Christmas Conspiracy (7 page)

Kat sank back into her seat and shook her head. “But your men did. I figured you told them not to let me in.”

Logan paused. “When…exactly…did you try to get onto the ranch?”

“January fourth. Almost three years ago,” she said. “Not a visit or a day I’ll ever forget.”

Logan let out a loud curse and rubbed the scar just above his temple. “Three years ago. Kat, for most of December and January I was in a German hospital…in a coma.”

“Coma?” Kat’s words were dazed.

She placed her hand near his, her fingertip following the ridge of skin leading into his hair. Logan’s breath caught at her caress. He clasped her hand.

“What happened?” she whispered.

“Ambush,” he said, not revealing his distraction on that mission, his constant thoughts of her.

“You weren’t there,” she said softly, as if trying to wrap her brain around the past. “They weren’t lying.” She tilted her head back and gazed at the roof of the car. “They could’ve explained. They could have told me you were in a hospital, or out of the country.”

“My employees have strict orders never to reveal my location to anyone.” He kneaded the knotting muscles at the back of his neck. He could see how it could have happened.

She’d tried to find him to tell him about the kids. She’d hadn’t abandoned him, and he was as guilty for their not being together as she was. Worse, he’d lied to her. She’d been an assignment when he’d tracked her down—then and now. He’d felt the connection then. It had never died.

After she’d left, a small part of him had wondered if he’d lost his touch at reading people. In the CIA, he’d always had to trust his instincts. He’d have been dead a dozen times over if he didn’t. But ever since the mother he adored walked out on him without saying goodbye, he’d never completely relied on blind faith again. Until the week with Kat.

She’d eviscerated him when she left. He couldn’t believe she’d come back—unlike his mom. “Did you leave your name or a message for me before you left?” If she had, he’d be raking someone over the coals when he got back to the ranch.

“No. I was too angry and hurt.” She exhaled in frustration. “Then again, they didn’t ask me for anything.”

“They probably figured you’d get in touch with me later. If it was important.”

“All the nasty thoughts and horrible suspicions I had about you now seem so petty and insignificant. What a waste of time and possibilities. I’ve hated you for three years.” Pure heartbreak tinged Kat’s voice.

“Ditto.” But the heavy weight he’d been carrying lifted from Logan’s chest. He’d felt tired before, but suddenly he had a burst of energy. He could breathe again fully for the first time in forever.

She rubbed her eyes. “What do we do now?”

“We try to move past it.” He turned his head to the sleeping children. “For them.”

“All I want is a better life, but between the king and whoever else is chasing us, the whole world is off-kilter.” Kat let out a long slow breath and leaned back against the seat. “What’s going to happen to us, Logan? I can’t run from these people the rest of my life. How will I protect my babies?”

“I have the best men in the business looking to find out who’s after you. I
will
keep you and the kids safe.”

“Can’t I just tell that man, ‘no,’ and make this princess problem go away?”

“It’s not that easy,” Logan said grimly. “Bellevaux is a very traditional country. Bloodlines mean everything. You carry the king’s blood. So do our children. If he doesn’t designate you or one of the children as his heir, you and your family will always be a threat to whomever ascends the throne.”

“Even if we renounce any claim?” Desperation tinged her voice.

“Some won’t take the risk of you changing your mind.”

“Then they won’t stop until we’re dead. They can’t.”

The matter-of-fact words chilled Logan’s soul. He reached out his hand and held hers tight. “We’ll find a way to work this out.”

He prayed he wasn’t lying.

* * *

N
ERVES STRETCHED TO
breaking, Kat gripped Logan’s hand, needing the reassurance of his touch, terrified by the idea that others might want to kill her and the kids, no matter what she said or did. Logan stroked her palm with his thumb, his touch calming. Nothing seemed to faze him.

He kept checking the rearview mirror, but so far he seemed to believe that they weren’t being followed. Still, he took evasive maneuvers and doubled back to make sure.

“I can’t believe this is happening. I just wanted to finish nursing school and take care of my kids.”

“Is that why you were only working with horses at Daughtery’s ranch on the weekends? Because of school?”

She rubbed the calluses on her right hand, knowing they were both talking about this subject to avoid the far more troubling ones. “I spent the weekends teaching riding lessons, training horses and mucking out stalls so I could go to nursing school during the week.”

