"Don"t hurt me," she pleaded, barely fighting. She trembled against him. "Don"t hurt my son. I"ll do anything."
She was tall for a woman, and strong. But she didn"t try to attack him as she had in the jungle. It was as if the last of her strength had slipped away, leaving her completely defenseless. Big blue eyes stared into his.
A single tear clung to her lower lashes. She blinked several times and it slipped down her cheek. At that moment he became aware of her near-naked body pressed against his. The red bathing suit outlined her feminine curves. Her long bare legs brushed against him, her blond braid lay against his forearm. She smelled sweet, like a woman, and his body strained toward her.
In those few seconds before he released her, he felt the hunger fill him. The need was overwhelming, more powerful than the hatred or even his common sense. He wanted to kiss her hard until she forgot the fear and he forgot the pain. He wanted to bury himself inside of her until there was nothing but the glory of the present, of the pleasure, until the past faded to an insignificant recollection.
Instead he shook her slightly. "You"re overreacting. No one is going to hurt you." He released her.
She stared at him, then at her wrists. Slowly she rubbed her left forearm with her right hand. "What are you going to do? Are you going to hold us for ransom?"
"I was checking out the rifle. Nothing more. I already told you, if I was going to kill you or turn you in, I would have done it already."
"I see." She nodded. "It makes perfect sense. Why go to all the trouble to keep us around? You could have gotten rid of us countless times." She lowered her arms to her side. "I just came in to get some sunscreen."
"Then go get it." He turned his back on her and returned to the table.
He heard the sound of her bare feet on the wooden floor. She moved down the hall,then was back in a few moments. He could smell the scent of the sunscreen, feel her standing in front of him, but he refused to look up at her. Instead, he touched the barrel of the rifle. He heard her breath catch in her throat.
"I don"t suppose you"ve got any proof?" she asked.
"Of what?"
"That you won"t hurt us."
He glared at her. "My membership in the "Be kind to prisoners" club expired. You"ll just have to take my word for it."
Her fear was a tangible thing, living and breathing in the room with them. She was all the more vulnerable for being almost naked. The bathing suit left little to the imagination. Her legs stretched on forever. He was a b.a.s.t.a.r.d for noticing.
He set the rifle barrel on the table, then braced his hands on the smooth surface and leaned toward her. "I can"t give you proof. You"ll get that when you"re off this island. Until then, try to relax. You"ve been living on nerves since Kray took your kid. If you don"t get your strength back, you won"t have anything left when you"re finally away from here."
"I know." She tossed her head, sending her braid over her shoulder. She folded her arms under her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Will you promise me something?"
"What?"
"Mo-om, I want to go in the pool," Bobby called from outside "I"ll be right there," she answered, then returned her attention to the weapon on the table. "If something happens, if there"s a choice between us, make sure Bobby gets away."
"Nothing"s going to happen."
"You don"t know that. Kray is dangerous. Promise me you"ll get Bobby out, no matter what. I"d rather he was in a foster home than living with Kray. At least with strangers he would have a chance. If his father gets him, we both know what will happen."
Jeff knew. If Kray got his hands on the boy, Bobby would become the heir apparent to his criminal empire. Her son would forever live in the shadows, outside the law. He would be hunted, not just by the police, but by other criminals.
"I trust you because I don"t have a choice," she said, raising her gaze to meet his. "So give me your word that you"ll get Bobby away from here, no matter what happens."
He didn"t want to do that. It was the kind of commitment any decent field man avoided. Personally, Jeff didn"t want to be responsible for his enemy"s child. He knew there would come a time when he would regret what he was about to say. But he couldn"t refuse her. Not because he liked her or because she had appealed to his honor, but because regardless of who his father was, no five-year-old child deserved a life with Kray.
"You have my word."
She lowered her arms to her sides. "Thank you." She turned to leave.
"It won"t come to that," he said before she stepped out onto the porch. "I"m going to get you both off of this d.a.m.n island."
She glanced at him over her shoulder. "I hope so." The screen door slammed shut behind her.
