Secret Obsession (8 page)

Sparks erupted.

“Cover your head,” Zane yelled.

Lyssa buried her head in her arms just as another explosion hit.

Noah and Rafe fell to their knees, the driver between them.

Sirens closed in on them. The driver rolled to his back and propped himself up. “What happened?” he asked, coughing. He held his bleeding head then looked up at the burning plane. “Oh, man, did I do that?”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Lyssa said from beneath the SUV. “It was mine.”

Noah wiped the soot from his face. “No, it wasn’t. We know who’s to blame, don’t we?” He turned to the driver. “Did you see anyone around the plane, anyone unusual around the tarmac today?”

The guy shook his head and doubled over into another fit of coughing. “It’s been dead with the ice storm heading this way. Just some inspector.”

Lyssa caught the expression Noah shot at Rafe. “Archimedes?” she asked.

“I’m on it.” Rafe said, rising to his feet, heading for the hangar.

Fire engines screamed to a stop, and firefighters tugged their hoses out to douse the blaze. Noah knelt beside the SUV. “Stay there,” he said to her. “Too many people around. I don’t want you seen.”

Unwilling to argue, she hunkered down. “I’m sorry about your plane.”

He crouched beside the SUV, gun in his hand. “Like I said, not your fault.” He tilted his head and squinted. “What the—? Zane, see that white paint next to the plane. Can you make it out?”

Lyssa’s breath hung in her throat. “What is it?”

Without answering, Noah rose slightly. He scanned the area, and Lyssa couldn’t stop the shiver from skittering through her body. Noah’s gaze narrowed, his expression deadly.

Above Lyssa, the SUV creaked as Zane climbed to the roof.

“Well?” Noah asked.

Lyssa couldn’t see anything from her hiding place.

“Another message.” Zane pulled out his weapon.

“Infinity?” Noah asked.

“No. This time it’s an epsilon.”

* * *

A
RCHIMEDES
HAD
TO
admit Noah Bradford had good taste in planes. He gripped the arm of the luxurious seat of the Lear. So similar to Noah’s custom-built plane. The plane that now burned to nothingness.

The immaculate interior couldn’t be faulted. Not an item out of place. He should purchase a chair made of the supple leather.

He pressed the microfiber cloth against the screen of his tablet, removing the thumbprint, then typed in the web address he used to route his cameras.

Chaos ruled the screen.

Fire, flashing lights, shouts.

With a flick of his finger he adjusted the camera’s angle. The lens zeroed in on Noah Bradford. The man stood staring at the latest message.

Where was Alessandra?

He panned once again.

Just two of the men Archimedes hadn’t been able to identify. Yet.

Then he noted a small figure underneath the SUV. He zoomed in.

There she was.

He couldn’t see her face.

Archimedes gripped the tablet tight. He wanted to witness that flash of comprehension. She
had
to understand his message. Once she deciphered the symbols, she’d know the truth—that they were meant to be. That he was the only one who understood how intelligent, how perfect, she really was.

A figure blocked her from view.

Noah Bradford had crouched down, staring directly into the camera. Within seconds the signal ceased.

“He’s smart. Too smart, maybe.”

Archimedes drummed his fingers then punched the intercom. “Change of destination. Take me to Denver, Colorado.” He lifted his finger. “I have a message to deliver. Personally.”

* * *

S
TRIPS
OF
SLEET
pounded the airport, washing away any evidence—not that Noah believed Archimedes had tipped his hand.

With Rafe doing another perimeter check and Zane checking the camera they’d spotted, Noah refused to leave Lyssa. She sat in the SUV, huddled in her threadbare coat. He needed to get her another. The temperature had fallen to match that of Chicago.

“No doubt he’s watching and laughing,” Noah muttered, lifting the hood of his jacket to keep the ice from his face.

Zane walked over to him, a small camera in his latex-covered hand. Noah recognized the signature build all too well. “Archimedes.”

Rafe came up behind Zane. “We’re clear.”

“Yeah, well, every time we think that,” Noah said, “the guy makes his presence known again.”

“He used C-4 on the plane in several locations,” Rafe said. “Detonators were something I’ve never seen before. Neither had the bomb squad.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Noah pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’m calling for new transportation. And this time it won’t be tied to me.”

He dialed a number.

Immediately, Ransom Grainger picked up. “I heard about the explosion. What do you need?”

Noah shouldn’t have been surprised. “The guy knows where we are. He’s one step ahead of us.”

“You’ve checked for tracking devices?”

“Of course. But this guy has some serious technical skills. Even Zane is impressed.”

