by Rebecca York
He squeezed her hand. “This is our last move until after the baby is born. I promise.’’
She nodded, hanging on the words yet afraid to believe them.
They held hands in the elevator and in the hallway. Then Matt unlocked the door and stepped into the entryway. When he turned the corner into the living room, he stopped and swore.
“What? What’s wrong?’’ she asked, trying to see around his broad shoulders.
It wasn’t Matt who answered the question. Instead a low, steady voice commanded, “Raise your hands slowly.’’
Wordlessly Matt complied.
“Now step in here. You, too,’’ the voice said, speaking more loudly, including her in the order.
As Matt moved out of her way, she saw a man sitting in one of the two easy chairs, a gun trained on Matt’s chest.
She stared him with blank-eyed shock. My God, who was he? One of the Las Vegas businessmen still looking for Perkins? Or had Logan finally found her?
“You wouldn’t shoot me,’’ she heard Matt say, his voice seeming to come from a great distance.
“Don’t give me a reason.’’ The man’s dark, assessing gaze swung to Amanda. “I know he’s wearing a gun. Take it out of his holster and put it on the end table beside my chair. And don’t try anything funny, because we could have a bad accident if you do.’’ The man’s gaze came back to Matt. “Tell her to do it,’’ he commanded.
“Do what he says.’’
Amanda felt cold, naked fear seep into her bones. Fear for Matt. If this gunman worked for Logan, he wouldn’t shoot her, she told herself as her hand unconsciously flattened against her tummy. He wouldn’t harm the baby, because Logan wanted Colin’s child. She had to cling to that conviction or go mad.
But Matt didn’t have the same protection. He was the one who had snatched her out of Logan’s clutches.
When she touched his shirt, she could feel his warm skin through the fabric. That helped—almost as much as it made the task of retrieving the gun all the harder. Somehow she managed to get the pistol out of the holster at the back of Matt’s waistband and onto the little table, where it hit the wood with a thunk that reverberated through the room.
“Sit down,’’ the stranger said. “We’ve got some talking to do.’’
Chapter Fourteen
“Can I sit beside her on the couch?’’ Matt asked, his gaze fixed on the man who had broken into their apartment.
The stranger nodded, and Matt wove his fingers with Amanda’s, bringing her down beside him. When he felt her hand tremble, his grip tightened reassuringly. She pressed her body to him, drawing strength from his hard frame.
“How did you find us, Hunter?’’ he asked.
“Hunter Kelley?’’ Amanda whispered as the name registered. “You mean the man who was in the helicopter, calling to you on the bullhorn?’’ That seemed like a lifetime ago.
“Yeah, from Randolph Security,’’ Matt said, his voice tight. “I thought he was my friend.’’
“I am,’’ the security man answered. “That’s why I came here alone, to get some answers.’’
“Let us go,’’ Amanda pleaded. “We haven’t done anything.’’
“I need to evaluate that for myself.’’
“Tell me how you found us,’’ Matt said again.
Hunter lifted one shoulder. “That would be giving away trade secrets. And also letting down my friends at 43 Light Street.’’
“Are you here because of the Light Street organization? Or as a Randolph agent?’’ Matt snapped.
“Neither.’’
Amanda stared at him. Matt had told her about his group of friends, many of whom worked at 43 Light Street in Baltimore, who often unofficially helped out the Randolph agents. “Then would you mind explaining why you’re holding us at gunpoint?’’ she asked.
“I want to find out what’s going on. Personally—not for any organization.’’ Hunter gave her an appraising look, and she felt as if his dark eyes were penetrating to the very depths of her soul. “Matt saved my life that morning in Wyoming,’’ he continued. “He told me not to land the helicopter. If I had, I would have been killed when the cabin blew up.’’
“I didn’t know that,’’ Amanda murmured.
“It’s not the kind of thing he’d work into the conversation,’’ Hunter said.
