The Girl from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 1) (18 page)

“Sorry, I got sidetracked,” he admitted.
He took her right arm in his hands, examining the gash at her elbow. “That
probably needed a stitch or two, but I guess a bandage will have to do. I’ll
see if I can find one. I’ll get you some Tylenol, too.”

“Could you bring me a cracker or something
to go with it? I don’t think I’ve eaten today, and it might upset my stomach.”

“You don’t
think
you’ve eaten?”
he chastised. When she made a helpless gesture with her face, he just shook his
head.

Makenna cleaned up several of the
smaller cuts on her hands and arms while Hardin was gone. When he returned, he
was sporting a newly discovered first aid kit. “Eat these crackers before you
take the Tylenol. I’ll bandage your elbow and hands, clean up the rest of your
scratches, and then we’ll have some lunch.”

She hissed in pain when he cleaned the
slash on her elbow and pulled the torn skin together best he could, securing it
beneath a butterfly bandage. By the time he covered all the cuts and
lacerations on her hands, one palm was completely wrapped in a thick white
bandage, the other only slightly less bound. He swabbed the numerous nicks on
her cheeks and neck, blew gently when the alcohol stung the deeper scrape on
her jaw, tried valiantly to keep his eyes focused on the scratches
above
the pink bra. Her breath caught and hung when his fingers gently traced the red
whelps that trailed over one ivory globe and disappeared beneath pink satin. It
was one of Kenzie’s bras, a thin and frilly concoction of pink satin and black
lace. Makenna’s skin was beginning to sizzle, and she worried the delicate lace
might burst into flame under the heat of his fingers. The heat in his gaze
alone was enough to cause spontaneous combustion.

Hardin’s breath quickened, and his voice
had a rough edge when he spoke. “That should hold you for now. Hungry?”

Captive to his piercing blue eyes,
Makenna didn’t trust herself to speak, so she merely nodded. He might have been
asking if she wanted food. He might have been asking if she wanted him. The
answer to either question was the same; yes.

His hand was slow in moving. His fingers
trailed gently away from her skin, whispering a promise.

“Let’s get a bite to eat,” he suggested,
standing and moving into the kitchen. While he gathered their lunch, Makenna
pulled her shirt together and tried to do the same for her scattered thoughts.

“I picked up a few extra things, but it
seemed easier to just buy a couple more of these,” he said, bringing back one
of the prepackaged picnic baskets.

“When did you buy all this?”

“This morning. When I couldn’t reach
you, I decided to have everything ready for when I did finally talk to you. I
filled up with gas, bought ice and a few supplies. I’m not sure how long this
will last us, but eat what you want. You need your strength after all you’ve
been through today.” He examined the over-stuffed sandwiches, sealed in plastic
wrap. “Turkey on rye, ham on white, or club on wheat?”

“How about we split the club and one of
the others?”

He winked at her. “A girl after my own
heart. And there’s more of that veggie dip you liked so much.”

The bulky bandages made her of little
use digging in the picnic basket. She finally gave up and let Hardin do all the
work in assembling the lunch. She noted how he brought out the vegetables and
dip, but only one package of crackers, and none of the fruit or cheese. He also
left the wine and decadent cake slices, offering only the small assortment of
cookies.

“How long will this need to last us,
Hardin?” she asked solemnly, thinking of his earlier statement.

“As long as it takes.”

“For what?”

“To keep you safe,” he said simply.

Makenna had the urge to get up and pace,
but her battered body kept her from doing so. Instead she flung herself back
against the couch cushions, then regretted the hasty move when her bruised back
collided with the upholstery. She growled in frustration. “We can’t stay up
here forever. Sooner or later, and I’m guessing sooner, we have to go back down
this mountain.”

“I’ll figure something out.” He sounded
much more confident than Makenna felt. He pushed half a ham sandwich toward
her. “Eat.”

“I’ve lost my appetite.”

“Eat, and I’ll draw you up a hot bath.
Then I’ll pour you a glass of this wine,” he bribed.

“Deal!” she grinned immediately,
reaching for the sandwich. 

“But eat slowly, it may take a while for
the hot water to heat up,” Hardin cautioned.

“I’m surprised this place has
electricity, as remote as it is.”

