Bridal Armor (14 page)

“The creek and road don’t run concurrent forever. I’m pretty sure they don’t think we’ve suddenly decided to go kayaking.”

“No, but we’ve divided their attention,” he said. “Are you willing to send a text message from your tablet?”

“Sure. But if someone in my office or yours is monitoring the account, they’ll know.”

“I’m counting on it.”

“The Glenstone hotel room isn’t enough bait?”

His smile was cryptic as he dictated the message.

“Received a better offer. Will cut you in, if you call off the wolf.”

Arguing was pointless, so she kept quiet and sent it anyway. That was an inflammatory text the Initiative would be happy to use against him. She didn’t recognize the number he had her send it to, but she trusted him. He slowed down, making the turn into a gas station.

“Are we leaking fuel again?”

“No, just a normal fill-up.” He parked by a pump and gave her an easy smile. “Would you please go ask about decent restaurants around here?”

She knew from the map there weren’t any real stops between here and Glenstone. He was stalling. As she climbed out of the car, she pushed aside the hurt that he wouldn’t share the details of the latest twist he’d worked up.

Knowing he wanted her face to show up on surveillance, she pasted on a wide smile and strolled inside.

She’d heard of leaving breadcrumbs, but this was ridiculous. It felt more like leaving a trail of neon signs with blinking arrows, especially after so much training on how to fit in, or better yet, disappear.

A few minutes later Thomas leveled his attention on her as she approached. “Restaurants?”

“There’s a mom-and-pop place just up the road. Have you chosen the car yet?” She folded her arms and leaned against the driver’s door. “Probably better to do it here than at the diner.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You want to steal a car so we can slip past the choke point.” He gave her what she had to assume he considered his innocent look. “That’s not going to work.”

“You’d rather go into an ambush with a weak gas tank?”

“I meant the innocent routine. Changing cars makes sense. Changing. Not stealing.”

“We don’t have time to drive back to Denver and swap out the rental.”

“Why not? It’s not yet noon and the roads and sky are clear.”

He leaned close, caging her between his strong arms. She resisted the urge to push him away, knowing if she touched him again, her waning self-control would simply evaporate. Still, she longed to touch him, to slide her hands under the layers and rediscover the hard planes and warm skin.

“The sky isn’t exactly clear.”

What?
She dragged her thoughts out of the sensual haze. Distraction killed more agents than bullets and with an unknown enemy with too much access, they couldn’t afford mistakes here.

She jerked her chin, refusing to back down no matter how he tried to cow her. “You said it yourself.” Her gaze dropped to his mouth and she licked her lips.
Mission first, man later.
Why couldn’t she remember that? “They expect us to head toward the resort. However they got that euro into the car, they didn’t put a GPS tag on the vehicle or they would have been on top of me—us—last night.”

Based on the way his blue eyes flashed with desire, it might have been the wrong choice of words. It certainly conjured a few sexy images in her mind.

“The weather was an equalizer.”

“Yes, but we weren’t attacked until the beacon arrived.”

“Along with the virus, to complete the setup, as you pointed out. Which indicates they had an idea where we would land last night.”

She saw the words as much as she heard them with her gaze locked on his mouth. She wanted to argue that no one in her contacts knew about the cabin but the memory of the heat, the taste of him when his tongue had stroked against hers had her pulse skipping. She knew if she leaned forward, if he did, they’d be right back in that snowbank, the rest of the world a forgotten blur.

The gas pump shut off with a startling
thunk
and she realized they’d resolved nothing.

He turned away to cap the tank and deal with the pump and she rounded the hood to the passenger side of the car, hoping she didn’t look like a scared mouse scurrying away from the cat.

Too late, she understood the problem was her lack of fear when it came to Thomas Casey. Five years ago, her steadfast belief in his ability in the field negated any fears she’d harbored about her involvement in the mission itself. She’d trusted him completely with her life on the job. Knowing it would only be temporary she’d trusted him with her body, and yet somehow she’d let him walk out with her heart. He’d owned it ever since and right now she couldn’t see any way of getting back control over the traitorous organ.

Now, though she might be the only person in active service to the government who still believed in his integrity and patriotism, he didn’t and, quite likely couldn’t, return that trust. Still, he needed her this time almost as much as she had needed him before. And maybe she needed him in this far more than she realized.

Unless they both survived and could prove the truth...they were done.

As he pulled away from the gas pump he startled her by turning back toward the city. “What about being bait?”

