“By the way, thanks for your help last night. The arm’s already on the mend.”
“I’m sorry, your arm?”
It’d only been last night. How could he have forgotten in such a short amount of time?
Maybe he wasn’t good with faces. “Yeah. We argued about going to the hospital, you threatened not to help… remember?”
A grin stole across his face. “You’re thinking of my brother. Dimitrios.”
Twins?
Of course. Why hadn’t she noticed the subtle differences before? Dimitrios had a more muscular build and eyes that told of too many calls gone wrong. The man in front of her wore his hair a little longer and didn’t look nearly as haunted by the past.
“I’m sorry. I bet that happens all the time.”
“At least our parents can finally tell us apart. I’m Cyrano.”
She took his offered hand. “Lana.”
The hand gripping hers stiffened and his smile faltered. A second slithered by before he released her hand.
“Uh, it’s good to meet you.” Strain punctuated the words and he cleared his throat. “So Mitri, uh, patched you up, huh? What happened?”
“No big deal, just a little accident.”
The tension smothering them was so thick she suspected anyone passing by would be able to feel it. What had brought about the sudden change in character?
That mystery would have to wait.
She’d already taken way too long; Alex would be wondering what was keeping her. “Well, I should get going. It was nice meeting you.”
“Likewise.” His smile didn’t quite conceal the troubled expression underneath.
She headed for the counter, bill in hand, but her mind lingered on Cyrano.
What had that been about? Why had he reacted like he had? She replayed the conversation, weighing her responses to see if she’d said something to warrant his discomfort.
Everything had been normal until she’d given him her name.
The realization slammed through her.
If a professional assassin had been hired, wouldn’t he know the names of Reilly’s family? Had she put her brother in danger by giving a complete stranger her name?
Ridiculous.
All official records would have her full name.
Milana. Her nickname shouldn’t have set off alarms, even on the incredibly slim odds she’d run into the man gunning for Reilly.
Still, maybe they should leave the restaurant now. They could drive around until Peters called.
While the lady behind the register ran her credit card, Lana casually surveyed the room.
Spotting Cyrano was easy. He sat at a small round table in the center of the room. Across from him, a red-haired woman leaned in, nodding every so often to whatever Cyrano was saying.
Seeing him with someone provided a little comfort. A hit man would likely be alone.
Seeing him inside, sitting at a table, made her feel even better. It evidenced the fact he hadn’t run straight out to his vehicle to grab a rifle.
She signed the charge slip, pocketed her copy, and headed back toward the room.
But maybe he hadn’t grabbed a rifle because he’d planted a tracking device on her. What if he didn’t care what she did now because he planned to follow the signal and take them all down later?
Insane. Certifiably, tinfoil hat, maybe-Elvis-is-alive-and-working-at-a-library-in-Boston crazy.
She wasn’t in a spy movie. They weren’t dodging a hostile foreign government or hiding from the CIA.
They were avoiding a hit man.
It was unlikely that he’d even own fancy tracking equipment, much less take a chance in planting a device on someone who may or may not know where his target hid.
And the chances that he would have known precisely where they were and been around at the exact moment she exited the room were next to nothing.
So why couldn’t she stem the fear clouding her thoughts?
Caution never hurt anyone.
She detoured to the bathroom, locked herself in a stall, and made a thorough sweep of her clothes. No trace of anything foreign, much less some kind of signal emitting device.
Leaving the bathroom behind, she quickly texted Alex, who opened the door seconds later.
“That took forever. Where’d you have to go to pay? Italy?” Alex’s tone may have been teasing, but the creases at the corners of her blue eyes told the story.
“Sorry. There was this guy.” She eased out a breath. “I’ll fill you in later. Bottom line: I think we’re good here, but what do you say we take off, just in case?”
“Sure. Peters should be calling any time.” Alex tossed the keys to Rodriguez. “Bring the car around back, would you?”
“No sweat. Text you when I’m in position.”
The silence left in his wake felt ominous. They couldn’t get back to the controlled safety of the hotel soon enough.
Twelve
Dusk settled on the horizon as the SUV halted adjacent to the hotel’s side exit. Lana stepped from the vehicle, closing the door firmly behind her.
A soft breeze swirled the salty scent of the Pacific around her.
It’d be a perfect night for a good run, but Lana suspected her beach-running days were through for now. Patrolling the beach was no longer a necessity.
She inserted her key card into the door’s lock, which softly clicked open.
An empty hallway stretched before her.
She nodded at the SUV and Beckman climbed out. Brushing past her, he strode down the hall and pushed the button for the elevator. A ding signaled its arrival.
At Beckman’s thumbs up, Lana waved for Reilly and Alex to enter. The back door of the SUV popped open and Alex propelled Reilly into the building. Lana let them inside, then brought up the rear.
The SUV’s engine roared as Rodriguez pulled away to park the vehicle.
