A Little Harmless Secret

by Melissa Schroeder

  “You mean run?” she asked.

  He nodded.

  “This makes the third time. It is the first time for Bridget though. I had to run from England after my father’s funeral. Then, to America after her birth, so she doesn’t really remember that of course. I don’t understand it at all.”

  “We’ll figure it out when we get back to the apartment.”

  “I can’t go there.”

  He ignored her as the light turned green and he pressed the gas. No way was he going to accept that. If he put her in a hotel, she could disappear forever and he would never find her. With her background, there was a very good chance she had multiple identities in who knew how many countries. She would dissolve into the population and Devon would lose his daughter.

  “You will come with me to the apartment.”

  “Devon, I can’t put Dee in danger. She’s pregnant and has a baby. I would never forgive myself if she were hurt.”

  Again she surprised him. Of course, she was a mother now, so that might be the reason. Still, it eased some of his anger—for the moment. Thinking of his sister before her own safety was more than he expected.

  “First of all, you don’t know my sister that well. She can beat the crap out of a lot of people—even pregnant. Second, you haven’t met my brother-in-law. He’ll take care of her. Plus, I need his advice about this. Like Dee said, he’s a former bounty hunter. He knows how to help people disappear.”

  “I don’t need his help. I was fine until you showed up on my doorstep.”

  He turned into the parking garage and pulled into his spot. They were going to have to cut their vacation short. There was no way around it. Or he could take Ali and Bridget away and book a flight for Dee, Micah and Alana.

  She checked her gun, undoing the safety, then slipped out of the car. No conversing, no questions—just cold and methodical. She kept the gun out as she surveyed the area. He stepped out of the car and did the same.

  It was stupid, but he was turned on by it. There was something sexy about the lethal way she walked around the car. She nodded at him, and he popped the trunk. She headed to the backseat and leaned in to get Bridget.

  “Let me take her,” he said.

  She didn’t even turn around to respond. “I’ve got her.”

  And she did. With ease, she pulled her daughter out of the car and straightened.

  “You get the bags.”

  She hesitated and that pissed him off. For a long moment, she studied him, but she handed Bridget over to him. He took her into his arms, and she made a few little sleepy sounds kids made. Then, she moved this way and that, trying to get comfortable. She finally settled her head on his shoulder facing his neck.

  Devon pulled in a deep breath as his heart squeezed tight. It was hard to even come up with words to describe what he was feeling. And, there wasn’t time to deal with it. He had to somehow get them out of Seattle alive and figure out who was actually after them.

  They walked silently to the elevator, and took the entire ride up in silence. When they reached the apartment floor, he waited for Ali to step out then followed her. After unlocking the door, they stepped into the apartment.

  “No security?” she asked.

  “Normally, but they knew I was out and there is a little one sleeping.”

  She nodded.

  “Why don’t you set that down over there,” he said, motioning with his head. “I’ll take her back to my bedroom.”

  He started walking to his room and Ali came with him. It annoyed him but then, it made her a good mother. If the roles were reversed, he would have behaved the same way. She pulled back the sheets and he placed Bridget there. When they walked back to the kitchen, Micah and Dee were there.

  “I think we need to have a little chat,” Micah said.

  * * * *

  When she saw Devon’s pregnant sister sitting at the table, guilt swamped Alicia. Worse, there was a very stoic, huge Native American god standing behind Dee’s chair. His hair was a long waterfall of black silk, and he had the most amazing red-gold skin. He watched her as if he would tear her heart out if she said one wrong thing to Dee.

  “I’m sorry if we woke you,” Ali said.

  He nodded in acknowledgement. “No worries, as we say back home.”

  “Which is Hawaii.”

  Dee nodded. “Oh, I just realized you haven’t met Micah. Micah, this is Alicia. This is my husband Micah.”

  He nodded in her direction.

  “I’ll make some coffee,” Dee said. “I have decaffeinated, which is what I have to have most of the time now and that sucks.”

  Micah frowned as his wife moved about the kitchen. Ali got the impression that he wanted to tell Dee to sit down, but he didn’t. She could tell he was a man who was accustomed to giving ordered. The fact that he didn’t order her to sit down gave him a few more points in her estimation.

  “So, what happened?” he asked, as he sat at the table.

  “I was keeping an eye on Ali’s house and saw some movement in the back. I went to check it out and found out there were people coming up on her.”

  “Wait, you were sitting out in front of my house?” she asked.

  He looked at her with that cool expression that chilled her to the bone. The Stranger.

  She wanted the Devon she knew in Vegas. That man had flirted with her, teased her…captured her. He had been a charmer. This man would kill her without a second thought.

  “I wasn’t about to give you a chance to run.”

  “I said I would stay.”

  He crossed his arms and his frown turned uglier. “And you never contacted me about my child.”

  Devon thought he could stand there and judge her? No bloody way.

  “You might have known about her if you hadn’t left me with a note the next morning.”

  He opened his mouth and a deep, rich chuckle interrupted him.

