The Adventurer (2 page)

Devon hadn’t been that lucky.

The thought of another stint in the Box scared Devon to death, but he could take it a lot better than poor Tommy could. Devon decided that as soon as he got Larkin and Roberto back to the dorm room, he’d march into the office and take full responsibility for the vandalism. He’d tell old Hogman that Tommy had tried to stop him. Devon would be put back into the Box but Tommy would be free. A hushed whisper broke into Devon’s thoughts. “Everyone went away, ” Roberto was saying. “

“Do you think we can go now? “

Devon studied the deserted courtyard. “Maybe. I’ll go out first. Wait for my signal. ” ‘ The two boys nodded somberly and Devon eased out of the brush. He stood there a moment, then slowly crossed the grass toward the disfigured wall of the administration building. A white glint caught his eye. Devon’s heart sank as he scooped up the inhaler. Without the medicine Tommy might get real sick, so Devon knew he had to hurry. After making sure that the coast was clear, he lifted two fingers into the air. The bushes behind him rustled and Devon led his scared roommates back toward the dormitory Forty-five minutes after Tommy had been dragged away, Roberto and Larkin were safely in their room and Devon was careering across the campus, mentally rehearsing his speech and clutching the precious inhaler. He sprinted around the south wing of the administration building and jerked to a stop. For a moment, he stared stupidly at the ambulance that was parked at the entrance with red lights flashing. Then a pair of white-coated medics wheeled out a gurney. A brown ponytail peeked from beneath the concealing shroud.

Devon’s world would never be the same.

Chapter One. Devon Monroe hefted his stuffed duffel, stepped into the transit and wearily allowed a shoving mass of exiting passengers to sweep him into the pulsing LAX concourse. Beside him, a young woman emitted a delighted shriek and propelled herself into the joint embrace of a smiling, grayhaired couple. Devon’s journalistic eye glimpsed a CSU sticker on the woman’s havenack and absently deduced that she was probably a college student returning to her parents’ home for summer break. A nervous businessman brushed by, polished heels clicking a direct path toward a cluster of public telephones. Since the plane had landed twenty minutes late, Devon figured the agitated fellow must have cut his schedule too close and, judging by his bulging valise and the perspiration beading his tight brow, was about to botch a career-breaking appointment In truth Devon didn’t give a tinker’s damn about the businessman’s problems or the young woman’s summer vacation Snap judgments were a hazard of his profession and a critical eye on his surroundings had kept him alive to report newsworthy events from the world’s most volatile locations Fourteen hours ago he’d been dodging mortars in the crumbling ruins of a Baltic city emersed in bloody civil war. Now he’d been transported into a place where people were incensed by a malfunctioning traffic light and missing a business appointment was a tragedy exceeded only by the horror of a dinged BMW Stepping out of the crushing human stream, Devon sagged against a secluded wall, squeezed his stinging eyes shut and massaged his gritty lids. In a war zone, where staying alive was all that mattered, people at least had their priorities straight.

“Welcome home, Mr. Monroe. “

Startled, Devon dropped his hand, lowered his gaze and stared into a pair of vaguely familiar ocean green eyes.

The lovely eyes crinkled with her smile. “You don’t remember me. “

Swallowingthe heartfelt denial that teetered on the tip of his tongue, he settled for a lackadaisical shrug. “Sorry. “

Her smile widened to reveal a striking il ash of even white teeth.

“There’s no reason to apologize. Our last meeting was ” brief, and, if I recall, not particularly memorable. She extended a slim hand. ” I’m Jessica Newcomb, your father’s executive assistant. ” Devon straightened, staring rudely before remembering to accept her proffered hand. “Of course, ” he murmured, comparing her delicate features with the sophisticated beauty he now recalled. The meeting she’d mentioned may not have been memorable for her but Devon had never forgotten the elegant blonde who’d measured him coolly then dismissed him without a second glance. He’d been irritated but not surprised , having already assumed that anyone who owned a luxurious Century City condominium, drove an expensive sports car and was always tastefully dressed in the latest designer fashions probably fed on money like a vulture on carrion. But that was then. Now Devon’s gaze slid the length of her, openly measuring her subtle transformation. Her loose, oversize outfit was decidedly out of vogue and her hair was different-shorter, fluffier and a slightly lighter shade. She was also thinner and her exquisite sea foam eyes had lost the insolent sparkle that had both annoyed and intrigued him. “You’ve changed, ” he announced, more curtly than intended Her smile faded into a tight line. “You haven’t. ” There was a brief flash of pain in her eyes, along with a revealing glint of vulnerability that startled him. He considered apologizing for his trademark bluntness but discarded the notion when he noticed her contemptuous appraisal of his rumpled travel fatigues. Wrinkling her nose, she encompassed his attire with a regal swish of her hand. “Perhaps you’d like to freshen up before going on to the hospital? ” ‘ He would have killed for a hot shower. “Later, after I’ve seen my father. ” When she hiked one golden brow, he thought she was going to argue the point. He almost hoped that she would. He was tired, cranky, so dirty he itched and hungry enough to eat those pricy kidskin boots she was wearing-in other words, he was spoiling for a good fight. Unfortunately, Miss. Newcomb chose not to accommodate his basic instincts. Instead, she acquiesced with a condescending smile and shifted her gaze to his bloated duffel. “

