Undercover Virgin (11 page)

She frowned. Could he be that good an actor? If he'd brought them here, why hadn't he just disappeared? He looked so natural, as though he'd been enjoying a carefree run. Why hadn't he just kept running toward the marina? Did he plan to help them trap her, or continue his vacation after she'd been hauled away?

Or could he be as much a victim as she?

Rising slowly to her feet, she reached under her T-shirt and locked her hand around the gun. It might not work, but neither of them could be sure of that. At least for now, she had the upper hand.

Kyle had covered most of the distance between them before she stepped clear of the boulder and into his line of view. He stopped immediately, his features tightening in concern. His gaze dropped to the gun and then back to her strained expression.

"What the hell?"

"You tell me," said Rianna as she leveled the Glock at his midsection and flipped the safety off. She braced her right hand with her left, and her attention never wavered from his face. She desperately wanted to believe his confusion was genuine, but her life depended on caution. She couldn't let her heart rule reason.

"Why'd you leave the boat?" he asked, panting as he tried to catch his breath. "What's going on?"

"We've got company."

Kyle's gaze swiftly flew toward the embankment, searching for the intruders. After aiming a blank glance at her, he headed to the bank above the cove where they'd left the boat. He turned his back to her without hesitation, as though she didn't present any real threat. Or, like her, he realized she couldn't afford to fire and alert anyone to her whereabouts.

Rianna gritted her teeth, clutched the gun and called herself a fool, but went with her instincts. If Kyle had any knowledge of the ambush, he deserved an Oscar. He looked genuinely surprised and worried.

Moving from boulder to boulder along the bank, he stayed hidden and waved her to stay back. She ignored the unspoken order and followed until they were directly above the cove where they'd anchored. From their vantage point, they could see the houseboat without being visible from the water.

The speedboat had pulled alongside their boat. Two men stayed on the smaller craft while two others searched the houseboat. Rianna recognized Rudy and another of Gregory's employees, by the name of Tabone.

"Nowhere in sight, but they were here." Rudy's voice carried to them. "Search everything, Tabone."

They watched as he moved onto the front deck and did a visual search of the cove. Then he pulled something out of his pocket and waved it in front of him. At first, Rianna thought it might be a gun, but then she thought it looked more like a cell phone. She just couldn't figure why he'd be waving it around.

Kyle touched her arm, urging her to back away from the rock barriers. It wasn't likely that anyone could see them, but they cautiously retraced their steps until they'd returned to the jogging path.

"What did he have?" she finally whispered. Still not sure he could be
trusted,
she kept the gun leveled at his midsection.

He studied the gun and then her features, his jaw tight and expression grim. "Use it or put it away," he demanded tersely.

Tension quivered between them until she slowly flipped the safety on the gun and tucked it back into her swimsuit.

He grabbed her arm and started pulling her along the path to a clump of trees. "He's got some kind of electronic tracking device."

It made sense, but it didn't make sense. "That would work if he had a signal to follow, but there's no way. How the hell did they find us? Even if they traced our call to Donald, that wouldn't have given our exact location. This place is huge!"

"They have to be honing in on a direct signal."

"That's not possible. I checked everything I brought out of the estate. Nobody knew where the car was garaged, so they couldn't have bugged it," she insisted, thinking aloud. "I mailed all the jewelry to
Maine
. Everything else I brought with me is on the boat, so they'd have found the bug when they boarded. It doesn't fit."

Kyle's expression grew grimmer, his eyes going cold and hard while his jaws clenched. "Unless it's on you," he said.

She didn't like the way he was looking at her, and liked his suggestion even less. "Where?" she demanded in a frustrated whisper. "I'm barely dressed, and I know there's no bug in my gun. I'm not wearing any jewelry, and I haven't even had a cavity filled since I met Gregory."

"What if it's implanted under your skin?" he suggested, studying her intently.

Rianna froze, eyes widening in horror. A terrible chill raced over her, freezing, and then numbing her with shock. Her lungs constricted painfully, her throat growing so tight that she could barely whisper the next questions.

"How? Where?"

He pulled her close and spun her around. Then he lifted the hair off the back of her neck and looked at her nape. His voice held a feral snarl when he finally spoke.

