Now You See Me (13 page)

“After what’s happened today, I thought it might be a good precaution.”

She returned to the couch. “The police will arrest Downing soon, right?”

Not soon enough.
Brad kept that to himself. “How did he say his family had been taken?”

“Former cellmate of Ramsey’s. Said the guy had sent him pictures of his family to prove they were still alive.” She shook her head and the scent of her freshly shampooed hair had him sliding closer.

“That’s probably not the case.” Brad didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts but the look on Kate’s face told him she’d been thinking the same thing. “But you shouldn’t be concentrating on this right now. Let’s get you to bed. You need to get some sleep.”

She gripped his hand before her could move. “I couldn’t sleep. Not now. Not yet.” Her warm body curled toward his, her head seeking his shoulder.

Brad wrapped his arms around her, offering reassurance the only way he knew how. And with her warm breath whispering against his neck, he knew he was in deep.

How one woman could have wrapped herself around his heart so quickly, he didn’t know. And why he didn’t mind it confounded him even more. What had happened to his firm decision to keep everyone at bay? If no one got close, he wouldn’t go through the pain of losing them again. His heart would remain his own.

But Kate had gotten close in a short amount of time and losing her…it couldn’t happen. He wouldn’t let Ramsey take another woman in his life.

Anticipation climbing, Ramsey stuck the key in the lock of the old house. Downing breathed over his left shoulder but he easily dismissed the man, his focus solely on the woman inside.

The wood beneath his feet creaked but Ramsey only smiled. Downing couldn’t have picked a better dump. With the door open, he aimed the flashlight inside first, illuminating the damaged plank flooring. He couldn’t be sure Kate was still tied up. She struck him as quite resourceful.

“I left her tied to a chair in the room off the kitchen. Guess it was the living room at one time,” Downing whispered.

“Just shut up.” Ramsey didn’t want the guy spoiling the moment, that sweet second when the light would fall on Kate’s face and she would see her fate.

So he edged his way into the house, carefully easing around each corner. When the beam of light swept across the chair, Ramsey smiled. “How well do I know you, Kate?”

“Where is she?” Downing’s voice squeaked on the question.

“You didn’t really expect her to still be sitting there, did you?” Ramsey shoved him out of the way. “Just stay back. I’ll find her. She’s in here somewhere.”

“She has to be.” The hysteria had intensified. “This whole house is boarded up. No chance of escape. I made sure of it.”

Ramsey ignored him and turned around to face the kitchen. Now that he knew she was free, his guard went up. He hadn’t come this far to lose her now. He needed her, and not just because it had been a long time since he’d felt the last breath of life leave a woman’s body.

Warden Jericho had a thing for Kate Elliott. He’d seen it in the man’s eyes when Jericho had visited his cell. Ramsey had waited so long to discover the warden’s weakness. It would be such a pleasure to kill her now, to know Jericho suffered again because he couldn’t save another woman he loved.

Practically dizzy with eagerness, Ramsey picked up the pace. “Kate, where are you? There’s no use in hiding. It’s just you and me.” He didn’t count Downing as part of the equation.

He searched the entire house room by room without finding her. His temper began a slow boil. If Downing had double-crossed him, he’d gut the guy like a fish. Ramsey circled back to the kitchen, sweeping the flashlight over every inch of the curling linoleum.

The light illuminated each wall, the door, before he whipped it back to an empty area beside the dilapidated counter. Was that a hole? He walked closer, peered in. No one could fit through there. It was too small. A better look had him bellowing with rage.

Downing’s shoes slapped against the floor as he came running. “What is it? What’s happened?”

Ramsey pointed to the hole. “The hole, Downing. Looks to be big enough for Kate, doesn’t it?”

“That wasn’t there before.” Downing stumbled backward, his hands outstretched. “I swear that wasn’t there. I checked this house over top to bottom.”

Getting a closer look, Ramsey grimaced. “The wood’s been battered. She sure is a resourceful little thing, isn’t she?” He tapped his chin with one finger. “Well, let’s see. If she got free, who would she run to?”

Realization dawned on Downing’s face and he extended both hands as though to ward off an attack. “I’ll give you the address, but I’m not going to Brad’s house.”

Ramsey smiled. “Sure you are. You’ll be the perfect decoy.”

Brad sat beside Kate on the couch, watching as she sipped her tea. He couldn’t help but focus on the bump on her forehead. “Let me get you some aspirin. That bump looks painful.”

Her hand covered his, stilling his movement. “It doesn’t hurt. Really. I’d tell you if it did.”

He stretched one arm along the back of the sofa and Kate leaned into him again, a move as natural as breathing. When had this become so comfortable, being alone with her like this?

“Do you think once the police catch Downing, this will all be over?”

His hand lowered to her shoulder. “That’s my hope.” He still wasn’t taking any chances, though, not until he knew all danger to Kate had been eliminated.

She sighed, shifted even closer, if that was possible. “Who knew that days after our first prickly meeting we’d be sitting here like this?”

“I did.” He grinned when she looked surprised. “Women have a hard time resisting me. It’s part of my natural charm, and I knew it was only a matter of time before you gave in to it.”

Kate rolled her eyes, chuckling. “Not to try to edge your big ego out of the way, Mr. Jericho, but you didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat when you summoned me to your office. I didn’t see even a hint of charm.”

