Hidden Agenda (18 page)

Michael reached up to massage the back of his neck. “I hadn't even planned to get you involved. If anyone finds out you know where I am, you'll lose everything you've ever worked for. All of you will.”

“Trust me, the captain made that quite clear, but we don't have time to worry about that right now. I'm more worried about ensuring your safety—as well as Olivia's and Ivan's.”

“And what's the captain going to do when he finds out?”

“The captain knows I'm looking for you. He just doesn't have
to know I've found you yet. Tory will come here. Carlos and Levi will work from the precinct. We'll deal with those issues—and the captain—as they come up.”

“I could still turn myself in—”

“We have no plans of losing you again, son.” His father stood. “You'll go in when we know it's safe, and not a moment before.”

F
orty-five minutes later, Michael stepped out of the bathroom. In the time it had taken him to shave and change clothes, Avery had turned the hotel living room into the duplicate of a precinct bull pen. Avery, Mason, and Tory were going through boxes of paperwork, while his father and Ivan worked at a computer set up on the desk.

“You haven't eaten anything, so I reheated a few slices of your favorite—Italian sausage and black olives.” Emily handed him a plate of pizza and a Coke. “And you'll simply have to excuse my babying you the next few days, but I still can't believe you're alive. I missed you.”

“I missed you too, and I don't mind this a bit.” He took a bite of the pizza, realizing for the first time how hungry he was. “And to be honest, you're not the only one still a bit surprised I'm here in the flesh. I was pretty convinced I was about to be tortured and dumped somewhere in the Atlantic for my body to be eaten by the sharks.”

“Don't talk that way.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “I've already lost my big brother once. I don't even want to think about losing you again.”

“You're not going to.” Michael took another couple bites of pizza, downed half his Coke, then set the plate and the drink
down on the glass end table beside them. “From what I hear, I'm not the only one who had a rough few days recently. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you, Emily. Sorry we couldn't overload on ice cream and chocolate syrup like we've always done when one of us has a bad day.”

“I missed that too. Missed
you
.” Emily smiled, but the mark of pain was clear in her eyes. “With everything still so fresh in my mind, I have a feeling a few ice cream sessions would be in order.”

“You know I'll be there.”

“Good, because while I might have stopped loving Charlie a long time ago, I'm still struggling to shake the feelings of betrayal, and now there's the never-ending guilt of shooting him. I don't know. I'm not sure that will ever completely go away.”

“Maybe not completely, but it'll get better eventually.” Michael glanced across the room at Mason. “Though I've heard there's a bright spot in your life now.”

Emily blushed and let her gaze follow his.

“I've been told the two of you have become pretty cozy since I . . . since I died.”

“Your
death
is what changed him. It made him look at life differently, and in a way brought us together. I'm sure he'll tell you about it, but yeah. He makes me happy. Very happy.”

“Do you love him?”

Emily fingered the floral pattern on the lamp shade beside them, the blush deepening. “Love's a strong word, especially since it all happened so fast and so recently. If it's not there yet, it's certainly headed that direction. It's funny how something can be completely unexpected, and yet end up being exactly what you were looking for.”

“You know he's been in love with you for years.”

“And I heard rumors that you tried to convince him I wasn't interested.”

“It was true at the time, wasn't it? He was a cop, and you said you'd never date a cop. Besides that, he didn't share your faith, and you were way out of his league.”

“All except my being out of his league
was
true.”

“I just hate knowing what you had to go through to bring the two of you together.”

“Everything that happened only confirms that while I might be a Hunt, saving the world over the pursuit of justice isn't my cup of tea. I'll never again complain about grading papers and all of the other mundane things that teachers have to do.”

Michael laughed. “You're a great teacher, and while I can't promise to stop teasing you, I'm glad you're happy.”

“Right now I'm happy because my brother's alive.”

“I second that. And while you're feeling so generous, maybe you can talk to Olivia and put in a good word for me.”

“Worried your charm and good looks aren't enough?” she teased.

“No. Just worried I might lose the best thing that's come around in a very long time.”

Olivia stared into the bathroom mirror, wishing she could erase the bags under her eyes. At least she felt better. She'd scrubbed her body and hair again, hoping there were no longer any traces of the smoke left from Felipe's cabin. If only it were that easy to erase the haunting memories she now carried with her as well. But nothing she could do would change what had happened over the past few days. Nothing could bring Felipe back or change the fact that her father wasn't who she'd believed him to be.

But while the long soak in the Jacuzzi had left her feeling human again, she couldn't help but wonder if the Hunt girls' generous donation of clothes—along with their suggestion for
her to take her time—didn't have more to do with their needing to grill Michael on who he'd just brought home. She'd seen the caution in Avery's eyes and even in his father's eyes. They wanted to know—and rightly so—where Antonio Valez's daughter and son's loyalties lay.

