“Lana says they’re fine and she’ll keep an eye out until you get there.”
Aidan lowered his voice as if he didn’t want someone nearby to overhear. “You’re not going to like what Marshal Carpenter’s pushing for.”
“She’s not been checking in with him. He wants her back.”
“How do you know that?”
“I tapped her phone. And I’ve been with her almost constantly.”
Liam turned onto the entrance ramp and came almost immediately to a stop behind the car in front of him. The occasional traffic on the way home had never bothered him. Now, when he needed to get to Grey, when he needed to verify for himself she was safe, was not the time for delays.
“He’s pushing, hard, to get her back into protection.”
Liam’s heart sank. “She won’t do it.” He hoped. “Not without helping Ruby first.”
“He’s prepared to move Ruby.”
“She has to be willing. She can’t sign that paperwork and Grey doesn’t have a power of attorney over her.”
“Breck made those points.” Aidan paused a moment before continuing. “Carpenter says Ruby can walk when she’s recovered if she doesn’t want to stay hidden.”
Traffic moved, but only at ten miles per hour. The news from Aidan, the softness of female conversation floating through the car, the impotence of sitting in traffic when he needed to act grated and built until Liam was wringing his hands on the wheel.
“He can’t hide someone on a donor list.”
“A point the director made, but if Grey’s approved as a donor…”
“Ruby could be kept off the list.” Shit. It was a valid angle Grey might want to consider. “How are they going to handle the doctors? Jessup’s people could still track a coma patient disappearing from one hospital and another showing up somewhere else.”
“They’re the U.S. Marshals. They’re used to spinning stories and making people vanish.”
Not Grey. Not again. He wasn’t losing her.
Driven by fear and frustration, Liam flipped on the emergency lights he’d had wired along the edge of the roof and pulled the car onto the shoulder. Grey would not make a decision about WitSec without him. She sure as hell wouldn’t face Jessup alone.
His phone beeped with Caller ID. A quick glance showed Kami’s smiling face. “Kami’s calling,” he said to Aidan. “Keep me in the loop.”
He pressed Talk to switch from Aidan to Kami. The same urgency pressed in on him, but he softened his tone. “Kami, what’s up?”
“Grey just got a call from the hospital. Ruby’s waking up.”
Alarms blared in his head. The doctors had been backing off the coma-inducing meds to give Ruby a chance to wake up, but the timing was too coincidental for him to like it. “Who did she talk to?”
“I don’t know. I think she’s in shock. Lana took her phone, but whoever called had already hung up.”
Shit. “I’m five minutes away. Move to the safe room and keep an eye on her. I’ll get verification on Ruby.”
“Will do.”
“One of you stay near the activation panel for the room, just in case.”
“You got it.” Kami had to be curious about what was going on, but she promised to act instead of peppering him with questions.
A quick call to Simon verified that Ruby was in fact waking. Her room was a steady flow of nurses and doctors checking her vitals and asking questions to see what she remembered.
“I had a few minutes with her before anyone came in,” Simon said. “She’s heard Grey’s voice and remembers some of the conversations she’s heard. For the sake of the hospital staff, I’m her fiancé and was out of town when she was first brought in.”
“Good.”
“Listen, I’m having them move her to a private room now that she’s awake.”
“Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“Not for a second.”
Liam took the exit for his subdivision and ran options in his head. Ruby being awake was a good thing, but it complicated matters. The U.S. Marshals could sell her on the idea of protection, and Grey would follow. Ruby could slip and say something that would unknowingly endanger Grey, especially if she remembered everything they talked about in the room. The team could look at ways to move her someplace more secure, but a pending operation limited their options. So did cooperation with the U.S. Marshals.
Five minutes later Liam pulled into his garage and lowered the door.
He was entering the kitchen by the time the garage door bumped the concrete. The kitchen was a mess, with chocolate smears and drops all over the place. Rows of confections in varying shapes and sizes covered the counters. Liam got twitchy if he was in a dirty space too long, but he forced himself to ignore the mess they’d made and went across the hall to the safe room.
Few knew that a button press was all it would take to turn the media room into a sealed panic room comfortable enough to live in for several days. Lori stood at the entry, on guard. Kami and Lana sat on either side of Grey working to calm her.
“Tell me what you need, Liam,” Lori said quietly.
“I’m going to take you up on that. In a minute.” He touched her elbow in thanks and went to kneel before Grey.
She stared straight ahead. Unblinking. He got her to look at him long enough to assure himself she was okay before filling Lana, Kami and Lori in on who Grey was, the trouble she was in and how their help was needed to lead any danger away.
Through it all, Grey sat and stared straight ahead. Unable to tell if she was paying attention or not, he moved closer to her side and refrained from mentioning Jessup by name. If Simon’s guess was right, and it normally was, Jessup would already know Ruby was awake.
On board to help, Kami, Lana and Lori went out the front and got in their cars. Kami and Lori put their convertible tops up. Liam took Grey’s hand and led her to the convertible he kept on hand for his family.
