Chapter Twenty
Utah
Gabby opened her eyes to darkness. They were still driving, but she must have slept for several hours. It had been sunny when she’d closed her eyes.
She moved her gaze to the man beside her. The dashboard lights gave off just enough brightness for her to see that his mouth was set in a thin, grim line and his jaw was clenched in tension.
Her heart going into overdrive, she sat up and looked around. “What’s wrong? Are we being followed?”
“No. We’re clear. We should be arriving at the safe house within ten minutes.”
Asking why he looked so grim would do no good. She’d learned that Jonah shared only what he wanted to tell her. “Where are we?”
“Utah.”
“What happens once we get to the house?”
“We lay low. Let the dust settle.”
“And then?”
“Then I go on to another job, and you become someone else’s problem.”
The words made a direct hit. Before she could respond, he cursed softly. “I’m sorry, Gabby. I didn’t mean that.”
She wasn’t so sure about that. Either way, it was a good reminder. Jonah Slater wasn’t her friend. He was being paid to watch out for her and get information on her grandfather. For her to expect something more was both fruitless and naïve. She was through with naïveté.
“No worries. I’m sure you have somewhere else you need to be instead of babysitting me.”
“I just meant—”
“I know exactly what you meant, Jonah. Further explanation isn’t necessary.”
She kept her eyes focused straight ahead. With the night so dark, he likely couldn’t see the hurt on her face, but she would take no chances. The longer she was with Jonah, the more she let her guard down and the easier it was for him to hurt her. Perhaps all of this was for the best.
The man beside her expelled a lengthy sigh. “The thing is, Gabby, I—” Another sigh, this one held more than a hint of disgust. “Look. I’m attracted to you. Okay? More than I have been to anyone since Teri. And I know you’re attracted to me, too. But there’s no point in pursuing something that can’t last. You’ve got a new life ahead of you, one that can’t include me.”
“Because, with my new identity, I can’t have anything remotely associated with my past?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not the only reason, though, is it? You’re still searching for Teri’s killer. You won’t stop until you find him and make him pay. Correct?”
“No, I won’t stop.”
“And what happens if he stops you instead?”
“I’ll just make damn sure he goes with me.”
“Do you even care if you live?”
The silence that followed was painful, awkward, and telling. He really didn’t care if he lived once his fiancée’s killer was dead.
She had no idea what to say. She wasn’t going to change his mind about pursuing the killer. She actually admired him for his courage. She couldn’t even lecture him on the sanctity of living the life he had been given. She had been living in limbo for more than half her life, waiting to live. Who was she to lecture?
Nor would she tell him that the thought of something happening to him was so abhorrent that it literally made her sick. He definitely wouldn’t want to know that.
The quiet was uncomfortable. Ordinarily, Gabby would rush to fill the silence with something witty or amusing. She had honed her social skills while playing hostess for her grandfather’s parties. Charming a room full of people, half of whom dealt with their rivals by killing them, took a special kind of expertise. She could easily say something that would ease the tension. She wouldn’t. The painful silence would just have to stand.
“We’re here.”
The night was pitch dark, but lights blazed throughout the small structure, giving off a welcoming glow. The cabin was about a fifth of the size of the house they’d fled in Colorado. Gabby immediately fell in love. The other place had been a mansion, majestic with every amenity imaginable. This place, with its wide front porch, wooden rocking chairs, and tin roof, looked like a home. A place you could pull off your shoes and warm your toes by the fire.
“It’s lovely. Is this someone’s home?”
“Sort of. I bought it last year. Stayed in it a couple of times.”
That the house belonged to him wasn’t a surprise. Jonah Slater might be a wealthy man, but he had a down-to-earth quality that would look right at home in a small cabin in the woods.
The front door of the cabin opened, and Gabby lost her breath. “Who’s here?”
“The man who arranged your rescue.”
So she was finally going to know her benefactor. She felt both apprehensive and excited. She also felt messy and wished she could freshen up a bit before meeting the man who had been generous enough to change her life.
She had nothing, not even a comb. She resisted the temptation to look in the mirror on the sun visor. Since she could do nothing about her appearance, what was the point of knowing just how disheveled she looked?
Straightening her shoulders, Gabby reached for the door handle.
Jonah touched her arm. “Hold on a minute.”
Surprising her once more, he reached into the console and handed her a small cloth bag. She unzipped it to find moist towelettes, a comb, breath freshener, and, of all things, lip gloss.
“Where did this come from?”
“My go bag. I once asked my sister what were the things she always had in her purse that she never traveled without. I thought they might come in handy.”
A lump formed in her throat, and Gabby swallowed, wanting to tell him what his thoughtfulness meant to her. When she realized the lump wouldn’t budge, Gabby settled for a quick smile and nodded her thanks. She made quick work of the contents of the pouch and felt a million times better.
Jonah, who had been staring straight ahead, giving her some semblance of privacy, said, “Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
He reached for the door handle, and this time, it was Gabby who grabbed his arm. “Wait. I might not get the chance to say it again. I just want to thank you for all you’ve done for me. You protected me when it would have been much easier and safer for you to leave and let my grandfather’s men capture me. That was very courageous.”
He looked at her for a long moment, and she got the impression he was fighting an inner battle. Finally, he lifted a shoulder in a careless shrug. “I’m no hero, honey. Let’s go meet the man who really saved you.”
Letting her hand on his arm drop away, Gabby opened her car door. Once again, she had been reminded that she was a job to Jonah, nothing more. This time, she swore the lesson would stick.