Angel in the Shadows (6 page)

Surprisingly, she didn’t but she had the audacity to try and knee him in the crotch.
Women. They always have to go for the crotch.
Aggravated, he pushed her knee away. “Don’t do that, it only makes me grumpy,” he replied. “Don’t scream and don’t try to run. If you do, he might hear you and then I’ll have to kill him.” And that would be another huge mess to deal with.
God, what had he gotten himself into?

She was determined; he had to give her that. She was going to keep fighting him unless he handled this situation differently. Making a split decision, he flipped the switch on the wall, lighting up the room. Her eyes widened in recognition.

“Don’t scream,” he warned, glaring at her. Too late. She opened her mouth to scream and make a run for the door.
This woman was impossible.
He grabbed her around her waist and hauled her back, throwing her against the wall, slapping his hand over her mouth again, and letting his eyes roam over her skin. The neckline on her dress was low and in a second of pure male weakness, he let his eyes trace over her breasts as they heaved against the tight, black material.

“I told you not to scream,” he growled. “Don’t do it again. Now be quiet and I’ll let you go understand?” He doubted that she believed him. He wouldn’t if he were her. He removed his hand slowly, ready to slap it back across her mouth should she try and scream again. She didn’t. Gasping for breath, she didn’t move as he held her pinned against the wall but she glared at him with those rich-brown eyes. They flickered with fear before being replaced with something entirely different. Something akin to determination. She was obviously terrified he was going to kill her but perhaps she wasn’t going to go down easily. In spite of himself, he had to admire her fighting spirit and the fact that she’d had the sense to quell the fear in her eyes.

Silly girl, she had no idea how close to death she really was.
He let his eyes trail over her once again, slowly, from head to toe, pausing at her breasts before continuing downward. Standing awkwardly, she was favoring her left foot. Probably a sprained ankle from the look of it. And her right knee was a mess of blood and torn skin. That was something that would have to be taken care of later. But right now, he needed to know exactly what the hell was going on.

Chapter 6

The man standing in front of her was so different and yet the same as the one she had met only a few short hours ago at Vance’s mansion on the hill. She tried to make sense of what her eyes were telling her. The bland assistant persona was completely gone, replaced by a strikingly handsome man. He still wore the dark suit, only now his dull-brown eyes were a frosty blue and intense, framed by long, black lashes. The dark hair was no longer neatly combed back but instead, it lay loosely, framing his face, emphasizing the richness of his eyes. And the indecipherable
accent in his voice was gone; he was just as American as she was.

“Who the fuck are you?” Madison asked, bewildered. She stared at Seth as if she had never seen him before.

“Tsk, tsk. Such language.” His lips pursed together mockingly, her eyes following the subtle motion. “It’s nice to see you, too. You could show me a little more appreciation. I mean, I
did
just save your life.”

“Forgive me for not showering you with gratitude,” Madison said wryly. Smarting off to this man was probably not the most intelligent thing to do, especially given the current situation. But between her fear and anger, she seemed to have lost her sense of self-preservation for the moment. “Who are you? Is Seth Reynolds even your real name?” she spat out scornfully.

“Reynolds, Jamison, Stewart. I’ve used many names.” He shrugged his wide shoulders indifferently, not answering her question. “I don’t think any of that matters right now,” Seth replied coolly. “The important thing is to get you off of this ferry alive.” He took hold of her arm. “You’ll have to come with me . . .”

Madison jerked away, out of his reach. “The hell I will,” she said vehemently. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t even know you.” She crossed her arms defiantly, meaning to stand her ground no matter how much her stomach was churning right now.

“We don’t have time to argue about this.” His lips flattened in frustration and his blue eyes drilled into her.

“I’m not arguing. I am
not
leaving with you,” she said stubbornly. She may be shaken but it would be suicide to just agree with this man. There was no telling what he would do with her. Or to her.

Seth stared at her, the irritation bleeding from his handsome face, leaving only a mild indifference. “What happened down there?”

Suspicious about the change in conversation, she eyed him carefully. “I just saw a man kill Stacy down there and now he’s after me. Then I ran into you, whoever you are.”

“Jason killed Stacy?” Seth’s gaze sharpened on her, a sheen of interest momentarily lighting his dark sapphire eyes.

“Yeah, I . . . wait. I didn’t tell you his name. You know who he is?” she exclaimed, aware that her voice shook but she was beyond caring. “Oh my god, are you his partner?” Instinctively, she tried to back away from him but the wall was already firmly lodged against her back.