It was identical to Kami’s, which would only help in their evasion. Anyone watching would expect Liam to leave in the 300. With the top and tinted windows up, Liam backed out. Lori went first, then Kami, then Liam and Lana took up the rear.
In the event someone had gotten close enough to watch the house and see them pulling out, they took the long way through the neighborhood and changed order a few times. When they exited the main gate, they split up and went different directions, giving Jessup, if he was already tracking Grey, a tougher target to tail.
Grey said nothing until Liam turned onto the highway, heading away from the hospital. “Aren’t you taking me to see Ruby?”
“Yes. Just not directly.”
“Why? What’s going on? You’re acting strange.”
She’d moved blindly and silently wherever he guided her. The complacency wasn’t like her and that disturbed him. If a phone call about Ruby shook her so badly, how eager would she be to snap up a new protection offer?
Willing to play any hand he thought would convince her to stay, Liam chose the one he thought would work best. Direct honesty. It would be tough to take, especially while she was still reeling from the news about Ruby, but he had to trust she could handle it.
“Jessup escaped.”
Grey jerked. Her hand reached for the handle as if she was bracing for a quick escape.
Liam continued. “The U.S. Marshals, including Micah Carpenter, are in town. They’re hunting Jessup and any of his connections. They’ll also be looking for you so they can invite you back into protection.”
“I can’t leave Ruby.”
“And they’re not asking you to.”
“They’re willing to move her too?”
“Yes.” His teeth clenched at how easily she grabbed on to the new offer when she’d shut down at the news of Ruby waking up. She didn’t have to say she would entertain anything they offered. She wanted freedom and she wanted it with her sister. If she could have that…
“What about the donation?”
“The U.S. Marshals have been
spinning stories and making people disappear for years. I’m sure they’d have that covered.” He turned in to the office parking lot and pulled into the spot beside Aidan’s car.
“Come on,” he leaned over and opened her door before stepping out. Aidan exited his car, took Liam’s keys and stood back for him to back out.
“Why are we playing all these car games if we’re just heading to the hospital anyway? If Jessup is out and around, he’s going to see me coming.”
Liam reached into the backseat and grabbed a small bag. Grey reached in and pulled out a wig that would give her long, red hair with black-tipped bangs. A bottle of water and sponge would allow her to put a scar-looking tattoo on her face.
“You think this is going to be enough to throw Jessup off?”
“The more elaborate the disguise the easier it is to see through. Plus, Ruby is going to be moved to another floor. While Jessup may have someone in the hospital, he can’t have the place as wired as we do.”
“That’s not going to stop Jessup from finding her, or me, if he’s looking.”
Grey was scared, and while it pissed Liam off to have to deliver the news, he was relieved to see that she appreciated the seriousness of the situation. “No, but it will limit their ability to monitor every movement in and around the room.”
“So, is the plan to have me look like someone different every time I go in to see her, because that’s going to be conspicuous.”
“The plan right now is to get you to Ruby and stay as hidden as possible. I need you to play along. I need to know you and I are on the same page and that you’ll do what I ask without questioning me.”
“You don’t want me to go back with Micah.”
“No. I don’t.” He pulled into the parking garage of the hospital and found a spot in a shadowy corner near the stairs. Backing in, he stayed aware.
“What do you want, Liam? What do you want me to do?”
“I want to lock you up in the house and not let you out until Jessup is back behind bars or dead. I don’t think you’ll let me do that, though.”
She shook her head and began finger combing the wig. When she slipped it on he smiled. “I like your short hair, but this look suits you.”
“I had this hair for a couple of months in college.” She smoothed her hand over the black tips and smiled. Then her eyes narrowed. “How’d you know these clothes might suit me?”
“I described the woman I know now and the one I met in Vegas to Kami. She did the rest. Though the skull-printed bra and underwear you stripped out of at the beach were pretty big hints.” Now that she’d asked he took the time to consider the clothes she’d chosen that morning. The ripped shirt took four years off her age and teased him with thin flashes of skin. The jeans accentuated the small swell of her hips and hugged her narrow thighs and calves. The studded-toe flats polished off the edge.
“But you said this morning that something in the case should suit me.”
“Kami has a way of knowing how to put people at ease. I trusted her to have the same skill with shopping.”
Grey plucked at the shirt and sighed. “I still can’t believe I’m wearing clothes Kami Evans picked out for me. Or that I spent the morning cooking with her.”
Liam uncapped the water bottle and wetted the sponge. “You have a lot in common with her, you know.”
“With Kami?”
“Yes.” Leaning across the car, he placed the scar tattoo at the edge of Grey’s nose so it ran along the curve of her smile line. Placing the sponge over the paper, he began applying the tattoo. “She had no training but she risked everything to prove her stepbrother didn’t kill himself. She could have been killed if she hadn’t trusted Breck. And the rest of us.”
“Are you trying to say things will work out as well for me as they did for her?”
He brushed a dribble of water from her cheek with his thumb and pulled the sponge away. Slowly, he peeled the paper backing off the tattoo and supporting her chin with his fingers he studied the effect. The latex was a smidge darker than her skin tone and had a slightly bumpy texture. It looked like a genuine scar.
