Читать книгу The Prime Objective - Ginna Gray - Страница 8

Kate felt somewhat safer once they entered the trees, but Jack’s pace did not slow. By the time they reached his vehicle, about fifty feet inside the woods, she had a stitch in her side and her lungs were on fire.

In the darkness deep inside the woods she didn’t see the black SUV until she almost bumped into it. At once Kate knew that it was government property and probably specially equipped with the latest surveillance and espionage technology. Agency vehicles were nearly always black or gray and Jack always drove one when he was stateside.

“I’ll stow this with the rifles,” he said, taking the duffel bag from her.

A grateful nod was all Kate could manage. She scrambled into the front seat, put her head back and closed her eyes and gasped for breath, her heart pounding against her ribs.

She felt the vehicle rock when Jack climbed in behind the wheel and started the engine. She had expected him to take off like a bat out of hell. Instead she felt the vehicle ease forward at a crawl.

Kate opened her eyes and sat up straight.

“Aren’t you going to turn on the headlights?”

“Not yet.”

“But…we saw those men drive away.”

“We saw someone drive away. There could have been only one of them in that car. The other one could have stayed behind, hoping you’d think they’d both gone and return to the house. That’s what I would’ve done.”

“Oh.” So much for feeling safe.

Perched on the edge of the seat, Kate gripped the dashboard with both hands and leaned forward, squinting to see through the darkness. The roads that crisscrossed the farm were nothing more than worn, one lane tracks, created by years of driving trucks and farm equipment from one pasture to another. The swath of woods through which they were driving angled across the property from the northeast to the southwest. Trees and forest undergrowth grew right to the edge of the path, in some places so close that low hanging branches scraped the top and sides of the SUV.

“You’re going to hit a tree in the dark,” she cautioned, wincing at a long screech of wood on metal.

“Stop worrying. I have excellent night vision. It’s a requirement in my line of work.”

Yes, Kate thought. It would be for someone who spent a good part of his life prowling the dark alleyways of the world. As always when she allowed herself to consider that part of Jack’s life, an aching knot lodged in her chest.

No. She wouldn’t think about that. Deliberately pushing the image aside, she returned her gaze to the black void beyond the windshield and her attention back to her more pressing problem.

“Back there, how did you know those men hadn’t left?”

“I didn’t. It’s just safer to be prepared for the worst.”

“And that’s the way you want to live your life? Always expecting the worst?” The questions were no sooner voiced than she gritted her teeth. Dammit. You’re doing it again.

“It’s not a matter of want. It’s a matter of necessity. And the operative word is live. Which I’m still doing. So being prepared for the worst must work.”

Kate pressed her lips together and kept silent for the remainder of the drive through the woods.

At the far edge of the forest the track opened onto the dirt road that ran in front of the farmhouse and bisected the property—only this gate was around a curve from the main entrance.

Jack brought the SUV to a stop within the shadows of the trees. Reaching behind the seat, he removed a pair of binoculars from his knapsack and scanned the road in both directions.

“It’s so dark. There’s not even a moon out tonight. How can you see anything through those?”

“They’re night-vision binoculars. I can see everything.” He took his time, examining every inch of the road, every bush, tree and shadow. “It looks clear,” he finally announced and returned the binoculars to the knapsack.

They bumped over the cattle-guard and out onto the road. After a mile or so the dirt lane ended at a paved county road, and Jack turned left. Contrary to Kate’s expectation, he waited until they’d crested a hill and started down the other side before turning on the headlights.

Relaxing her grip on the dash, she sighed and scooted back in the seat, grateful that they would not end up in a bar-ditch or wrapped around a telephone pole. Her relief vanished, however, when she caught Jack checking the rearview mirror every few seconds.

“Are they following?” she asked, checking the passenger side mirror for herself.

“Doesn’t look like it. The road’s empty in both directions.”

“Thank God.”

“Okay, now that the excitement is over, why don’t you finish telling me what’s going on,” he suggested as calmly as though they were discussing the weather.

