01 Untouchable - Untouchable

by Lindsay Delagair

  “I’ve got to get to Jack and Ricky soon. I spent part of yesterday afternoon tracking them down, but the problem is that they’re staking out the hospital. They’re certain you’re going to show up there to see your mom, but I wasn’t able to get any clean shots. They know I’m around so they are being extra cautious.”

  “That’s what you were doing yesterday?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got my rifle with the silencer, but I just didn’t get the right opportunity.”

  “How…” I couldn’t imagine him with that big rifle and no one seeing him and calling the cops.

  His face buried deeper into my neck and I was losing my train of thought.

  “What?” he whispered.

  “How do you keep from someone seeing you?”

  “Experience and training,” was all he would say.

  “And Jack and Ricky? Are they smart enough not to get noticed?”

  “No they’re pretty stupid when it comes to shooting someone. They aren’t carrying silencers on their pistols, so they’ll either have to shoot you at close range and run, or drag you off somewhere to finish the job without an audience.”

  “What about Sharon? Have you been able to find out what she’s been up to?”

  “Yeah, she is dividing her time between sacking Robert and Jack. Robert’s just too ignorant to figure out he’s being used.”

  “Serves him right, I guess,” I said, unable to keep the bitterness out of my words. “He is using my mom in the worst way possible.”

  “I got a call from my attorney yesterday. I’ve had him checking on how Robert is doing with his Power of Attorney and he thinks it may only be another day or two before the judge grants his request.”

  “Doesn’t her doctor have to say she’s incompetent?”

  “It’s usually a panel of doctors but yes, her doctor would be the most influential in the case.”

  “Then he won’t get what he wants. Doctor Figarrio should be able to see a difference…”

  “If he truly did what you asked and it isn’t some ploy to placate you until Robert has what he needs.”

  “No,” I said, rolling over and looking into those beautiful eyes. “He was serious, I could tell. I’ve got to call this morning and ask if he’s starting to see a change. She’s had twenty four hours to start clearing out her system.”

  He had that intent stare going on and I was wondering what it was he was thinking, but I was also learning that if I pressed him for things that he wasn’t ready to tackle, I could end up with a problem—a problem like the handcuffs yesterday.

  At that moment, my stomach gave a rolling growl. I laughed and apologized. “I’m hungry.”

  He pulled me in close and buried that gorgeous face into the base of my throat, planting a kiss on my chest. “Me too,” he replied, but it didn’t sound like he was speaking of food. He sighed and rolled out of bed. That was when I noticed he was in his boxers.

  “Ah…” I turned away and pushed my face down in the pillow. I hadn’t expected my internal reaction and I knew I couldn’t handle the view. I could feel the flush of heat sweep from the center of my solar plexus outward head to toe. The board shorts had been hard enough to handle, but the boxers were just a little too revealing.

  I felt his hand on my back. “What?” he asked, but his mirth was evident in the tiny question.

  “Nothing,” came my words, almost completely muffled by the pillow. “Just get some pants on.”

  “You said as long as I had…”

  “I know what I said but—but I can’t—can’t handle it. Please,” I said raising my head off the pillow, but not opening my eyes or turning to look at him. “You’re very—exposed—and I… Wow—does this ecstasy stuff say in your system for a while?”

  I could feel him coming closer.

  His amusement seemed to be growing deeper as he nuzzled the back of my neck. “It seems you and I have similar needs, Annalisa.”

  “Yeah well right now, I need you to have pants on!”

  “Oh, Baby,” he crooned in that sexy, soft voice.

  That was all I could take. I’m not even sure how I got out of the covers and onto my feet as fast as I did but I made a bee-line for the shower. I could hear him laughing as I flung my clothes from inside the shower over the top. I grabbed the handle for the cold water and turned it on, taking away my breath when it met my excessively heated skin.

  “Do you want some help in there?” he asked, just to vex me a little more.

  “Go away, Micah,” I snapped.

  I could hear him laughing, and then I could hear it fade as he left the room. I don’t know how long I spent under the cold water, but I finally understood his frustration level when I had caused him to run for the shower. I wondered how, if the physical needs are really this consuming, he survived the night I was out of my proper mind—and my clothes.

  When I exited the shower I could smell the coffee; he was evidently back with our breakfast. I wrapped the towel tightly around me, since I hadn’t bothered to close the bathroom door when I went charging for the shower, and glanced into the bedroom. Thankfully he wasn’t in there. I closed the door, and locked it—he was still laughing at me.

  I dressed and gave my wet, tangled hair a quick touch with the brush and then went out to where he sat at the dining table. I was trying not to return the big smile on his face, but I couldn’t help it. “Don’t say a word,” I warned.

  The eyebrows went up, but he was still grinning. He had brought four Danishes this time and I was so hungry I could have eaten them all, but would have to show I was satisfied with half. I had inhaled both of them and finished my coffee in a matter of moments.

  “Wow,” he exclaimed as he watched me rise from the table. “Just thinking about sex gives you quite an appetite.”

  “I wasn’t thinking about—ugh!” I groaned as I snatched up his cell phone. “I’ve got to call…”

  “Whoa, Baby,” he was saying trying to take the phone out of my hand.

