Harlequin Intrigue, Box Set 1 of 2 (24 page)

CHAPTER FIVE

Faye tensed in Jake's arms. She waited until he reached the top of the stairs and set her down to open her door. As soon as he let her go, she rushed inside and whirled around to shut and lock the door. He shoved his boot in the opening, blocking her efforts. There was no way to win against his superior strength, not in a direct confrontation without any tricks. She reluctantly stepped back and let him inside.

Her skirt slid dangerously low. She was forced to grab the tattered edges and retie the veils holding it together. Her face flushed as Jake's gaze followed the movement of her hands, lingering on her exposed tummy before sliding past the skirt to her naked thighs.

She'd flirted with him the first time she met him. But that had been so she could distract him and escape. Maybe he thought it was okay to stare at her like this because of how she'd acted last night. If he were anyone else, she'd have decked him already. But even though she was worried about his investigation, and what his presence here meant for her, she couldn't ignore the punch in her gut every time she looked at him. Attraction sizzled between them. Why did she have to be so turned on by a man whose very presence threatened her entire world?

She stepped back to put some much-needed distance between them, and so she could meet his gaze without craning her neck back at an uncomfortable angle. “How did you figure out where I lived? And how did you manage to turn my friends against me in just a few short hours?”

“Mystic Glades isn't exactly a big city. I drove down the main street and as soon as I saw a shop called The Moon and Star, I figured it had to be yours. When I pulled up front, Freddie came out of the bar across the street. I think she thought she was protecting you by asking me why I was there.”

“Let me guess. That's when you lied and told her I was, what, your girlfriend?”

“I might have hinted at something like that. Freddie and Amy both thought the idea was sweet and helped me surprise you. Don't be mad at them.”

“Oh, don't worry.
You're
the one I'm mad at, not them. You might as well turn around right now and leave. You're trespassing.”

In answer to her edict, he kicked the door closed behind him. He moved farther into the center of the tiny living room-kitchen combo. “You live here? Above the store?” He peeked into the guest bedroom that opened off the right side of the living room. It was empty, except for the twin bed and chest of drawers that had come with the place.

“Where I live isn't any of your business.”

As if she hadn't spoken, he crossed to the left side of the living room to
her
bedroom and went inside. He flicked the ballerina-pink comforter on her bed before examining the collection of figurines on her dresser. When he picked up the centaur holding a set of scales, she marched forward and plucked it out of his hand. Had she really found him appealing a minute earlier? She never could stand a bully. And she resented him forcing his way into her private sanctuary. She carefully set the figurine back on the dresser.

“Get out,” she ordered.

His smile disappeared in a flash. The cold look that replaced it had her shivering inside and wondering if his earlier smile had been a ruse to make her let down her guard. It would certainly explain how he'd gotten past Freddie's prickly exterior. She couldn't believe it when she'd found her friend drinking with Jake as if they were old buddies.

“Get out, or what?” he said. “You'll call the police? I know I can get service here. I did earlier, down in your office, when I was surfing the internet.” He pulled his cell phone out of his jeans pocket and held it out to her. “Be my guest. After they get here, I'll tell them to search their databases for Faye Star. How long do you think it will take them to figure out that Faye Star doesn't exist? And how long before they get curious to find out
why
she doesn't exist?”

The blood rushed from her face, leaving her cold. “That's crazy.”

“Is it? I can't find your name in any official databases, not here in Florida.” He arched a brow. “Of course, I haven't checked Alabama yet. Maybe I need to surf the web a little more.”

Her fingernails bit into her palms. “What do you want from me?”

He stepped closer, crowding her back against the dresser. “I want the truth.”

Faye reached her right hand behind her, quietly pulling one of the drawers open a crack to grab the knife inside. “What truth?” she said, stalling for time. “You're looking for the guy who drove that car, right? Well, I don't know where he is. That's the truth.”

“I don't believe you.”

“I don't care.” She fumbled behind her in the drawer.

Jake cocked his head. “What's wrong, Faye? Can't find your knife?”

She stilled and dropped her hand to her side. “What did you do, search my apartment before I got here?”

“You'd better believe I did. Self-preservation. I've learned never to underestimate you. It was easy getting Freddie to let me up here. I just told her I needed to use the bathroom.”

They faced each other like two boxing opponents, each waiting for the other to make the first move. But Faye knew that fighting him wasn't an option, not without a weapon and a clear avenue of escape. Even if she managed to drop him to the floor, she wouldn't have any way to get past him and out the door. The bedroom was too small. All he'd have to do was reach out and grab her as she jumped over him to get away. She chewed her bottom lip in indecision.

Jake's anger seemed to evaporate as he looked down at her. “I know you're hiding from something, or someone. That's easy to figure out. But I'm not here to expose your secrets or dig into your past. I'm here for one reason, to find Calvin Gillette. And I believe you're the key to finding him. If you'll talk to me, and help me, I promise I won't do anything that will jeopardize your life here. I won't tell anyone where you are.” He smoothed her hair out of her eyes, then placed his hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed. “Help me, Faye. Please.”

It was so tempting to believe him, to believe the gentleness of his touch, the plaintive appeal in his words. She would love to trust him, ease her own burden by letting him share it. She needed to find Calvin, too. Was it possible Jake wasn't really a threat? That would mean she didn't have to leave Mystic Glades, leave her friends.

“Who are you working for?” she asked. “What does he want with...Gillette?”

“I can't tell you that.”

“Does he want to harm him?”

Jake's jaw tightened. “I'm not in the business of finding people and turning them over to someone who's going to hurt them. The answer to that insulting question is a definite ‘no.'”

His defensiveness seemed genuine. Maybe the client who'd hired Jake was a friend of Calvin's trying to find him for some reason she didn't know about. Maybe Calvin had overreacted and had gone on the run thinking he was in trouble when he really wasn't.

