Dangerous Secrets

by Moira Callahan

  Evernight Publishing ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2014 Moira Callahan

  ISBN: 978-1-77130-962-2

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Laurie Temple

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  A huge thank you absolutely must go out to my wonderful editor, Laurie Temple. I have been truly blessed to have such an amazing woman helping me bring the very best story to my readers.

  To my readers, thank you for all your support on this wondrous journey. Enjoy!

  DANGEROUS SECRETS

  C&M Security, 2

  Moira Callahan

  Copyright © 2014

  Prologue

  The pressure on Mallory Thompson’s scalp preceded the water sluicing away from her head and face. Sucking a breath into her burning lungs, she kicked harder. She had to stay above the water. She couldn’t let him push her down again. She didn’t think he’d let her up if he did.

  “Where. Is. The. Drive?” The man, whose hand was tangled in her hair, pushed her into the lake again and then hauled her back up.

  She didn’t know who he was, and she definitely didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about. But she couldn’t say that again, not with her body desperately trying to suck in air. Spots danced before her eyes. Even if her vision hadn’t been impaired, she’d never be able to identify him.

  There was a lantern behind him, so his face was in shadow. He had on a hoodie and a cap but that’s about all she knew for sure. His hands were covered in leather gloves and he wore work boots.

  The boots she knew about from the six kicks he’d delivered to her ribs, stomach and the one to her jaw before he’d dumped her into the lake.

  His hand tightened in her hair and she reached up with a heavy arm to try and grab his wrist. Anything to take some of the pressure off her poor, screaming scalp. Then he shook her.

  Mallory couldn’t hold in the whimper of pain, it was too much. She was in absolute agony, she was wet, she was cold, she was being dunked repeatedly to the point where she nearly drowned and now he was doing this?

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” she managed to get through her chattering teeth.

  “Bullshit. I saw them give it to you. Where the fuck is the fucking drive, bitch?” he screamed at her, shaking her again.

  Whimpering in pain, Mallory clawed at his arm. Her subconscious mind knew what her conscious mind was just cluing into. He was going to kill her if she didn’t get away from him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. No one gave me anything, you asshole.”

  Okay, calling the guy holding her life in his hands an asshole? Probably not her brightest move.

  The slap she got to her face told her that. But luck was finally on her side and she caught skin with her nails and dug in hard, scraping at his arm, wrist, or hand, whatever it was. He let go with a yelp.

  Kicking her legs hard, she swam away from the dock and deeper into the lake and the darkness.

  “You fucking bitch!” he screamed.

  Which was closely followed up by a sound that any TV or movie watcher knew. The slide snapping into place on a gun.

  Trying to swim harder and faster, Mallory knew she wasn’t gaining a lot of ground. She wasn’t a great swimmer on the best of days. But she kept going as best she could.

  When she heard the first shot, she screamed and flinched automatically. The missed strokes sent her under the water and she came up sputtering. There was a curse from the shoreline, harsh and angry sounding. She didn’t know where the shot had gone, but she had no new aches and pains so she wasn’t fucking complaining.

  There was another shot. It didn’t miss. She felt the burn through her shoulder and the wind was knocked out of her. She couldn’t keep swimming, it was too hard, too exhausting.

  Time to make a choice. So she floundered a bit more, gasping for air, making lots of noise before she slid under the water. It wasn’t all an act, but she knew she had to get rid of him and get out of the water.

  Breaking the surface again she let out a weak sound and then went down. She’d taken a good lungful of air and, hopefully it would be enough.

  Unfortunately she didn’t know how long to stay under and her lungs began to burn. She needed air, and soon. Her entire body was tired, heavy with exhaustion and her lungs were starting to scream again, too.

  Was it long enough? Maybe she needed to wait longer? Damn it, she couldn’t.

  Kicking her leaden legs, Mallory eased back to the surface and let her face just break through. Sucking in a shallow breath, she waited. No gunshots.

  That was a good sign.

  Lifting her head a bit more, she looked around until she spotted the dock. It was empty.

  No sign of her attacker.

  But damn, it was a really long ways away.

  Sighing, she rolled onto her back and began to kick with her feet. It would be slow going but with her shoulder now sporting a gunshot wound, she couldn’t swim the breaststroke, the back stroke or any other sort of stroke.

  By the time she got to the dock, she was beyond exhausted. Her arms and legs felt like they were weighted down by Buick’s. Kicking just a little more, she finally felt the gravel at the edge of the lake. Rolling over onto her stomach she dug deep for just a little more energy. With one more burst she got herself up a few more inches before collapsing.

  Sleep. She just needed a little nap and then she’d be fine. Ten minutes, fifteen tops and she’d be raring to go. Yes. Just a little nap…

  Chapter One

  Peering through the glass door with trepidation, Mallory took a shaky breath while sending a worried look over her shoulder. She was at the right address. The sign on the building matched the name of the company she was given. But this place was seriously high-end and way out of her budget.

