camera field-of-view once or twice, no one had been perceptive enough to notice the discrepancies—or they’d chalked it up to a processing mix-up. But this was a digital, and he’d already noticed the discrepancies.
She’d have to find a moment to erase those pictures—turn them into a puzzling memory instead of damning evidence.
A final turn and she cruised to the curb of a residential street. A few years of following people for her boss had built a detailed map of this city in her head; as soon as Madonna had given her the refuge house addresses, she’d known the neighborhoods, the fastest way to get there, the hindrances they might encounter. This particular neighborhood offered tree-lined sidewalks, maple trees in the yards, sparse fall landscaping around the houses. Nothing too fancy, just close-set homes with deceptively long backyards—and, if she remembered correctly, an active neighborhood watch program.
“This one?” Jeth asked, looking intently out the window at the house in front of which they parked.
“Two down,” she told him. “And you’re staying here.”
He gave her his complete attention, mouth tugging to the side in dry amusement, dark gray-blue gaze riveted on her face.
And there it was again, that unfamiliar feeling that he could truly see her. If anyone could, it would be this man. A terrifying thought, and a beguiling one. To be touched by someone who knew the real Sam….
Except he was saying, “What makes you think so?”
And in exasperation she responded, “You won’t find her here, Jeth. She’s gone. You’ve got to let her go.”
He blinked in total lack of comprehension. “Let her go? This is my sister. I’m just supposed to forget she ever existed?”
Typical. “It’s not about you. You’re supposed to accept that this was her choice, not yours.”
“To leave her whole family behind? To spend the rest of her life living a lie? You must be kidding.”
She unfastened her seat belt with more of a snap than she’d meant to, hand on the door latch. “Yes. Just exactly that. And I’m not kidding.”
He shook his head, mirroring her actions and ready to get out of the car. “I’m not going to stop looking.” He pushed the door open; the overhead light came on.
She grabbed the tough material of his jacket and yanked, catching him off balance. The door closed enough to turn out the light, but enough streetlight remained to see him, only inches away now, incredulous and furious.
His hand closed over hers on his jacket. “You do this to people,” he said, grinding the words out in accusation. “You take them from their families. You turn their lives into a game of deceit.”
“That’s right!” She snapped the words back at him,not trying to escape his grasp—just as he didn’t fight hers. Face-to-face, glare-to-glare. She whose whole life was nothing but one big game of deceit and the man who knew nothing but honesty. “By the time they reach us they’re desperate and some of them are one step away from dead. By the time they get to us, everyone else has failed them. ”
He jerked as though slapped; the anger turned to miserable guilt. Not a man who could hide his feelings any more than he could hide his nature. “I tried, ” he said, and seemed to realize how tightly he held her injured hand, releasing his grip slowly to turn the contact into a lighter, more apologetic touch. “Dammit, I—”
He looked away, took a shaky breath. She gave him the moment, and then said quietly, “I guess you probably did. But it wasn’t enough. For whatever reason it just wasn’t enough. She wouldn’t have come to us if it had been.” She uncrimped her fingers from his jacket, suppressing a wince, and then, after an uncertain hesitation, let them land on his arm in a more comforting touch, however briefly. “Now she’s gone, Jeth. You don’t have to understand or accept it to make it so. But…I think you’d be a lot happier if you could.”
He took
She’d have to find a moment to erase those pictures—turn them into a puzzling memory instead of damning evidence.
A final turn and she cruised to the curb of a residential street. A few years of following people for her boss had built a detailed map of this city in her head; as soon as Madonna had given her the refuge house addresses, she’d known the neighborhoods, the fastest way to get there, the hindrances they might encounter. This particular neighborhood offered tree-lined sidewalks, maple trees in the yards, sparse fall landscaping around the houses. Nothing too fancy, just close-set homes with deceptively long backyards—and, if she remembered correctly, an active neighborhood watch program.
“This one?” Jeth asked, looking intently out the window at the house in front of which they parked.
“Two down,” she told him. “And you’re staying here.”
He gave her his complete attention, mouth tugging to the side in dry amusement, dark gray-blue gaze riveted on her face.
And there it was again, that unfamiliar feeling that he could truly see her. If anyone could, it would be this man. A terrifying thought, and a beguiling one. To be touched by someone who knew the real Sam….
Except he was saying, “What makes you think so?”
And in exasperation she responded, “You won’t find her here, Jeth. She’s gone. You’ve got to let her go.”
He blinked in total lack of comprehension. “Let her go? This is my sister. I’m just supposed to forget she ever existed?”
Typical. “It’s not about you. You’re supposed to accept that this was her choice, not yours.”
“To leave her whole family behind? To spend the rest of her life living a lie? You must be kidding.”
She unfastened her seat belt with more of a snap than she’d meant to, hand on the door latch. “Yes. Just exactly that. And I’m not kidding.”
He shook his head, mirroring her actions and ready to get out of the car. “I’m not going to stop looking.” He pushed the door open; the overhead light came on.
She grabbed the tough material of his jacket and yanked, catching him off balance. The door closed enough to turn out the light, but enough streetlight remained to see him, only inches away now, incredulous and furious.
His hand closed over hers on his jacket. “You do this to people,” he said, grinding the words out in accusation. “You take them from their families. You turn their lives into a game of deceit.”
“That’s right!” She snapped the words back at him,not trying to escape his grasp—just as he didn’t fight hers. Face-to-face, glare-to-glare. She whose whole life was nothing but one big game of deceit and the man who knew nothing but honesty. “By the time they reach us they’re desperate and some of them are one step away from dead. By the time they get to us, everyone else has failed them. ”
He jerked as though slapped; the anger turned to miserable guilt. Not a man who could hide his feelings any more than he could hide his nature. “I tried, ” he said, and seemed to realize how tightly he held her injured hand, releasing his grip slowly to turn the contact into a lighter, more apologetic touch. “Dammit, I—”
He looked away, took a shaky breath. She gave him the moment, and then said quietly, “I guess you probably did. But it wasn’t enough. For whatever reason it just wasn’t enough. She wouldn’t have come to us if it had been.” She uncrimped her fingers from his jacket, suppressing a wince, and then, after an uncertain hesitation, let them land on his arm in a more comforting touch, however briefly. “Now she’s gone, Jeth. You don’t have to understand or accept it to make it so. But…I think you’d be a lot happier if you could.”
He took
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