Chapter 12
Mercy appreciated when the conversation switched from work to something much different. She really liked Michael. That he was here to protect her, to find answers for his friend, endeared her all the more to him. That this was what he had done as a job and was willing to step back into for his friend was even better. She loved a man who wouldn’t take no for an answer when it came to helping a friend.
It’d been a long time since her last relationship. The breakup had been painful, and she hadn’t been willing to jump back into the arena. There were so many dating apps now, but she wasn’t interested and had removed them all from her phone. Even though her friends constantly asked her about her latest date, she’d been happy to just shake her head and say, “Hell no.”
Not one of them knew anything about where she was right now. If they thought she was having dinner with Michael, they’d be all over her, wondering what app she had found him on. The thing was, it wasn’t an app; it was real life. She wasn’t a fan of the new dating trend. At the same time, she knew the difficulties in meeting people locally. Still, she had met Michael accidentally. So, if she wanted to indulge in a fantasy right now, to think it was a date, just the two of them in a safe, secure little world, what harm would that do? That two security men from the estate who were at the same restaurant didn’t have to be all bad either. If she hadn’t ever heard about her sister and Sammy’s murders, she might wonder if the two security guards were best buddies, or maybe they were a gay couple, and this was their one and only chance to get out.
Immediately her mind glommed onto all these scenarios and went over a half dozen more. Maybe they were meeting because they planned to open up their own cupcake shop. She could feel herself grinning foolishly. And yet, it felt so great to add some humor to the moment. There’d been so much tension and strife and hard work these last few days. It felt good to laugh at something.
“What’s the smile for?”
She wasn’t sure if she should share or not but shrugged and explained.
His eyes widened. “Gay? Cupcake shop? What, like a butcher shop?”
She laughed, loving the fact he hadn’t mocked her for her fantasies. “That’s such a male macho thing,” she said. “You guys do eat more than just your fill.”
He pointed to his plate. “Hey, that’s not fair. Look what I’m eating now.”
She nodded. “Probably the one time in at least a couple weeks you had seafood and pasta. Am I right?”
He chuckled. “In this instance, you are right, and that’s only because my meals here have been somewhat limited. Lots of nights I just had sandwiches at my apartment.”
“I wondered why you didn’t come in with the rest of us in the house.”
“It’s my choice,” he said. “Although I don’t think they want me inside. I also don’t see the security guards eating in the house either.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve seen any of the security men eat inside either.”
“You don’t see many of the men in the house. Exactly what goes on in there?”
“That was the other thing I needed to tell you.” She glanced around the room to make sure she couldn’t be overheard. “Today I helped with matching up invoices in all these binders and on the back of one of the pages I saw several numbers,” she said then spilled out the phone numbers she’d memorized. “I was so afraid he’d see me.”
“Did he?” Michael asked sharply. “Because if so you’re out of there tonight.”
Remembering the look in Mr. Freeman’s eyes made her shudder all over again. “He was looking at me strangely. But he does that a lot.” She winced. “I’m always looking behind me feeling like I’m being watched.”
“And I really want you out of there.” He had his phone. “I’m sending those phone numbers to the detective and Levi. They should be able to find out who’s on the other end. Although that’s a good lead, it’s damn dangerous in that house.”
She shook her head and smiled. “No. It’s okay. He’s always like that. But after helping him, I was, of course, behind in my cleaning”—she rolled her eyes—“and that’s when Martha sent me to change the beds for the four guest bedrooms.” She groaned.
“The owner is quite a famous figure around here I’m sure he has many high powered friends, yet it would be good to keep track of any that are close. But the bloody sheet is …”
She watched him struggle for the right word. “It’s worrisome but I don’t know that it was terrible.” She shrugged. “Besides the owner is the kind of person I won’t remember after I leave—except for the fact we have some suspicions. Otherwise, he’s fairly …” She struggled to come up with the word, then added, “Ordinary.”
“Most people would not say that.” He sent another text message. She figured he was filling them in on the phone numbers.