“What do you think you know about our situation?’’ Matt asked, changing the subject abruptly.
Hunter considered the question. “I was able to obtain access to Tim Francetti’s computer. Although he erased information from his hard disk, I reconstructed the content of many of his files.’’
“That computer is in custody of the Denver police,’’ Matt pointed out.
“I was able to get access to it,’’ Hunter answered without missing a beat. “I also saw the police report on Francetti’s murder. There is mention of a blond woman and a dark-haired man escaping from the office. I gather that was you two.’’
“We didn’t kill him,’’ Matt growled.
“I assume you did not. But I also assume that you obtained a copy of the detective’s files. In fact, while I was waiting for you, I confirmed that,’’ he said, gesturing toward the laptop sitting on the dining-room table. “So I’ve concluded that you’re in Los Angeles because of Dexter Perkins and Colin Logan.’’
“Right,’’ Matt answered. “And while Amanda was talking to Perkins in a restaurant, we were spotted by one of the men involved in the Las Vegas casino deal.’’
Hunter quirked an eyebrow. “How do you connect Perkins to the Las Vegas killings?’’
“I can’t,’’ Matt answered.
Amanda looked from him to Hunter. They were having a perfectly civilized conversation, except that the uninvited guest was still holding the gun on them. Unable to keep silent, she blurted, “Why are we talking about Perkins and the Las Vegas men? Aren’t you here because you think Matt and I did something…underhanded to Roy Logan?’’ Without letting him answer, she plowed on. “What really happened was that Matt heard Logan talking to his foreman, Al Hewitt. They were making plans to capture me and hold me against my will. Matt came to rescue me. And he’s been keeping me safe ever since.’’
She could see the information—or maybe the emotion in her voice—had had an effect on Hunter.
“I listened to the tape of the phone call Matt made to Jed,’’ he said slowly. “It directly contradicts the facts Logan presented to us.’’
Amanda squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again, focusing on Hunter. “I don’t know exactly what Matt said to Jed. Or what Logan told you. But I know Logan thinks that I’m pregnant with his son Colin’s child. And he wants to take the baby away from me.’’
“He’s probably planning to kill Amanda after the baby is born,’’ Matt added. “That way he won’t have to get into a custody battle with her. Of course, his other alternative is making it look like she’s insane or a criminal. Then the courts will have to give him the child.’’
Hunter looked from one of them to the other. Slowly he lowered the gun and set it on the table beside Matt’s weapon.
Amanda watched the play of expressions across his face. “He had proof that Miss Barnwell stole a considerable amount of money from his son.’’
“That’s bull,’’ Matt spit out.
“He had proof that the two of you were involved in a relationship before Matt arrived in Crowfoot, that the two of you are responsible for his son’s murder.’’
“He concocted all that the night Amanda and I ran for our lives?’’ Matt prodded.
Hunter shook his head. “He made plausible claims before the incident at the cabin. Then he supported the claims with documents.’’
“They’re fake,’’ Matt growled.
“Randolph Security is pursuing that theory,’’ Hunter said. “But we can’t turn against our client without proof. If we do, we risk losing our license.’’
“I told Jed to check out the Highton clinic. Did
n’t he do that? Didn’t you see the report on the clinic in Francetti’s files?’’ Matt demanded.
Hunter shook his head. “We were unable to verify that information. The clinic increased its security after someone broke into their records. And I found nothing about the clinic in Francetti’s computer. The police may have destroyed that data when they tried to recover the files. Please fill me in.’’
“Amanda became pregnant through artificial insemination,’’ Matt said. “At the Highton clinic in Cheyenne. It must have been Francetti who broke in to get their records, or someone working for him. His report verified that Colin Logan had been a donor there. The information is coded, but Francetti told Logan that Colin is the father of Amanda’s child. That’s why Logan went after her and the baby.’’
Hunter focused on Amanda. “Why did you choose artificial insemination?’’