“But why nursing school, Kat?” he asked, sounding honestly curious. “You’re the best I’ve ever seen at gentling a horse. You could’ve been doing it professionally.”

Heat stained her cheeks and she shook her head in denial. Maybe she had a way with horses, but she was certainly nothing special.

Logan flicked on the turn signal to take the next exit ramp. “Why are you embarrassed? You’re gifted.”

“Gifted doesn’t pay for day care or sending my kids to college. Nursing will. It’ll give them more than I had.”

“I’m here now. That won’t be a problem anymore.”

“I can’t let you take care of us. I ran from you because I was afraid to step out of my little world. Having Hayden and Lanie made me want to do something important with my life. I wanted to show them that there’s more out there if you work hard enough. I struggle every day to keep believing that, terrified I can’t make it happen, no matter what I do. I want them to have everything, Logan. Everything this world could possibly offer.”

“The king could offer you more money than you ever dreamed and ruling a country is certainly important.”

“It’s not the same. I can’t go with him, Logan. I’m no princess. I can’t do what he wants me to do. Besides, you heard him. My father really only wants Hayden. Lanie and I are expendable. I won’t have Lanie believing she doesn’t matter. That price is too high.”

He reached out and stroked her cheek. “You’re an amazing woman, Kat.”

She leaned into his caress, taking the comfort and strength he offered.

“My mother died feeling betrayed by him. She may have lied about who I was, and not told me he was still alive, but she spoke the truth about how she felt. He crushed her spirit. That will never happen to Lanie or Hayden.”

“If you don’t want to go with him, Kat, you don’t have to.”

“Unless it’s the only way to keep the kids alive.” The truth terrified her. “Money and power like his are hard to fight.”

He shocked her when he pulled to the side of the road, out of sight of the passing cars, and cupped her face in his hands.

“Katherine Nelson. I watched you today. You’re strong enough to deal with anything. If you don’t want to go to Bellevaux, then don’t go, but I refuse to listen to you give up. You’re better than that. We’ll find a way out of this together.”

He didn’t understand. Everything in her wanted to reach out to him, to lean into his strength, but she couldn’t.

Logan unclicked his seat belt and leaned closer. He stroked her cheek, his touch caring, his eyes gentle.

She tilted her head into his warmth and stilled as his breath caught in a way she remembered from years before. His hazel eyes flared with green, darkening with a familiar arousal as if he remembered, too.

“What are we doing?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I don’t know.” His gaze dropped to her lips and he threaded one hand through her hair and drew her closer.

Heat flared within her. She knew his touch, his kiss, the way he made her cry out his name in the dark. She’d dreamed of feeling like this again too many nights to admit.

The pad of his fingertip caressed her bottom lip. The rough texture made her shiver and she couldn’t resist. Her tongue tasted him and she drew his fingertip into her mouth. A groan rumbled deep inside his chest. His gaze held hers captive.

This was insane. They were on the run. They needed to go, but her entire body shook with awareness, while deep within her belly she softened, craving the feel of him pressed up against her, the caress of his lips and his hands as he explored every inch of her skin.

He tugged her closer, pressing her breasts against his chest. His lips hovered over hers, teasing, tempting. Kat lifted her mouth to his and gave in to the desire. Logan wrapped her in his arms and took over the kiss. Her heart raced, reveling in his power and passion.

She sighed against his mouth. He drove away the ugly frightening world that threatened them. For one moment it was only him and her and the memories of the surf pounding in rhythmic counterpoint as they sought release with each other.

“Why are you kissing Mommy?” Hayden piped up from the back.

Kat froze. She didn’t want to let Logan go. She dragged her lips from his and looked at her son in disbelief. “When did you wake up?”

“When you and Daddy started making funny noises.” Hayden reached for his fire truck and turned the siren on, waking up Lanie, who started crying. “I’m hungry. I want macaroni.”

“Kid sure knows how to kill a moment, doesn’t he?” Logan muttered, his fingertip caressing her lower lip, his gaze heated with promises for later. He slid the car back into Drive.

She tried to smile. Maybe Hayden’s interruption had been for the best. She’d been ready to combust in Logan’s arms. She took a shuddering breath and ordered her pounding heart to slow.