Ransom whistled. “Okay. I’ll send a plane to you. Why not bring Lyssa here?”

“He doesn’t know about CTC and I want to keep it that way.” Noah lowered his voice. “I can’t risk anyone there.”

“What do you want to do?” Ransom asked.

“I’ll send you his latest puzzle. Three symbols. We’re not sure what they mean, but the last body he delivered—that was a man from Lyssa’s past. Archimedes wants us to go to Connecticut. Back where it all started. I don’t have any other options.”

Tapping fingers sounded through the phone. “Jack’s home is still empty. With this economy, it’s stayed on the market.”

“I know.” A curse erupted from him. “Damn it, we’re playing right into his hands.”

Ransom didn’t speak for a moment. “I’ve never heard your emotions get the better of you, Falcon. What’s going on?”

Noah sighed and cast a glance at Lyssa then with a signal to Rafe to watch her, walked just inside the hangar, out of sight. “Jack and I were scheduled to go on one last job before he retired. Jack refused and our commanding officer
requested
me to convince him. He thought we needed Jack’s skills.”

“You didn’t call?”

“Oh, I called all right...instead of showing up at his door like I should have. Jack asked me to come by the next day. He could charm a caffeine addict into giving up his morning coffee.”

“It was that night, wasn’t it?” Ransom said.

“Yeah,” Noah said. “I was supposed to have been at Jack’s place the night Archimedes killed him,” he said finally. “If I’d been there, Jack might still be alive.”

A gasp sounded behind him. Noah whirled around. Lyssa’s stunned expression twisted his heart.

“Lyssa—”

She backed away from him, shaking her head. “No. Just...I can’t believe this.”

“Get me that plane,” Noah said and ended the call.

He stuffed the phone into his pocket. Lyssa turned and rushed into the sleet. The cold ice soaked her hair. Noah grabbed her and pulled her back into the hangar. He pushed her bangs away from her face. “Lyssa, I...”

She looked up into his eyes, the emerald depths filled with pain. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What was I supposed to say?” He’d been dreading this moment for two years. For two years he’d lived with the regret.

“If you’d been there...” Her voice cracked.

“I could have saved him.”

Lyssa’s knees gave way. Noah propped her up against him. She struggled to breathe. “You and Jack could have taken him. None of this would be happening. I’d have—”

“You’d have your life back,” Noah finished, a whisper in her ear. “You’d have Jack. I wish I’d been there for you,” he said. “Jack and I, we
would
have stopped him.”

She clutched the collar of his coat. “That’s why you’re really helping me, isn’t it? Not because you and Jack were best friends, but because you were supposed to be there that night.”

“Partly,” Noah said. “I owe Jack my life. You know that.” He tilted her chin up to search her eyes. “But make no mistake, Lyssa, I’m here for you.”

A small flush rose in her cheeks. Her lips parted. Her gaze heated.

Noah tensed. His entire being urged him to kiss her, to comfort her, to remind her that he would always be here for her.

She didn’t give him a chance.

“Thank you,” she said and pulled his head down to hers.

Stunned, he let her kiss him. Her lips parted and she swept her tongue inside his mouth.

With a groan, a wave of longing rushed through him. He pulled her close and captured her lips, drinking in the sweetness.

He lifted his head, stunned at the emotions sparking between them. She blinked up at him, her own expression frozen.

“I didn’t expect—” she whispered.

He touched her swollen lips with his thumb. “Me neither. You’re more than I ever imagined.”

A loud throat-clearing interrupted them. “Noah, we need you out here,” Rafe called from the hangar’s entrance.

Noah didn’t move away from her. He didn’t want to leave the warm softness pressing against him. “In a minute.”

His hand trembled as he touched Lyssa’s face. These feelings terrified him. Long buried dreams resurfaced. Desires he’d denied because of his friendship with Jack.

She gripped his hands and pulled them away from her. “This isn’t right,” she whispered softly. “I shouldn’t have—”

“Don’t say it.” He couldn’t bear her regret. Part of him knew he was just second best, just a substitute for Jack. For her true love.

She took a shuddering breath. “You don’t understand. There are things you don’t know.”

“Secrets. I know.”

Her eyes widened. “No. Oh, no, you can’t know. No one knows.”

“Reid knew.”

She backed away, the cold air rushing between them. “You’re trying to goad me. There are things I won’t talk about, Noah. I can’t.”

Her words gutted him. “You have to trust me, Lyssa.”

“Everyone I ever trusted is dead...or in a coma. I won’t do that to you. Or to me.”

Back stiff, Lyssa walked out of the hangar into the weather. Noah followed, ignoring the curious expressions on Rafe’s and Zane’s faces.