“Did you check any luggage? “

“No. ” “Very well. The parking garage is this way. ” She lifted her pert nose as though avoiding an unpleasant odor and glided through the crowded concourse without a backward glance, just as she’d done during their last illfated meeting. The fact that she expected Devon to trot along like an obedient puppy irked the hell out of him. If he hadn’t been so damned exhausted, he’d have turned left instead of right, rented himself a car and taken off on his own. But then he wouldn’t be able to watch the sway of her lean hips as she swiveled through the bustling swarm.

With a pained sigh, he followed.

Jessica felt rather than heard Devon fall into step behind her. For a moment she’d thought he might brush her off and disappear into the crowd. Part of her had hoped he would; the other part would have been disappointed. For Crandall , of course. Certainly not for herself. Her boss’s estranged son was obviously the same unshaven vagabond she remembered-arrogant, brash and irritable. That judgment was confirmed as they waited for the parking garage elevator. Devon glowered at the luggage carousels and muttered, “I don’t need a lousy chauffeur. ” “No one needs a lousy chauffeur. Fortunately, I happen to be a very good one. “

He regarded her sullenly. “Let’s not and say we did, okay? “

She blinked. “Excuse me? ” A jarring bell signaled the elevator’s arrival. Sighing, he hefted the duffle and followed her inside. “I’m sure you had no choice about this assignment, so how about I just rent a car and let you go on with your business. ” The offer was tempting. Unfortunately, this airport courtesy call concealed a deeper motivation, one Jessica wasn’t yet ready to reveal. “It seems rather extravagant to waste money on a rental when there are several vehicles at the house. ” His lip curled in an unappealing smirk. “My father would be apoplectic to hear his gated Bel-Aire estate referred to as a common house. ” Instantly angry, Jessica dropped the pretense of civility. “You’ve spent three days with him in five years. How dare you presume to know him? “

Devon’s jaw sagged only an instant before his eyes flashed blue fire.

“Who the hell do you think you are, lady? You don’t know squat about my father and even less about me. “

“Your father is a kind and decent man. I’ve worked with him for-”

“Have you lived with him? ” Devon growled. “Do you know what it’s like to be the son of a man who doesn’t even know you’re alive? ” Suddenly his eyes widened and he spun around, but not before Jessica recognized the pain he’d inadvertently revealed.

Her anger drained away. “I’m sorry. You’re right, of course. “

The elevator jerked to a stop. Devon exited before the doors had completely opened. He dropped his duffle, raked his hair, jammed his fists against his slim hips and stared at the oily concrete floor. Regretting her outburst, Jessica swallowed hard, squared her shoulders and came up beside him. “I was out of line Mr. Monroe. I apologize. ” ‘ He fixed her with a narrowed gaze. “Where’s the car? “

She sighed, murmured, “This way, ” and led him down the sloped corridor.