Kate gritted her teeth. For Pete’s sake. They’d just run for their lives from vicious killers. You’d think the man would at least be a tiny bit agitated. It wasn’t healthy to always be so in control of your emotions.

“As I told you, I have no idea,” she replied with a tad more bite than she’d intended. “Honestly. I don’t,” she insisted when he shot her a skeptical glance. “I was going through my mail when I got a call from my sister and all hell broke loose.”

“Okay, let’s start with that. Tell me, word-for-word if you can, exactly what Colleen said to you.”

“All right. I’ll try.

“It all started Saturday evening around six-thirty. I had been in Dallas all week meeting with buyers for Neiman Marcus and other stores, showing some new designs. I had just gotten home and was sorting through the mail when my cell phone rang. Before I could finish saying hello Colleen started shrieking at me…”

“Kate! Where are you?”

“I’m at home.”

Colleen groaned. Then the words came tumbling out of her, frantic and intense, breathless. “Listen to me, Kate. You have to get out of there right now. They’re on their way over there to kill you!”

“What? Who’s on their way over? What are you talking about?”

“There’s no time to explain. Just go! Go! Get out of the condo!”

“Colleen, for heaven’s sake, will you calm down and tell me what’s going on?”

“Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God,” her sister chanted.

In the background Kate heard the dull rumble of vehicles and horns and other traffic noise, and her unease grew. Colleen was not the most competent of drivers at the best of times. Behind the wheel of a car in her current state she would be a danger to herself and everyone else on the road.

“Colleen. Colleen! Stop that! Snap out of it and talk to me!”

After a couple of hitching breaths her sister continued in a panicked voice, “S-some men came into the store a few minutes ago at closing time looking for us. For you and me. I was in the office when I heard the commotion. I peeked out to see what was going on. Oh, Kate,” she sobbed piteously. “They—they were beating Bobby.”

“What! Who was beating Bobby?”

“I don’t know! I’d nev-never seen them before. But no matter how hard they hit him, Bobby wouldn’t tell them where to find us. So they…they…oh, God, Kate, they shot him!” The last came out on a rising wail of anguish and fear that made the hairs on the back of Kate’s neck stand on end.

“You saw someone shoot Bobby? Oh, my God! Is he…?” Kate bit her lower lip, afraid to finish the question.

“He’s dead,” her sister cried. “When I sneaked out through the connecting door to your studio he was lying facedown in a pool of blood. And we’re next! I heard the one in charge tell the others to go to your condo and take care of us.”

“Oh, my word!” Kate gripped the phone tighter, real fear beginning to ripple through her.

“They’re going to kill us!” Colleen cried, on the verge of hysteria. “Just like they killed Bobby. Now will you please get out of there?”

“Why don’t you just call the police?”

“No!” she screeched. “We can’t do that! I heard them brag to Bobby that their boss has policemen and FBI agents on his payroll who would take care of us themselves if we showed up at either agency.”

“But—”

“No! Don’t you understand? There’s no one we can trust!” With every word Colleen’s tone increased in volume and shrillness, in direct proportion to her growing fear. “I want you to promise me that you won’t contact the authorities. Not any of them.”

“But—”

“Promise me, Kate!” she screeched. “Promise!”

The primal fear that gripped Colleen was palpable, even through the phone. The grating sound of her breathing broke Kate’s heart and sent a chill down her spine. She couldn’t stand for her to be so terrified. “All right. I promise.”

“Oh, thank God,” Colleen panted, and Kate could tell that she was almost faint with relief. “Now get out of there. Now. Please! I’m begging you.”

“Okay. I just unpacked from my trip, but I’ll throw some things in a bag and—”

“No!” her sister shrieked again. “There’s no time to pack! They’ll be there any second. Just go! Go! Go! Now! Go!”

“All right, all right. Calm down. I’m going. But you stay on the line, okay?” Kate grabbed her purse and bolted out of the door, pausing only long enough to lock it behind her. “I’m out. I’m heading for my car.”

