by Lexi Blake
“McKay-Taggart. He works for them. But if he hasn’t been able to find the information that will exonerate me by now, he likely won’t.” She took a sip of her coffee and put it back down. “He doesn’t owe me anything.”
“I beg to differ, and I suspect your son will, too, one day.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Life isn’t fair, and you know that,” her uncle replied with a frown. “If you are in danger, then Roman is, too. I don’t want you to have a false sense of security. It’s not easy to live with your guard up. It is inevitable that you will let it down because it’s impossible to live your life constantly in fear. But the way to quell those fears is to be proactive. If you won’t talk to Roman’s father, perhaps we can bring in a lawyer.”
She stood suddenly. “I don’t want to talk about this.” Her life was nice. She didn’t understand why her uncle and Ezra felt the need to try to rattle things now. “If we’re bothering you, Roman and I can move out.”
Her uncle seemed to deflate. “That’s not at all what I want. You and the boy have been the light of my life. I love you, niece. My Rosa and I were not blessed with children, but we were blessed with you. Sometimes when you love someone, you have to risk the relationship in order to save the loved one.”
She sighed and let go of her anger. This man had been everything she’d needed him to be. Even when she’d been a child her aunt and uncle had been the bright spots in her life. “I’m sorry. I’m happy here, and I don’t want to think about what could happen in the future.”
“The future always finds us.” He settled back in his seat. “It’s about more than merely your safety. It’s about your ex-husband. I don’t think you’ve gotten over him.”
She actually laughed at that thought. “I assure you I was over Beck the moment he threw my childhood in my face.” That had been the hardest thing to deal with. She’d talked to him about her fears because she’d trusted him, because he’d been her safe place. With all the fights they’d had, he’d never broken her trust in that way. “He’d always been angry, and I was used to dealing with it. But he turned cruel over the years. I don’t know what he would have done if I’d stayed.”
“Have you considered that he might have apologized? That if you had talked to him, he might have come to understand how much that hurt you?”
That felt like victim blaming. “It’s not my responsibility to make Beck see reason. He divorced me without a real talk. I figured I could take charge of my life without begging him to see my side of things. You don’t know Beck. Once he has a grudge, he never lets go. He always loved his outrage far more than me.”
“Well, you did hide his brother from him,” her uncle pointed out. “You lied to him.”
“I did that to protect Ezra. Maybe Beck and I were always doomed.”
Her uncle sighed. “All I know is I lost my Rosa far too early.”
She felt a soft spot in her heart when she thought about her aunt. “Beck and I were never you and Aunt Rosa.”
“Oh, your aunt and I fought a lot in the beginning. I think it was only our religion that kept us together for some of those early, volatile years. Even with our profound belief, we talked about separating more than once in the first six years of our marriage.”
She felt her eyes go wide. “What did you do?”
He chuckled. “Your aunt wasn’t a saint. She instigated many of our fights. You only knew us when we were solid. And your parents were a terrible example of a good marriage. I worry that you were caught between what seemed to be a perfect marriage and your parents web of lies and neglect. I wish I’d been able to advise you when you and Beckett were having trouble. Do you know what turned your aunt and I around?”
“What?” Kim asked.
Her uncle leaned closer. “We learned how to talk to each other. I know it sounds odd, but women and men speak different languages.”
She wished it was that simple. “It was more than that.”
“And I worry it still is. I worry you’ll spend the rest of your life alone because no one will ever move you the way he did.”
“You should talk,” she replied pointedly. “You took actual vows of celibacy, uncle.”
“I did that because I won’t ever love another woman. I’ll be true to my wife until I die, and the vows show both my love for her and my love for God,” he explained. “It’s the same for Ezra, though he didn’t have an earthly love. Some men and women don’t, and there’s nothing wrong with that if they’re fulfilled by something else.”
“I’m happy with my son. He’s the love of my life.”
“Then why do you dream of his father at night? Why do you call out for him?”
She felt her skin flush. “I do not.” Except she knew she dreamed about Beck. Almost every night. “I’m sorry. It’s a subconscious thing. It doesn’t mean I’m still hung up on Beck.”
“All right.”
She could practically feel the disappointment coming off her uncle, and she hated it. Had he and Ezra decided to push her? She stood again, grabbing the crossover bag and slinging it over her torso. “I should go. I’ll try to be back before dinner. There’s chicken salad in the fridge in case I’m late.”
She strode away because her uncle could be stubborn.
He wasn’t right any more than Ezra was right.
What was she going to tell Roman when he asked about his dad? She made quick work of the walk from the residence to the battlement, passing from the cool confines of the garden into the open sun and tourists who stopped and stared as though trying to figure out why she’d come out of the highly secured area. Most simply shrugged and figured she was some kind of curator, but she’d had a few pushy tourists question her and try to get a tour of the area.
She breezed past them, not even giving them a chance to ask. She didn’t want to pretend today.
Her uncle’s questions were making her restless. Seven years before she’d decided to live in the now, to let the future take care of itself.
