A Spy for Christmas (2 page)

“Okay,” he said. “They’ll either pick them up or get them
from the local police. We need to put some space between us and make sure no
one else sees us together.”

He began walking without giving her the choice of staying or
going. She pulled back against his grip on her sleeve. He was trying to be
gentle but needed to make her listen.

“Don’t you think the best way to not be seen together, is
NOT to be together?”

“Shh, shhh.” He turned and placed one finger gently on her
mouth. It wasn’t enough physically to quiet her, but it worked. “I’ll keep you
safe. Please trust me. I know that’s asking a lot, but you don’t know what
those men and their counterparts will do for simple information.”

A small sized blue SUV pulled up next to them and a man got
out. He nodded to Grayson and walked away in another direction.

“What on earth…” Robin looked between the men.

“Get in,” he said, opening her door. She surprised him by
getting in without a fight or even argument.

That didn’t last too long. As he drove off, she said, “If
you take me across state lines, it’s a federal offense.”

Grayson chuckled and laid a hand on her leg. “I can’t
believe I forgot the handcuffs!”

Robin watched as he took Airport Way to 205, which headed
south to connect with I-5. Of course, they could swing back into the city too.
Maybe he was trying to shake anyone following them. She clutched the hand grip
in the door with one hand and her stomach with the other as he whipped through
highway traffic. The white sky produced a slush/snow mix that would make the
road dangerous.

The man driving next to her was still ruggedly handsome and
fit as far as she was concerned. But instead of charming, Grayson looked
extremely focused and business-like. Seeing him in this light left her feeling
cold on top of scared to death.

And, to make matters even worse, she felt humiliated for
falling for him. Dreaming about him. Tingling over him. She now understood that
she’d been waiting for Alex to wake up and sweep her off her feet – take over
and to act like a man who desperately wanted her.  Grayson was that kind of
man, and she’d fallen for him in two seconds flat.

Damn his hot body!

Damn his sexy, smooth voice and flirty words!

Damn those warm, complex brown eyes that melted their way
right into her heart.

“Where do you live?” he asked, glancing in the mirror. But
then he gave her a direct—and reassuring—look. Thank goodness he didn’t know
what she was thinking. Hopefully he didn’t know.

“West of Portland in Beaverton. We can take 84 right up
here.” She relaxed back into her seat and forced herself to take deep breaths.
She could call for help from home. Grayson might have saved her from those two
creeps but that didn’t make him safe. He took her cell phone! Right out of her
hand!

She was riding giant waves of adrenaline up and down, making
her mind turn the wrong way inside her head. But she could tell they were about
to go the wrong way.

“No, this is 84 East. The next one heads west.”

He calmly veered the SUV onto 84 East. “We’re not going
anywhere near your home or anywhere you’re connected to. I want to avoid it in
order to keep your people safe.”

She shook her head, her back muscles knotting up again.
“This is crazy. We need to call the authorities and get help.”

“Listen, if we make any call like that, they will know our
location.”

“Who are THEY?” She turned to him, ready to slap his arm.

“They are the men who saw us talking and decided you’re a
person of interest.”

That didn’t tell her anything. “I can take care of myself. I
want you to stop soon and let me out.”

“I can’t release you until I have the okay that you’re
clear.”

“Clear?”

“Clear of danger. We need to know if those two men sent your
picture or name out.”

Grayson’s cell buzzed and he answered without a hands-free
set. Maybe he’d get pulled over for it, since it was illegal in Oregon, and she
could get help that way.

The other speaker was loud enough for her to catch most of
what was said. The first part didn’t make sense, though. These people didn’t
seem to speak normal English.

“I need answers now,” Grayson bit out. “I can’t hold her
hostage.”

“Keep her safe and out of sight. Let us sort this out, and
we’ll let you know when you’re clear.”

“Any ETA on that?” Grayson sounded like he didn’t like it
one bit.

“Let’s say a week. Now go enjoy your Christmas vacation.”
The line went dead.

