Flames Of Deceit (12 page)

Jake held the door open for her. “Good idea, but we stay together.”

“You first,” Mia said, staying by his side as he led the way to men’s department. They should be safe in the busy store, but not knowing what the person following them looked like gave her chills. “Buy this one.”

Jake looked at the bright green shirt and shook his head. “May as well paint here I am on my back.”

Mia put the shirt back on the rack. The color matched Jake’s green eyes, but his comment brought the danger back in focus. “You’re wearing black. Black blends, why change?”

“Humor me,” he picked out two black t-shirts and paid the clerk. “Let’s go to the women’s department.”

Heat chased along Mia’s limbs as he touched her arm, making her alert to the alarms going off inside her head. Jake would get plus marks as an escort, especially in the dangerous situation they faced. She was happy to have him at her side. Images of fun time spent with him chased through her head and she tried to pull away from his touch. She couldn’t think about her feelings for Jake until they were out of danger.

“How about this one?” She pulled a black shirt off the first display they passed in the Ladies’ department.

Frowning, Jake put the shirt back. “That neckline would show your navel.”

Laughter gurgled close to the surface as Mia stared in his eyes. When this was over…

“I thought you wanted me to wear black.”

Ignoring her needling, Jake stopped by another display. “Navy will do.”

Two navy shirts in hand, Mia stepped up to the counter and reached for her credit card.

Jake stopped her with a hand over hers. “I’ll take care of this.”

Heat crawled up her neck as Mia stood by his side while he paid for the shirts. When he turned to walk away, she fell into step beside him. “Guess I failed undercover work 101.”

Sending her a glance out of the corner of his eye, Jake shrugged. “I hope you aren’t going to make a habit of this type of activity.”

Teeth clamped on the inside of her cheek, Mia struggled for a new topic. “Where are we going to change shirts?”

“Food court,” he said, steering her toward the escalator, “we can mingle in the crowd while we wait. Oh, look…stop here.”

They stopped outside a beauty salon with hair products and wigs in the window. Mia frowned. “You want me to get my hair cut?”

“Too drastic,” Jake pulled her toward the entrance. “I think something temporary.” He led the way to a display of wigs. “How would you like going blonde?”

Mouth open, Mia started to refuse, but she saw the challenge in his glance and decided to play along. Ten minutes later, she walked out of the shop wearing a short blonde wig. The pixie style made her feel daring and different. “You should have a wig, too.”

With a hand on her arm, Jake turned her toward the food court. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“We’re trying to change the way we look.” Mia batted her eyes at him in a flirtatious manner. “You look the same.”

“I took off my cap.” Jake nodded toward the food counters. “What do you want to eat?”

She opened her mouth to say nothing, but her stomach growled. “Pizza.”

Ten minutes later, pizza and drinks on a tray, Jake led the way to a table near the restrooms. “You change first.”

In the bathroom, Mia changed into the navy shirt and washed her hands. A glance in the mirror stopped her as she turned toward the paper towel dispenser. Was that her reflection? The feathery blonde wig made her look like a different person.

Did Jake prefer blondes? Stop.

Forcing her attention away from her image and reaching for a paper towels, she snapped to alert. This was not a game of dress-up. This was real. They were hiding from a killer. With that thought, she rushed out to join Jake.

He stood the instant she appeared. “Eat. I’ll be back in a second. If anything upsets you, bang on the door.”

Biting into the slice of pizza, Mia kept her eyes on the crowd. Chill bumps popped on her arms as she watched strangers eating their food. Would the person following them recognize her? She remembered the wig. She should feel safe, but fear had followed her like a shadow ever since someone shoved her in that closet.

“How are you doing?”

The sound of Jake’s voice jerked her out of the depressing thoughts. She glanced at him and gasped. He had slicked his hair back and put on black framed glasses. “I wouldn’t know you in a crowd.”

Not true, she realized, as her heart thumped in her chest when his shoulder brushed against hers.

“We forgot one thing.” Jake leaned over, took the backpack off the chair beside her, and stuffed it in the large shopping bag between their chairs.

