Genie bolted upright, finding herself in the cramped cockpit with a start, gasping deep lungfuls of precious air.
“You okay?” Kyle mouthed at her.
She looked at him, blinking, trying to remember where she was and how she’d gotten there. There was no smoke. No fire. She wasn’t even in the warehouse. She must have fallen asleep.
And seen Becca? She wished she could be sure whether or not she’d really seen Becca in the warehouse that day. But other than in her dreams, she had no recollection of seeing her.
…
Kyle didn’t like how pale Genie looked. She’d obviously been having a nightmare. He wished she’d let him help her and tell him what was going on. What was she so afraid of? He jerked his head away from her, looking toward the horizon, anywhere but at her. He was walking a thin line, and if he weren’t careful, Cameron would have his head for this.
Genie was supposed to be on that plane with her sister. Extract the girls; get them on that plane back to D.C. Those were his orders. And yet, here he was in the sky, ready to land in Seattle. He’d assured Cameron he would get to the bottom of the situation, but Kyle still hadn’t gotten anywhere. He had no idea what Genie really knew about what was happening with her father, or what had happened in the warehouse that day eight months ago that had caused her to go into deep hiding and break off contact with everyone in her life.
Including the man who loved her.
Had loved her, Kyle corrected himself firmly.
He was risking her safety and this mission by letting her travel to the island off the Puget Sound where her father’s estate lay. And yet, here they all were. Doing exactly what the little she-devil insisted on doing—going after her dad. He wished he could throw her over his shoulder, haul her in for questioning, and make her tell him the truth. But he knew her well enough to be certain that would get him absolutely nowhere. He also knew he couldn’t just stand there and let her walk into the danger zone alone.
Hell, Kyle still didn’t even know for certain it was Sean Emerich behind the attacks on her and Cat this morning. If it was, what the hell kind of game was the bastard playing? No sane commander sent in that many operatives with that much firepower without losing a single bullet. It made no sense. And that worried him. It meant there had to be more going on here than anyone in CTA imagined. Not good.
Emerich was an international crime boss whose illegal enterprises facilitated everything from the movement of illegal arms and counterfeit goods to human trafficking. Sean Emerich was smart, and he was thorough. And all day he’d seemed to be one step ahead of Genie and Cameron both. Chances were that Emerich’s goons would be waiting for them when they landed in Seattle.
But why was a man like Emerich interested in the Marsters family? That was the question Kyle couldn’t answer to save his life.
Or possibly Genie’s…
“A car is waiting for you out front of the airport to take you to the ferry,” Johnny’s voice on the headset cut through Kyle’s uneasy thoughts.
Kyle looked at Genie once more with her head resting against the side window. She appeared to be back asleep. “Thanks, Johnny. I’m not sure how long this excursion will take us.”
“No worries. I’ll stay here with the bird in case you need me to come get you.”
“Let’s hope it won’t come to that. I’m planning to get on and off that island without anyone knowing we were ever there. I just hope Genie cooperates.”
“She will as long as it helps the mission,” Johnny said. “I’m sure she’s still the same old Genie.”
Kyle glanced over at her, making sure she was truly asleep.
“I’m not sure we ever knew who the old Genie was,” he muttered.
“Sure we did. She was the looker who could kick some mean butt and always had our backs.”
“And kept more than a few secrets.”
Johnny snorted. “In this business, who doesn’t? Besides, what do you expect considering who her old man is?”
“True.” Kyle didn’t envy her growing up with Marsters as a dad. He couldn’t even imagine what that must have been like. But that didn’t excuse the secrets and lies. He and Genie had been lovers. In love with each other. There shouldn’t be secrets and lies between two people who’d stripped naked emotionally, and bared their very souls to each other. “But understanding it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
Nor did it mean he had to put up with it.
Hell no, he had no intention of falling into that trap again. The quicker they found old man Marsters and got everyone back to D.C., the better for everyone concerned.
They landed at Sea-Tac airport, and Kyle quickly led Genie through the terminal and out to the front where a line of limos and taxis was waiting for passengers. The driver of a black Town Car at the back of the line was holding up a sign for Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson—the cover they’d always used on joint ops in the past. Kyle’s jaw muscle ticked. Leave it to Johnny to think they were reliving old times.
Kyle gestured toward the car and they climbed into the back. If anyone else was there waiting for them, or watching them, he didn’t see them.
Forty-five minutes later, they were waiting for the ferry. Genie hadn’t said a word the whole way there. She was worried, he could tell. He just didn’t know what to say to help her, or if he should even bother trying.
“So you want to talk about it?” he asked when he could no longer bear her silence.
“About what?”
“Your dream.”
She stared at him for a long minute. “You didn’t have to come with me,” she said, finally stepping away from him. “I can handle this on my own.”
Classic Genie avoidance. “I’m sure you can.” He was disappointed, but not surprised. Why change now?
“And I’m sure I should,” she muttered.
His temper flared. “Listen, Genie. I’m supposed to have you on a plane right now to D.C. Just so you know, until I can make that happen, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Always the good soldier, eh?”