“That’s because I didn’t trust Ramsey. He’d gone so long without wanting any media attention, and to ask to see you so suddenly, it didn’t make sense. I knew he was up to something.”

The “I told you so” hung in the air unspoken. Kate began to edge away from him but his hand gripped her shoulder. “I wasn’t trying to point a finger.”

“Maybe not, but I heard the accusation in your voice.” She wiggled out of his embrace and turned to face him. “You think if I hadn’t interviewed Ramsey, none of this would have happened.”

“I think Ramsey is clever and conniving. He saw your picture in the paper and wanted you. If you’d refused him, he would have figured out another way.”

“A way that might not have gotten you involved.”

“That’s not what I said.” Brad scooted to the edge of the cushion.

“I’m pretty good at reading between the lines.”

“Dammit, Kate, stop it. This isn’t about who is right or wrong. The situation is here, and we just have to deal with it.” From the corner of his eye he saw her pulling even farther away, backing to the farthest portion of the sofa.

“Why did you get involved, Brad?” The words edged out in a whisper-quiet voice.

He shot her a glance. “What kind of question is that? You were in danger.” Inwardly he was practically begging her not to push the issue, to just drop the subject. He didn’t want to dig any deeper, to go searching for reasons he didn’t want to examine up close.

Those hazel eyes jabbed him. “You didn’t know me and you weren’t a cop anymore. So you had no responsibility to me. That’s why police officers get paid, not you.”

His clasped hands dropped down between his knees. “I’m probably going to regret asking, but where are you going with this?”

“I’m not sure, honestly, just wondering if you’re trying to atone for your guilt.”

His gaze whipped to her face. “What in the hell does that mean?” Muscles knotted so tight they hurt. He didn’t want her to answer the question, already reading the response in her eyes.

She shook her head, lowered her gaze. “Nothing. I should be grateful instead of trying to appease my curiosity.”

“It’s not just curiosity, Kate. It’s your bread and butter.” Bitterness dripped from every syllable as he pushed himself to his feet. “Everything is a story to you, and I’m sure even all of this is going to appear on the front page of
The Chronicle
once you’re safe.”

“Oh yes, the readers will be on the edge of their seats reading about how I kicked out a dryer vent to escape a serial killer, how I sought shelter with a man I barely knew because I was too scared to stay alone, and the true reason behind that man’s decision to help me.”

He whipped around. “You think this has something to do with Hannah. That because I couldn’t save her, I’m determined to save you.”

“Doesn’t it?” She challenged him, rising to stand in front of him.

“Would it matter if it did? Isn’t your life more important than my reasons?”

“You can’t make up for what happened in the past. And you’re not to blame for Hannah’s death.” Kate tightened the sash of the robe and walked around the couch. “But I’m glad Ramsey afforded you this opportunity.” She left the room before Brad could say anything else.

His shoulders dropped. There hadn’t really been anything left to say. In truth, he would question his motives if he were in her shoes. Regardless of the why, it wouldn’t stop him from doing everything he could to save her.

Maybe he
was
seeking some sort of redemption. Now that the light had been shed on the darkest part of his past, he couldn’t switch it off. Hannah had meant everything to him. She’d come along at a time when his parents thought they were finished having kids. Eighteen years her senior, Brad had watched over her like she was his own daughter.

Until that one night when he couldn’t. When he didn’t.

Kate blamed her actions on nerves. She shouldn’t have delved into Brad’s past. He’d shared a piece of it with her and she’d thrown it back in his face. In reality, it didn’t matter why he was protecting her. She was grateful, but her reporter’s instincts sometimes got the best of her.

Dropping down on the edge of the bed in the guest bedroom, she lowered her head into her hands for a moment. No, this wasn’t just about her career. She wanted Brad’s reasons for protecting her to be about more now. She didn’t want to be the only one whose emotions had gone haywire.

She’d given up on believing her feelings for Brad were just about gratitude. Something stirred within her each time he touched her, and the time frame didn’t matter. Her parents had married three weeks after meeting, and over forty years later they’d proven time had no meaning when it came to love.

Love? That one word used to scare the world out of her, but here she was actually considering it. And her unrestrained feelings had her lashing out at Brad instead of telling him the truth, not that now was the time for heartfelt conversations. But there was one thing it
was
time for.

Her heart heavy, she got to her feet. Brad hadn’t deserved the subtle attack. She owed him an apology. He was doing everything within his power to keep her safe, regardless of his own feelings. She’d just have to keep hers under wraps until her life resumed some form of normalcy. Maybe then she could consider her future.

Brad stood at the window only after he’d pried himself away from the door of the bedroom where Kate hid out. He’d listened for any signs of distress. The last thing he wanted was to be the reason she cried any more tonight.

A movement across the lawn caught his gaze and his eyes narrowed, focusing on the shadow. He couldn’t make out any solid form. Heading to the front door, he was two steps away when his cell phone beeped.

He tugged it from the front pocket of his slacks, checked the caller ID and for a long moment could only stare. Blinking to clear his vision, he focused on the name showing up above the number, thinking it had to be some kind of joke.

David Downing wouldn’t actually have the nerve to call him. Yet the name continued to blink in pale-green letters.

Brad swallowed the lump of pure fury congealing in his throat and he glanced over his shoulder to make sure he was still alone before answering the call. “Where in the hell are you?”