Boyd and Leona caught up with her outside.
“You're shaking like a leaf in a high wind,” Leona said, looking at her worriedly.
Seeing how pale she'd become, Boyd became worried that she might faint. He scooped her up in his arms. “We're going back to the motel,” he informed Leona in a voice that told her she'd better not balk.
“Yes, of course,” she replied, continuing to study Katrina with concern.
In Boyd's arms, Katrina felt safe and her shaking lessened. The images grew stronger and she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck in an attempt to stop them. It didn't work.
When her hold on him tightened, Boyd tightened his hold on her. The desire to protect and comfort her overwhelmed him. “I'll see that no harm comes to you,” he vowed gruffly.
Tears welled in her eyes. Her father had controlled her with threats of reprimand. Her mother and Leona had constantly warned her to behave and keep her thoughts to herself. No one had ever promised to protect her.
When they reached the car and Boyd sat her in her seat, she felt deserted.
Sitting on the edge of the backseat, Leona placed a hand on Katrina's shoulder. “What happened in there?”
“I remembered something,” Katrina replied shakily.
Boyd had climbed in behind the wheel just in time to hear her response. “Must have been one hell of a memory.”
Katrina nodded.
Leona studied her anxiously. “What in the world could you remember that would cause such a reaction?”
“It was the Christmas Eve after mother died. We'd been to a party at Vince's...me, my father and brother. On the way home, my father told my brother he had some personal business that needed to be taken care of. My brother asked if he could help and my father said, âSure, it's as good a time as any for your initiation.' My brother was fifteen at the time.”
Katrina felt dizzy and paused to draw a deep breath, then continued. “They thought I was asleep in the backseat. When they stopped the car and got out, I peeked through the window. They were walking up to a house a lot like the one we were just in. The porch light was on. I saw my father hand my brother a gun with an extra long barrel. I know now that what made it look so long was that there was a silencer on the end of the barrel. Then my father unscrewed the porch light so that the porch was dark.”
“I can't believe they took you along on a hit,” Leona fumed.
Katrina trembled, then continued. “My father knocked on the door. Lights came on upstairs and then downstairs. A man opened the door. My brother shot him. Through the open door, I saw a woman coming down the stairs. My brother shot her, too. My father shifted the man's feet so that they could close the door, then they returned to the car.”
Katrina paused to take another deep breath. “I had lain back down on the backseat. I was trembling so badly, I was sure they would notice but they didn't. They wanted to get away fast so my brother didn't look in the backseat until they'd pulled away. Without the interior light on, I was just a shadow. He called out my name and I rubbed my eyes and pretended to be just waking up. I asked if we were home yet and he said no so I asked why he'd woken me. He said if I hadn't been sleeping he'd have had to shoot me, then he laughed and told me to go back to sleep.”
“You really think your brother would have killed you?” Boyd asked.
“He might have,” Leona replied for Katrina. “Jimmy had a real cold streak...colder even than his father's and he liked killing.”
Katrina nodded her agreement. “I was overcome by fear. I couldn't stop shaking. Then suddenly everything went black. I must have fainted. When I came to, I convinced myself that I'd just had a very bad dream. But it wasn't a dream. It was real.”
Boyd realized that she must have lived her entire childhood in fear. He cupped her face in his hands. “It's over. Your father and brother are dead. They can't hurt you.”
Tears trickled from her eyes. “I'm so ashamed to have been from the same gene pool.”
All lingering suspicion that she might be a cold-blooded killer had vanished. “You have your mother's genes as well,” Boyd reminded her, trying to ease the pain he saw in her eyes.
“He's right,” Leona said.
Boyd scowled at Leona. “There will be no more sight-seeing today. We've played this game long enough. It's time to go get those ledgers.”
Leona sat back in her seat. “I agree that touring these old plantation houses is not a good idea. We might as well head for Memphis. I've always wanted to see Graceland.”