“The wonders of modern society. It’s
hard to find any place that’s completely unspoiled anymore. People may complain
about progress and how those ugly power lines destroy nature’s beauty, but if
you notice, most of them do their complaining from the comfort of their
air-conditioned, well-lit homes, signing petitions on their smart phones or
their computers, while sitting in front of flat screen televisions. They don’t
mind using electricity, they just don’t want to be bothered with how it gets to
them.”

Makenna closed her eyes. “With all that
happened today, I completely forgot about my dinner last night with Simon
Hanks, and everything I learned about NorthWind.”

“Yes, how was your date?” he asked
wryly. He tried to hide it, but she saw a flash of hurt in his incredibly blue
eyes at mention of the other man.

“It wasn’t a date, Hardin.” She finished
her half of the ham sandwich and reached for the club, realizing how hungry she
truly was. “That’s what all this is about, you know. Electricity.”

He didn’t look surprised.

“Simon was very informative, both on and
off the record. He told me an amazing story about the mafia and NorthWind
Energy. I’m still trying to process it all.” She paused with a frown. “He then
told me to forget our entire conversation, and said he would deny everything if
asked. He said it was for my own safety, and for his. The thing is, I’m hardly
the first journalist to cover the story on these controversial power lines
coming through, but something I’ve done has caught some unwanted attention.
Apparently I’ve already made some people nervous.”

“Obviously.”

“But I still have absolutely no idea how
Bob and Lisa Lewis play into this.”

“My guess is, they’re connected to the
mob.”

“The mob?”

Even as she squeaked the words, she knew
it was so. Why else would they have drugged her? It was Lisa Lewis who had
first mentioned the mafia’s connection to NorthWind. Bob had been driving the
car that tried to run her off the mountainside. Lisa had told someone on the
phone, probably someone within the Zaffino organization, that Makenna was ‘in
confinement’ until they were ready for her. It made sense they were working for
the mob.

“I-I guess I can see that. But why were
they on the plane from Austin? I hadn’t started the assignment yet. How did
they know I was reporting on NorthWind? Do you think they have contacts inside
Now
Magazine
?”

“Organizations like the Zaffino’s have
contacts everywhere. It’s amazing - disheartening, really - to know how
far-reaching their influence truly is.”

“You- You sound like you’ve done some
research, too.” She wasn’t sure why, but a cold dread was seeping into her
heart. There was something he wasn’t telling her, something she wasn’t certain
she wanted to hear.

“You might say that.” His voice was
hesitant, his eyes on the drink in his hands. “I actually am quite familiar
with the Zaffino Mafia and their organization here in the States. I know that
they are absolutely ruthless in business. And for them, everything is business.
They don’t like to lose, and they do not tolerate insubordination or
disloyalty. Anyone who dares to double-cross them winds up dead, or wishing they
were.”

Makenna swallowed hard. “How-How do you
know this, Hardin?” she whispered in dread.

“Before I explain, I need to tell you
something.” He moved forward, kneeling down on his knees in front of her so his
movements wouldn’t jostle her leg. Very gently cupping her bruised face in his
large hands, his amazing blue eyes settled on her green ones. There was honesty
and sincerity in his gaze, and something that looked a little like regret. She
tensed immediately. “What I said the other day about that instant connection…
I’ve never felt that before, Kenzie. The minute we started talking, I felt
something click in place. It was like…. I found a piece of myself I didn’t even
know I was looking for.” He struggled to find the right words. “Yesterday, when
you started pulling away… it wasn’t good, Kenzie. It nearly killed me. I’ve
known you less than a week, but somehow… I can’t imagine not having you in my
life.” They were heady words, romantic and potent, spoken in a voice rough with
emotion. “But I have to tell you something, Kenzie. I have to be honest with
you.”

I should do the same
, she thought
guiltily, staring into his wonderful blue eyes.

He pressed his lips to hers in a quick,
urgent kiss. “You are an amazing woman. Beautiful. Funny. Sexy.” Another hard
kiss before continuing. “Intelligent. Inquisitive. So open and genuine it blows
my mind.” He kissed her a third time, as if to press the words into her soul.
She fidgeted at his last words, overwhelmed with guilt, but he never noticed.
“Did I mention sexy?” he murmured against her mouth.