It wasn’t the first time she’d accused him of that. He took it as a compliment, but he knew she intended it to be an insult.
“Some of us take our responsibilities seriously,” he said, sharply. A lot sharper than he’d intended. He looked her square in the eyes. “Some of us don’t run away.”
She didn’t say anything, just turned and watched the ferry approaching. After a few moments, she turned back. “If it’s any consolation, I didn’t run out on you for no reason. I had to leave and stay gone. I had no choice; otherwise I would have been there. For you in the hospital. For Becca’s funeral.”
He stared at her, his gaze hardening in disbelief. “Really? Because the Genie I knew wouldn’t have let anyone keep her away from something she wanted to do.”
“I guess you could say I was following orders myself.”
He jetted out a clipped breath. “Since when are you the good soldier?”
The ferry’s arrival cut off anything she might have said. She turned and silently strode away from him toward the gangplank.
He wished he could believe that she’d had no choice. He really did. But more than that, he wished he could give her what they both wanted—to turn around, go back to the bird and leave her the hell alone. But as much as he wished he could, he just couldn’t seem to let himself walk away. Instead, he stalked after her up the gangplank and onto the ferry. Unable to help himself, he grabbed her and turned her toward him, pushing her back against the railing. “I think I deserved more than you disappearing without a trace.”
She closed her eyes, refusing to look at him.
Frustration surged through his veins. “We were. . . you were important to me.”
Still she didn’t say anything. Wouldn’t engage. Wouldn’t even look at him. After all this time and she was still shutting him out, still running.
Coward.
“Dammit, Genie! I’m not going to let you hide from me, not anymor
e.” He pressed his body against hers. Her legs were trapped between his, her soft breasts pillowed against his hard chest.
Her eyes shot open. “What are you doing?” She gasped, eyes wide, her silken lips parted with shock.
It was too much to resist. Not in this volatile a mood.
“What I should have done earlier,” he growled. He pressed his lips against hers, hard and unrelenting, kissing her until her stiff, tentative tongue softened, warmed, and slipped into his mouth. She tasted hot and sweet and utterly intoxicating. His blood rushed through his body, pulsing in his ears as she wrapped her arms around his neck, finally falling into the kiss, losing herself, her fingers twining in his hair and sending little shockwaves through his body.
God, yes, he missed her. He missed this. He missed her touch and her taste and the overwhelming way he could drown in the feel of her. He missed working with her during the day and sleeping with her at night. He’d shared everything with her. She had been his whole world.
And yet, he didn’t have a clue who she was. He still didn’t know.
He pulled back, stepping away from her, unsteadily wiping her off his lips with the back of his knuckles.
“What was that?” she asked, trying to catch her breath. Annoyed? Upset? Aroused?
“Johnny said you were the same old Genie, I guess I just wanted to see for myself.”
“And?” she asked, bringing a trembling hand to her lips.
He leaned toward her. “Honest to God, Genie. I don’t have a damn clue.”
Chapter Five
Genie stood stunned at the bow of the ferry, reeling from the unexpected kiss Kyle had planted on her lips. It hadn’t been just any kiss. It had been a knock-you-out-of-your-pants kiss. One that had worked quite effectively on her in the past. And had been almost as effective right then, too.
His boldness brought all kinds of thoughts to mind. Thoughts and memories and the uncomfortable realization that she hadn’t been touched by anyone in any capacity since the day he’d carried her out of that warehouse.
She rubbed her arms, trying to soothe the goose bumps breaking out all over. She shouldn’t let Kyle get to her like that. Not again. And certainly not now. There was too much at stake, and she shouldn’t involve him in it. If she let him in, let him close, even just a little, then he’d start asking questions. Questions he had every right to ask. But questions she couldn’t answer. And then where would she be? She couldn’t continue to lie to him. To keep him in the dark. It made her feel like crap to do that.
But there were some secrets she just couldn’t share. Not with anyone.
She stood beside him with her face to the wind, trying to gather her wits. And not for the first time, wishing with every fiber of her being that she wasn’t gifted—or cursed as Cat had put it—with her empathic ability. That she could somehow put it all behind her and have a normal life, as Cat had managed…at least until now. But Genie had a feeling Cat’s paradise of lies was about to come to an abrupt and difficult end. Thanks to Sean Emerich and his vicious schemes.
The island where she and her sisters had grown up drew closer as the chilly sea air kissed her cheeks, reminding her of happier, easier times. It had been a long time since she’d taken this ride, since she’d felt the cold Pacific breeze on her skin. Why had it been so long? Why hadn’t she come back for a visit, to catch up? To try and make peace? She’d been so happy here once. They’d all been—Cat, Becca, and herself—running wild and free. They’d explored every inch of the island, and it had been wonderful.
Then suddenly, it hadn’t been. When her mother died, everything had changed, and all for the worse. If only her mother hadn’t left the island that day. If only she’d stayed home with Genie and her sisters. They’d needed her so much. She still missed her terribly.
