Men-of-Action-Seres-04 -Saints and Sinners (7 page)

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"For more than two hours;" he clarified.

"Three weeks ago."

"That's what I thought. You need to sleep. Lack of sleep leads to mistakes." In his line of work mistakes led to death.

"And there I was thinking you were just concerned about me." She looked him over. He noticed her eyes traveling the length of his body.

"You screw up and it puts us both in danger."

She smiled and shook her head in disbelief. "I have a deadline,"

she walked away; leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Alaina scraped her stainless steel painter’s knife in the almond colored paint mixture. Out of all the possible guardians they could have sent, they just had to send Sully Masterson. Was the Navy short on men desperate for work? A local police officer would have sufficed, but her mother had to have her way. "What kind of mother would I be if I didn't ensure adequate protection?" Her mother had a way of making herself seem like the hero. "The kind of mother you've been my entire life,"

Alaina had retorted. Liz's run for president didn't erase years of neglect, and years of neglect didn't justify stupidity either. Alaina had no desire to land in another hostage situation; she would take whatever help they gave her—within reason.

She wondered how long this protection detail would last. For her sake, and Sully's, she hoped he wouldn't be needed long. She felt sorry for him. He obviously hated having to watch over her, yet he had no choice.

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She couldn't handle a job like that, one where each day brought misery. Of course she was also aware that he probably enjoyed his other days at work—the ones that didn't involve her. She hadn't done anything to warrant his hostility, at least not that she could think of anyway. She doubted it was because of the brownness of her skin because Sully didn't seem prejudice, but then again she didn't know the man.

She worked into the early hours of the morning before finishing one painting and prepping another canvas. She stretched long, trying to work out a few of the kinks in her body without touching any part and risking being covered in paint. She looked down at her t-shirt and realized she was already covered in paint. "Oh well," she sighed. "I guess you are officially my painting shirt now." She washed her hands and carefully removed all the paint before sliding her t-shirt off and tossing it into the little yellow bin. She was braless; any other time that wouldn’t have bothered her. She remembered Sully was just down the hall, but figuring he was probably asleep she didn't see a need to worry.

Alaina crept over to the door and looked down the hall. His light was still on. He was either still up or slept with the lights on. She wasn't sure which. She didn't have much choice because while paint on her clothes was a hazard of her profession, unwanted paint all over her house was not.

She flipped the light switch to off and tiptoed out the room. The hall was dimly lit from the light from Sully's room, but it didn't matter, she knew her house backwards and had no problem making it to her room in Capri Montgomery 59

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the dark. When she cleared the corner she felt her heartbeat settle. She obviously had been worried that he was indeed still awake and would catch her sneaking down the hall.

"Sleeps with the light on," she said as she slid a tank top over her head.

"No. I was just waiting for you to decide to turn in."

She turned slowly. "You didn't need to wait on me to sleep before—"

"I thought we agreed that you need to sleep."

"I'm getting ready to go now. And I didn't agree to anything." She hadn't, she was sure of that. "You didn't see...that is..."

"I've seen naked women before, no big deal. But if it makes you feel better I caught a glimpse of your bare back and decided to go back in my room until I saw your light go on up here."

His admission made her feel a little better at least. "A gentleman,"

she remarked. "Very noble of you." There was no sarcasm in her tone. She truly meant every word, and given that he didn't try to cut her head off she presumed he knew she meant it honestly.

"Get some sleep," he admonished.

"Yes, Captain." She smirked. "I'll turn off the light once you're back down stairs."

"You can turn it off now."

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She climbed into bed. "Suit yourself;" she hit the light switch by her bed. She heard him walk out of the room and then a loud thud followed by a sharp "ouch." She giggled.

"I heard that," he grumbled.

She wasn't exactly trying to hide anything. She offered to leave the light on, but he wanted to be macho and stupid all at the same time. Well, now maybe next time he'd listen to her. He may have walked around her house earlier, but it took awhile to get to know the place intimately, especially to know it well enough to navigate at night. She didn't think he'd have a problem picking up the lay of the land given his profession, but while he learned she would take delight in his few mistakes. At least she would know he was human.

Despite his rugged demeanor she felt something for him, not love, not even lust, but respect. It had to be respect because a small part of her felt sorry for him. He was a pawn in her mother's game just as she had been her entire life. If she truly hated Sully she wouldn't feel sorry for him.

Alaina hadn't slept long. Sully had heard her moving around long before she came downstairs. He waited for a light to come on, but he never saw one, not until a little ball of light barely shined into the dining room.

He carefully navigated his way toward the light only to find Alaina spreading butter and jam on a bagel.

"Good morning," she looked up briefly.

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"You should be sleeping."

"I don't want to sleep," she turned her attention back to the bagel.

She spoke once again, but only to offer him food. He didn't want food; he wanted coffee. She didn’t' drink coffee, but lucky for him she kept a can in the freezer. "It's old," she had said. "I had an after-show party here last year and they all drink coffee..." He wasn't sure who "they" were, but suddenly he was thankful.

He washed the dust off the coffee maker and quickly started a pot.

He watched her pick at her food, but she barely ate any of it. She downed her orange juice, stuck the barely eaten bagel back in the refrigerator and left him standing there. She didn't say a word as she left. Then again, he hadn't bothered to say hello before he criticized her sleeping habits, so maybe he had set the tone this morning. The more he thought about it, the more he realized she was walking on eggshells trying to keep things civil and he had been instigating a war. Maybe he would try not to jump down her throat every waking hour...as long as she didn't do anything stupid he would probably succeed at the task.

