Christmas Confidential: Holiday Protector

by Marilyn Pappano

  He pushed her into the car, never stopping until she went over the center console and landed in the passenger seat. Not her idea of a good time.

  “Give me the keys. Hurry up.” He climbed behind the wheel and held out his hand.

  He had a lot of nerve. “This is my—”

  “Someone. Is. Shooting at us!”

  “Seriously?” She twisted to look around.

  The pinging sound of something metallic hitting the fender close by her head finally got her attention. Throwing her keys at Gage, she ducked down below the side window.

  “Buckle in,” he said when her old hatchback came to life and he rammed it in gear.

  She worked hard dragging the chest restraint over her body and locking down the buckle while still managing to stay hidden under the window of the careening car. But she accomplished it all as Gage raced out of the parking lot, driving like a maniac.

  Muttering cuss words under his breath, he downshifted and made a quick right turn on to a side street. He gave the rearview mirror a quick check and then turned left at the next block. She could swear her ancient little four-wheel drive hatchback took the corner on two wheels.

  “Are they following us?” She found herself practically screaming to be heard over the whine of the engine. “My car won’t stand a lot of this kind of treatment.”

  Gage slowed at a stop sign and turned to her. “I saw a couple of guys get into a black pickup and start to follow us. But I think I lost them. Where are we?”

  She glanced up through the windshield of the idling car to get her bearings. “On the east side of town. This little tourist trap only has about twenty streets total. Will they come looking for us, do you think?” Oops. She’d forgotten all about the phony Irish accent.

  He didn’t seem to notice. “That depends on why they were shooting at us. But generally when someone takes shots at you, it’s meant to either scare or kill. If they wanted to kill us, they won’t stop looking until they find us.”

  Swallowing hard, she fought the shakes that threatened to bounce her right out of her seat. “We need to hide, then.”

  “Or run, yeah, I agree.” He took his foot off the brake, pressed on the clutch and eased out onto a busier street.

  “Why?” She was fast becoming sick to her stomach.

  “Why what? Why would someone shoot at us?”

  Still fighting the nausea, she nodded without saying a word.

  He set his jaw and his knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “I haven’t the foggiest idea. But people don’t just go around shooting at other people at six in the morning for no reason. They had to have followed us or else how would they have known where to find us? Which means they’ve been stalking one of us. And if they went to all that trouble, they’ll keep looking until they find us again.”

  “But...” Her mind raced as she tried to stem the panic. “We must hide the car.”

  “I have a better idea.” He swung the wheel and made a U-turn in the middle of the block. “As long as we stay out of their sight until we get there, my hotel has an underground parking garage. That’s the best place I can think of to hide the car for now. Unless you have somewhere else in mind?”

  Shaking her head, she sank back down in the seat as far as possible. She didn’t want to hide. She needed to get the heck out of town. But Gage couldn’t know her true intentions. He would just follow her. And she couldn’t let him do that.

  Glancing over at him, she saw the deep concentration clearly set across his features. How had he become involved in her life again so fast? And why now?

  Maybe at the hotel she’d find a way to sneak away from him, leave her car and take the town shopping shuttle back to Brendan’s. He would trade cars with her temporarily so she could make her way out of town yet today.

  Yes, that was the plan. All she needed to do was wait for her opportunity. And not say too much to Gage in the meantime. He had a way of making her say—and do—things she never would have done before him.

  The larger streets of town started filling up with cars and taxis as the sun finally rose over the eastern mountain peaks. That should warm the air. But nothing could warm her insides. She was in a frozen panic. Wrapping her arms around her upper body to stem the chills, she prayed they would reach the hotel without being spotted.

  In the next block, Gage suddenly dragged at the wheel and took a quick left into a back alley. There was barely room enough to navigate through the tiny space.

  “What’s going on?” she demanded. “We’ve only one long block to go before we arrive at the hotel.”

  “I saw the same truck again.” He slowed and stopped in a deep shadow behind a three-story building. “I hope they didn’t spot us.”

  Elana was panting like she’d just run a mile. “Perhaps we should stay right here for a while. Until they give up, that is.”

  “Get this through your head. They are not likely to give up. But...” he added with a wary glare, “it’ll be okay for us to stay here for a few minutes and hope they start looking across town. We only need enough time and space to drive to the hotel.”

  Time. Time to ask questions? Big mistake. She had a feeling she knew what would be coming next.

  Sure enough, he said, “In the meantime we can talk.”

  She needed to come up with something else fast. “It wouldn’t be a good idea for us to stay here for that long, I’m guessing.” Opening her door, she began fumbling with her seat belt buckle. “Let’s leave the car and walk to the hotel, then. They won’t be expecting us to be on foot.”

  Darned belt buckle jammed. Frantic, she tugged at the stupid contraption.

  Next thing she knew, Gage laid a hand on her shoulder. “Stop,” he murmured gently. “Wait a few moments. We’d be easy targets if they spotted us walking.”

