“Vince was supposed to meet with Matt yesterday, but Matt never showed. Before Vince had been warned off, he’d sent for birth records. You know Vince; he’s like a dog with a bone when he gets on the trail of something. Anyway, he just got the info he’d been waiting for. Misty Starr can’t be who she says she is. Misty Starr was born in Savannah, Georgia, on August tenth, nineteen eighty, all right, but she died the same day. Nick, I think Misty’s in the program, and whoever she’s hiding from has found her.”
“Damn,” said Nick.
“Wait,” said Nathan, and Nick knew that whatever he was going to say next was not good news. “It gets worse. By starting the inquiry, we may have led them right to her.”
“Oh, God, no!” exclaimed Nick, dropping into the chair.
Nick took a deep swallow of the brandy, allowing the burning sensation to restart his heart. He was sure it had stopped at Nathan’s words and that every shred of color had left his face. Suddenly, everything that had happened, all the little inconsistencies, fell into place. It made sense. Her fear every time he mentioned something about her past, her near panic when he asked about Trent, her adamant refusal to consider speaking with an agent, and the way she’d cried about no one doing anything nice for her. He remembered her comment about her parents dying just after his concert at Carnegie Hall, which had been five years ago. Amos had said they’d died recently. That had been the reason Misty had come to live in Pine Falls. Going to Julliard hadn’t fit with what he’d been told about her, but she must have inadvertently told him the truth about that. Her voice had been professionally trained.
Realizing he’d led her enemy right to her was a low blow. Some protector he was! If he’d done that as a CIA courier, his career would have been a short one. Nick drained his glass again and held it up to be refilled.
“What do you want to do, Nick? I’ve seen the way you look at her — well, maybe look is the wrong word — but I don’t think you want her in the wind again, and as soon as she realizes they’ve found her, she’ll do her best to disappear. Vince has been trying to contact Matt, but he hasn’t heard from him yet.”
“I can’t let her go. I love her. We need to know exactly who she’s hiding from. We can’t protect her if we don’t know the enemy. Ask Vince to send me another four operatives. They can bunk in the house. Katrina can help Misty with the cooking.” He stood and started to pace, a habit he’d stopped when he’d lost his sight, but he couldn’t sit still now.
“We’ll need to give the housekeeper time off with pay; I don’t want anyone here who hasn’t been vetted. I want Vince here, too. He was the best bodyguard I had.” He took a drink of the brandy and stared at the flickering light he could see off to his left. “Is the television on in the living room?”
“The sound’s muted. How did you know?”
“I can see the flickering. I can see some color, shapes, and shadows. My sight’s coming back. If there was ever a time to regain it, it’s now. But we have a more immediate problem, one that probably affects you more than me.”
“What’s that?”
“Charlotte and Christy are supposed to move back home tomorrow. I don’t care how you do it, but if whoever is after Misty knows of their friendship, they could be targets, too. Blow up her house if you have to, but we need to keep her here.”
Nathan laughed. “I don’t think I need to go to that extreme, but you’re right. I’ll just tell her the truth. I’m in love with her. I can’t lie to her if I hope to have the relationship go anywhere. Now, how are you going to find out what’s going on?”
“I’m going to ask Misty. In fact, I’m going to ask her right now.”
• • •
“Are you sure Amos wanted me to call tonight?” Misty asked as she undressed. She reached into the spa and tested the temperature of the water. It was hot, but she was so cold right now hot was what she needed. She thought of those few stolen moments in the car with Nick and blushed. She certainly hadn’t been cold then. She smiled ruefully at the change to the plans he’d envisioned earlier; perhaps it was just as well.
“Yes, he said to call as soon as you got in. He was most insistent.”
Misty searched her purse for her cell phone.
“Damn it! Where’s my phone?”
“It’s on your dresser. I saw it earlier when I got the girls ready for bed. You forgot it again. He probably tried to call you and didn’t get an answer, but I didn’t hear it ring.”
“I left it on vibrate. I’m going to look into a new phone next week.” If Amos wanted her to call no matter how late it was, it couldn’t be good news. A fingernail of fear scratched at her conscience, and she shuddered.
“Use this one.” Charlotte handed her one of the portable phones connected to the landline. “I’ll get us a refill.” She reached for the empty brandy glasses and headed back to the kitchen.
Wrapped in one of the soft, beige terry robes she’d found on the hooks beside the spa, Misty walked over to the darkened windows and looked outside. Except for the lights along the riverbank and those on the dock, the lawn was in darkness, and the window mirrored her image. She stared at the stranger reflected in the glass, once more wondering how she’d lost herself so completely with one decision. Would she ever be able to be herself again? Although her life had been in danger before, the threat had never been as up close and personal as it had been this time. The last few times, those tasked with keeping her safe had been the victims. Tonight’s near brush with death had served to remind her that life was short, sometimes far shorter than we imagined.
She loved it here; the sheer beauty of the place took her breath away. She remembered the feel of Nick’s arms around her and the kisses they’d shared in the car. She knew he wanted her as much as she ached for him, but could they build a life together on lies? Eventually, the truth would come out, and when it did, would he understand why she’d done what she had?