"What if your weird accident wasn't an accident at all? What if Haroldson had a device implanted in your neck? It wouldn't have to be very big," he added, running a finger lightly over the stitches.

Rianna's stomach roiled. It made sense, and it explained the strange accident. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming in outrage and denial. Her body became one giant tremor, shaking her to the very core.

"It's possible," she whispered gruffly. "It sounds like something he'd do. He's fanatic about his possessions and that's what he considered me. He has no morals and no conscience."

Kyle muttered a string of vicious obscenities, and then jerked her around to face him. He gave her a fierce hug that helped soften some of her shock, but it was way too brief. A tracking devise was beyond her worst nightmare, and she was badly shaken.

"We've got to get away from here." His warm breath touched her ear. "Right now, we're shielded by those boulders. The signal probably can't penetrate them, but as soon as they come over that embankment, they'll be able to pinpoint our location."

"What can we do?" she asked, knowing what a wild animal must feel like to be pinned in the headlights of a car.

Kyle was already reaching for the gun at his ankle. He unfastened the strap and then whipped it around her neck, positioning the gun over the scar on her nape.

"We run for it. Hopefully, the metal of the gun will interfere with the signal until we come up with a better solution."

As soon as he'd secured the holster around her neck, he turned to lead the way. Rianna relegated the sick terror of a body invasion to the back of her mind. She couldn't allow herself to dwell on this latest atrocity. Survival came first.

They'd only gone a short distance before she realized an additional handicap. "I'm barefoot," she called softly to Kyle.

He stopped abruptly, turned and stared down at her bare feet. "You can't run this path like that. There're too many sticks and rocks. You'll have to ride piggyback."

She stared at him as though he'd lost his mind. He'd already been jogging for an hour. She was way too heavy to carry, and reluctant to be totally dependent on him. Remembering the last time she'd wrapped her legs around him, she panicked briefly, then latched on to the first lame excuse that leapt to mind.

"You smell like dirty socks."

He looked stunned by the inanity of her comment. Then his eyes softened in understanding. "You smell like dead fish," he countered gently. "Now, get on."

She grimaced and conceded, knowing they were wasting precious time. He turned and leaned down so she could hop onto his back. Then he hefted her up until he had a firm grip on her thighs. She wrapped her arms around his upper chest, trying not to strangle him.

He ran deeper into the woods and splashed through a shallow stream of water, then followed it long enough to throw off anyone who tried to track them on foot. After they'd traveled a mile or so, he moved back toward the regular path,
then
stayed parallel with it without actually using it.

Rianna ducked her head to avoid low-hanging branches for a while, and then buried her face against his neck. He smelled of sweat and man. The heat of him scorched her inner thighs, belly and chest, making her extremely aware of every hard, muscled inch of his body. His pulse became hers as it pounded rapidly through his veins. It was an experience unlike anything she'd ever known.

"How far do you plan to run?" she whispered in his ear.

"Another few miles."

"You can't carry me that far!"

Kyle slowed, and then stopped just before a clearing with several cabins. He let Rianna slide to the ground. She sat still, watching him closely while he struggled to catch his breath.

"We have two choices," he finally said. "We can try to make it to the marina and hot-wire the car, or we can hide out for a while in one of the deserted cabins around here."

"There's a key to the car hidden under the right front bumper, but we can't risk going after it," she said.

"Why?"

"If Rudy searched the houseboat, he found the marina rental receipt. It has the car's license number. He'll go there next and either have it watched or plant something worse than a bug."

Kyle swore, raking a hand through his hair in frustration. "We can't hitch a ride while that gun's strapped to your neck, so we'll have to hide. I've seen a couple of cabins that don't look inhabited right now."

"You can leave me and hitch a ride to town to find some transportation."

"No!" His response was harsh. He glared at her. "We stay together. Rudy and his men will have to split up if they search the whole area. As long as we're together, one man at a time isn't a threat. We'll go to a cabin and formulate a new plan."

Rianna didn't argue. She didn't want to part ways with him, yet she wondered at his motives. Did he have his own agenda for keeping her safe? Some unknown reason for not wanting her out of his sight? The answers weren't forthcoming, so she nudged the questions to the back of her mind. She'd worked solo for too long and didn't want to go it alone anymore.

