Her heart thumped. No, he wasn't. She breathed in the same air as him for a moment and didn't move. She let the smell of the forest and the ocean intermix inside her.
"No, you might be far worse."
"What? Why?"
She swallowed and her face heated.
"I never fully trusted Victor. I casually dated him because at first he was exciting. Guys like either of you are normally not into me."
"I'm nothing like him."
"You were worse."
"How?"
"You tormented me a child and I had so many imagined stories in my head of when you falling in love with me and then me ripping your heart out."
His lips parted like he was shocked. She pressed hers together as he said, "Why?"
She fixed the medallion around her neck. "Cause you were mean to me, when I did nothing to you."
"You scared me a child."
Someone like Liam Collins was scared?
"How did I ever scare you? I wore pig tails and had my head in a book for most of it."
He inched closer and then whispered like it was hard for him to speak.
"Your big brown eyes. You stared at me and all I ever wanted to do was stare back."
"What?"
He swallowed. "I didn't speak to you as a boy."
"Believe me, I remember."
He placed his hand on her arm. "I didn't speak because I thought you were my soulmate, but if I let myself love you then I'd be sad and miserable, like my brother Sean when he lost Gigi."
Her heart thumped. If only that were true. Valentine's eve would be amazing. She averted her gaze and stared at her shoes.
"Guess we'll never know what might have happened, and I am happy your brother and Gigi found each other again."
He let her arm go and her body ached for his touch.
"Me too. Will you stay and let me analyze the tracker?"
She reached out and hugged her waist. Liam could have her heart and soul if he truly fell in love with her. He was the epitome of the man of her dreams. The vision clicked in her head, but she couldn't make sense of the thought.
She shook it off and sighed. "Will you tell me what's on it?"
He took her hand in hers. "If I can. If I can't, you'll still know Victor had used you."
Victor would never matter to her once all this ended. Today she'd spend almost Valentine's with Liam. She squeezed his hand.
"Okay, we can stay at your house until we clear this up."
The hard part would be pretending it wasn't the day of love and that she wasn't affected by him. Her tasks might be impossible, but she had to try.
7
Liam
Liam calculated how far they'd go once they reached the end of the driveway. Joe was a huge dog who followed behind Sherry like he was his partner in the plan to protect her. He glanced at the dog's docile face. It was hard to imagine that he helped him twice in combat. If he was human, he'd recommend him for a metal.
Liam then turned around to glance behind them. Whoever followed them would have a car and would be close to finding them. He could destroy the chip now and be done with it. However, the Agency would want to see if any information was on it. Liam's gut said the stolen files were in the computer chip.
She still panted from their fast run a minute ago.
"Where are we going?"
"I need to borrow a car." He stared into the parking lot.
She tilted her head to the side and asked, "Why don't we take a taxi? They are right there."
He turned and followed her gaze. Then he retook her hand and told her, "You're a good partner."
"I'm glad someone thought so." She smiled up at him. "I am in good shape, but I'm not a sprinter."
"Fair enough."
He set the pace to a jog, and she shook her head. At least she followed. If she complained, he'd likely go slower and that was a bad idea. Joe at her heels though seemed to encourage her even more.
Thirty seconds later, he held the door open for her, waited, then slid inside after her. She settled into the seat, Joe jumped beside her and let out a bark.
Liam stared at his phone as he said, "Go now."
"Not with a dog."
Joe growled at him. Liam pressed his lips together. They were out of time. "I'll pay double."
"Where?" The driver started the engine.
"Go now. I'll tell you where once you get us out."
A black SUV with tinted windows sped toward them. The cab driver hit the gas and Liam clicked a few pages on his phone application and located the nearest safe house.
"1611 Maple Drive."
The cab driver smiled at them in the mirror.
"Mr. and Mrs. Baker. Are you relations of them?"
Safe houses are not supposed to be well known. Liam sat straighter.
"Yes. I didn't know you knew them."
"They keep to themselves, but we're a small town." The cab turned onto Maple Street. "Good to know they have family. Most people assumed they didn't."
Small town was acceptable. Liam brushed Sherry's hand who stayed quiet. She offered him a small smile and he reached into his pocket. Joe turned his nose at Liam and then licked his hand. The chip had the tracking still active. Whoever followed him would be right on their tails. The safe house would know how to stop the device and have the technology to read any encryptions. He reached into his wallet and offered the fare, then petted Joe.
"You two seem cozy."
"This is my new partner. He's well trained."
"He hated..." she massaged her neck and glanced down, "my ex."
"Joe has good taste."
They'd only have a few minutes to get everything done.
The cab stopped in front of the house and the driver took the money. Liam helped Sherry get out, then Joe jumped out. As she checked her dog, he stared at his watch. They'd have ten minutes or less. He inhaled, then glanced at Sherry and Joe. Once again, timing was everything. He then led them through the front door he opened with an electric key. Next to her, he took a whiff and the air filled with ice cream sundae's again. How had she kept a clean fresh smell to her?