  They both looked at Micah. “Oh, give it up, Stryker. You’re going to lose. Let’s not rehash, let’s move forward. You two can fight all you want once we know that we’re all safe.”

  Devon nodded and Micah turned to her. “So, tell me, how often has this happened?”

  “As I told Devon, this is only the third time. And the second time it was more for peace of mind.”

  His eyes flashed with admiration. “That’s pretty good.”

  “I was trained by the best.” She shrugged. “I know how to disappear.”

  “Apparently not that well,” Devon scoffed.

  She looked at him. “Really? Because until you accidently found me—and I stress accidentally—you’d given up. And I will point out that I was fine until you went sniffing around.”

  “That is a good point,” Micah said. “But it could be a coincidence.”

  “In my game, there is no such thing as coincidences,” she muttered

  “So, what’s the plan?” Dee said, as she sat on her husband’s lap. He slipped his hand over her belly, a casual gesture, but it told Ali all she needed to know about the man. She might not completely trust him, but she could probably count on him for certain things. Devon had been right. This man would definitely protect Dee.

  She rubbed her temples. Being compromised meant only one thing. “I need to get a new identity.”

  “And then what? You keep running?” Devon asked.

  “I don’t have a choice. I don’t even know what this is about, especially since you’re not involved.”

  There was a beat of silence and the other three shared a glance.

  “What makes you think Devon was involved?” Micah asked.

  “As I said, I don’t believe in coincidences. Then or now.”

  “You mean you thought I was behind it all.”

  She shrugged. “My father was obsessed with finding you—or something about you. I have no idea why. I didn’t get all the information he was working on, but you were on several of the notes. None of them make sense.”

  He sighed and rubbed the back of his n
eck. “I don’t know why he was looking for me, or why my name was in his notes. I’d left the Company years earlier. Hell, I don’t even have a contact. And you said he used the name Devon Stryker?”

  She nodded.

  “That makes no sense. I was using my birth name then.”

  “Well, Stryker was the name he used and you were a legend at the time. She threw her hands up in the air. “I didn’t get a chance to go through all his notes before I had to get out of England.”

  “You flew back that morning to bury him.”

  “Yes, or rather reach him before he died. I disappeared the day after his funeral. I had no choice.”

  Devon glanced at Micah and Dee. “I think I should send you three back to Hawaii without us, and we will sort this out.”

  “Wait—” she said, but Micah stopped her.

  “That’s not going to happen, Devon. We can all go back to Hawaii. Being on my home turf makes me feel better.”

  They were making decisions without asking her how she felt about it. She was stunned by the night’s events but she wasn’t a weakling. Sir Walter Hughes’ daughter didn’t do what other people told her to do. She told people what to do. “That’s not good.”

  Devon looked at her. “Why not?”

  “It’s a place with no escape. I don’t like being stuck without an escape route, and Hawaii would box me in.”

  “And Seattle is safer?”

  She nodded. “A flight to the east sends me to all kinds of places it’s easy to disappear in. Plus, Canada is just north. I didn’t pick it by chance.”

  Although, it had appealed to her. After spending time in South Africa, she had wanted something cold and damp. The scenery, the climate, and the location had all been perfect for her. She had built a beautiful life in that house in the woods.

  “Believe me when I say we won’t be trapped. Plus, we have family there who can help. Remember, it’s a tourist haven. It is easier to disappear there and be one of the crowd. It might be small but there are close to a million people there. Dee knows that better than anyone.”

  “I did hide in plain sight for a while,” Dee said. “Plus, Devon just bought some huge stupidly expensive house near Kaneohe. It has a kick ass security system.”

  He made a face at his sister. “I know you have no problem with the pool.”

  She smiled. “So, there you go. You’re coming to Hawaii.”

  Panic made it hard for her to breathe. She didn’t like anyone making choices for her. “I never said I was going.”

  “Let me explain things to you.” Devon’s voice had dipped and menace dripped from every syllable. “I am taking Bridget. I want you there too, but I am not leaving her with you.”

  “Just what the bloody hell do you mean by that?”

  “I mean that I will file papers and get a DNA test. You are an English citizen on American soil.”

  She crossed her arms and smiled, although she knew there was no humor in it. “For your information, according to your government and the papers and ID I have, I am an American citizen.”

  “Oh, where did you get your documents from?” Dee asked. “I used this guy in LA a lot.”

  Alicia blinked and turned to look at Dee. “What?”

  “When I was on the run, I used this great guy in LA.”

  “This is not a negotiation,” Devon said.

  “Don’t you understand?” she asked. “You exposed us. I have been here for years with no problem. You show up and so do whoever is after me. They have to know you live in Hawaii.”

  “Only part of the time. I still spend a lot of my time in Las Vegas. The house wasn’t bought in my name, so while they might know I go there, on paper, I don’t own anything.”

  Of course, he covered that. He might not have spent a lot of time in the Company, but he was definitely perfect for the life. There was a reason recruiters had been hot to get him into the program.

  She sighed. “Still, I don’t like the idea.”

