“We want to be Eric and Grace,” he said, “but since that’s not going to happen...you decide.”
“Yeah, you decide,” Grace agreed.
“Okay.” Cherilyn paused while a smirk melded on her face. “So, you two don’t have a problem being Horace and Ethel Dumbass...for the rest of your lives?”
“Oh, I refuse to be Ethel Dumbass.” Grace rattled off a swift objection.
Cherilyn laughed, clearly amused with herself. “You will need to decide who you want to be. And, do you want to be single, or a married couple?” She paused warily and caught her breath. “Talk about it and let me know soon. We need to have your new identities intact by the time we leave here tomorrow morning.”
Tomorrow morning? Wow. She didn’t waste any time. As if she hadn’t thrown enough at Eric already. Like the part about whether or not he and Grace wanted to be a married couple. Was she crazy?
How was he supposed to decide the direction for the rest of his life in less than twenty-four hours? That was too fast. Way too fast.
“Hey, can I be a doctor?” Eric masked his uncertainty in humor.
“Sure, I can make you a doctor,” Cherilyn said, “but I wouldn’t try practicing medicine if I were you.”
“If he gets to be a doctor,” Marcus chimed in, “I want to be a rocket scientist.”
Grace scoffed at them with sharp laughter.
“What...?” Marcus’s face fell into the most convincing display of hurt. “You don’t think I could pull it off?”
“Well, let me put it this way—” She paused, glanced between Eric and Marcus a few times and muffled the hilarity rising up her throat. “You guys are aiming way too high.”
Eric let out a little chuckle, detesting its impact.
Grace shook her head sadly, turned and headed upstairs.
Eric sprinted after her taking the steps two at a time. Midways up, it hit him. He was chasing after her. There wasn’t much Eric wouldn’t have given at that moment to be able to turn around and head back downstairs. As much as he loathed the weakness, he continued upward.
She entered their assigned bedroom and commenced pacing at the foot of the bed.
Eric stopped in the doorway. He should let it go and head back downstairs. Instead, he said, “What’s up?”
She stilled and looked at him. Her angelic face lacked understanding, like she didn’t get why he was there. With her. Join the club, neither did he. Dependability was overrated.
“Look, I said I’d stay until the end.” He turned his head, he didn’t care to look at her but he couldn’t help himself. “I’ll keep my word.”
Her stature shrunk a little, like she regretted trapping him in the promise. She was feeling guilty...? Good. “How about the name change thing?” he asked, his tone remained calm and friendly, just as he planned. “How do you feel about that?”
“I don’t know, Eric.” She shook her head and went back to pacing. “I’m not real comfortable being someone other than Grace. I mean...I like my name.” She stopped and her gaze settled on him again.
“Well...” He slid his fingertips into the pockets of his Levi's. “We can always ask her to keep your first name as Grace.” He gave her false hope, knowing Cherilyn would never go for that. But it bothered him little.
Mostly, Eric didn’t care anymore. Whatever it took to wrap this thing up, until then he’d just go along for the ride.
By the time they left the next morning, Cherilyn had firmly established the identities of John Matthews, Melissa Cramer, and Richard Lincoln. Whether or not Eric, or even Grace and Marcus were prepared for it, it didn’t matter. It was happening.
But Eric saw it as a step in the right direction. Finally. They were headed for New York City and that meant the end was near. Whatever the General had stashed in locker thirty-six at Grand Central Station was going to allow him to move on with his life, and away from Grace.
“Well, gang,” Cherilyn said hesitantly as she barely tapped the gas pedal and coasted down the street. “Looks like all our efforts were in vain.”
“Why?” Eric’s entire being tensed and that nervous flitter that’d been dancing around in his brain recently was back.
“We’ve got company,” Cherilyn said, but she didn’t seem all that surprised or worried.
“Are you sure?” Marcus asked hastily. “Do you know who it is?”
“I don’t know who it is,” she said, checking the mirrors, “but I do know a tail when I see one.”