The back door of the SUV had lifted into place, protecting them from the sleet. Zane held a receiver in his hand and he ran it slowly over the bags in the back of the SUV. One by one, he placed them into the vehicle.

“Anything?” Noah asked, his voice raised over the thwack of ice on the car. They had to figure out how Archimedes knew where they were.

“I ramped up the signal, but nothing yet.” Zane scowled. “He shouldn’t have found us here. I don’t get it. Maybe you can figure it out.”

“What about my ready bag,” Lyssa said and moved closer to Zane. “I kept it in the closet.”

“I went over everything,” Zane said. “Even your weapons. Nice, by the way.”

A loud beeping sounded from the machine. “What the hell?”

He shifted it, and the beeping got more high-pitched as he brought it toward Lyssa.

She backed away.

“Stay still,” Zane said.

He moved the machine up and down the length of Lyssa’s body. It stopped just at the top curve of her breasts. Zane flushed a bit. “Um...have you got anything...”

Noah tugged at the gold chain around her neck. Her engagement ring.

Zane held the monitor close to it. A piercing tone erupted.

He looked up at Lyssa. She stared down at the diamond.

“It’s your ring.” Noah said. “Jack’s ring brought Archimedes here.”

Chapter Eight

The thin air of Denver made it hard to breathe. Archimedes took out his inhaler and wrapped his lips around the mouthpiece for a puff. Within seconds, the invisible clamp around his lungs eased. He glared at the medicine before pocketing it. He hated the telltale weakness. One more reason the kids at school had teased him, made him the fool.

Didn’t matter he’d earned a perfect score on the SAT in math. Or that he’d been accepted to MIT. He still wound up dumped in the garbage bin behind the school. And with his clothes stolen out of his gym-class locker.

The world preyed on the weak. It’s why he’d become strong.

He
would
have respect. He’d earned it.

The luxury rental car purred and the warmth of the heater circulated around him. He opened his laptop and connected to the internet via a secure satellite connection. A few quick taps on the keyboard and the search result for “Bradford” appeared.

Fools. He hadn’t even had to work for the information.

Five addresses. Paul, Sierra, Mitch and Emily, Chase and Noah.

Archimedes knew exactly where Noah Bradford was. He glanced at the small screen. A red dot blinked at an airport in Texas.

He imagined the uncertainty, and the fear. Archimedes smiled. They had to be wondering when and where the next surprise would hit them.

Soon. Very soon.

Archimedes had left enough clues to know where they were heading next. Exactly where he wanted them to go.

Alessandra had the means to get to Connecticut.

Everything was proceeding precisely as planned.

With one exception.

Archimedes flicked the screen and stared at the still from the video from Lyssa’s apartment. He studied Alessandra’s hand clinging to Noah’s. Archimedes zoomed once more onto her face.

She wanted Noah.

He wanted her.

Archimedes tossed the offending image away. He had to get that man away from Alessandra. Noah Bradford needed to be taught a lesson, and Archimedes knew exactly how.

A few more taps at the computer and he hit the enter key. The executable file did its job. Within minutes, five feeds from traffic cameras displayed on his screen. Live shots in front of the five Bradford residences.

Now all Archimedes had to do was wait.

* * *

A
S
IF
THE
heavens heard Lyssa’s cry, they opened up and small bits of hail pinged off the metal of the SUV. Her devastation tore at Noah’s heart.

She gripped his wet hands and tugged her necklace out of his grasp. “It’s not possible. He can’t be using my ring to find us.”

Knowing what he asked of her, Noah simply held out his hand. “I need it, Lyssa.”

For a moment he wondered if she’d refuse him. Finally, reluctantly, she lifted the chain over her head and handed it to him.

“Let’s get out of this weather,” he said.

Zane and Rafe followed as they all raced into the hangar, the hangar where she’d kissed Noah, where she’d clung to him. Now she looked at him if she wished he would disappear. Noah slammed the door closed behind them. Wet and cold, she wrapped her arms around her shivering body, not once leaning into him for comfort.

Not that he’d expected her to.

Not that he’d hoped she would.

Liar.

Noah gave the ring to Zane. The techie pulled a small magnifying glass from his bag. He studied the diamond then handed the magnifier to Noah. “Take a look.”

Noah peered through the glass. Archimedes was damn brilliant.

Lyssa clutched his arm. “What is it?”

“A microtransmitter attached to the diamond. He definitely used the ring to track you.”

His fingers held the ring that Jack had presented to Lyssa—a piece of jewelry Lyssa clearly still cherished.

“But...it was hidden in the jewelry box. How could Archimedes know I would take it?”

