Defender for Hire (12 page)

“I want to make sure that you know this isn’t over.”

“This?”

“Us. Whatever we have, it’s something I’m not planning to run from.”

“I...”

“No need to comment, Tessa.” He backed out of the parking spot and pulled onto the road, a look of determination on his face.

She should have told him that they didn’t have anything. That they would never have anything.

But she didn’t believe it herself, and she wouldn’t lie. Not to him, and not to herself.

There was something between them, and it seemed to grow every time they looked into each other’s eyes. She couldn’t deny it, but she couldn’t put a name to it, either.

Not now.

Maybe not ever.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the moment and allow herself to imagine—just for a while—that things could work out with Seth Sinclair.

FOURTEEN

L
ogan was leaning against the porch railing when they arrived at the house. Hat in hand and scowl on his face, he looked about as happy to be kept waiting as Seth was to be bringing Tessa back to her place.

He wanted her in the safe house under lock and key.

Based on her silence during the ride, he’d say she wasn’t all that interested in what he wanted. The kiss had changed things between them—there was no doubt about that. He didn’t regret it, but he wasn’t going to let it get in the way of keeping her safe, either.

He pulled into Tessa’s driveway and parked behind her Mustang. “I’ll come around—”

She didn’t give him a chance to finish.

She was out of the truck, cajoling Bentley to try to get him to get out before Seth even opened his door.

He jogged to her side of the vehicle and nudged her out of the way. “I’ll get him. You go inside.”

“I can—”

“Tessa, you’re out in the open. You may as well just pin a target to your shirt,” he cut in.

“He’s right,” Logan agreed, taking Tessa’s arm and hurrying to the house. “Until we figure out what’s going on, we can’t be too careful.”

They disappeared inside the house, and Seth turned his attention to Bentley. The mutt licked his hand, but didn’t budge.

“Come on, dog. You’re home. Let’s go.” He reached into the backseat, his shoulder straining as he maneuvered the dog out the door and set him on the ground.

Bentley’s tail swished, but he didn’t seem eager to move.

“Let’s go.” Seth gave the leash a light tug, and Bentley lumbered toward the house, his nose raised as he sniffed the air. They were a yard from the porch step when he stopped in his tracks and growled deep in his throat. Hackles raised, he lunged toward the back of the house.

Seth let him have the lead, running through the backyard and up the hill that led into the woods.

Someone shouted behind him. Logan maybe, but he didn’t want to take the time to answer. If the perp was up on the hill again, he planned to find him.

“Seth! Hold up!” Logan called.

This time there was no ignoring him.

“Move faster!” Seth barked, following Bentley onto a path that led through the thick pine forest. A half a mile in and Bentley didn’t slow, his one good ear standing straight up as he pursued the trail.

Logan raced up behind them, his heavy breathing joining Seth’s in breaking the stillness of the forest. “What’s going on?”

“Bentley went crazy when he got out of the truck. He scented someone. I think it’s our guy.”

“Or it could have been a deer, a cat, a kid.”

“No way. He’s out here. I can feel it.” The energy was there, the feeling that somewhere just out of sight, someone was watching. He’d felt it hundreds of times in Afghanistan, and he couldn’t ignore it.

They ran another mile, cresting the rise of the hill and following it down to the river. Bentley slowed, sniffing at the underbrush, the tension easing from his body. Finally, he sat on his haunches, shook his head and looked as if he planned to stay there awhile.

“Looks like he lost the trail,” Logan said as he scanned the area. “I’m going to look around. There are a couple of dirt roads that bisect these woods. It’s possible he drove in and walked the rest of the way.”

“Sounds good. I’ll head south.”

Logan frowned. “I don’t think so, Sinclair. You’re not a police officer, and that could get us both into a lot of trouble. I’m calling in a couple of deputies to help. You should go back to the house and keep an eye on Tessa until I get back.”

It wasn’t Seth’s first choice but the thought of Tessa alone at the house, made him nod. “I’ll head back. Keep me posted. Come on, Bentley. Let’s go home.”

The big dog lumbered to his feet, limping slightly as they walked back the way they’d come. Tessa wouldn’t be happy that Seth had let the dog run pell-mell up the hill.

Seth wouldn’t be happy if something had happened to Tessa while he was out on the trail.

He frowned, anxiety crawling along his spine.