As the elevator approached their floor, Alex guided Reilly into the most sheltered corner and positioned herself and Beckman in front of him. Lana took up position in front of the doors as they slid open.
Another empty hallway.
Well, empty except for Peters, who leaned against the wall outside their suites.
“All clear.”
The group hurried into the suite. As Peters slid the deadbolt behind them, Lana rolled her shoulders to try to loosen the muscles.
“Thanks, guys. I needed that.” Reilly surveyed the group of deputies before his gaze came to rest on Lana. “I know it took a lot of work on everyone’s part and I want you to know I appreciate it.”
Lana smiled at him. With any luck, he’d never know how much tension still coursed through her. She really needed that run.
Too bad it wasn’t going to happen.
Besides, they still had one more order of birthday business to cover.
Detouring to the bedroom, she retrieved a bag from her closet and rejoined the group in the living room. She removed a wrapped package out of the bag and plopped it down in front of him. “It doesn’t feel like a birthday without something to open, right?”
“True story.” His grin, not to mention the way he ripped into the package, reminded her of a six-year-old child, not a prosecutor who’d turned thirty-six. He laughed when he saw the Ferrari model car kit inside. “You finally got me a sports car.”
The bag she held in her hands rustled as she removed a jar of red paint and tossed it to him. “And it’s red, too.”
“Some assembly required.”
Any doubts she’d harbored about the gift vanished at the amusement on his face.
“Sooo…,” Alex’s voice snagged her attention. “I take it there’s a story behind this?”
“Every year when I ask what he wants for his birthday, he tells me a red sports car. Looks like now he’ll have to come up with a new dream.”
Reilly glanced up from the box. “Man, it’s probably been at least twenty years since I’ve put one of these together. Although I always used spray paint.”
>
“Can’t spray paint indoors.” Besides, painting by hand would take him longer, a good thing when his entertainment options were as limited as they were.
Reilly headed back to his bedroom with the kit and paint.
She followed him. Leaning against the door frame, she held up the brush. “You might need this.”
“Might be helpful, huh?” He took the brush from her fingers and set it on the dresser next to the paint.
A pause weighted the space between them. Something was on his mind and, knowing him, he was trying to figure out the best way to say it.
“So.”
Incoming! That one word, spoken in a sly tone, combined with the arched eyebrow, made her want to search for cover. Whatever was coming next wouldn’t be good.
“A nature photographer, huh?”
Dang. Much as she wished for the contrary, she should’ve known they weren’t done with that topic. “I think you pretty much heard everything there is to tell.”
“Not why I had to learn about him from Branden. You should’ve been the one to tell me.”
Whether it was the reporter in Branden or what made him a good reporter, she didn’t know. Either way, Branden had a big mouth. “Tell you what? That there’s a nature photographer who likes sunsets? Do you want a rundown of everyone I see each day?”
“Only those you’re on a first-name basis with.”
Touché.
She lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug and tried for nonchalance. “So he knows my name. Big deal.”
“For you, it kinda is. More than that, it sounds like he’s got your schedule down.” Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he silently assessed her.
Ugh. She hated it when he did that. It made her feel so exposed.
“So what? Sheesh, you’d think I was sneaking out to see him the way you’re acting.”
His laugh bounced off the mostly bare walls. “I know you better than that. It’s just strange that you didn’t mention him before.”
“Alex knew.”
“But I didn’t.”
“You had enough on your mind.”
“Well, the secret’s out now and I expect a full update.”
This could take a while. She pushed off the wall and sank onto the edge of the mattress. “His background check is clean–”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Of course it wasn’t. A sigh rose from deep inside. “What do you want to know?”
“How he slipped under your guard, for one.”
“He hasn’t.” But he was close to it.
The knowledge surprised her. How could she have let that happen? Reilly’s life was on the line!
Carelessness wasn’t an option, especially not now.
A hard swallow scraped her throat. “I don’t know. There’s just… he carries this pain around him. You can almost see it.”
“What kind of pain?”
“The kind that–” Only people like me can understand. She stopped short of saying it out loud. “He was abandoned by his mother.”
“Really.” Doubt laced the single word. “And how did that topic come up in casual conversation?”
Wow. Talk about a role-reversal.
She was normally the skeptic. “I never thought I’d see the day when you’re more suspicious than I am.”
“I’m playing the big brother card on this one. It could be a pick-up line designed to gain instant sympathy. I’m just saying.”
Could he be right? She mulled the conversation with Nate over in her mind.
While she couldn’t remember every tic and expression, she recalled one thing with vivid clarity – the sense he’d been telling the truth.
Pain that deep was incredibly difficult to fake.
“If it is a line, he’s the world’s best con artist. You’d have to meet him to understand.”
“When and where?”
“Nice try, but it’s not gonna happen and you know it.” Regardless of the fact that her gut said Nate was on the level, she’d take no chances when it came to Reilly’s safety.
While Nate didn’t worry her much, that guy from the restaurant had really set her off. Cyrano. What was it about him?