“He knows you love Jack.”

It hurt Noah to say the words. Even though they were true. All he had to do was look at Lyssa to recognize the truth of her feelings.

“We have to get rid of the ring, Lyssa,” Zane said. “Or he’ll follow us.”

“No! That ring is important. I can’t give it up.” Lyssa grabbed the jewelry from Noah, holding it close to her heart. “Please. Find a way for me to keep it.”

Noah winced at her desperate longing. He glanced at Zane. “We can remove the chip without damaging the ring.”

A smile tilted the corner of Zane’s mouth. “I like your devious mind, Falcon. Use it as bait. Yep, I love the idea of putting one over on this guy for a change.” He crossed the room and created a makeshift workbench out of several crates.

Noah pulled out a chair for Lyssa. “This could take a while. And with this weather, we’re not going anywhere.”

“I’ll take first watch,” Rafe said quietly, pulling his hood over his head and stepping out into the weather.

Noah grabbed a small space heater from the corner of the hangar and set it up near Lyssa.

The fan blew warm air toward her. She rubbed her hands and slipped out of her soggy coat, draping it over a wooden crate. Noah did the same before crouching next to her. For a few moments he’d wondered if there was a chance for them...but he should have known better.

He could never live up to Jack’s memory; he would never earn her trust. He might understand that, but he didn’t like it.

When the blue tinge of her lips turned pink and her teeth stopped chattering, she looked up at him. “Falcon?” Lyssa’s brow arched.

Noah shrugged. “A name I’m known by. You should probably forget it.” Hopefully she would. The Falcon had a price on his head. He’d saved a lot of lives, but he’d taken more than his share.

Zane let out a small curse across the room. “I could use another set of hands, Falcon. You’re the integrated-circuit wizard.”

“Be right there.” Noah checked the time. “CTC’s plane should be here as soon as the weather breaks, Lyssa. We’ll get to Connecticut. We’ll find him. Your ring may give us the break we need.”

He rose and started to the back of the hangar.

“Noah.”

Lyssa’s soft voice made him pause. He looked over his shoulder.

“Thank you. For saving the ring. It’s more important to me than you can imagine.”

The words made Noah’s heart ache. “I know, Lyssa. I know.”

* * *

L
YSSA
DIDN
’
T
KNOW
how many times she wanted to cross the hangar to Noah. He huddled with Zane, each wielding tiny screwdrivers and focused expressions. She’d hurt him. She knew it.

But what could she say? Better to leave them be. She couldn’t tell Noah why the ring was so important. That she wanted her daughter to have a little piece of her father, wanted her little girl to know how much Jack would have loved her.

She couldn’t give that truth away. For his sake as much as her own.

The slam of the metal door caused her to reach for her weapon until she recognized Rafe’s soaking figure stomping into the hangar.

The heater had warmed up the place, at least until Rafe had opened the outside door. Lyssa rubbed her arms to ward off the cold gust of wind. The storm had worsened. No way would an aircraft be taking off anytime soon.

They were stuck in Dallas.

“If Archimedes is still here, he’s invisible,” Rafe said, brushing ice from his coat and hair. He walked straight over and warmed his hands by the heater. “It’s bad out there.”

“Well, we’ve caught a break,” Noah stood, joining them, an envelope in one hand, her necklace in the other. Zane sauntered behind Noah. He raised the small paper. “The microdot. Safe, sound, and intact.”

Zane snagged the tracer from his bag, placing it next to the ring first. Nothing sounded. He tested the envelope. The device squealed.

Noah smiled, though the light didn’t reach his eyes. “Archimedes will follow this.” He pried open a wooden crate, placed the envelope inside, then nailed it shut. “For now, he’ll think we’re still at the airport.”

“We’re not staying here?” Lyssa asked.

“The weather isn’t clearing. CTC’s plane can’t land. We can’t get out, but Archimedes can’t trace us, either. It’s time we reclaimed our advantage.”

Noah didn’t meet her gaze. He’d turned all business, their connection severed.

Maybe it was for the best.

Within minutes they’d gathered up their things. Lyssa raced to the SUV, snow, sleet and rain in a combination that had her slipping the last few feet. She nearly fell, but Noah scooped her into his arms and placed her in the backseat. Once she was settled, he turned to her and held out his hand.

The gold chain dropped and the sparkling ring swung from the necklace.

Her heart sped up. She clasped it to her. The ring was all she had of Jack. All Jocelyn would ever have.

“Thank you.” She swallowed around the thickness of her voice. “It means the world to me.”

