Zach helped load the items Hannah had packed into his car. He made sure Hannah hadn’t followed him and Kellan into the garage before asking, “Think this will work?”
Kellan closed the car door and slapped him on the back. “Best shot we’ve got.”
Hannah appeared with a strange-looking strappy thing in one hand and Costello attached to a leash in the other. “Since I don’t know how long we’ll be in the car, I need to put him in his seatbelt.” She shooed the two men aside, then looked at both SUVs and hesitated. “Um, which one?”
Zach opened the door for her and stepped back to watch. The dog hopped into the backseat and Hannah bent over to fasten him in using the strappy thing. Damn, she looked great in those jeans. He realized his eyes were honing in on her shapely backside when he should have been offering to help.
Going for a ride. Yes. I love to ride! Where are we going? Can I eat while we go for a ride? Hey, what is that? Can I eat that? Costello sniffed the cloth piece of the harness Hannah was struggling to get looped into position.
“We’re going for a ride,” Hannah told the dog in her baby voice. “Are you excited to go for a ride? Huh? Are you?”
Yes! I’m so excited to go for a ride. Let’s go. The dog whined and wiggled as she tried her best to get him situated.
Zach snickered. “Do you, uh, need any help with that thing?”
“No, I got it,” she called from inside the car, but she seemed to be struggling—mainly because Costello kept wiggling around and jarring the buckle loose.
Done, Hannah grabbed her remaining bag and Abbott, who seemed comfortably tucked inside his mesh kennel. She sat the cat on the backseat beside Costello, hooked the bag in with a seatbelt matching the other strappy thing and then settled herself into the front seat with an exhausted-sounding sigh.
“I hate to tell you this, but I need you to get down, out of sight.”
She frowned. “Seriously?”
“Down,” he ordered. She hesitated, sighed, and climbed into the back seat. She sank down to the floorboard in front of the animals and gave him a defiant look.
Brian and E.J. had left minutes earlier to get into position, so Zach gave Kellan a thumb’s up sign over the hood before sliding into the driver’s seat.
Turning the engine on, Zach took a deep breath and waited for Kellan to leave first. “I hope these windows are tinted dark enough.”
He gave Kellan a sizeable lead. They’d pulled onto I-85 when E.J.’s voice in Zach’s ear said, “If anyone is following you, boss, I can’t tell. I think they took the bait and followed Kellan like we’d hoped.”
A second later, Brian’s voice said, “Got ‘em. A silver Honda has been on Kellan’s tail since we got on 17th Street.”
Zach’s gaze shifted from the traffic in front of him to the rear-view mirror. He activated his microphone. “We don’t know how many people are involved. I wouldn’t be surprised if we were both being followed.”
“My friend is running these plates, but my guess is that it’s another stolen car,” Brian said.
“Be careful, Brian. Leave it to the cops to give chase if it’s stolen.” Zach thought about Brian’s new daughter. Panic tightened his chest. If Brian got hurt— “Don’t play the hero. You hear me?”
Amusement flavored his best friend’s tone when he replied, “Don’t worry. I’m not about to take any careless risks.”
For the next ten minutes, Zach kept his eyes on the cars around him. Hannah remained quiet, even as Costello whined and struggled relentlessly to free himself of his restraint. He couldn’t spot any cars following them besides E.J.’s, a ways back. Maybe the plan had worked, but Zach wouldn’t feel safe until they’d made it to Lake Lanier and established a safe base.
I want in the front seat. Why can’t I get in the front seat like I always do? Costello whined. Are we there yet? I want in the front seat. More whining.
Zach’s fingers tightened around the wheel as he silently told the dog to shut the hell up. Situation was bad enough without the animal’s whiny chatter running nonstop through his head.
Hannah cooed, “Settle down. Sit.”
Am I in trouble? I want in the front seeeaaaat.
Geez. This was worse than traveling with kids. Making sure it was safe to do so, he shifted and sent the dog an uncompromising look. “Costello, sit!”
