Steal My Heart (25 page)

“I don’t think you should go to Cane’s office. I know you’re planning on going after his file.”

She heard him take an onerous breath and turned to look at him.

“It’s just way too dangerous, Gabe. It’s like walking into the lion’s den.”

“I have to do it. I have to make things right. Cane needs to be stopped. It’s not about having something on him to ensure your safety anymore. If Dr. Rollins’ claims are correct, I need to get the proof. What he’s trying to do is a federal crime. This would most likely be a matter for the Central Intelligence Agency. What he’s planning on doing needs to be investigated thoroughly by the proper authorities. I need to get hold of that file.”

Maggie’s shoulders sagged. She felt the danger spiral exponentially. She could tell from his tone that he was resolute in his decision, and it injected cold fear into her heart. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“When are you planning on doing it?” she asked softly.

“Soon, but I’d like to get more information from Victoria and I’d like to see that she’s safe.”

Maggie frowned. “Are you worried about her?”

Gabe shrugged silently. “I just have a hunch.”

Maggie looked around the picturesque landscape. The surreal beauty a stark contrast to their loathsome discussion. The reminder of their dangerous circumstances, Gabe’s decision to go to Cane’s office, and the implications of the research was starting to cause new anxiety to seed inside her. She needed to change the subject. She took a deep breath and dove in, deciding to take a chance. She ached to know more about him.

“Did your family visit here every summer?”

He answered after a long pause. “Yes.”

“Were the owners in residence as well?”

“Yes.”

“It’s beautiful. What kind of things did you do here?’

“Hunt. Fish.”

“How did you learn to do all that? From your dad?”

She felt him stiffen. The shoulder she leaned on turned to a slab of marble and his tone became just as hard. “I don’t want to talk about him, Maggie.”

“Why? Tell me.”

“Enough!”

She sat up, exasperation ruling her judgment and her tongue. “Gabe, I don’t know anything about you! You never talk about yourself. Every time I ask you something about your past, you avoid or change the subject. You’re often brooding and introspective. You keep pushing me away.”

“There’s no need to know anything about me. This will be over soon, Maggie.”

She averted her gaze, trying to soothe the sudden stinging in her eyes. “I’d just like to get to know you a little,” she said softly, wretchedly, hating the feelings she had for this man.

“Know me? Know me?”

She turned back to see blinding anger and hurt filling the dark clouds of his irises. His voice grated between clenched teeth, anguish drenching his words. “I’ll tell you something about me. Do you want to know how my father died, Maggie? I killed him. Now, does that help you to understand me a little better?”

Shocked into silence, she watched him climb off the stone and make his way to the path leading back to the house. She watched his tall frame disappear as the path curved around a large copse of trees, and she kept watching, her mind somehow hoping he’d reappear to send her his odd puzzled expression. But she knew he wasn’t coming back. She let her head fall onto her knees and made no attempt to staunch the tears her eyes and her heart squeezed out.

She’d been such a fool! Why couldn’t she just take their relationship for what it was? Why did she have to pry? It was none of her business. She was just passing by in his life.

Maggie swiped at her tears, making futile attempts to clean her soggy cheeks. Her breaths were sticking like doughy clumps in the back of her throat, choking her sobs.
Just because they had great sex didn’t mean they had a relationship. Didn’t mean he had feelings for her.
She chastised herself again for the stupid assumptions she’d subconsciously made. It wasn’t as though he’d led her to believe otherwise. In fact, it’d been quite the opposite. He’d erected neon signs warning her not to get attached. It wasn’t his fault she was falling in love with him. She sighed and let a new river of tears fall, hoping to wash away the burgeoning emotion in her heart.

When her heart was empty and she could cry no more she slowly made her way back to the house, stopping along the path to dawdle and hoping to delay the inevitable. She didn’t want Gabe to see her so distressed. She could imagine that her eyes were swollen and her nose a glowing red bulb. She looked up and could see the peak of the house just coming into view. She thought she saw a shadow blot one of the upstairs windows, but refused to grant her brain permission to believe it was Gabe checking on her to make sure she was safe. She was sure she was imagining it, just like she’d imagined that he harbored some affection for her. She shook her head roughly, causing her pale waves to cascade about her face.

