Silencing Memories

by Desiree Holt

  He looked up at the sound of a knock on his door jamb, a slow smile creeping over his face as he saw Quinn standing there. He got up to shake hands. “What an honor. The mountain man comes down to civilization. How about some coffee?”

  Quinn shook his head and dropped into a chair. “No, thanks.”

  “Well, you certainly are a pleasant sight these days. Never thought I’d see a smile on that ugly mug again. Life’s good up in the hills, right?”

  Quinn chuckled. “You’re just jealous because I don’t have to wear a tie to work. Not to mention going home to a great looking wife every night.”

  “Still trying to marry off your single friends?” Nick joked.

  “Don’t knock it ’til you try it. But believe it or not, I actually did come to you with a case, if you’ve got someone you can spare. I know you guys usually limit yourselves to corporate work now. Even the home security stuff you do is tied into it, but I figured I could call in a favor or two here.”

  Nick raised his eyebrows. “This must be someone pretty special.”

  Quinn nodded.

  “All right. Let’s have it.”

  Nick was all business now, pulling a legal pad over and uncapping his pen. He listened to the story, and then asked Quinn for his assessment of Lindsey Ferrell. Was she a nutcase? A shrinking violet easily scared? Someone who could have made this up for attention?

  Quinn laughed out loud. “If she heard you ask that, she’d give you a good punch in the ribs. Lindsey is the most fearless person I know, which is why she could ignore this situation when she shouldn’t. She was a firebrand in high school and still has a temper that frequently gets her in trouble.”

  “Sounds wonderful.” Nick rubbed his jaw. “I love women who are a pain in the ass. What does she do for a living? Or does she do anything?”

  “She’s an architect. A damned good one, too. I’ve seen some of her work.”

  “Wait a minute.” Nick snapped his fingers. “Are you talking about Ferrell Designs?”

  “You bet. Have you heard of her?”

  “She designed a house for a client of ours. We installed the security system. A real showplace. I understand if you want a house to blend into the Hill Country, she’s the one to go to. But she hasn’t been around that long, has she?”

  “Actually she’s been in practice for some time, but she worked with a couple of big firms in Austin. About a year ago, when her mother died, she decided to move back here and set up shop for herself.”

  “So this could even be someone from Austin who’s followed her here, right?” Nick made notes on the pad of paper.

  Quinn shrugged. “Anything is possible. That’s why I thought I’d come to the experts. You know the cops won’t really do anything until something happens to her. I’m not willing to wait that long.”

  “Exactly how special a friend is she, anyway? And does Kate know?” He grinned broadly. “Don’t tell me the romance is fading so quickly. I’d be shattered. You guys are my idea of the perfect marriage.”

  “Get your mind above your waist, Vanetta.” Quinn shook his head. “Lindsey and I have been friends for years. Our families knew each other, and we kind of grew up together. She and Kate also happen to have become very good friends. Anyway, even without Kate, this is one spitfire I wouldn’t want to get burned by.” He looked at Nick. “So what’s the deal? Yes or no.”

  “Do you happen to have a picture of this wonderful friend of yours so I can see who someone is chasing?”

  Quinn pulled a photo out of his wallet of the three of them they’d taken at Christmas. “I want this back, though. You can make a copy.”

  Nick took the picture from him, not expecting much, but when he looked at the brunette in the middle, something slammed into him. She wasn’t so much beautiful as captivating. Energy radiated from her, a zest for life. He felt as if her eyes, a silvery hazel emphasized by the sexy glasses she wore, were looking directly at him, mesmerizing him.

  “Okay,” he said, shaking himself. “I’ll pay her a visit. Got her number?”

  “You’re going to take this one yourself?” Quinn stared at him. “I thought you only handled the big guys these days. Reno will have a fit.”

  “I want to do my own evaluation here. Anyway, Reno chooses his own cases; I choose mine. We don’t throw chains on each other. If there turns out to be anything there, I’ll fill him in. Besides, at the moment everything else is covered, and I’m bored reading reports.”