Tears were already rimming her eyes, so
Makenna just sniffed and nodded. She instinctively knew she would not like
where this conversation was leading.

“But you deserve the truth, Kenzie.
Everything I’ve told you has been true, everything I’ve felt for you has been
real.”

“B-But?” she asked cautiously, knowing
there was definitely a ‘but’ coming. She bit into her lower lip as she waited.

“But…. I didn’t get on that plane by
accident. I deliberately followed you to New Hampshire.”

Makenna remembered the thrill she had
felt that day, when the handsome stranger had chosen to sit beside her on the
flight. A piece of her heart crumbled, even as she struggled to make sense of
it all. “Why?” she whispered.

“My family really does own a
construction company, where I occasionally work. And I really do plan to ride
in the Ride for the Hills charity event. But what I didn’t tell you is what I
actually do for a living.”

With absolute dread, knowing he was
about to break her heart and tell her he was part of the Zaffino organization
after all, Makenna had to hear him say it. “Which is?” she whispered.

“I’m a Special Agent with the Texas
Rangers,” he informed her.

She was stunned by the words. They were
polar opposite of what she had expected, and her heart soared. He really was
one of the ‘good guys’, just as her instincts had told her. 

But her relief was short lived when she
heard his next words, spoken quietly but firmly. “And I know who you are.”

The blood drained from Makenna’s face.
He’s
here to arrest me?
she wondered.
All because I impersonated my best
friend? It’s because I got on the airplane, using false identity. I knew I’d
get caught! Kenzie’s schemes always get me in trouble! But why did he wait so
long? And how -

She interrupted her own thoughts to
sputter incoherently, “Who… Wha-What.. What are you talking about?”

“I know who you are, Kenzie.” His voice
was low, solemn. Official.

“I-I’m not sure...”

“More importantly,” he continued, “I know
who your father is.”

“My father?” she asked in genuine
surprise.
Then you still think I’m Kenzie Reese.

“Yes. I know that your father is Joseph
Mandarino.”

Makenna stared at him, completely
dumbfounded. Kenzie’s father was involved with the mob? He was the one who set
up the scam that later became NorthWind? Her best friend’s father had cheated
the government, then double-crossed the mafia?

Seeing the look on her face, Hardin
frowned. He moved to the nearby chair, his eyes still on her shocked
expression. “You really didn’t know?”

Her mind flew back to her last
conversation with Kenzie. When she asked Kenzie about the name Joseph
Mandarino, her friend had answered without hesitation. When she asked her about
her father, Kenzie’s voice had been filled with doubt, with a sense of guilt
even, but with absolute honesty. She was certain Kenzie didn’t know the truth.

Shaking her head, Makenna’s heart broke
for her closest and dearest friend.

Hardin stared hard at her. “How could
you not know?” he asked softly, with more curiosity in his voice than
accusation.

Now’s the time to tell him the truth,
her conscience
whispered. Yet something held her back. It was more than her own preservation -
as a law officer, he would be bound by honor to arrest her for false
impersonation, fraud, and a host of other indiscretions; she remained silent
out of a sense of loyalty to her friend, perhaps even a sense of protection.
Kenzie might be in a great deal of danger, and Makenna was not about to throw
her to the wolves without knowing exactly what was going on. 

“We-We moved around a lot,” she finally
answered, recalling the conversation with her friend. “We never stayed anywhere
longer than two years at a time. I- I just thought my father was a drifter.”

Hardin looked like he still had doubts,
but one question was paramount to the rest. “Kenzie, it is imperative that we
find your father before the Zaffinos do. Where is he, Kenzie?”

“I don’t know.”

“Sweetheart, this is no time to be
worried about family loyalty or whether or not you’re selling out your father.
We’re his only chance at making it out of this mess alive. If you know where he
is, you have to tell me.”

“I-I have no idea where he is!” Makenna
said, able to look him full in the eye and speak with absolute certainty.
“Honestly.”

Hardin reached across and took her hand
in his. “I believe you,” he said, holding her gaze.

His touch, his tender look, brought back
the knowledge that their relationship was based on lies. He had followed her on
that plane and deliberately sat beside her. It hadn’t been chance, hadn’t been
fate, hadn’t been magic; it had been premeditated. Had anything about the past
six days been real between them?

