The Sniper

by Kimberly Van Meter

  “Are you finished?” he asked in a hard voice. “You need to get a grip. Do you hear me? This is serious. Get that through your damn head. Do you want to die? Is that what this is about? You’ve just stopped caring about whatever happens to you? That you couldn’t really care less if you live or die? Is that why you’ve been hanging out at sleazy bars and drinking yourself into a stupor every chance you get? What the hell is wrong with you, Jaci?”

  She stared up at him, unable to believe what she’d just heard. Had he forgotten how he’d left her? Had he spaced on how he’d ripped her life apart and walked away without caring about the damage? A separate train of thought followed the first as she rapidly blinked away the tears and stared at him with open suspicion. “How do you know I’ve been going to sleazy bars?” He seemed to realize he’d revealed too much information and faltered for a split second, long enough for Jaci to put two and two together. “Have you been...watching me? Like some creeper stalker?”

  His gaze darkened as he scowled. “I’m not a stalker.”

  “That’s what stalkers do, they watch people without the other person’s knowledge. Why would you do that?”

  He buttoned his lip, clearly unwilling to reveal his reasons, but she didn’t care anymore. She couldn’t possibly make heads or tails of anything Nathan did or why, nor was she going to start trying. Those days were long gone. “Whatever.” She glanced away. “Get the hell off me. My legs are going numb, and if I recall, you were tired of spending any length of time on top of my body, anyway.”

  Nathan hesitated, his scowl remaining, but he finally climbed off her and she rolled away from him. This time she didn’t try to run, but simply stared, waiting for answers.

  “I never said I was tired of being on top of you,” he said, his mouth compressing to a tight, almost bitter line.

  “You said the idea of monogamy with me was more than you could handle. You also said you were bored,” Jaci said, trying not to wince at the pain the memory of that day still caused. Holy hell, it felt as if two months had only been two days ago. How pathetic. She’d enabled him to turn her into a weak, pathetic female and she hated him for it. But damn, it still hurt. Did she care? She shouldn’t but she did. A part of her needed to know that there was a sliver of humanity inside him that was remorseful for breaking her heart the way that he had. “What’s really going on?” she asked. “There’s no need to hide the truth from me. We’re not a couple. Just tell me so I know what I’m dealing with. Don’t you see how it’s not fair to drag me from my life without warning and keep me here against my will without at least clueing me in to what’s going on?”

  “I already told you—”

  “You told me the bare minimum, which wasn’t an answer at all. Who is after me and why?”

  “I’d have to tell you more than you’d want to know. It’s better this way,” he said, adding quietly. “Trust me.”

  Had he no idea how impossible his request was? How incapable she was of blithely following him simply because he crooked his finger and patted her on the head with a promise that if she did as she was told like a good girl, everything would be fine? He obviously didn’t remember a thing about her personality because never in a million years would she ever be so docile. “The thing about trust is, you have to be willing to be vulnerable with the other person,” she said. “And I would never allow myself to be vulnerable with you again.”

  “You would be willing to jeopardize your life just because you’re still pissed off about our breakup? I thought you were smarter than that.”

  “I thought I was smarter about a lot of things. You, Nathan, proved to me that I’m as stupid as they come.”

  * * *

  Nathan heard the ragged pain under her subdued tone and he looked away, unable to hold her stare. If there’d been any other way to keep her safe, he would’ve done it. Walking away from Jaci had been like tearing off a limb and leaving it behind. And he’d been a bear to be around since then. His personality had never been what one would describe as cuddly, but Jaci had managed to bring out the softer side in him—one he hadn’t even known existed—and it’d been that soft, mushy side that had made him realize that if anything ever happened to her because of him, he’d follow her to the grave.

  He’d learned long ago that life was filled with pain, but Jaci had been a bright shiny star in a dark universe. How could he possibly allow his feelings for her to put her in jeopardy? The night he’d surprised a man lying in wait in her apartment, Nathan had realized she was no longer safe with him around. The fact that the guy had managed to catch Nathan with a quick uppercut and escape before Nathan could put a bullet through his brain had only served to make Nathan even more on edge. “Are you hungry?” he asked gruffly. “I have food.”

  “No.”

  He accepted her answer, even if he knew she was lying through her teeth. Jaci had always loved food. Nathan had relished her softly rounded curves and the way she didn’t pretend to pick at a garden salad, protesting how full she was after nibbling a piece of lettuce. No, Jaci had ordered steak and potatoes and then had often eyed the dessert menu. She was the kind of woman who set his blood on fire. “You should eat,” he said.

  “I said I wasn’t hungry. I want to go home.”

  “It’s not safe.”

  “What about my roommate? He’s going to notice if I suddenly go missing.”

  Nathan scowled at the mention of the man she lived with. He didn’t know if there was anything romantic going on but he had his suspicions. What normal red-blooded male could withstand living with a woman like Jaci without making a move of some sort? Unless the man was gay... But Nathan didn’t pin much hope on that score, so that made James Public Enemy Number One in Nathan’s opinion. “I have a burner phone you can use to let him know you’re okay. Tell him you’re visiting friends or something but don’t let him know where you are.” He paused a minute, then couldn’t help himself as he asked, “So what’s the deal with you two...? Dating?”

