Someone To Watch Over Her

by Margaret Watson

  “I guess I’m not a lot of people.”

  “I’m beginning to realize that,” he murmured, watching her, another odd expression on his face. “Let’s get something to eat before the artist gets here. It could take a while.”

  It took more than two hours, but by the time the artist was finished, they had pictures of both kidnappers. Jessica stared at them and felt the hair rise on the back of her neck.

  “That’s them,” she whispered. She looked at the artist, a woman who hadn’t spoken except to ask her questions about the kidnappers’ features. “You’ve done a remarkable job.”

  “Thank you,” the woman said briskly. She glanced at the two men who had accompanied her. “Anything else?”

  The taller of the two men shook his head. Jessica had noted that Marcus didn’t introduce her to any of the trio. “That’s it. We’ll get going.” He turned to Jessica. “Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Burke. We appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Marcus studied the pictures, ignoring the three people who stood near the door. Finally he looked at her. “You’ve said this man—” he gestured at one of the pictures “—worked for your father. Anything else you remember about him?”

  She stared at the picture for a long time, then shook her head. “No.” She gave him an apologetic look. “I was really wrapped up in my work for the last few weeks. I hardly noticed my parents, let alone the people who worked on the island.”

  “How about this guy?” He held up the other picture. “Ever see him before he grabbed you?”

  She shook her head again. “He doesn’t look familiar at all. And believe me, I’ve given it a lot of thought.”

  “Okay.” Marcus stared at the pictures. “And it was this one, the one you’d never seen, that seemed to be in charge?”

  “Yes. He’s the one who was giving the orders. He’s the one who talked about the man named Simon who wouldn’t be happy if they made any mistakes.”

  Marcus stared at the pictures again, and she knew he was committing them to his memory. “All right.” He handed the pictures to the taller of the two men, and he and the other two people left the cottage as silently as they had arrived.

  Marcus waited until the door closed behind them, then turned to her. “They’ll make copies and start to ask some discreet questions.” He paused for a beat. “You have a remarkable memory for details.”

  She shrugged, although his casual praise made her stomach flutter. “It’s my job. I have to remember details.”

  “And I’ll bet you’re damned good at your job.”

  “I try,” she said lightly. She wasn’t sure how to respond, so she changed the subject. “The artist was very good.”

  “She’s got a reputation as the best. That’s why I requested her.”

  “Why are you doing all this for me?” she demanded. “You told me that this Simon wanted to kidnap me for ransom. This is getting pretty complicated for a simple little kidnapping. Is there more to the story that you’re not telling me?”

  “I’ve told you the truth all along, Jessica.” His eyes turned hard and unreadable. “I found you on the beach and brought you back to the cottage. I was going to call the police until I realized that you were in danger. Do you want to call the police now?”

  “No. I’ve told you I trust you and that I’ll do what you think is best. But you’re going to an awful lot of trouble for me.”

  His eyes softened slightly. “And why wouldn’t I do that?”

  “Because you don’t know me and you don’t know my parents.” Her voice was blunt. “What’s in it for you?”

  He watched her steadily, and she could see the sadness in his eyes. “Doesn’t anyone ever do anything for you unless there’s something in it for them?”

  She turned away, unable to bear the pity in his eyes. “I guess a suspicious mind comes with having money,” she muttered.

  He put his hand on her shoulder, but she didn’t turn around. “Believe me, Jessica, money is the last thing I want from you or your parents. A reward of some kind is the furthest thing from my mind.”

  She did believe him. But she noticed that he hadn’t really answered her question. Turning, she said, “Why didn’t you introduce me to your partners?”

  His face relaxed, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. “That’s easy. If you don’t know their names, you can’t tell anyone that you met them.”

  “But you said you worked in law enforcement. I don’t understand why so much secrecy is involved. Why would it matter if I wanted to describe your partners?”

  He sighed. “Jessica, the less you know, the better off you are.”

  She stared at him, trying to ignore the slightly sick feeling in her stomach. “This sounds way too melodramatic for me. Are you really implying that someone would hurt me to make me divulge information?”

  “It won’t come to that, I’m sure. But we’re better off if I think in worst-case scenarios.”

  For a moment she wasn’t sure she knew the grimfaced stranger who stood in front of her. “Who are you, Marcus?” she whispered.

  “I’m nothing but trouble,” he said bluntly, his voice cold. “I’ve told you all along that you shouldn’t get involved with me.” His face was hard and closed. “Your parents wouldn’t approve of me. Hell, they wouldn’t want you to get involved with me if I was the last man on earth.”

  “You’ve never met my parents,” she said stiffly. “You’re underestimating them.”

  “I doubt it. I don’t belong in your world, Jessica.” He stared her with a stranger’s eyes. “Hell, if you need any more proof, we come from totally different universes. You graduated from college when you were eighteen, and I never even went to college. I went into the Army right out of high school. Your family has money, and I work in law enforcement. Do I need to go on?”

  “Don’t bother. I’m sure you have lots more to say,” she said sweetly, her temper stirring. “I’m sure you could come up with excuses all day and all night why we’re all wrong for each other. But last night sure felt right.”