“Good. Hurry. And take the stairs. Those men could already be in the elevator.”

“Oh. Right. Good point.” As if on cue, Kate heard the ping of the elevator, located down the hall and around the corner in the center of the building.

It could have been Miss Lula Belle from next door, or one of the other tenants on the seventh floor, but she wasn’t willing to chance it. Reversing course, she made a dash for the fire exit at the opposite end of the hall. Once inside the stairwell she flew down the concrete steps as fast as her feet would move.

“Okay, I’m heading down to the parking garage,” she said into the cell phone. “Now talk to me. What’s going on? What’s behind all this?”

“Oh, God, Kate. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I handled this wrong. This is my fault.”

“What’s your fault? What did you do?”

“I should have told you, no matter how angry it made you. You would have known what to do,” Colleen sniffed. “I see that now. But…well…you said you wanted me to make my own decisions. And I really thought I could handle it. Now look what a mess I’ve made of everything.”

“Handle what? What are you talking about, Colleen?” Kate’s patience was wearing thin, but she strained to hold her temper in check. She knew from experience that if she pushed her sister too hard she would dissolve into hysterical tears and that would be the end of the conversation. Besides, the last thing Kate wanted to do was to upset her any more than she already was. Especially when she was driving.

“Look, take a deep breath and calm yourself. Then explain to me, nice and slow, what has happened.” Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Kate eased the door open a crack and scanned the parking garage. Satisfied there was no one around, she slipped out into the cavernous space and made a dash for her car, beeping open the locks on the way.

“I…I can’t tell you. The less you know, the safer you’ll be.”

Kate detected the obstinate note in Colleen’s voice and almost groaned. Her sister may not have much self-esteem or confidence, but she had stubbornness and guilty conscience down to an art form.

“I’ll handle this,” Colleen declared shakily. “I got us into this mess, and I’ll get us out of it. Somehow. Just go to Tralee and stay out of sight. I’ll call you when I’ve figured it all out.”

“Look, why don’t you meet me somewhere and we’ll both go to the farm. We’ll put our heads together and come up with a plan.”

“No. If we’re together and they track us down we’ll both be killed. If we split up there’s a better chance that one of us will survive.”

“It won’t come to that. C’mon, sis, let me help—”

“No. I’m not going to put you in any more danger than I already have. I’ll take care of this.”

“But—”

“You’re in your car, right?”

“Yes.” Kate realized that her sister had heard the car door close and the engine start. She backed out of her parking slot and headed for the exit. “I’m on my way.”

“Good. Stay safe. And, Kate…I really am sorry.”

“No, wait! Colleen! Don’t hang up!”

Kate looked at Jack and spread her hands in a helpless gesture. “But it was too late. She’d already disconnected.”

“That’s a helluva story.”

“I know it sounds crazy. And I’ll admit, at first I was merely humoring her to calm her down, but the longer we talked the more I began to believe that we both really were in danger.”

“What convinced you?”

The back road ended at State Highway 19, and Jack turned right toward Palestine, but Kate was too distracted to notice.

“For one thing, the state she was in.” She met Jack’s gaze in the dim glow from the dashboard. “I’ve seen and heard my sister when she was afraid before. Hundreds of times. You know what a timid soul Colleen is. But I swear, Jack, this was different. She was terrified out of her mind. Almost incoherent.”

“So you believe that Bobby really was shot? That he’s dead?”

Blinking back tears, Kate nodded. “After tonight, I don’t think there’s any doubt. Poor, sweet Bobby. He never hurt anyone in his life.”

Three generations of Mahaffeys had owned and operated Mahaffey’s Interiors, a wholesale building and decorating supply store in Houston. Bobby Sloan had worked at the store for thirty-six years. Kate’s grandfather had hired Bobby as a favor to his mother, Margaret Sloan, an old family friend.