When he finished his coffee he didn't have to go in search of Alaina. She was exactly where she had been just a few hours ago...in her painting room. He walked in, as if he had been invited, and studied a few of her pieces. She continued her work as if he weren't there.

He noticed a distinct difference in her work. The pieces sitting off in the corner were darker, as if she were trying to work through recent events. Her attempts at self-therapy didn't seem to be working.

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“Those are still wet,” she cautioned him. “Oil paint takes a little while to dry.”

"Maybe you should talk to somebody," he said.

"I'm fine," she replied.

He shrugged. It was her choice; he wouldn’t push the issue...unless it started to interfere with his job, then all bets would be off. His phone rung and he excused himself. The caller ID told him this was not the general checking up on him, this was his mother calling. Something was either wrong, or she was ready to give him another piece of her mind for leaving so soon after getting home.

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“M
y daughter’s missing.” Sully tucked his gun in the waistband of his pants.

Alaina stood frozen in shock. Sully, had a daughter? “Have you called the police?”

“Teagan’s hiding on our property somewhere, but we have a lot of land and I don’t want her out there when it’s dark.” He checked his watch and she looked at the clock. It was seven in the morning, and while she wasn’t sure where he lived she was sure the time couldn’t have been later than seven.

“Your wife must be going out of her mind with worry right now.”

“I’m not married.”

“Oh,” she didn’t have any other response. She had no right to inquire further and there was no indication he planned to elaborate.

“I’ll never get a flight to Connecticut today, let alone for two.” Saints and Sinners 64

The harshness of his voice told her he was not at all happy about the inconvenience she would cause. She ignored the harsh bite in his tone.

This was important, more important than his distaste for her. “I can take you. The truck won’t make it, but we can take my bike.” She had an extra helmet; she had bought it for Troy while he was still alive, but she hadn’t brought herself to get rid of it after he died.

“It’s a three and a half hour drive.”

“I can get you there in two and a half if I drive fast. Two if I drive really, really fast.”

Her bike was fast and she had no difficulty handling it at its most extreme speed. Of course she didn’t hit the high speeds all the time.

Having the means and opportunity did not in itself justify recklessness.

“I’d prefer to just get there.”

She smiled and shrugged. “Three hours it is then.” She couldn’t promise going slow enough to take three and half, but she’d try to keep it under ninety. “I’ll just grab my bag.”

Alaina tucked her wallet in her back pack along with an extra shirt and pair of underwear. She had no idea how long it would take Sully to find his daughter, but she didn’t want to drive back at night. She could get a room at a nearby hotel and he could spend some time with his daughter; she obviously missed her father.

“I’ll get a room after I drop you off.”

“You’re my responsibility therefore you’ll stick with me. We have a guest room.”

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She could argue, but there wasn’t much time for that. She handed Sully a helmet.

“Boyfriend’s?”

“It was my fiancé’s.” She tossed him her backpack. “I need you to carry the load.” She couldn’t have him hang on to her if she had the backpack between them.

They made it to Sully’s home in record time despite the fact that every time she reached ninety he seemed to pat her shoulder. She had figured it out by the third time he did it that he wanted her to slow down.

He didn’t seem to have a problem with eighty, even though eighty was still a good fifteen miles per hour above the legal limit.

She got off her bike after Sully. His mother was already descending the stairs on the front porch. Alaina noticed how she seemed to size her up, as if she were the root of all their current troubles. Her steel gaze accentuated with ice blue eyes and silver hair made the look she was giving her that much more intimidating. This was going to be a long day.

Even his mother didn’t like her. She was starting to wonder if maybe there was something wrong with her; she seemed to put people off before she even opened her mouth. Then again, her father had loved her; Troy had loved her. They wouldn’t have loved her if she were a horrible person, she was sure of that.

“Alaina this is my mother; Mom, this is Alaina.” Well that was short and not so sweet. “Hello Ms. Masterson.” Saints and Sinners 66

She nodded. “I checked everywhere I could think of for her. I checked the tree house. I went into the woods there. I even checked down by the lake.”

Sully grunted something Alaina couldn’t understand, and she was sure she didn’t really want to know.

Movement under the porch caught her attention. At first she thought it might be a squirrel, but then she saw Teagan’s blue eyes peaking through her mousy brown hair.

“You know, she’s lucky to have two people who love her this much. She has a grandmother who has searched high and low for her. She has a father who has pretty much been an accomplice to my breaking the law to get us here quickly. Somebody so lucky shouldn’t put people who love them this much through this much fear.” She stooped down and peered through the decorative pattern in the gate. “Wouldn’t you agree?” Sully knelt beside her. “Teagan, get out of there right now!” Well that was going to help. He had about as much finesses as a beanpole.

“No! Not until you agree to stay here, with me.”

“Teagan you come out of there now. If I have to take that gate off to get you out I’m going to tan your hide.”

“I’m not coming,” she shrieked. “Not until you promise.” From the sound of her voice, and her size, Alaina estimated her to be about six, maybe seven. She couldn’t have been much older than that.

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Sully rose and stalked up the porch and inside the house. His mother followed behind him, no doubt trying to calm him. Alaina thought she would try another tactic.