How long could she do that? It had been easy when Roman was a baby. She’d spent the first few years of his life doing nothing more than taking care of him, hiding away from the tumult of the world outside. When the world had started to heal, she’d stayed here, playing with her son and making him the center of the world.
That was fine for her, but Roman would want more.
He would want to see more of the world than this tiny island, and she wasn’t sure how he would do it. She couldn’t go with him unless she truly believed they weren’t at risk. Was she safe now that Levi was marrying into a powerful family?
McKay-Taggart could help with that. They could talk about ways to neutralize her as a threat to Levi and maybe work out a deal where she could come out of hiding and give her son a more free life.
But then she would have to admit that her son existed, and she would finally know what Beck thought.
She moved past the unmarked guva that had served for years as Fort Saint Angelo’s prison. It looked like nothing more than an ancient manhole, and likely most tourists thought it was access to some kind of system, but she knew it for what it was. It was an oubliette. The prisoner would be thrown down the narrow entrance into the bulblike bottom of the prison. It was impossible to get out without help because the walls were curved and couldn’t be climbed.
That was where she was. Stuck. She could see the light, but she couldn’t reach it. She would never get out of that prison without someone throwing her a line and lifting her out. If she stayed, she would spend the rest of her life hoping someone threw her scraps.
And Roman would be there with her.
She practically jogged down the steep embankment, moving past the tourists on their way up to the battlement. She barely saw the boats in the marina or the happy visitors sitting outside and eating their brunch al fresco. It was a stunning day, but she didn’t feel the sun the way she normally did. Her uncle’s questions were ringing in her ears.
They were still there a
few moments later when she got to the front of her shop. The door was open, along with the big windows that allowed the breeze from the bay in.
Anna was at the cash register, handing over a small bag that likely held something other than books from the shape of it. Most likely one of the snow globes featuring the knights.
Was this the life she wanted for her son? Selling cheap souvenirs to tourists? There wasn’t anything wrong with the life, but she didn’t want Roman limited by his mother’s mistakes.
“Hello.” Anna greeted her as she walked toward the backrooms. “I put the box from Germany on your desk.”
“Thanks.” She liked Anna, but she needed some alone time. The last few days had been hard with Roman and Ezra being sick. That was why she was so restless. It wasn’t thinking of Beck. It wasn’t the dreams she’d been having lately, the ones where he held her in his arms and took charge. Where he saved her, and she didn’t have to worry about the future because they would face it all together. “Let me know if you need anything.”
She was relieved when she closed the door to her office. It wasn’t much. She’d certainly had much bigger offices in her time, but this place had become a calm space for her. While the fort was large and the gardens plentiful, the actual residence wasn’t huge, and there were four of them living there. This was the place she could come to when she needed to be alone.
She really needed to be alone today.
There was a box of books on her desk. Work was good.
She carefully opened the box from Germany and settled in.
Hours later she was satisfied the small leather-bound tome was the real thing, and her uncle would be thrilled to add its knowledge to the order’s library. He would pay her handsomely for finding it and then she could buy more books.
It might be time to think about renovating one of the apartments above.
Or maybe it was time to talk to a lawyer the way her uncle had suggested. One who could be trusted.
She glanced up at the clock and realized it was far later than she’d imagined. She’d worked on authenticating her latest purchase and had only stopped to briefly eat a sandwich. She’d taken over the cash register so Anna could have lunch. The day had flown by and soon she had to make the walk back home to face her uncle and Ezra.
Maybe she would stop and grab some pizza. Ezra had texted her with updates on her son’s rapid recovery. They’d both been eating today, and perhaps if she fed them they wouldn’t have to talk too much.
She needed time to figure out what she wanted to do.
She wished she could call Ariel.
Why shouldn’t she? She could buy a burner phone, call up The Garden, and hope Ari was still living there. Or she could use a computer and bounce the signal around. There were programs that could mask her location.
Did Ariel ever think about her? Or was Ari glad she didn’t have to deal with all the crazy that came with being friends with her.
There was a knock on her office door and then Anna was standing there, a harried look on her face.
“I’m so sorry. I got a call from the school and Leni is sick,” Anna said. “She threw up in the middle of class.”
It really was going around. “No problem. Go on and I’ll close up when it’s time.”
“We only have a few customers.” Anna already had her purse in hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Roman is getting over it. It’s only bad for about twenty-four hours. Lots of fluids and she’ll be fine in a couple of days,” Kim advised.
“Thanks so much.” Anna started out the door. “A courier delivered a letter, but I think it was a mistake. I didn’t recognize the name. I’ll check into it tomorrow.”
Anna thanked her again and Kim walked out to the front register. The shop was quiet, but she could hear the murmurs of customers wandering through the back shelves. At least it wasn’t a cruise ship day where she would be bombarded with tourists. She glanced out and it looked like a storm was moving in. The afternoon had turned cloudy.
Did she have an umbrella?
She sold a couple some postcards and a book on the underground tunnels of Valletta and then opened her laptop. She could check the CCTV files from here.