“I’ve decided you’re right. Charging straight into Glenstone is exactly what they expect me to do. Besides, the wedding itself is most important and if we don’t finish this...” His voice trailed off, his eyes tracking the sky. “If I don’t show up for the ceremony tomorrow night, Casey will kill me herself.”

Jo tucked the tablet into her purse. “Head back to the airport. I have another car parked in the garage.”

“I think I’d rather get a cab.”

She laughed at his overdone expression of horror and she couldn’t resist the devious sparkle in his eyes. “That’s not a bad idea.”

“It would get us past the choke point.”

“And we’d be in Glenstone to keep an eye on Whelan,” she said. Along with whomever he’d sent the message to. Knowing he wasn’t ready to tell her, she didn’t waste her breath with more questions.

At this point, she was just along for the ride.

Right...if she told herself that enough times maybe she would believe it.

She was here for him....

Chapter Sixteen

Glenstone Lodge

From the shade of the wide porch on the south side of the lodge, Victoria watched the wedding party tumble around in the fresh snow. The sun was shining and the air had a fresh bite. If not for the foot of snow, it was the perfect fall weather Casey had anticipated when she’d booked the resort for the long weekend celebration.

“It’s so beautiful. Almost like the mountain wanted to dress for the occasion,” she said to Cecelia, the mother of the bride.

“Keep that lovely sentiment ready to apply to a panicked bride-to-be.”

The snowball fight might have been ruthless had the children not been there, but it was no less entertaining for the safety precautions. There had been the inevitable battle of the sexes, and even she and Cecelia had gotten swept into that frenzy for a short time. Now they were both content to sit with piping hot cocoa and supervise the construction of a carefully designed snow fort.

Cecelia checked her watch. “Casey is due to ask about her uncle in another two minutes.”

Victoria gaped. “You’ve set your watch by her?”

The mother of the bride smiled. “Pretty much. I know my brother will make it, but at the moment I’d like to wring his neck.”

“Understandable,” Victoria said with a soft chuckle. “You can take it out on him during the reception.”

“Mmm. Something to look forward to. I appreciate your optimism.”

“Optimism?”

“Thomas has always been dedicated to his career and I admire him for it.” The chair creaked as she shifted. “Please don’t misunderstand. I know he sees his work as an extension of his responsibility to the family, but there are times when nothing can excuse a personal absence.”

Victoria knew precisely what she meant and took no offense at Cecelia’s concerns. “Thomas has good people on his team. Lucas told me he—”

“Are we talking about Uncle Thomas?” Casey knocked the snow from her mittens.

“Yes,” Victoria answered with a smile. “I was just telling your mother that whatever is keeping him, he won’t miss your special day.”

Casey met Victoria’s gaze. “You’d tell me if there was something serious, right?”

“Absolutely.” Victoria waved at a giggling cherubic face peeping up out of a snow tower. Luke, her grandson, was so precious. Jim and Tasha were around here somewhere. Those kids kept them on their toes. “The weather presented an unexpected problem, but the staff assured Lucas earlier if he isn’t in a car that can make the drive up from Glenstone,” Victoria assured her, “they can provide transportation.”

“Good. I was going to ask if Levi should go into Denver and pick him up.”

“No one needs to go anywhere. Least of all the groom,” Cecelia said. “Go on and play.”

“Mom,” Casey said, affecting a perfect, childlike pout.

Victoria thought it must have been a challenge for her parents to resist that expression when she’d been a little girl. As a trained CIA agent herself, Cecelia likely would have better success going up against a staunch enemy.

“Go on,” Cecelia repeated. “You’ll know as soon as we do about your uncle’s arrival. Enjoy yourself before it’s time to get nervous for the rehearsal.”

“I’m not the least bit nervous. I’ve surrounded myself with bridal armor chi,” Casey said, beaming as only a happy bride-to-be can. “I’d even wish the ceremony was tonight if Uncle Thomas was here.”

“He won’t miss it.” Cecelia made a shooing motion. “Go on.”

“Fine.” Casey kissed her mother on the cheek then swiped a finger though the whipped cream topping her mug.

Cecelia laughed. “Levi has no idea what a menace you are.”

Casey grinned. “Of course he does.”

Victoria thought the same thing as Casey dashed off to find her fiancé. Levi was a fine young man from a good family. He would cherish that young lady.

“Whatever is keeping Thomas, he won’t let it ruin her big day,” Victoria said when Casey was out of earshot. “He has good people dealing with any serious business. I’m sure this is just a transportation problem.”