  “Aha! She intrigues you.” Quinn couldn’t help grinning. “You want a look at her in person. Better wear asbestos clothing. This one’s more than even you want to handle.” He pulled one of Lindsey’s business cards from his wallet and handed it to Nick. “Let me give her a call and let her know someone’s coming to see her before you jump on her.”

  “Jump on her? Is that a way to talk to a friend?” He tucked the card in his shirt pocket.

  “I hate turning to the poster boy for love ’em and leave ’em ladies’ men, but I want the best for Lindsey.” The smile disappeared. “Just remember, though, whatever game you might be thinking of playing with her, this is business. And I’ll be looking over your shoulder.”

  “It gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.” Nick winked and held out his hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll behave.”

  Nick sat in his chair for a long time after Quinn left, studying the picture. Why did this woman intrigue him so much? He literally had his pick of females in the city, every kind, size and shape, but no relationship ever lasted more than a couple of months. He had no intention of settling down, although sometimes he envied the depth of feeling Quinn and Kate shared. But life was a smorgasbord to Nick, one he continued to sample. So what absurd itch made him decide to see this woman himself when she had trouble written all over her?

  Half an hour later, Quinn texted him that Lindsey Ferrell was expecting a call from him. He punched the number on the card into his cell and listened while it rang on the other end. Time to see if she lived up to her billing.

  Chapter Four

  The call from Nick Vanetta put Lindsey off balance. She hadn’t expected the deep voice with the unmistakable Texas drawl, a voice that tantalized even in a business-like tone. A voice that sent unexpected feathery shivers down her spine.

  When Nick asked if he could see her right away, she almost said no. She still had reservations about bringing someone into her life this way. She wavered between panic and anger every time she thought of the situation but figured maybe Nick Vanetta could at least bring some professional perspective to this whole thing. And Quinn had scared her enough that she couldn’t just blow off whoever was doing this. Swallowing her reservations, she told him to come on over.

  If his voice had caught her off guard, his appearance when Brianna ushered him in startled her even more. Lindsey had heard women say they were struck dumb by a man’s looks, but it had never happened to her. Certainly the men she’d known, the ones she’d been with, had been appealing and interesting, but none of them stunned her with their sexuality of dark good looks.

  Thick dark hair, worn just a little long, framed a face so roughly masculine it made her catch her breath. Whiskey-brown eyes gazed at her with piercing intensity from beneath thick, black lashes. His warm, olive skin was clean-shaven, but the hint of darkness along his jaw line was a sign that before evening he’d need a razor again.

  A custom linen dress shirt, well-tailored sports coat, and silk slacks hung perfectly on the hard muscled shape of his tall, broad-shouldered, football player’s body. Despite his size, he made her think of a jaguar stalking through the jungle. The word powerful flashed across her mind. There was controlled authority in his body, and his presence literally filled the room. She sensed that beneath the extremely civilized exterior he presented, he could be a very dangerous man who quite literally took her breath away.

  Damn! This man was sex on a stick, and she’d stayed away from that stick for a very long time. Heat surged through her body, firing her pu
lse into an erratic rhythm. Her beasts felt heavy, her nipples tingled, and her panties became suddenly damp. She wanted to squeeze her thighs together to still the throbbing in her sex.

  Nick Vanetta should come wearing a sign that said Beware.

  Damn!

  She took a deep breath and, forcing a calmness she didn’t feel, she rose and held out her hand to him. When he took it, a sudden wave of electricity crackled between them. If she hadn’t seen the sudden flare of heat in his eyes, she might have thought he was unaffected. Uh oh.

  She exhaled slowly, mentally pulled herself together, and retrieved her hand.

  Thank god Nick was the disciplined professional, all business. He sat in the chair she indicated, his eyes focused on her, and crossed his legs, one ankle resting on the opposite knee.