“Damn it!” he tossed the phone into the middle console.

Robin realized she was completely tensed up and holding her
breath. After watching him grip the wheel hard and grit his teeth, she offered,
“You know…they don’t have to know if you let me go. It’s obvious you want to
part ways too.”

He turned his head her way, his eyebrows raised. “Please
don’t take my behavior personally, Robin. I’m not angry that I have to spend
time with you. You’re an amazing woman. I’m upset because I don’t like doing
this to you.”

Grayson held her gaze for a few seconds. She let herself
believe him, if just for that time, and tried to calm down.

“On the plane,” she started, “you never told me your last
name.”

He glanced over but looked away to say, “Holbrook.”

“Is that really your name?” she pushed.
Grayson Holbrook.

“For this mission…but Grayson really is my first name. The
others don’t matter, not as much as they change.”

What did that say about this man? When he looked into her
eyes, Grayson came across as more honest than anyone she knew. But it was his
job, and apparently he was very highly trained.

The terrain changed to cow pastures and farms, and he found
a small back road where he could turn off for a minute. He pulled out her cell
phone and handed it to her. “You need to change your message.”

She could spring out of the car while hitting 911. “Change
my message? To what? Why?”

“People will worry about you. But we have to stay under the
radar. This is important, Robin. People could get hurt. I need you to change
your greeting to say you’re taking another week off. You’ll be out of cell
service but you’re having fun. Keep it short and vague.”

All of this happened so fast! What was she doing in a car
with him, headed out into no-man’s land? Robin was having a hard time
comprehending what was going on and she doubted her own ability to make sound
decisions on her own; yet she could not fully rely on this stranger. She shook
her head. “I don’t have any proof that I should trust you.” He stared her down
for a long minute. Finally he took out his wallet and pulled a tiny picture
from behind the cards and handed it to her. It was worn and blurry, but she
could make out a young woman.

“I can’t always keep people safe. I don’t want another
picture in my head. Please, let me keep you alive.”

She hit the button for her voicemail.

They skirted Gresham and continued on 26, which would cut
through a few tiny country towns before heading up into the mountains. Robin
made a noise and added, a minute later, “So you do know the area.”

Grayson gave her a slightly quizzical look. “I never said I
didn’t…but I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea on the plane.”

She laughed a nervous laugh. It must have been contagious.
He smiled and added, “I walked back there hoping it wasn’t a horrible place to
sit…and then there you were, looking like a winter fairy with your red hair.”
At that, he glanced over and drank her in with his gaze.

She liked the attention but looked out the window, wondering
what to make it of it now that he was basically holding her prisoner.

“I knew it’d be a sad Christmas, after my break up, but…”
She didn’t finish. Hadn’t she planned on skipping the festivities this year
anyway? She could feel his gaze on her as she faced the side window.

They reached Sandy, a quaint little resort town servicing
vacationers as they headed up to ski. “We’ll stop for a few supplies that
aren’t in the trunk or the cabin.”

“Cabin?”

“We have to stay somewhere secluded for a week.” He looked
over and raised an eyebrow before pulling into a small, country store on the
way out of the town. “Stay put.”

“No, I’m coming in too!”

He sighed and leaned his head back on the seat to look up at
the ceiling. Instead of looking annoyed, he was smiling. “We can’t turn
everything into an argument, dear. I can put on a hat and blend in. I’ve been
trained to. You, however, have beautiful red hair on top of a figure and face
no one will forget.”

Her face was red to match her hair at that point.

Although she waited in the SUV, she didn’t like it. But,
whether it was because of the way he took charge of the situation or her own
fear, she began to trust him on some level.

Grayson bought fresh and canned food and an array of winter
clothing that was available in the store. Apparently, quite a few people got
this far and then realized they were going to freeze on the mountain; the store
was well stocked with food and other supplies.