Jeff sat down at the table, but he didn"t pick up the rifle. Instead, he wondered if five years behind a desk had softened him too much. He didn"t doubt his ability to pull the trigger and take Kray out, he just wondered how he was going to keep it from being personal.
"h.e.l.l, it is personal," he muttered.
From outside came the sound of splashing and childish squeals. He stood up and walked to the windows beside the front door. He could see the sun as it slipped toward the horizon, the darkening ocean and the pale sand. Closer to the house, he could see Andie and Bobby together in the pool. True to his word, the boy could swim. He shrieked with laughter,then dove under the clear surface.
Andie treaded water next to him. Her long braid floated behind her. The lapping waves distorted his view of her body, but it was still obvious she had the kind of female appearance that bordered on perfection. He"d never much cared what a woman looked like. Jeanne had been pretty, but nothing like Andie. It hadn"t mattered, he thought remembering those first few months with his wife. He"d loved her as much as he"d ever loved anyone. She"d been his entire world. They"d been young and filled with the excitement of unlimited possibilities.
He wondered when that had started to change. When had being in love ceased to be enough? When had the marriage started to fall apart and how much of that was his fault?
He stared at the pair in the pool, seeing instead another woman with another child his child. Jeff knew he"d spent too much time away from his family. He"d wanted to be in the field while Jeanne had pleaded with him to take a desk job. Even the birth of J.J. hadn"t been enough to slow him down. Now, with the perfect vision of hindsight, he knew he"d paid a high price for his career. He"d lost his wife and son. Kray had won even without killing him in that car bomb.
Once Jeanne and J.J. were gone, Jeff had taken the desk job. At first because physically he couldn"t be in the field and later because he"d come to see he could matter more behind the scenes. Jeanne had gotten her wish. Unfortunately it had been too late for her.
A soft feminine voice recalled him to the present. He stared at the pool, at the two people swimming together there. A wave of hatred swept over him, leaving him angry and his mouth filled with the flavor of resentment. How dare they be alive and his family dead?
Bobby bounded up the pool steps, raced around to the deep end and jumped in. Water splashed over the sides. He surfaced, laughing.
"Good for you," Andie called. She pulled herself out of the pool and was sitting on the edge. Her back was to Jeff. He could see the slender arms, narrow waist and curvy hips. He ignored the pa.s.sion that flared, instead focusing on the hate, knowing he would trade them both for a moment with Jeanne and J.J.
Then he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the window frame. He didn"t hatethem, he didn"t even wish them dead. Instead, he wanted a chance to make it all right. He knew the truth now. Time was precious. Every moment was to be savored because it could all be gone in a flash. He wanted to take the time to bring his wife flowers, he wanted to figure out how to fall back in love with her and recapture what they"d once had. He wanted to play ball with J.J. and teach him to ride a two-wheeler. He wanted them back.
But they wouldn"t come back. They were gone and he was alone. All because he"d cared more about his career than his family. Because he wouldn"t give in when Jeanne had asked him to come home. When he"d refused, she"d joined him inLebanon. It had been a move designed to save their failing marriage. When he"d threatened to send her back to the States, she told him if she left it was over between them.
He raised his head and stared at the woman and child by the pool. Sadness replaced the hatred, leaving him feeling old and alone. It had ended anyway. All his hopes and plans for the future. Ended in one moment, in a fiery explosion that had filled a quiet afternoon with death.
"But I"m hungry now," Bobby said, leaning against the kitchen counter.
Andie stared at her son and counted to five. When that didn"t work, she tried ten,then prayed for a miracle. "I"m cooking as fast as I can," she said, poking the fish on the indoor grill. "I know you"re hungry, sweetie, but it will just be a few minutes."
Bobby"s lower lip thrust out. His hazel eyes grew mutinous. Tantrum time. Andie looked around, searching for a diversion. The problem was they were both overtired. Plus she"d let him play too long in the pool. He was exhausted and that meant cranky was just around the corner.
"I"m hungry now!"
Jeff walked into the kitchen. "Come on, sport," he said, holding out his hand. "If you help me set the table, I"ll tell you a story about a magical bird named Echo."
Bobby eyed him suspiciously. "I don"t care aboutno dumb birds."