But she wasn’t thinking of Thomas’s Specialists, she was thinking of her husband’s efforts to protect the wedding party. Since the arrival of the note last night, they’d been meeting quietly with several of the investigators in attendance. They’d developed a watch schedule and were keeping a keen eye on the personnel and deliveries to and from their secluded retreat.

If this Whelan character planned to threaten them, he’d find them prepared. Once more she prayed Thomas was equally prepared. She couldn’t imagine her husband’s grief if something were to happen to his best friend. Having dealt with more than her fair share of loss, she didn’t want bleak memories to mar this special time for Cecelia or Casey.

The distinct sound of her husband’s cane on the wooden planks of the porch floor drew her attention away from the group romping in the snow. She turned, hoping to catch his unguarded expression. She should have known better. His smile was warm, but his eyes were shaded by sunglasses, an effective shield. He would know she wasn’t alone and wouldn’t risk creating more worry than already floated on the thin air.

“There’s a perfectly good fire going inside,” he said after greeting Cecelia. “If you’ve had enough fun out here.”

“I suppose sitting with you by the fire would be fair consolation after the girls trounced you boys in the snowball fight,” Victoria teased. It would be a long time before she let him forget that victory.

“Your pity is appreciated,” he replied with a deep bow.

She couldn’t help it; the man charmed her no matter the circumstances. “You’re welcome to join us,” she said to Cecelia.

“No, thank you. I’m perfectly content right here.” She patted the camera on the arm of the chair. “I want to get pictures of the finished fort.”

Victoria walked away on Lucas’s arm, wondering what news he didn’t want to share in front of the mother of the bride. “She knows something is wrong. So does Casey.”

“That’s no shock. They’re intelligent women and highly trained professionals,” Lucas said.

Victoria could feel the tension in his arm, knew he was starting to worry. She let him help her out of her coat when they reached the sitting room and settled in front of the fire. While several questions ran through her head, she knew he wouldn’t tell her anything until he was ready.

He removed his sunglasses, confirming her suspicions that his reasons for wearing them went beyond the bright sunshine glaring off the snow.

“He won’t make the rehearsal,” he stated without preamble.

Victoria glanced at her watch. “There are hours yet.”

Lucas shook his head. “We have to make a plan in case he can’t shake this.”

She didn’t want to believe he was giving up, but the resignation was clear on his face. The sadness was already tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You’re talking about Thomas Casey. He’s second only to you in ability to get out of trouble.”

The tension eased as Lucas’s mouth tipped into a half smile. “We’ll have to wait and see. I know he’s determined and that’s a good thing. But I’d feel better if I could talk with him.”

“He’ll be here.” It was starting to feel like a mantra. “Does Holt have any relevant news?”

“No. But the Specialist who warned us about Whelan mentioned an Initiative investigation,” he said quietly. “They suspect Thomas of treason. I’ve sent the Drakes out to help.”

Victoria barely smothered her reaction. Treason and Thomas Casey were as opposite as the north and south poles. “Did he give you a name or anything we can work with?”

“Agent DeRossi is all I have.” Lucas leaned on his cane. “Whatever he’s dealing with, I fear it falls to us to keep the bride calm.”

Victoria smiled and reached over to catch his hand with hers. “I’ve talked with Levi and her maid of honor. She’s steady and confident her uncle will come through.”

“I know.”

Lucas had several reasons to know and appreciate Casey’s nerves. Not only was he the girl’s godfather, but also he’d trusted her with a task he’d kept secret from Victoria. She couldn’t throw stones, as she’d secretly sent Levi into the field for the same purpose.

That mission had resolved a security issue threatening Lucas and Victoria as well as the Colby Agency. It had also brought Casey and Levi together.

“Casey offered to make a call.”

“I can’t imagine the CIA’s involvement would be wise at this point,” Victoria said.

Lucas nodded slowly. “I talked her out of it.”

Knowing Casey, Victoria wasn’t so sure the girl had really given up the idea of sending someone to assist her uncle. Saying so wouldn’t ease her husband’s concern, however, so she kept it to herself. For now.

“Has she asked you to fill in for Thomas at the rehearsal?”

He shook his head. “I changed the subject before she could ask. He’ll be here.”

“Yes, he will.”

“Only one thing would keep him away.”

A heavy silence fell between them and the fire couldn’t touch the chill of potential disaster.

Victoria was relieved to hear the voices and booted feet when several of the wedding guests tromped in from outside.

They needed the happy distraction.