“So, that’s why you asked the clerk for a large bag when you bought the shirts.” She reached for her drink with a trembling hand. Reacting to Jake, or the situation? “Should I pull out the phone records?”

“Not here.” Jake glanced around. “We don’t want to give away our disguise.”

“You look so different I doubt there’s any chance of being recognized.” Mia tore her gaze away from the deep green of his eyes in the black frames. “What now?”

“I called Dan. He’s bringing a different vehicle.” Jake picked up his drink. “But now, I need a new phone.”

Staring at the crowd in the food court, Mia sighed. “None of this seems real. I write articles and research information on computer. How did I get caught up in a murder drama?”

“You wanted to clear your brother’s name.” Jake nodded toward the half-eaten slice of pizza on her plate. “Nibble on that pizza so we don’t attract attention.”

“How long do we have to wait?” She plucked a pepperoni slice off the pizza and popped it in her mouth.

“Dan gets off work at five.” Jake held up a hand when she frowned. “The good news is he can help us.”

“A killer is on our trail and we waste the afternoon at the mall?”

Jake gave her a long look. One corner of his mouth lifted. “Your reaction to an afternoon at the mall is different from any female I’ve ever known.”

Heart thumping, Mia stabbed the pizza with a fork. “You’ve known a lot of females?”

Hunching a shoulder, Jake stared in the distance. “A few.”

“Anyone special?”  Mia clamped her lips to keep from asking more. She wanted to know everything about him. What made him tick? Did he have someone special in his life? Someone he loved? But they didn’t have that kind of relationship. They were strangers, thrown together in a dangerous situation. She doubted he would answer even one question.

“I loved my wife.”

Desperate to hide her shock, Mia’s hands trembled, but she picked up the pizza and took a bite. Chewing gave her time to think. Time to wonder why he used past tense. Loved.

“What happened?”

“She died in an accident.”

Tiny bursts of light exploded in front of her eyes. She blinked. “I’m sorry—“

“It was a long time ago.”

“Still, you—“

“She and my son were killed by a drunk driver.” Jake spit the words out like poisoned darts.

And each one hit Mia’s heart. He had loved and lost. Been married, been a father and now his family was gone. “I’m so sorry.”

Remorse washed over her as she thought about her life. How had she sunk to this level? How had she lost faith in her brother? She had forgotten how much she loved Phil until thoughts of being killed forced her to think of the people she loved. Of course, her mother loved her only son. Mia loved him too. She always had, even before their father died.

Trembling, she blinked as memories filled her head. Everything had changed after her father died. It was more than just the loss of the man they all loved. His death left a gap in their lives and in their relationships with each other.

She could see that now. Could see all her family had lost. The closeness, the unquestioning love, and their sense of family.

Had Jake felt the same emptiness? The same loss? She risked a glance in his direction.

He stared in his drink cup, then finally answered her question. “Life happens.”

“D-do you want to talk?”

Brow cocked, he sent her a sidelong glance. “You mean, we have the afternoon to kill, and you don’t have anything better to do than listen to my life story?”

Nostrils flaring, she bit back an angry response. The expression in his eyes showed his pain. The last thing she wanted was to add to the emotions tearing at his control. She knew that feeling. Blinking moisture from her eyes, she offered an apology in voice that sounded like she had a cold. “My family fell apart when my dad died.”

After a startled glance, Jake’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, it happens.”

She recognized pain, regret, and the loss echoing in his words. Swiping the corner of her eyes, she blurted the first words that came to mind. “I’m so ashamed.”

Jake’s look of surprise changed to a frown. “After all you’ve done the last two days to clear your brother’s name? You don’t have anything to be ashamed about.”

Lifting a paper napkin to blot her eyes, Mia sniffed. “I did all those things for the wrong reasons.” Tears pooled in her eyes again. “I love my brother, but he changed. I guess we all did. When Mother insisted I find proof to clear his name, I took the chance to show her Phil wasn’t perfect.”