She forced her mind back to Mr. Freeman and away from the possibility of another murder. “When he’s talking to his peers, he’s probably got a powerful presence. Whenever I see him, he’s not really talking directly at me, so no power is in that smile nor is his charisma turned my way. Therefore, he passes through my life as yet another male.” She shrugged. “Although, when I first crossed paths with him, I thought something was almost reptilian about him. But he was different today.”
Michael frowned. “Interesting.”
She dug into the seafood, loving the soft succulent shrimp. “This is delicious.” She glanced up. “I’m surprised you’re not having a drink.”
Surprise lit his eyes. “Would you like one? A glass of wine perhaps?”
She shook her head. “No, it puts me to sleep. Are you planning on going out later?”
He turned that stormy blue-gray gaze her way and raised an eyebrow. “I’m planning to take you wherever you need to go, then going home to sleep,” he said in a neutral tone.
She snorted. “Like hell you are.”
She watched as he slowly put down his fork, propped up his hands and rested his chin on one palm. “I wish you’d stay away, but you won’t.”
“And I wish you would stay in your room tonight, but you won’t either.”
He frowned at her. “I have to find out what’s going on.”
She nodded. “So do I.”
He picked up his fork and took another bite, slowly contemplating her expression.
“Remember I promised I’d leave no later than tomorrow morning, not tonight.”
He nodded. “What will you do if you run into trouble tonight?”
“I’ll run to your place.” She grinned, then chuckled. “If you are who you say you are, then you shouldn’t have any trouble protecting me.”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way. Protecting you when you’re in my apartment is one thing. Protecting you when I have no idea where you are or what you are doing is a completely different thing. And, if you end up running to me, and I’m not there, then what?”
He had a valid point. She had always thought, if anything happened, she would run to him. But what if he wasn’t there? What if he was out, doing a little sleuthing of his own? If she was being followed, she could wreck his plans too. In fact, she could put them both in grave danger. That wasn’t what she had wanted.
“Then I guess I’ll have to run for the woods,” she said quietly. “I wouldn’t want them to come looking for me at your place, only to have them find out you’re not there.” She watched as he turned his gaze from the two security guys sitting at the far side of the room.
“There is no place on the property you would be able to run to and be safe,” he said quietly. “I wish you wouldn’t return tonight.”
She didn’t know why she was still arguing with him about this. Part of her didn’t want to return ever again. Part of her knew she had to. She hated that. “I feel like I need to be there.”
He put his fork down a little too forcefully and glared at her. He opened his mouth, thought better of it, and lifted his coffee.
After he took a sip, she placed her hand on his. “I’m not trying to be difficult.”
“But you are,” he bit off. “This isn’t a game. You should take what happened to your sister as a warning.”
She squeezed his fingers and let her hand fall away.
As they were about to break contact, he placed his hand over hers. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“It won’t. I promise.”
He shook his head. “Your promise wouldn’t necessarily change anything. These people are not playing games.”
Then the waitress asked, “Is there anything else I can get for you?”
Michael smiled up at her. “No. We’re good, thank you.”
The waitress looked from one to the other, then backed away. As she left, she detoured over to the two security men. She stopped and spoke with them, her gaze going to Michael and Mercy’s table, then back to the two men.
Michael’s fingers clenched convulsively around her hand. “I don’t like that development.”
“And yet, she’s serving them too, so it would be instinctive to go from one table to the other.”
“It doesn’t matter. We need to get the hell out of here, and we need to slip by them.”
“How can we leave here without them noticing?” Mercy asked. “We have to walk right past them to get out the front door.”
“Which is exactly why they’re sitting at that table.” Michael surveyed the room as she watched him.
“Is there a back door?”
“There is, but we don’t need to use it.” Michael glanced at her plate. “Finish up. Then we’ll leave.”
She nodded and quickly ate the last few bites on her plate. As she watched, he pulled out cash from his wallet and tucked it under his plate. It was a generous amount, more than enough to cover their meal and the tip. He pulled out his phone, sent a text, then put it away again.