When he got back into the driver’s seat, Grayson handed her
a cup of steaming liquid. She expected coffee but the delicious smell of hot
apple cider filled the car. Taking a sip, she was even more surprised to find
it tasted home made. “Wow, this is great. Thank you.”

He nodded but he was surveying all around the area as he
pulled out and accelerated down the road. She glanced around too, wondering if
she would even have a clue about what would look dangerous. Had those men at the
airport followed her for very long? Maybe she should be more in tune to her
surroundings after this.
After this
. That felt like a touchy subject at
the moment.

He drove and they sipped their cider in silence. The
daylight faded outside and a few snowflakes fluttered over the windshield here
and there. Robin started to think they were headed straight up the mountain
when he turned off. It looked like he wasn’t taking her up toward the ski
resort, but they were still headed up and into the Mt. Hood National Forest.

“This is really out of the way…” She looked at him and hoped
she wasn’t completely wrong about him.

“It’s safer that way.” He said on a sigh, which sounded
almost nervous to her. Fifteen minutes later, Grayson announced, “It’s right up
here.”

 Ahead, the dirt road took a sharp turn around the ancient,
skyscraper evergreens, blocking any view of their destination. Then they
arrived at what, for the time being, was their home away from home. The small
cabin sat nestled among the trees, barely visible from the road.

“Stay put for just a minute,” he said, again visually
checking every nook and cranny of the tree line. “I’ll check things out and
then we’ll go in.”  He opened his door and hesitated for a second, looking at
her.

She wasn’t sure what that look meant, except that it’d been
a searching, searing look. He proceeded to check around the clearing…for
footprints?

Robin’s weary eyes took in the outside of the cabin. It had
a tiny porch decorated with only a battered old wicker rocking chair. The cabin
was rustic but seemed to be very sturdy; a seemingly familiar cabin chimney
jutted from its roof. After he walked around the back, he returned to the SUV
and opened the back. “All clear. I’ll bring our supplies in.”

Despite what he said, she grabbed a bag from the back. He
motioned for her to step up onto the porch first, but there he stopped her.
“I’ll check out the inside. Stay right by the door so I can hear you.”

She shivered in the cold and his melodramatic act. But, then
again, if someone suddenly shot at them or attacked her again, it wouldn’t be
so over-the-top.

“All clear,” he said, motioning her inside as he went back
for the rest of the bags. Her eyes needed to adjust to the dark cabin, so she
turned and watched him pull the SUV up against the brush so it was hidden from
an aerial view or the road. He certainly covered all his bases. That should
make her feel better…unless he was actually covering his tracks so no one could
find her to help her. She shook herself, angry that her mind wanted to go back
and forth like this.

Once he had everything inside, he lit a kerosene lamp on the
table. A warm, orange light filled the space. The cabin was clean yet simply
furnished with only a well worn wooden day bed, a small table with two chairs
and a couple of mattresses. The space was completely open and square with one
door leading, she guessed, to a bathroom. At one end of the room was a natural
fireplace with dried firewood stacked on its hearth. 

“There’s running water and natural gas to cook with.”

“Home, sweet, home,” she murmured.

Still, he heard her and said, “It’s not much, but let’s make
the best of it.”

“Oh, I wasn’t being unthankful—”

“Don’t worry about it.” He knelt in front of the fireplace.
“You can thank me later.” There was a hint of merriment in his voice. What did
that mean?

Robin took a quick look out its one rear window and saw that
a small brook ran at the back of the property, halfway under the forest
canopy.  The snow was beginning to collect, forming a light dusting over
everything. She thought, if not for the circumstances which brought her here,
the setting could be considered tranquil, even romantic, despite the cabin’s
utilitarian appearance. This even qualified for a quaint and magical Christmas
scene.

The picture of Grayson in front of the wood and small spark
was romantic. Sexy, even. She couldn’t help but compare him with Alex.  Grayson
was not only handsome, but exciting in a dangerous kind of way; in stark
contrast to Alex with his food allergies, fear of commitment and lack of
spontaneity.