Jeff looked shocked. "You haven"t heard about Echo?" He glanced at her. "Did you know your son hasn"t heard of Echo?"
Andie stared at the handsome stranger in front of her. He was serious, but she could see the hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. He was relaxed and almost playful, very different from the man who had been cleaning a rifle just an hour ago. At the first hints of twilight closing in around them, she"d begun to feel uneasy. But now, with Jeff teasing her child, some of her concerns slipped away.
"Isn"t it shameful," she said, going along with the game. "He"s very stubborn sometimes. I would appreciate if you"d tell him-" She glanced down at a now-bewildered Bobby. "No, he"s too hungry to want to listen to a story right now."
"Tell me," Bobby demanded. "I want to hear the story."
"All right, but you"ll have to help me set the table."
"Okay." Bobby reached for the plates she"d left stacked on the counter.
Jeff took them from him and pulled open a drawer. "Why don"t you be in charge of the spoons and forks, sport?"
Bobby grabbed a handful of each. As they moved toward the dining room table, Andie heard Jeff start to talk about a magical, sometime invisible bird named Echo. He spoke in the animated tones of a born storyteller. His voice was low and seductive. She could listen to it for hours. Instead, she forced her attention back to the fish on the grill.
While it continued to cook, she made a salad with the greens Jeff had bought,then fixed some rice. As she worked, she listened to the story of the bird, all the while trying not to think about the gun and why Jeff was here on the island. It was too late to worry about trusting and not trusting. She"d made her decision. Pray G.o.d she hadn"t made a mistake.
When everything was ready, she brought it to the table, and they sat down. "Go on," Bobby said, staring up at Jeff and smiling. "How does the little boy get out of the evil emperor"s castle?"
Jeff leaned toward the child. "Echo madehimself very small and invisible, then flew through the bars in the window. Once he was inside the room, he returned to his regular size,then opened his mouth. Out dropped the key. The boy unlocked the door and was far away before the emperor even knew he"d escaped."
"Wow!" Bobby took a forkful of rice and stuffed it in his mouth. "I want a bird like that, Mom. Could we get a bird when we get home?"
"We"ll see what they have in the pet store," she said. "But I doubt we"ll be able to find a magical bird."
"If I was real good, would Echo come visit me?" he asked Jeff.
"Maybe. But birds like Echo usually only visit in our dreams."
"Oh." Bobby closed his eyes. "I can almost see him. Maybe he"ll visit me tonight."
Andie listened as her son continued to talk about the bird. Jeff answered all his questions. She wondered where he got the patience,then remembered he"d had a child of his own. And a wife. How horrible to have lost them both in a car accident. She knew how that felt. She wondered if he would like her more if she explained she understood what he"d dealt with. She"d lost both her parents in a car accident.
She stared at him, at the way he thought about Bobby"s questions before answering them. The overhead lamp highlighted the different shades of blond in his conservative haircut. She reached up and fingered her braid. They both had blond hair and blue eyes. They could probably pa.s.s for brother and sister. Except she didn"t feel like Jeff"s sister. He was too male, too frightening.
She didn"t know exactly why he was here on the island, but she had a good idea. He was probably part of a team a.s.signed to take Kray into custody. She hoped they got him and fast. She would sleep a lot better if she knew her ex-husband was safely behind bars.
As she ate her dinner and listened to the conversation between Bobby and Jeff, she wondered if it would end well for all of them. If they arrested Kray, would she be held responsible for anything? She"d seen him kill a man in cold blood and she"d never reported the murder. That had to be illegal. But surely the government would understand her fear. She"d been three months pregnant at the time. She couldn"t risk her child.
When they finished the main course, she brought out a bowl of fruit. As she carried dirty plates to the sink, she could hear the soft rhythm of the surf on the sh.o.r.e and the call of some night creature. How would Jeff contact the other people in his team? How would he get them off the island?
The ever-present fear swelled up inside of her. She didn"t want to think about it.She couldn"t not. She of all people understood Kray"s determination and his power. She was a fool to think she could outwit him.