Still shaken by the remembered terror of that Christmas night, Katrina looked back at her aunt. “Can I assume there is a purpose behind that?”
“Of course there's a purpose. I want to see the place. And since it doesn't look anything like this place, it shouldn't send you into shock. This could be the last trip I ever take. I intend to make the most of it,” Leona returned.
Boyd frowned. “Graceland is a very popular sight By some quirk of fate, one of Garduchi's men might be there on vacation. And it might be someone who will see through your disguise. It's not a good idea.”
“I want to tour Graceland.” Leona insisted.
So maybe Memphis was where she'd stashed the ledgers, Boyd reasoned hopefully. “All right. Graceland it is,” he drawled grudgingly.
As they drove back to the motel, Katrina recalled the strong feel of Boyd's arms around her and his promise to protect her. The chilling fear caused by the sudden memory of that Christmas night faded. She looked to Boyd, studying the hard line of his jaw. “You sounded sincere back there. Does that mean you're learning to trust me?”
“Not entirely,” he admitted honestly. “I don't think you're a killer but you and your aunt might still have an agenda of your own.” He glanced at Leona in the rearview mirror as he said this, wanting to see her reaction. Amusement spread over her face.
“Killer?” she asked, at the back of his head for an explanation.
“He thought I might be working as an enforcer for Garduchi, like my father and my brother and I might be wanting to find you to kill you,” Katrina elaborated before Boyd could respond.
“You, a killer?” Leona laughed. “You hated killing even a fly. I always figured you'd get yourself killed in the line of duty because you wouldn't be able to fire your gun at a thug who was aiming at you.” Her gaze shifted to the back of Boyd's neck. “As for Katrina and I having an agenda of our own, I can assure you that her only objective is to get me in front of that grand jury.”
“I really hope that's true.” As he spoke, Boyd knew he'd never wanted anything more strongly.
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“Don't you remember how we used to talk about touring Graceland?” Leona asked Katrina a while later as they headed north.
“Yes.” Katrina searched her aunt's face for any sign that this was not merely a whim on Leona's part. She couldn't tell. It was not normally Leona's nature to be guided by whimsy. But clearly the touring of Natchez had served no purpose as far as collecting the ledgers was concerned. “I just never would have expected you to want to go there with Garduchi on your tail.”
“He's not. Agent Logan has assured us of that.” Leona studied the back of Boyd's head. “He might be stubborn, but it's my guess he's very good at his job.”
“If I was very good at my job, I wouldn't be letting you expose yourself so openly,” Boyd grumbled.
“You have no choice. Consider it a possibly dying woman's last wish.”
“I wish you would reconsider,” Katrina pleaded. “If the ledgers are there, tell me where they are and I'll pick them up.”
Leona gave her a patronizing look. “Don't be ridiculous. I would never stash the ledgers where some nosy, precocious child might stumble on them. Besides, why would I want to tour Graceland if I'd already been there? Now don't worry, our disguises are excellent. We'll be fine.”
Katrina shook her head. “Agent Logan isn't the only one in this car who is stubborn as a Missouri mule.”
“I prefer to think of myself as having taken control of my life.” Leona sighed heavily. “For as long as I can remember, there has been a man telling me what I could do and what I couldn't do.”
“You obviously needed some guidance to keep out of trouble,” Boyd noted.
“I really think we should skip touring Graceland,” Katrina protested again.
“No. Whatever time I have left, I intend to do what I want.”
It occurred to Katrina that she'd ruled out a midlife crisis too soon. “Have you considered talking to a doctor about taking hormones?”
Leona tossed her a dry look. “I know exactly what I'm doing.”
In spite of his determination to remain skeptical of Katrina, Boyd found himself wanting to keep his vow to protect her. “Do you realize you're putting your niece's life in danger as well as your own? If you get spotted, she could easily get killed in the cross fire.”