  Dee reached across the table and took her hands. “Listen. I know it seems we might have exposed you. And we might have.” Devon opened his mouth, but Dee held her hand up. “Don’t argue with me, Dev. We have no idea what the hell is going on, or if we tipped them in her direction.”

  She turned her attention back to Alicia. “But wouldn’t you want Devon to figure out how and who? I promise you, he can find them if they are lurking there. We have a great group of friends who can help out in this situation. It might have been what Micah said, a coincidence.”

  She opened her mouth to argue, but Dee shook her head. “At least give yourself and Bridget some time to regroup. And it’s Hawaii. How hard will that be? She’ll get to know her cousin, and you will get to figure out where to go from there. And there’s always a way off the island since Devon has his own plane.”

  She wanted to say no. Life would be easier without Devon in it. No complications, just her and Bridget. She glanced at him. Determination stamped his features. Well, that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

  “Okay,” she said. “But first sign of trouble, I am gone and so is Bridget.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  About an hour later, Micah and Devon settled in the kitchen at the same table by themselves. Both Dee and Ali had gone to bed, leaving them alone to discuss the situation.

  Devon was exhausted, both emotionally and physically, but he didn’t think he could get to sleep. His brain working through all the connections. Devon knew he would never figure out what the hell was going on right at this moment. Still, he couldn’t seem to stop thinking. He’d shut down one idea and another would pop up.

  “So, you have a plan?” Micah asked, bringing him back to the present.

  Devon jerked a shoulder and took a sip of his coffee. He instantly regretted it. It was cold. He needed something stronger, something more fortifying. He rose and went to grab the scotch he’d brought with him.

  “Grab two glasses,” Micah said.

  Devon did and joined him back at the table. He poured them both a couple of fingers of the scotch and they sat in silence.

  “So, you have a woman and kid to look out after.”

  A statement—because his brother-in-law knew his character. There was no way in hell Devon would walk away now. Knowing Ali was in danger was enough to send him over the edge.

  “Yeah,” he said and tossed back the scotch. He poured more in his glass. This time, though, he sipped at it. They drank in silence. Devon knew better than to talk. Micah was going through the problem in his head.

  “Do you think you could have led someone to her?” Micah asked.

  “I’m not sure.” And that was the one thing that had been bugging him all night. Had he put his child in danger? He had just found out about her, and the idea that he might have led the intruders to the house made him sick.

  “I am going to lean heavily in the negative category,” Micah said.

  He studied his brother-in-law. “Why?”

  “First, they would have known you went back there tonight. If they know you, they know you’re trained. Alicia seems pretty well trained.”

  “Yeah, her father was MI-6 so it’s a family kind of thing.”

  He smiled. “Great. You have a woman who can kill you in your sleep.”

  He hated to admit it, but that was kind of a turn on. She was a woman who didn’t need to be taken care of…and the element of danger made her even more attractive. He had sensed it that night, felt it course through her when he touched her. She was beautiful, but that inner strength was sexier to him. Of course, the sexy underwear was fantastic too.

  “Earth to Stryker.”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “You’re sitting there staring off in the distance with a goofy smile on your face.”

  “I am not,” he said.

  “Yes, you were. Daydreaming about a woman who could snap your neck.”

  “She can’t snap my neck. Maybe. Still, she wouldn’t. She had many chances before.”
<
br />   Micah gave him a strange look. “At least I don’t think she would hurt Dee, and that’s what matters.”

  “Why does that matter?”

  “Because I love your sister.”

  Devon waved that away. “No, why do you say that she wouldn’t hurt Dee?”

  “Oh. Well, she was concerned with putting Dee in danger. And, there was the way she was looking at her. She just wouldn’t hurt her.”

  “Don’t be that fooled by her demeanor. She’s definitely been trained. I had no idea the night we were together.”

  Micah poured himself another shot of scotch. Another few minutes passed before he spoke again. “Yeah, well, what about that? You’re usually so cautious about women.”

  He had been. Except on that particular night. There had been something about her. So lonely, and it had resonated with him. When he had touched her, it felt like kismet—as if he had found the one woman meant for him.

  That was probably why he had searched for her the way he did.

  “Another coincidence.”

  Micah chuckled. “Okay, I’ll let you tell yourself that lie. Are you going to call Jay?”

  He nodded, thinking of his private pilot. He’d already warned Jay they might be heading back early. They definitely were now.

  “I guess we should get some sleep. I take it you’re riding the couch?”

  Devon glanced at the couch, and knew it was going to hurt like a bitch to sleep on it. He sighed. “Yeah.”

  Micah turned to head to the bedroom, Devon thought about what had happened at Ali’s house.

  “I think we should go back by her house, see if we can get anything.”

  “If they didn’t destroy it.”

  He nodded. “If they didn’t—or even if they did—there is a good chance they left some kind of evidence behind.”

  Micah nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Once Micah left, Devon went to check on Ali and Bridget. They were both sleeping. Bridget was cuddled against Ali, who had her arm wrapped about the little girl. He sighed, sipping the scotch as he tried to come to terms with the way his life had changed in the last forty-eight hours. He had never thought to be a parent, but now…he had a little girl.