"The path goes behind that group of cabins. I didn't see anyone around earlier, but we should try to walk past like we're taking a stroll. Since you're barefoot, we'll go
slow
."

She nodded and fell into step beside him until they'd covered the short distance across the clearing. Once they were out of sight of the rental cabins, Kyle leaned down and hefted her onto his back once more.

"You're going to owe me a serious rubdown," he insisted, picking up his pace again.

Rianna smiled against his neck, and unconsciously tightened her grip on him. She'd reserve judgment about what she owed him. She still hadn't decided whether it would be a debt of gratitude or slow torture. Come to think of it, a full-body massage might fit the bill in either case.

Kyle left the path and veered deeper into the woods, plunging them from dappled sunlight into near darkness. He slowed down to a walk as they encountered heavier vegetation.

"Are you sure there's a cabin up here? How'd you find this place?"

"I've seen several isolated cabins, and figure they're privately owned. I followed a doe and fawn through the woods here," he explained. "They led me to the cabin with a salt-lick in the yard. Looks deserted."

He breathed deeply from exertion, and she felt every intake of breath like her own. His muscles flexed and her nerves jangled. Never having experienced such an intense physical connection, the feel of it defied description.

The small log cabin stood buried in a cluster of tall evergreens. Covered in ivy, the whole structure was nearly hidden from view. He jogged around the right side to a small back porch, and then stopped to let her slide off his back.

"You're sure nobody's living here?"

"It doesn't look like anyone's been here for a while. Maybe someone only uses it a couple of weeks a year."

"Let's just hope this isn't their week."

"Yeah," Kyle agreed. He searched the door and a small window frame for a spare key, but couldn't find one. "I hate to break in if we don't have to."

She helped to search, overturning rocks and looking under a loose wooden plank in the porch. Kyle reached above them and felt along the rafters of the roof, while she hooked in and under a collection of flowerpots.

"Look!" she exclaimed.

Chapter 7

«
^
»

R
ianna held up a key she had found under a dried fern in a clay pot. Kyle took it and ordered her to stay put while he checked the house. She reached for her gun and followed him through the narrow door. It didn't take long to establish that the cabin didn't hold any surprises. There were only two sections, a living room with a small kitchenette and a small bedroom with an even smaller bathroom.

Except for some dust and a cobweb or two, the inside of the cabin appeared neat and well cared for. The furnishings were serviceable rather than fashionable, but with homey touches like dried flower arrangements. A stone fireplace took up one entire end of the living room area.

"Not bad," said Kyle, after checking the kitchen cupboards. "It's stocked with
nonperishables
."

Rianna headed to the bedroom. "I hope the owners left some clothes here." She opened the closet and found a collection of outerwear that wasn't of much use, but the canvas tennis shoes thrilled her. Her feet hurt.

The dresser drawers offered a change of clothing. "Looks like this place belongs to a married couple. There's a mix of clothing," she told him as he followed her into the room.

"What sizes?"

"Large men's and medium women's. We should be okay. I think our absent host and hostess might be a little heavier than we are, but not so much that we can't borrow a few things."

"It might not hurt to add a little padding around our waists. Any disguise will help."

She agreed. The elastic on the sweatpants would stretch for extra cushioning.

"I think we should shower, eat and head out again," she said. "If we can get a ride to town, we can pick up money at the post office, pay for some transportation, and be miles from here before Rudy spreads out his search."

"You don't think it would be safer to hole up here overnight and head to town tomorrow?"

Rianna thought about spending another night like the last, trying to sleep, yet too achingly aware of her roommate. It wouldn't be wise to invite more intimacy. Besides, neither of them would rest knowing Rudy might find them at any minute.

Then there was the electronic bug buried under her skin. Her teeth clenched in anger at the thought. She wanted it out as soon as possible.

"It'll be a risk to leave, but more of a risk to stay. If you found this cabin, there's a chance Gregory's men will, too. I'd rather take our chances in town. We can appeal to the local sheriff, if necessary."

"Okay. I'll get the generator running and then get that gun off your neck."

Rianna touched her nape. The gun felt cold and heavy against her tender skin. "What can we do?"

"If I cut off the bulk of the holster, the gun can be replaced with a butter knife. It won't be pretty, but it shouldn't attract attention."