  I was so flustered I was ready to fight him for it when he simply told me I had the wrong phone. “Oh,” I said, quickly putting it in his hand as if it was too hot to touch. “Sorry. I didn’t mean…”

  He handed me his personal phone, but he didn’t release it immediately when I tried to take it. “You have no idea,” he began, “what kind of a turn on it is to watch you turn on. The shower didn’t seem to help you, did it?” He finally released the phone.

  “Not really,” I whimpered. “I never understood when friends that I’ve known said they couldn’t wait for marriage. It still seems so wrong, but I never knew it could be so—so hard. If we had—you know the other day—would this be easier now?”

  He pulled me into those arms and the heat began to rise once more. “For us?” he whispered, “I’m starting to believe this must be what happens when love and needs mix—and I’m afraid it would be even stronger if we had slipped.”

  “Good grief,” I stated, pulling away and burying my face in my hands. “It can’t get stronger than this. Is this normal? I mean you’ve been with other…” I couldn’t even say the word. I couldn’t even imagine the thought, and I could feel that jealousness that must have speared him yesterday piercing my own heart.

  “I told you before this isn’t something I’ve ever been through. I hate to admit it, but I’m just about as virgin as you are when it comes to what’s happening between us. I know one side to this coin, but I’ve never had them together—and you,” he said, tipping my face up to his and resuming the embrace I had pulled away from. “You are dealing with both issues at once.”

  “Micah,” I swallowed, “You’ve got to let go of me. I can’t take this right now.”

  His smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. His mouth at the moment was the only thing my eyes were focusing on. I wanted that forbidden kiss like a moth seeking the light, but dancing too close to the flame.

  “Please,” I asked when he didn’t respond.

  “I’ll be outside for a
little while to give you some time.”

  “Thanks, I really do need that right now.”

  He turned me loose and went out the door.

  I pulled Doctor Figarrio’s card from my purse and, with unsteady fingers, dialed the number to his office. The receptionist answered.

  “Hello, I need to speak with Doctor Figarrio, please.”

  “I’m sorry he isn’t in right now, he was called to the hospital for an emergency. I could have him call you when he gets back in.”

  My heart was picking up the pace, “Emergency? Did he say what kind of emergency?”

  “I’m not allowed to discuss…”

  “I’m Annalisa Winslett; my mother is one of his patients at Columbia Hospital. Does this concern her?”

  “Really, Ms. Winslett, I’m not allowed to discuss what kind of call he’s on, but I’ll get in touch with him and let him know you want to speak with him. I have your number on our caller-ID. Is this how he can reach you if necessary?” Then she repeated Micah’s cell number to me and I told her yes, he could reach me at this number.

  I hung up and called information for the number to the hospital. She had me worried with the tone she used when she knew who I was, and it left me thinking Doctor Figarrio was there because Mom was in trouble.

  “Third floor reception,” I said when the switchboard operator picked up.

  “Psychiatric Care, may I help you,” came a friendly female voice.

  “Hello, I’m calling to check on my mother, Nadia Winslett. Is everything okay?”

  “And your name?”

  “Annalisa Winslett, I stopped by to see her Sunday, but I was just wondering how she’s doing?”

  “She’s fine, Ms. Winslett. She has made marked improvements since yesterday morning. Doctor Figarrio has ordered the removal of her restraints and she’s off almost all of her meds. By the way, she has been asking for you.”

  “Could I speak with her?” I wanted so desperately to talk with her, especially since now I was pretty certain that she wasn’t the emergency that he was called to the hospital for.

  “I’ll see if she’ll pick up. One moment, please.”

  The phone rang twice and then mom’s voice came through as clear and slur free as I had ever heard.

  “Mom, wow, you sound terrific.”

  “Annalisa? Honey, where have you been? I was starting to think I imagined the whole thing about you coming by the hospital.”

  “No, Mom, I was there, they just had you really sedated. So, you must be feeling better?”

  “Oh, I can’t tell you how much better I’m feeling. I’m actually starting to get a sense of normalcy. They took off those awful restraints this morning and I finally got to brush my hair.”

  I had to laugh. Mom was one of those people who liked to look her best no matter what, so having her hair a wreck must have been pretty traumatic by itself.

  “Are you going to be by today?” she asked, hopefulness permeating the question.

  “I—I wish I could Mom, but I’m still having some—some issues with Robert.”

  “He’s got a lot of explaining to do…” she started to say.

  “Mom, don’t even talk with him. I’m telling you he’s been behind all of this. He’s even…” I wasn’t sure if I should tell her about his affair.

  “What, Honey? It’s okay, you can tell me, I can handle it.

  “He’s—well, he’s having an affair with Sharon Norton.”

  “Sharon Norton! Ah! She is nothing more than a gold-digging, bubble-headed, spoil-brat tramp…”

  I let Mom vent. I had a feeling from the way she exploded that there must have been some kind of suspicion there all along. But, quite honestly, it was so awesome to hear her put together a coherent sentence that I just listened and smiled.

