Hunted (14 page)

Will woke up with Emma curled against his side. Her slow, steady breath warmed his skin filling him with a foreign sentiment he struggled to name. Contentment. He marveled at this place of belonging as he studied her face, the tension smoothed away while she slept. Her hand draped over her abdomen, her fingers curled as if she held onto something. Leaning his face into her hair, he breathed in her scent, committing it to memory as his lips brushed her forehead. The desperation to cling to this moment only reinforced his conviction of what he had to do. As tempted as he was to stay, he needed to go before she woke. And he needed to talk to James.

He eased himself off the bed and pulled a shirt over his head. The pendant lay on the nightstand, reminding him of the events the night before. It should provide him with a sense of victory, that the stone was more than just a necklace. That it was an incredible source of power. But the fact they knew so little about it gave him more hesitation than relief. Everything came with a price. What was the cost of the stone?

He grabbed a cup of coffee and stood on the front porch. The sun still hung low in the eastern sky making the peaks on the water glisten with gold. James sat on the dock in a camping chair, a fishing pole in hand. An empty chair sat to James’ left with a rod beside it on the deck. The old ritual soothed the edges of Will’s anxiety.

James ignored him as he approached. Will sat down, sipping his coffee as he watched the dragonflies dance on the water’s surface. “No clients today?” Will already knew the answer. James was a fishing guide and if he’d had a client, he’d be gone already.

James’s gaze stayed out on the lake. “Lucky for you, my clients have been a little thin lately. Damn economy.” He paused for a moment. “I see you’re all better.”

“Yeah.”

James reeled in his line and recast. “Who the hell is she? Or maybe the more appropriate question is
what
is she?”

“Her name is Emma. And she’s a person, just like you and me.”

James shook his head, slow and deliberate, his mouth set in a grim line. “She is
not
like you and me.” His face reddened then he erupted with a slew of questions. “Where did you meet her, Will? A crappy bar? On the side of the road? Was she a job?” He paused and sucked in his breath. “Shit, she was a job, wasn’t she?” James’s eyes widened and he turned to look at him. “Oh. My. God. She was your
big
job. The job you said you’d retire on. You didn’t finish it, did you? The people who beat the shit out of you are the people who hired you. Shit, Will. You fucked up big-time on this one.”

Will took a deep breath and shook his head. “No. For once I got it right.”

James’s eyes filled with hatred. “Who is she? Who wanted her? What did she do?”

“She didn’t
do
anything. They wanted her for her
potential
.” He spat the last word with disgust.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“News flash. I saw your girlfriend glowing in the bedroom. Try me.”

Will understood his anger and his confusion. If it were the other way around, Will suspected he would react the same way. “I’m telling you, James, it all sounds crazy. You just have to trust me.”

“That’s just it, Will. I
don’t
trust you. Before you showed up with that woman, I would have trusted you, but this isn’t you. This isn’t the Will I know, cussing me out in my own kitchen over a woman. It’s always been you and me, dude. You and me. We agreed to never let women get between us and look at you.” James sneered in disgust. “How long have you known her?”

“Almost a month.”

“Almost a
month?
You’re throwing your life away over a woman you’ve only known for a month?”

“Yeah, but I’m not throwing it away.”

James doubled over with laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“You. You’re a fucking idiot.” James reeled in his line. “I never thought I’d see the day Will Davenport got snared by a woman.”

He understood James’s reaction and he considered arguing that Emma saved him, but he knew it would be a waste of breath. James needed time to see how important Emma was to him. Will took a sip of coffee, averting his gaze. “James, I need your help.”

“I’m already giving you my help.”

“I need more.”

James groaned. “Of course you do.”

“Is there any chance you can do a little investigating for me?”

“What kind of investigating?”

“Just computer sleuthing. My laptop burned up when my truck exploded and I haven’t had time to replace all of my contacts.”

“Your truck exploded?”

“Yeah, old news. But I need you—”

“Old news for you maybe, but not me. Let me guess, this had to do with Emma.”