The dog’s ears lifted and his head tilted in surprise, but he stopped struggling to get free and sat still. Even the whining stopped.
Zach felt pretty damn pleased with himself as he returned his attention to the road.
“Thank you,” Hannah said. “I’ve never taken them on a long road trip before.”
“It’s only an hour’s drive.”
“To where?”
He explained about the condo their client—now Kellan’s damned girlfriend—owned outside of Lake Lanier. “It’s secluded, but not too secluded, and in a gated community. We should be safe there.”
He hoped like hell they’d be safe there. He would be the only thing standing between her and the psychopaths chasing her.
Chapter Fourteen
Fox pounded his fist against the steering wheel when he realized he’d been made. Quickly, he directed the car to the left—away from where the tinted SUV was traveling—and kept an eye on the sedan that was following him now.
Collins and his team were good.
They’d used a decoy, and he’d fallen for it.
He should’ve taken Collins out at his condo, but when it had become obvious the private detective was planning something, he’d waited to find out what it was.
He should’ve known better. The pressure was starting to get to him. He was making careless mistakes.
Not good.
He reached into the hem of his jacket and touched the warm metal tucked carefully in his holster and checked the rearview mirror again, noting the sedan had fallen back. Now was his chance to get off its radar.
It was easy enough to lose his tail in the late afternoon congestion on I-85. Once he was certain he was no longer being followed, he called his partner.
“Tell me where they went.”
Hesitation was the initial response. “They were careful not to discuss it inside the house. I didn’t hear where they were going.”
The man swore, loud and fierce.
They needed the woman to get inside the vault. Breaking into that facility without the proper help and equipment would be next to impossible with so little time to prepare.
“I think—” his partner said slowly, as if the words were hard to speak “—we might have another option.”
“Tell me.”
“The woman has a friend she cares a great deal about: Sarah.”
“Keep going.”
“Perhaps if we used her, we could draw Hannah out of hiding.”
Maybe his partner wasn’t as stupid as he’d begun to believe. “Figure out how we can get to this Sarah. We need to move, and fast.”
“Wow.”
Hannah blinked a few times so her eyes could absorb the awesome sight in front of her. A 15-foot floor-to-ceiling window overlooked a view of the lake, surrounded by trees and a dock that implied the stretch of water was their own private alcove. A giant flat-screen television was angled on the wall in the corner, in front of a set of navy leather sofas. She could feel Zach watching her, so she shrugged and stepped further into the open living room.
She cleared her throat. “This is some place.”
“I think Katie had it remodeled when she bought it. Dammit. Kellan should have mentioned that open window.” He frowned at the uncovered view. “We should go somewhere else.”
“You don’t think we’re safe?” She glanced around, spotted a control panel on the wall—hadn’t she seen something like that on HGTV?—and decided to toy with it and see if her hunch was right. Ah ha. Bingo. She messed with some controls, the room filled with a humming sound, and a set of blinds slowly slid across the window from an unseen alcove. “See? Problem so
lved.”
His face was still scrunched in a glower. “Kellan said to be sure to check out the back deck.” He dropped their bags to the floor and moved to the back patio doors. His eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. This is a bit extravagant.”
The back deck had been transformed into a tiki bar complete with a roof made of rattan and palm leaves. Tiki masks and totem poles lined the wall behind the bar, and a couple of bamboo loungers faced the railing. A privacy wall divided it from the neighboring condo’s deck.
“This place is like a —”
“A mini playboy mansion?” Zach suggested for her, bending to move their luggage. “Some people have too much money.”
Yeah. She supposed some people did. Kind of like she did now.
His body froze in the middle of a lean. “I didn’t mean—”
She held up a hand. “It’s not like we both weren’t thinking it.” A sigh parted her lips. “I’m still getting used to it, that’s all.”
