Undercover Mistress

by Amethyst Ames

  Kate had never heard such anguish in a voice. She ached to put her arms around him, make all of this go away.

  Maggie was shaking her head violently. “No, oh no, Angus. He would never have done something like that. Your father was a wonderful, gentle man, who loved you more than anything else in the world. He didn’t send Ellen away until…”

  “Until what?”

  She lowered her head, staring intently at the cup in her trembling hands. “Until he found her standing at your crib, holding a pillow over your face. It scared him so badly, Angus. He felt he had no choice except to send her away. He never stopped loving her. Oh, he loved me too, but not in the same way he loved Ellen. He didn’t want you to know that your own mother could do something like that. That’s why he wouldn’t talk about her to you.”

  Lifting a hand, she wiped the tears from her eyes. “He visited her every chance he had, and he paid all the bills from the home until he died. I didn’t know that until I went through his things after the funeral.”

  “Do you know what happened to her after Shawn died?” Kate ran her hand softly over Angus’s back as she listened to Maggie.

  “Not really. I would have continued to pay her bills, but when I called the home a month later, she was gone. They told me her family had moved her out. I didn’t know anything about them so I had no way of finding her.”

  Kate leaned forward. “Maggie, do you know why Angus hates the scent of roses so much?”

  “Ellen. It was the scent she wore. I never met her, or even saw a picture of her, but when Angus was about three, I took a box of old toys up to the attic. There was a trunk full of her clothes stored in a corner. The smell of roses still clung to them.”

  Misery in every line of her body, Maggie turned to Angus. “You were always more my son than you were hers. I know I should have told you the truth after Shawn died, but I couldn’t bear to hurt you. I love you. Can you ever forgive me?”

  When Angus stood and held out his arms, Maggie launched herself into them, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  Quietly, Kate rose and left the room, the soft murmur of Angus’s voice following her.

  * * * * *

  He hadn’t said a word since they’d left Maggie’s apartment. Not on the flight back or the drive from the airport, and Kate was concerned. All his attention seemed to be fixed on maneuvering the car along the winding road that followed the Maine coast. Such close scrutiny might be necessary on a dark rainy night, but it was the middle of the afternoon and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

  Something had to give. She was on the verge of asking him if he wanted to talk about it when he abruptly pulled the car onto the shoulder, put it in park, and turned to her.

  Instinctively, she went into his arms, holding him as his body shook with reaction, doing her best to comfort him the way he had her yesterday morning. Murmuring nonsense words, she ran her hands through his hair over and over.

  She didn’t know how long they sat there. It could have been five minutes or an hour before he drew in a shuddering breath and loosened his grip on her.

  “‘Tis my real mother sending the letters, isn’t it, Kate? It’s strange. I never took the damn things seriously until now. She wanted tae kill me when I was a baby and failed. Now she wants tae try again.”

  “We don’t know that.” She cupped his cheek. “The letters didn’t threaten to hurt you, Angus. I think whoever wrote them wanted you to look for your mother. It doesn’t have to be her. It might be one of her family.”

  “Then why didna they just tell me? Why the letters?”

  “There could be a dozen reasons and none of them have to make sense. Maybe they couldn’t reach you for some reason, or maybe they thought you wouldn’t listen if they did.” She ran her thumb gently over his lips. “But I’m not taking any chances with you. Until we find out the truth, I’m keeping my gun handy.”

  He kissed her thumb, then each of her fingers. “I love you, Kate. I dinna know how I’d get through this if ye weren’t with me.”

  “You won’t have to find out.” She leaned over and kissed him. “I’m not going anywhere. Now, why don’t we go see if Marc’s detectives have found anything else?”

  * * * * *

  By the time they reached the turnoff for his estate, Angus seemed more relaxed and she decided it was safe to ask him a question. “Did you get everything straightened out with Maggie?”