  “ Mom, I’ll come see you as soon as it’s sa… As soon as I can work it out, but for now you just keep getting better and I’ll have you out of there in no time. And, when you are finally home, if everything works out, I’ve got someone I’d really like you to meet.”

  There was a long pause. “Would this someone be a boy?”

  I was thinking about Micah in his boxers this morning and couldn’t possibly classify him as a boy. “How about we just call him a guy?”

  “Um, I see. A nice looking guy?”

  “Gorgeous is a more worthy term—and I’m so in love with him.” I knew I shouldn’t be telling her all this. If things didn’t get resolved this guy would be the literal death of me, but I wouldn’t give her anything she could use to identify him later on.

  She wanted to know more, but I told her I had to go, that I loved her and would see her as soon as I could manage it.

  I was on a natural high and I couldn’t wait to tell Micah. I turned to go for the front door and he was standing right there, I hadn’t heard him come in and I didn’t know how long he had been listening, but at least he was smiling. I made a running jump and landed with my legs wrapped around his waist and my arms around his neck. Even though I think I surprised him, he caught me effortlessly and held me as I let out a shriek and a few tears of joy. “She’s sooo much better,” I said muffling my face into that thick muscled neck. He wouldn’t let me down as he carried me to the loveseat and sat, still keeping me on his lap.

  “I heard most of it,” he said gently. “So you’d like the chance to introduce us?”

  “Only if everything works out,” I corrected him. “We still have the Robert issue to contend with. If I shoot him, does that cancel the hit?” I was teasing, but I just couldn’t help it because at the moment I was simply overjoyed. He didn’t say anything and I was starting to wonder if he had taken me seriously. That was when I became keenly aware of the positions of our bodies as I straddled his lap. I was ready to move, but those steel hands gripped my thighs and held me in place.

  “So you not only love me, but you told your mother that I’m gorgeous. You really think that?”

  “Micah, you know that I find you beautiful.”

  “I just didn’t realize how much I liked hearing it, especially when I know you didn’t know I was listening.”

  “That’s called eavesdropping,” I said trying to wiggle free.

  The expression on his face was either ecstasy or panic. “Don’t move like that, Baby,” he said in a low gasp, as his grip tightened and his hips lifted harder against my body.

  The heat was starting to flood my senses and I knew this could get very dangerous. “Let go of my legs, Micah. I’ve got to get up.”

  The hands never softened and I could see the wild starting to fill his eyes. If both of us were on an edge this would be a train wreck that neither one of us could control.

  “Please, Micah—please let me up before…”

  The grip released and he lifted me by my waist and stood me on my feet. “I’m glad your mom is doing better,” he finally managed to say as he also stood.

  We were only inches away from each other. “Me, too,” I whispered as his mouth descended and this time there was very little of the cheek touched as the edges of our mouths brushed against each other.

  “I think I need another shower,” I replied, close enough for my lips to touch his skin when I spoke the words.

  “Me, too,” was the reply. “We could take one together.”

  The cell phone rang and startled us both. It wasn’t his personal phone, it was his contact phone. It was on the third ring by the time our heads cleared enough to realize he had to answer it. He moved to the sliding doors and slipped out the back of the unit before flipping the phone open.

  I didn’t know why his contact would call him, but I doubted it could be for anything good. I watched his face grow fearfully dark, anger, pain, hatred, disgust mingled in one expression. He closed the phone and stood there for a moment looking out at the inlet. Suddenly his arm came back and the small black phone was hurled almost to the opposite shore. I jumped when it hit the water and vanished below the surface. What could D’Angelo have possibly
told him to make him so angry? We still had time. There were weeks left before the deadline.

  Micah returned closing and locking the sliding door and then drawing the curtains. I didn’t like the methodical way he was acting.

  “What is it, Micah? Tell me what he said. Please, tell me because you’re scaring me.”

  He turned, his eyes so different from any expression I’ve ever tried to read on his face. Then he said four words that felt like a jolt of lightening, “Your time is up.”

  “But we have four…”

  “I’m sorry, Annalisa. He told me he got a call from his contact. Robert is giving me twelve hours to finish the job. He said there would be no more playing games. Your body is supposed to be dumped on the steps of—of a church here in Palm Beach.”

  When he told me which one, he wanted to know why that particular church.

  “It’s my church, the one I attended before they sent me to Pensacola.”

  “I’ve got to get out of here and think, at least for a little while. If you run, Annalisa, I won’t blame you.”

  “I can’t do that to you,” I said, the knot forming in my throat.

  “Then I’ll have to kill you.” And he walked out the door, cranked the Taurus and drove away.

  I broke down and collapsed onto the floor, sobbing and crying harder than I’d ever known in my life. Our chance for happiness had ended. Even if I could get to Robert, I knew he wanted me out of the picture and he would stop at nothing now until it was over.

  I must have stayed of the floor ten or fifteen minutes when Micah’s personal cell phone rang. I was guessing it was his parents or, perhaps David, but when I looked at it I was surprised that it was a Palm Beach number. I dried my eyes and answered the phone, wondering if it was Micah.

  “Hello,” I said, my voice still shaking.

  “Annalisa?”

  “Yes, Doctor Figarrio?”

  “We have a problem. I need you to come to the hospital right now.”