Noah gave her a sharp nod and then readied his weapon, staring into the dim light of the afternoon storm. It’s not that she didn’t trust Noah to keep her secret if he could. But she didn’t trust that Archimedes wouldn’t win.

Noah probably wouldn’t understand the distinction.

By the time Rafe pulled into the front of a hotel near the airport and slipped out to check them in, Lyssa couldn’t handle the quiet any longer. “Noah—”

“Weather report says we’ll have to wait for at least several hours,” he interrupted, his tone curt. “Maybe longer.”

A small sigh escaped from her. She was doing the right thing, wasn’t she? What if she told him? Lyssa knew exactly what would happen. Noah would want to know where Jocelyn was. He’d want to protect the baby.

While Lyssa would do anything to hold her daughter in her arms, she’d become a pragmatist. She’d made a choice. Her daughter’s life over her own.

For now, Jocelyn was safe. If Lyssa tried to get in touch with them... A shudder settled at the base of her spine. Archimedes would find out.

Rafe opened the front door of the SUV and slid inside. “I got us a suite.” He grinned at Noah. “You paid.”

“I’m assuming you didn’t use my credit card?”

“Nah,” Zane said. “I transferred your money to our new fearless leader. Ned Bourne. Jason’s younger brother.” He chuckled.

At Noah’s slow shake of his head, Lyssa bit back a small smile.

The engine roared to life and Rafe pulled around to the back entrance of the hotel. “We’ll drop you off then pick up food. No reason to make ourselves visible,” Rafe said.

He tossed Noah the key. Noah snagged it from the air then grabbed a laptop from the backseat. Lyssa shouldered her duffel and followed him into the hallway.

They rode the elevator in silence. When they reached the door, Noah stretched his arm in front of her body. He checked out the room, nodded, and allowed her to go in. He said nothing, but emptied his computer case and set up his laptop on the table in the suite’s sitting area, attaching a small black box to the internet cable.

“What’s that?”

“
I don’t want anyone tracing my signal,” he said. “Zane may think he’s the computer whiz around CTC, but I hold my own.” He gave her a long look. “I know what I’m doing, Lyssa.”

Lyssa hovered for a moment before taking a breath of courage and sitting beside him. How could she apologize without explaining? “Jack told me you were more than good. He called you a genius.”

Noah tapped the keys, his face stoic. Finally he leaned back in his chair. “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to apologize,” Lyssa said. “You
could
make it easy on me.”

Noah twisted in his chair, facing her. “You made a choice not to trust me, Lyssa. I thought we’d come further than that. My mistake.” He turned to his computer and started typing. “We’ll keep our relationship just business. It’s probably best anyway. No small talk necessary.”

His fingers tapped away at the keyboard. She didn’t move. She sneaked a few glances at the strong line of his jaw, the intense focus.

This wasn’t right. He was Jack’s best friend. She placed her hand on Noah’s arm. “Um...Jack said you owned more than one company when you went into basic training together?”

His hands stilled and his gaze rose from the monitor. “This isn’t necessary.”

“Yes, it is. You’re doing everything you can to help me,” she said. “I don’t like the strain between us.”

“Strain?” He rose and bent over her chair, his hands on each armrest. His big body loomed large, his hooded gaze dangerous—not to her safety but to her sanity.

“You think learning more about me will make me forget that you haven’t been honest? You think a few words will make the tension between us go away? What’s happening between us is about way more than trust, Lyssa, and you know it.”

His breath warmed her cheek, his lips nearly touching her as they hovered just above her skin. She swallowed, the gulp seeming to echo in the room.

“I see you get the message.” He pulled away slightly. “You have a choice to make, and one road leads to you going all in.”

The words sent a shiver to her core, not of fear, but of longing. She placed her hand on his chest. His heart thudded against her palm.

A knock sounded at the door, the pattern of the taps obviously preplanned.

Noah cleared his throat. “Rafe and Zane.”

Slipping his gun from his pants, he peered through the keyhole. He turned back. “You’re starting on a dangerous path,” he whispered. “Be very sure it’s what you want.”

He opened the door. The scent of mesquite-smoked barbecue filled the room. While Rafe and Zane set up a huge meal, Lyssa couldn’t stop staring at Noah. He was right. She had a choice to make.

Archimedes might be dangerous to her life, but Noah Bradford brought a whole new kind of danger—and if she let her heart rule her head, she’d never be the same.

* * *

T
HE
B
RADFORDS
MADE
everything difficult. Archimedes clutched the laptop, squeezing the frustration building from deep within. Hours had passed. All of the family homes were empty; completely deserted.

Perhaps he could create a reason for Noah’s family to come home.