As he flipped on the lights, he held open the door and she finally asked, "Where are we?"
"Let me turn the tracking off." Liam kept the chip in his hand and called down the hall. "I have a bug that has more information on it."
No one answered. Joe barked down the empty hall.
A chill went up his spine. Liam offered a small smile to her, then walked down the hall. Sherry's heels clinked behind her and she followed him. Joe walked backwards and barked at empty room. At the first door, Liam knocked, then called out. "Access code G729FX."
A voice called back, "Verifying."
"Hurry. I'm being tracked." Liam repeated then stared to the side at Sherry. Her cheeks were pink and bright and healthy.
The door opened and he held out the chip.
"Good morning."
"Black Falcon, you brought trouble to my house?"
Liam tilted his head to the side.
"I need the information on the device."
"Figures. Hold on." The older man, Harry the Horse, answered. Joe barked and growled.
"Li--" Sherry was about to speak his name, but he turned around to stop her with a fast kiss.
Her lips opened for him and an electrical storm burst inside of him. No reason popped into mind on why he just kissed her, but she tasted better than anything he'd ever tasted. With her face more reddish, she pushed him away and pointed at the stranger.
"Did he call you Black Falcon?"
"It's my call sign. Sherry this is Harry the Horse and please call me Black Falcon."
She folded her arms. "I will not call this nice man a horse or you a Black anything."
Joe barked and growled at Harry. The man asked but continued to work at his computer with the chip, "Is your woman yours and not one of us? It's been forever since I spoke to a civi."
"Leave her alone." Liam stood in front of her. "We
only have a few minutes left."
Second ticked in his head. Whoever chased them would have this location and any second, they'd be attacked.
"Transferring everything to a USB now." Harry said as he had uploaded the tracker into his computer. "Lots of information in this."
"Did you turn off the transmitter?" Liam kept his hands stiff at his sides. Even if it went blank, this house was compromised.
Harry answered but kept working. "Can't. There is a fail-safe that deletes everything. Thirty more seconds."
If they had thirty seconds.
Joe growled at the air.
Sherry called out, "Are we on the run again?"
"Do you have vehicles ready for us?" Liam patted Harry on the back.
"I have two cars with gas in the garage." He continued to work but swung his hip, "Text Betty the Baker to not come home."
"In ten seconds do it yourself." Liam answered. Something wasn't right, but he'd worked with Harry in the past. So he stood there and realized the delay was unusual.
"I'll help." Sherry took a step forward, but he reached out and held her next to him. Her brown eyes stared at him and he shook his head. Her shoulders dropped and she stayed still. "Fine."
"Done." Harry answered and handed the USB to Liam.
Liam reached out to take it and stared hard at the tiny chip.
"You haven't turned off the tracker."
Harry dropped it in a glass of water.
"Satisfied? It will short circuit, now let's go."
Destroyed evidence wasn't protocol. Liam's spine stayed cold. He fished the tracker out of the water and grabbed the USB. Without a word to Harry, he took her hand and said, "Okay. Fine. Let's go before someone shows up."
She squeezed his hand and followed. Joe continued to growl and then he started to snarl.
At least Joe followed without being asked.
In the garage, he found a black Honda CRV. One of the most popular cars in New England, and easily blends into traffic. And the other was a silver gray Ashton Martin. He directed Sherry to the Honda and held her door for her.
She hopped in but quipped, "We're not taking your style today?"
Joe jumped in after her but went to the back seat while barking.
Liam opened the garage door and heard banging in the house. He jumped into the drivers' seat and switched on the engine. It purred and he stepped on the gas, with the garage door halfway open.
Sherry shouted, "Stop."
No time. He refused. If someone was in the house, they'd drive fast. On the highway, he'd stop, switch plates, then take another highway, just in case someone cased the house they left. He needed to get to a computer to check the files and the tracker as well. The car slid under the door and he tore down the driveway and onto the street.
"Liam Collins, you need to listen to me."
"Someone came into that house Sherry. I want to take you home and keep you safe."
"We're going home?" Her voice had a bit of an edge to it.
"Yes. It's the safest place for us."
"I haven't been there since Victor died on my front lawn and people ransacked my home. When someone came at me, I ran. I'm still having flashbacks of that moment."
He steadied his speed onto the highway road. Soon they'd be on an interstate.
"What happened the day Victor clearly injected you?"
She turned away. "I called him over to talk, but he never made it inside."
He had read the files. She'd been inside the moment the shot was fired.
"Talk about what?"
She stared out the window and down at the road.
"Doesn't matter. I had agreed to marry him and he died."
"Were you in love with him?" Liam asked.
He should have asked quite a lot of other questions, but that one just fell out of his mouth. And he couldn't take it back.
She lifted her head, but stared at the glass window.
"Doesn't matter. He's dead and in his last breaths, the man stuck something inside my skin. I clearly hate him now."