“How is that possible?” Grace asked. “You’ve left no trail. How did they find us?”
Grace had a point, but the better question was, why were they losing their identities if they couldn’t stay a step or two ahead of them right now?
“Either I’ve tripped up—” Unlikely. “Or, they’ve been following you all along.” Again, unlikely.
Eric doubted this guy in the non-descript sedan, who was obviously military, had been following them all over the country and this is the first time Cherilyn noticed.
Maybe he’d been a little too preoccupied with whether or not they were on the right track to see it. He had been fixated on what they’d find at Grand Central. Would it end this farce, or was it just another clue?
But Cherilyn. She’d been trained in the art of espionage. She should be able to spot tails in her sleep. Eric didn’t particularly like her, but he gave her props. She was too diligent, too detailed, too defined. There’s no way he’d ever believe she tripped up. Not possible.
So where’d this guy come from? A guy that suddenly, from out of nowhere, decided to show himself. Why now? Had he known all along where they were headed?
If that were true, why’d they need to wait for Eric and the others to retrieve the locker’s contents? Why didn’t they take the key and just go get the stuff themselves?
This whole mystery surrounding the General was growing stranger by the minute. If this latest development prolonged his time with Grace...somebody was going to pay.
CHAPTER 35
New York City, Queens
UNDER the cover of night, Cherilyn guided the automobile into the garage. Eric looked at Grace, leaning against him sleeping. The nightmare was almost over, and that left him with a bittersweet hangover.
Cherilyn exited the car and stopped at the door only long enough to tap a sequence of numbers on the alarm system on the wall. The door to the house opened and the garage door closed, sealing out the night and any threats looming in the darkness.
Eric climbed out of the backseat and coaxed Grace into his arms. She began to stir as he carried her through the house, following Cherilyn and Marcus until they stalled in a dimly lit hallway.
“You guys’ll be comfortable in here.” Cherilyn swung the door open and took off down the hallway.
Grace wriggled out of Eric’s arms before he could carry her over the threshold. No point in getting her hopes up about that sort of thing anymore. He knew her flaw, and he wasn’t accepting.
“Where are we?” She scanned the bedroom and headed for the French doors on the opposite side.
“We’re in New York. Queens, I think.” His voice followed close behind. “Maybe you should get some rest.”
She ignored him, opening the doors. “Do you think we’re close to the end?” she asked, moving outside onto the balcony. “Is it almost over?”
“I don’t know,” he said and leaned against the railing. “It could be the end, or it could simply be another clue, leading us to yet another location.” His tone showed the distaste the thought brought him.
Eric couldn’t wait to be rid of her, and that hurt. “What if it is the end of the trail?” She made small talk to shield her wounded ego.
“Well...” He folded his arms over his chest. “I think it all depends on what’s at the end of the trail and how safe we’ll be once we get there.”
“What if we’re not safe?”
“You know I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep you safe,” he said, as if it was nothing more than
an assignment. An obligation.
When this was over, she half-expected to receive a bill for services rendered. “And what if we are safe?” She should’ve let it go, but like so many times in the past she made the wrong choice.
“Then it’ll be time for me to go back to what I know best.”
“And what’s that?”
“Solitude.”
“I know you probably don’t believe this, but...” Grace hesitated, fighting the mocking laughter trying to escape. The truth was a ridiculous notion, and wasn’t worthy of anybody’s attention. She couldn’t, and wouldn’t, blame him if he laughed in her face. Still, she voiced her feelings. “A day hasn’t gone by that I don’t regret my error in judgment.” Her hand moved toward his face as if it had a mind of its own. She went for his cheek and felt the muscles harden. “I have never, not once, stopped loving you.”
“Grace.” He drew a breath and latched onto her wrist, moving her hand away. “I wish I could believe you when you say that, but more than that, I wish it’d make a difference.” He led her arm to her side and kept his hand clamped loosely around her wrist. “I do love you. Always have. Always will.” Eric’s bittersweet smile filled her with regret.