Will tempered his growing irritation. “James, I told you, she hasn’t done anything wrong. A group of powerful people want her because of the things they think she’s capable of. She was completely clueless to any of it until the Vinco Potentia tried to hire me to work for them as part of their security team. I was the one who told her.”

“Who?”

“The Vinco Potentia. They’re a secret organization of politicians and influential businessmen. And from the members I’m aware of and the money backing them, they’re powerful. I want to figure out who else is in their group. That’s where you come in.”

“And they’re the people that hired you? They hired you to take Emma to them?”

“Yes, but there’s another organization after her, too. They’re the ones who caused my truck to explode.” Will decided it was best to leave Jake out of it at this point. He could only imagine James’s reaction to that. No need to overwhelm him any more than necessary.

“
Two
organizations?” James shook his head. “Shit, Will.”

“Yes, but the second group wants to kill her. At least the Vinco Potentia wants her alive.”

“What the fuck does this girl do?”

“It’s what they
think
she can do.” He paused. “The head of the Vinco Potentia is none other than Phillip Warren.”

James’ mouth dropped. “
Senator
Phillip Warren? The guy running for president?”

Will pinched his lips. Part of him wished he’d killed Warren when he had the chance. “Yeah, pleasant fellow,” he said, but his tone implied otherwise. “His right-hand man at the South Dakota compound was Scott Kramer. He’s the guy who actually hired me. Also, Warren’s son, Alex Warren. He’s part of them too. There was another guy named John, middle-aged guy. Dark hair with a bit of gray. I don’t know his last name.”

“Gee, middle-aged guy named John, that narrows it down to a couple hundred thousand guys.”

“Look, James, I wouldn’t ask for your help if I didn’t need it. You and I both know you’re a hell of a lot better at finding info on people than I am.”

“I don’t know, Will. I’ve never heard of the Vinco Potentia and I heard about a lot of political groups when I was in communications in the service.”

“They were all Brown graduates. That should narrow it down. Also, I have Warren’s cell phone. Maybe his list of contacts will help.”

“Do I
want
to know how you got Senator Warren’s cell phone?”

Will grinned. “I can assure you he handed it to me himself.”

James raised his eyebrows in a challenge.

“I tried to sort through the list, but I spent most of my time taking care of Emma. She was in really bad shape when we escaped.” Will’s voice faded as he thought about how scared he was that first week.

“And do I want to know what was wrong with her?” James shook his head. “Scratch that. I don’t. Did you get the cell phone before or after you escaped?” Sarcasm dripped from his words.

“Do you really want to know?”

“Hell, no.”

Will paused, then held James’s gaze. “I have another favor to ask, even bigger than that.” His voice softened.

James’ eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What?”

Will strengthened his resolve. He had to do this even if the mark on his arm protested otherwise. “I have to go back to South Dakota. There’s a book at the Vinco Potentia compound. A book that has answers. I need that book.”

“You’re going to invade a compound owned by a powerful, secret society on your own and steal a book?”

“No, I’m only going to do surveillance and try to figure out the best way in.”

“And then what?”

“And then you and I are going to go back and steal it.”

James let loose a long string of curse words. “How did I get roped into this? Is that your favor?”

“No, excitement and adventure with me is a given.”

James scowled. “So what’s the favor?”

“I need to leave Emma here. She won’t be safe with me.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

Will hated to ask, hated to leave her even more. He could see James didn’t like her, but she was safer with James than she would be traipsing around so close to the Warren territory. “It’s only for a few days.”

“What? Am I supposed to take her out on the lake with my clients? Be her babysitter?”

“No, I’m hoping she’ll be safe out here in the middle of nowhere. And if something happens, you’ll be here to protect her. I’ll be back in a few days.”

“And if someone shows up?”

Will’s chest tightened at the thought. “I doubt anyone will, but if they do...” His eyes hardened. “I have no doubt that you’re capable of protecting her.”