“Yes, Kenzie,” he whispered as he read
her mind. “It was real. This,” he squeezed her hand, bandage and all, “is
real.”

So many lies. Yours. Mine.
The thoughts
circled in her head, cutting off her breath.
Maybe too many to get past
.
She closed her eyes to the bright beauty of his blue gaze, but her fingers
clung hopefully to his.

“So what now?” she asked. “I have no
idea where… my father is,” she stumbled over the words, “but they will never
believe that. That’s why Lisa kept questioning me about my family, that’s why
that man gave me that message, that’s why the Lewises tried to drug me.” It was
all clear now. “They think I can lead them to Joseph Mandarino.”   

Another realization dawned. “That’s what
you thought, too.”

“My assignment was to keep an eye on
you, keep you safe.”

As hastily as her bruised muscles would
allow, she pulled her hand away from his. “Assignment.” She intended to spit
the word at him with disdain; instead, it came out sounding heartbroken.

“You’re more than that to me, and you
know it,” he growled defensively. “Don’t look at me like that. Don’t hold my
job against me.”

 “It’s not the job I hold against
you. It’s the fact that
I
am the job.” She pulled as far away as the
narrow gap between them allowed. She would love to get up from the couch and
put some real distance between them, but her injured leg made it impossible.
“You pretended to be interested in me to-”

“No. Wait right there. There was nothing
pretend about my interest in you.”

“Of course not. I’m sure your paycheck
and sense of duty is very real,” she said, her voice cool. “But tell me, how
did you know I would be on that plane?”

“I was called in at the last minute. One
of our other Rangers, Travis Merka, was assigned to your case. He had been…
keeping an eye on you -” he chose his words carefully, only to be interrupted
by her outburst.

“Spying on me, you mean!”

“- for the past few weeks, since word
came down that the mafia was looking for your father. When
Now Magazine
assigned you to this job, speculation was that you asked for it, knowing the
connection between your father and NorthWind Energy. You would be returning to
your home state, and-”

“Wait! What did you just say?”

“You would be returning to your home
state. Your family was living in Conrad when you disappeared. Which, by the
way, probably explains that sense of deja vu. You probably remembered something
from your childhood.”

Except, I’m not who you think I am
.

“Anyway, Merka was set to follow you up
here, make sure no one from the mafia was doing the same. A couple of hours
before the flight, he was in a wreck. Blindsided while he was following you,
actually. Ended up in a three-car pileup that sent him to the hospital. I was
called in an hour before your plane took off.”

A sick feeling settled in the pit of
Makenna’s stomach. Kenzie’s accident had been no accident, after all. Someone
had deliberately hurt her, as well as the Ranger assigned to protect her. The
mafia had taken out both threats with one car wreck, only to have their efforts
thwarted when she posed as her friend and boarded that plane.

Makenna rubbed her temples, frowning
when she encountered a bruise on her temple. She couldn’t even worry without it
hurting! “So why were the Texas Rangers involved?”

“Homeland Security. Organized crime.
Your father worked for one of the top crime syndicates in the world and is on
the FBI Most Wanted list. From what I understand, he just fell off the grid in
‘91. Disappeared into thin air.”

Having heard the same thing from Simon
Hanks, Makenna wasn’t surprised by his statement. “So how was his daughter
found, but not him?”

“You’re asking the wrong person. I
wasn’t in on the paper chase. I do know that a few years ago, they thought they
had a line on your father. He was going by Reese at the time, living in North
Carolina. I’m guessing that was about the time you struck out on your own. I
heard they eventually found you through your college grants and student loans,
although that wasn’t until about a year ago.”

“They’ve been spying on me for a year?”
She wondered if Kenzie had any idea.

“Not spying,” he corrected. “Monitoring.
Keeping an eye on you, as much for your own safety as for the sake of finding
your father. A few months ago, word came down that the mafia was renewing their
efforts to locate Mandarino. Until then, surveillance on you had been
electronic, making certain you hadn’t booked any international flights, that
sort of thing. When your safety became an issue, Ranger Merka was assigned to
your case. About a week ago, it became apparent the Zaffinos had their eye on
you, as well.”