  “Are you deaf? I said he was my roommate, not my boyfriend, not that it’s any of your business. James is a good friend. I needed a place to stay when my ex-boyfriend duped me into thinking we were getting a place together and I let my apartment go. Forgive me for not wanting to sleep in my car.”

  “And he was your only choice? You didn’t have a girlfriend you could stay with?”

  “Unbelievable! You have some nerve. I’m not even going to dignify that question with a response because you have no right to judge how I solved the problem you created. Okay? So butt out.”

  Nathan backed down, hating that he’d let himself slip like that. On the surface she was right. He shouldn’t butt his nose into her personal business, but they weren’t your average exes and she’d just have to get used to the idea. “Your safety isn’t something I’m going to mess around with. I am going to need to run a background check on this roommate. What’s his name?”

  “He would never hurt me. We’ve been friends for years.”

  “What’s his name?” he repeated, not backing down.

  “His name is James Cotton.”

  Nathan committed the name to memory. He’d have a full background check done on the man. If he had so much as an outstanding library book, Nathan would find out. “I’ll let you know when you can contact him. Until then, don’t bother trying. There’s no phone line installed here.”

  She looked ready to say something childish and petulant—Jaci had always been terrible at hiding her thoughts and feelings—but she buttoned her lips and turned on her heel to return to the bedroom, where she promptly slammed the door.

  The message was pretty clear. He wasn’t welcome in her space, whether he was saving her damn hide or not.

  The knowledge pinched more than a little but he shrugged it off. He wasn’t here to start playing house; he was saving her life.

  So why w
as he still staring at that closed door like a starving man stared at a Thanksgiving feast?

  Because inside he felt ravenous and out of control, he answered himself as he squeezed his eyes shut.

  Shut it down, Isaacs. Stay cool. Now was not the time to start baring his soul and babbling apologies.

  Besides...there wasn’t anything he could say that would forgive what he’d done.

  That’d been the plan.

  Chapter 4

  “I’ll meet you there,” Nathan confirmed, ending the call just as Jaci exited the bedroom. He knew she’d heard him so he started talking first. “I want you to stay here while I meet up with a contact who might be able to help me figure out who’s after you. Promise me you’ll stay put.”

  “And why should I do that?”

  “Because I’ve already explained that you’re safer here than out in the open.”

  “No, you haven’t explained anything. You’ve told me what to do and just expected me to obey. That’s not the same thing.”

  Damn redheaded stubborn streak, he wanted to mutter, but instead sent her a hard look, ignoring how his stomach clenched at the sight of her vibrant beauty staring back at him. It didn’t seem to matter that she exuded cold distance rather than sweet love like she used to—his heart still quickened dangerously. Emotion got people killed. Stow that sentimental crap, Isaacs.

  “Jaci, just stay put,” he said again, grabbing his gun and tucking it into the back of his waistband beneath his leather jacket. “I won’t be gone long. There’s plenty of food in the pantry and fridge. The television doesn’t work but there should be some books and magazines lying around that might keep you occupied but don’t go outside.”

  Jaci’s mutinous expression didn’t bode well. The minute he was a mile down the road she was going to bolt, he’d bet his soul on that. He couldn’t take the chance. Although it was a risk taking her out into the open, it was a bigger risk to leave her alone and vulnerable. She was operating on pissed-off female ire and brokenhearted steam—she couldn’t think clearly to save her life.

  “Fine. Get your stuff—you’re coming with me. But—” he fixed her with a hard stare hoping she caught his drift “—if you so much as take one single step away from my side or do one single thing that puts your life in more danger, I swear to God, I will make you regret it. Don’t push me on this. Am I clear?” This was no idle threat. He’d do whatever it took to keep her safe, even if it meant humiliating her. “Am I clear?” he asked, his tone sharp. At her slow nod and quick disappearance into the bedroom he knew he’d gotten his point across. If there was one thing Jaci needed to remember about him it was that he never took unnecessary chances, particularly with the lives of the ones he loved the most.

  Jaci reappeared fully dressed and quickly came down the stairs. “Where we going?” she asked. “Or am I not supposed to know?”

  “I’ve got a friend on the inside of the organization I work for. We’re going to meet him and see if we can figure out what the hell’s going on.”

  Jaci nodded, surprising him with her easy acceptance. Either she was privately formulating an escape plan or she was actually starting to trust him. Ha. Yeah, nothing was that easy. Chances were she was simply pretending to acquiesce when in truth she was going to sprint like a rabbit in a clearing the minute she was able.

  Jaci climbed into the big four-wheel-drive truck required to reach this secluded location deep in the mountains and while she may not have said anything, he could see the appreciation for the vehicle in her eyes. “What happened to the Mustang?” she asked, buckling up. “I thought that car was your baby.”

  “It is. And that’s why it’s still parked safely in a garage. There’s no way the Mustang would’ve made it up the roads in this area.” He cast her a sideways glance. “Besides, I thought you liked big trucks.”

  “I used to like a lot of things.”