  “Aye.” He slowed as the car neared the gate. “I dinna agree with what they did, but they thought they were protecting me. I canna blame them for that.”

  “I’m glad.” She glanced out the window and suddenly her blood ran icy cold. “Angus! Stop the car!”

  His foot hit the brake, throwing them both forward as the car came to a halt. “What’s wrong?”

  “The cameras.” She fumbled for her cell phone, dialing even as she answered him. “Look at the cameras. Someone shot them to bits. Back up. All the way to the main road.”

  He threw the gearshift into reverse and shot back down the driveway. They had reached the blacktop when someone answered the phone.

  “Sheriff’s department.”

  “This is Kate Carson. I’m a bodyguard for Angus McLeod, the writer. I need someone at his Oceanside Drive

  estate immediately to investigate a B and E. The suspect should be considered armed. Two surveillance cameras at the front gate have been shot out.”

  “What’s your current location, Ma’am?”

  “We’re in a blue sedan at the head of the driveway.”

  “Okay, you stay put and I’ll get a couple of cars out there.”

  Kate hung the phone up and slid her Glock from the holster. “They’re on the way.”

  “Yer not getting out of the car.” Angus was watching her, his face pale.

  “No. I can’t go in there and protect you at the same time. We’re safer out here until the police check the house.”

  “Ye think they got in the house?”

  “From what I could see, it looked like the lock box for the gate was broken. My guess would be that they got in the house.”

  He ran a hand over his face. “We could have been here.”

  “But we weren’t.” She touched his hand. “Angus, they probably knew we were gone.”

  The wail of sirens swelled in the distance and Kate twisted to look behind them. “Well, at least they’re taking this seriously now. There are three cars.” She returned the Glock to her shoulder holster.

  The lead car pulled to a stop in back of the sedan while the other two continued down the driveway. Both she and Angus stepped out as the sheriff approached them.

  “Ms. Carson, Mr. McLeod.” The man nodded. “I’m Sheriff Dorman. My men are going to check things out. Want to tell me exactly what happened?”

  Kate did the honors, giving him the bare facts about the letters and their trip to New York. When she was done he nodded again. “Sounds like more than a crazy fan to me.” He twisted the small radio on his shoulder and spoke into it. “Firth? You found anything yet?”

  When the deputy answered, his voice sounded tinny and far away. “They took out every damn camera on the place, Sheriff. Front door is standing open and it looks like the electricity has been cut. Steve and I are going in the front. Dooley and Ken are around back.”

  A few minutes passed in silence until the deputy’s voice returned, cussing a blue streak. “Wait until you see this mess. Someone really trashed the place.”

  The sheriff spoke into the radio again. “Any sign of the intruder?”

  “Naw. Whoever did it is long gone. Ken is going to collect the tapes from the cameras so we can check them back at the station, but the house is clear.”

  “We’ll be right there.” He released the radio. “Mr. McLeod, I’ll need you to look and see if anything is missing, but from what you’ve told me, this doesn’t appear to be a normal burglary. Why don’t you follow me in your car?”

  Angus’s jaw was clenched as he climbed back under
the wheel and pulled out after the sheriff.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Nay.” He glanced at her. “I’ve never been so mad in my life.”

  “Good.”

  “Good?” His eyebrow shot up in an arched question.

  “Yes. Anger is a perfectly natural reaction. And it’s a hell of a lot better than acting like this is a game.”

  “‘Tis one mistake I’ll not be makin’ again,” he muttered. He steered the car onto the grass beside the sheriff’s, and they climbed out. The deputy met them on the porch and pointed.

  “They took all the cameras out with one shot each.”

  Kate examined them. “Cutting off the electricity disabled the alarms.”

  “Yes. And just in case that wasn’t good enough, they smashed them when they got in the house. You’ll want to watch your step, folks.”

  Even though she was expecting a mess, the sheer violence depicted inside the house was shocking. No piece of furniture remained whole, no piece of glass unbroken. Papers were everywhere, shredded and torn, and the tapestries ripped from the walls.