"Chokers are all the rage," she muttered grimly, "but I don't know about knife blades." Then another idea had her heading back to the kitchen area.

"We'll have to leave a big tip for our hosts." She snatched a little notepad from the refrigerator. "This is magnetic. A magnet would really scramble the signal, wouldn't it?"

"Good idea," agreed Kyle as he followed her. "We should try to pay for what we take, but all my cash is on the boat. How about you?"

His gaze slid down her body to the juncture of her thighs, making her pulse leap and her flesh tingle. She shifted her legs and responded gruffly.

"Always. I told you I never travel without cash."

"How much?"

Kyle's voice had dropped an octave. His gaze returned to her face. They stared at each other for a few tense minutes, and then made a concerted effort to shake off the sensual tension caused by his intimate perusal.

"A few hundred. Enough for a couple of days' food and lodging."

"So we don't need what you mailed to yourself in
Somerset
?" he asked.

"It all depends on how long we have to keep running. My stash won't stretch for transportation."

"How much did you leave in
Somerset
?"

"Several thousand, plus another phony ID."

He sighed. "Okay, I guess we go there next."

Dusk had fallen by the time they'd showered, changed into the borrowed clothing and eaten a cold, canned meal. Rianna had rinsed the lake water from her bikini, but wore the swimsuit under the sweats. She didn't want to be without her special storage pouch, and her hostess's bras were too big.

She'd kept her back to the brick fireplace while Kyle redesigned her leather necklace. It was far from attractive, yet not awful enough to draw unwanted attention. By the time they left the cabin, they looked like an average married couple in slightly creased casual wear and running shoes.

The trek through the woods was slow going—progress was made a few cautious yards at a time. Once they reached the main road, they hailed a teenager in a battered pickup truck. He worked at the marina, but his shift had ended, so he happily accepted twenty dollars to drive them to
Somerset
.

Rianna spent the ride squeezed between the two of them. The truck's gearshift was on the floor, so she had to lean against Kyle to avoid bumping it with her leg. He slid an arm across the back of the seat to give her room, but that made her feel more trapped. Every curve in the winding road had her pressing into him, and the feel of his hard body kept hers singing with excitement.

They reached the southern edge of town shortly before eleven. Kyle helped her from the truck, but she quickly withdrew her hand from his grasp. They thanked their new friend and bade him farewell, then Kyle reached for her again.

"We'd better keep our hands free for weapons," she insisted, pulling from his grip.

A lift of his brow questioned her response and the evasive action. They'd swapped guns, wrapped them in towels and secured them around their waists. The sweats didn't have pockets, but the belly pouches gave them a place to hide the weapons while adding a few inches to their waistlines. Kyle didn't argue, he just placed his left hand to the back of her waist and guided her into the shadows.

"I've heard of rolling up the sidewalks at dark, but I think this town really does it," said Rianna.

"It's a work night for most people," he added, leading her toward the post office. The occasional street-light helped illuminate their path, yet left enough shadowy corners to make them wary.

"We'd better not go into the post office together," she said as they drew closer to their destination.

Kyle agreed. "I'll circle around back and come up the alley on the other side."

Rianna watched him disappear, her stomach sinking in an indescribable fashion. She shook her head in amazement. When and how had she let herself get so attached to the man? It was stupid to feel bereft without him by her side.

Surveying the street, she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, so she made her way to the end of the block. The post office lobby was empty. She collected her package, and then returned the key through the drop slot. Tucking the envelope into her makeshift belly pack, she headed outside again.

After another quick glance up and down the street, she turned toward the shadowed alley. Suddenly, all the fine hairs on her arms and neck started tingling. Rianna tensed, deciding someone aside from Kyle was causing her alarm.

She didn't react fast enough. A giant arm slammed her body against an equally solid chest. She felt the barrel of a gun pressing against her neck and immediately recognized her captor's voice.

"Well, well, sweet Samantha. Nice to see you again."

Rianna's heart rammed against her ribs, and sweat dampened her skin. She went perfectly still, barely able to breathe as Rudy's arm tightened around her arms and chest. He held her in a bruising grip—evidence that he was furious with her. She'd made a fool of him, and men in his position didn't take that lightly.

Despite his size, he moved with the speed and agility of a martial arts expert. She'd seen him work out in the gym, and knew he wouldn't be easily overpowered or outmaneuvered.