  Lindsey pushed her glasses up on her nose and gathered her scattered wits. “I appreciate you coming, Mr. Vanetta, but I was under the impression Guardian no longer did individual security work.”

  Nick shrugged, a graceful masculine movement of muscles. “Quinn is a very good friend. He’d do the same for me. “

  “I assume he’s told you everything?” she asked.

  “Yes, but if you wouldn’t mind, maybe you could hit the highlights again for me.”

  She blew out her breath in exasperation. “I’m probably making something out of nothing. And I’m not all that anxious to put my life in someone else’s control. Still, I’d like to find whoever this is and kick the sh—uh, stuffing out of him.”

  She saw Nick smother a grin. But then his face sobered, and he listened carefully while she told her story again, asking only the occasional question.

  As she talked, he made notes in a narrow leather folder he’d pulled from his breast pocket, interrupting now and then to ask a question. Quinn said he was the best. If she had to hire someone, that’s what she wanted.

  “So what do you think?” she asked finally.

  “I think I’ve seen too many cases like this to tell you it’s nothing. If we’re lucky, that’s exactly how it will turn out. But stalkers, and make no mistake, this is definitely a stalking situation, are unstable and unpredictable. And dangerous.”

  She wet her bottom lip with her tongue. “Are you deliberately trying to scare me?”

  His smile disappeared. “I’m trying to give you my professional assessment. The police can only do so much. With no real clues, they’re pretty much helpless until a real crime is committed. By that time, it will be too late to help you.”

  Lindsey fidgeted with a pencil on her desk. “What do you suggest?”

  “We’ve had cases like this before,” he told her. He went on to outline the precautions she could take for her safety. “But those won’t be enough. And they certainly won’t do anything to catch whoever is doing this.”

  Lindsey gritted her teeth. “So basically what you’re telling me is, some maniac has taken control of my life and there’s nothing I can do about it.” She was flipping the pencil back and forth now, so hard the slightest snap would break it. She hated this whole thing.

  Nick watched her through narrowed eyes. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. What we’re going to do is take some steps to bring that control back into our hands. Your hands.”

  “Exactly how do we do that?” she wanted to know.

  “To begin with,” he told her, “I want to install a top of the line alarm system in your office. The fact that there’s no guard on duty in the lobby during the day makes me nervous.”

  “Does that include my apartment, too?” she asked.

  “Absolutely. I’ll need the address.”

  “It’s the same as this one, and it’s right next door to the office.” She almost laughed at the way he stared at her. “They’re connected by a single door.”

  He stared at her. “You live in an office building?”

  “Just occasionally. I have a ranch in Cibolo, not far from Quinn and Kate. But my hours are often irregular and it’s not always convenient for me to make the drive during the week. Having a place right next to the office also means if I get the urge, I can get up and work in the middle of the night without having to cart files and supplies around.”

  He shook his head. “It’s absurd as well as dangerous for you to live in a building with nobody in it at night except you.”

  “And the odd workaholic,” she reminded him. “That’s why they have a guard downstairs after six, so they can keep track of comings and goings.”

  A muscled ticked in Nick’s jaw line. “Whatever we agree to, you still need the alarm, and what we use is the best available anywhere.”

  Lindsey worried her bottom lip a moment, flipping the pencil again. He was right about the alarm. Even without this stalker, she needed some kind of protection better than what the building supplied.

  She dipped her head once. “Fine. I can’t argue about that.”

  He blew out a soft breath. “We’ll set up the alarm in both places, but the master panel will be in your office. I also plan to get a copy of the reports you filed and check out the pictures.” He looked up at her with those piercing eyes. “I’m assuming you’re agreeing to hire Guardian to handle this for you.”

  “I think Quinn would wring my neck if I don’t.” Her mouth relaxed into a semblance of a smile. “He’s a very protective surrogate big brother. Neither of us has any family to speak of so we kind of formed our own.” She wet her lips again. “And I appreciate you taking this on.”