James shook his head in disgust. “Goddamit. I can’t believe I’m fucking agreeing to this. You know she’s not going to like it. What makes you so sure she’ll stay?”

“Because I’m not telling her that I’m leaving and she won’t have any way to take off.”

“What the hell do I get out of all of this?”

“My undying gratitude?”

James snorted. “Yeah, just what I was looking for.”

“I’m going to leave now, before she wakes up. Can you look up some of the info before I get back in a couple of days?”

“Sure.” James scoffed. “Maybe I can cook you a turkey dinner, too.”

Will grinned. “Now that you mention it, that sounds—”

“In your dreams, asshole.”

***

Emma woke up in an empty bed. Her fingers trailed over sheets where Will had lain. Had saving him been a dream? But if it had, wouldn’t he still be here?

The memory of Jake’s hand gripping hers rushed into her mind, taking her breath away. Even though she could almost feel his body pressed into her back, there was no denying it had been a dream. Her eyes sank closed with grief. It had felt so real.

She sat up, irritated that it was after ten o’clock. Why had Will let her sleep so long? Lying in bed all day didn’t get her closer to finding Jake and she’d wasted enough time in bed, delirious with a fever, the weeks before. She got up and wandered through the empty house then moved to the front porch, her mouth dropping open. The Camaro was gone.

James walked up to the house carrying an armload of firewood, keeping his eyes down. “Will left.”

Her breath hung in her throat. “Left? Left where?”

He dumped the wood in a pile close to the porch then stared at her, a blank expression on his face. “South Dakota.”

The blood rushed from her head as the heat of anger replaced it. “South
Dakota?
”

James put a foot on the porch and leaned an arm on it. “Yeah, something about a book. And
you
.” His eyes held hers in a challenge.

She tried to control her breathing as her temper boiled.

“He hired me to be your babysitter for the next few days.”

“
Days
?”

“Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction, too.” James turned around and walked toward the dock. “He left you a note on the kitchen table.”

Emma stormed inside to find a folded paper with her name written on the outside. She’d overlooked it before.

Emma,

I’m sorry I left like this. I thought it would be easier this way. I need to do some reconnaissance in South Dakota and I didn’t want to risk taking you. You’ll be safer here with James. I’ll be back in a few days.

Love,

Will

James walked in the side door, stomping his dirty boots on a rug. “You can earn your keep by catching up my laundry and cooking. You look like you’ve worked in a restaurant or two. I’d like a roast and potatoes for dinner.” He brushed past her down the hall.

She crumbled the note in her hand. “Excuse me, but I was an accountant.”

“Yeah, sure you were, honey.” His voice was muffled as he shut the door to the bathroom. The sound of the shower followed.

Emma clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. Who the hell did he think he was? And what in the hell was Will thinking leaving her here? He expected her to stick around for days just waiting for him?

She felt lost and alone without Will and that pissed her off. She’d spent her entire life alone, so when did she start needing him? And look where needing him got her. Farther away from Jake than ever before and stranded with the dickhead singing in the shower.

Will made his choice and she made hers. He expected her to sit here barefoot and possibly pregnant while he ran off and did manly things.

To hell with that.

She dug in the bag he left behind and found his stash of money. She wouldn’t take much, just enough to get a new pair of shoes, some food and a bus ticket to Arizona. She’d walk to the nearest town and catch a bus to Tucson. Hopefully, they had a bus station out in the middle of Timbuktu.

She found an old backpack in the bedroom closet. Stealing it from James almost made her feel bad, but the fact he was an ass negated any guilt. She stuffed the few clothing items and toiletries she had into the pack. As an afterthought, she grabbed a handgun and bullets. Unfortunately, she’d probably need to use it. She pushed away the fear that blossomed at the thought and placed them in the front pocket of the backpack. A purse would have been better and given her faster access to the gun, but she didn’t have one anymore. Hers burned up in Will’s truck, which reminded her that she’d need to get a fake ID soon. With a huff of anger, she strode for the door when the pendant on the nightstand caught her eye.