“Coming now! Hide!”
He was gone.
And she was left alone in the darkness of the forest.
Coming.
Who was coming? Walsh?
Or the other one Sajan said was the same.
“Margaret?”
The other one.
Nalchek.
It could be a mistake. Sajan was confused, and she hadn’t been able to clarify anything in the short time she’d had to work with him.
But the image she’d gotten from him was definitely Nalchek. The power, the tiger ferocity, the sleekness.
“Margaret.” More impatient now.
Trust her own instincts? Or Sajan’s jumbled memory?
In the end, she always had to trust herself. If she was wrong, she was now prepared to deal with it.
“Here!” She stepped out of the trees. “It’s about time you got here.” She strolled toward him. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Then you should have told me where to find you. I guess that didn’t occur to you.” He was frowning. “The officer I had watching you told me you were still in your room at the hotel. It took a little while to determine you’d given him the slip.”
“And you came immediately here.”
“I told Eve that this was where you’d probably be.” He shrugged. “But there was a chance that I might be wrong since she’d asked you to bring her suitcase.”
“No problem. Eve travels light.” She nodded down at the small flight bag she was carrying. “And Joe Quinn evidently never unpacked his luggage when he got here. It’s probably still in his rental car.”
“Are you going to tell me why you slipped away from my officer? If you’d insisted, he would have brought you back here.”
“Not necessary. I met a college professor in the coffee shop, and he offered to give me a lift.”
“That’s no answer.”
“It’s all you’ll get from me.” Then she shook her head. “That was rude. I’m a little on edge.” More than a little, she thought. As usual, she was experiencing a multitude of emotions at being this close to him. Nalchek was all power and keen intelligence, and she was drawn to both. And now there was added the chilling uncertainty of what she’d learned tonight. Forget it. She’d made a choice. She’d chosen to trust herself … and Nalchek. Deal with the consequences. Which meant dealing with Nalchek. She met his eyes. “I don’t like to be watched. I’m sure your officer is very courteous and only doing his job, but he made me uneasy. I won’t permit anyone to be able to put his hand on me at any given time.”
“Why?”
She smiled. “My nature? Or something more devious? I’m sure you’re busily trying to find out.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Why? Because you’re a police officer, and you don’t trust me or what I am?” She nodded. “That would be reasonable … if one looked only on the surface.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She hesitated. Back off, or respond as she usually did. Backing off would be more suspicious. Nalchek was very sharp. “Because you’re not what you appear to be, either.”
“You’re wrong, I’m exactly what I appear to be. My public record is open for anyone to read. I couldn’t have been elected to this office if I were hiding a shady past.”
“Really? Everyone hides something. At least, everyone interesting. Animals are different. They’re much simpler. Except felines.”
His gaze narrowed on her face. “I don’t believe we’ll change species in this particular conversation. Just what do you think I’m hiding?”
Probe a little. “I don’t know. Not your military career, you were a hero. Not during your college days. You were too intelligent to get involved with drugs or all that nonsense.”
“Then do you think I’m a crooked cop?”
She slowly shook her head. “I don’t think so. That would be an opportunity for corruption, but you grew up with a father who had strict values and believed in the law. That would have rubbed off. I’d bet you’re well thought of by your officers as well as the people who elected you.”
“Then it appears you’re running out of scenarios for me to indulge in my wicked nature,” he said mockingly. “Where did you find out all this about me?”
“The Internet. And I have a few friends who have buddies in high places. Not to mention those who wallow in low places.” She stopped as she reached his car. “I don’t have your advantage with access to all those databases and stuff.”
“They haven’t done me much good … yet.”
“But you’re still hopeful. I like that about you, Nalchek. Hope is a wonderful thing.”
He opened the car door. “So we’ve both drawn a blank.”
“Not me.” She got into the car. “When I become confused about direction, all I do is go back to the beginning.”
“And where is that?”
She looked out the window at the forest. “Back there. Whatever you’re hiding is back there.”
He got into the driver’s seat but didn’t turn on the ignition.
Had she gone too far?
He looked straight ahead. “I’d like to know how you made a guess like that.”
She could feel his tension. Very dangerous moment. She should be afraid. But she wasn’t: excitement, anticipation, curiosity—no fear. Did that mean that he was no threat?
No. The threat was there, but it didn’t mean that she couldn’t handle it.
“How do you think?” she said lightly. “My friends aren’t only the two-legged variety. But that shouldn’t worry you since you have a healthy skepticism for any connection I have with them. And how could Sajan possibly tell me anything that might hurt you?”
“Skepticism doesn’t preclude curiosity.” He still hadn’t started the car. “Why don’t you want to tell me what you think I’m hiding?”
“Because you’re very intense. If I struck too close to home, you might have to make a decision.”
“And as long as I don’t know, I can just coast along and not worry?” He shook his head, and said roughly, “Margaret, you’re a fool. You can’t be that naïve. You shouldn’t have said anything at all if you thought I was a possible threat. Instead, you put yourself in a vulnerable position, then decide to tell me that I might have reason to remove you.”
“I’m always vulnerable,” she said simply. “Though I’ve been trying to correct that lately. But I have to work with what I have. I have intelligence and instincts and judgment. I never let myself get in a situation that my judgment says I can’t get out of. Of course, there are triggers that can change everything.”
“Like an unexpected decision that might cause an explosion.”
“Or might not. I like to avoid having to worry about it.” She looked him in the eye. “May we go now?”
“Nervous?”
He mustn’t go down that path. Nervousness was too close to fear. And fear could be looked upon with suspicion. Red herring. Distraction. “A little, but it’s more excitement, I think. It’s just that Eve said that she had to get back to the hospital and wanted to see me.”
He didn’t move. “Excitement?”
“You know. Sex.” She smiled. “I feel very sexual whenever I’m around you. They call it chemistry, but I’ve always thought of sex as basic and primitive.”
“I … see.”
“Oh, did I make you feel awkward? It’s not as if I’m making a move on you. I know I’m not your type.”
“Oh, do you? Dark, leggy, and sophisticated. Isn’t that what you said?”
She nodded. “That’s right, and anyway, the sex urge isn’t always reciprocal regardless of appeal. And the initial excitement can vanish as quickly as it comes.”
“Stop talking about sex.”
“Of course. I only wanted to explain that—”
“You only wanted to throw me a curve and take control,” he said bluntly. “Because you thought that it was a safe ploy. It’s not safe.” His voice lowered, and the words came fast and hard. “And you don’t have any idea what kind of women I like to screw. You do appeal to me. And if you weren’t such a weird nutcase, I’d have had you in the backseat, tearing your clothes off, and coming into you three minutes ago.”
“Really?” She cleared her throat. She hadn’t expected that response, and she suddenly felt out of her depth. “Then I guess it’s lucky that I am that weird. You’d be having all kinds of second thoughts that would—”