“If I were, would I have told you to be quiet?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

His eyes, blue and piercing, stared into her like ice-cold steel. “Trust me, if I was going to kill you, you would have been dead the moment you ran into me.”

There was no doubt in her mind that what he said was true. He probably could kill her quite easily but he hadn’t. Not yet anyway. There was no guarantee how long her luck would last but she didn’t intend to wait around and find out. She had to get out of here and away from Seth. But just how she would accomplish that was a problem, especially with him blocking the doorway. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to just push past him. Silently, she cursed herself for not taking any of those self-defense classes Robert signed her up for. Now would have been a good time to use whatever skills she might have learned.

“I don’t intend to kill you but I will if I have to. If you’ll just come with me, it will be easier on both of us,” Seth reasoned.

It sounded so logical until you factored in that he was a complete stranger pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Then all logic went out the window. “Oh yeah, I’m just supposed to go off with a stranger after I nearly got killed. That makes perfect sense. Why didn’t I think of that?” Madison snapped, flinging her arms wildly.

Seth’s lack of expression never changed. She didn’t know if she should be angry or scared. Fright wouldn’t get her anywhere but anger might be useful to her. Holding on to that small amount of anger kept her from going into complete hysterics.

Crossing his arms, he leaned away from her as far as the narrow space would allow. “I don’t expect you to trust me but I did keep Jason from catching you. I don’t know how long I can do that if you won’t cooperate with me.”

Madison didn’t like the way this was going. The more he talked, the more sense he was making. If she left with him, she might never be seen again. But on the other hand, if Jason got his hands on her . . . Well, she knew where she would end up. And it wouldn’t be anywhere good.

“Decision time’s over, Ms. Sinclair,” Seth said abruptly.

Before she could even react, he leaned forward and pressed himself against her, kissing her fully.

The intimate contact startled her into stillness, silencing any protests she might have made. He pinned her against the wall with his body and she could feel the heat coming off of him in waves as his chest pressed down on hers. It was no lover’s kiss. His mouth bore down on hers, filled with fierce determination and without a hint of mercy. It was like nothing she had ever experienced and she was left reeling. Regaining her senses, she tried to jerk away but it was like moving underwater, slow and impossible. His hand slid up her neck, softly, gently, cupping the base of her head in the palm of his hand followed by a sharp pinch. Then quite suddenly, she was falling, tumbling, and Seth’s blue eyes followed her down into darkness.

Seth stared at the woman crumpled in his arms, cursing himself. It had been a mistake to kiss her but it was the only way he could get close enough to drug her. But that was so much bullshit. Even as he thought it, he saw the lie for what it was. There were hundreds of ways to inject her with the sedative that didn’t require kissing her. He had wanted to kiss her so he did. Simple as that. But it wasn’t as simple and he damn well knew it. Even as the angry words spilled from her mouth, her lips had looked so soft and inviting that he couldn’t help himself. And that was a major problem. He wasn’t one to give in to urges or whims, or act unexpectedly. He did only what he had to, what was necessary. And Miss Sinclair’s lips, no matter how inviting they might have been, were not a necessity. He could have injected her immediately but she didn’t resist him at first so he took a few extra seconds to taste her mouth on his.
Enticing
. But then the shock of his unexpected actions wore off and she tried to fight him, breaking the mood for him.

He eased her supple body onto the floor of the closet, opening the door cautiously. There was no one in sight. By his estimate, they should be docking at Whitehall Station now. At this hour and in this weather, not many people were out, not even the most dogged New Yorkers. Perfect. He had only a few minutes before the ferry started to accept boarding passengers so he had to act quickly. Deftly scooping Madison from the floor, he pressed her head into his shoulder, effectively concealing her face. Taking another glance, he left the temporary safety of the closet, making his way down the steps toward the exit. As he walked, her head shifted slightly until her mouth was pressed lightly against his throat. Her warm breath swept over his skin like a caress. The smell of her skin was light and soft and it made his stomach tighten in pure male response. Gritting his teeth against the unexpected reaction, he forced himself to concentrate on getting them out of here alive.

He was almost home free when he was approached by a young, blond steward. The steward’s green eyes darkened in concern and suspicion. Frowning at Madison laying in Seth’s arms, he stepped up and addressed him cautiously.

“Is everything okay, sir?”

Pasting a good-natured smile on his face, Seth met him just at the exit gate. “Yes, of course. My wife had a little too much to drink.” He wagged his head. “Tonight’s our anniversary and she celebrated a little more than I did,” Seth said lightly, hoping the man would just accept the story without causing a scene. He didn’t feel like dealing with him right now.

