Suddenly a Spy (17 page)

“Don’t know. I threw a bowl at her head
before she could really say.”

Rick made a face that was somewhere between
disbelief and a laugh.

“How did you get packed so quickly?”

“Vance hit the panic button a few minutes
before you called.”

“He must have done that before I clocked him
with the cutting board.”

“I’m looking forward to hearing this
one.”

Veronica nodded. She wondered if she could
even explain it all; everything had happened so quickly. The only
thing she really wanted to do at the moment was touch Rick. She
glared at the gearshift in between them. For such a small car, it
felt like a great chasm. Since she couldn’t curl up in his lap, she
settled for resting her hand on his shoulder as she began to
recount the details of the evening.

“Rick, he told Vance he was in love with me,”
she circled back to what bothered her most about the whole thing as
he pulled into the train station.

“Are you expecting me to shed a tear for
him?” he asked as he pulled their bags from the car.

“No, but some modicum of sympathy might be in
order.”

“What if I told you that Adrianna loved
me?”

Veronica narrowed her eyes but was not
deterred. “She doesn’t though. She said as much—she just wants to
prove she wasn’t duped.”

“But if she did, would you show her
pity?”

“Maybe.”

“Liar.”

“It’s like
Phantom of the Opera
,”
Veronica decided as Rick ordered their tickets.

“Really? How so?”

“He’s my Phantom.”

“You think?”

Veronica nodded in satisfaction. He seemed to
understand that. He’d always felt compassion for Phantom’s
loneliness.

“I have just one problem with that,” he
ushered her towards their train.

“Where are we going?” she wondered as he led
her back to their cabin.

“Greece. It was the next train leaving.”

“I’ve always wanted to see Greece,” she sank
onto the bed in their sleeper cabin as he set the bags down and
locked the door.

“Don’t you want to know my problem with your
theory?” he licked his lips then slightly pursed them in a way he
often did when trying to decide whether to be amused or irritated
with her.

“What’s your problem with it?”

“You always said things would have turned out
differently for Phantom if you were Christine.”

“Oh. Right. That was a bad analogy.”

“In fact, you used to say that if Phantom had
been just a little less crazy, he would have won Christine.”

“It was actually a really horrible reference.
Nothing like this situation.”

“Wasn’t Phantom the interesting one?” he took
a step towards her and she instinctively scooted away from him.

“That was really one of the dumber things
I’ve said in life.”

He stood in front of her, their legs
touching. She looked up at him, her throat suddenly dry.

“And I’ve said some really dumb things in my
life.”

“Ron.”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.”

Ronnie nodded, licking her lips out of
nervousness. She had no idea what he wanted to do to her. In one
quick motion, he’d gathered her hands in one of his own, holding
them above her head as he pinned her to the bed.

After being deprived of his touch for so
long, to have him lying on top of her now sent shockwaves of desire
ricocheting through her. And because she didn’t know what his
intentions were, that made her furious.

“What? Are you going to piss on me now to
claim me?”

“Good Lord you’re crass, woman. You kiss your
mother with that mouth?”

“What are you going to do to me?” she jutted
her chin defiantly.

“I intend to kiss you, if I can get you to
shut up long enough.”

“Stop telling me to shut up.”

“Ron,” the name was more of a groan. She
stilled, really looking in his eyes for the first time. In them,
she saw amusement. She saw desire. She saw love. She stayed quiet
long enough for him to kiss her.

Her entire body instinctively arched into
him. He used his free hand to greedily roam her every curve. She
pulled her hands loose to sink them into his hair.

If there was something a little decadent in
flirting with Marko because he was so wrong, being with Rick was
exhilarating because everything about him was so incredibly
right.

“I don’t care who he is, he can’t have you,”
Rick whispered against her chest later as they lay in a satiated
heap while the train rocked and swayed them across the border into
Greece.

“No, he can’t have me,” she agreed. “Because
I’m yours.”

She dozed off, glad her cover was blown if it
meant she could sleep wrapped in Rick’s arms.

