by Cara Summers
The detective’s words had a new wave of fear settling in Mac’s throat. If she’d been thinking more clearly, she could have warned Lucas before he’d left Key West. She should have figured out what Sophie was doing earlier. Maybe she could have prevented this, if she hadn’t been so distracted by Lucas.
Lucas showed no emotion on his face as he glanced at his watch. “Sophie’s been missing a little less than twenty-four hours. My security people traced her the same way that Dr. Lloyd did. Sophie went out last night and didn’t come back to her hotel room, but I have a man in California checking the restaurant that the concierge recommended to her. We think she may have met a man there, someone she flew out there to be with. There’s a possibility that she may be with him.”
“No,” Mac said.
Both men turned to look at her.
“She’s not with him. She’d decided she didn’t like him after all. She was going to cut her trip short.”
Ramsey turned to Lucas. “Could be she’s on her way back then. Do you have a way to check that out?”
Lucas nodded. “I’ll have my security people check the flights out of San Francisco.”
“Keep me posted. Here’s my card. If you need me to contact the local law enforcement, just give me a call. I have to get back to the station.” He met Lucas’s eyes. “Now that I’ve warned Dr. Lloyd, there’s not much else I can do.”
Lucas nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
As the two men moved toward the door of the office, Mac clasped her hands together in her lap. In a moment she’d be alone with Lucas. That had been the one thing she’d wanted to avoid. She could still leave. Even as the impulse moved through her to stand and run after Detective Ramsey, she heard the door click shut and her throat went dry. She was reaching for her glass when she saw the blond wig lying on the table where she’d tossed it. Quickly she dropped her hand to her side. If only she had refused to go along with Sophie’s plan….
Rising, she steeled herself to meet Lucas’s eyes, something she’d avoided since she’d first walked into the room. In that instant when she’d taken off the wig and he’d recognized her, she thought she’d seen…what? Relief? Pleasure? Or had it only been a fantasy, a projection of the feelings that had been running through her?
Pushing the hope down, she lifted her gaze to his…and saw nothing. His eyes were perfectly blank. She might have been a stranger he was meeting for the first time on the street. Drawing in a deep breath, she managed not to shiver. She told herself that she preferred blankness to the cold detachment she’d seen in the hotel room. “This is all my fault. All of it.”
He took a step forward, then stopped. “Blame is beside the point right now, don’t you think?” His tone was as neutral as his expression.
“Of course. Tell me what I can do.”
“Do?” He took two more steps toward her and stopped again.
This close she could see that he wasn’t as carefully controlled as she’d thought. For a moment the silence stretched between them, and her heart began to drum.
The ringing of the phone made them both start. Then Lucas moved to grab it.
“Yes, Ms. Burns?”
“Mr. Falcone on line two.”
“Put him through.”
“I HOPE YOUR FLIGHT from the Keys was uneventful, Lucas.”
“To the point of being boring.” Lucas was pleased to note that his voice was cool. Because he wasn’t. He hadn’t been since Mac had walked into the room. And it wasn’t merely the news that his sister might have been kidnapped. Even now as he looked at Mac, she unlocked feelings in him that he couldn’t seem to control. And what he’d feared most seemed to be true. In spite of everything, he still wanted her.
“You shouldn’t have left your little playmate behind at the hotel. She could have amused you on the flight.”
Fear was a copper taste in his mouth as several possibilities flooded his mind. He’d known that Falcone was monitoring his movements. How else would he have known to call him at the Wainright Casa Marina? And yet he’d left Mac there alone without any thought that Falcone might make a move on her. But she was here. She was safe even if it was no thanks to him.
Tearing his gaze away from Mac, he said, “I came to the same conclusion. That’s why she’s with me right now.” Lucas sat on the edge of the desk and concentrated on relaxing every muscle in his body. He had to get some grip on his control or Falcone would believe he had the upper hand.
“Ah.”
He hadn’t known that, Lucas thought with some satisfaction.
“She seemed to be much different than your usual choice of companion. But I’m told she is very entertaining.”
When his free hand tightened into a fist, Lucas relaxed it. “Surely you haven’t called merely to comment on how I’m keeping myself entertained?”
Soft laughter rippled into his ear. “Of course not. I called to remind you of my party tomorrow at the vineyard. Bring your new little friend if you wish. For old times’ sake, I’d like you to be there.”
“The old times are over.”
“Perhaps I can persuade you to create some new ones. Your sister has accepted my invitation.”
“Sophie?” The surprise he heard in his voice was genuine. He hadn’t expected Falcone to mention her. Had he already discovered that she was impersonating Mac? He felt the flutter of panic in his throat and swallowed it.
“She and Sonny have become very close over the past few weeks. He’s persuaded her to come.”
Falcone was choosing his words carefully. He was purposely creating the idea that his son and Sophie were intimate. Could Mac’s theory be wrong? Was Tracker right and Sophie had merely spent the night with Sonny at the estate? Pushing the questions aside, Lucas concentrated on the one thing he could depend on. The old man wanted him frightened and angry. Therefore, he couldn’t afford to be. “I’m sure you’ll treat her as an honored guest. For old times’ sake. Give Sophie my best.”