  Angus made a choked sound and reached for something on the floor. It was the picture of his father he’d kept on the table in the hall, Kate realized. It had been mutilated.

  She stopped him before he could pick it up, her heart aching for him. “No. Don’t touch anything unless you have to. They might be able to lift some prints.”

  The sheriff glanced at her. “Cop or F.B.I.?”

  “Former F.B.I.”

  Before he could respond, another deputy called from the study. “Sheriff? You might want to take a look at this.”

  Kate and Angus trailed behind, stepping over the worst of the debris. Her stomach knotted as soon as she saw what the deputy was holding. It was a pink envelope.

  He was wearing a pair of latex gloves, handling the paper by the corner. “The only thing in the house that isn’t trashed is the computer. This was propped on the keyboard.”

  They all gathered round the burly deputy and Kate read the message over his arm. There were only two words.

  Time’s up.

  A chill ran over her and she cursed softly. Angus settled his hand on her shoulder.

  “I take it you two know what this means?” The sheriff’s glance moved from her to Angus.

  “Aye.” He explained the last letter he’d gotten.

  “Well, it’s a sure bet you can’t stay here tonight. Even if we get the electricity back on, it will take us hours to dust for prints and check the place out. Do you want us to call a motel for you? We can station a car outside your rooms to keep an eye on things.”

  “No.” Kate pulled a notebook from her purse and jotted something on it. “That’s my cell phone. You can reach us there if you need us.” She turned to Angus. “Come on. We’re going to grab some clothes and get out of here.”

  They headed up the stairs, but Angus stopped her on the landing. “Where are we going?”

  “To my house. I want you somewhere safe. It will be a lot better than a motel, plus it’s small enough that I won’t have to wonder where you are.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Angus kept his gaze on the road as they headed back to the airport, listening to Kate’s conversations on the cell phone with half an ear. His anger was finally fading, but it was rapidly being replaced by worry.

  He hadn’t taken the letters seriously until today. Now it was sinking in that he wasn’t the only one in danger. Kate was square in the middle of this whole thing and it was obvious she took her job seriously. Anyone who wanted him would have to go through her first. The thought terrified him.

  She clicked the phone off. “Okay, Marc is going to pick up Crystal and Sammy and take them to his apartment until this is over. I don’t want them anywhere around when this person finds you.”

  There was something about that last statement that bothered him, but he didn’t have time to analyze it right now. He had more important things on his mind. She opened the phone again, but he put his hand over hers.

  “Wait.”

  She looked at him, her hand still poised over the phone.

  “Kate, ye’re fired.”

  “What!” Her questioning glance turned fierce real fast.

  “I said ye’re fired. Marc can find someone else tae take over for ye.”

  The phone hit the seat and bounced onto the floor. “You can’t fire me, damn it. I have a contract.”

  “As a mistress.” He glanced at her. “‘Tis bad enough knowing someone wants tae hurt me, Kate. I willna have ye in danger tae. I couldna stand it if anything happened tae ye.”

  “But you think it’s a dandy idea for me to go twiddle my thumbs somewhere while you’re in danger?” She grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked. “You listen to me, McLeod. You aren’t going to get rid of me if you fire me a hundred times. I’m not some delicate little female who needs to be taken care of. I’ve been doing things like this, and worse, since I graduated from college.”

  Her voice dropped an octave and her hand gentled in his hair. “Angus, I know you’re upset and worried, but I need to do this. I’d go crazy if I weren’t with you, plus it would take time to bring a new bodyguard up to speed on the case. Time we don’t have. If the situation was reversed and I was the one in danger, would you leave me?”

  He should have known he’d never win this argument. She was too stubborn. “Nay.”

  “Then don’t expect me to leave you.”

  “Will ye promise me something?”

  “What?”

  “Don’t do anything stupid. Ye’ll be careful.”