A package caught her eye. It was in one of the courier services flat-rate envelopes and covered in plastic. The markings were in German and claimed it was an overnight guaranteed envelope.
She sighed. It was likely legal papers, and someone was going to be pissed. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d gotten someone else’s mail. She turned it over and then the room seemed to go cold.
K. Solomon
The reason Anna hadn’t recognized the name was because Kim had never told the woman her real name. She went by Kay Bruno.
No one outside of her family knew what her real name was.
Her heart started to race, and she had to force herself to breathe.
Seven years. She’d been all right for seven years. How had they found her?
She tore the letter open and inside was a single slip of paper.
Remember, remember the fifth of November. The People know Reva. Find her.
What the hell did that mean? It didn’t matter because someone knew her real name.
She shoved the letter and packaging in her bag and dragged it over her head, securing the crossbody against her hip. She couldn’t stay. “I’m sorry. I need to close the shop. My son is ill, and I have to pick him up.”
The few patrons in the front of the store walked out without an argument, though she heard a few curse as the rain started.
It didn’t matter. The CCTV tapes didn’t matter either. The letter was all that mattered. That and getting to her son. Her mind raced as she walked the store to make sure she wasn’t about to lock anyone in.
She would need two new passports, but she would take the ferry to Sicily tonight. She would pack up Roman and they could be in Rome by tomorrow. They would rent a room and figure out how to make their way to Australia. Yes. That would be a good start. She had a small flat in Sydney no one should know about.
But then no one was supposed to know she was here in Malta.
She turned down the last aisle and there was a man in a black trench coat, his back turned as he looked up at the books in her biography and memoir section. “Sir, I’m sorry. I’ve got to close the store. I have to pick up my son.”
It wasn’t a lie. She was probably going to pick up her son and take him to an entirely different continent.
God, she wanted Beck. It was right there. She wanted to call him and ask him to help her and not be in this all alone. She wanted him to care about Roman, to know Roman’s dad would do anything to save him.
“Your son?” That voice sent a chill down her spine. The man turned and he was staring at her, his gaze burning every bit as much as it had seven years before. “I hope you’re lying because there’s no room for a child in my plans. Hello, Solo. Long time no see.”
Levi Green started to walk down the aisle, and she knew her life was over.
* * * *
“The storm’s coming in,” Jax said over the headset. “I looked it up and it’s a doozy. We might want to pull up stakes and get back to base before it really hits.”
“She hasn’t come out of the store yet.” Beck sat in the building across the street from the bookstore Kim owned. “I want to follow her home to make sure she gets in all right.”
Three days. They’d been in Malta for three days, and this was the closest he’d gotten to her. She’d been holed up in her tower. He knew it was a fort, but he’d come to think of her as a princess in a tower, hiding away from the big bad wolf.
He’d torn her apart once. Did he have any right to ask her to risk it again?
“All right, boss. I’ll send Tucker out in a car to get you. I think the boat would be risky,” Jax replied. “I’ll let Rob know you’re coming in.”
Robert was on a boat in the marina. It was a small yacht that included a bedroom and everything a
person needed to hang out for days peeping up at the princess in the tower. “I’ll let Rob go back to base. I’m going to stay here in Birgu. Now that she’s left the fort I want to track her movements. Hopefully she leaves more often than she has this week.”
“Seriously?” Theo Taggart was in the flat with him. They’d been taking shifts going between Birgu and an isolated farm on the south side of the island where no one would question six Americans coming in and out with tons of equipment. And a chopper. Robert had outdone himself. “You’re going to stay in town again? How much sleep have you gotten?”
Not nearly enough, but that didn’t matter. “I’ll sleep on the boat. I’ll be fine. I would rather stay close to her.”
Theo moved in beside him. “She looks good.”
She’d looked gorgeous when she’d walked down the narrow road and strode into her little bookshop. Her hair had shone in the sunlight, but she’d had a frown on her face. “She’s worried about something.”
Even after all these years he knew her tells. She walked fast when she was worried. When she was happy, she took in the sights around her, even when they were familiar. It had been a beautiful morning and she’d been focused. He’d followed her, waiting down at the marina until she’d come through the gates that led to the fort. He now knew this area of Malta better than he knew his own Dallas neighborhood. He’d spent days studying that fort of hers, walking along the battlements and hoping he caught sight of her.
“Well, she is in hiding,” Theo pointed out. “But she’s gotten sloppy. She wasn’t even wearing a hat, and that hair of hers is a giveaway. She should have dyed it and cut it.”
He couldn’t stand the thought of her doing that. Her hair was glorious, like the woman herself. “I can’t imagine keeping up that level of security for seven years. She probably needs something that feels familiar. Did you get the report on her employee?”
“Yes,” Theo replied. “Anna Rossi. Her husband’s, too. Hutch ran them both through all our databases and they came back clean. I would bet she knows nothing about Solo’s true identity. She’s been working for the bookstore since it opened a few years back. Before then, from what we can tell, Solo didn’t have a job. Now there is one record of a Kay Bruno spending two nights in a local hospital six years ago.”
