Military Heroes Bundle: A Soldier's Homecoming / A Soldier's Redemption / Danger in the Desert / Strangers When We Meet / Grayson's Surrender / Taking Cover. Merline Lovelace
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car behind the woman who waved to us as we were walking back to the house.”
She hardly remembered the incident and had to make herself think back. Yes, a man had driven past them, right after that woman. She tipped her head back, trying to look at him. “But it was a different car.”
“Yes, it was. But it was the same man. Maybe he just owns two cars.”
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember the face of the man in the car during their walk. “How can you be sure? I can’t even remember what he looked like.”
“Training. If I hadn’t gotten so lazy over the last six months, I’d have picked up on it right away. And he might just have two cars. A lot of folks do.”
He looked down at her at last, his obsidian eyes like chips of stone. “I can’t ignore it. Coincidence or not, I cannot ignore it.”
She bit her lip, then said, “That’s what made you come down so early this morning. Why you went out to jog. You were looking for him.”
He nodded. “I didn’t find him.”
“So it could be coincidence.”
“Maybe.”
She shook her head a little, trying to sort through a bunch of conflicting thoughts. Finally she came up with one question. “That phone call couldn’t be part of it, could it? I mean...” She wanted to believe it was all random chance, but the phone call kept rearing up in her mind, some part of her insisting it was no prank. “It doesn’t make sense. Why call me if you know where I am?”
“Because maybe you don’t know exactly which of a handful of women is your target.”
“And how would that prove a damn thing?”
He loosened his hold on her, giving her space, but she didn’t move away. She didn’t want to. Odd considering that he was busy ripping her newfound courage to shreds. Not that it had been much to begin with.
He spoke finally. “Sometimes the only way to identify a target is to do something that makes them take a revealing action.”
She searched his face, but it remained unreadable. “You’ve done that?”
“A couple of times.”
“It works?”
“It did for me.”
“But I haven’t done anything since the call! So that can’t be what’s going on.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Stop being so elliptical. Just tell me what you’re thinking. Please!”
“I moved in here right before you got the call. What if the person trying to locate you saw me only after the call?”
Her stomach sank, and right along with it her heart. “Bodyguard,” she whispered. Then she had another horrifying thought. “Marsha got a dog.”
“If I were them, I doubt I’d pay much attention to a dog.”
She was feeling sicker by the second. “No. Especially not when they could trace her back if they want to. If they can.”
“Can they?”
In that question she heard the million unanswered questions her own life had become. She had as good as admitted what was going on here. And he had apparently figured out plenty on his own. Now what? Tell the truth, or leave the lies hanging out there. The omissions. The secrets.
Then she had another thought. “What if...” This one really sickened her. So much so she wrenched away from him and jumped up from the couch. She backed away, wrapping her arms around herself, staring at him, feeling horror start to grow.
“What if I’m the one hunting you?” he asked. “Good question. Call the sheriff right now. Tell him to come get me. Tell him whatever you want.”
“And then what?”
“And then I’ll leave. I’ll be gone from this county as fast as I can pack my duffel.”
Did she want that? No...no... Not if he was who he was really supposed to be. “You know too much about me.”
“Lady, I know nothing about you. I’ve guessed some things, but you sure as hell haven’t told me anything.”
“What did you guess?”
He passed a hand over his face. “Will it scare you if I get up and pace? I’m not really good at holding still unless I have to.”
She waved a hand, indicating permission. God, when he stood he seemed to fill the entire room.
He started pacing, but slowly, taking care not to come too close to her. “You know I noticed how afraid you are.”
“Yes.”
“Well, I noticed some other things, too, and last night it just all kind of came together for me. The way when you talk about things from your past you hesitate and then skip anything that might actually give away where you lived before. I also noticed that when you got scared by the phone call you turned to the sheriff.”
“What does that tell you?”
He looked at her. “That you’re scared and on the run from some threat that still haunts you. But you’re not running from the law, or your first response wouldn’t have been to call Gage Dalton.”
She nodded stiffly. “Okay.”
“I noticed the security system. You can’t afford it.”
“No,” she admitted.
“I’ve been involved in WITSEC ops overseas.”
“WITSEC?”
“Witness security. Witness protection.”
“Oh...my...God...” She sank onto the rocking chair, arms still tightly wrapped around her.
“All the signs are there for someone who can read them. Which most people can’t. It took me more than a day to figure it out, so don’t worry that you’ve tipped off everyone in the county. I’m sure you haven’t. But it’s the only picture that fits. Am I wrong?”
She shook her head stiffly. “It was that easy?”
“Actually, you made it very hard. Like I said, I didn’t glom on to it immediately. But when I put a few things together, it was the only explanation I could think of. The alternative was to think you’re just crazy, and you’re not crazy, Cory.”
She felt numb, almost out of her own body, with shock. This man had figured her out so fast, and yet he said it had taken him too long. How did that add up?
But if he’d figured it out, how many others had? No one, he said. But could she safely believe it?
“Trust me,” he said, “it wouldn’t occur to anyone not familiar with the protocols. You don’t give anything away.”
“I...find that hard to believe, now.”
“Well, believe it. WITSEC is not the first thing that would occur to anyone about you. It would probably be the last.”
“Why?”
“Because no one would suspect you of being a criminal, even if they suspect you have some secrets.”
“I’m not a criminal!”
“I know that. It’s obvious. And since everyone thinks that only criminals get witness protection, you’re even more covered. Very well covered.”
Her eyes burned and she felt hollow as she looked at him. “What now?” she asked, a bare whisper.
“Well, all I have is a suspicion. But you can choose how to act on it. Call the sheriff, I’ll tell him everything I noticed about the guy. Call the Marshals and they’ll move