She knew what was coming next. “But...”
“But it’s too late.”
Too late. Those words hit her worse than any drug-crash ever had. But that Grace was gone. Long gone. She was a different person now. Her instincts urged her to salvage what she could. “If you’ll just tell me what I need to do to make this uncertainty you’re feeling, go away...just tell me and I’ll do it.”
“Believe me, Gracie.” He gave her a half-hearted smile. “If I knew, I’d tell you.”
Okay. So there’s nothing worse than begging. And she didn’t want his pity. If he wanted to end this thing so he could be rid of her, then so be it. Let’s get this show on the road. “I want to go with you when you go to Grand Central Station.”
“No.” He shook his head. “Not happening.”
“Why not?”
“Because I made a promise to keep you safe.” The cold look in his eyes said he wasn’t thrilled about any of this. That hurt. “And this could be a trap.”
Yeah, any move they made could be a trap. The trap could’ve already been set. This was just a divertive tactic on Eric’s part, but she wasn’t biting. “But I want to go with you.” She layered her voice in persuasion since a simple request hadn’t worked.
Grace figured that since he wanted to be rid of her so badly, he’d give in sooner or later.
“No,” he said, hardheaded as ever. “Marcus and I will handle it. You are going to stay here, where it’s safe.”
“It’s safe here?” she threw at him. “And you know that how?” Grace would use every opportunity within her arsenal to convince Eric. She couldn’t explain it but she didn’t want to be separated from him. She had no valid reason for her way of thinking, she just didn’t like the idea.
“You made a promise, too,” he reminded her with a smirking smile. “You said you’d do whatever I say, whenever I say.”
Oh, sure. Eric picked a fine time to use her own words against her. Damn. Grace stalked back inside the bedroom and slumped down onto the settee in the far corner.
The sting to her ego hadn’t come so much from the truth in his words as it had from that smile of his. He probably wasn’t aware of its power over her, and for that she thanked God.
Even though her thoughts kept wandering back to Eric, she had trouble ridding herself of the impending feeling of doom that insisted on hanging around.
Eric parked himself on the bed beside her. The look she’d been dodging turned his expression into one of pitiful misfortune. “Gracie, please...” His words came softly and his tone flowed with a pleading quality. “You need to stay here. Where it’s safe.”
Tears dampened the corners of her eyes. “Okay,” she mumbled and affirmed it with a slight nod. She tried to stifle the imminent flood, but failure was destined to follow.
Eric leaned toward her and brushed his lips against her cheek. “I’ll be back.” His declaration came so persuasively that she could almost talk herself into believing it. Almost.
He pushed himself off the bed and gave her a wink born from sparkling green eyes that bathed her in a gratifying gaze.
She leapt to her feet. “Hurry back, okay?”
The amount of strength it took to turn and walk away from Grace crowded Eric with regret and reproach. Whatever happened to self-motivation? The see it and be it approach? See yourself indifferent, be indifferent. So much for psychobabble.
Eric blazed a trail downstairs and followed Marcus through the kitchen toward the back door. A piece of junk mail lying on the counter caught his eye. Addressed to Madelyn Givens, obviously one of Cherilyn’s alter-egos, he made a mental note of the name. It might come in handy somewhere down the road.
Damn, I’m getting good at this. Puffed up with his own pride, Eric followed Marcus into the garage. “I’ll drive,” he said, and didn’t give Marcus much choice when he headed straight for the driver’s side.
“Fine with me.” Marcus went for his usual place in the car without argument.
Eric contained his surprise to just a thought. Marcus was a leader, not a follower. Until now. Maybe it was Cherilyn. She had that effect on people.
Grace stared at the empty doorway where Eric had disappeared moments before and choked on the lump clogging her throat. She rose slowly and went in search of Cherilyn. Maybe she’d find solace in like company. She and Cherilyn certainly had something in common, love and respect for the objects of their affection.
