Elusive Identities

by Olivia Jaymes

  In other words, the discussion was over. Full stop. She was lucky, really. Galen generally didn't discuss anything. He gave an order and expected it to be followed. He'd been humoring her and he was now done. She had to fall in line or he'd find someone that would. There were always plenty ready to take her job if she didn't want it.

  And she did want this opportunity. Right? She'd been so sure before but now...

  She wasn't as happy and thrilled as should have been. There was no rush of joy or adrenaline. She should have felt more, but instead she'd barely felt anything at all. Something inside of her had shifted and now she was questioning everything.

  Who am I? And what do I want to be when I grow up?

  28

  Ella's phone buzzed a few hours later to let her know that Chris had arrived to pick her up. She'd been heads down for the last hour looking through old newspaper articles.

  Stretching her arms over her head, she yawned widely. Despite being exhausted, she was excited to see Chris again. After last night, she was ready to admit that she wanted this relationship to work out.

  Because she was falling in love with him.

  Stuffing her laptop into her oversized bag, she zipped it closed and walked through the corridors to the front of the building. From the lobby, she could see Chris standing outside, his back to her. A tingle ran up her spine and her steps quickened in response. She couldn't wait to spend time with him again. She'd never quite had this same connection with anyone else.

  She pushed the door opened and he quickly turned around, his face lighting up with a smile that was just for her. Damn, he was good-looking.

  "Hey, how did it go today?"

  Before she could answer he wrapped her in a big, warm hug that had her instantly relaxing against him and the stresses of the day melting away. She wanted to turn her face up for a kiss but they were standing in front of her work building. Probably not the best idea.

  "It was good. Galen's going to let me do some of my own stories."

  Even saying it out loud didn't make it completely real. She kept waiting for her boss to laugh and tell her it was all a joke and that she had a charity car wash to cover tomorrow.

  "That's great." Chris's face split into a grin, but then it fell when she wasn't smiling, too. "Or not? Aren't you happy?"

  "I can barely explain it. I thought I would be deliriously happy and I am."

  His brows shot up. "Really? Because you don't look deliriously happy."

  "I am...and I'm not, all at the same time. I guess I'm confused. I thought it was what I wanted."

  "And now you're not sure?"

  "I'm not sure," she admitted, pulling her coat closer around her. The sun had gone down long ago and it was cold outside. "Maybe I'm still in shock. I've already started and that means that I can't spend time with you on the case."

  He wrapped one arm around her waist while reaching with his other hand and lifting her heavy bag off of her shoulder. Ella leaned against Chris, content to let him lead the way. "We can talk about it at home, but you know I'll help you as much as I can. Knox is waiting for us. He'll drop us at the office and we'll get my car. What do you want for dinner?"

  They'd just stepped off of the curb to cross the street to where Knox was parked when a flash of headlights caught Ella's attention. She didn't have a chance to answer Chris's question because those bright beams of light were coming closer at a frightening rate. The powerful roar of an engine filled her ears and her body froze even as her mind raced in a hundred different directions. Like a deer in headlights, she couldn't move to save her own life. She was going to become roadkill, flattened like the proverbial pancake because she sucked at crisis moments. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the worst.

  A heavy weight slammed into her, shooting the air in her lungs out in a whoosh and sending her flying through air. With a squeal of tires it was over and Ella realized that she was still alive. And the pavement wasn't all that hard underneath her. Frantically, she tried to move her arms and legs. For some reason, they were fine and she wasn't in any pain at all. She should have several broken bones.

  "Easy, honey. Just relax for a minute so I can make sure you're okay."

  Chris. His voice.

  Opening her eyes, she was nose to nose with him. He was lying underneath her.

  Looking around, she wasn't under the wheels of a vehicle but safely tucked in between two parked cars. Chris had knocked them both out of the way and now she was lying on top of him. He'd taken the brunt of the impact with the unforgiving pavement so she wouldn't be hurt. But what about him?

  Even more frantic now, she tried to sit up but their arms and legs were tangled together, making it almost impossible. When she'd almost given up, Chris simply stood up taking her with him, his arm still wrapped around her waist. Gently he set her on the ground, but she had to cling to him for support. Her legs were jelly and her pulse racing. The street spun for a moment but then righted itself as she learned to inhale oxygen again.

  I'm not dead.

  "I'm okay," she finally choked out, her breathing ragged. "What about you?"

  She was no dainty flower and her entire weight had landed on top, sandwiching him between her and the concrete.

  "I'm fine." He brushed off her concern, his gaze already looking past her and down the street. "Looks like Knox went after him. I'll call Logan and let him know what's going on. Are you sure you're okay? I can call an ambu–"

  "No, I'm fine. Honestly."

  Chris was listening but with only half an ear. The laidback, relaxed, wise man she'd come to know had suddenly morphed into someone far different. This man's icy stare was intense, a muscle in his jaw working. His entire demeanor had changed, giving off an air of aloofness and...danger. Yes, that was it. Danger. Chris was angry...furious...and it radiated from him in waves.

  The whole cop and bringing in a murderer thing had become a hell of a lot more real in the past two minutes.

