“The ring. Next time I call, you be ready to trade.”
“Don’t hang up,” she screamed. Two passersby stopped and stared. Kay slammed her mouth shut.
“He’s gone, sweetheart.”
Nate closed his hand over hers, pushing down until she slipped the throwaway into her pocket. A weight pressed on her shoulders. What had they done? Sweet, friendly Holly was hurting, and Kay couldn’t help.
“I don’t have this ring.” Her body shook as her imagination flooded her mind with images of Holly being hurt and alone. “How do we stop him?”
“You’re sure the girl didn’t pass anything to you? Could she have dropped something in your purse when you visited that last day?”
“Who knows? I woke up in the hospital wearing a standard-issue gown. My purse was never found.”
“What happened to your clothes?” Nate dried her cheeks with gentle strokes of his thumbs.
“I’m sure they’re in the evidence room.” Kay massaged small circles on her temples. “Holly brought things from my apartment for me to wear home.”
Kay called Tomas and asked for his help. She lied to him about why she wanted access to her clothes.
“I’ll call down and have the clerk go through your stuff. From the tone in his voice, he doubted her watch was in one of the pockets.
“No,” she snapped too quickly. “Really, I’d rather handle my own underwear.”
She heard his groan. “Fine. Have the front desk call me when you get here.”
Kay ended the call hoping Tomas didn’t plan on standing over her. “If the ring’s not there, we’re screwed.”
“Kaycie.” Nate’s tone was soothing. “We’ll never give up.”
****
The elevator door closed with a swish. Nate’s chest expanded, swelling with pride. Kaycie handled pressure better than anyone could expect of her. She rolled her head and shoulders as if preparing for a confrontation.
They stepped into the corridor and found Ms. Teeth and Walsh’s assistant speaking with the elder Walsh. Kaycie ran past the desk straight to him.
“Have these people escorted out.” He barked orders at the receptionist.
“No.” Kaycie’s cry echoed off the walls. “Please, it’s a matter of life or death.”
Mr. Walsh glared down at her. He was tall and thin, gaunt looking, as if his health might not be good. He held up his hand, and the call to security ended abruptly.
“Make it quick.”
“My friend’s been kidnapped.” Kaycie’s tone was soft and pleading. “I believe your son’s behind her abduction.”
The old man’s shoulders drooped. His chin sagged, aging him right in front of Nate’s eyes. The expression of defeat was all over his face.
“Why would you possibly think such a thing?”
“Sir.” Nate spoke, keeping his tone calm. “We can’t locate Hank.”
“He’s been out of town visiting customers. He only returned today.” Mr. Walsh sighed something that sounded like relief.
“Are you sure?” Kaycie reached out, clutching his arm.
Nate followed the elder Walsh’s gaze down to her hand.
“We will end this nonsense. I can prove my son was nowhere near your friend.”
Walsh whirled and stormed into his office. Nate caught Kaycie’s elbow and guided her inside. The old man’s bony finger stabbed a number on the desk phone.
“Yes, Mr. Walsh?” A male voice spoke briskly. “You need the car brought around?”
“No. Did you pick up Hank today?”
“Yes, sir. His plane landed around one-thirty.”
“Where is he?”
“I dropped him off at his apartment. He said he had errands to run. I offered to drive, but he loves showing off that new sports car you bought him.”
“Thank you.” Walsh disconnected and tapped a second button on the phone. “There’s a man and woman on their way down. Make sure they don’t come back to the eighteenth floor.”
The color had drained from Kaycie’s face, and Nate held her arm tighter. “Let’s go. He’s never going to believe us.”
“Keep this pursuit up and you will find yourself in civil court.”
Nate led her from the building. The trembling of her body worried him. The pressure was getting to her.
“He’s lying.” She spoke through clamped teeth. “Or he’s blind to what a monster he raised.”
“Kaycie.” Nate was at a loss for words. If Hank was really out of town, the chances of Holly being rescued dwindled.