“What makes you think I know this Gillette guy? Or that I can help you find him?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

He dropped his hand to his side. For some reason, the disappointment on his face sent a stab of guilt straight to her heart.

“I found the backpack. You were searching for him this morning, just like last night. Can we skip past the lies now?”

“What makes you think it's my backpack?”

His mouth tightened into a firm line.

“Okay, okay.” There was no point in denying this particular accusation. If he'd searched her apartment for weapons then he'd probably noticed a few other things, such as that she had the same style of backpack in her closet in many different colors to match her other outfits. And that the bottled water and power bars in the purple backpack were the same brands as the ones in her pantry. She tried to bluff her way into a new explanation.

“I admit it. The backpack is mine. But only because I found that car a few days ago and realized the driver was probably hurt and wandering the woods and needed help. I've been searching for him, to help him, not because I know him.”

“I think you can come up with a better lie than that.”

“I'm not lying.”

“Right. You were concerned for a stranger, so concerned you've spent the past few days searching for him. But you weren't concerned enough to call the police or to tell any of your friends here in town so they could help you find him. Try again.”

She crossed her arms. “Why are you trying to find this guy? Who hired you?”

He seemed to consider that question, then nodded as if he'd decided it was okay to tell her. “My client is Quinn Fugate. He's Calvin's brother, different fathers, different last names. He only found out recently that they were related and is trying to connect with him. He'd tracked Calvin down through another investigator to Naples. But a friend of Calvin's reported him missing before Quinn could hop on a plane and go see him. The police gave up searching for Calvin after the first day. That's why Quinn hired me. And that's why I need to find Gillette before he dies out in the swamp. I'm here to help Gillette. That's all. Nothing more.”

Hope had her staring into his eyes, trying to gauge the truthfulness of his words. He
looked
as if he was telling the truth. His story sounded plausible. And the name Quinn Fugate meant nothing to her, which was a relief. It
was
possible Jake was telling the truth. She honestly didn't know if Calvin had a brother or not. Based on their shared past, it was entirely possible. And right now, there was no way to ask him. But wouldn't it be wonderful if Calvin had a family he'd never known about, a family that wanted him after he'd been alone for so long?

Was
Jake telling the truth? He certainly looked sincere, and he sounded sincere. What if he was lying? What if he wanted to use her to find Calvin? She could try to shake him, continue her search alone. But that wouldn't stop him. He'd be out searching, too. Maybe he'd even bring others to help. That would make it even worse for Calvin, to have more people looking for him.

So what were her choices? Search alone—assuming she could manage to get away without Jake following her. Or combine their resources, search together. That way she could keep an eye on him. Wasn't that better than knowing he was out there somewhere, but not knowing where? What was that saying, keep your friends close, your enemies closer?

“Faye?” He watched her intently, waiting for her decision.

“You want me to help you find this guy, the one who was driving the car?”

“Calvin Gillette, yes.” He sounded disappointed again that she wouldn't admit she knew him. “You said you were worried about him, a
stranger
out in the 'Glades, and you wanted to help him. Together we might do better than either of us is doing apart. You can take me around town to ask some questions, see if anyone has seen Gillette. That might narrow down our search area. Once I find him, I deliver the information about his brother. Then it's up to him whether to pursue it or not. My job is over at that point.”

“You won't tell anyone outside of Mystic Glades that I live here?” she asked.

He pressed his hand to his heart. “As long as you don't try to shoot me again, I have no reason to tell anyone about you.”

She put her hand on top of his, feeling his pulse leap beneath her fingers.

He cleared his throat. “Um, what are you doing?”

“I'm trying to read your spirit, see what kind of man you are inside.”

He opened his mouth to say something.

“Be quiet.”

His brows rose but he didn't say anything.

She closed her eyes, leaning toward him, feeling his warmth flow through her. Reading people, knowing their true nature, was something she'd always had an instinct for. She didn't know if it was a sixth sense, or just that she paid more attention than most people. But as long as she could touch someone, and listen to the way their body attuned itself to hers, she'd always believed she could read the good inside them.

A sense of calm flowed over her. She smiled as she opened her eyes. “You're a good man, Jake Young. I can feel it inside you.”

His eyes widened. “You can?”

“Yes, I can. And I trust you. I'll help you find Calvin.”

“Calvin? Not Gillette this time?”

She shook her head. “No. I still have my secrets, but I admit that I know him. And I want to find him, before something bad happens out in the swamp. We'll work together. Deal?” She held out her hand.

He hesitated, but finally took her hand in his and shook it. “Deal.”

That increasingly familiar tingle of awareness shot through her. She tugged her hand from his and waved at her torn clothes, the smears of dirt on her arms. “I need to shower and change. And then I think we should sit down and plan our search. I've spent days going in circles without any success. I'd rather lose the rest of the daylight we have today figuring out a plan than searching for a few hours and coming up with nothing again.”

She waved her hand toward her bedroom doorway. “You can set up in the guest room for tonight. If you don't have extra clothes I can borrow—”

“I always keep a go-bag in the trunk of my car. I'll run down and get it. It's got everything I'll need.”

* * *

J
AKE
PITCHED
HIS
go-bag on the ground and slammed his trunk. He uttered a few choice curse words and leaned back against his car, guilt riding him like a double-edged sword. He'd done what he came here to do. His job. He'd somehow, inexplicably, gained Faye's trust. But instead of feeling a sense of accomplishment, he was drowning in a sense of betrayal.

How could she just touch him and decide he was a “good” man? Why the hell would she trust him so completely after just meeting him? How she'd managed to survive this long with such a naive way of looking at the world around her was beyond him. The woman needed someone to watch out for her, to protect her from the evil in the world.