She had to get a grip. She could hear David’s reprimanding voice telling her to ‘quit the shit’! Those had been his words of comfort after her devastating discovery two years prior. She’d been a blathering fool who could barely string two words together after she’d left Marc’s apartment. Sure, she’d been strong and confident in front of Marc, recommending other places where he could insert his puny member, but back at her apartment she’d sunken into a quagmire of self-pity and melancholy. David had given her a hand and pulled her out of her despondency. He’d told her to ‘quit the shit’ and reminded her of what she’d already known but had frosted over time and time again. Marc was a shithead. Plain and simple. And she was much better off without him.

What would David say about Gabe? He’d tell her the same, she was sure. He’d remind her of the circumstances of their meeting, his dangerous lifestyle, the violent acts that he’d committed, and tell her he wasn’t worth the tears or the heartache. After all, the man just admitted to killing his own father! She could see how that would cause that haunted look that sometimes lurked in his eyes. Her chest ached miserably and she kicked a pebble from her path. He just didn’t seem capable of deliberately committing such a monstrous act. It wasn’t in his heart to do such a thing. She wondered about the circumstances.

I’m a bad man, Maggie
. His words reverberated in her head like the echoes of a church bell, ringing in a message loud and clear. Near the house, she stopped to stare vacantly at a checkered garden of yellow and red tulips. A gentle breeze pushed her hair back and tickled her mottled cheeks. She
didn’t
know him. She didn’t know anything about him. How could she presume to know what was in his heart? It was time she quit the shit and focused on getting the research back where it belonged. It was time she focused on getting back to her life.

Through a large colonial window of an upstairs bedroom Gabe stood in the shadows and watched Maggie amble up the winding path to the house. From this distance he couldn’t clearly discern her features, but his mind’s eye saw the distress on her face, and his anger exploded again because he’d been the one to put it there. Well, now she knew. She knew what kind of person he truly was, she knew what monster claimed his soul. She’d have to cast off the illusions she’d created. It was better that she realized it before they were both in too deep. He never wanted to disappoint her, never wanted to see the kind of agonizing torment like he’d seen in his mother’s eyes when he’d told her that the love of her life was dead, and he’d been the cause. He couldn’t live with that. Even his brother had agreed that it’d be better for everyone if Gabe left. Now, many years later, he was prepared to leave again—to walk away from her.

He heard her come into the house, and he turned from the window, crushing his emotion in the tight fist in his gut, pulverizing it to apathy. He felt the firm grinding of his teeth as his jaw locked with determination. He had work to do.

“Tomorrow?”

Gabe watched Maggie’s red eyes bulge when he told her the news. She was sitting at the granite island in the kitchen, one he could barely direct his gaze to now. He’d just told her of the latest communication with Dr. Rollins. The blizzard had ended earlier than expected, and the ban on flying had been lifted. The earliest flight she and her husband could get out of Klagenfurt Airport would be some time tomorrow morning. She’d have to take it to London, then to DC, and then catch a small commuter plane to Chester County Airport. But despite the circuitous route and the rigorous schedule, she seemed determined to get back to NY. And Gabe was determined to fulfill his promise to her to hand over the research data. She’d given him their travel itinerary and he’d agree to meet them at the airport. With the time zone changes she was expected to arrive by mid-morning.

“I’m coming with you,” Maggie announced, her blue eyes flashing a dare.

He had expected this and had already decided it wasn’t worth the argument. They’d already endured enough today.

“Fine.” His lips twitched at her sudden bafflement.

Her delicate features softened but her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she searched for some ruse. He had the acute urge to pull her into his arms and kiss away the furrows of doubt along with the tears that had puffed up her lids. Instead he maintained his distance, standing on the other side of the chasm between them.

“Try and get some sleep tonight. We’ll need to arrive early in the morning and do reconnaissance of the area.” With that he turned and left the kitchen.