Finding Marcus’s ex in the dining room, Grace slipped into a chair at the table. “They’re gone?” she asked, even though she knew the answer.
“Yeah.” Cherilyn’s quiet nod rivaled the gentleness of her tone.
“Why is it that I feel like I’ll never see him again?” The notion had lingered on her mind since he’d left, but speaking the words out loud was like finally realizing their value. A price she couldn’t afford, on so many levels.
“Well, maybe it’s because of your history.” Cherilyn said, sounding simplistic. But Grace knew it was an act. She just wanted to change the subject. “You do realize—” she said, glancing at Grace with one of those lofty looks that said she was all-knowing. Ah, here it comes. “That you’ve been bitten by the love bug again, don’t you?”
Grace snorted a laugh. There was nothing superior about her knowledge over Grace’s. “Well, now...that’s a thing you know a little something about, huh?”
Grace’s laughter encouraged the smile curling on Cherilyn’s lips. “Would you like some tea?” she asked, her tone cooling. “I do find, so often, that a cup of hot tea is rather comforting in situations such as this.” In refined eloquence, Cherilyn stood and waited for Grace’s response. “And, yes, I do know a little something about that.”
“That’s true.” Grace gave an agreeable nod. “You certainly do.”
“Yes,” Cherilyn said, moving toward the kitchen. “Some hot tea is just the thing we need.”
“You want some help?” Grace called after her, secretly hoping she didn’t.
Two women in the same kitchen could be dangerous, but Grace was all about politeness. She took her chances offering her services, yet all the while praying for Cherilyn’s declination.
“No.” Cherilyn stopped at the door. “You stay here. I’ll be back in a jiff,” she added and disappeared into the kitchen.
Grace waited patiently, silently contemplating the situation. Thoughts of Eric perpetuated in her head. She tried to shake the feeling that she might never see him again, but no matter what she told herself, it wouldn’t go away.
Shortly, Cherilyn returned with a tea service made of fine china that must have cost a fortune. As Cherilyn poured the tea, Grace gave her a mental salute. If she owned such a tea set she’d never use it for fear of breaking it. The woman had guts.
Cherilyn handed he
r a cup and flashed a friendly smile. “Go ahead,” she urged, “drink up.” She gave her a coaxing nod. “I promise, you’ll see things from a new perspective.”
“How long’s it been since you saw Marcus last?” Grace made small talk and then sipped her tea. Ummm...hot. But good. Cherilyn was right. It was soothing.
“Pretty close to twenty years now,” Cherilyn said and put on a sad sort of smile.
“Was it tea that helped you through it?” Grace asked. “I mean...being away from him and all?”
“Among other things.” She grabbed her teacup and rolled her eyes before taking a sip.
Her stiffening disposition said she didn’t like the subject. But whether it was fueled by the breakup or the time she’d spent separated from Marcus was another matter. Either way, Cherilyn looked on the verge of anger. And right now, nothing good could come from anger.
CHAPTER 36
ERIC hadn’t a clue about what he expected to find or to happen once he and Marcus arrived at Grand Central Station and opened locker thirty-six, but if there was going to be trouble he didn’t want Grace anywhere near it. He’d spent so much time fixating on her, he was no longer sure if his fascination was born from the need to protect her or just get away from her. She’d already ruined his life once, better to not let it happen twice.
The soldier in him paroled the outskirts of his mind and the perimeter of his vision, waiting, watching, expecting—but nothing happened. He and Marcus walked inside one of the nation’s busiest landmarks and right up locker thirty-six without any hoopla or fanfare.
A sensation of impending doom escorted him to the lockers and stood guard while he retrieved the key from his wallet. He scanned the vicinity, half-expecting a slew of the General’s associates to ensnare them and lay siege to the locker’s contents.
Maybe they were waiting for them to open the locker?
He slid the key into the slot and it turned easily. One more quick scan before he popped open the door. Nothing out of the ordinary. No adversaries. No threat. No worries.
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