  Thank goodness he'd had the wherewithal to save their lives.

  And thank goodness she wasn't the person he was hunting. Because she wouldn't want to be the guy behind the wheel when Chris got a hold of him.

  It was all a blur. The next few hours flew by after Chris's coworker Knox circled back to pick them up. He wasn't any happier than Chris was. He'd lost the guilty vehicle a few miles away. Knox was new to the area and unfamiliar with the roads but he was sure that the driver wasn't.

  "I almost didn't go after him," Knox had admitted after he'd bundled them back into the car. "But I saw you both stand up so I figured you were okay. Jesus, he came out of nowhere. There was nothing I could do."

  "We're fine," Chris assured him, patting Ella's thigh through the blanket from the trunk that they'd tucked around her. "You did the right thing."

  Chris's bosses were called and they'd showed up at the apartment, all wearing identical grim expressions. Ella hadn't really known what to say or do so she'd made herself busy making coffee and keeping their cups refilled while they hashed out some sort of plan that involved her. However, no one was asking her what she wanted. At first she'd been irked but then she'd had to remind herself that she wasn't a professional and that emergency situations weren't her forte.

  Eventually it was decided to move Chris and herself to a safe house situation which she'd only heard of in the movies, but apparently it was a real, actual thing. Merc kept circling her feet wanting attention as she'd packed a bag - again - this time a hell of a lot more scared than she'd been last night. This wasn't just an intimate violation. This was more. This was someone who wanted to kill her, or at the very least hurt or maim her. If Chris hadn't been there, she would probably be dead right now.

  She didn't say much when they drove through to the safe house either, content to let Chris make the decisions and lead her around. She didn't know what to say or what to do or her mind shutting down for self-protection. She couldn't think about her life at the moment. Instead, she held onto Merc's carrier like a lifeline a
s she was ushered into a Craftsman style house on the outskirts of the city. The suburban neighborhood was quiet at this time of night, although there were still lights on in most of the houses.

  Chris escorted her upstairs to the master bedroom, laying her bag on the dark blue comforter. The house was clean and tidy with a minimum of furniture. No one lived here, she was sure of that.

  "You might want to soak in the tub while I talk to the guys. It might help you relax."

  Ella doubted that calm and serene were in her future but a hot bath sounded like nirvana right about now. Any sort of small escape would be welcome.

  "I'll do that. Will you be long?"

  In other words, how long will you be discussing how to keep me alive?

  "Not too long," Chris assured her, leaning down to brush his lips with hers. "But if you need me I'll be right downstairs."

  She could hear his soft footfalls on the stairs as he left her and that's when the dam broke loose. All the adrenaline that had been coursing through her body and getting her from point A to point B quickly drained away, leaving her pale, sweaty, and shaking like a leaf. It was a really crappy delayed reaction that she couldn't begin to control so she crumpled onto the mattress and curled into ball, Merc meowing through the mesh door of his carrier.

  Tears began falling down her cheeks and the blessed numbness that had invaded her bones after the close call was slowly dissolving, leaving her rocking back and forth for comfort. It was all too much. Someone had tried to run her down tonight and they'd almost succeeded.

  Someone was determined that she and Chris wouldn't find out the truth.

  A phone pressed against his ear, Logan nodded and then ended the call. Chris and Knox were also huddled in the kitchen debating their next steps. So far it had been decided to put Knox and Brew on duty to guard the house - one in front and one in back.

  "That was Ryan," Logan said, his voice cutting through their voices. "He swept Chris's place for any sort of surveillance devices and didn't find anything. Whoever it was that tried to run both of you down had to find out your whereabouts another way."

  Knox nodded curtly. "Could have been monitoring your cell phone calls, but I'd put money on your movements being watched. You've certainly got someone rattled. You must be getting close."

  "That's news to me," Chris said, his teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached. He could still see that vehicle barreling toward them. Toward Ella. "I don't know who killed Kelly Perkins. Not yet, anyway, but I sure as hell am not giving up now."

  Logan lifted up an edge of the curtains and looked outside. "I'd imagine it's someone you've already talked to. They're scared and trying to run you off the case."

  "They won't succeed."

  "Didn't think they would. Now you and Ella are safe here. We're going to watch the house all night but we need another plan for tomorrow."

  Chris had already decided what he needed to do. "I'm going to go talk to Steve Adams. All roads seem to lead back to him. A boyfriend or husband is always the most likely suspect. I'd also like to talk to the best friend again. I don't think she was telling me the whole truth about that last night with Kelly."

  "What about Ella?" Knox queried. "Are we going to keep her here?"

  The idea was absurd. Ella wouldn't stand for it.

  "She's supposed to be starting a new story at the station tomorrow. I doubt she'll let us tell her she can't go."

  Logan chuckled grimly. "She sounds a little like Ava. It's not a problem. She can go to work. We'll put a protection detail on her. If she leaves the station, someone will go with her."

  Chris sat down in a chair, suddenly exhausted. "I hope we're overreacting, but that wasn't an accident. That car was coming for us. No brakes. It was accelerating. Fuck. If it wasn't so dark I could have seen the driver."