Kaycie rushed into traffic and crossed the street. Nate followed, relieved to find she was seething mad, not breaking down.
“Maybe the chauffeur lied. He could be working with Hank.”
“True. There’s nothing we can do here. Let’s talk to that person you said will help locate the Walsh properties.”
The cinnamon flecks in her brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight as she rose to her tiptoes and initiated a kiss.
“Get a room,” somebody in a passing car shouted, jarring them out of the clench.
“Thank you for believing me,” she whispered into his lips.
Nate waited until she got in and closed the car door to comment. He ignored the temptation to check his stomach. Somehow, she’d reached into his guts and tied them into a knot.
Chapter 15
Kay chatted with the front-desk clerk at the morgue as she signed in. She asked the woman to let Doctor Taylor know they were headed to his office. Nate caught her in three strides. His gaze was hooded as they headed down the hall.
“Take a right.” Kay brushed too close and caught a whiff of his scent. Heat spikes shot across her skin. Business relationship, she mentally chanted.
“Who’s the Taylor at the morgue?” He tapped a finger on the sign next to Papa’s office. “Is this the dad you refuse to talk about?”
“My grandfather.” She’d never told Nate why she and her dad weren’t close. The truth was too painful to discuss. Standing outside Papa’s office, she prayed he’d leave the subject alone. She took Nate’s hand and proceeded through the door.
“Kaycie.” Papa’s voice boomed across the small office. Shelves along the wall were stacked high with reports and medical magazines. She’d bet money he knew exactly where everything was located.
Nate’s grip tightened for a fraction of a second. Had he noticed Papa used her full name too? Kay pulled her hand free, sailed into a bear hug from her grandfather, and then made introductions. Papa ushered them to a small couch. After she and Nate sat, he dragged over a chair directly across from her. Something about his demeanor set off her warning bells. Papa wasn’t happy.
“Are you the hired gun protecting my granddaughter?”
Oh, shit. Family might be a safer topic.
Nate leaned forward, his expression the picture of calm. “Yes, sir. You could call me that.”
“Papa ... “ Her brain spun, came up blank. No believable excuse for not telling her grandfather she’d almost been kidnapped from the morgue’s parking lot came to mind. “You’re busy and I—”
Papa cast an Alaskan glance at Kay, stopping her midsentence. She shivered from the chill.
“Kaycie, I do leave the morgue from time to time. And I often have breakfast with the chief. Why did I hear about your attacks in the middle of my bacon and eggs?”
“I’m sorry.” God, he could make her feel three inches tall when he was right.
“I refrained from calling and chewing your butt out because Chief Compton assured me you were okay.”
“Dr. Taylor, we need your help.” Nate put the visit back on point and kept her from stumbling over another apology.
Papa shoved his glasses to the top of his head, ruining his Einstein look, and pursed his lips. Clearly, he was scrutinizing Nate.
“Mr. Wolfe, how can I help?”
Her punishment for keeping Papa in the dark was to be totally ignored while Nate laid out the events of the past few days. Thank God, he kept
the threat she’d received via the cell phone to himself.
A couple of times Papa adjusted his glasses, raking his fingers through his hair. He glanced at her when he heard Holly was missing, and his gaze softened. Another time Kay would’ve been upset that they talked around her. Today she rested the weight of the moment on Nate’s shoulders.
“I’m due a few favors, and the information you’re seeking isn’t private. But it’s late.” Papa moved to his desk and opened a screen on his computer. “It might be morning before I can gather this much information.” He turned to Kay, his gaze warm and forgiving. “How will knowing the locations of Walsh’s facilities help? You can’t search the buildings.”
“I’m hoping I recognize the area.” She refused the doubts creeping into her thoughts. “We’ll find a way.”
“I don’t suppose telling you to—”
“No, Papa. I can’t leave this to someone else. Holly was snatched because they couldn’t get to me.” His eyes widened, and Kay realized she’d said too much.