  “I never do anything stupid.” She smiled and picked the phone up from the floorboard.

  Suddenly what had bothered him about her earlier statement sank in. “What the hell do ye mean, ‘when this person finds you’?” he roared.

  With a sigh, she closed the phone again. “We’re going to set a trap. Tomorrow morning, Marc and Linda are going to let everyone know you’re staying with me. When they come after you, we’ll be ready for them. It’s the only way to end this thing, Angus. And you don’t have to bellow. I have excellent hearing.”

  He forced himself to calm down. “Yer only one person, Kate. I dinna like the thought of ye doin’ this alone. Tae much could go wrong.”

  “If you’ll ever let me use the phone, I won’t be alone.”

  Angus bit his tongue as she dialed. A ball of nervousness had settled in his stomach like a bad fish dinner. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t in control of his surroundings. It wasn’t an experience he would care to repeat. Kate was right about one thing. He wanted this over. The sooner the better.

  “Calvin? It’s Kate. How are things going at Safety First?” She listened for a few moments, and then nodded in satisfaction. “Good. I’ve got something else I need you to do, so tell Kim she’s in charge of the office for a few days. I’m bringing a client to my house and I want someone out front in a car round the clock. You can take nights, Francine can take days. Oh, and I’ll need you to pick us up at JFK. I’ll call and give you the flight number as soon as I know it. Also, I want you to call Chief Black and ask him to increase the police patrols around my house. He owes me a favor so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  As soon as she hung up, he glowered at her. “Ye called me a client.”

  “Well, you don’t expect me to tell my employees I want them to guard my house so I can have hot sex with my lover, do you? Besides, right now you’re both.”

  “This Calvin works for ye?”

  “He’s my right hand man. You’ll like him. He looks like a huge pit bull, but he’s really a sweetheart. He went to work as a bouncer when he was fourteen and he was the first person I hired when I started my company. He runs things for me when I’m on a job.”

  “And the other one?”

  She put the phone away then turned on the seat to face him. “Francine? She’s an ex-cop, divorced, with two kids. Usually, she works part-time, when her ex h
as the kids. Or she takes the jobs where she can work days while the kids are in school. She was wounded in the leg while she was on the force and draws a small disability. The extra she earns from me helps make ends meet.”

  “They’re both good at their jobs?”

  “Yes, very good. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be working for me.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “But I’m better. We will get through this, Angus.”

  He hooked his arm around her neck and pulled her closer. “We had better. I have plans for ye, woman.”

  * * * * *

  Angus tucked one bag under his arm and was reaching for the second when a meaty fist the size of a Buick closed around the grip.

  “I’ll get that for you, Sir.”

  The protest he’d been on the verge of making died as he gazed up at the man standing in front of them, and he had to quell the urge to offer him the other bag, too. And his wallet, keys and credit cards.

  Apparently, Kate was used to the reaction. She was grinning hugely as she made the introductions. “Angus, this is Calvin. Calvin, Mr. McLeod.”

  He was having trouble doing anything but stare. Calvin was at least six-foot-nine, and he doubted anything but an industrial scale would give an accurate reading of the man’s weight. A montage of all the movie goons he’d ever seen flashed through his mind in a split second. Compared to Calvin, the worst of them looked like pansies.

  As far as he could tell, there was no fat on the man anywhere, only solid muscle. His head was bald, glistening under the harsh airport lights, the reflected glow threatening to blind the unwary. His lips were thick above a square chin that vanished into his neck, and his nose was flat, leaning with a marked degree toward the left side of his face. Scars crisscrossed his skin like the work of a slightly insane impressionist painter.

  The only incongruity was his eyes. They were a rich, deep chocolate brown, tilted at the corners and fringed in long lush lashes that any woman would have killed for. If eyes were really the windows of the soul, then this man’s monster exterior concealed the spirit of an angel.

  “Mr. McLeod.” Calvin held out his hand.