Bobby had been slow and in many ways childlike, but he’d been hardworking, reliable, honest and he was absolutely loyal. Over the years, especially after Margaret passed away, he had become almost one of the family.

“Where was Ed during all this?” Jack demanded. “Didn’t he come to Bobby’s aid at all? And where is he now? With Colleen?”

“Ed? Why would he—Oh. That’s right. You don’t know. Colleen and Ed are separated. She filed for divorce four months ago.”

“No kidding? Good for her. It’s about time.” Jack frowned and sent Kate a piercing look. “Wait a second. What did that bastard do to her? God knows, Colleen should have kicked Ed’s ass to the curb years ago for the way he treated her, but she didn’t. So what happened that changed her mind?”

Kate twisted her hands together. Her sister was a shy, private person. Humiliated by what had happened and disgusted with herself for not getting out sooner, she wanted to keep the details quiet, but if anyone had a right to know it was Jack. After all, in the past, he had done all he could to protect Colleen from Ed.

“Well?” Jack prodded.

“Five months ago Ed beat Colleen again,” Kate replied in a subdued voice. “Despite your warning, the abuse never really stopped. He was just careful to hit her where the bruises weren’t obvious. This time he nearly killed her.”

Jack shot her a steely-eyed glance. Only the tiny muscle working along his jaw and his white knuckles revealed his anger.

“And?”

“Afterwards he left her, barely conscious, and went out for a drink. To cool off, he said later. And, of course, he blamed the whole thing on her. He said that Colleen had provoked him.

“Yeah, right.” Kate snorted. “Like that was difficult. All she had to do to set him off was exist. The sorry, vicious, lowlife son-of-a—”

“You’re getting sidetracked, Mick. You don’t have to convince me that Ed Baxter’s an asshole. Finish your story.”

“Oh, right. Well…if Colleen hadn’t somehow managed to knock the telephone receiver off the hook and pressed the speed-dial button for my number I’m not sure she would have survived.

“When I picked up the phone all I heard on my end was moaning, so I raced over to their house. I found her on the floor, unconscious and battered. There was blood everywhere and…” Kate closed her eyes. “Let’s just say…she was a mess. I called 911 for the police and an ambulance.

“Thank heavens they got there before Ed came back. The paramedics rushed Colleen to the hospital and the police waited for Ed and arrested him.”

“What kind of damage did he do this time?” Jack asked.

“She had to undergo emergency surgery to repair a tear in her esophagus. He also broke two of her ribs, her collarbone, her nose and cracked her cheekbone. Plus there were various other contusions and cuts and both of her eyes were swollen shut for a couple of days.” Kate shuddered and stared straight ahead into the darkness beyond the windshield. Recalling how her sister had looked still gave her chills.

Jack reached across the space between the seats and gave her arm a squeeze. “She’s lucky she had you.”

“I suppose. But to tell you the truth, once I knew that she would recover, I was furious with her. A part of me still is.

“Dammit, she should have left him long ago. She knew that we—that I would have helped her. But all that worthless animal had to do was shed a few crocodile tears and vow that it would never happen again, and she would forgive him and the whole cycle would repeat itself.

“It was always the same—he would beat her, then be full of remorse, they’d reconcile, there’d be a brief period of him being all lovey-dovey to her, but before long his true nature always emerged and the abuse started again.”

Kate clenched her fists and made an exasperated sound. “It was maddening. And so difficult to watch. I love my sister, but I swear, Jack, most of the time I wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled. Even at the hospital, as concerned about her as I was, I was still angry.

“Something had to be done. I knew that if she stayed in that marriage he would eventually kill her. So that night I took matters into my own hands.

“I had to act fast. I knew that as soon as Ed posted bail he’d be hunting for Colleen.”

“Whatever you did, it obviously worked. How did you convince her?”