  “No problem. But I should tell you beforehand that we don’t come cheap.”

  “Cost isn’t a problem, Mr. Vanetta.” Lindsey tamped down a flare of irritation. “I make a very comfortable living as an architect. If that’s not enough assurance for you, my parents left me a trust fund that will handle just about anything you can bill.”

  “Hold it.” He held up a hand. “I wasn’t being insulting here. I just like to let prospective clients know what finances are involved. That’s all. We do it with everyone. And as with other clients, I just like to make sure you know my services come with a fancy price tag.”

  “Your services?” He was doing this himself? The long-missing throbbing between her thighs collided with panic at the thought of having him so involved in her life.

  I can’t think about sex. I’m not sure I even know what it is anymore. But certainly not with Nick Vanetta. The damn danger sign is flashing big and bright.

  He nodded. “Quinn is a very good friend. This isn’t something I’m comfortable turning over to one of my men. And the alarm is only the beginning.”

  She finally tossed the pencil down, feeling her life spinning out of control. “What does that mean?”

  “I want to scope out every facet of this building, check your friends, your acquaintances, and your clients. And keep an eye on you at the same time.”

  Lindsey sighed. This whole thing was going way beyond what she’d expected. If someone wanted to mess up her life, they were doing a damn good job of it. “Is there some way you can question these people without having to give them all the gory details?”

  A muscle twitched in his cheek “We’re very discreet, I assure you. We’ve never had a complaint from a client yet.”

  “I’m sorry.” She rubbed her forehead. She was certainly handling this all wrong. “That didn’t come out right. This whole business has just unnerved me.”

  He nodded. “Understandable.”

  She picked up the pencil again, realized she probably looked like she was losing it so she stuck it in a holder. “So will you be the one running around with the questionnaire or trailing my body around?”

  “I’ll be assigning someone else to do the interviews, but I promise you they handle everything very discreetly. We’re not novices.” His gaze raked over her. “Unless you’d rather have someone else here with you and I can do the interviews”

  “No, not at all.” Her face heated up. The last thing she wanted to do was insult him. Quinn was right about this man. He definitely knew
what he was doing.

  “Then let’s get started.” He unfolded the mouth-watering length of him from the chair. “By the way, what did you tell your secretary about why we were meeting?”

  “That I was consulting a security firm. Why? She’s certainly aware of what’s happening.” Lindsey frowned. “Surely you don’t think she or Mark, my draftsman, could be involved, do you? They’re the ones who told me to call the police in the first place. And urged me to get protection.”

  Nick shook his head. “That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, except that one of them could be a good actor. Come on. You can give me the guided tour.”

  She came around the desk and moved ahead of him, inhaling his way too sexy aftershave as she passed him.

  Yes, Lindsey. Go bananas for this man.

  But six long months had passed since her last attempt at a relationship—if that was what one could call it. She just hadn’t realized how susceptible she was to someone. No, not someone. Nick Vanetta. She didn’t know whether to thank Quinn or kill him.

  In the reception area, she introduced him to Brianna, then led him to the workroom where he met Mark. He spent a few minutes with each, and she was impressed with the way he turned a casual conversation into a Q and A without the other person realizing it. When they were finished with the office, she unlocked the connecting door to her apartment and he followed her inside.

  While she’d chosen vibrant colors for her office, exotic patterns and things to stimulate the mind, she’d used pale earth tones in her apartment to create a place of retreat. If Nick noticed the contrast, he gave no indication, just examined every inch of the place in the same methodical manner he’d used in her office. She also showed him the apartment’s back exit, so she could leave without having to enter the office at all.

  When she turned from the door to go back into the living room, he was standing so close she nearly bumped into him. That same sizzle crackled between them again. His eyes blazed into hers, and her throat was suddenly desert dry.

  This is just so damn stupid.