Maggie hunkered down in the bucket seat of Gabe’s sports car parked in the lot of Chester County Airport. She tugged the brim of her hat over her eyes and leaned her head back, trying to calm the jitters tumbling in her belly. Her fatigue wasn’t helping. She’d barely gotten any sleep last night. After a solitary dinner in the kitchen, she’d made her way upstairs only to find Gabe sitting at the desk, going through Dr. Rollins’ research. He’d been so absorbed that he didn’t seem to notice her as she passed through to the shower, or came back out to cocoon herself under the sheets. She’d thought about breaching the silence with conversation, but her brain seemed to have difficulty contriving anything that didn’t sound forced or excessively banal. In the end she’d slipped deeper beneath the covers and chased a sleep that outran her.

She peered out the window and stared at rows and rows of cars. Chester County Airport was small but highly trafficked. It served four commercial airlines as well as the smaller commuter planes that flew nationally. This was morning rush hour at its worse as mostly businessmen hurried into the terminal to catch an outgoing flight. She let her vision scan the lot for Gabe and worried her lip when she caught no sight of him. He’d been gone now for almost half an hour and she was starting to worry.

She almost jumped out of her seat when the door suddenly opened and Gabe slipped into the driver’s seat. With her hand pressed against her heaving bosom, she regarded him with anticipation and relief.

“Well?”

“They should be landing any time now. They’re just waiting for clearance. We’ll meet them at the gate.”

“Okay.” She took a wavy breath, buttressing her resolve. “Let’s go.”

Gabe’s long fingers circled her arm as she reached for the door. She turned and had to catch her breath as she stared into his mahogany eyes. His gorgeous face seemed relaxed, but an anxious muscle ticked in his jaw. His cap shadowed a portion of his face, but his gaze still managed to pierce her.

“All looks clear, but I’m not taking any chances. You stay right by my side. We don’t reveal ourselves until I say so. Got that?”

She nodded quietly, looking away as he tucked escaped locks of blonde hair beneath her cap. Silently they exited the car and made their way to the square two story, silver terminal. The day was bright and sunny, a crisp spring morning. As they entered through the large glass doors, she marveled that ordinary life revolved around her while she felt like she’d been hovering in a surreal dream for the past few weeks. People bustled about, wheeling small cases behind them. The wail of a baby could be heard above the chatter that floated up to the high ceilings and faces were buried behind one electronic device or another.

With his hand at her elbow, he guided her to an escalator. From upstairs they’d be able to look out into the distance and see the incoming planes land. They made their way to a far window, and Maggie twisted her fingers as she saw Gabe check his watch. His stoic expression was driving her crazy because she had a tangle of anxious knots writhing inside her abdomen. Again, she tried to summon calm. She felt good about what they were doing. This research was Dr. Rollins’ life’s work, and it pleased her immeasurably that she played a part in returning it to her.

“Here she comes.” Gabe’s steady voice interrupted her thoughts.

Maggie watched as the small plane came into view, its wheels hovering over the black strip of tar, its graceful wings gliding it over the earth. She felt Gabe suddenly stiffen beside her and he issued a harsh curse.

“What?” She frowned. Her head turned towards him, but she couldn’t take her gaze away from the plane.

“
Shit!
She’s coming in too fast!” Gabe hissed next to her.

Maggie’s mouth parted to question him, but suddenly cold bumps erupted all over her skin and horror froze her spine stiff. Numbly she continued to track the accelerating plane. She stared, her eyes rounding in disbelief as the small aircraft bounced on the tarmac, first one wheel spinning away, then the other. It became a blurred projectile until it collided with a stationary airport vehicle and exploded into a billowing cloud of fire and black smoke that seemed to consume the air. The explosive noise had been deafening. Maggie’s palms clapped over her mouth as anguish choked in her throat. Screams and cries shattered the space and seeped into a brain that was still trying to process the catastrophe her eyes had just witnessed. Her mind kept rejecting the evidence before her eyes, kept sending back a signal to rescan, to take another look. There must be some terrible mistake.