Tears burned Genie’s eyes. It had been so long since the accident, she couldn’t quite remember her mother’s face. Just her long blond hair curling around her shoulders, and the sing-song Irish lilt of her cheerful voice.
What would her life have been like if her mother had lived? If the girls had stayed together as a close family? If her father had put them first, before his job, and retired from the CTA way back then?
Just thinking about the top-secret agency started a burn of anger deep in her gut. Perhaps Becca had been right. Perhaps the CTA was responsible for everything that had gone wrong in their lives. Genie had never understood what her sister had meant by the cryptic text she’d sent on that horrible day. Because once Genie got to the warehouse, she’d never found her. Never gotten the chance to talk to her sister before the explosion.
Sean Emerich had made sure of that. If Becca was dead, he was responsible. There was no doubt in her mind. And now he wanted her and Cat for some nefarious purpose. To kill them, too?
“Nice place,” Kyle said, startling her when he appeared beside her as the ferry approached the dock. She took a quick step away from him, afraid he’d try to kiss her again. More afraid of how she’d respond to him if he did…
“I have a lot of good memories here,” she said noncommittally.
“Of your sisters?” The accusation of omission sat heavy in his words, whether he’d intended it to or not. There was more than anger buried within him…there was also pain. Pain she had caused him. The stark emotions rolled off him in waves so thick she didn’t even need to be touching him to feel them.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my sisters,” she murmured as the gangplank was lowered to the dock. She didn’t wait for his reaction, but hurried off the ferry and onto the dock. He followed behind her as she strode past a small tool shack and a building selling fishing supplies and fuel, and then halted in the shadow of a large sign.
She looked around carefully as they walked, searching the small crowd of passengers and locals for anyone who looked out of the ordinary. For anyone who had his attention riveted on her. For a second she closed her eyes and absorbed the area around her, opening herself up to any hostile vibrations. But surprisingly there were none.
She frowned. Where were Emerich’s men? They’d been at the airport. They would surely know this was the first place she’d come looking for her father. They should be here, ready to spring a trap. But she felt nothing amiss. No evil lurking in the shadows. The ferry must have somehow beaten them to the island.
“Usually my father would call someone from the house to pick us up,” she muttered uneasily, noting the lack of vehicles on the docks.
“I don’t think anyone is there to call.”
“Then we’ll have to walk,” she said, and started up the road toward the island village and her father’s estate. “It’s only about a mile but we’ll be walking through town. Feel free to stop at the local pub and grab yourself a beer. It shouldn’t take me long.”
“Not a chance,” he said, a knowing smile lighting his eyes. “Nice try, though.”
She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“In fact, we should bypass the town altogether.”
She looked up and saw his gaze scanning the area around them. “Looking for Emerich’s men?”
He nodded. “They don’t seem to be here yet, but they will be soon enough.”
“No doubt.” She veered off the main road and led him into the trees.
They walked in silence for a moment, taking in the soaring lodgepole pines and the thick blanket of ferns covering the forest floor. She breathed deep the crisp scent of pine, ocean, and clean air and sighed. “I used to love this place,” she said.
“I can see why. How long have you been gone?”
“Since my mom died. After that, we closed up the house and left. Dad changed our names and split us up, sending us each to a different part of the world.”
“Just when you needed family most? Why would he do that?”
“He thought we’d be safer that way. It’s why I didn’t mention them. My sisters, I mean. I-I just don’t. Ever. To anyone.”
“That was a terrible thing to do to you,”
Kyle blurted fiercely.
She turned to him, her eyes narrowing. “It wasn’t.”
“He took away your family.” Disapproval thickened his voice.
“He was trying to keep us safe,” she countered.
“I thought you said your mother died in an accident.”
“She did. It was.”
“Then what possible reason would he have for doing that?”
Genie blinked. Her mouth parted to make a knee-jerk retort. Kyle had no right to say those things, to judge her father’s decisions. But suddenly, for the first time ever, she realized she didn’t have an answer. She’d never even asked the question. Why would her father have separated them at a time when they needed more than anything to be together? Just like when he told her to leave Kyle, to leave the CTA, she never questioned his judgment. He knew what was best for her. But did he? Had it been best for her? For her sisters? Or for himself?
“We will find him,” Kyle said softly, filling the silence growing between them.
She looked up at him and, in that moment, she believed him. But more than that, she was grateful that he was there. As difficult as this situation was, he was trying to make the best of it. And she hated to admit it, but she was very glad she didn’t have to face the ghosts of her childhood home alone.
Finally, they stepped out of the forest and onto an expansive velvet green lawn that led to a grand white house sitting on top of a small hill. Its wall of windows faced an elaborate pool and the brilliant blue ocean below them. Beyond the house was a large barn, and beyond that, an empty dock.
Kyle whistled.
“It’s something, isn’t it?” she said with a wry smile.
“You could say that.”
She reached out with her mind, but still didn’t sense any danger. She felt a vague, misty presence of her father, but that was no doubt residual energy from his living on the estate.
Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies Page 6