“Kaycie...” Papa rubbed the bridge of his nose and faced Nate. “You keep her safe.” Not a request. Instructions.
“Come hell or high water.” Nate rose and offered Papa his hand.
“Good man.” Papa slapped his palm firmly in Nate’s grasp. “I’ll e-mail the information to Kaycie.”
“Papa—”
“I understand the urgency.” He cupped her cheek, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “When this is over, you’ll owe me. And you know how I’ll collect.”
She all but stumbled down the hall, reeling from Nate’s use of the old cliché. Damn him. Trust was a commodity she didn’t issue without reason. He’d protect her all right, but at what cost to her heart?
****
“Tyrell placed the tracking device on Hank’s car.” Nate breathed easier as he watched the ball bounce in place. Hank was home.
Sitting across from him at her kitchen table, Kaycie smiled over the top of her computer screen.
“Did you call off the in-person surveillance and send Tyrell home?”
“No. We’ll keep the tail on Hank. The tracer allows us to stay further back. Undetected. Close enough to move if something breaks.”
Her long slender fingers rubbed her temples. Dark circles under her normally feisty eyes worried Nate. Her sluggish movements confirmed his suspicions. Kaycie was exhausted.
He should’ve insisted she wait until morning to meet Tomas at the jail. After she’d dug through the evidence bag and didn’t find the missing ring, her nerves had crashed faster than a blowout at Daytona. She needed rest, but here she sat, refusing to quit.
“Let’s get you to bed.”
“Holly’s probably not sleeping.” Kaycie’s gaze dropped to her laptop screen. “I’m reviewing the case files she downloaded. According to three CPS investigators, the missing girls Leann’s age are all from one geographical area.”
“Show me.” Nate finished linking his cell with Hank’s tracer then moved next to her.
“This area.” She drew a circle around Handle Park. “They all lived within twenty miles of each other. Different schools. Probably different friends.”
Nate reached for her cell. His arm passed close to her breasts, and her breath hitched setting off blood spikes to his system. She’d showered and changed into a pair of gray warm-up pants and a yellow T-shirt. Her hair hung in loose waves down her back. He imagined burying his face in those mahogany tresses.
Nate finished setting up her phone and then leaned in to study the map on her screen.
“These girls hung out somewhere. Click nearby venues and then shopping. You might’ve found the kidnapper’s hunting ground.” She turned and met his gaze with hers.
The dark circles under her eyes tore him apart. Tomorrow morning was soon enough for her to continue researching. “You are going to bed. I’ll try to narrow down the likely places.”
“I’ll get you a pillow.” She rose and walked slowly out of the room, moving as if putting one foot in front of the other required major effort.
Nate hopped into the shower, expecting her to be sound asleep when he emerged. Not only was her light still on, but she hadn’t returned with the promised pillow.
He rushed down the hall and found her on the floor in front of her closet. The room looked as if it had exploded. Drawers were ajar, and everything had been dragged out and opened.
She whispered, “I searched again.”
“I see that.”
He dropped behind her, leaned her back against his chest and rocked.
His heart folded. A knot formed in his throat as he scrambled for the right words to comfort her.
“Shh.” He stroked her sweet-smelling hair away from her face, smoothing his fingers across the soft skin on her cheek. His body tensed at the contact of her body against his. “Did you get a phone call while I was in the shower?”
He almost missed her slight headshake. She held up a small box. No way was he letting her out of his embrace, so he flipped off the lid with one hand. Inside, he saw a charm bracelet with red parrots and white cockatiels interspaced around the circle. He understood immediately.
“Holly’s birthday?”
“Next week.” Her words were soft yet saturated with pain.
“We’ll have her home before then.”
Kaycie twisted in his arms, turning her tear-stained face toward him. Her gaze searched his, no doubt looking for the truth.
He kissed her. Her lips parted, and her tongue found his. She tunneled her fingers into his hair, pulling and tugging him closer. His body reacted immediately.