When she reawakened, she laid still and
simply enjoyed the motion of the train and the feel of his
embrace.

“You talk in your sleep.”

“Anything interesting?” she stretched and
then snuggled deeper in his arms.

“Actually, yes, and that’s all that kept me
sane for the past few weeks. You know we tapped your room?”

She nodded.

“Sometimes at night I would listen to you
dream.”

“Those were some good dreams,” she recalled
with a small smile.

“It helped—hearing you call my name,” he
admitted.

“They helped me get by, too,” she stroked his
cheek. “What are the odds we can just hide out in Greece for a
spell?”

“Pretty good. I want to lay low for a while,
let a few things fall into place before we make our next move.”

“Are those the only reasons you want to stay
in Greece for awhile?”

“You’re the reason I’m not going to do much
sightseeing,” he playfully nibbled at her neck. “Is that what you
wanted to hear?”

Veronica smiled. It was close enough.

Chapter Eighteen

The house Rick found for them was one of many
white houses tucked away on the white cliffs overlooking the sea.
Veronica felt like she was in a postcard. She tried not to look too
much like a tourist but couldn’t help wanting to take everything
in. There was a charm to this little village.

Other than brief contact to assure Vance they
were both safe, Rick and Veronica hid from the world for an entire
week. They left their house only to eat, and even that was
sporadic. For the most part, they took in the view around them and
remained completely absorbed in each other.

“Do we know where we’re going next?” Veronica
wondered one evening, sitting curled up in Rick’s arms and watching
the sky change colors as the sun made its exit.

“Nope. Vance will be by in a few days. We’ll
figure it out then. I’m rather enjoying my current pastime.”

Veronica smiled, knowing she was the pastime.
She was rather enjoying that, too.

“I’m glad you’re blond again,” Rick tugged
playfully at her ponytail.

“You didn’t like the sassy red cut?”

“I prefer this.”

“Me too, actually. But it was fun being
Elizabeth Gorman,” she straddled his lap and rested her arms on his
shoulders. “I have a new appreciation for how difficult it must
have been for you to walk away from Richard Sampson… to go back to
being Rick Sinclair.”

“I’ll take you over Sampson any day,
love.”

Veronica smiled and leaned over to kiss him.
She hovered over his mouth, a thought freezing her in place.
“Sampson.”

“Yes?” Rick furrowed his brow in
confusion.

“Sampson. Like Sampson and Delilah.”

“Are you trying to tell me you sold me
out?”

“No, after that. At the end of the story… he
brought the house down around the Philistines. You know how?” her
eyes were dancing with excitement.

“I’m sure you’ll tell me.”

“The pillars. He knocked out the
pillars.”

“Didn’t he die in the end?” Rick reached into
the recesses of his mind.

“Don’t get distracted. We need to go after
Marko’s pillars.”

“You mean his distribution channels?”

“Exactly,” she smiled triumphantly.

“Okay, now that we’re all speaking English...
that would be New York, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco.”

“Marko will be expecting us to come after him
again.”

“Or hide like sane people.”

“Right, or that. But we won’t do either. If
we take out his major distribution channels, it’ll topple him.”

“You’re just looking for a way out of having
to shoot your boyfriend.”

“Would you stop calling him that?” In truth,
she’d be glad for a bit of distance between herself and Marko until
she could regain proper perspective.

“We’ll be lucky if we can hit one, maybe two,
before he figures it out. Then he’ll have guards all over the
others. They’ll be impossible to touch.”

“But if it’s a coordinated attack, and we hit
a couple at once…”

“It could work,” he considered her
proposal.

“Say we take out San Francisco and make it
known we’re headed to Chicago next. He’ll divert his resources
there, opening the other two up for attack.”

“So we say Chicago and hit Atlanta?”

“No, we’ll actually go after Chicago.”

“You’re a terrible strategist,” Rick informed
her.

“Daddy and Jeff will take out Atlanta while
we’re in Chicago. Then all four of us will take down New York.”

“You want me to ask your dad and brother for
help?”

“I can ask them if you prefer.”

“I’m not okay with asking them.”