  Flopping back against the seat, she uttered a heavy sigh and gave up her struggle.

  Oh, Gage. You were always two steps ahead of me. Why did I ever think I could outrun you?

  * * *

  Watching Elana send furtive glances around in every direction made him want to gather her in his arms and protect her from the danger. He hadn’t felt like this about anyone since before Alicia had died.

  But she wasn’t Alicia. At least, he didn’t think so. Still, the minute he’d seen her, the old combination of lust and longing got tangled up with the grief and anger he’d felt over his wife’s death.

  “So, who would want to shoot at you?” He tried to keep the tension out of his voice. “You have enemies you’d like to tell me about? Someone trying to frighten you?”

  For a split second a look of pure terror filled her eyes, then it was gone again just as fast.

  “Me? There haven’t been any troubles in my life. Not until you showed up, that is. Whoever the shooter is, he must’ve been aiming at you.”

  Straightening her shoulders into a hard line, she went on, “Which adds up to the best reason I can think of for why I should be on my own. As soon as we reach the safety of the hotel, I’ll be finding another way home. I’d be far better off alone and can send someone for the car later.”

  “Give me a second to think.” Gage sat back, studying her profile while keeping one eye on their surroundings.

  Everything she’d said was probably a lie. His gut screamed at him not to trust anything coming from her mouth. This whole picture felt wrong. Besides, something undefined was nagging at his subconscious. But he’d been so taken with Elana’s resemblance to Alicia and then the shooting that he couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong.

  Was this his Alicia? But how could that be?

  His first impulse involved shaking the truth out of her. But that meant a return to those conflicting emotions again. Still, something terrible lurked right behind that innocent, irate look on her face. Even though his mind w
as still laden with confusion, he’d never been more positive of anything in his life. The woman was terrified.

  Keeping his anger and grief bottled up, at least long enough to make her give him the truth, would be the smartest course of action. He could keep the nasty sentiments to himself, and bury them so deep she would never suspect.

  Ever since his days as a young orphaned teen, isolated at school and miserable over the bullying he’d endured, he had learned the value of keeping his emotions under wraps. Add to those years of training the five long years of grief he’d spent since Alicia’s death, and he’d become an expert at disguising what was in his mind and heart.

  Anger was definitely his most destructive emotion. Anger got him nowhere and he needed to keep at least that one emotion tightly controlled.

  Looking at her, watching her trying hard to keep her fear at bay, he thought controlling his anger would be an especially smart idea around Elana. At least while other emotions bounced around inside him like Ping-Pong balls.

  Protectiveness.

  Grief.

  Need.

  Lust.

  It was hard enough to look at her and not want to take her in his arms.

  Every time she tilted her head just so or sighed in that special way, he was reminded enough of the wife who’d haunted his dreams for five years that he had to stop himself from reliving the pain of her death over and over. Alicia was gone for good. He’d watched her go into the water. She had to be gone.

  Even as her mirror image sat right beside him. Was Elana a relative? A relative in terrible trouble?

  “Well? Have you thought it over, then?” She turned her head to face him. “We’ve been in one spot for too long. Will you let me go?”

  “No.” He started the car and carefully pulled out of their hiding place. “Keep your eyes open and look for that black truck.”

  Just like one of Alicia’s expressions, her face gave away her frustration. But to her credit, Elana didn’t whine or try to cajole him into changing his mind. Instead, she offered the best driving route for reaching the relative safety of the underground parking from the alley.

  Two quick turns later and he used his card key so they could enter the hotel’s underground lot. “We’ll park as close as we can. I wish my rental was in this lot, too. But I parked it in the back lot yesterday.”

  “Could we just change vehicles and never go inside?” Her eyes were narrowed on him but the look on her face said she knew what she was talking about.

  Sounding very much like somebody accustomed to using escape techniques, she’d managed to make him even more curious. Oh, yeah. They were going to have a very long conversation. Just as soon as he found them someplace quiet—and safe—to talk.

  “I intend to retrieve my weapon and money from the hotel safe first. Get out.”

  Unbuckling as he pocketed her keys, she looked up with her eyebrows raised. “You have a gun?”

  “Yeah. I have a license to carry.”

  He watched her swallow hard and then try to cover her fear by relaxing her expression. “I have a small overnighter case in the back. I want to take it with me.”

  Images raced through his mind at her choice of words. Overnighter. Long, sensual nights full of her, body and soul, came back as pictures to haunt him. With all the time in the world to explore every sensitive nook and cranny of each other’s body, they’d made the most of the number of nights allotted to them together before his wife had been ripped from his arms. He had a year’s worth of sensual pictures stored up of making love to her.

  But those weren’t the images he needed in his head right now. What he most needed to remember was that the woman in front of him was obviously running from something. From him? Maybe. More likely from the person or persons who took shots at them.

  Just what kind of people had she been involved with? Were they from her past? And who the heck was this woman, really? Did he want her to be his dead wife? Or would he rather not have to face that much deception from someone he’d been sure had loved him?