“Katrina became a policewoman. She puts her life on the line daily. She's safer with me than she is on those streets she patrols.” Leona sat back and closed her eyes. “If you want that information on Vince, you'll take me to Graceland. Wake me when we get to Memphis.”
Boyd cursed under his breath.
Katrina covertly studied him. The beard and mustache made him look even grimmer than usual. But she had a question she had to ask. Waiting until she heard light snoring from the backseat, she said, “Are you really concerned about my safety or was that just a ploy to try to get my aunt to cooperate?”
“Both,” he admitted tersely.
She heard the self-directed anger in his voice. “You want to protect me but you're not sure I'm worth protecting.”
Again he glanced at her. “You don't know how badly I want to believe you're on the level.”
She saw the flash of heat in his eyes. A responding heat swept through her. “Boyd?” she said his name softly, a question in her voice.
This time when he glanced toward her, she saw ice in his eyes and knew he was again angry with himself for having shown warm feelings toward her. The man was twice as stubborn as a Missouri mule, she fumed in frustration. Maybe even three or fours times as stubborn.
Chapter 8
I
t was after dark when they reached Memphis. As Katrina snuggled into the bedspread, staying as far from Boyd as possible, it occurred to her that her aunt had stopped complaining about their lodgings and the food from the fast-food places. Hopefully, Leona was finally taking her situation seriously.
But the next morning proved her wrong. As they put on their disguises in preparation for going outside of their room, Leona continued to insist on touring Graceland.
“This beard and mustache are extremely uncomfortable,” Boyd grumbled at her. “I hope this is the last day I'll have to wear them.”
Leona smiled sweetly. “They give you character.”
Katrina gave Boyd a sympathetic look.
Again he found himself hoping they were on the same side.
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“Isn't it lovely,” Leona declared with a wide sweep of her arm toward the mansion and gardens, when after a wait in line they finally entered the grounds of Graceland.
“Lovely,” Katrina agreed, only momentarily glancing in the direction her aunt indicated before continuing her surveillance of the other tourists.
“Relax,” Leona admonished.
“I'll relax when you're tucked away in a safe house,” Katrina returned.
Boyd took a position behind them. “If you see anyone you recognize or even think you recognize, let me know.”
Katrina nodded.
Ignoring them, Leona continued to point out every detail she found interesting. “Your uncleâthat snakeâand I saw Elvis perform in Vegas,” she said as they finished their tour of the mansion. “It was a wonderful show. He was a true performer. It's so sad that he died so young.”
“He wasn't that much younger than you,” Katrina noted pointedly.
Leona started to give her a wry glance when she suddenly paled. “What's Sammy Ramous doing here?”
Immediately, Katrina and Boyd sandwiched Leona between them.
“Where?” Katrina demanded.
“There.” Leona nodded toward a group of people in the distance.
“What's he look like?” Boyd demanded.
“Short, slender, blond hair, fortyish,” Katrina replied.
“Beady eyes and he's fifty,” Leona corrected. The group parted and she suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and her color returned. “I was wrong. It's not him.”
“Sight-seeing with you is certainly different,” Katrina muttered.
Leona sighed. “You both were right. This was not a good idea. If Agent Logan will agree to splurge, or I'll even pay the bill, we'll go check into a hotel with room service, and I won't leave the room until tomorrow morning. At which time, I will take you to where I've stashed my evidence.”
“Why do we have to wait until tomorrow?” Boyd asked.
“Because I can't collect it until tomorrow,” she replied. “Now how about the hotel?”
“It's a deal,” Boyd agreed and Katrina breathed a sigh of relief.
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“Other than my little scare and Katrina's sudden memory purge, this has been a wonderful trip,” Leona said as they sat in their room waiting for their dinner to arrive. “I can't tell you how good it felt to tell someone what I really thought of Vince, Carlos and Stella.”