She answered without thinking, “Because I hadn’t met Matt Forester yet.’’ As soon as she realized what she’d said, she felt her face grow hot. Matt’s fingers tightened on hers.
“Is that true?’’ he asked, his eyes so intensely focused on her that she saw nothing else in the room.
“You must know it’s true. You must know I wish I’d met you before I made the decision.’’
She saw him swallow convulsively. “Would you have let me get close enough to you to give you a child?’’ he asked in a gritty voice.
“I hope I would have been smart enough,’’ she whispered, her chest so tight that she could barely draw in enough breath to speak.
Moisture shimmered in Matt’s eyes. “Thank you for telling me that.’’
In response, she felt her own vision blur. She was about to throw herself into Matt’s arms. But a throat-clearing sound reached her from across the room, and the rest of the world snapped back into focus. With a start she realized that there was a witness to their private conversation—a man who had been holding them at gunpoint a few moments ago.
The gun was on the table now. And the man was proving to be quite different from her initial impression. “Apparently Logan wants the baby at any cost—and he was willing to manufacture evidence to support his story,’’ he said.
“Are you going to tell that to Randolph Security?’’ Matt demanded.
“I can tell them, yes. And try to prove your version of events.’’
“It’s not our version. It’s the truth,’’ Amanda insisted.
Hunter nodded. “I think I can persuade Randolph Security to help protect you against Logan. Covertly, I mean.’’
“No,’’ Matt said.
Amanda’s gaze shot to him. Hunter was offering them protection, and Matt was turning it down. “Why not?’’ she breathed.
“Because there are still too many variables, and they can’t guarantee our safety,’’ Matt answered. “Nobody can.’’ He turned to Hunter. “If you want to help us, do some digging for me. Try to find out who killed Tim Francetti. Find out how Perkins and the Las Vegas syndicate are tied together. See if the computers at Randolph can decode the Highton clinic records so we can find out if Colin really is the father of Amanda’s child. I’ll give you those records.’’
Getting up, he went to a drawer in the dining room and pulled out a floppy disk. Sticking it in the laptop, he transferred the information from Francetti’s files, then slipped the disk into an envelope and handed it to Hunter. “And while you’re doing all that research, the safest thing for us is to stay hidden where nobody, including Randolph, can find us. Because, every time we surface, someone else comes after us.’’
Hunter nodded gravely. “I needed to hear for myself what you had to say about Logan. I needed to see from your eyes whether you were telling the truth. I hope I haven’t compromised you by coming here.’’
“We were coming home to pack,’’ Matt told him, explaining more fully what had happened in the restaurant this evening.
“How will I contact you?’’ Hunter asked.
Matt thought for a moment. “Another ad in the New York Times. Another Pierce Arrow. How about a 1933 model?’’
“That will work. Will you call us on the secure line if you see the ad?’’
Matt thought for a moment, then answered, “Yes.’’
Hunter stood, reached out his hand toward Matt, and the two men shook. “I am glad I came,’’ he said. Then he turned to Amanda. “I have a background that would have frightened most women away. But Kathryn Kelley wanted to become my wife. And now the two of us have a child, a little boy named Ethan. He’s fifteen months old. Being with Kathryn when she carried the baby, seeing him born, watching him grow and develop into his own person means more to me than you could ever know. I would do anything to keep him safe. Anything. And Kathryn, too,’’ he added, his voice surging with emotion. “Without her, I would be…nothing.’’
The deeply felt emotions in his voice propelled Amanda off the couch and across the room. Reaching out, she embraced Hunter, and he hugged her back.
“Thank you for understanding,’’ she told him.
“I do. Better than you know,’’ he answered, then eased away, looking from her to Matt. “I’d better go. You two will want to be out of here soon.’’
“Yes,’’ Matt agreed.
When the door had closed behind their surprise visitor, Amanda turned to her husband. “The way he said it—Kathryn Kelley ‘wanted’ to marry him. Did he take her name?’’