There was a beat of silence, just long enough for Lucas to know he’d scored a point.
“There’s another reason you should come. We have business to discuss.”
Lucas waited a beat this time. “I don’t think so.”
“The pharmaceutical company you paid me off with, Lansing Biotech. We’re about to get exclusive rights to some very promising research. You might be interested in buying back in. If not, I’ll go directly to your board before the news hits the street.”
Lucas said nothing, but his mind was racing. Lansing Biotech. Why hadn’t he put it together sooner? Lansing Biotech gave Vincent Falcone the perfect motive to kidnap MacKenzie Lloyd.
Falcone’s laugh was softer than before. “I’ll see you tomorrow at…three, shall we say? I have a special bottle of wine I want to share with you.”
For a moment after he hung up the phone, Lucas turned this new information over in his mind.
“Is Sophie safe?”
He glanced up at Mac’s question. She had to have guessed that he’d been talking about her to Falcone, but all he could see was concern for Sophie in her eyes. “I don’t know. I think I know who’s got her. As far as I can tell, he thinks he’s got both of you. He’s an enemy of mine, and he says Sophie’s going to be at his party tomorrow, and he’s about to get exclusive rights to some exciting new research. How many pharmaceutical companies have been wooing you to come with them?”
“Three. It all started after I published that article last month. My results are preliminary, as I told you. But the enzymes I’m using are having very promising effects on rats.”
“What did you tell the companies?”
“That I wasn’t interested. I was afraid that once I signed papers, they’d own me. That’s why I prefer the university setting. There’s much more freedom.”
Lucas’s eyebrows shot up. “Less money too.”
She shrugged. “Money isn’t everything.”
“Did anyone give you a hard time when you refused to sign?”
�
��One of them was hard to discourage. My fault, really. I dated the representative a few times. I thought he might be interested in me until he made his pitch. He wanted me to sign a contract that would give his company exclusive rights to manufacture the results of my research. He told me that I wouldn’t have to come to work for them, that I could stay at the university. He was very upset when I didn’t sign.”
“What was the name of the company?” he asked.
“Lansing Biotech.”
“Bingo,” Lucas said even as fear flooded through him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. “How long ago was it when you gave the rep his walking papers?”
“Just a few days before Sophie’s birthday.”
“That could explain why they went to plan B,” he said. “They broke into your lab that Sunday, which means they’re desperate to get your signature on that contract.”
“But they must realize that if they kidnapped me and forced me to sign I could go to the police afterward, explain about the kidnapping and swear I signed the contract under duress.”
Lucas nodded. “Sure, you could do that. But I’m betting that Falcone has covered his tracks well. And that company rep you dated may have a different story. You wouldn’t have any proof about when you signed the papers, and your signature would be authentic. It would take the courts a while to settle it. And if I’m right about what Falcone is planning to do, he’ll only need to produce your signature to convince my board to invest in his company before the stock goes up. He’ll make sure Wainright Enterprises makes a killing before the legal battles start. And if he could get his hands on your research notes, he wouldn’t really need you anymore.”
“He won’t get my research notes. They’re safe. It’s Sophie who’s in trouble. What will happen when they find out she’s not me?”
It was the question he hadn’t wanted to ask himself.
Mac reached for his hands then. “We’re going to find her before that happens.”
The words, just the fact that she said them out loud, stilled the fear that had been ripping through him. Before he could prevent himself, he linked his fingers with hers. There was comfort there, he thought, a kind he’d never hoped to have. He couldn’t afford to trust it any more than he could prevent himself from clinging to it—for just a moment. “Mac…”
The phone on his desk rang again. Releasing her hands, Lucas reached for it and heard Tracker’s voice in his ear.
“I’m at the Side Street Grill, the restaurant the concierge recommended to Sophie. Sonny Falcone was here for a short time last night. The bartender doesn’t recall anyone who fits Sophie’s description, but he remembers a redhead—someone he’d never seen before—talking to Sonny. Next thing he knows, she’s gone. Sonny hung around until the place closed down.”
“Mac’s here, and she says that Sophie told her she was bored with Sonny and planned on heading home.” Quickly he summarized the rest of what he’d learned from Ramsey, Mac and his phone conversation with Vincent Falcone.
“Damn,” Tracker said. “I’d like it a hell of a lot better if I knew who was who. You got any orders?”
“Any chance you could scout out Falcone’s vineyard?”
“Can a duck swim? I was going to head out there anyway.”
Lucas’s lips curved slightly as he glanced at his watch. “I should be able to get there in five hours.”
“What about Dr. Lloyd?”
Lucas glanced at Mac. “No. I’ll make arrangements for her here. Just tell me who to call.”
Lucas jotted down the instructions Tracker gave him, but he’d no sooner hung up when Mac said, “I’m going with you.”