“I-I didn’t know,” Makenna murmured. If
someone had been watching Kenzie, they had more than likely been watching her,
as well, since the two roommates did virtually everything together. She had
never once suspected that either of them was being followed.

“If it makes you feel any better, they
are professionals, after all. You weren’t supposed to know they were there.”

“Why didn’t they approach me at home?
Why follow me all the way up here?”

“I’m sure they were hoping you would
lead them to your father.”

“I guess they weren’t expecting such a
dysfunctional family,” she murmured. Again, her heart ached for her friend, and
she said a thankful prayer for her own closely-knit family. The next chance she
got when Hardin wasn’t around, she would call or text her mother.

“I’m sorry, but we still haven’t been
able to locate your sister. For your sake, I wish we could. But maybe she’s
safest if she remains hidden.”

“My
what
?”

“Your sister.” Hearing the utter shock
in her voice, Hardin looked up sharply. She had visibly paled. “Kenzie,” he
said slowly. “You do know you have a sister… right?”

Makenna shook her head, her mind in a
whirl. Kenzie would have told her. No way would Kenzie have kept something like
this from her! How many times had she heard Kenzie say how lonesome she had
been as a child, how miserable without anyone but her cold and distant parents?
Her friend had been a lonely, only child. “There- There- There has to be some
kind of mistake,” she finally managed to say.

“When Joseph Mandarino disappeared in
1991, it was with his wife and twin daughters.”

“
Twins
?” Makenna barely croaked
the word.

“Whether it was to save the child or to
save themselves, your parents evidently gave away one of their children. It
made finding you that much more difficult; everyone was looking for a family of
four, not three.” Hardin stroked her hair with gentle fingers, recognizing the
distraught look upon her face as one of shock and anguish. He hated being the
one to break her heart. “You have a twin sister,” he said gently. “How- how did
you not know?”

Confused, worried, totally heartbroken
for her friend, Makenna shook her head helplessly. “I-I don’t know. I guess I
was too young to - to remember.”

“Ah, sweetie, come here,” Hardin said,
gathering her up in his arms. He held her close, trying to offer some sort of
comfort.

Too shocked to do anything else, Makenna
clung to him greedily, soaking up his warmth and strength. Her brain was too
numb to make sense of it all, but her body was anything but numb. As the
physical exertion of the day caught up with her and her body screamed in pain,
she eased away from him.

Makenna blew out a deep and weary
breath. “I could really use that hot bath now.”

After starting her bathwater, Hardin
helped Makenna hobble to the bathroom. She hated being dependent on him, even
if he was being paid -
paid!
- to help her. The very thought stung her
pride and bruised her heart.

It was a tiny little room, just large
enough for the essentials, and the door couldn’t swing all the way open because
of the large claw-foot tub tucked along one wall. But the tub was filling with
hot, steaming water, and that was the only thing Makenna was concerned with
right now.

“Call me if you need me,” Hardin said,
leaving her at the door. “I put your bag and some towels in there for you.”

“Thanks.” She shut the door, noticing
there was no lock, and shuffled her way inside. The borrowed clothes she peeled
off were beyond repair. She blushed when she saw the huge rip in the thigh of
the jeans, realizing she had given Hardin more than a glimpse of what lay
beneath. Tossing the ruined garments aside, she took care of the essentials,
then began the arduous task of easing her body into the tub.

She bit back a cry as torn and tender
flesh made contact with the hot water. It was difficult maneuvering herself
over the rim of the tub and into its midst, but after the initial pains
subsided, the water felt heavenly. She scrubbed away dirt and dried blood and
managed to submerge herself well enough to wash her hair. Discovering new cuts
on the top of her crown, she couldn’t bite back the moan that slipped out.

“You okay in there?” Hardin called out.

Finding her voice, she answered with a
cautious, “Yes.” She lay back in the tub, relaxing her sore and bruised muscles
as the warm serum worked its magic. The warm water even lessened the ache in
her heart, the one left there by the knowledge that to Hardin, she was only an
assignment.

A few moments later, there was a soft
knock on the door. “Delivery,” Hardin called through the wood. “I promise not
to look.” Without waiting for her protest, he pushed the door open against the
tub. Through the mirror above the sink, she could see he had one hand over his
eyes as he stepped into the room, holding a glass of wine in the other. “Tell
me when I’m close.”