Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies (20 page)

“You’re being unreasonable and stubborn,” she muttered.

He didn’t say anything. He knew he’d won. But she wanted him to know exactly the consequences she’d pay.

“If I go without him, Kyle’s not going to forgive me. Not again. Not for this.”

Still nothing.

“He was nearly crushed and could have died in that explosion trying to save Becca. He deserves to be included.”

Her dad just stared at her, unmoving, refusing to budge.

Genie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, opening herself up to him, but saw nothing but her mother, her smile, the cornflower blue of her eyes, the wind blowing her blond curls behind her. She almost pulled away, but then the vision shifted to an older man with sandy brown hair and a full beard. He was raising his hand over his head, his eyes wide with terror, his mouth opened in a scream. Just as quickly as it came, the image was gone.

What in the hell
else
was her dad hiding?

Chapter Ten

Kyle paced back and forth in the darkness behind the small cabin, peering into the lighted windows. He’d wanted to show Genie that he trusted her. That he respected her need to talk to her father alone. He was trying, but it wasn’t easy. There would always be secrets with that woman. She just couldn’t let herself believe that he was on her side, no matter what she and her father were hiding.

He’d done a quick perimeter check of the cabin, and now he walked down the trail that led beyond the front of the house, making sure no one had followed Marsters, making sure no one was out there waiting to surprise them. He focused on doing his job and on stopping himself from storming back into the cabin and demanding to be a part of the conversation. This was
his
case. He was there to help, not to be shut out. But demanding anything from Genie or her father would get him nowhere. He had to play it cool. To give her the chance to bring the information to him.
If
she brought the information to him. With her track record, he could never be sure.

He played his flashlight over the ground, following a set of footprints that had originated from the path he and Genie had taken from the dock. It appeared that instead of walking through the front door, Marsters had gone around back, circling the cabin. Kyle followed the tracks. Scuffmarks in the dirt showed that he had loitered outside the bedroom window—the room where Kyle and Genie had been making love earlier.

Kyle stiffened. Had the man been
spying
on them?

And yet, even knowing full well that he and Genie were there, Marsters had come through the back door without announcing himself. He’d even managed to look surprised and none-too-pleased to see Kyle. Why the primo acting job? Whatever the reason, Kyle didn’t like it. He didn’t trust the man farther than he could spit.

Grinding his jaw, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Cameron’s personal number.

“Marsters is up to his old tricks again,” he said when his boss answered.

“You found him, then?” Cameron asked, sounding relieved.

“At a cabin on the far side of the island. But he’s refusing to talk with me there, so I’m outside right now. What about Cat and her family? How are they?”

“They arrived safely. Though she’s having a hard time explaining to her family.”

Kyle chuckled. “I can imagine. So, did you find out anything on those text messages?”

“Nothing on the one sent to Genie, but the one sent to you came from a phone registered to Becca Marsters.”

Which would imply that she was not a willing participant in what was happening to Genie now. “Then it would stand to reason that Becca wasn’t the one who sent Genie the text to meet her at the warehouse in the first place.”

“Not unless she used a different phone.”

“Well, that’s interesting, because apparently Becca’s not dead.”

In the silence that followed that little bombshell Kyle could hear the squirrels shuffling in the branches of the trees above him, and the lonely hoot of an owl.

Cameron pushed out a long breath. “Proof?”

“I’m sure a second look at the autopsy results will be all the proof you need. Anyway, both Marsters and Genie seemed to know she’s alive.”

Cameron swore softly. “Any clue what Becca has been up to?”

“That’s the million dollar question. I’ll ask when I’m allowed back inside.” Kyle didn’t quite succeed in masking the sarcasm. “I don’t know if it will help, but Becca met Emerich at boarding school. They’ve known each other for a long time.”

He heard papers shuffling. “What? We don’t have any record of his going to a boarding school.”

“Must have gone under a different name? Apparently he’s an orphan and very wealthy.”

“I’ll check into that right away. This could be a real break.” He sounded excited.

“Before you do, what did you find out on the Tom Garrison clipping?”

“Ah. That one is very interesting. Mr. Garrison was a scientist working on a top-secret program for the CTA back before my time.”

“You’re kidding.” Kyle certainly hadn’t expected that.

“Yes. The research was headed by Marsters himself.”

“What kind of research?”

“That’s where it get’s fuzzy. Almost all of the records have somehow been deleted or destroyed. I did manage to find out the program was called The Amelia Project.”

“As in Genie’s mother Amelia?”

“Quite a coincidence, eh?”

“You think Marsters deleted those files?”

“Even though the CTA is a top-secret agency, it’s really hard to hide an entire program from Oversight. But somehow it was done. No one else seems to know anything about it, either.”

Kyle’s head was spinning as he tried to puzzle out the implications. “The date that Garrison went missing, according to the clipping? I noticed it was the same weekend Genie’s mother died in that car accident.”

There was more paper shuffling. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Neither do I. But I just don’t see what any of this has to do with Sean Emerich.”

“Well, I just might have the answer to that.”

Kyle was beginning to get that feeling, that little itch on the back of his neck that he got whenever a case was about to come together.

“The missing scientist’s full name was Tom Emerich Garrison.”

…

Genie waited in the bedroom for Kyle to come back into the house. She hated that she had to leave him, hated that her father wouldn’t bring him into the plan. But he was right, Becca came first, and they couldn’t take the chance of anything going wrong. Becca needed them.