“You’ve risked your life more than once in the past few days. That proves you love him. There’s no reason for regret.”

Heat warming her face, Mia opened her mouth to say, Thanks. But different words tumbled out her mouth. “Do you have any?”

“Every minute,” brows knit, Jake traced lines on the table with his fork. “It was my fault Sara was driving the car that night.”

Mia placed a hand on top of his. “You blamed yourself all this time?”

For long seconds, neither of them moved, then Jake turned his hand over and gripped hers. Lifting his gaze, he stared into her eyes. “Just like you’ve done since your dad died.”

“How do you know—“

“You blame yourself, thinking you should have done something different.”

Fingers gripping his hand, she didn’t need to ask what he meant. She knew. Lowering her voice to a whisper and asked. “Could you have changed anything?”

“If I say no, it sounds like I blame her. If I say yes, I’m making an excuse.” He shrugged and pulled his hand away. “It’s time to face facts. Life happens.”

“That’s why I can’t let the person following us win.” She straightened her shoulders. “I intend to clear my brother’s name and prove my mother’s faith in him isn’t misplaced.” And prove I love him. I can’t forget that.

Jake looked in her eyes for long seconds. He could almost hear a clock tick in his head as images of his life flashed by in living color. Was Mia right? Could letting go of the past be this simple? Let the memories go and focus on the future?

For the first time, he wanted to do that. Wanted a new start.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “We have two dead secretaries, a list of computer files, one VP’s phone records and your brother’s motive for wanting the model out of the way. That’s a lot of dangling threads and no definite trails.”

Mia leaned close so she wouldn’t be overheard. “Someone is framing Phil.”

Jake arched a brow.

Lifting her hand, Mia ticked off points on her fingers. “Both dead women work for Stern-McHamlin, so do the men mentioned in the files, and Phil met Leigh Anne through one of the company’s vice-presidents.”

Leaning close, his shoulder brushing hers, Jake frowned. “We’ve hit a brick wall. We can’t get inside the company.”

“We go through Leigh Anne’s files.”

“You did that—“

Mia didn’t let his reminder faze her. “We didn’t know what we were looking for at that time.”

“And we do now?” Jake’s forehead wrinkled.

“We look for connections to tie these men to a crime.”

“In other words, we don’t have a thing—“

He stopped midsentence and stood. Grabbing the shopping bag in one hand and her elbow in the other, he urged her out of the food court. “We have to leave. Don’t look, just act like we’re shopping.”

“What did you see? Where?” Mia’s heart pounded in tune with her feet smacking the shiny tile floor.

“Someone wearing a hooded sweatshirt, about five tables over. Could be nothing.” Jake walked faster.

“What made you suspicious?” Mia gasped, trying to keep up. “We’re going too fast to look like shoppers.”

“You’re right.” Jake slowed. “Don’t panic. Pretend we had an argument and we’re making up.” He stepped in front of her and pulled her against his chest. Lowering his head, he whispered so close his lips brushed hers. “Hold steady. I need time to check behind you.”

Hold steady? Was he out of his mind? The killer on their train and Jake’s lips on hers?

Mia clutched his shirt in both fists as she stared up at his face. Heat raced through her body. Her heart hadn’t beat this fast since she escaped the closet at the courthouse. The need to survive urged her to stand motionless, even as her body begged her to lung forward for his kiss.

“Do you see anything? Is he following us?”

“I can’t tell,” Jake murmured against her cheek. His warm breath sent chills chasing along her spine and her heart speeding into overdrive. “I need more time to watch.”

Abruptly, he lowered his head and his lips brushed hers.

The first touch of his warm lips on hers made her head spin out of orbit. Who was she fooling, wait until this was over, not a chance. Closing her eyes, she fought for a shred of sanity to prove she hadn’t lost all sense of reality. She wasn’t supposed to enjoy this a little voice shouted in her head. Jake was checking to make sure they weren’t being followed. She knew that. Her brain accepted it, but some part of her had other ideas. She sighed and leaned against his chest, offering her lips for more kisses.

