cars behind her. Traffic on the stretch of I-29 going through the northern part of Kansas City was heavy as usual. In the coming twilight, she made note of the cars around her, then let her foot off the accelerator. Frustrated drivers immediately switched lanes and sped past her, one or two pausing to flash her a dirty look.

  When she could see no one behind her, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Relieved, she brought the car back up to speed, but still kept an eye on the cars that came up in her rearview mirror. If Jake was right, which she feared he was, she couldn’t afford to relax too much.

  She took the airport exit and followed the road around to Terminal B. She parked in the long-term parking, then grabbed her carry-on bag out of the trunk and walked the distance to the terminal. The automatic doors opened with a quiet whoosh, then closed behind her.

  With a sense of anticipation she hadn’t felt in a long time, she walked up to the monitors to check the gate assignment for her flight. It would be so good to get away for a couple of days, to wander around on her own, to luxuriate in a hotel for a night and not worry about phone calls awakening her.

  She found her gate number, then checked the overhead signs. Her gate was to the left. Heading in that direction, she glanced over the few passengers standing in line at the ticket counter. Since her flight was the only one scheduled for this airline at this time of night, these people would be on board with her.

  Her gaze slid past the two businessmen, past the two middle-aged women, and stopped on the man at the counter. Normally she wouldn’t have paid him a second glance, but something made her look closer. Blond hair, a little under six feet tall, medium build. He had his back to her, but Kaitlyn knew him instantly. Craig Fallon.

  It couldn’t be him. She was upset over her conversation with Jake and her imagination was running wild. But he turned his head slightly and she knew it was him. She spun on her heel and all but ran for the door.

  Outside the terminal she raced back to her car. Hands shaking uncontrollably, she fumbled in her purse for her keys. Twice she dropped them and had to fish for them on the ground. Finally she got the key in the lock and the door open. She threw her bag in the back seat, then got in behind the wheel, quickly locking the doors.

  Still trembling, she worked the key into the ignition. Her heart beat furiously. Her stomach knotted. Nausea swept over her. She had to force herself to breathe deeply—she couldn’t be sick now.

  Fallon had followed her to the airport. The thought raced through her mind again and again as she backed out of the parking space. And after she’d been so careful to make sure she wasn’t being followed. But, no. He was already there buying his ticket when she walked in. He had to have been there before her.

  How had he known? How in hell had he known she would be there? No way would she believe his being there was a coincidence.

  What was she going to do? Where could she go? Where would she be safe from him?

  No one was behind her car as she paid for her parking and raced out of the lot. No one was behind her as she pulled into the light evening traffic. Once out on the interstate, she floored the accelerator and sped away from the few cars around her. No one seemed concerned about her moves.

  She wouldn’t have long, though. Craig Fallon would soon realize she wasn’t getting on that plane. He would figure she’d spotted him first and had run. He would pursue.

  What would have happened had she not seen him? If she’d gotten on that plane and not been able to get off? Horrible visions filled her mind. Nausea washed over her again. She didn’t have time for it. Not now. She had to think. Quickly.

  Where could she go? Whom could she turn to?

  Jake. She was dialing his cellular number on her car phone as she took the exit onto I-635 South. He would protect her. Take care of her. Tell her what she should do. He would keep her safe.

  But as he answered with a warm hello, she faltered. Uncertainty shoved aside the fear and panic. Did she want to do this? Place her existence in Jake’s hands? She could trust him with her safety, she knew. But she was apt to become very dependent on him. Would she lose herself in the process?

  Did she have a choice? The alternative was to live in constant fear. Perhaps chance getting killed. She needed Jake. Desperately.

  “Hello,” he repeated sharply when she still hadn’t answered him.

  “J-Jake...I...” She couldn’t get out the words.

  “Katie?” She heard the growing alarm in his voice. “Katie, what is it? What’s wrong?”

  “He...I.. he... Oh, God, Jake.” Her voice broke on a tiny sob of hysteria. She was losing control, she knew.

  “Katie, take a deep breath,” he commanded. “Deep.”

  She had to fight for air. After three tries, she managed one semicalming breath. “It’s Fallon, Jake. He was there. At the airport.”

  Jake was absolutely silent for several racing heartbeats. Kaitlyn nearly panicked.

  “Where?” he finally demanded.