Kyle slipped into the dark room and eased the door shut behind him. In the dim light from the moon shining on the bedcovers, she lifted them, inviting him into the bed next to her. He stripped out of his clothes, and snuggled next to her, his cool skin, shocking her as he held onto her warm body.

“Good news,” he said and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Cat and her family made it to the safe house in D.C.”

“That is good news.” Her fingertips trailed along his back, moving over his shoulders as his skin warmed.

“It’s almost over,” he said with a kiss on her hair.

”I hope so,” she said, knowing it would be, one way or another. She just wished it didn’t mean the end of their relationship, too.

She pressed her cheek against his chest, knowing this would probably be the last time she’d be able to hold him. This was the hardest decision she’d ever had to make in her life. Even harder than leaving him the first time. This time, she had all the facts right and knew exactly what she was sacrificing. Tomorrow morning when he woke up alone and discovered she’d left him again without warning, he would be furious. She’d be lucky if he ever forgave her.

“Cameron discovered the origin of the text messages,” he said.

“He did?” She propped herself up on one elbow and stared down at him.

“Well, one of them. We don’t know who texted you but we don’t believe it was Becca.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because she’s the one who texted me to meet you at the warehouse. I have to believe she wanted me there to help you. There’s no mole, Genie. No inside leak. It was Becca, and most likely she got the number from your dad.”

Genie nodded. “She did. Dad confirmed that tonight.”

“I hate to say it, but the one who’s been keeping the most secrets here has been your dad.”

She sighed, knowing he was right. Her dad and herself. But it’s something they’ve always had to do. To protect themselves, because they weren’t like everyone else. They weren’t normal, and why she thought she could ever have a normal life…

“There’s one more thing Cameron found out. Something we need to question your dad about in the morning.”

Her stomach tightened. Her dad wouldn’t be there in the morning, either.

“The clipping about the scientist in your dad’s box. Tom Garrison used to work for your father. And we think he might be related to Emerich. That’s his middle name.”

The tightness within her turned and twisted. “My God.”

“Do you remember the date of the clipping? Garrison disappeared the same weekend your mother died. I’d say there’s a good chance your dad was somehow involved.”

Her whole body felt like a lead weight. She didn’t say anything. She couldn’t make herself speak, because somehow she knew, as horrible as it all sounded, that it must be true.

“You okay?” Kyle asked, and pulled her back to him, sweeping his hands down her bare back.

“Yes.” She thought of the vision of the man raising his hand above his head as if he were warding off a blow. Had it been Tom Garrison?

Had her father hit him?

Killed him?

“You know, I honestly think your father has spent too many years at CTA, too many years living in secret, and it’s skewed his judgment. He’s all alone and doesn’t trust anyone. That’s not a good way to live.”

His words resonated inside her. That was exactly the same way she’d been living for the last eight months, following her father’s instructions, believing his lies. She didn’t want to go back to living like that. Alone, miserable, and paranoid.

She kissed Kyle. Tenderly at first, her tongue sweeping inside his mouth, tasting him. Absorbing him. She didn’t want to lose him again.

“Soon, everything will be out in the open and we will finally be able to be together,” he murmured.

His mouth moved over hers, igniting the slow burn that had been simmering beneath the surface. Heat encompassed her, moving quickly through her body. Her hands kneaded the muscles of his back, pulling him closer. His fingers traveled over her,
all of her
, stroking, caressing. He tore his mouth away from hers and ran his tongue over the sensitive flesh of her neck. Her head dropped back as a soft moan escaped her lips.

“Cameron says Emerich is close,” he said softly as he kissed her. “He’s on a yacht not too far from here. A team is on the way to pick us up in the morning. By noon this could finally be over.” His mouth closed over her breast, sucking greedily, feasting on it and wreaking havoc with her ability to think.

Over? Soon?

Sensations swept through her body. She tried to ignore them, the heat, the longing and focus on what he was telling her. But the truth was, she didn’t want to focus. Right now, at least for a little while, she just wanted to feel the touch of his hands and the warm caress of his lips.

His tongue flicked at her nipples until they hardened, tightening with each sensation that sent desire zinging to her core and had her pushing her body against his. Friction. Pressure.
Yes
.
Now
.

“Cameron’s planning a raid on Emerich’s boat,” he rasped.

Raid
? That much she heard, though she couldn’t have heard him right. “Seriously?” she breathed.

“Absolutely.”

His fingers expertly moved between her legs, and her bottom came up off the bed as she pushed against him, searching for release, for ease to the tormenting heat.

“We’ll be able to put these last eight months behind us once and for all, and get back on track with our lives.”

“Yes.” She gasped as his stroking between her folds stole her breath. Her heart raced, her pulse thumping in her most sensitive places.

Genie wanted to believe him, but to get back on track like he promised, she’d have to trust him with her father’s truth, and to tell him about herself. About Becca and Cat. Could she do that? Were they her secrets to tell?

He slipped her beneath him. She twined her arms around his neck, kissing him as he entered her welcoming body. Ready for him, her skin folded around him, holding him tight within her as he started to rock.

Kyle’s mouth fell over hers, once more stealing away her thoughts. She clung to him, matching his thrusts with her own, holding onto him and wishing she never had to let him go. He pushed faster and faster. Sensations rolled through her, tightening her nerve endings and making her long for release as she pulled him closer.