"Sherry you deserve better than that." Liam kept his hand in the space between them in case she needed him, but she stayed quiet.
"Until Victor, my life was pretty boring."
"Excitement is overrated."
"I agree."
Joe barked.
Much later, they stopped at a gas station and he changed the plates. She stayed inside the car. When he finished, they were back on the road and on the highway.
Finally, she shifted in her seat and told him, "I hate living alone. Victor filled a void and I let it happen. I won't be stupid again."
Night grew overhead as Liam drove in silence. Victor had done enough to Sherry and she deserved to be happy.
8
Sherry
Liam whistled and fried up some hash browns. He whistled to himself, proud that he had the servants at his parents drop off some groceries.
This Valentine's day was surreal. Liam brought her to his house, fed her dog, and sent her upstairs for a shower. Her entire body was still shell shocked and now he cooked for her? She rubbed the goose bumps of her arms and left the back staircase.
He flipped the potatoes in the pan then checked on the boiled water. She coughed and then went to the coffee maker to pour herself a glass. She'd need this if she had to pretend that spending the most romantic day with the man she thought hated her most of her life was the one man she could count on.
He dropped the spatula and a spot of oil flew onto his hands. She put the mug down and took his hand in hers to check. The red spot must burn. She pressed her hand on his
"Are you okay?"
"With you here, I'm off center."
What did that mean for him exactly? The way he acted and how he turned bright red from kissing her last night, she had to wonder. Was Liam attracted to her? Was that what he repeatedly came to save her life?
She licked her lips to ask, but then his phone rang. He took his hand out of hers and picked up his phone.
"Liam speaking."
She held her tongue and returned to get the coffee. Whoever was on the phone must be part of the CIA or something and with luck everything that almost ruined her life would disappear. He was right that she'd like to return to her rather mundane life as the librarian of the town. If she never ran for her life again, her aching thighs would approve.
She poured the milk that was beside her into her coffee.
"Nice to know my brother is shacking up with mom's friend." Sean Collins, one of Liam's older brothers called out as he leaned against the kitchen door. "I'm sure Mom is already arranging the wedding for you two."
His mother talked about Liam to her for years. She placed the mug to her lips so no one would speak to her as her mind raced. If Liam had liked her all this time, his mother would have known. Had she misunderstood Liam all her life?
"Stop. This is just a job."
Liam said as he ended his call and placed his phone down.
A job would mean he hadn't always cared. She sipped the coffee and let the delicious bitter taste linger, though she kept the mug on her lips.
Liam walked over to his brother and shrugged.
"Mom went matronly with Sherry when her grandparents died."
"She knows more than you think." Sean answered.
The words lingered in her ears like Sean also thought Liam was attracted to her. This was impossible. She could not have been that wrong, for her entire life.
Liam told his brother, "Don't scare my house guest with mom's incessant 'Liam's the last one not married' mantra."
She lowered her cup.
"Your mother already mentions that to me, every other day."
Liam's face turned red again.
Sean's face turned into a bright smile, "And she's expecting you both over this morning."
Sean answered fast. "We can't come."
Her heart began to race. Valentine's day with Liam was a horrible, horrible idea. She placed her mug on the c
ounter so no one see her shake. Then she swallowed her pride.
"I shouldn't be here. I have to go."
Home made more sense. At least she could pack a bag. Joe would keep her safe enough while she finished and took her car. The road was the only place she felt safe, other than with Liam, and right now Liam made her jittery. The questions in her head swirled so fast that she couldn't breathe.
Sean patted his brother's shoulder. "Good luck. See you over there."
Once Sean left, her body shook less. She placed her hand on the table.
Liam hadn't said a word until the door closed. The silenced helped her relax. Liam charged his phone and set it on the table. Sherry stood taller and rolled her shoulders.
"Your brother came inside unannounced. What if whoever is after me..."
"My security is set up to allow my family..."
"Then whoever it is might use your mother or someone you love to gain access."
"I have protocols. I need you to trust me. This is the safest place."
"I don't know..."
"Trust me."
She nodded and closed her eyes. Liam had helped her. Even Joe, who hated Victor, liked Liam. Maybe her dog had better taste in men than she had. She approached the table.
"It smells delicious."
Without a word, Liam went back to the stove and piled the hash browns on a plate. As he placed them on the table, she saw how they were perfectly brown. The toaster popped and Sherry shuddered. A second later, she tried to hide her reaction and picked up a plate and sat down. Liam placed toast on her plate without a word.
Right. She might eat now. If she had to run again, it was good she had food in her stomach.
Then Liam picked up another plate and placed it in front of her.
"How many eggs?"
The banality of this morning sent a shiver down her spine, but Liam acted like everything was normal.
"Two." She answered. "And the coffee tastes amazing. My machine normally makes a horrible brew that tastes no better than gasoline."
"My mother picked the coffee maker out, as well as most of the stuff in this house."
"And the women's clothes you just had available for me?"
Keeping the Spy Page 5