The anger that had been building in Boyd demanded to be vented. “You knew when you sent Katrina to talk to Garduchi that he knew you'd taken the money for revenge. You put her life in danger for no reason.”
Surprised by his outburst, Katrina looked at him and saw the protectiveness in his eyes. Even though he was determined not to trust her, he still cared about her. A warm feeling wove through her.
Leona shrugged. “There was always the chance he would buy the religious conversion story. Carlos's death had produced one shock after another. If he had, I could have gone back and kept the money where I'd hidden it. Of course he would never have let me do his accounting again, but I was ready to retire anyway. As for Katrina being in danger, Vince isn't stupid. He knew the FBI would be watching his house. He had to let her leave. Besides, it was me he was after. Since I'd contacted her once, he had to assume I'd contact her again.”
A knock on the door interrupted further conversation.
Boyd motioned for Katrina to stand to one side, her gun at the ready while he answered. Her body tensed. If it was one of Garduchi's men on the other side of that door, he could shoot Boyd through it. “I'll open the door,” she said, brushing past him.
Boyd grabbed her arm. “Stay back. This is my job.”
The heat of his hand traveled up her arm and the desire to keep him from harm grew even stronger. “She's my aunt.”
“If anyone is going to be shot by a bellhop, it will be me.” Leona strode past them and opened the door before either had a chance to stop her.
Katrina barely had time to hide her gun behind her back before a ruddy-faced teenager and an older man pushed the food-laden carts inside. Boyd had released her arm but the imprint of his touch lingered along with the heat.
Leona gave the boy and man a big tip and saw them to the door. Once they were gone, she smiled happily at Boyd and Katrina. “Aha. The aroma of real food.”
“Don't ever do that again,” Boyd growled.
To Katrina, he said, “And in the future you follow my orders.”
The fear for him still lingered. “I will not let you get shot because of my aunt.”
He read the determination on her face. Pleasure that she didn't want to see him harmed wove through him and again the urge to trust her was strong.
Or it could all be an act to win your confidence?
his little voice warned.
“Let's not ruin our dinner with depressing thoughts,” Leona said. Her smile waned a little as she picked up the bottle of sparkling white grape juice. “However, I do think your insistence on not having any alcohol is going a bit far,” she addressed Boyd, then shrugged and returned her attention back to the bottle. “At least this will give the same bubbly effect as champagne. You two take the warming covers off our plates while I open it.”
Katrina's shoulder brushed Boyd's chest as she moved to obey. Images of him shirtless flashed in her mind and a fire blazed to life within her. Looking up she saw a heat in the brown depths of his eyes that matched the heat flowing through her. Then his gaze became shuttered, reminding her that he was determined to fight any attraction he felt for her.
Boyd ordered himself to move away from her. Instead, he cupped her chin in his hand and looked into her face. When she'd headed for the door, the fear that she could be shot had shaken him to the core. “From now on, you follow my orders without question,” he repeated curtly.
His touch made her knees threaten to buckle. “I will not allow you to get hurt because of my aunt,” she repeated.
He wanted to kiss her. His mouth moved toward hers. He was only inches away when he reminded himself about the knife wound in his back. Straightening, he released her and stepped away.
Katrina had watched as the fire that had again flamed in his eyes was replaced by cool distrust. Feeling deserted and frustrated, she frowned at him.
Leona approached with the wine glasses half-filled with sparkling grape juice. “I want to make a toast,” she said.
Katrina and Boyd, both fighting emotions that had them shaken, accepted their glasses without protest.
“To the end of our journey,” Leona said, clinking her glass to theirs.
Boyd nodded his agreement and swallowed.
Irritated by his obvious desire to be rid of her company, Katrina gave him a dry look then downed her drink.
“Damn!” she heard him growl just before she felt the room begin to spin. From somewhere in the fog that seemed to be closing over her mind, she heard her aunt's voice and saw Leona holding onto Boyd's arm.