“It’s not safe.”
“You know who’s got Sophie, don’t you? Who is it?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s an old enemy of mine by the name of Vincent Falcone. That’s why I wanted Sophie with me down at my grandfather’s cabin. I didn’t foresee that he would go after you. I wasn’t prepared for that at all.” Lifting the phone, he punched in the numbers that Tracker had given him. “I’m going to leave you with someone who’ll keep you safe.”
“If I go with you, they’ll know that they don’t have the right person. They’ll have to let her go.”
Lucas frowned at her. “It’s not that simple. Vincent Falcone is really after me. And I don’t trust him.” He filled her in on what Tracker had told him. “If he finds out that he’s got the wrong woman, I don’t think he’d hesitate to use Sophie to get what he wants.”
“You still need me,” Mac said. “He’ll release her if I sign the papers he wants. I’ll give him my research.”
Lucas stared at her. “You can’t do that. I couldn’t allow it.”
She moved to him then, until they were standing toe to toe. “You might be able to tell Sophie what to do, but not me. I can always do more research. I could never replace Sophie. If you don’t take me with you, I’ll go on my own.”
Lucas studied her. She looked as fearless as he’d always imagined Joan of Arc would look as she was being led to the stake. And just as naive.
He didn’t doubt for a minute that she would do what she said.
“If I agree to take you, there are some ground rules we’ll have to set.”
She leaned down to pick up her bag. “I can do rules. They’re a scientist’s way of life. Why don’t we discuss them on the way?”
MAC LAY CURLED on the seat opposite him. As soon as his private plane had lifted into the air, she’d been out like a light.
Little wonder. Exhaustion bruised her eyes even in sleep. Sipping his wine, Lucas willed himself to relax. How much had either one of them slept in the past—what was it? Three days?
Was that all it had been? He felt as if he’d known her forever. Yet, as he watched her sleep, he wondered if he knew her at all.
Leaning back in his seat, he shifted his gaze out the small window at his elbow. Ever since they’d taken off from D.C., they’d been chasing the sunset. The light outside was soft and glowing. Focusing on it, he tried to think of other things. Tracker had called with information on the party, and the layout of Falcone’s vineyard. They’d even mapped out a tentative plan for searching both the villa and the other buildings. But he didn’t kid himself that Vincent Falcone wouldn’t take excellent precautions. He might not even be keeping Sophie on the premises. They might not find her. He might not see her again.
Closing his eyes, he pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose and dismissed the might nots from his mind. When he opened them, he found his gaze resting on Mac again, and he thought instead of another time he’d watched her sleep, little more than twelve hours ago. She’d been snuggled against him in bed, and he’d been making love to her, slowly, thoroughly. Even as he thought about it, an achy, edgy desire crawled through him anew.
That much hadn’t changed. She’d looked fragile and defenseless then too. Someone a man should protect. And everything had been a lie.
Or had it?
Rising, he moved into the small galley and poured more wine into his glass. Ever since he’d learned about Sophie’s deception, he’d convinced himself Mac had been playacting with him from start to finish. He’d told himself that nothing about her could be trusted. Nothing was real.
He’d been wrong. Her loyalty, her love for his sister was very real.
What else was? Turning, he moved back to settle himself in the seat opposite her.
Her dedication to her work. Her courage. She might think of herself as a coward, but she would risk her own safety, without a second thought, to save Sophie.
That was why he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight until he’d settled things with Falcone. He couldn’t forget the cold fear that had sliced through him when Falcone had revealed that he’d known Lucas had left Mac behind in Florida. What if Falcone had known she was MacKenzie Lloyd and gone after her then? He’d been careless about her safety. He couldn’t forgive himself for that. And he wouldn’t be careless again.
He lifted
his glass of wine, then frowned and set it down. His determination to protect her wasn’t the only reason he’d agreed to bring her along. He didn’t like lies, and self-deception was the worst kind. He wanted MacKenzie Lloyd. It was just that simple. Just that vital.
Sitting here watching her sleep was enough to have his blood nearly boiling. He wanted to know everything about her, to discover what made her tick. He wanted to touch her, to discover what pleased her, to watch her come alive when he was inside her again.
He wanted all of her.
If he could make love to her—just once again without any kind of pretense between them—maybe then he could get her out of his system.
And if he couldn’t? He’d just have to face that when he got to it.
He moved to her then, lifting her into his arms and carrying her into the small bedroom at the back of the plane.
SHE SHOT FROM deep sleep to half sleep with a swiftness that had her mind and senses reeling. Blood heating, pulse racing, she was trapped in a place where all she could feel was Lucas—his body pressed tightly against hers at every possible contact point, his hands holding her wrists. And his mouth, insatiable and possessive, moved over hers, drawing everything from her.
Freeing one of her hands, she ran it over his shoulder, testing the hard muscles, craving the warm smooth skin beneath the shirt. Hers. The word brought pleasure and a hint of panic. He was only hers for as long as she could hold on to the dream.