Her touch sent flames licking through his blood, blanking his mind to the outside world. Soft skin vibrated under his touch.
She scrambled to fully face him. Straddling him, she settled her crotch directly over his throbbing erection, rocking back and forth. Her gaze drifted down and then back up. The soft moan might have been his. Her eyes, now black as night, fluttered closed when he brought his lips down to hers.
Jesus. He ravaged the inside of her mouth with his tongue. Need boiled from deep inside his soul as he spread his fingers on her back and pressed her breasts to his chest.
He’d missed this. Missed her. Missed feeling alive.
Her hands coursed across his shoulders, rubbing, touching, and kneading his flesh. Her body molded against his, imprinting, bringing the past forward.
He couldn’t do this to her. Couldn’t have sex with her when she was in this state. Couldn’t.
His erection didn’t agree with his brain, and it strained against his jeans.
Shit. He grasped her shoulders and reluctantly peeled her off him. The smoldering in her eyes sparked with surprise and stirred a longing deep inside his soul. Her kiss-swollen lips leaned into him once again. Her tongue slid across his closed mouth, seeking entrance.
Desire pushed forcefully against his zipper. Painfully hard, he stopped her hand right before she covered him.
She wasn’t looking for sex. Her heart was breaking, and she needed escape. She’d be full of remorse in the morning if they made love tonight. He couldn’t deal with seeing regret in her soulful eyes.
“Kaycie.” His voice croaked like a frog.
He got to his feet and then swung her into his arms. She moaned softly into his neck, her warm breath blistering his flesh. Oh, hell. She’d misread his intentions.
Fighting the lust consuming his body, he moved across the room. He jerked the covers back and then laid her on the bed.
“Sleep.” He slid the sheet over her, leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Her fingers wrapped around his wrist, sending rockets of electricity up his arm.
“You don’t want me?” The circles under her eyes contradicted the desire in her gaze.
Nate dropped to his knee next to the bed, afraid to touch her. Afraid he’d lose control, climb on top of her and bury himself deep inside her body. Afraid she’d despise him in the morning for taking advantage tonight.
“Sweetheart, I want to rip those clothes off you and kiss every inch of your body. I want your pupils to do that sexy flare when I slide inside. I want to hear you cry out my name when you come. I want that more than the very air I breathe. But you’d hate me in the morning, and I don’t want that.”
He stroked the back of his hand down her ivory cheek, reluctantly eased from the room and flicked off the light on his way out. His boots weighed at least a thousand pounds. Aches screamed through his body in places he didn’t know could hurt.
“Nate?”
He froze, standing still in the dark. “I’m right here in the hall.”
“When did you get out?”
“A couple of years ago.” That she’d asked the question didn’t surprise him. He hated to answer while her exhaustion had her emotions and nerves raw.
“Why didn’t you come home?”
A heavy weight filled his chest. “After the military, I ran a few off-the-record ops for the government. My head wasn’t in a good place. To get it back on straight, I turned down the last job they offered and kicked back for a while. Shot the rapids in Colorado. Let the universe talk me down.” He waited a split second. Had his answer satisfied her? “Goodnight, Kaycie.”
“Will you stay until I fall sleep?”
He closed his eyes for a moment. Crawling in bed with her would be a true test of his control. He returned to her bedside, toed off his boots, lay down, and spooned her against him. No words were necessary as he draped her body with his to give her comfort.
Soon her breathing settled into a nice steady rhythm. This was his shift and no way he’d close his eyes. Besides, he didn’t need to be wrapped around her when he dreamed. Not with his nightmares.
He refused to move, torturing himself with each inhale and exhale. In and out. In and out. The citrusy scent of her hair flooded his senses. Her warmth burned his skin through the bedclothes. Her body molded against his causing fire in his groin. Need swept over him. Yet, he refused to move for fear he’d disturb her much-needed rest.
Hell Or High Water (Lost and Found, Inc.) Page 11