Olivia put on some mascara, finishing off with a light coat of lipstick. Honestly, she couldn't blame them. She anticipated their questions—expected them. If they were as loyal as Michael had implied, then they weren't going to take Olivia and Ivan at their word and let them into their confidence. Not if there was any chance at all that they might be working for the enemy.

She pulled a coral-colored zippered hoodie over the long-sleeved white T-shirt they'd gotten her, then zipped it up halfway. There had been another thing she'd noticed, sitting in the living room with Michael's family. Despite the accumulation of loss and uncertainty that still hovered between them, she'd seen the strong bond of love and loyalty that Michael had spoken of. It reminded her of those longings in her own life for that sense of family she'd never experienced beyond her church family. Something she never thought she'd have.

But she couldn't forget that when all this was over, the people in that room—Michael included—were going to go back to their own world. A world that, as the daughter of a known criminal, she'd never fit into.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the living room, shutting the bedroom door behind her, surprised at how they'd managed to transform the room into a workstation in such a short time.

Michael crossed the room, carrying a piece of pizza and a Coke. “Hungry?”

“Not really.”

“There's plenty left if you do get hungry. I was about to send in a posse to check on you.”

She smiled. “I'm fine, and feel tons better, actually.”

He'd shaved and changed into a pair of black jeans and a green, long-sleeved T-shirt, making her heart tumble just a little bit deeper over the edge. Looking up at him and his now-familiar smile brought memories of watching him sleep while worrying about his fever, listening to him share about his family, and more recently, eating pancakes together before the sun rose.

Had that only been this morning?

Because everything had changed now. His family was here, and he didn't have to watch over her anymore. Anything she'd thought had passed between them was more than likely due to the intense emotional strain they'd all faced over the past few days. Nothing more.

Then why was her heart telling her that she wanted more?

She fought to dismiss the question. “Where's Ivan?”

“My sister put your brother to work. Apparently, he's some kind of computer genius. There were several encrypted files in the information I gave them, and he's trying to hack into them.”

“Ivan is brilliant with computers.” She looked up at him, wishing she could squelch her insecurities. “I hope that will add a few brownie points in our favor.”

He reached out and squeezed her hand, sending chills up her arm. “Hey, you don't need brownie points with them, and you certainly don't need brownie points to impress me. You've already done that. But even Tory's impressed with his skills, and from what I gather, it takes a lot to impress Tory.”

“Who's Tory?”

“She's a part of my sister's homicide team. Avery brought her in to help.”

“Is that wise? She could lose her job over this.”

“It was her choice. She wants to help.”

“Even knowing who I am?”

“You mean knowing who your father is.”

“Yes—” She looked up at him, knowing he was trying to make her feel better. “And I don't expect them to trust me, Michael. But I would like to help. What can I do?”

“First, you should eat something. It's been hours since we had breakfast.”

“You sound like the old ladies at my church. Whenever there's a death or a tragedy, the solution is always to eat.”

He smiled. “I'd say they're right.”

“Fine, but after that, I want to help, Michael. I can't just sit around here waiting for this to be over.”

“Avery would like to ask you some questions when you're ready . . . if you're ready.”

“Of course. I'll grab some of that pizza and be right there.”

While Olivia got herself some lunch, Michael sat down near his sister, ready to get to work himself. Five file boxes covered the floor, besides a number of pulled files. “What are all of these boxes?”

“Files and paperwork relating to your case.”

“My case?” His brow furrowed. “All of this?”

“I've spent the past eight months digging up everything related to your death and what you were working on at the time. I ended up turning my basement into something of a crime scene lab. Photos, timelines, key points of the case . . . I've got it all.”

“Why?”

“Because I couldn't handle the accusations against you.” He'd rarely seen Avery cry, but today he didn't miss the tears pooling in her eyes. “I . . . I couldn't handle the rumors and lies that were being spread about you, and I thought that finding answers to your death would help bring about the closure we all needed. But I always knew the rumors weren't true. I knew
you weren't the kind of man who would ever sell out his family, the force, your country, over money.”

“Thank you. For believing in me.”

Avery brushed away the tears, then squeezed her brother's hand. “I always have, and I always will.”

As Avery released Michael's hand, Olivia walked into the living room with a glass of water and a couple pieces of pizza on a paper plate. She slowed to a stop, a tentative look on her face. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all,” Avery said.

Michael motioned for her to join them. She sat down next to him, her arm lightly brushing his as she put her glass on the nearby table. A wave of protectiveness rushed through him. He reached over and gave her hand a quick, gentle squeeze.

She smiled at him, then turned toward Avery and took a deep breath. “Avery, I know you have no reason to trust me or my brother, but I want you to know that everything I've told Michael . . . and everything I tell you . . . I swear it's the truth. My father . . . I can't say we were close or that he was around much, but he was my father. I saw what I wanted to see.”