  “Fine,” he said as he came around the car to stand beside the hatchback’s door.

  She could have her overnighter, but he would keep a close eye on her. No telling what that bag held. Could be anything. A sexy nightgown. Or a .38 special.

  * * *

  With her duffel over her shoulder, Elana led Gage through the lot and into the hotel’s lobby, her mind racing the whole time. There had to be a way to lose him in the busy hotel.

  At least now she was positive he hadn’t deliberately led her father or ex-fiancé to her hiding spot. He’d been in the line of fire the same as her. It still seemed too highly coincidental that he’d found her by accident. But she didn’t have time to reason out an answer to that problem.

  When they entered the hotel’s main lobby area, she looked around, desperate for some way out. He had no idea what kind of menace they were up against. But she did. The only way to save him was to run again.

  And leave him far behind. That’s why she’d done everything. All of it. And why she would keep on trying to confuse the issue, making him think he’d brought the trouble with him.

  Dear God, why hadn’t her disappearance worked the first time? Why wasn’t Gage safe and sound at home in Texas with his family? She wanted to wring his neck. Or kiss him senseless. Either. Both.

  Forcing the useless regrets out of her mind so she could concentrate on a plan, Elana narrowed her gaze on every corner of the wide-open lobby. Straight ahead lay the main registration desk and offices, flanked by the concierge and bellman’s desk. To the left was a narrow corridor that led to the elevator bank, the public phones and the back entrance to the lobby. To the right was the wide-open space containing a small news and notion store along with the large, casual-dining restaurant, the only place to eat in the hotel.

  As she watched, more and more people arrived at the restaurant desk, waiting to be seated for breakfast. The place began to swarm with people. She made a mental note not to be caught out in the open near those crowds. No, the other, more quiet and isolated way would be a better route for escape.

  Think, she chided herself. How was she going to lose Gage and not be seen by their stalkers? They couldn’t get close enough to identify him. She’d been so careful over the years to keep him out of her past problems. And she intended to keep things that way.

  Her best chance for disappearing would be while he retrieved his things from the hotel office’s safe. If she had enough time, she could take an elevator to an upper floor before he knew which direction she’d gone. Then after a good period of time, she’d sneak back down via the stairs and slip outside by the employee entrance. She’d be able to walk home from here. Brendan would help.

  Good plan. Or as good as she was likely to get in the next few minutes. She set her mind on the idea.

  Her senses went on hyper-alert as Gage dragged her along with him across the lobby toward the main desk. The skin prickled at the back of her neck.

  “This may not be such a good idea,” she whispered to him as they approached one of the office managers. “It’s too public here, to my mind.”

  “We’re only going to take a few moments. Keep still.”

  The office manager asked how he could help. When Gage told him, Elana prepared to make a run for the elevators.

  “I’ll wait for you here, then,” she said with a phony smile plastered in place.

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” Gage grabbed her hand and pulled her close to his body. Close enough to feel the warmth of him right through his winter clothes. “Stick with me. We’ll be done and on our way soon enough.”

  There went her terrific plan of escape. Now what? She decided to wait and stay alert.

  They followed the manager to the hotel’s bank of safety deposit boxes. The manager left them alone and she fidge
ted while Gage went through the motions of cleaning out his box.

  When they came back out into the main lobby, her whole body trembled with the sure knowledge that trouble stalked them—close by. “What now?”

  “We’ll head out the back entrance.” Gage turned toward the elevators while she tried to make herself invisible by hiding behind his broad shoulders.

  Suddenly, he halted his steps.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “It’s them. Coming in the same way we did. Stay behind me.”

  Elana wholeheartedly agreed with him. She was the one they were after. Maybe the two of them could still get out of the hotel without being overtaken.

  “Uh-oh.” Gage swung around, wrapping an arm around her waist as he went. “They spotted us and they’re headed in our direction. We have to find another way.”

  “But...” They’d recognized him, too? How?

  He didn’t stop to explain but made a direct line toward the busy restaurant, moving so fast his body carried her along with his momentum.

  The wrong way. “But all these people,” she tried to say.

  “Stick with me.” He barged in front of the long line of customers and met with a lot of grumbled complaints. The hostess tried to stop him from entering the restaurant, but he dashed around her.

  “We’re meeting someone,” he called over his shoulder while dancing through the busy tables.

  Checking behind them as they ran, she saw a couple of big, dark men in heavy suits trying to follow in their wake through the irritated crowds. Those guys definitely had the look of the Russian mob about them. A chill went up her spine.

  “We’re in trouble.” She tried to make him listen but he was heading for the back of the restaurant as fast as he could go. “Gage, wait. We need to call the police. We’re trapped.”

  Next thing she knew, he burst through the door to the kitchen and ran right into a waitress carrying two armloads of trays. Plates, food, glasses and water crashed around them with a dreadful clamor. Elana nearly slipped on the mess, but Gage never slowed down, still dragging her with him.