Water Bound (23 page)
Authors: Christine Feehan
She turned abruptly and dumped the rest of the coffee in the sink, set the cup on the counter and simply walked out the back door. He caught the glint of tears in her eyes as she turned her head. Lev sat there quietly finishing his breakfast while his mind turned over what she’d said, continuing to dig through the facts to get to the reasons anyone would target her for death in such a particularly ugly manner.
He sat back and contemplated what to do. His head wasn’t completely better, despite all the energy he’d spent trying to heal himself. The force of the waves had been tremendous, slamming his body into the rocks. Even with his special gifts, he hadn’t been able to combat the power of the ocean. He was dizzy most of the time and his head still pounded with alarming vigor, threatening to explode if he moved around too much.
All of a sudden, he felt a sense of urgency, and for a man who lived in the shadows with no real name and only one purpose, it wasn’t a good idea to ignore his feelings. He had recovered enough memories to know he didn’t want the man he’d been to come back from the dead. As far as Lev was concerned, Sid Kozlov was going to stay in the sea, his body lost for all time. He had already identified himself to Rikki as Lev so he’d already come up with a variation of that name, making it more American. It was time to put the finishing touches on his new identity, one he could use here with her, because he was staying and that meant he had to use his head and force his memories to cooperate.
He needed an untraceable computer to finish the process, and he needed to get into the small town close by. He’d left himself a few packages scattered around for emergency exits if the need was there—a major requirement in his profession. He just had to remember where his safety stashes were. He carried the dishes to the sink and meticulously washed them while he tried to force his memory to cooperate.
He knew how to make up a new identity that would pass inspection by any official—he’d been doing it for years. He was certain he had plenty of money and he’d hidden more weapons and ammunition, but he couldn’t quite remember where everything was. That small, important fact continued to elude him. So, identity first. He had to get strong enough to go outside her home and study the surrounding terrain and set up warning systems. And he had to get on her boat. Her boat was far more vulnerable than her house. He’d been aware of the harbor, a small open community with a park right there where people could easily come and go. Her boat was tied up to the dock and anyone could rig it to blow, or rig her air compressor so she died of carbon monoxide poisoning while she was beneath the water.
He looked around the kitchen to make certain everything was in place before he went out onto the porch. Rikki was curled up in a chair, her bare feet tucked under her, her dark glasses pushed onto her nose, covering her eyes. He sank into the chair beside her and took possession of her left hand, tracing circles with the pad of his thumb.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Rikki.”
“You didn’t.” She sighed and indicated the trees with her chin. “I love that grove of redwoods right there. That many redwood trees indicate water—a lot of water. I love that I might be living with water running just under me.”
“I can see why that would appeal to you.” The peace of her farm appealed to him. Trees surrounded the house, tall and majestic, as if guarding her property. She kept everything neat and orderly. There was no lawn, but she had terraces of plants, bright, colorful flowers and shrubs in every shade of green. The rockwork on the terraces was beautiful and obviously done with care by someone who handpicked each stone.
“Tell me about that night. Did you hear a noise? Did you see anyone? Were your parents acting different? Worried maybe?”
She was silent a long time. He waited patiently, giving her space, letting her work out whether she trusted him enough to give him something that personal. The wind rustled the tree leaves overhead and birds flitted from branch to branch. A squirrel chattered and another answered. He noted it all rather absently as he watched in the distance for the telltale dust rising that would indicate a car on the road leading to her house.
Rikki was utterly still, no squirming, no sound, she simply stared out into space, her face averted, her eyes hidden behind her dark glasses. She hadn’t pulled her hand away, and Lev pressed his thumb into the center of her palm and closed his eyes, feeling his way. Immediately he “saw” numbers in his head. She was counting to herself, and she was on seventy-eight.
She took off her dark glasses, turned her head to look him straight in the eyes. The jolt was like a powerful punch straight in his gut. Hard. Encompassing. She did something to his insides, where he was tough as nails, strong and impenetrable. She slipped past his guard and managed to penetrate deep. His reaction to her bordered on primal.
“You think my entire family was a target and whoever killed my parents missed me and is still hunting me.”
He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her close, but her entire demeanor screamed “hands off,” so he continued to stroke caresses over her open palm, satisfied that she hadn’t pulled completely away from him. “If it was a contract hit, they wouldn’t stop, not until they were dead, and even then, the contract could be given to another hit man.”
“Are you a hit man?”
A day earlier he wouldn’t have been so certain. “No.” He kept his gaze on hers. “I don’t know exactly what I did, and I’ve certainly killed, but I’m not certain why. My memory is coming back in pieces, but it’s definitely returning.” And he wasn’t all that happy about it.
She moistened her lips, shoved her dark glasses back on her nose and turned to look out over her trees again. “If someone is trying to kill me for whatever reason, why the gaps between fires? And why fire? Wouldn’t that be an unusual choice for a hit man?”
“Yes, very unusual. My memory is coming back slowly, so maybe I’ll eventually remember someone who uses that method. It isn’t in any way familiar, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Were your parents different? Upset? Was there anything unusual that you can remember in the days or weeks before that night?” He pressed her because he was certain he was on the right track.
“You have the instincts of a bodyguard,” she pointed out.
He didn’t allow his smile to surface. She had no idea what instincts he had, and he wasn’t going to enlighten her and risk getting kicked out—but they sure as hell weren’t that of a bodyguard. He remained silent, waiting.
She chewed on her lower lip for a few moments. “My mother was my stability. Without her I was lost and all I really remember is being alone with my father. He tried to understand me, but he was disappointed that I was so different. Don’t get me wrong. He loved me and he tried to do all the things Mom did, but he was stiff and annoyed most of the time. He tried to hide it, and when Mom was in the hospital, we both were so miserable that anything else would have been impossible to notice.”