The steward regarded Madison carefully then chuckled, all suspicion gone. “I’m sure
that’s
not the way you had hoped to end the night.”

Seth forced a grin. “No, it wasn’t but she’ll make it up to me in the morning if her head’s not hurting too badly.” Like there was a chance in hell of Madison making anything up to him. When she woke up, she was going to be terrified and furious. Not a good combination.

“Boy, I wish my wife would do that. She’d just tell me to leave her alone and let her sleep,” the steward grumbled good-naturedly. “Well, have a good night, sir, and Happy Anniversary,” he added, tipping his hat in Seth’s direction.

“I will, thank you.”

Seth stepped off of the ferry and entered the terminal, looking everywhere at once. At two a.m., the monstrous glass and steel building was nearly deserted which made things easier for him. The fewer witnesses, the less trouble for him. There was no sign of Jason but he couldn’t be too careful. Vance didn’t hire amateurs. The sooner he got Madison out of sight and somewhere safe, the better. The more he found out about her, the easier he could determine exactly how to deal with her. Charlie would need to be informed of this new change in direction so he would have to contact her as soon as he could. Outside, he sucked the frigid air deep into his lungs and hurried across the parking lot.

His personal car waited close to the entrance of the terminal in case of emergencies. He hadn’t anticipated using it quite this early but now he was glad that it was here. Perhaps not the most inconspicuous of vehicles, the gunmetal gray Porsche was one indulgence he’d given in to. Fast and sleek, it outran just about everything and cornered like a dream. Which came in handy from time to time. Opening the passenger side door, he slid Madison’s warm, pliant body into the bucket seat and walked around the nose of the car, climbing in behind the wheel. The car started smoothly, engine purring, and he leaned over across Madison’s sleeping form to snap the seat belt into place. As he did, he inhaled the light perfume she wore. He lingered over her, studying her relaxed face.

The anger and fear were gone, leaving only a calm, restful appearance. “Who are you, my dear, and what am I going to do with you?”

Leaving the unanswered question hanging in the air, he shifted the car into gear and disappeared into the dark New York night.

Chapter 7

Seth closed his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He’d received his orders and they were just as he had expected.
Get rid of the photographer
. No big surprise there. The surprise had been his gut instinct to refuse. It shouldn’t bother him to kill her. He’d taken numerous lives in his career, women included. So this one should be no different. But she was and he didn’t know why. He went into the bedroom where he had left her and looked down at her, studying her as if the answer to his sudden reluctance to kill her might jump out at him. It certainly couldn’t have anything to do with her looks. By no means the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, he had to admit that she was pretty in an unconventional sort of way.

Her honey-blond hair fanned over the tops of her pale shoulders. And her brown eyes, closed in sleep, were as ordinary as they came. In fact, all of her features were ordinary, nothing spectacular or model worthy. The rounded jaw and small, upturned nose. The high cheekbones and soft, pink lips. Yet his eyes lingered the longest there, tracing the curve of her lips, full and lush, remembering the softness of them, the taste of them. A thread of need rushed through him before he snipped it. The last thing he needed to do was get attached to this woman that had gotten in the way of his mission. This woman that could destroy everything.

Watching the fall and rise of her chest as she breathed, he leaned over her and ran his hands over her body, feeling for anything she might have hidden beneath the expensive dress. Not exactly a bothersome chore. Her curves were a little fuller than most women he’d dealt with, a detail that fascinated him. Finding nothing unusual, he turned his attention back to her chest. A common hiding place among the female sex.

Peeling away the low neckline of her dress, his eyes roamed over the smooth skin being held hostage beneath a bra of black cotton and lace. Longing to release her from that uncomfortable prison, he ran his fingers along the soft curve of her breasts, selfishly allowing his fingers to wander. He traced the soft fabric and trailed over the rough-edged lace. Her skin was warm and silky against his fingertips as he slid them inside the bra. Exploring further, he found her breasts firm and supple beneath his hands. They fit perfectly into the palm of his hand, their heat pulsing through him. The sharp teeth of lust gnawed at him but he shoved them away with some effort.

Abruptly, his fingers connected with a small square of plastic in the deepest corner of her bra. Carefully withdrawing the memory card from its hiding place, he replaced her clothing and stepped back, considering.

He didn’t want to kill her. He’d killed without question for so long, it had become second nature to him. None of those people proved to be too difficult for him. They were just jobs that had to be done. But none of them had been blameless either. That was the difference between them and Madison. Whoever Madison was, she wasn’t a part of this. He felt that more clearly than anything else in a very long time. It was possible that he was wrong but he didn’t think so. He wanted to save her. But that wasn’t his call.