  He didn’t buy her cool answer but didn’t see the value in pushing. “It gets the job done,” he said, putting the truck into gear and rumbling down the pocked and rutted service road. “Have you noticed anything unusual happening lately?”

  “Such as?”

  “Have you felt as if someone was watching you, or maybe sensed that you were being followed?” he asked.

  “No, of course not.” Jaci gasped as the truck hit a particularly deep rut and sent her bouncing in her seat. She quickly grasped the handle above the door and held on for dear life. “If I’d noticed any of those things I would’ve called the police. I’m not stupid. My life has been normal. I go to work, go to the gym, go to the grocery store and do all of those normal things that normal people do. I don’t know what the hell is going on and why I’m in the middle of it. Of course, you seem to have some inkling as to why this is going on but you won’t tell me so I am left to wonder why my life is imploding for no particular reason.”

  “If I knew why this was happening, I’d already have taken care of the situation,” he corrected her tersely, irritated by her comment. As if he were withholding information simply to mess with her. “C’mon, Jase...you’re smarter than that.”

  “Well, that remains to be seen,” she muttered. “Besides, if someone was trying to kill me why did they kill Sonia instead?”

  “She was a witness. No loose ends. If you recall, you were seconds away from sharing the same fate as your friend.”

  He hated to be so blunt but he didn’t see the value in sugarcoating the truth, as much as he could tell her, anyway. “Have you been dating?” he asked, steeling himself for her answer. It was important information, he told himself, not for personal reasons but because he needed to eliminate suspects. Well, it was a plausible justification, but when Jaci shrugged and admitted to a few dates his blood percolated. “Who? I need names.”

  She shot him a dark look. “No one serious. I wasn’t interested in getting in a serious relationship after what’d happened with you and me. But Sonia convinced me that I couldn’t live like a hermit and I thought the best way to get over you would be to see other people.”

  “Did it work?” Why the hell did he ask that? “Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked. It doesn’t matter. Tell me about your dates. I need to run them through a background check.”

  She scowled. “They were normal people. Bankers, a doctor, I think a lawyer or two, I don’t know. But they sure as hell weren’t spies. And none of them worked for the government in any capacity.”

  “Jaci, people lie. And you are a very trusting person so your doctors and lawyers, unless you do a full background check on them, may not have been who they said they were. I told you I worked for the FBI. You never thought to look any deeper.”

  He detested to throw in her face how he’d duped her but the pain was necessary to get through her head that people were unscrupulous at best, and dangerous at their worst. Jaci looked away and remained quiet for a long moment. Finally she said, “I met them through an online dating service. If I can get to a computer I can log on to my site and show you who I was matched up with. Would that help?”

  Nathan did a double take. “An online dating service? Why would you go through one of those sites? It’s not like you couldn’t find a date on your own. Don’t you know those places are ripe for liars? Why would you take such a risk?”

  “You don’t get to criticize how I lead my life after you left me. For your information, online dating is something that everybody does. It’s not just for the sad, lonely, pathetic losers that you’re making it sound like. Most people have careers and don’t have time to hang out in bars to meet someone. And frankly, why would I want to meet someone to build a life with in a bar?” She didn’t have to remind him that they’d met in a bar. He remembered quite clearly. He also caught her subtle dig. “Besides, I wasn’t looking for Mr. Right. I was just looking for someone to spend a little time with.”

  “So yo
u were just taking home random guys for sex?”

  Jaci lifted her chin. “Yes, that’s right. I have needs, too. Are you saying that when we broke up you became celibate?”

  How did they end up talking about their sex lives? He hated knowing that Jaci had been with other men after their breakup, but what had he expected? Hell, he’d tried to tell himself that letting her go was a noble gesture on his part so that she could meet someone normal and get married and have a family. He couldn’t have it both ways—let her go, plus expect her to live like a nun.

  “Of course not,” he said, answering her question. “I saw other people,” he lied. Nathan didn’t want to admit to her that when he’d become accustomed to steak, the prospect of hamburger simply hadn’t appealed. “My point is, there’s a possibility that someone you dated may be trying to kill you. I can’t discount the possibility. And as uncomfortable as it may be for the both of us to talk about the people who came after us I can’t simply ignore the possible lead just because it hurts to talk about it.”

  “Why would it hurt you? You were the one who left me, remember?”

  “Yes, Jaci, I remember.” He gritted his teeth, pausing a moment to withstand the surge of defensive anger that followed her pointed reminder. “Very clearly. And leaving you hurt like a son of a bitch.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she shot back heatedly. “You can’t rewrite history just because you suddenly don’t like the part you played. I was in love with you. I wanted to get married and have kids and build a life together. I thought we were on the same page but you corrected my assumptions, didn’t you? So, no, I don’t believe you when you say that it hurt you to leave me. And I find it insulting that you would even try to make me believe that lie.”

  What could he say? He understood where she was coming from. If the shoe had been on the other foot—if she had done to him what he had done to her—there was nothing that she would’ve been able to say to change his mind. Would it help if he tried to apologize? She deserved at least that but he didn’t know how to formulate the words. “Jaci...I—” he began, but she shut him down quickly.