Suddenly uneasy, she turned away from the windows, sat on the cushioned, white wicker couch, and dialed Amos’s number. The phone rang several times, but there was no answer. That didn’t make sense. Suddenly, reality hit — something bad had happened, something really bad. She thought of her brakes tonight, and she began to shake.
She was trembling so badly that she almost dropped the phone before she could place it on the table next to the plant she’d bought. The velvety leaves and tiny purple flowers of the violet mocked her. The plant could stay, but she needed to transplant herself once more. She took several deep breaths, hoping her breathing and heart rate would settle, but the trembling simply would not stop. She was cold, and the iciness had seeped into every inch of her being.
Tonight, she’d almost been killed and could easily have taken Nick with her. If the marshals hadn’t insisted on that defensive driving course, she probably would have panicked and killed them both. Where was Amos? Why hadn’t he answered his phone? She couldn’t put Nick or anyone else in danger. Just being around Charlotte and Christy could be putting them in harm’s way, too.
She’d have to leave; there was no way she could remain here, and leaving was going to break her heart and Debbie’s. She clenched her teeth and fisted her hands. It was like the night she’d decided to leave Kevin. Enough was enough. They’d go, but this time no one — not Amos, not the marshals, not the FBI — would know where they’d gone. She’d find a way to leave the country once and for all, disappearing for all time into Canada or Mexico. She wouldn’t have another death on her conscience; there were too many there already.
Misty held her breath, counted to ten and let it out, counted to ten, and repeated the process. She swallowed the bile in her throat brought there by fear and panic. Charlotte would be back at any minute with the brandy, and there was no way she could let her friend guess that things were as bad as they actually were. If she didn’t stop shaking, she’d never be able to hold the glass, le
t alone pretend everything was fine.
She removed the robe and dropped it beside the spa. She climbed the steps and then eased into the water. If tears rolled down her cheeks, no one would notice them now. She sighed, her heart heavy, and wiped at her face, surprised to see she was indeed crying. She swallowed. She had faced this danger once before, and she’d do it again, but this was the last time.
She’d have to give the performance of a lifetime over the next couple of days until she got her car back and could get away. At least there wouldn’t be a lot of stuff to leave behind. She’d have to get money from the bank, and that might be tricky. She’d have to get into the bank in person to close out the account. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the spa headrest, feeling as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Her heart felt like a chunk of lead, lifeless and cold in her chest.
How was she going to explain this to Debbie? The child loved it here, and she’d have to leave all her lovely things and the “piano man.” She’d try to take as many of the toys as she could and all the clothes, but it wouldn’t be enough to prevent the inevitable. What kind of mother was she to inflict the terrors of the night upon her daughter once more? Tears continued to slide unnoticed down her cheeks. How could she leave the man she’d grown to love? How would they survive without him?
Chapter Sixteen
“What did he want?” Nick asked, startling her.
She hadn’t heard the door open and realized Charlotte must have left it ajar when she’d left. She closed her eyes and slouched down into the water to hide her nudity, and then remembered he couldn’t see.
“You did call Amos, right? Misty? Answer me so I know where to hand you these glasses.”
“Over to your left. Yes, I called,” she said, surprised she could speak almost normally in her distress. He frowned, handed her both glasses, and then began to undress.
She held her breath as he removed his shirt. His upper body was fit, far more sculpted than she would have expected for a man in his condition and with his past occupation. The muscles of his arms were corded, and she could see the flexing of his biceps as he removed his T-shirt. His chest was broad with a matting of dark, curly hair from which protruded taut nipples. A dark line of hair traveled from his chest, down his stomach, along the center of his tight abdominal muscles, and disappeared into his jeans. Here and there, the perfection of his skin was marred by scars, no doubt souvenirs from the accident. He undid his belt and sat on the chair he had to know was there to remove his shoes and socks. He stood, unzipped his jeans, and took them off. Misty was entranced by the sight of him, too awed to even ask what he was doing.
The muscles in his legs were well defined, proof the treadmill in the corner saw regular use. He dropped his shorts, and her breath caught in her throat. He was well endowed, and his awakening shaft created a rush of desire within her. Proud, an Adonis in his element, he walked over to the spa without a trace of self-consciousness, as he had probably done a hundred times before, and entered the water.
“I suppose I could have spared you the peep show, but I wanted to strut my stuff, as they say.” He chuckled. “But I didn’t intend to render you speechless. Say something. I want to sit beside you. We need to talk, and I don’t want to have to raise my voice over the jets. That incident tonight has left me just as tense as you. Knowing you’re in a runaway vehicle when you can’t see is heart-stopping.” But the thought she might have been killed had made it so much worse, he added to himself.
“I’m over here,” she said with a catch in her voice, knowing the sound would guide him to her. When he sat, she handed him his brandy and pressed the button to start the jets. She didn’t want to talk; she wanted to savor the memory of this moment. It would have to last her a lifetime. He had a magnificent body, but that was only part of him; he was beautiful inside, too. The more she looked at him, the more she wanted him, and the more she wanted him, the harder it would be to leave.