Wait. She couldn’t.

Reality clanged. She forced her eyes open. Jake’s lips were sampling hers as if she was his favorite feast, but his eyes were watching people behind them. Mia pushed back. If she wanted to get out of this without a broken heart, she needed to remember they were strangers, trying to survive. Nothing more.

“See anything?”

Cupping her cheek in his hand, Jake stared deep in her eyes. “Wow. That was good acting.”

“You said pretend we’d had a fight. Making-up is usually hot.” Mia swallowed the lump in her throat and prayed she was a good actor. “What did you see?”

A smile tilted one corner of his lips as he looked down at her. If Mia hadn’t been on alert, and known she had to keep her emotions out of this, she might have missed Jake’s swift glance behind her. But she was alert and didn’t miss his keen glance. Instead, she faced facts. They were fighting for their lives. Jake’s words were the reminder she needed.

“I can’t be sure. I caught a glimpse of a covered head, but the person turned into a store.”

“So either he isn’t following us, or he saw that we stopped and needed cover.” Mia realized she was still clutching Jake’s shirt in her fists. Forcing her fingers to let go, she took a step back. “What now?”

Hand on her elbow, Jake urged her forward. “We head for the escalators in the center of the mall. We’ll watch from there while I make a call.”

At the escalators, Jake pulled out his phone. Mia leaned her back against the waist high rail. Clutching the shopping bag to her chest, she stared past Jake’s shoulder to watch behind him.

Phone to his ear, Jake said, “Talk to me.”

Mia focused the people coming toward them and listened.

“Right, ten minutes.” Jake snapped off the phone. “Anything?”

Ready to shake her head, Mia’s eyes widened. She spotted a head covered with a navy hood. It was March and still cold at night. It made sense they could see more than one person wearing a hooded sweatshirt. But seeing more than one navy blue hood was disconcerting. “I think there is someone back there.”

Pulling her in front of him, Jake stared in her eyes. “Here’s the plan. We head to Macy’s front exit. If anything happens and we are separated, head for Barnes & Noble and hide there until I find you. Okay?”

Brow wrinkled, Mia nodded. “Why—“

“Let’s move.” Jake pulled her arm in his and started walking toward the opposite end of the mall.

“We should stay together.” Even as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. She could do this on her own. Working with Jake, leaning on his strength, made her second-guess her decision to find that evidence. He made her feel protected. She couldn’t deny she liked having Jake by her side, but this was her problem.

“We will,” Jake tugged her to a stop. They stood next to a store’s three-dimensional glass display window sticking out in the hallway.

Looking past the gorgeous shoes and handbags in the window, Mia saw why Jake had paused. She ignored the displays and stared through the glass. “Can you see anyone?”

“Still back there,” Jake grunted. Tightening his grip on her arm, he started walking. “This might get tricky, but we don’t have a choice.”

“What might get—“

“Hey,” Jake snapped at a man in a dark cap as he brushed past them, almost knocking Mia down.

She gasped, but at the last second, recognized the man turning away. “Was that—“

“Yeah, keep walking. We have to hurry.” Jake’s long stride carried them through the glass doors and out on the street in front of the store. “It’s a black Corolla, parked beside the sidewalk.”

“You can’t park there—“

“That’s why we need to hurry. We don’t want a ticket.” Jake lunged toward the right. “There. Run.”

Mia’s feet were still moving as she grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. Clasping the shopping bag to her chest, she lunged toward the seat, and closed the door. “Is he following?”

Jake slammed the driver’s door and put the key in the ignition. “Can’t tell, but the good news is that we have a head start.”

“Unless he has a partner.” Mia twisted in the seat to look back over her shoulder. No one with a hood or a navy shirt appeared in view as Jake steered the car out of the parking lot.

Once on the highway, the road behind them vacant, he spewed air past his lips. “Check the glove box. Dan left a phone in there.”

“It’s here. Two of them.” Mia sent a glance in his direction. “We’re keeping the phone companies in business.”