“Now, just lie down,” Leona was saying, easing him onto the bed. He was struggling ineffectually as if he'd lost his coordination. “If you don't cooperate, Katrina is going to fall before I can get to her,” Leona reprimanded. “You wouldn't want her to get hurt, now would you?”
“Go help her,” Boyd ordered, his words slurring as he tried to rise, then fell back across the bed.
Katrina tried to move forward toward him. Her legs didn't want to function properly and she began to sway.
“Now, dear, you come along,” Leona said, taking her arm and guiding her to the second bed in the room.
“You put something in our drinks,” Katrina accused, the words coming out with difficulty.
“It's time for us to part company,” Leona said. “Now lie down.”
Katrina didn't want to obey but her legs were refusing to hold her any longer. “You promised to help put Garduchi away.”
“Now that really would be fatal. You rest.” Leona lifted Katrina's feet up onto the bed.
The last thing Katrina was aware of was her aunt placing a light kiss on her cheek.
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Katrina opened one eye just enough to see sunlight streaming in through the small space between the drapes. She tried to lift her head, then dropped it back on the pillow. “What a headache!” she moaned.
A deep-throated groan followed by a curse, sounded from somewhere nearby. She turned her head in the direction from which it had come, opened both eyes and tried to focus. Boyd's long form came into view.
She saw him slowly easing himself to his feet. Bumping into a chair, he cursed under his breath, then continued on into the bathroom. Running water drowned out a string of expletives.
Her mind was clearing by the time he came out drying his face. “What the hell did she slip us?” he demanded.
“I have no clue,” she replied, following his example and heading to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face.
When she came out, she found him sitting on the edge of the bed rubbing the back of his neck. Straightening, he said, “She left a note. She says she wanted to spend a little time with you before she took off on her own and she knew that pretending to want to give evidence against Garduchi was the only way. She says that she's going to fix it so Garduchi won't come after you but she suggests that you really should relocate.”
“I should have known she'd never give evidence against him. She let her need for revenge cause her to behave somewhat irrationally, but she's not crazy.” Her head still throbbing, Katrina sat down on the edge of the other bed and rested her head in her hands.
“Do you have any idea where she might have gone?”
“None.”
Boyd looked at his watch. “She has a fourteen-hour start.” He'd put a homing device on the car in case the two of them decided to run and managed to get away from him, but Leona had had plenty of time to get out of range. His jaw hardened. “I'll find her.”
“We'll
find her.”
“You're coming along all right,” he growled. “I want you where I can keep an eye on you.”
She frowned at the continued suspicion in his voice. “You can't believe I had anything to do with this. My aunt was my chance to prove to people I was on the level. If I'd helped deliver evidence against Garduchi, they would have to stop distrusting my motives for becoming a police officer.”
“So far you've played straight with me,” Boyd admitted. “And my instincts are to trust you, but I'm not sure I can trust them where you're concerned.”
Again she saw the fire in his eyes. “You can.”
“I wish it was that easy,” he growled in frustration.
Her own frustration showed. “You had one bad experience and I'm paying for it.”
“I trusted the man with my life and he nearly took it.”
The ringing of the phone caused the pounding in Katrina's head to increase. She reached for it, but Boyd got to it first.
“Where are you?” he demanded.
Katrina knew from the fury on his face that the caller could only be Leona.
After less than a minute, Boyd dropped the receiver back in the cradle. “She gave me directions to where I can pick up the car. It's at the airport.”
While Katrina took a couple of minutes to make herself presentable, he placed a call to his superiors.
“I guess they weren't too happy,” she said.
“They didn't expect me to be blindsided by a fifty-nine-year-old female accountant.”
“She's my aunt. I'm the one who should have known not to trust her.”
She looked so unhappy, he wanted to take her in his arms and reassure her. His inner voice intervened.
This could be an act, all part of some scheme she and her aunt cooked up to help Leona disappear.
“Let's just find her,” he said through clenched teeth.