"Where's lover boy, Tony?"

He slowly nudged her forward, and she saw a dark vehicle parked a few yards down the alley.

"We decided to split up."

"Mr. Haroldson will be sorry to hear that. He was
hopin
' to have you both back home real soon."

An involuntary shiver raced through her at the thought. Rudy must have felt it, and he gave a bark of laughter. "You got that right, honey. You best be
shakin
' in your shoes. Mr. Haroldson's real upset."

Rianna briefly wondered if Gregory had been arrested. It should have happened today, but they'd had no way to call and check. It didn't seem likely, with Rudy still on the loose.

What could possibly have gone wrong? As far as she knew, Rudy was to be arrested along with several other members of Gregory's staff

They reached the car, a small Jeep, and he shoved her against the back door on the passenger side. He pressed himself against her in a deliberate attempt to humiliate. His laughter had a lewd edge as he breathed heavily in her ear.

"I sure hope the boss lets me have a go at you, little slut," he said, thrusting his hips against her and grinding them in a disgusting attempt to demean her. "I always thought it was a waste to keep you in that big house with nobody gettin' any of this sweet body."

Another shudder of revulsion coursed through her. The touch of his body sickened her, but she forced herself not to panic. Rudy would never disobey orders, and she was relatively sure Gregory hadn't given him permission to manhandle her.

At least, not yet.

Where the hell was Kyle? Would he be coming to her rescue? He could be trusted, she sincerely believed that, but she wasn't used to depending on anyone. What if he'd been jumped by another of Gregory's men?

"Open the door," Rudy ordered.

He eased his grip on her enough to allow her to reach the handle. Then she heard the unmistakable sound of metal connecting with bone. Rudy grunted, his grip went slack, and she felt him falling to the ground.

"You okay?" asked Kyle.

She was trembling from head to foot, and leaned against the car for support. In the next instant, Kyle's arms were pulling her close. Rianna didn't resist the offer of comfort. She slid her hands around his waist and clung, feeling relieved, yet guilty for having doubted him again.

"Did he hurt you?" His tone sounded low and gruff in her ear.

She shivered again, but with a whole different emotion. Relief surged through her, accompanied by a needy, hopeful feeling that alarmed her. She eased from his grip.

"I'm okay," she insisted, shaking off the momentary weakness. "It sounded like you cracked his skull."

"Not that hard head. He'll be awake and fighting mad in a few minutes. Let's get him tied up."

"With what?"

"Check the car."

While Rianna searched the car, Kyle searched Rudy's pockets. He found the car keys, a cell phone and the electronic tracking device Rudy had used to locate her.

"Nothing in the car."

"He's wearing high-top boots. We'll use his boot-laces."

They each grabbed a foot and began unlacing Rudy's boots. Then they rolled him onto his stomach, tied his hands behind his back and secured his feet. Rudy groaned, prompting Kyle to check his head and his breathing.

"He's not bleeding. He has a goose egg, and his breathing is fine. He'll live."

"What now? Leave him here? Take him to the police? The emergency room?"

"Help me roll him to the side of the alley so he won't get run over," he said. They half lifted, half dragged the big man off the concrete. "We'll leave him and put some distance between us before we call the authorities. Then they can deal with him."

"Maybe there's a warrant out for his arrest," added Rianna. "If Gregory's been arrested, there should be warrants out for Rudy and Tabone, too."

They moved back to the car. Kyle automatically headed for the driver's side, so Rianna climbed into the passenger seat.

"Think it's safe to take his car? It could be bugged," she said.

"It's got rental tags," he reassured her as the engine roared to life. "They wouldn't have had a reason to bug it."

"Probably not." She pulled her seat belt into place. "But Tabone and the others can recognize it, so we'll have to find something else."

"Later," he insisted. "First thing we have to do is find a hospital and get that metal out of your neck. I've got Rudy's tracking device, but there could be others."

"There's a regional hospital near here. As anxious as I am to have this thing removed, I'd feel more comfortable if we headed north a while before we stop."

Kyle glanced toward her, then back to the road. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure I don't want any more confrontations tonight."

The brief brush with Rudy had made her physically ill. She'd never expected such a violent physical and emotional reaction. It still had her shaken, and that scared her senseless.