He was continually thankful that he was not in that position, to issue those commands, preferring to simply follow orders and let the questions and moral implications rest on the shoulders of someone else. Only now, those questions and implications were coming home to roost and he wasn’t sure how to handle them. The objective was to save innocent lives, not end them. So where did that leave Madison? He didn’t know. Right now, his resolve was shaken, his decision uncertain. In the end, if there was no other way, he would do what he had to. But he was positive of one thing. If this woman died, especially by his hands, it would be considered a failure.
His
failure.

He suddenly wished for the first time, that he was someone else. Anybody but who he was. Someone with a normal life, a normal job. Someone with a wife and kids, a nice house, and maybe a dog. But that was impossible of course. He had turned away from the chance of a normal life long ago. There could be no going back to who he once had been. There was only this, here and now. An endless cycle of lies and secrets, violence and death. Still, his eyes lingered, wishing.

With a sigh that shook him to his core, he shook himself harshly. Standing tall and resolute, he turned away from the bed, leaving Madison safe and alive. For now.

She was blind! Oh God, she couldn’t see! Panic bloomed in her chest making her heart seize convulsively. Where the hell was she? Madison turned her head left, then right but everything was dark and her neck hurt. What was going on? Taking a deep breath, she fought against the fear enveloping her. She tried desperately to remember what happened to her but her brain was fuzzy. Her mouth watered and she swallowed thickly, her mouth and throat feeling as though they were filled with cotton.

“There’s a glass of water on the table beside you,” a soft, male voice replied from across the room.

Her breath caught in her throat.
That voice, she knew that voice . . . God, what happened? Why was she here? What the hell was going on? And who was the man in the room with her?
What was she going to do? Maybe if she didn’t move, he would think she was still asleep, buying her a few more minutes to figure things out.

“I know you’re awake so you might as well drink something.”

So much for that rational plan
. Sitting up slowly, she disregarded the water and turned in the direction of his voice. The room wasn’t as dark as she first thought. Pale light crept in through an open doorway, making it possible for her to see her captor. Seth sat in an overstuffed chair; his attention was not focused on her but on a cell phone. The light from the screen illuminated his face, making him appear haunted. Madison squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to get a hold of herself.

“You know, this Robert is quite a character.” His tone was light, conversational. “And just how many pictures do you need of a
cat
?”

Madison’s eyes flew open, staring at him incredulously. The bastard had
her
cell phone!

“What the hell . . .?” she managed to croak, her voice failing as her throat clicked painfully.

Never taking his eyes from the screen, he replied flippantly, “What? Can’t hear you. You might want to drink some of that water. It’ll help your scratchy throat.”

Fury ripped through her at his nonchalance, effectively dashing her confusion. She reached out, grabbing the glass of water and flung it at his head. The glass never even came close, hitting the wall on his left and shattering on impact. Though he never flinched in the least, Seth raised his eyes to hers, chilling her anger instantly.

“If you didn’t want the water, all you had to do was say so,” he said calmly, standing up with graceful ease.

She shrank back as he rose from the chair and crossed the room, cell phone still clutched loosely in his hand. But instead of approaching her, he walked out of the room without another word.

She surveyed the room, looking for a way out. There didn’t seem to be much hope. The sterile room was windowless, the only furniture, the chair, an end table, and the narrow bed she was laying on. From the other room, she heard running water and swung her eyes back to the open doorway. Seth had come back, carrying another glass of water. He held it out to her, his eyes piercing hers.

“Here, drink this. And don’t even think about throwing it. I won’t offer you anymore.”

She paused, considering his words and took the glass from him. Her fingers brushed lightly against his, sending a shiver through her. Bringing the glass to her lips with a shaky hand, she was all too aware of his eyes following its progress.

The cold water slid down her throat, soothing the feeling of broken glass. She closed her eyes in relief, releasing a sigh of pure gratitude. She couldn’t remember having tasted anything so wonderful. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see Seth watching her, a guarded look on his face. Studying him, she saw he was tall, just over six feet. The charcoal suit was gone, replaced by a black sweater and pants that didn’t quite hide a lithe, muscular frame. He possessed the kind of presence and good looks that would make any normal woman look twice. And she did. It shocked her how she could possibly be regarding him in female appreciation. She was held captive against her will and instead of figuring a way out, she was focusing on his masculinity like some teenage girl. What was wrong with her?

“Where am I?” she asked, steering away from the insane thoughts going through her mind.

“Somewhere safe,” he said, taking the glass from her, careful not to touch her fingers.