From behind her came the sound of laughter. Bobby had told one of his silly knock-knock jokes and Jeff was pretending to be amused. She turned and looked at the two of them. Jeff glanced up and their eyes met. Behind the humor was wariness, and below that, the flicker of something that could only be pain. Being with Bobby would be difficult for him, she realized, then wondered how old his child had been when he"d been killed She was his enemy"s ex-wife, and Bobby was Kray"s heir. Yet Jeff was willing to get them off this island to safety. She wondered how she would ever be able to repay him.
Andie closed the bedroom door behind her and leaned against it. She could hear the faint sound of the baseball game and nothing else. She exhaled deeply and walked toward the kitchen.
"You were inspired," she said quietly, as she paused to pick up the last few dishes from the table. "He"ll be asleep in no time."
She walked into the kitchen,then stopped dead.
Jeff stood beside the sink. He"d stripped off his tank shirt and was standing facing the counter wearing nothing but a pair of white shorts. He was tall, strong and disturbingly male.
"Inspired how?" he asked without turning around. He pulled a cloth from a bowl in the counter and squeezed it. Dark liquid ran down his hands. He took the cloth and wiped it against his left arm. Instantly his skin darkened several shades.
"Offering to let Bobby listen to the opening-night baseball game was a brilliant idea. He"s finally stopped whining, and he"ll be asleep in a couple of minutes."
"Most boys like baseball," he said, still not turning around. "He"s a good kid. He"s just tired."
"I know." She moved closer. "What are you doing?"
"Going native." He rubbed the cloth against his chest,then started on his other arm. "I need to make arrangements to get you off the island. I"ll blend in better if I look like one of the locals." He stretched out his darkened hand in front of him. "I couldn"t pa.s.s during the day, but at night I"ll be fine."
She stared at the small bottle sitting on the counter, but there was no label, nothing to say what it was or where he"d gotten it.
"You have friends here?" she asked.
"One or two contacts."
"So you"ll be going out?"
He glanced at her. His face was still its normal tanned color, but his chest and left arm were dark brown. He looked like an alien from a science fiction movie. "I"ll be gone a few hours."
Irrationally, she was suddenly terrified at the thought of being alone. It didn"t make any sense, she told herself. She was also nervous being around Jeff, so she should be glad he was leaving for a few hours. Bobby wasn"t the only one who was overtired.
"You"ll be fine," he said, then dipped his cloth in the bowl again.
She didn"t know how he knew what she was thinking and she didn"t care. "I have been up to now." She glanced around the kitchen. "This is all like a dream. Like your stories about that magical bird. I keep thinking I"m going to wake up in my own bed back inL.A.That I"ll find out this is just the result of too much studying and not enough sleep."
"Don"t get your hopes up. This is real."
"I know." She was too scared to be dreaming.
He finished his right arm,then reached for a small mirror. Quickly, as if he"d done it countless times before, he swept the dye over his face. She watched as he was transformed from a tanned surfer into a local.
"What if it rains?" she asked He grinned. His teeth flashed bright white against his now-dark skin. "It won"t wash away. I have a neutralizer with me. If I forget it, or don"t use it, the color fades in about a week."
"You came prepared."
The smile faded. "That"s my job."
"Spy school must be an amazing place. The most exciting thing that"s happened at law school is some student got thrown out for cheating."
Jeff raised his chin and colored the underside of his jaw, then started on his ears. "You really go to law school?"
His casual surprise irritated her. "Yes, Rambo, I have a brain and I"ve been known to use it a time or two. I"m even in the top ten percent of my cla.s.s."
He raised still-blond eyebrows. "I wasn"t implying you"re dumb. I was wondering about Kray"s ex-wife deciding to be a lawyer."
"Oh." She folded her arms over her chest. After swimming, she"d showered and changed into the shorts he"d bought her and one of her own T-shirts. The night air was balmy, the breeze from the open windows, seductive. "I suppose it is an interesting career choice."
He reached for a small brush and dipped it in the liquid. After blotting the extra, he stroked it carefully over his eyebrows. She stared. He gave her a quick glance. "Details are important. The people who forget them don"t survive long in my business. Eyebrows are a dead giveaway."