“By the time she woke up after surgery I had our attorney at her bedside and round-the-clock off-duty policemen guarding her door.” A wry grimace twisted Kate’s mouth. “Poor thing. I lit into her before she could say a word. I told her that Mr. Atwood had a restraining order and divorce papers drawn up and ready to file. And if she didn’t sign them and give Ed the boot this time I would never speak to her again. That I was through picking up the pieces. From that point forward she would be on her own.”

“Yeah, right. Tell me another one.” The look Jack slanted her way was rife with wry amusement even though his lips didn’t move. “You’re incapable of turning your back on your sister and you know it. Don’t tell me that Colleen fell for that.”

“All she said was, ‘Show me where to sign.’ Actually, she had to write it. She couldn’t talk.”

“Good for her. It’s about time.”

“Yes, well, I have to admit, she was so weak she couldn’t put up much of a fight.

“After David Atwood left to file the petitions I started worrying that Colleen’s quick agreement had been the anesthesia and the pain medication talking, but the next day she was wide awake and still determined. She hasn’t wavered from her decision.

“To be honest, I think she’d already made up her mind on her own. Ed’s violence was escalating, and she realized that she probably wouldn’t survive another attack.”

Jack shook his head. “Talk about learning a lesson the hard way.”

“I know.”

After a short pause Kate added, “There was one bright spot in all this, though. Ed was served with divorce papers, a restraining order and a pink slip all at once while still in jail. And I went along with the process server and watched.”

Jack glanced at Kate and chuckled at the look of hard satisfaction on her face. “I would’ve enjoyed seeing his reaction to that.”

“Trust me, he was livid. All he could do was rage and rattle the bars like the animal he is.

“I made it my business to attend his arraignment, too. At first he pleaded ‘not guilty’, but later, at trial, he changed that to ‘no contest’ after the ADA entered into evidence the photos that I’d taken of Colleen at her home before the medics arrived and at the hospital, before and after surgery.

“Just as I expected, the restraining order turned out to be worthless. The moment Ed bailed out of jail he ignored the order and came storming into the hospital. You wouldn’t believe the scene he created when he tried to charge past the guard. That, fortunately, got him rearrested and his bail revoked. He had to cool his heels in jail until his trial, which was fortunate for Colleen.

“But even from jail he managed to harass us. He called Colleen’s and my cell phones constantly and filled up our voice mail with heavy breathing calls. We both finally had to cancel our phone service and go to prepaid phones just so we could make a call now and then. Trust me, we’ve given those numbers out to only a few key people.”

“Good move. That’s going to work to our advantage. Those things are impossible to trace. If we are dealing with bad cops or agents at least they won’t be able to trace her movements or yours through phone records.”

“Oh, good. We need all the breaks we can get.”

“So…what kind of sentence did Ed receive at trial?”

“Oh, wait until you hear this! Because Colleen had never pressed charges before, the judge treated the case as a first offense. Ed got ninety days in county jail and a severe lecture. Big woo.”

“Has he stayed away from her since he got out?”

“Yes and no. Since his release about a month ago he’s been working for Goldrush Homes, a contact he’d made while working at Mahaffey’s Interiors. Unfortunately, it’s a job that requires him to pick up orders at the store. We went to court and tried to bar him from the premises, but the judge decreed that we couldn’t interfere with his livelihood. However, he does have to give us notice before he makes a pickup so that Colleen can leave the premises.”

“What about when she’s home? If he knows she’s alone in that house what’s to keep him from harming her there?”

“That worried me, too. Which is why I moved her into the condo with me when she was released from the hospital. At the store there are always employees around and I spend as much time there myself as possible.

“I leased the commercial space adjacent to the store and moved my design studio there. I also had a connecting doorway cut through the common wall between my office and Colleen’s. The arrangement has worked out great. I can keep up with my own design work and run my business and still be there for her.”

“You’re kind of delicate for a bodyguard, don’t you think?” Jack drawled.

“Maybe so, but Ed knows that I’m licensed to carry a weapon and that I keep my .38 and a stun-gun with me at all times. He also knows that I won’t hesitate to use either, especially on him.”