“Think of it as asking them to help you with
a home improvement project. I’m sure you’ll repay the favor
someday. It’s what family does.”

“So you think they’ll have an organized crime
syndicate they need help taking out someday?”

“Could happen,” she shrugged. “Or they’ll
need help moving or building a deck or something. It all evens out
in the end.”

“Your logic scares me.”

“With its brilliance,” she finished for him.
“I’ll call them later and just see what they have to say.
Deal?”

“Why not?” he laughed at her ability to
convince him to do things despite his better judgment.

She waited until it was a decent hour in D.C.
then called her father’s cell.

“Veronica?” her mother’s worried voice
greeted her. Ronnie swore softly and then forced a smile in her
voice.

“Hey, mom. How are you?”

“Worried about my daughter, that’s how I am.
Where are you two?”

“Vacationing.”

“You just got back from vacation.”

“Well, we tire quickly.”

Rick made a face at her and she shrugged
helplessly. With a chuckle, he returned his attention back to his
computer.

“You need to come home right away,” her
mother instructed.

“Is something wrong?”

“I was able to get you an appointment with a
fertility specialist. You wouldn’t believe the strings I had to
pull—he comes very highly recommended.”

“Mom, look—the truth about the kid
thing…”

Rick’s head snapped up; he was suddenly
interested in the conversation again.

“Yes?”

Veronica’s resolve waivered.

“Well?” her mother prompted.

“It’s Rick. He’s sterile.”

“You should have told me sooner. I’ve wasted
all this time getting you into doctors.”

“I know Mom, sorry.”

“Keep the appointment. Maybe he can still
help you. There are other ways, you know.”

“Mom. Stop. I’m not having someone else’s
baby. Can I talk to Dad? It’s pretty important.”

Veronica purposefully avoided Rick’s gaze.
She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. The look on his
face was actually quite priceless.

“Ronnie? What’s wrong?” her father was now
the worried voice on the other line.

“Nothing’s wrong, Daddy. We’re fine.”

“I’m not sure I believe you. I don’t like you
guys disappearing with no word or the rumors I’m hearing around the
office. Things were at least quieter with Seth.”

“Seth was a first class jerk, Daddy. Leave
him out of this. I’m actually really happy with Rick. But Daddy,
I’m sorry. I really am sorry for this whole mess; I know it’s been
hard on you.”

“I just wish you’d let me help you,” his
voice softened incrementally. “I’m still your father, you
know.”

“Absolutely. That’s why I’m calling. Rick and
I talked about it, and there is something you could do to help us.
If you’re willing, he’ll send an encrypted file to your office.
Take a look at it and let us know. We thought maybe Jeff could
help, too.”

“Sure, sure,” his entire demeanor changed. He
was needed now, so all the world was right again.

Within twenty-four hours, Sean was in touch
with them again, having reviewed the file and hammered out all the
details with Jeff. While he wasn’t calling Rick son, his attitude
was noticeably warmer; Sean had at least stopped trying to talk
Veronica into an annulment.

“So Daddy, about this whole baby thing…,” she
seized the window of opportunity.

“You’re on your own with your mother,” he
informed her, dashing all hopes he would run interference for her
on that front.

“You don’t have to sound so amused by the
whole thing,” Veronica made a face at the phone. This was the
longest conversation she’d had with her father since the
wedding.

As they found their way back to the easy
relationship she’d once enjoyed, Veronica stood on the balcony,
watching the first stars of the evening dance merrily over the dark
water. The sun had yet to relinquish its claim to the sky; it was
that magical time when the light of day intertwined with the
mystery of night, and both offered up their best fare. The breeze
rolled up off the sea, toying with her hair.

“From where I’m standing, it’s hard not to
laugh,” he brought her back to the conversation.

“Oh, well, thanks…” Veronica noticed her
husband headed towards her. “Rick is motioning at me to wrap this
up. I guess we have to get going. One of us will be in touch in a
few days, alright? Love you,” Veronica barely got the words out
before he was snatching the cell phone out of her hand to hang it
up.