  “You don’t know anything about it,” he said, and his voice was harsh. “You were inexperienced, Jessica. You have nothing to compare me with.”

  “I don’t need any comparisons to know what we’ve shared is very special. I know how I feel.”

  “What you feel is gratitude,” he said sharply. “That’s all.”

  “You can think what you like and feel what you like. But don’t tell me what I think or feel,” she retorted.

  He stared at her for a moment, his eyes dark blue with frustration. She stared back, defiant, unwilling to back down. She had always fought for what she wanted.

  The thought startled her. Did she want Marcus? She wasn’t sure. Nothing was certain right now. Her world had changed and shifted, and she felt completely off balance. She looked away, unwilling to let him see the turmoil inside her.

  “I’m going to check out the area,” he said gruffly. “I’ll be right back.”

  She watched him slip out of the cottage, not sure if she was sorry or glad he was gone. Ever since she’d met Marcus, she’d felt like she was falling off a cliff. Now she was afraid she was going to hit the bottom without anything or anyone there to cushion the blow.

  But given the choice, she wasn’t sure if she would turn the clock back, either. She was afraid that she would endure the terror of the kidnapping all over again if it brought her to Marcus. And that thought terrified her more than the kidnapping ever had.

  Marcus stepped into the dense foliage near the cottage and took a deep breath. He wasn’t escaping from Jessica, he told himself. He was leaving before he said or did something that he couldn’t take back. He’d been right, no matter what Jessica thought. She didn’t belong with him. She belonged in her own world, with people who shared her background. He’d learned long ago, after the disaster of his affair with Heather, to stick to women who understood who he was and what he did. And who understood that there wa
sn’t any long term in his life. He’d made his choice when Heather had forced him to choose between her and his career. He’d chosen his career and now he would live with it.

  But Jessica had cast a spell over him that he was powerless to resist. Every time he tried to tell himself she was too young for him, she managed to convince him they fit together perfectly. Every time he tried to convince himself her money was an insurmountable barrier, she brushed it aside as if it was nothing. And he was afraid that if he spent any more time with her, he would agree.

  So he would do his job, find her kidnappers and force them to lead him to Simon. This was his chance to catch the traitor, to end the turmoil within SPEAR once and for all. He wasn’t about to be sidetracked by a woman, no matter how beautiful, no matter what he felt for her.

  And what he felt for her was nothing more than overwhelming lust, he told himself. That’s all he would allow it to be. If Jessica touched a part of him that he’d hidden for too long, she didn’t have to know. He could ignore his feelings. He’d been doing it for years, after all.

  Besides, it was ridiculous to imagine that he felt anything more than lust for Jessica Burke. It had only been a few weeks ago that he’d imagined himself in love with Margarita Alfonsa de las Fuentes.

  A voice inside reminded him that most of Margarita’s appeal was that he knew she was safe. He knew that Margarita was in love with Carlos, and although she was fond of him, they would never be more than friends.

  Marcus slapped the spiny bark of a tree and turned away from the cottage. He hadn’t come out here to moon about Jessica. He could do that very well inside the cottage. He’d come out here to check the surroundings, to make sure that no one had found them during the night.

  Because he sure as hell wouldn’t have known if a whole squadron of men had surrounded the house while they slept last night, he thought sourly. He’d been far too involved with Jessica, far too busy making love with her.

  He forced himself to concentrate on the area around him. The cottage was set apart from the others for a good reason—privacy. SPEAR didn’t want anyone to be able to watch the comings and goings from the cottage when it was being used in a covert operation. But the isolation made the cottage a more inviting target.

  He’d searched yesterday and found nothing. But they were only safe as long as he was vigilant. So he searched again.

  And stopped abruptly about fifty yards from the cottage. Someone had sat here last light. Branches were broken. Leaves were crushed and pressed into the earth. Marcus rocked on his heels, staring at the evidence. Someone had sat here, possibly watching the cottage, while they made love last night.

  Chapter 8

  He took a deep breath and warned himself not to jump to conclusions. An animal could have made the marks. Or a guest of the resort could have been there for some very innocent reason.

  But it wasn’t his job to embrace the innocent explanation. It was his job to assume the worst. So he stood slowly and looked around the area. After a long time, he let out the breath he’d been holding. No one was there now. He was certain of that. No one watched him. No one waited to spring out of hiding.

  He needed to spend some time, to examine the area closely and make sure there was no other evidence. But he couldn’t leave Jessica alone in the cottage any longer. Especially now.

  He loped to the cottage and burst through the door. He couldn’t stop his sigh of relief when he saw Jessica sitting on the couch, reading a book.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, jumping off the couch.

  “Why do you think something’s wrong?”

  “I can tell by the look on your face,” she said impatiently. “What is it?”

  No one else was able to read him so instantly or so accurately. A shiver ran up his spine, but he ignored it. He didn’t have time to examine the phenomenon right now.

  “Did you hear or see anything while I was gone? Anything out of the ordinary?”

  “Not a thing,” she said, watching his face. “I’ve been sitting here reading your book the whole time.”