Obviously, this wasn’t going to be easy. Despite the fact that she personally found Devon Monroe to be brusque to the point of rudeness with an annoying vocabulary that was blunt, coarse and occasionally crude, she charitably allowed that the judgment might be somewhat biased. After all, they’d only spent a few hours together and that had been two years ago during his last trip to Los Angeles. For Jessica, that had been quite enough. She remembered how excited Crandall had been, confiding a hope that his son’s visit signaled a truce and a willingness to ease the strain that had always marred their relationship. It hadn’t. Devon had hobbled home on crutches, surly as a thwarted billy goat. When he’d left abruptly days before his scheduled departure, Crandall, whose feigned dispassion hadn’t fooled Jessica, had once more immersed himself in work. She still didn’t know exactly what had happened between the two men and was mulling over that when a hunter green glint caught her eye. “This is it, ” she told Devon, gesturing to the twenty-year old Jaguar that was her pride and joy. Pulling out her car keys, she opened the trunk to receive his duffle. He eyed the gleaming vehicle with undisguised scorn. “Why am I not surprised? ” Exasperated, she propped a weary hip against the sleek fender and folded her arms. “Do you harbor a seething resentment against imports? ” “Nope. ” He slung the bulging bag into the roomy trunk and brushed his hands together. ” I owned a Hyundai once. Not particularly prestigious but it got me where I wanted to go. ” It didn’t take a Ph. D. to realize that prestigious was the operative word in that statement but Jessica was too tired to care. She unlocked the passenger door without comment, slammed the trunk and was opening the driver door when Devon suddenly leaned over the low-slung roof. His penetrating gaze reflected worry and a hint of fear. “My father…is he all right? ” Touched by the unexpected display of concern, she was barely able to suppress an urge to reach out to him. Instead , she tightened her grip on the open door. “Crandall is doing very well. The doctors expect to release him in the next day or so. “

Devon pursed his lips and frowned. “So soon? “

“As I told you on the telephone, it was a mild heart attack There doesn’t seem to have been any permanent damage”

“This time. “

She scrutinized his bland expression and saw no trace of sarcasm. “I think Crandall understands that the attack was a warning to slow down and make some changes in his life. “

Devon’s upper lip twitched. “He didn’t want you to call me, did he? “

Taken aback by the accurate assessment, Jessica responded automatically, without considering that the truth might be hurtful. “No, he didn’t. But I thought you’d want to know. ” ‘ An exquisite sadness clouded Devon’s eyes as he studied his distorted reflection in the waxed roof. “Yeah. Thanks. ” ‘ The clipped words were issued with a gentle gratitude that was both startling and touching. The brooding man was an enigma, yet Jessica suspected that beneath the crust of gruff indifference lurked a tender heart with a capacity to feel both love and pain. She wondered why he expended so much effort to conceal that. Even now his handsome features were chiseled into a dispassionate mask with his stubbled jaw clenched, sculpted lips stretched into a tight, hard line. Only his eyes gave him away, perhaps because he was too exhausted by the grueling trip to maintain the obscure visual shield she remembered Suddenly Devon raked his tousled brown hair, took a shuddering breath, then yanked open the car door and folded his six-foot-plus frame into the passenger seat. Taking the cue, Jessica slid in beside him, wincing as a sharp pain reminded her that she’d moved too quickly. She caught her lower lip between her teeth, absently massaging the ribs just below the throbbing scar.

“Are you all right? ” Devon asked without turning his head.

She yanked her hand away, wondering if he had an extra set of eyes hidden behind his earlobes. “

“Ah.. sure. Fine.

Just a muscle cramp” When he made no further comment, she fastened her shoulder harness and began the arduous routine of coaxing the recalcitrant engine to life. After depressing the clutch, she shifted into neutral, pumped a squirt of fuel into the touchy carburetor and hit the ignition. The Jaguar whined, turned over once and died. After repeating the process three times, the engine coughed to life. Intensely aware that Devon was staring at her, she allowed the engine to rev until the sound changed from a high pitched scream to a mellow chug. Then she pasted on a stiff smile and turned to her incredulous passenger. “Buckle up, ” she said cheerfully. Devon stared. “Are you aware that some cars actually start as soon as the key is turned? ” “Ralph has always been independent, ” she replied, affectionately patting the padded dash. ” Besides, I’ve never had any use for wimpy cars that poop along on the freeway and go into shock every time you shift into passing gear He cocked his head, listening. “I hate to burst your bubble but it sounds like old Ralph needs a new set of plugs. ” ‘ “You’re absolutely right. That’s on my agenda for the weekend. Now if you’ll fasten your seat belt, we’ can be on our way. ” Devon stretched his lean legs under the roomy dash and tossed a lazy arm over the tan leather backrest. “I don’t like seat belts. Too confining.

“

“I’m sorry to hear that but Ralph insists that all of his passengers buckle up. ” Seeing the resistant glint in Devon’s irked eyes, she smiled sweetly.