What better way to get to someone than to distract the people protecting her? It was security 101. Never leave your client unprotected.

He had.

Logan had.

For all either of them knew, the perp had circled around and headed back to the house.

The thought left him cold, and he tightened his grip on Bentley’s leash, breaking into a sprint as they barreled down the hill toward Tessa’s house.

* * *

Tessa spread several blankets on the floor in front of the fireplace, tossed an oversize pillow down with them and stood back to survey the bed she was making for Bentley.

He’d love it, but she wanted to keep adding blankets and pillows. Not because Bentley needed them, but because she needed to keep busy. Seth and Logan had run off twenty minutes ago, and she hadn’t heard a word from either of them since. Plus, they had her dog. If she hadn’t been so afraid, she’d have gone looking for them, and when she’d found them, she would have let them have it for allowing Bentley to run after he’d just had surgery.

She
was
afraid, though.

Terrified.

The old house groaned as she walked into the kitchen and filled the teakettle. She’d heard the same creaking sigh hundreds of times before and thought nothing about it. Now, it sounded sinister. Like footsteps in the attic. Stealthy movement at the top of the stairs. Her heart raced at the thought, her stomach sick with terror.

Someone rapped on the back door, and Tessa jumped, whirling toward the mudroom as if someone were about to crash through the outside door and race into the house.

Another sharp knock split the eerie silence.

She grabbed a steak knife and crept into the room. There were no windows in the door, and she couldn’t see who was standing on the other side of it.

Whoever it was could have a gun, a knife, a—

“Tessa? Open up. It’s Seth.”

Weak with relief, she fumbled with the lock, yanked the door open and nearly threw herself into his arms. She might have if Bentley hadn’t nosed his way in between them.

“Thank goodness you’re okay! I’ve been worried sick,” she cried.

“Yeah? So have I.” He nudged Bentley out of the way and walked into the mudroom, shaking his head as he caught sight of the steak knife.

“Would you really have been able to use it?” he asked, taking it from her hand and heading into the kitchen to set it on the counter.

“I hope so,” she replied, following him.

The next thing she knew, she was in his arms, her face buried in his coat, her hands clutching his sides. She wasn’t even sure how she’d gotten there, but he smelled like pine needles and crisp fall air, and he felt like home.

Her throat tightened at the thought, her eyes filling with tears. Such a silly thing to cry about.

She stepped back, cleared her throat and looked into his face. Not average at all. Exceptional—everything about him.

And she wasn’t sure what to do with that, or how to react to it.

For now, she wouldn’t react at all. She’d deal with the issue at hand. Seth and Logan running off into the woods and leaving her wondering what had happened and if they were okay.

“What happened?” she asked. “Logan said that Bentley took off.”

“He must have caught someone’s scent. We followed the trail for a couple of miles and finally lost it near the river.” He raked his hand through his hair, his frustration obvious. “I thought the guy might have circled back around and come here.”

“He didn’t, and I’m fine.” But she wanted the nightmare to end, wanted to stop feeling stalked and watched and afraid.

“But what if you weren’t?” Seth took her hand, pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I can’t let anything happen to you, Tessa. I think you should stay at the safe house until this is over. ”

“What if it never is? I can’t stay there forever.”

“You can’t run forever, either,” he responded quietly.

Bentley woofed and nosed his empty bowls.

A good distraction, and Tessa latched onto it, hurrying to fill his food and water bowls. Anything to avoid continuing the conversation.

Seth leaned against the kitchen counter, his coat open, his faded jeans clinging to muscular thighs. He looked tired, his eyes deeply shadowed. He’d thrown himself into protecting her. She couldn’t ignore that any more than she could ignore him.

She sighed, shoving loose strands of hair behind her ears. “I’m not planning on running,” she finally said, because staying really was her only option. Going into hiding, changing her name, none of those things would solve her problems. And she
needed
to solve them if she was ever going to move on with her life.

It was time to do that.

Past
time.

The doorbell rang, pealing through the house and breaking into the conversation.

“That’s probably Logan. Stay here. Just in case it’s not.” Seth walked out of the room.

She poured hot water over a tea bag and started the coffeepot, the sound of voices carrying into the room. Logan’s voice. Seth’s. They’d both have dozens of questions for her to answer.

For once, she didn’t mind. She’d already shared her darkest secrets. There was nothing more to hide.

Footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor, and the men walked into the room. Her heart jumped as she met Seth’s eyes.