“What happens when your business takes you out of town like it did last week?”

“I’ve cut back on traveling as much as I can. In the past four months I’ve managed to limit my trips to two. The rest of the time I’ve sent Jennifer Warren, my assistant. When I absolutely have to be gone Colleen stays with Jennifer at her place.

“I called Jennifer on my way to Tralee. She told me that just a short while earlier Colleen had come flying through the connecting door like a bat out of hell and yelled over her shoulder on her way out the back that she wouldn’t be staying with her that night. Jen was surprised, but she didn’t question her. She didn’t have a chance. The wall between my studio and the store is soundproof, so she didn’t hear the shots or the commotion.”

“How much did you tell her?”

“Not a thing. I just said I was taking some time off and for her to man the office until I returned. I thought the fewer people who knew about this the better.”

“I agree.”

“I could tell that she was curious, though, possibly even a little flustered and upset about having everything dumped on her without notice, but she’ll hold down the fort. She’s the most dependable assistant I’ve ever had.”

They reached the outskirts of Palestine, and Jack turned north off of Highway 19 onto the Loop. “This stuff about the police and FBI agents being involved is worrisome.”

“Do you think it’s true?” Kate asked.

“It’s possible, I guess. I’ve seen people do some pretty awful things for money. On the other hand, those guys could’ve just been bluffing Bobby, trying to make him talk.”

“Maybe. But Colleen is convinced. She got so upset the only way I could calm her, even a little, was to promise that I wouldn’t call the authorities.

“That’s when I knew I had to contact you and ask for help. I’m sorry I’ve involved you, Jack, but I didn’t know what else to do. I have no idea how to deal with this. Or how to find my sister.”

“It’s okay, Mick. I’m glad you sent for me. Really,” he assured her. After a moment he asked, “Have you tried calling Colleen since that night?”

“Only about a hundred times. I’ve left messages, too. But she’s not responding.

“I’m worried, Jack. I have no idea where my sister is.”

Kate’s voice quavered on the last few words. Jack reached across the space between their seats and squeezed her hands, which she was twisting together in her lap.

“Hey, take it easy, Mick. Don’t go borrowing trouble. One thing we know for sure is, they haven’t found her yet. Those guys back there were half expecting her to be with you.”

“That’s true. But all the same, I’m really worried about her, Jack. She’s so timid. She’s not used to fending for herself or being on her own.”

“Take it easy. Colleen may be a gentle soul but she’s smart—just like all you Mahaffey women. We’ll find her. And when we do we’ll get to the bottom of this and straighten everything out.”

Kate put her head back on the neck-protector and closed her eyes, willing her taut muscles to relax. “I hope you’re right.” She turned her head on the rest and looked at Jack’s strong profile. “Thanks again for coming to my rescue. I didn’t know where else to turn.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me, okay? I’m glad you got in touch with me. It’s been a long time.”

The gaze he turned on her held a world of unspoken thoughts and guarded emotions. Kate knew that he was thinking about the last time he had heard from her, but he returned his gaze to the highway and fell silent.

Tension began to creep back into her muscles. She knew Jack. He was biding his time, waiting for the right moment, but sooner or later he would bring up the subject of their divorce and demand some answers. She had known that would happen when she’d sent him that message.

Kate turned her head and gazed out the side window at nothing, her jaw clenched. She owed him an explanation. She knew that. But the last thing she wanted, especially now, was to dissect their marriage and explain her actions to Jack. Doing so would serve no purpose other than to stir up bitter feelings. Their marriage was finished and she’d moved on. She assumed that Jack had done the same.

He’d certainly honored her request that he stay away from her, something she hadn’t really expected he would do.

A tiny frown creased her forehead. How, she wondered, had he known about Uncle Quincy and Aunt Rose’s deaths? She had no doubt that Jack had been working in some armpit country halfway around the world at the time, yet after each death she and Colleen had received flowers and cards from him.