  She jolted at the sharp buzzing sound. Looking around she saw the woman at the reception desk waving her in.

  Taking a slow breath, she pushed on the door and stepped into the air-conditioned building.

  The waiting area held modern, clean lined furniture, very chic and minimalist. There were paintings on the brick walls, expensive-looking vases on tables or in corners on the floor. It was eclectic and yet not harsh. She liked it. In that “better not touch anything in case she broke it and therefore bought it” way, of course.

  The receptionist watched her curiously, but didn’t rush her. Which was good. Mallory wasn’t sure if she was ready to be rushed. Finally garnering another ounce of courage, she moved over to the desk and gave the woman a shaky smile.

  “Welcome to C&M Security,” the receptionist said with a wide and friendly smile.

  “Hi,” Mallory managed to whisper. Clearing her throat, she adjust her large purse over her shoulder and scraped a nail on the handle. “I’m Mallory Thompson. Detective Granger arranged a meeting for me.”

  Not that she really wanted a meeting with anyone. No, all she wanted to do was go back to her place, curl up under her blankets and block out the world.

  The receptionist was already on her computer and nodding. “Yes, I have you meeting with Robyn. She’s expecting you,” she said with a smile. Popping up from her desk, she came around and indicated the stairs. “Come on, I’ll show you to where you and Rob wil
l be talking.”

  Seeing no way out, Mallory followed the woman up the stairs to the office space. Obviously. More paintings and some photography hung on the exposed brick. Hardwood floors throughout, big windows letting in huge amounts of light and wide hallways that led to various doorways.

  “Did you want some coffee, tea, or water?” the woman asked her as she showed her into an office.

  “No, thank you,” she said, shaking her head.

  “All right. Settle in and I’ll let Rob know you’re here,” she said.

  “Thank you,” Mallory managed to get out before the redhead disappeared. Licking her lips she looked around the space. It was the same eclectic mix as the rest of the place. A few older and well-cared for pieces, some odd shots of color, photos on the walls and the large desk that was a modern piece of art more than a work surface.

  The soft sound of the door latch catching spun Mallory around, her heart thundering in her chest.

  “I’m sorry,” the woman said. Moving toward Mallory, she held out a hand. “I’m Robyn Matthews, the M in C&M.” She smiled.

  Shaking her hand, Mallory smiled in return. “Mallory Thompson.”.

  “Please, sit.” Robyn waved a hand toward a little sitting area instead of the two chairs by the desk. “Can I get you something? Water, juice, tea, maybe some coffee?” she asked.

  Easing down into the chair, she thought about it. “A water would be good.” It would give her something to hang onto and fiddle with. Which, with as nervous as she was, would not be a bad idea.

  Robyn left her for a minute and then returned, passing over the bottle of water.

  “Thank you,” Mallory said, twisting the top off and taking a sip.

  “Of course.” the woman smiled at her as she sat down. “I should let you know that Granger sent over a copy of the police report. Nothing confidential of course, just some details to give me a heads up. I gave it a once-over just so I was familiar, but I’d like to hear it from you in your own words. No rush, take it at your own pace.”

  Yeah, ‘cause she really wanted to relive it, again.

  “I’d just gotten off shift at the restaurant I cook at. I’d walked partway home with a friend who lives not far from me. At the park we parted ways. She went hers and I went mine. We never walked in the park, but on the streets where it was well lit.” Lifting the bottle, Mallory took a sip and a shaky breath as she put the cap back on.

  “You’re doing great,” Robyn said softly.

  “I was almost to my apartment when a guy came up out of the park and stopped on the sidewalk in front of me. I couldn’t really see his face, he was too far away, and the hoodie he had on made it even harder. Every instinct in me said to run but I kept walking. Slower of course, but I kept walking. He knew my name, said it and then said that he wanted the drive. If I gave it up he wouldn’t hurt me.”

  Her hands were shaking hard, so she squeezed the bottle a little. “I told him flat out he’d obviously made a mistake and I didn’t know what he was talking about. He started toward me, and before I realized I’d done it, I was walking backward. My head said not to look away, but to keep distance between us.”

  “It’s the protective part of the brain, the primitive part of fight or flight. Some call it a sixth sense. I personally call it common sense in a dangerous situation,” Robyn said with a shrug.

  Mallory smiled slightly at that. She liked this woman, a lot. “He said my name again, said the name of the restaurant I worked at, my address and the names of my few family members. He knew exactly who I was. He said that he knew I was lying, and he’d get that drive no matter what it took. That’s when I ran, straight into the park. I guess I was hoping I could lose him in the dark. I know the park really well, in the daylight.” She let out another breath.

  “Everything’s different at night, though.”

  Mallory nodded. “Yeah, it is. I had a vague idea of where I was, but I honestly don’t think I had a clue where I was going. I could hear the water and figured if I could get closer to the lake I’d be able to reorient myself. As I got to one of the paths, he tackled me. I’m pretty sure I blacked out because the next thing I knew, he was slapping me awake and then rolled me into the water. The drop wasn’t huge, but enough that I figured it had to be from one of the docks. I came up in shock from the cold water, and that’s when he grabbed my hair.”