  He glanced down and saw that she had picked up one of his suspense novels. “Did the phone ring?”

  “No.” She laid the book on the table. “What is it, Marcus?”

  He saw the beginnings of fear in her face and reached for her hand. “It’s probably nothing. But I found a place in the foliage not too far from the cottage where someone or something had been sitting.”

  “Someone was out there watching the cottage?” she asked.

  She was quick, he thought with a burst of admiration. “It’s possible.”

  She sank onto the couch. “What do we do now?”

  “We don’t panic,” he said, sitting next to her. “There could be a perfectly innocent explanation. I’m going to take a closer look at the area and see if whoever was there left any clues. Then I’ll have my partners come out this evening and keep an eye on the area.”

  “What can I do?”

  “You can stay in the cottage and out of sight.”

  “Won’t it go more quickly if both of us are searching?”

  “You have no idea what to look for.”

  “Then tell me.” She took a trembling breath, then squared her shoulders. “These people are looking for me. Staying here with you has put you in danger. I don’t want to sit inside while you take all the risks. Let me help you.”

  Again he felt a surge of admiration. “Most people would be happy to stay inside and out of the way.”

  “Then I guess I’m not most people,” she retorted. Her eyes softened. “And besides, why should you have all the fun?”

  “This isn’t my definition of fun,” he said.

  “I know.” She reached over and touched him, and he wanted to take her in his arms. Instead he clenched his hands. “But I want to help.” She quirked a grin at him. “Maybe you could use my analytical skills.”

  “This isn’t a game,” he said, his voice grim. “If these men find you, they’ll try to grab you again. Or worse.”

  “I know that. But I trust you to take care of me.” Her voice was calm and her gaze direct. “I’ll put you up against those two losers any day of the week.”

  “Those two losers, as you call them, managed to snatch you very neatly from a private island with a security system. We have to take them seriously.”

  “Then let me help you look for evidence,” she said immediately. “Two sets of eyes will work faster and more efficiently than one. And besides, is it safe to leave me here in the house by myself?”

  He watched her for a long time, but her gaze didn’t waver. Finally he said, “You play dirty, don’t you?”

  “It depends on how badly I want something. And I want to help you.”

  He thought for a moment. She was right; he didn’t want to leave her alone in the cottage while he searched through the dense tropical growth. Part of his attention would always be here instead of on what he was doing. And she had another valid point. Maybe two sets of eyes were better than one.

  “All right, you can come with me. But you have to do exactly as I tell you.”

  “Absolutely.” She jumped up from the couch. “Let’s go.”

  “Not so fast. I have to call my partners and let them know what’s happening.”

  He grabbed the cell phone and walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He really didn’t need privacy to make the call, but he needed some distance from Jessica. He couldn’t concentrate when she was watching him. All he wanted to do was hold her and tell her that he would keep her safe.

  Russell Devane answered the phone, and Marcus quickly told the other agent what he had found. “I’m going to look around now, but it might be a good idea if you have someone in the woods tonight, in case they show up again.”

  “I’ll be there.” Devane’s voice was quietly confident. “Let me know if you find anything.” There was a pause. “What about the woman? Are you going to leave her alone in the cottage while you’re searching? Do
you want me to come over and sit with her?”

  “I’m taking her with me.” Marcus’s voice was flat and uncompromising. He didn’t want to think about why he wouldn’t trust Jessica’s safety to anyone else. “I don’t want to wait for you to get here and I don’t want to leave her alone.”

  “Fine. I’ll be in the woods tonight. You stay in the cabin.”

  No more skinny-dipping in the dark, Marcus thought as he closed the cell phone. The ache of regret was hard and fast. But it had been a dangerous idea from the very beginning. In more ways than one. He closed his eyes as he remembered her responsiveness, the eager way she had surged against him, clutching his hands and pulling him closer.

  Maybe staying inside tonight wasn’t such a bad idea, after all.

  When he opened the door and walked into the tiny living room, Jessica was pacing the room. “Are we ready to go?” she asked when she saw him.

  “Just about.” Marcus hurried into the kitchen and stuffed some plastic bags into his pocket. Then he reached into a drawer, pulled out his gun, tucked it into the waistband of his shorts and covered it with his shirt. “Let’s go.”

  Her eyes were wide as she stared at the place where his gun was concealed. “Are you sure you need a gun?” she asked in a small voice.

  “I hope not, but you never know.” He leashed his impatience when he saw the fear on her face. She wasn’t a part of his world, he told himself. Why would she take his gun for granted? “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay here?”

  She shook her head. “I’d rather be with you.”

  Pleasure bloomed in his chest, and he immediately tried to squash it. “Then let’s go.”

  They slipped into the screen of trees that lined the path outside the cottage. It was like they’d stepped into another world. Dim, greenish light filtered through the canopy of leaves, and the heat and humidity became oppressive. The breeze that kept the beach comfortable couldn’t penetrate the vegetation, and the air was heavy and hot.

  “It’s hard to believe this is part of the same resort,” Jessica said in a low voice.