At the traffic signal at the junction of the Loop and the Tyler highway Jack turned left, and for the first time since leaving the woods Kate took note of the landscape on either side of the highway. Her frown returned. “Where are we going? If we’re going to find out anything we have to go back to Houston.”

“And we will. But except for catnaps on government planes, I haven’t slept in over two days.” He shot her a dry look. “And frankly, Mick, from the look of you, I’d say you haven’t, either. And since I don’t want to risk overtaking those two goons on the highway, we’re going to get a hotel room here in Palestine and get some rest, then head for Houston tomorrow.”

“A room? Oh, I don’t think so. If you think I’m sharing a bed with you, Jackson Prime, forget it.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“True. But we’re not married anymore.”

“That wasn’t my choice.”

“Jack—”

“Oh, lighten up, Kate. You’re safe. I’m too tired to seduce you tonight. I’ll get us a room with two beds.”

“But—”

“Sorry. That’s the best I can do. No way am I letting you out of my sight until this is over.”

“But…shouldn’t we start trying to find Colleen?”

“Sweetie, everyone needs to sleep now and then. Even bad guys. This way we’ll start fresh in the morning.”

Kate knew he was right. God knew, she was exhausted, and certainly Jack was after traveling halfway around the world through several time zones. He had to be suffering major jet lag. Still, the need to find her sister ate at her. She doubted she would sleep a wink for worrying.

The hotel that Jack chose was a worldwide, moderately priced chain, but it was the newest and nicest hotel in Palestine.

The instant they entered the room Kate claimed dibs on the shower and disappeared into the bathroom with her duffel bag.

With his hands hooked over his lean hipbones, Jack stared at the closed door with a hint of amusement on his angular face. You can run, sweetheart, but you won’t escape. Our time of reckoning has arrived.

After removing what he needed, he hung his weekender bag in the cubbyhole of a closet, double-checked all the locks on the doors and windows, then stretched out on one of the beds to wait, ankles crossed, fingers laced beneath his head.

About a half hour later the bathroom door opened and Kate emerged in a roiling cloud of steam, redolent with the scents of soap, shampoo, toothpaste and sweet, clean woman. A halo of wet ringlets framed her scrubbed face and she wore a knee-length, long-sleeved, flannel nightshirt.

Nice try, Mick, Jack thought, biting back a grin. He had no doubt that she was going for dowdy and nonsexual, but she looked adorable.

“It’s all yours,” she announced.

Jack rolled to his feet, grabbed his toiletry kit and headed for the bathroom. At the door he stopped and looked back at her. “I won’t be long. When I’m done we still have some talking to do.”

The flash of panic in her eyes told him that she knew exactly what the subject would be. Regaining control quickly, she nodded and murmured, “All right.”

Jack was tempted to linger under the cold spray. He had barely slept for two days, he was tired, every muscle in his body ached and to top it all off it had been ages since he’d enjoyed the luxury of an American shower. But he’d waited a long time for this showdown with Kate.

In just under ten minutes he stepped out of the bathroom rubbing his wet hair with a small towel and a bath sheet wrapped around his middle…and found his ex-wife curled into a ball on the bed, sleeping like a baby.

Jack stood beside the bed and watched her, frustrated and disappointed. And enchanted.

It was a compliment, he supposed, that she felt safe enough with him that she could relax and give in to sleep, which she obviously hadn’t done in days.

Unable to help himself, he reached out and ran the end of his forefinger along the tips of her eyelashes, which lay fanned out on her cheeks. Then he touched the spattering of freckles on the bridge of her nose. Kate didn’t so much as twitch.

Finally, heaving a sigh, Jack rolled her to the center of the queen-size bed, pulled back the covers, then scooped her up and tucked her in between the sheets and pulled the covers back up to her shoulders. With a wry smile tugging at his mouth, he smoothed her damp curls off of her forehead.

“You win this round, Mick. But our reckoning is coming.”

Kate made a sleepy sound and burrowed her face into the pillow.