  “At the ticket counter. I saw him there. I... saw him there.” The gravity of the situation hit her again, knocking the air out of her lu
ngs.

  “Where are you?” Jake asked.

  “On 635.” She struggled to read the overhead sign ahead. “Coming up on the Parkville exit.”

  “I’m on 635 South. I was headed home, but I’m turning around right now. I’m going to meet you, probably just before the ramp to I-70. On the left is a wide place where you can pull off. I’ll be there.”

  “Okay,” she said with a touch of relief.

  “Is he behind you?” Jake asked.

  She glanced in the rearview mirror. There were two sets of headlights in the growing darkness, but both were a ways behind her. “I don’t think so. I don’t think he knows I saw him. He had his back to me.”

  “That’s good,” he said. “Katie, I need to call for backup.”

  Kaitlyn felt the panic rise again. She didn’t want him to hang up on her. As long as she could hear his voice, she felt somewhat safe. It was a false sense of security, since he was miles away, but she clung to it anyway.

  “Backup? Why—”

  “Someone to drive your car back to your condo. You’re coming to my apartment where I can keep you safe,” he said emphatically.

  His apartment. Panic of another kind welled up inside her. Staying with Jake wasn’t wise. But she had no other choice. Once Fallon realized she was not getting on that plane, he would come looking for her. Only Jake could hide her, protect her from the madman stalking her.

  “It’ll only take a minute, Katie,” Jake crooned soothingly, breaking into her disturbing thoughts. “Just one minute, then I’ll call you right back. I promise.”

  Reluctantly she agreed, and just as reluctantly, Jake pushed the End button. He couldn’t stand not knowing what was happening to her. He quickly phoned Dallas Steele and arranged for him to meet at the rendezvous, then punched in Katie’s car-phone number. She answered on a half ring, her voice as shaky as it had been when she’d first called him.

  “Where are you now?” he asked. If he could keep her thoughts on her driving, she would stay calmer. He needed her calm and able to think.

  “Just crossing the Missouri River,” she said. “I’m on the Kansas side now.”

  “Good. I’m on 635.” He was making great time, thankfully weaving through the Friday-night traffic with amazing ease. But he couldn’t get there fast enough to suit him. Katie was in peril. He had to reach her.

  What if Fallon was behind her and she didn’t know it? What if Jake couldn’t make it in time? He would never be able to live with himself if something happened to her. He would get to her, and once he had her safe, he was calling all the shots. He would protect her. Guard her every minute. Once she was over her initial fear, she might balk at the restrictions he’d have to place on her, but he would be firm. He couldn’t take any chances. Fallon had turned violent once before. Jake couldn’t risk her getting hurt.

  Still talking to her on the phone, he came up on the area between the north and south lanes and quickly pulled over. Katie was passing Parallel Parkway, approaching State Avenue. She would be there soon.

  “Look on your left,” he told her. “I’m sitting with my hazard flashers on.”

  “I see you,” she said, sounding breathless with relief.

  “Pull over in front of me.” He wanted to be able to see her very clearly, to make sure that if Fallon was behind her, Jake would be between her and him.

  She eased onto the shoulder, slowing the Honda. Gradually she came to a stop. Jake was beside her before she put the car in Park. As soon as she unlocked the door, he opened it. She flew into his arms, shaking violently.

  Kaitlyn buried her face in his shirtfront. It seemed it had taken so long to get to him, but at last he was here with her. He smelled of soap and cologne. Safety. His strong arms wrapped around her. Cradling. Protecting. She closed her eyes and sagged against him. She couldn’t stop shaking.

  He reached into the back seat for her carry-on bag, locked her car, then led her over to his. “Dallas is coming for your car,” he told her once they were inside. “He’ll drive it back to your place and park it in the garage. If anything happens at your house tonight, he’ll respond.”

  Kaitlyn nodded. “What about his car?” she asked.

  “He’ll have someone with him to drive it.”

  That someone turned out to be Dev. The two arrived in a matter of seconds. Jake gave them Katie’s key ring, showed them the key for her house and told them the code he’d programmed into her security system, then the pair were gone.

  As Jake sped off, leaving the other two behind, Kaitlyn sank against the leather upholstery and rubbed her arms. She was colder than she ever remembered being. Her stomach was tied in a painful knot.

  “How did he know I would be at the airport? How did he know I would be on that flight?” she asked.