“Okay, Lana. Spill it.”
“What?”
“You’ve been distracted since dinner. What’s up?”
Sometimes she hated that he could see through her so easily. No one, not even Alex, could read her as well as Reilly could.
“There was this guy at the restaurant.”
Reilly arched an eyebrow. “Another one? Sheesh. How many guys are you hiding from me?”
In spite of herself, she smiled. “Not like that. Tonight was the first time I ran into him.”
Literally.
Leaning back against the dresser, Reilly crossed his arms and waited.
“You remember the EMT?”
“Like I could forget anything about that night. Which one?”
“Dimitrios. The dark haired one.”
A slight nod from Reilly prompted her to continue.
“I ran into his twin at the restaurant tonight. Honestly, I thought it was him, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have said anything.”
How could she explain that she felt something was off when she couldn’t even figure out what that something was?
“Did something happen?”
“No. That’s just it. But he gave me this look.”
“A look?” Reilly cocked his head to the side. “I’m-an-evil-maniac-who-will-hunt-you-down-and-kill-you-while-you-sleep kind of look?”
“Not even close.”
Recalling the expression Cyrano had worn, she tried to find words to convey her concern. Nothing came.
A pithy laugh slid from her, one that contained no humor. “Listen to me. I sound crazy, huh? I don’t even know how to describe it. It was just weird. I think it had something to do with my name.”
“Your name? What would that have to do with anything?”
“Don’t ask me. But it wasn’t until he heard my name that he started acting strange.”
“You wanna know what I think? You probably remind him of someone.”
That didn’t explain his reaction to her name, but maybe the timing of that was more coincidental than anything else.
Right. And maybe she’d singlehandedly bring world peace, too.
Reilly didn’t wait for her to respond. “Honestly, that EMT kind of reminded me of you. I’m thinking you guys have the same ethnic background. Maybe Italian.”
Hmmm. Could he be right?
Maybe it really was that simple.
And it might explain the sense of ease she’d felt around Dimitrios. “But that still doesn’t explain the name thing.”
“Who cares? Might’ve been a delayed reaction or something. Heck, you could even remind him of someone named Lana.”
“Right. Because it’s such a common name.”
“It could be in whatever country he’s from.”
Possibly. “Maybe I’ll see if I can track down his last name. Do a little digging, just to make sure.” Getting a last name shouldn’t be too difficult since she knew where Dimitrios worked.
Reilly shook his head. “I don’t know how you do it. Don’t you get tired of being suspicious of everyone?”
“You get used to it.” A yawn snuck up on her. “I should get some sleep. Have to be up for the midnight shift.”
While it was her least favorite shift, the solitude would give her time to think. And pray.
She headed for the door, trying to push Reilly’s question aside, but it kept replaying in her mind. He was right. The suspicions did get old.
But they kept people alive.
₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪
Lana drew in a deep breath of the crisp sea air. Not far from where she stood, the waves slapped the shoreline as the tide pounded in.
Although Alex almost had to have Rodriguez push her off the balcony to get her out of the suites, she’d grudgingly agreed to leave.
&n
bsp; And Alex was right. She’d needed this release.
While she still didn’t trust everyone on the team, Alex had promised to personally keep an eye on Reilly until she returned.
Besides, their assailant had likely moved on. He wouldn’t have expected them to stay.
She stretched, then broke into a jog.
It felt like ages since she’d put in a good run. Had it really only been two days since the attack at the safe house?
The bandage on her arm, not to mention the pain she endured when she moved the wrong way, assured her that not much time had really passed.
Cold air slapped her face as she sprinted up the packed sand.
The area had more activity than she was used to seeing. Probably due in large part to the string of hotels lining the beach.
She slowed to a jog, her mind returning to the questions that had weighed on her almost constantly.
“Who told him?” The whispered question was lost in the wind, drowned out by the waves breaking not far from her feet.
Someone on her team had to be playing both sides, but who? And how could she find the mole without alienating the whole team? After all, as far as they were concerned, she was the outsider.
If only they’d gotten some solid evidence from the crime scene, but there were very few leads.
All they had to work with were the bullet casings and a man’s shoeprint, size 13. The shoeprint was a popular style and the manufacturer had confirmed they’d sold millions in this country alone.
As for the bullet casings, they were basically worthless without the weapon.
A shiver bristled up her back and down her arms. It had nothing to do with the weather – she was being watched.
She glanced around, saw the same people she’d seen not two minutes ago. The man with his dog, the group of college kids playing an intense volleyball game, a couple of children looking for seashells while their parents watched from a few feet away.
Nothing suspicious.
Under the pretense of stretching, she glanced behind her.
Ah, that explained it. Heading straight for her, camera slung around his neck, was Nate. Her heart rate slowed a notch.
While she waited for him to join her, she took a moment to catch her breath. By the time he reached her, she was able to speak without sounding winded. “Hey.”
Deadly Alliances Page 14