“That’s comforting,” she muttered.

“And, of course, your comfort is my primary concern,” Seth replied caustically.

Madison scowled at him, wishing she had the glass back. This time she wouldn’t miss. “What were you doing with my cell phone?” she asked, her voice husky with renewed anger.

“Gratitude is not your strong point, is it?” Seth questioned with exaggerated politeness.

Feeling her temper flare, she glared up at him, trying to burn a hole right through him. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she started, her sharp tongue reacting before her brain could stop it. “Thank you for dragging me into a dark closet, kidnapping me . . .” Suddenly she had an unbidden memory of his lips on hers.

“You kissed me!” she exclaimed sharply.

A slight frown creased his fine features. “Yes, I’m afraid I had to. It was the only way to distract you from the syringe.”

“Yeah, right,” Madison snorted sarcastically. “Wait, what syringe? What did you do to me?”

“Believe what you want. You didn’t seem to want to come along peacefully so I had to help you along. Wait, Ms. Sinclair, did you just snort?” he questioned, a tight smile on his full lips.

Not bothering with an answer, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at him as defiantly as she could. “You didn’t answer me. What are you doing with my phone?”

Seth gave her a blank stare and tossed her the cell phone. “Here, I’m done with it. But I’m afraid you won’t be able to make any calls.”

“You just watch me.” Madison opened it, not quite believing that he would give the phone back to her that easily. Then she realized why he had parted with it so quickly. “What did you do to it? It won’t work,” she demanded. Her anger was threatening to bubble over.

“I told you, you wouldn’t be able to call anyone. I took the liberty of removing the battery.”

Furious, Madison stood up from the bed abruptly, all fear aside. She was going to kill him, or at least try to. Before she could take even one step in his direction shooting pain raced up her leg and she stumbled, dropping to her knees.

“Would you like some help?” he asked politely, standing still and watching her calmly.

Not even bothering to look at him, she picked herself up off the floor. Gingerly, she stood on her ankle, testing it. “Go to hell.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Sit down and let me look at your ankle.”

“I don’t think so.”

“I’m not asking,” he replied shortly.

She considered her options. There weren’t many and the ones she did have didn’t look good. So rather than fight him and risk getting knocked out again, she reluctantly took a seat on the side of the bed.

“That’s better.” Seth knelt down in front of her, grasping her bare leg and drawing it closer to him. His fingers glided down her leg leisurely, teasingly.

“It’s no wonder you twisted your ankle, running in shoes like these,” Seth declared, his voice mirroring the softness of his touch. He gingerly removed the black high heels from her feet, clearly aware of the pain the slightest movements caused her. The heat from his bare palm felt wonderful against her aching skin.

She sat, fascinated by the movements of his fingers as they massaged her swollen ankle. How could someone be so cold and harsh one minute and so warm and tender the next?

With some remorse, she noticed, the small, even teeth marks in his hand where she had bit him. She had managed to draw blood through the gloves he had been wearing. Served him right! Or at least that’s what she tried to tell herself but the tenderness he was showing her curbed the emotion and before she knew what she was doing, she opened her mouth to speak.

“I’m sorry about biting you. But you shouldn’t have yanked me into that dark room and besides . . .”

Seth lifted his head, meeting her eyes, effectively stopping her rambling mid-sentence.

“Do you always apologize for defending yourself, Ms. Sinclair?”

Unsure what to say, Madison simply glared at him. It sounded as though he were laughing at her but there was no trace of amusement in his cool eyes. Only a sheer blankness.

She felt a shuddering relief when he returned his attention back to her ankle.
God, she had to get out of here.
He was so close to her right now all she would have to do was kick him with her other leg and maybe she could get away. Turning her head slightly, she looked at the door, judging the distance.

“Don’t even think about it. Even if you did somehow manage to kick me, I would catch you before you even got half way to the front door. It’s locked anyway. That would only slow you down.”

Startled, Madison jerked her eyes away from the door and back to him, expecting him to be looking at her again but his eyes were still firmly resting on her foot.

Damn him!
He was inside her head again. How could he possibly know what she was thinking? Her temper threatened to elevate once again but then he dabbed at her knee with his fingertips. She bared her teeth and sucked in her breath with a sharp hiss.

Seth looked up at her curiously. “Sorry,” he replied automatically, no feeling behind the word. “That needs cleaned. The bathroom is right through there,” he said, motioning to the closed door on her right. He stood up smoothly and grabbed her hand, easily pulling her to her feet. In her bare feet, she looked up at him, intensely aware of him looming over her. He was much taller now that she was minus the heels.