“Yes.’’
“Why?’’
“You can ask him when you get to know him better.’’
“You trust him not to turn us in?’’ she asked.
“Don’t you?’’
“Yes.’’
She moved toward Matt and embraced him as she had Hunter—except that she held him more fiercely. They clung together, and his head dipped so that he could cover her lips with his. But before things could heat to flashpoint, he lifted his mouth away.
“I’m not going to take a chance on someone else catching up with us because we’re fooling around.’’
She nodded, forced herself to move away from him and start packing the few things they had accumulated.
Twenty minutes later, they were in the Cadillac and heading for a residential neighborhood, where Matt made a quick change of license plates with some unsuspecting home owners.
Then they headed east.
“So, have you figured out where we’re going?’’ she asked as they left the L.A. smog behind.
“The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia—or rather the mountains flanking the valley.’’
“Aren’t there too many people around?’’
He laughed. “You Westerners have a distorted picture of the eastern seaboard states. And that’s part of what I’m counting on, that Logan will make the same assumption you did—that there’s not enough room in Virginia to hide. More importantly I know the locale because I did undercover drug-enforcement work there, trying to cut the marijuana crop. So I know some good areas where we can look for a small house and where I can put defensive measures in place.’’
“Like what?’’
“An alarm system, some kind of defensive perimeter and other stuff. But I won’t be able to decide what will work best until I see the property.’’
She turned to him, studying his profile in the illumination at a freeway interchange. He looked different from when she’d first met him. His hair was a lot longer, creating a distinct contrast to the crisply dressed security agent who had first caught her eye in Crowfoot. Now he looked as if he could have stepped off a mountain stronghold.
But she could see that the intelligence behind his dark eyes was the same. She knew his mind was busy working, his attention absorbed by contingency plans. She’d been lucky to hook up with a professional protection specialist. The knowledge that he loved her—that guarding her wasn’t just an exciting episode in his life—made her heart swell.
She reached over to lay her hand possessively on his arm.
“Do you want to lie down in
the back?’’ he asked.
“No, I want to stay here with you,’’ she answered, switching the point of contact to his thigh.
“Don’t get too personal with that hand.’’ He laughed. “Or we may have to pull over.’’
“You’re kidding.’’
“Yeah.’’
The darkness made her bold. “Are you always so…uh…interested in sex.’’
He laughed again. “No. It’s the company I’m keeping.’’
“Oh, sure.’’
“Do I have to pull over and prove you’re turning me on?’’
“No,’’ she murmured, her gaze focusing on the bulge at the front of his jeans.
“I told you I was attracted to you as soon as I saw you.’’
“Why?’’
“You’re fishing for compliments again, Mrs. Forester. How many times do I have to repeat that I like your looks? I like the qualities you projected. Then finding out how responsive you are was a major turn-on.’’
She made a small sound in her throat. “You think I’m going to be responsive when I’m as big as the back of a barn?’’
“We’ll find out, won’t we?’’
“Are you going to be disappointed if I’m not?’’ she asked in the darkness.
“Yeah. But I think I’m adult enough to handle it.’’
“What about when I’m getting up in the middle of the night with a crying baby?’’
“I’ll help you with that.’’
“You can’t nurse her.’’
“But I can bring her to you. And I can change her.’’
“You’re volunteering to change diapers?’’
“I told you, I volunteered for the whole shebang. Marriage, baby tending, kid raising, the empty nest, growing old with you.’’ He paused. “Maybe you’ll be disappointed in my waning sexual prowess when I’m seventy.’’
“I’ll believe that when I see it.’’
MATT ALLOWED five days for the trip from Los Angeles to Warrenton, Virginia, with Amanda doing about a quarter of the driving. She suspected that he could have made it across the country on his own in far less time, but she knew he was taking her advancing pregnancy into consideration.