“Now, what did Amos want? What was so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?”
“It was nothing, really; he just wanted to remind me that I had an appointment with the insurance adjuster next week.”
He put his glass on the side of the spa and reached up one hand to tenderly stroke her face. “Please don’t lie to me, Misty,” he said softly. “It won’t work. I told you before I can tell how you’re feeling by the sound of your breathing.” With his other hand, he found her hand and held her wrist. “I know you’re upset; before I got in the water, I knew you’d been crying by the sound of your voice, your pulse is racing, and I can feel the tears on your face.” His thumb brushed the wet skin under her eye. “Even though the spa water is hot, your fingers are ice cold, and you’re shaking. Honey, I can tell you’re terrified, so let’s have it. What did Amos tell you that has put you so close to the breaking point? I know you’re in danger, and I want the truth. I want to help you, but we can’t have any more secrets between us.”
“He didn’t answer,” she said, her voice husky. “You don’t know anything about me, Nick. I’m bad news; I’ll get you killed.”
“Misty, I don’t know why an unanswered phone after midnight should have you so riled up; lots of people turn down the ringer late at night. What I do know is you’re a wonderful mother, a terrific cook, a dedicated friend, and that you have the voice of an angel. I know you and Debbie have become more important to me than anyone ever has, and I don’t want to let you go. No, that’s not right. I can’t let you go.”
His voice was hoarse, filled with emotion that tore at her bruised heart. He shook his head as if to clear it and reached for her other hand, removing the brandy glass and placing it on the ledge next to his. He took her empty hand and held it firmly. “I also know your name isn’t Misty Starr, and that in my desire to protect you, I may have exposed you to your enemies.”
“What do you mean?” she gasped, her heart beginning to pound even harder than it had, her breath catching in her throat as panic gripped her.
• • •
He could hear the alarm in her voice and sensed her trying to move away from him. He pulled her closer, determined to get to the truth. He had to be willing to share his secrets first to earn her trust.
“The first time I heard you speak, something about you attracted me. I couldn’t get your voice or your scent out of my mind. When I spent those few stolen moments with you at the school the following day, I knew I hadn’t imagined it, but I realized you had secrets you weren’t willing to share. I did, too, so I couldn’t complain. At the next rehearsal, I was working up the courage to actually ask you out on a date, but then you found out about the fire, and I realized I had to move quickly before you walked out of my life again. I needed to protect you no matter what. I offered you the apartment hoping that you’d take it. Twelve hours before you arrived, there wasn’t a stick of furniture up there and hardly anything else in the house. I pulled a few strings — money comes in handy at times, and I wanted to impress you. I wanted to show you that, despite the blindness, I could take care of you.”
“How did you know I needed protection?” she whispered. Her voice, tinged with palpable fear, barely audible over the sound of the jets in the tub, told him she still didn’t realize he was one of the good guys. He sighed.
“I heard everything you and Amos said. I knew you were scared — no, terrified. People aren’t terrified without a reason. I was afraid you were going to turn down the apartment. That’s why I offered you the job. You needed a reason to accept. I understand what it feels like to have your life completely out of your control. That afternoon, when I found you sobbing in the kitchen, and you cried in my arms and said no one had ever been nice to you before, I knew I would do anything for you, but when I asked about your relationship with Trent, you blew me off. It annoyed me. No, I’ll admit it, I was jealous of a dead man. Misty, all my life I’ve been the kind of guy who need
s answers, and I have a lot of resources at my disposal. Because you wouldn’t talk about him, I thought maybe the relationship had been a painful one, and I asked Nathan to look into your background to see if there’d been abuse.”
“But that doesn’t explain how you knew I needed protection. It may explain why you looked into my past, but not why you thought I was in trouble.” He could understand that she was reluctant to trust him still and continued his confession.
“I eavesdropped on your conversation with Amos at the clinic. Do you remember when I first spoke to you there and asked what was wrong? You asked me how I could tell. I told you I didn’t have super hearing, but I had learned to listen well. When Amos came into the lounge, you ran into his arms crying about how you’d done it, but he told you that you couldn’t be certain of that, and I heard the near panic in your voice when you asked him if he thought they’d found you. You weren’t sure the fire was your fault, but you kept repeating that it was as if you could make it so by believing it. You thought someone else had torched the place. You were so afraid, and I wanted to protect you. I won’t let anything hurt you ever again, I promise.”
“Oh, Nick,” she cried. “You are such a good man, and I want to stay here more than anything in the world, but I can’t; I just can’t.”
She started to sob, the anguish in her tears enough to break his heart, and he reached for her, pulled her slick, wet body against his, holding her to him, afraid that unless he did something drastic and immediate, she would slip away from him and disappear from his life forever. His hand caressed the silky skin of her back while she cried as if her heart was broken and could never be mended again. He wanted to ease her pain, convince her everything was going to be okay, but until he knew what he was up against, he was powerless to ease her distress.
In Plain Sight Page 19