The sound of Costello’s toenails clambering against hardwood caught her attention, and she turned to focus on the dog. His pudgy body bounced as he ran from room to room, inspecting all of the new spaces. Abbott still hadn’t left his carrier, choosing instead to peek out, wary. When Zach dropped a bag beside him, the cat finally tiptoed carefully out of his comfort zone.
“Katie bought it as an investment. She rents it out when she’s not using it. She also lets crew members on her show stay here sometimes with their families.”
“That’s nice of her.” Two steps led up to the rest of the home. The bedrooms? Hannah decided to investigate, watching Costello dart up the steps. “She must really care about Kellan to loan him this place for us. Do you think I should pay her the rental fee to be fair, or—?”
Zach frowned. “Or what?”
Hannah suppressed a smile. This place was amazing. “She might be trying to score brownie points with him or something. I don’t want to throw a monkey wrench in her plans.”
Zach grumbled something she couldn’t understand. He had lagged behind. He had one hand buried in his hair, and his eyes looked…furious?
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He shook his head and trudged up the steps slowly. “Nothing.”
Really? It didn’t look like it. Hannah let him pass as she thought about the things she’d seen and overheard that might have caused discontent between Zach and Kellan. “You really don’t approve of his relationship with her, do you?”
He snorted. “I don’t condone it, no.”
“Why not?”
“Why not?” He turned and repeated with distaste. “It’s unprofessional. It’ll never last between them. It’s—” He stopped himself short, and she couldn’t help but wonder what else he was thinking. It was, what? Wrong? Asking for trouble?
Yeah, she’d considered the same arguments. Wondered if the adrenaline and excitement of having a bodyguard was the only reason she felt such a strong attraction to Zach, but she didn’t feel the same toward any of the other guys on his team. Then again, she hadn’t shared such intimate moments with them either.
She felt closer to Zach than she’d felt to anyone in a long time. Too close. She crossed her arms. “Are we ever going to talk about what happened between us?”
Zach’s eyes widened slightly as he turned to face her. “Between us?”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t play dumb, Zach.” She softened her voice. “You said some things, when you were drugged. Maybe you don’t remember them, but—”
“Oh, I remember enough.” Zach shook his head. “Hannah, I can’t get involved with a client.”
She felt her shoulders sag in disappointment. “What about after, when I’m no longer a client?”
He blew out his breath slow and looked away. “Woman, you’re killing me.”
So she’d been wrong. He didn’t feel anything for her. Lust, maybe, but what man didn’t respond to a woman throwing herself at him? A part of her wasn’t surprised. Eric hadn’t wanted her either, not when everything was said and done. She swallowed and nodded. “It’s okay. I understand.”
He swore, low and harsh, and crossed the distance between them. Grabbing her upper arms, he tugged her hard against him. Hannah inhaled sharply as his lips found hers, his kiss possessing a passionate desperation that matched her own. Sliding his hand up, his fingers curled around the back of her neck, pressing her closer—not that she needed persuasion. She wrapped her arms around his middle and opened her mouth, inviting him in.
He tasted as good as she remembered.
Zach groaned. Almost immediately, he pulled away. “Hannah, you’re killing me.” He kissed her again, as if he was every bit as reluctant to separate as she was. He took a deep breath and took a step back. “I don’t think you understand at all.”
Her head felt dizzy. Drugged. Hannah grasped his arms to keep her balance. “Then maybe you should explain it to me.”
“I want you, badly. But I can’t. Not yet. I’m having a hard enough time doing my job without this added to it. Please, Hannah.”
“Not yet?” So he did want her? She sucked in enough air to clear her head as relief soothed her mind. “After this case is over—?”
“All bets are off,” he assured her, his eyes dark and dangerous. Smoldering.
“Then we need to get busy solving this case, don’t we?”
His throat moved beneath a swallow as he edged carefully away from her. “The sooner, the better.”
She bit her lip, eyeing him from head to toe. “The sooner, the better.”