“Do we dare stop and get something to eat?” asked Kat.

“I’ll find something out of the way. Since I identified that bug, we can probably spare twenty minutes. I just want to get to the ranch and lock everything down.”

Pink and blue streams decorated the horizon at dusk as Logan pulled into a small diner in a town too similar to most of those Kat and her mom had lived in. One stop sign, a restaurant, a feed lot and a gas station doubling as a grocery store.

“I don’t want to do this again for a while, but we need food, a few supplies and more than that, we need to ditch this SUV. The gunmen know the license plate and with the back smashed, it’s too easy to spot.”

“Is Rafe meeting us?”

“Not until I get a disposable phone. I saw a sign at the gas station about a car lot. I figure, even with damage, someone there will trade vehicles with us. They’re going to have to buy it for scrap though. I don’t want anyone driving the SUV on the road in case it eventually gets tracked down and the gunmen shoot first and ID the occupants later.”

Kat shuddered. “I hadn’t even considered. They’re that desperate?”

“Maybe. And maybe they’re just getting paid very, very well.”

“Your world is frightening,” Kat said with a frown. She studied the beat-up station wagon and several old pickups in the parking lot of the diner with new eyes. None of them looked suspicious. “Should we order our food to go?”

He shut off the vehicle. “You and the kids eat fast, while I get the supplies and trade in the SUV. I don’t like being apart, but the fewer people that see us together, the better.”

Kat clutched Lanie close, emotion catching in her throat. Anyone who did see the four of them together would think they were a normal family. Little did they know that Logan and Kat were virtual strangers who may not live until tomorrow.

She followed Logan into the diner and they sought out the most secluded booth possible near the back. Within moments he’d ordered a spread of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese, quick fare that both kids would eat. After strapping Lanie into her high chair, Logan bent close to Kat’s ear. “I’ll be right back. If you see anything suspicious, run. I’ll meet you out back.”

She held his hand tight. “You’ll be careful?”

His eyes crinkled. “Don’t you worry. I’ve done this before.”

She watched him walk out, confident, certain and oh-so-sexy in those jeans. She shouldn’t be thinking that way, but Logan’s intelligence and resourcefulness made her want him all the more. She survived. He planned—and won.

By the time the waitress delivered their meal, Logan had returned with new keys in his hand.

“I traded for the station wagon. They’re going to sell the SUV for parts,” he whispered. “I told them to keep it out of sight. From the looks of the place, by tomorrow, the SUV won’t exist.”

“Good. Now no one gets hurt,” she muttered.

Logan’s smile melted away. “I couldn’t risk that.” Logan glanced at his watch. “We should get on the road. Are the kids almost done?”

“Yes.” Kat placed her hand on his for a moment. “You’re a good man, Logan Carmichael.”

He turned his hand over and held hers tight. “I missed you, Kat. I wish things had gone differently.”

She held her breath.

He ran his thumb over her sensitive skin. “Do you think, once this is over, we could try—?”

“Mommy! Look! I opened the belt.” Hayden climbed onto the table. “Vrooom!” He drove his fire engine through the chicken nuggets, then over his sister’s hand. Lanie screamed and Hayden dove onto the bench seat, then under the table.

“Hayden. You come up here and apologize to your sister,” Kat ordered.

Logan bent across to wipe Lanie’s tears and in seconds, Hayden had scrambled out from his hiding place and bolted across the small, nearly empty diner, heading for the door.

“Hayden,” Logan’s deep voice warned.

Her son stopped and stared, obviously unsure of just how much he could get away with around this new “daddy.”

The waitress did not look thrilled about a little kid running around the restaurant. Nor did the few patrons eating there.

Logan stood. “You stay with Lanie. I’ll get him.”

Logan strode toward Hayden, but Kat recognized the mischievous glint in her son’s eye. “Hayden, no!” She bolted toward him.

Grinning, Hayden crouched down, ready to run. “Come get me, Daddy!”

In the few seconds it took for Logan and Kat to cross the distance, Hayden had scrambled onto the bench seat beside the door, then onto the top. Logan caught Hayden before he sailed through the front glass window, but his fire engine flew from his hands and smashed on the ground. Several pieces littered the linoleum floor.