She nudged her plate slightly out of the way and said with a happy smile, “Regardless, I enjoyed that.”
He smiled at her. “Good. Happy to hear that. I’m glad you accepted my invitation.”
“It’s not a real date,” she said in a teasing way.
There was a warm look in his eyes. “Oh, it’s a real date.”
She rolled her eyes at him but loved to think he meant it. “Thank you for dinner.”
He inclined his head. “You’re welcome. Maybe next time we’ll find a place where we can stay a little longer.”
She grinned. “I’d like that.”
He pushed his plate away, picked up his coffee cup and said, “In a few minutes there will be a disturbance. I’ll get up, grab your hand and disappear out the front door in a way they won’t see us. You understand me?”
She took a sip of her coffee and coughed. She cleared her throat, nodded and reached for the water glass. “Thanks for the warning.”
He outstretched his hand; she placed hers in it. “Are you ready?”
She studied his features, then nodded. “Sure. I don’t quite understand why or how, but I trust you.”
This time when he smiled, it was breathtakingly intimate. “Thank you. That’s what this is all about.”
Then the door opened, and a large group of people came in and milled around the front of the restaurant as if looking for seating to accommodate them. They crowded around the table where the two security men sat. And that’s when Mercy understood. Instantly, his fingers closed over hers. She was out of the chair, led to the far side of the restaurant, where he quickly swooped her past the large group. Luckily they had parked on the opposite side of the building so didn’t have to cross in front of the security men again.
He helped her into the truck, walked around, fired it up and, without turning on the lights, pulled away. As soon as they hit the main road, he turned on the lights and kept going. “Now where can I drop you?”
“You have to return tonight. I have to get my car.”
He shot her a hard look. “I could easily pick the car up for you.”
She shook her head. “No. By the way, that was a neat trick. Obviously you have a lot of people in your life you can call on in moments like that.”
“I have good friends I can count on, and that’s worth everything.”
Then headlights shone in the back window. “Shit. It’s them.”
*
Now he had limited options. Taking her back was likely the safest thing at this point. He had little other choices—other than to pull over and have it out right now, and that he couldn’t do without blowing his cover or getting her mixed up in the middle.
“It’ll be way too obvious if we pull over to the side of the road and let them pass.” He glanced at her, a hard look still on his face. “It’s not safe for you.”
She twisted in her seat and stared at the vehicle behind them. “Okay, I think I’m finally convinced you’re right.” She turned to look at him. “But what are we supposed to do now?” She realized he was slowing down and approaching the estate. “I don’t know how dangerous this is, but, if you stop here, we may be able to run away into the surrounding countryside.”
He shook his head. “Not possible. They also have security cameras outside the estate.”
“Are we thinking my life is in danger?” She glanced around at their tail. “It’s too surreal to believe I go out for dinner and come back to get shot.”
“When you’ve packed up your things, then you can come over and spend the night at my place.”
Startled, she gave him a small cry. “Why?”
“Because at least that way I’ll know you’re safe. I won’t get a wink of sleep if I don’t know that.”
“I thought you would go out and search the property.”
“And I still might. But I need to know you’re stashed somewhere safe.”
“I doubt your place could be considered safe,” she said with a half laugh. “It’s obvious we’re coming back here together.”
The gate opened wide for them; the security guard waved.
As Michael drove past, she said, “On the surface they all look so welcoming.”
“Of course.” He watched in the rearview mirror as a second vehicle drove in. Everybody waved back at each other. He wondered if he was making too much of it. But he sure as hell wished he’d gotten her away first. Why the hell had she been so resistant?
“Drive over to the big house. I’ll head up to my room. You return to your place, and then I’ll sneak over.”
“Chances are you won’t be allowed to,” he said. “Remember the intruder who stands outside your door?”
She nodded. “I might be able to get out. If not, you can come and unlock my door.”
