The Heart of a Renegade

“Everything. I’m liaising personally with CIA director Blake Weston on this and he’s given no instructions to hold anything back from her. All he wants is the woman, her film and her testimony. He’s setting up some form of witness protection for her.”

“When are you sending someone to pick her up?”

Jacques hesitated. “You’re going to have to hold on to her for a while, Stone, until—”

He slammed his mug down, sloshing hot tea onto his hand. “Wait a minute, Sauvage, we had a deal. You told me this woman would die if I refused this job. You said I was the only one who could get to her in the time frame. You also said you were going to take her off my hands ASAP!”

“I’m sorry. I’ve had to target all our spare resources elsewhere. You’re all I’ve got out there right now. You can handle one woman, Stone.”

Luke swore viciously. “Listen up, Sauvage, I’m not a goddamn babysitter. You’re in breach of my contract. I can walk from this—”

“Can you, Stone?” Jacques’s voice was cold.

Luke cursed again, dragged his hand over his hair.

“Look, I know what happened to your family in Australia. I know that’s why you wanted out. But you’re the best in the business and you’re all we’ve got. You can do this.”

“Why the hell should I?”

“You want to stay on FDS books, don’t you?”

Luke was quiet for a moment.

“If you turn her out onto the streets now, the woman dies. It’s simple. And it’s your call.”

Luke closed his eyes. He felt sick to his stomach. This was exactly what he didn’t want—sole responsibility for a woman’s life. Images of blood seared his brain. He could smell it. He could feel the warm body of his wife in his arms, dying. The blood from the baby. So much blood.

Luke had managed to take care of everyone, except the woman he loved. She’d died pregnant with his child because he’d been too damn busy protecting someone else. His family had been slaughtered because of him.

He hadn’t wanted to live after that. Almost chose not to. But he hadn’t quite found the guts to kill himself.

“Stone?”

Luke inhaled deeply. “Okay,” he said coolly, very quietly. “But if I fail, it’s on your head.” He wasn’t taking responsibility on this one. He couldn’t. Never again.

“You’re still the best at this, Stone,” Jacques said, just as quietly. “We both know you are.”

“You overestimate me, mate.”

“I believe in you. It’s why I hired you. It’s why I’m asking you to do this now.”

Silence.

“And…Stone, try and stay somewhat inside the law, would you? Cooperation with the Canadians is going to be tough enough down the road as it is, especially now that you’ve engaged the cops.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Luke hit a button and killed the call. He sat back in his chair, eyes closed.

“I’ll leave if you want me to.”

He jerked to his feet and spun to face Jessica. “Jesus! How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know you want me ‘off your hands’….”

He forced air from his lungs with a puff of his cheeks and rubbed his brow hard. “And just where do you think you would you go?”

She shrugged and he noticed suddenly how feminine and vulnerable she looked in his oversized cargo pants, T-shirt and sweater. Her hair was wet and her skin scrubbed to an innocent glow. But it was her eyes and mouth that did him in. There was nothing vulnerable there. They were provocatively sexy as all get-out. He thought about all this woman had endured, what she’d once had in life and what had been taken from her by the Triad. And his heart squeezed sharp and fast. He—if anyone—should understand.

It was a Triad that had taken his wife and child in Australia.

He turned his back on her, stalked into the kitchen and poured a coffee. She accepted it with both hands and a slight bow of the head—a gesture he found both exotic and genuine, endearing.

“You want something to eat?”

She shook her head.

“Okay, then. Lets talk.” He pulled out a chair at the dining room table. “Sit.”

“I…I don’t want to be in your way if—”

He snorted. “If what? Look, I’m sorry you heard that, but understand this: I took the job. And I don’t quit something once I sign on.”

Only fail. I can still fail.

“Don’t worry, I won’t fail you, Jess.” He had no idea why he said it. But there it was. Some part of him was determined not to let this woman—or himself—down.

“Now sit.”

He scooped up the maps and seated himself opposite her.

“I’m going to bring you up to speed. But first priority is for you to tell me how those guys knew you were going to be at that pay phone. Who else knew you were going to call Giles Rehnquist from that booth, at that time?”

Jessica looked into his eyes. “Absolutely no one.”

“You must have told some—”

She set her mug down firmly. “I told no one.”

His brows lowered. “Could someone have overheard? Think. Maybe you—”

“Listen to me, Stone.” She couldn’t call him Luke, not now, not after what she’d overheard. “Whatever people might say, I am not crazy. I’m sick to death of all those knowing, sympathetic glances. I took those photos because I want my life back.” Her eyes burned with hot emotion. “And since you’re stuck with me now there is one thing you better know about me. Those men may have taken everything they possibly could have from me and they may want to kill me, but I will not run from them. I don’t run from anything. Ever.”

He pursed his lips, nodded slowly, something akin to admiration in his eyes. “Then you’re a better person than I, Jessica Chan,” he said very quietly.

“What?”

“Nothing. So you believe the only person who knew you were going to be there at that time was Giles?”

“Damn right.”