“Are you making coffee?” Logan queried. “Because I could sure use a cup.”

“It will be ready in a minute.” She took two mugs from the cupboard, her cheeks heating as Seth slipped them from her hands.

“You’re flushed,” he said. “Everything okay?”

“I was just wondering if Logan found anything out in the woods,” she responded, retreating to the table and waiting while the men got their coffee.

“Nothing.” Logan settled in the chair to her left. “But there’s an old service road near where Bentley lost the trail. I left an officer there searching for evidence.”

“I hope he finds something.” Tess touched Bentley’s head, the silky warmth of his fur comforting.

“Me, too,” Logan replied. “For right now, though, I’d like to ask you a few more questions.”

“That’s fine,” she responded. She wanted to cooperate. She needed to give Logan everything he asked for, but she still felt nervous, the idea of discussing Kenya and Andrew’s betrayal as uncomfortable as ever.

Seth touched her hand, offered an easy smile, and all the nerves seemed to slip away.

“Thanks,” Logan said, taking a sip of coffee. “I know we’re all tired, so I’ll try to make it quick. You mentioned Anna Goodwin when we spoke earlier.”

“Yes.”

“I ran a search on her name and was able to trace her to a small town a hundred miles north of Houston. She moved there after she recovered from the injuries she sustained during the massacre.”

“Her parents told me that when I tried to get in touch with her after we returned home. They said she didn’t want anything to do with anyone from Kenya.”

Logan nodded. “They told me the same. I contacted them because they filed a missing person’s report two years ago.”

“She’s missing?” Tessa breathed, her heart skipping a beat at the thought. She hadn’t known Anna well, but she’d liked her. As a matter of fact, she’d spent nearly a year trying to convince Anna’s parents to let her visit.

“I’m afraid so. The last time they saw her was the three-year anniversary of the massacre.”

“I don’t like the way this is sounding,” Seth said, his hand closing around Tessa’s as if he could keep her safe by holding it.

Logan nodded and took another quick sip of coffee. “I thought the same when I heard about it.”

“Do they have any idea what happened to her?” Tessa asked.

“She’d been suffering from depression after her injury, and her parents had been worried about her mental health. Her car was found near a river. The police assumed that she committed suicide, but her body was never found.”

“So she could still be alive?” Seth said.

“It’s a possibility. Of course, there’s also the possibility that she didn’t commit suicide and didn’t disappear. That only leaves murder, and seeing as how Jack Dempsey was killed on the fourth anniversary of the massacre, I’m leaning toward that explanation.” Logan eyed Tessa for a moment longer than was comfortable, his blue eyes sharp and hard.

“You don’t think
I
killed her!” Tessa exclaimed, her heart thudding painfully.

“It never even crossed my mind. But I think you may know who did.”

“I don’t.” Tessa jumped up. “If I did, don’t you think I’d tell you?”

“Maybe not,” Logan responded calmly. “Since you haven’t been very forthcoming with information.”

He was right, and she couldn’t blame him for doubting her. “I apologize for that. I just...didn’t know what to do. Besides, everyone I worked with in Kenya is dead. Even if they weren’t, there’s no one I can think of who’d commit murder.”

“Not even Andrew?” Seth suggested.

She hesitated. Before the massacre, she’d have insisted that her brother-in-law wouldn’t hurt a fly. Now, she wasn’t so sure. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. He’s dead, too.”

“Maybe,” Logan intoned. “Or maybe he staged his death to cover his crimes. Maybe he used the massacre as a way to escape.”

“No.” Tessa shook her head, dizzy with the thought.

“It’s okay, Tess.” Seth slid an arm around her waist, urging her back into her chair, his hands resting on her shoulders.

“If he’s alive, Tessa, would your brother-in-law have some reason to want to hurt you?” Logan asked.

“I don’t think so, but how can I know? If he used the massacre to cover up his crimes, he’s capable of anything, right?”

“Did you know what he was doing before the massacre?” he asked.

“No. I didn’t even suspect it.”

“When did you find out?”

“Not until afterward. Jack flew over, and he told me there’d been an investigation because mission funds were being misappropriated. All the evidence pointed to Andrew.”

“There was irrefutable proof?”

“According to Jack, there was. He sent someone over to work with our team. She was there for a month before the massacre and was able to compile plenty of evidence.”