  “He must have followed—”

  She shook her head. “He was there before me, standing at the ticket counter. He had to have been there for a while. But how did he know which airline and which flight?”

  “There are lots of ways he could have found out,” Jake said. “He could have overheard you talking to someone. He could have gotten into your office when you were out and Mary had her back turned. Maybe you had the flight information written on a piece of paper and he went through your trash to find it—”

  “Then I’ll have to watch everything I say and do.” She gave a bitter laugh. “I’ll even have to watch what I’m throwing away.”

  Jake reached over and took her hand in his. He was warm, strong, solid. Kaitlyn wanted to hold on and never let go. She didn’t want to think any more about what had happened tonight, about what worse things could have happened if she hadn’t seen Fallon first, about all the changes she would have to make, starting now. She couldn’t deal with it all at once. So she concentrated on the feel of Jake’s hand around hers. For a few minutes she tried to dwell on feeling safe, shoving aside thoughts of the price she would have to pay. Right now she was sheltered.

  She took a deep breath and focused on stopping the shivers coursing through her. Jake turned off the car’s air conditioner and let the heat of the night seep in. Gradually it drove away the chill of fear. But her stomach remained knotted.

  Very soon they were pulling up to a three-story brick building. Jake parked in a single-car garage in the back, then led her into the building and over to the elevator. He inserted a key, then pushed the button for the third floor.

  “I keep the whole third floor for myself,” he told Kaitlyn. “Security purposes.”

  “You own this building?”

  He smiled proudly and draped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, his hard muscles pressing against her side. Nothing could harm her here. She closed her eyes and tried to will the lingering nausea away, but without success. It stayed with her as he led her down a short hallway and into his apartment. He set her carry-on bag on the floor by the sofa, then offered her a quick tour.

  The rooms were large, the colors masculine, the furniture big—except in the one guest bedroom, which definitely showed a woman’s touch in decorating.

  “Candy travels a lot on business,” Jake explained. “Anytime she’s in town, she stays here.”

  “She doesn’t live in Kansas City now?”

  “Too many bad memories,” Jake said quietly.

  He took Kaitlyn into the master bedroom—the biggest room in the apartment. A king-size bed dominated one wall. Along the others were a sizable dresser and a large armoire. The carpet was deep navy and the comforter on the bed was a navy-and-burgundy print.

  Kaitlyn had only a moment to admire it all before her stomach lurched in a final warning. She raced for the master bathroom and dropped to her knees in front of the commode.

  Jake watched, helpless. Her hair had come loose from the clip and all he could do was hold the strands back and croon to her until the vomiting subsided. When she sat back on her heels, he reached for a washcloth and dampened it with cool water. Her hands shook as she took it from him.

&nbs
p; “I’m sorry...I...” She laid the cloth on the side of the whirlpool tub, then let him help her to her feet.

  Arm tightly around her shoulders, Jake walked her over to the bed, pulled back the comforter and sheet, then settled her against the pillows, taking off her shoes and covering her legs. She was still incredibly pale. He went to get her bag and a heating pad. He set the bag on the foot of the bed, then reached to plug in the heating pad.

  Telling her to change out of her shorts and T-shirt, he walked out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a small glass of club soda and some crackers. Sitting up in bed, she took a sip of the soda, then handed the glass back to him.

  “I didn’t think big, strong guys needed heating pads,” she quipped as he laid it over her stomach.

  “We come home with a few aches and pains,” he said. “After that piano of Rob’s, you may have to share it with me.”

  The smile she gave him was shaky around the edges.

  “How are you doing?” he asked.

  She looked up at him and he saw the fear still in her eyes. He stroked the side of her face, noting how cold her skin felt under his fingers.

  “It’ll be all right,” he told her softly. “You’re safe here. I’ll see to that.”

  “I know.” She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. She was still shivering.

  “Come on. Get under the covers,” he told her.

  “Jake, this is your—”

  “It’s big enough for the both of us,” he insisted. “And I won’t let you argue me out of this.”

  She nodded and slowly complied. Jake was grateful she didn’t fight him. As upset as she was, she was likely to have a nightmare and he wanted to be close by.

  “I’ll leave the door open,” he said, tucking the covers over her shoulder. “Call if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  He kissed her forehead, wishing he could make her fears disappear. “Get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”