“I can’t guarantee that.”
“What can you guarantee?” she whispered. Her gaze moved over his face, struck him as borderline desperate.
He hadn’t kissed her yet for the day, and had planned on waiting until they had more time alone. In the shadowy confines of Aidan’s car, with Grey asking for guarantees, the need to show her instead of tell her swelled.
Applying the lightest pressure on his fingers, he pulled her face closer. Leaving himself open for a better kiss later, he pressed his lips to the scar he’d just given her. “That I will do everything possible to keep you and Ruby safe. If that means I have to scrub up to stand guard in the operating room then I will.”
“The doctors won’t allow that.”
“If I have your permission and Director Quinn’s backing we can find a way to make it happen.”
He pressed his lips to the corner of hers and breathed her in. She smelled of chocolate and sugar and his body melted beneath the desire to devour. “I’ll do anything necessary if it means you’re safe.”
“Would you go into WitSec with me?”
He pulled back and met her gaze. Leaving his family and friends would rip a hole in his heart and soul, but so had being without Grey since meeting her. Being worried she was in danger had filled him with fear. If she went without him he would always wonder and worry.
“If you asked.” Because if she asked him to go it would mean she thought they could have something. He would risk most anything for a chance at what his parents had shared for years.
“Really? Why?”
He only smiled and whispered, “This doesn’t count.” Then he laid his mouth directly over hers and kissed her. She raised a hand and curled her fingers around his neck. The tips pressed gently into his skin. Her lips opened on a sigh and Liam almost took advantage of the opportunity.
She arched her back and released a tiny moan. It took all his restraint to keep from climbing into her seat with her, laying her back and indulging. He kept the kiss light though, with only a hint of hunger until she pulled back. When she did, she was quietly panting.
“Liam.”
“I want you, Grey.” He pressed another kiss to her lips, but didn’t linger. “As much as I want you safe I want to know where we could take this thing between us.”
“So you would follow me?”
“Yes.”
“I’d feel bad for taking you away from your family.”
“You’re my family too.” And I love you.
The words wanted to tumble free. He wanted her to be ready to hear them, but his wants weren’t the important ones. Only Grey’s mattered.
“It can’t be that simple for you.”
He shrugged. “It can, but right now you should focus on Ruby.” He kissed her once more. “You’ve waited long enough for this.”
Chapter Fourteen
Liam hadn’t immediately said he would go with her into WitSec, but he’d said he would. His reason had been scarier than the agreement.
You’re my family too.
Thinking too much about his answer, when an offer hadn’t officially been made by the U.S. Marshals, was a waste of energy, so Grey turned her attention to their mission of the moment. “What’s the next part of your plan? I’m guessing you’re trying to get me unseen into Ruby’s room. Tell me what to do.”
“You make keeping you safe easy, Grey.”
“Only because I’m getting my way.”
“I think you’re just glad for a break from hiding everything.” He tilted his head sideways while shrugging with his eyebrows. “But I’ll take what I can get.”
He leaned across her, as he had every time they’d exited a car together, and opened her door. When they met at the hood, he placed a hand on her back and guided her toward the door.
“We’re going in through the professional building since Jessup or his peopl
e will most likely expect to see you come in through one of the main entrances. When we pass people, you’ll feel like you need to duck your head and hide your face.”
That had been exactly how she’d felt every time they’d entered the hospital. “If they can’t see my face they can’t identify me.”
“True. But hiding your face can actually draw more attention, and if you’re looking away you can’t identify them. If you can look people in the eye you’ll be able to convince them you’re not afraid.”
“And if I am?”
“Then you fake the bravery until it’s no longer necessary.”
She glanced up at Liam. He was looking directly into her eyes, and it occurred to her that he was always looking up and directly at people. The warmth in his gaze had always pulled her in and had her trying to figure out what he was thinking. It had never occurred to her to avoid his gaze, just as it had never occurred to her that looking directly at people was likely something he’d learned rather than something he did naturally.
Or was it? Maybe it was something some people were just better at than others.
She’d looked down and away when she’d shared the elevator with Jessup’s man. Thinking back, she’d looked down and away when Jessup had found her in the storage room. In fact, she’d never looked him in the eyes.
“You can do this, Grey.”
Liam opened the door that led into the professional building. Meeting his gaze was easy, but she was suddenly aware of her discomfort with meeting peoples’ gazes. A wig and fake scar didn’t really help. “I think I’d rather be in hiding.”
“Listen.” Liam pulled her to a stop. “There’s every chance Micah will show up pretty quick to offer you protection.”
“So you’ve said.”
“And I’ll go with you if you want.”
She smiled, but didn’t feel happy about it.
“Can I offer you an alternative?”
Please. She nodded.
“Stay here. Trust my team, trust me, to keep you and Ruby safe. We’ll get the operation done as soon as they clear you, and then we’ll move you both to my house as soon as possible.”
Taste Me Deadly (Sensory Ops) Page 12