  "That was the point." Logan reached for the carafe and refilled his coffee. "They didn't want you to see them. I bet they didn't even use their own car. I'll have one of the guys check for stolen vehicles within the last twenty-four hours. We might get a break there. Maybe he stole it near his home or work."

  "That's how they caught Son of Sam," Knox said. "A parking ticket."

  Chris rubbed at his forehead where he had a pounding headache. Every bone in his body hurt like hell. "I've never been that lucky but I live in hope."

  Logan looked out of the window again. "Brew and Reed are here. We're going to install a few cameras around the house and then get out and let you get some rest."

  "I doubt I could sleep."

  "You need your rest. Ella does, too. If she sees you upset, she's going to be upset so try to control your emotions a little bit. I know you're pissed as hell but you need to rein it in."

  "I'm not–"

  Chris broke off, knowing he was lying through his teeth. "Okay, I'm mad. Furious. They almost hurt Ella on my watch."

  He hadn't known her long but he couldn't imagine his life without her in it.

  "You couldn't have foreseen what happened. Cut yourself some slack." Logan gave Chris a meaningful look. "Just make sure you're not caught off guard again."

  The bad guy wasn't going to get near Ella. He'd make sure of it.

  29

  Ella had eventually stopped crying and shaking. By the end of her sobbing jag, her eyes were red and swollen and her body ached. She practically crawled on her hands and knees into the hot bath but once submerged in the steamy water it was exactly what she'd needed.

  The tears had been cleansing to a certain extent and she felt better - lighter - than she had before. Life was still in turmoil and she was still in danger but the world didn't seem as dark as it had a while ago. She had a great deal of emotional work to do regarding her biological parents, her adopted parents, her job, and her future in general. The only thing that wasn't really in question was how she was beginning to feel for Chris. She didn't have a crystal ball and she couldn't read his mind, but her feelings appeared to be returned.

  "I brought you a bottle of water. I thought you might be thirsty."

  Chris had stuck his head around the door of the bathroom, holding out a plastic bottle. Good thing because after all of that crying there was a decent chance she was dehydrated.

  "That sounds perfect. Thank you."

  He entered and perched on the edge of the bathtub before twisting open the top and handing her the bottle. His gaze scanned her from head to toe, taking in every detail. His expression was still hard and cold, his anger unabated.

  "You've been crying. Are you okay?"

  "It was all suddenly just a little too much," she confessed, taking a long swig from the cool bottle. "I had a moment. I'm good now."

  "Are you sure?"

  "I am, but I'm keeping my options open for another sob-fest later. That one came out of nowhere so I doubt I'll be able to predict the second."

  "You don't need to. With everything that's happened, you deserve to have a good cry."

  "A good cry," she repeated with amusement. "It's strange when crying is a good thing but I do feel better. What about you, cowboy? That car almost hit you, too."

  He shrugged as if it was a daily occurrence. "I'm fine. It's you that I'm worried about."

  "You don't need to do that. I'm okay. You and your friends have made sure of that." She looked around the white tiled bathroom. "Your boss has an extra house for occasions like this? That's handy."

  Chris didn't even crack a smile, which instantly worried Ella. He wasn't dealing with this well at all, no matter what he said.

  "It's a house that Jason bought as an investment. He just finished renovating it and was planning to sell it. That's why there's a small amount of furniture here. They were working on staging it. Lucky for us. We can stay here until this is all cleared up."

  Ella had a million questions rolling around in her brain and he'd brought one of them up.

  "How will we know when this is all cleared up? How long will we have to stay here?"

  His blue eyes a flinty gray, Chris's jaw tightened
. "Until I catch the person that did this. We have to be getting close. That's why they've gone after you...and us. They'll regret that."

  "You're angry."

  Something flashed across his features and then was gone before she could recognize it. He quickly stood and began to pace the small space, muttering under his breath.

  "If anything had happened to you, I don't know what I would have done. I should have been more cautious. I should have expected something like this after your place was broken into but I assumed since it was non-violent the first time that they'd stay that way. Son of a fucking bitch, I'm going to get this guy and he's–"

  "Chris."

  "When I find him–"

  "Chris!"

  She had to yell to get his attention. Stopping abruptly, he turned to gaze at her, his brows pinched together.

  "What?"

  "You're mumbling and threatening to beat the crap out of an unidentified human being. Do you hear yourself?"

  He blinked once. Twice. "Of course, I hear myself."

  "Then you know that you don't sound quite hinged."

  "Hinged?"

  "The opposite of unhinged."

  "You think I'm crazy?"

  "I think you're madder than hell but I'm not sure that's going to be helpful when you try and catch this guy. You didn't make this much progress on the case letting your emotions do your thinking for you."

  "I’m not letting my emotions–"

  "Yes, you are. You're pacing a path onto these brand new ceramic tiles because you're mad. I think it's cute and kind of wonderful to find out that you're not perfect, thank goodness, but I doubt being pissed off increases your prowess as a cop."

  His cheeks had turned red and his hands were on his hips. She'd succeeded in making him even angrier.

  Oops.

  "Are you giving me advice?"

  Am I? Looks like it.