He gave a snort at that. “They could be up to something else. I don’t know what it is. It’s cameras and bugs I’m worried about now.” He pulled up to the servants’ door.
She grabbed her purse, gave him a bright smile, and hopped out. She closed the door, walked over to the back entrance, and opened the door to the staircase leading to her room.
When she was safely inside, he pulled the vehicle over to his side. He parked it, ready to go should he need to. He unlocked the entryway door to his apartment and headed upstairs, his mind churning. He needed one more good night where he could go outside and check around. But what he needed to do first was get her the hell out.
A text on his phone caught him unawares. He pulled out his phone to see it was from Levi.
Any news?
Something’s going down. Suspected third death. Suspected artillery stockpile. Looking to find a holding place on the property. Saw new tracks to back of property.
Guns?
I’ll tell you in a couple hours.
And the girl?
Still stubborn. Still here. But not for much longer.
He walked upstairs, unlocked his apartment door, checking to make sure all was well as he answered Levi. Be nice to have a phone call with him later tonight, but Michael didn’t dare risk it. Just because he’d searched for bugs didn’t mean he had to do it all over again right now. He put on a pot of coffee and took the opportunity to sweep the rooms. That there were no bugs made him even more suspicious. It worried him they had something more sophisticated. Like monitors. In which case, they would already know who he was because they would’ve seen him searching for bugs. He turned on the TV to give himself a bit of cover noise and walked into his bedroom to change into a black shirt. He shut off the lights in the living room and left the light on in his bedroom. It was too early for him to go to bed, but it wasn’t unexpected to think he might be sitting up in bed, on his laptop, before going to sleep.
He checked his watch. It was now ten-twenty. There was no sign of Mercy. He walked to the living room window, keeping to the side of the glass, with the curtains for cover, and checked her room. He was in time to watch her lights go out.
He stood silent and watched the grounds around the estate. Every once in a while, he watched one of the security men on the perimeter route as he checked out the property. Mentally Michael noted the time. He waited until he watched the man come back again. No, it was a different one this time and thirty minutes later. In those thirty minutes there was no sign of Mercy. He wondered at her choice to stay here. Or was she waiting for the right time when it was safe? He’d wait several hours before it was clear for him to go out.
As much as he liked the idea of having Mercy stay at his place, he also didn’t like the idea that somebody might come here to search, finding her. It would be okay if that person found the two of them. But if they found only her, then they’d know he was checking things out. They’d also believe she was involved.
He stood here, sipping his second cup of coffee, watching as a small figure slipped from the stairwell and walked across the yard toward his room. He hadn’t seen the security guard standing outside her room tonight; that was a bit of a concern too. No need for the routine to change unless something bigger called the security guard away. And anything that changed the routine made him cautious.
He opened the door downstairs before she had a chance to knock. He quickly ushered her inside and closed the door behind her. Motioning for her to go ahead, they climbed the stairs to his apartment.
Upstairs she glanced around. “It’s nice. Much bigger than my place,” she said in surprise. “You have a kitchen too.”
He nodded. “I haven’t done much cooking yet.”
While she wandered through his place, he walked to the window, watching. Placing a finger to his lips, he went to his bedroom and did a full-on search to see if there was anything suspicious. He found a tiny camera on the other side of the bed. Angry, he stared at it, wanting to rip the thing off and toss it down the toilet. Instead, he knew he needed to use it. He sat down on the bed out of view for this camera and pointed at it.
Mercy frowned but kept quiet. She walked close to him and, in a surprise move, wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss. Up against his ear, she whispered, “Then we should use this.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. She was right, but he didn’t want to put her in any more danger than she was in now. And, inside himself, he could feel his loins stir. It’d been a year since he’d had a relationship, a year where he’d shut down that part of himself fully and tried to heal so many other aspects of his psyche. But now, with this warm, willing, gorgeous woman in his arms, it was hard to think of anything else. When she plastered herself tighter against him, reached around his neck, her lips against his, he realized she really meant it.