  Robyn moved in front of her, taking the bottle and gripping Mallory’s hand tight. “Slow your breathing, sweetie. You’re going to hyperventilate at this rate. Take a breath in and hold it then let it out nice and easy. Better,” she said with a smile. “Now take another couple and then continue.”

  The woman didn’t let Mallory’s hand go even as she eased up to sit on the coffee table.

  “He said that since I didn’t want to do it the easy way, he’d make me tell him,” she continued finally. Her grip on Robyn’s hand was tight and she knew she had to be hurting the woman, but Mallory just couldn’t let go.

  “He pushed me down into the water and held me there as I struggled. I fought him, but it was so hard The water was cold and my clothes made movement difficult. He tugged me up just when I started to black out and shook me. Asked again. I couldn’t talk, I was too busy sucking in air, then he pushed me under again. He did it several more times until finally, I don’t know, I think I’d had enough and just yelled at him the same thing I told him before. That I didn’t know what it was he wanted and definitely didn’t have it. He slapped me then and I started to claw at his arm.”

  “Good for you,” Robyn nodded firmly. “You fought back. I’m guessing this is when you got away from him?”

  “Yeah,” Mallory said. “He let go and I did the first thing that came to mind. I swam out into the lake where it was dark and hoped he wouldn’t see me. I have no idea what kind of progress I made, but then he started shooting. He missed me the first time. The second bullet slammed into my shoulder. Again, I have no idea why I did it, but I sucked in a big breath and slid under the water after a bit of floundering around. I stayed under as long as I could before floating back up in what I hoped was a dead body sort of way. I floated for a while without another shot so I got myself upright. He was gone.”

  Robyn nodded. “He likely cleared out as soon as he was sure he hit you and you did your act. He may have even taken off as soon as he fired the second shot. Gunshots are pretty loud, and at night, he likely would have attracted more attention had he stayed.”

  “Maybe.” But what did she know about the actions of a crazed lunatic? “I did a half-assed back paddle toward land and eventually got there. Once I was onshore, I know I passed out, I was so damned tired and cold. When I woke, I was in the hospital and then all hell broke loose. Cops, doctors, nurses, too many people talking all at once and over one another. They told me I’d gone through surgery, that I was lucky, and a whole bunch of other things before finally going away.”

  “Yeah, they tend to make you want to either kill them or slip back into that nice drug-induced haze as fast as possible. I don’t know why they do that shit. It’s not like you’re on the ball and thinking clearly as soon as you wake up. Hell, I don’t start fully functioning until at least my fourth cup of coffee,” Robyn said.

  “More or less how I was feeling at that moment. Once they left, though, it all sort of sank in. A Detective Granger came to see me the next day to get my statement. I told him the same I’ve just told you. I let him know about the threats to my family and that he knew where I lived. The detective went to my place, with my permission and came back to tell me that it had been tossed, badly.”

  “I can imagine,” Robyn said, squeezing her hand. “Do you have any idea what this guy meant by a drive?”

  “The only thing I could think of was a hard drive, like in a computer. But the only one I have is my three year old laptop that I barely use, and when I do it’s for social media and address searches or event searches. I honestly have no idea why he thinks I would have the drive he’s looking for.�
�

  “Okay, good,” she nodded. “This guy is still out there. We are going to operate under the belief that he knows you are alive. You were in the hospital and unless the police managed to get you under a false identity, there’s a real possibility he found you. We’ve done the same over the years when looking for people. Hospitals are hard to get info out of, but if you have a name at least you can confirm that person is there. After that, all it is needed is some patience. Since you’re now out of the hospital it has to be assumed that he’s going to be watching you again. We can’t say for sure he will be, or if someone else might be, but we always think about worst case scenario. He, and perhaps someone else, thinks you have this drive or know where the drive is. They are going to try to get it, and according to what you’ve said, you’re their best lead.”

  Nodding, Mallory rubbed her palm over her leg and held onto Robyn’s hand tighter with her other hand. “What does that mean?”

  “That means we need to protect you. The police have limited resources, which is why Granger insisted you come see us as quickly as he did. They will have to pull the police presence from your building and neighborhood soon, which leaves you unprotected. We’re going to assign one of our guys to stay with you. To keep them from realizing you’re under our protection, we’ll use a little subterfuge. The guy I’m sending will be your boyfriend. He was out of town during the attack, just got back, and will be rushing over to see you as soon as he can because he just found out.”

  “Uh, okay,” she said with a frown. “But won’t they know I came to see you?” she asked.

  “Doubtful, we had a few of our guys tailing you on your taxi ride here to ensure you hadn’t picked up any watchers,” Robyn said. “And we’ll have them do the same thing when you return home. I’d recommend, though, that you get your taxi to stop at a market near your place if you can and go in, pick up a few things and then walk. I say close because you’re not in any condition for a long hike.”