He swallowed again and ran a hand through his air. “Alright, then.” Shaking his head, he turned away from her, ducked into both of the bedrooms and said, “Take the room in back. The view isn’t as nice, but the brush provides privacy.”
And just like that he was back to business. Mr. Macho Bodyguard. A part of her was disappointed, but the other part understood. He had to focus.
She glanced at the other room. Sweet mercy. There would only be a wall between them at night? That didn’t seem like nearly enough to keep her hands off him.
“I’m taking the couch.” He picked up the cat that had followed them. “That way I can keep an eye on the door.”
“Makes sense.” Her hands dug into the back pockets of her jeans. Why did she feel so disappointed he wouldn’t be sleeping in the room next to her?
“You should be safe here, Hannah. If anyone had followed us, we’d know it by now. Relax, okay?”
She hadn’t realized her muscles were bunched until he pointed it out. Relax? After what had happened? Yeah, right.
She reached for Abbott and then realized what a stupid move that was when her fingers brushed against the muscles of his arm. Tiny zingers of heat and electricity shot through her hand at the contact. The cat groused and she lifted him against her, letting his paws rest on her shoulder.
Zach jerked back as if she’d burned him. “I’ll go get the rest of the stuff.”
Hannah ventured into her new room and glanced around. Her lips still tingled with the sensation of Zach’s kiss. And they were alone in this secluded place until the person after her was caught. How would she stand it?
Abbott meowed, and she sat him on the bed before sinking down beside him.
She’d start with a cold shower. Hopefully the rest would take care of itself.
Thirty minutes later she came out of her room and found Zach setting up a work station at the dining room table. His entire body froze as he watched her approach, so she glanced down to make sure there wasn’t a hole in her shirt or something. She’d changed into a pair of shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt but left her feet bare. She was more than decently covered. Why was he staring?
She brushed a hand down her front and cleared her throat. “I thought I’d try to go through some of the old documents I found in Ellie’s stuff.” Where had he put that box? Ah ha. There it was in the corner. “Maybe I can find something to help.”
“Sounds good.”
She pic
ked up the box and moved it to the sofa. Call her a gluttonglutton for punishment, but she wanted to stay close to him. She stretched out on the cushions facing him and lifted some documents to read. She’d actually found some old letters amongst Ellie’s belongings that she’d never felt comfortable looking at until now. It had seemed like such an invasion of privacy.
Sorry, Ellie, dear, but you lost the right to privacy when you turned out to be a world-class jewel thief.
She lifted a letter and found her gaze straying beyond it toward her bodyguard. What had he meant when he said he was having a hard time doing his job without this attraction between them?
Hannah grabbed her phone, peeked up to see if Zach was watching her, and bit her lip. “I forgot to text Sarah.” Her face warmed at the lie, so she ducked down a little, used her knees to block her view of him.
She pulled up the Internet—fancy that, they had wireless—and typed Zach’s name into the search field. Nothing but what she’d already seen. She pulled up the Atlanta newspaper’s website and entered Zach’s name again. Bingo.
An article from October, a little over six months ago, popped up. Suspect in Ponzi scheme kills self, co-workers. She clicked on the link and skimmed the details. She was wondering what it had to do with Zach when she stumbled across the words, “Sources claim Johnson was being followed by a private investigator from the Collins Security Firm, founded by reality television star Zachary Collins. On the day of the shooting, Johnson realized he was being tailed and confronted the investigator before returning to his office in Kirkwood, retrieving a gun and killing two of his co-workers before turning the gun on himself. An official from the Atlanta Police Department said there are no plans to file charges against the private investigator involved.”
Hannah’s gaze lifted to the man now seated at the table, typing on his computer. Had Zach been the private investigator involved in the case? There were few details in the article, so she looked for follow-ups. Nothing.
She wanted to ask him about it, but couldn’t bring herself to let him know she’d been snooping. Had Zach blamed himself for the shooting? Was that why he’d put himself behind a desk for the past six months like E.J. had said?
On the Scent Page 16