“The car accident when she was hurt. Could that have been deliberate?”
She shook her head. “It was one of those pileup things, where everyone is sliding into everyone else. A couple of the cars caught on fire and the rescuers pulled everyone out fast and made us stand as far away as we could get, even those injured. There was such chaos that if someone wanted us dead, they could have killed us right there and no one would have noticed. Several people died in that accident. It was horrible.”
“What happened to your mother?”
“Her leg was smashed. She was in the hospital for a week and I remember my father crying, afraid she was going to lose her leg. He was there the first night, with broken ribs and a concussion as well, but then they allowed him to come home with me.”
Lev frowned as he brought the tips of her fingers to his mouth and rather absently scraped his teeth back and forth over the sensitive pads as he tried to make the pieces of the puzzle fit together. He had a feeling—more than a feeling; he was certain she was a target, and that meant if there was a contract, she was in very real danger.
“That night, how did you escape?”
“I was reading and the house was very quiet. I was listening to classical music while I read and I had earphones on, but I knew my parents had gone to bed. I checked a couple of times because I liked the sound of them moving through the house turning off lights and getting ready for bed. It always comforted me.” She spoke very matter-of-factly and there was no expression on her face.
Lev held his thumb against the center of her palm and let his mind expand to encompass hers. She replayed the sound of her parents moving through the house to herself often. He brought her hand back to his mouth and pressed a kiss there.
She jumped and swiveled around to face him, her eyes wide and startled behind the sunglasses, but she didn’t pull away. “I read for a long time after they went to bed and suddenly I was coughing. I noticed it was difficult to see the words on the pages and blinked. Inside me, there was this strange calling, and I yanked off my headphones and looked around. The room was smoky and I could hear a roaring sound. I dropped to the floor and crawled to the door. I wanted to get to my parents. I tried, but every room was on fire. We had a carpet in the hallway and it melted into my skin while I crawled. I remember the sounds and the heat vividly.”
“Do you remember calling water to you?”
She nodded. “The pipes in the house burst, at least that’s what the firemen told me later. I hadn’t realized I’d done it, of course, not until much later, and I still wasn’t entirely certain it wasn’t all a huge coincidence.” She pushed her free hand through her hair in agitation. “My mother couldn’t walk. It appeared that my father tried to carry her out and a piece of the ceiling fell on them. The fire burned hot and fast. There was an accelerant poured inside the walls as well as outside.”
“Why not in your room?”
“At the time, the investigators said my light was on and probably whoever did it didn’t want to risk getting interrupted. Later, of course, they figured it was to allow me an escape, although they couldn’t figure out why I didn’t go through the window.”
He turned his head toward the road, his internal radar sounding off loud. “You’re about to have company.”
“Probably one of my sisters.”
“I’ll go inside and wait.”
“Don’t shoot anyone.”
He grinned at her, leaned down and brushed a kiss across the top of her silky head. She felt alone to him. He knew exactly what that was like and he didn’t want it for her. “I’ll be close if you need me.”
She looked up at him, but she didn’t reply.
9
RIKKI watched the door close behind Lev and her heart began beating normally once again. She hadn’t realized that she’d been barely breathing. Lev had pressed a kiss into the center of her palm and for one moment she’d felt it—
physically
felt it—deep inside her most feminine core. Her womb had reacted with a clasping gasp of shock, and the bundle of nerve endings felt raw and sensitive. She had been unable to think clearly after that brief touch of his mouth on her. She felt raw and needy and so empty inside.
physically
felt it—deep inside her most feminine core. Her womb had reacted with a clasping gasp of shock, and the bundle of nerve endings felt raw and sensitive. She had been unable to think clearly after that brief touch of his mouth on her. She felt raw and needy and so empty inside.
Sex with Daniel had been, at best, rote. She didn’t believe she could really enjoy it because she didn’t like close contact, but he was good to her and she cared for him. It made sense that they could dive together and make a good living. Daniel was content to have quick sex as long as she was available to him, and because he was the first and only person she’d felt affection—even love—for, she wanted the relationship. They made sense.
Lev made no sense. None. And it was terrifying to feel the sensations he produced in her, yet she craved his touch now. Craved the way he made her feel both in her head and in her body. His kisses were extraordinary, reaching inside of her and melting her until her entire body flowed against him like water.
Blythe’s car distracted her from her thoughts. Her stomach tightened. What in the world was she going to say? Guilt was sharp and edgy, a knife cutting her open. She didn’t lie to Blythe—not ever. Not even when she wanted to. She knew Blythe would never approve of Lev, and she wouldn’t understand about not taking him straight to the authorities. Blythe believed in the law; she’d never seen what false accusations could do to a person.
Rikki sat up straighter and pushed at her glasses to make certain they were firmly in place. She would
not
betray Blythe by lying. But Lev ...
not
betray Blythe by lying. But Lev ...
Blythe got out of her sporty little Spider and walked up to Rikki slowly. “Are you all right?” She took off her glasses to study Rikki’s face.
Rikki was certain guilt was stamped there. Color rose in spite of her determination not to allow it. She shrugged. “Yes.” That, at least, wasn’t a lie.
Blythe dropped into the chair Lev had vacated, and for a moment Rikki was afraid the warmth of the seat would give him away. She would have noticed and she was certain Lev would have as well, but Blythe was too busy inspecting her. “You don’t look sick.”
Rikki shook her head.
“You missed a diving day this week. On Thursday, the weather was perfect, the sea was calm and you didn’t go. You always go.”
“Too many boats out there.” Again she felt relief, she was still telling the absolute truth. She hadn’t wanted to share her sea with so many and it was dangerous. A boat could get too close and cut her hose.
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