Leona shrugged. “I was simply making conversation.”
Katrina's body temperature returned to normal. Boyd was obviously angry with himself for even admitting he thought she was pretty. And, he was right. What he thought of her looks wasn't important. He still didn't trust her.
A few minutes later when they began to eat, Leona grimaced apologetically toward Katrina. “You're not part of his organization so Vince shouldn't hold your helping me against you. But if I were you I'd consider moving to a new town, anyway. He has a temper and your presence could weigh on his nerves. After all, you were his godchild. Your defection was a blow to his pride. The only reason he forgave you was because I was able to convince him that your grief over losing both your parents and your brother was too much for you to bear.”
Boyd's gaze narrowed on Katrina. “Vince Garduchi is your godfather?”
“Babies don't have a say in who their godparents are,” she replied.
“Vince disavowed her,” Leona said, then returned her attention to her niece. “Anyway, I think it would be best if you don't stick around St. Louis.”
Katrina nodded. “I've been thinking the same thing myself. Even after five years on the force, my captain doesn't trust me.”
Leona smiled knowingly. “I warned you the outside world would be rough.”
“Looks like you didn't take your own advice,” Katrina noted.
Leona sighed. “Handling all that money was just too tempting. Or maybe it was my midlife crisis. I considered trying to convince Vince that it was menopause that had caused me to act irrationally. But he'd have wanted the money back and I just couldn't do that.” Abruptly, she turned to Boyd. “And I'm not turning it over to the government either. What's mine is mine and it stays that way.”
“That's between you and the attorney,” Boyd replied, marvelling at her greed. This was a woman who would die for money.
Leona smiled confidently. “My little pittance will be nothing compared to what they can get out of Vince on back taxes alone.”
Katrina would have liked to have blamed her aunt's behavior on the change of life but she knew Leona was simply living up to her true colors. She saw the disdain in Boyd's eyes and that she was related to Leona caused a flush of embarrassment.
Boyd noticed her cheeks redden and again he was tempted to trust her.
Caution, man,
he reminded himself. He'd like to believe it was embarrassment but that flush could be anger that her aunt was being so openly mercenary while Ms. Polenari wanted to win his confidence or at least his sympathy for them.
The rest of the meal was accomplished in silence. When it was over, Leona watched television while Katrina cleaned the dishes and Boyd, taking the precaution of taking the distributor cap from the vehicle with him, made a sweep of the woods around the cabin to make certain they were alone.
“I'd suggest we all get some sleep,” he said when he returned. It was an order.
For a moment, Leona looked as if she were going to protest, then with a shrug, she obeyed.
An hour later Katrina gave up trying to get any sleep in the same bed with her aunt. Leona was not only a restless sleeper, she snored. Getting a spare blanket out of the closet, she retrieved her gun from the bedside table and a pillow from the bed, then went into the main living area.
Boyd had conditioned himself to wake at any sound. When he'd heard one of the women moving around in the bedroom, he'd been considering checking on what they were up to when the door had been pushed open further and someone had entered the main area. Without even looking, he'd known it was Katrina. She'd showered before going to bed and he caught the vague scent of her herbal shampoo. Nice, he thought, then shoved the thought from his mind. Pretending to be asleep, he watched, his eyes open only a slit as she rounded the couch. The gun in her hand caused him to brace for action. Had he completely misjudged her?
It wouldn't be the first time,
his little voice mocked.
Moonlight coming in the windows gave Katrina enough light to make her way to the rug in front of the fireplace. Moving quietly she laid her gun down, then spread the blanket and rolled up in it. Boyd's steady breathing convinced her that she hadn't disturbed him. Snuggling her head into the pillow, she closed her eyes.
Mentally, Boyd groaned. When she'd laid down her gun, he'd relaxed. But when he'd closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep he could not block her from his mind. He saw her face with those incredibly kissable lips and the remembered feel of her, when he'd held her hand or put his arm around her, taunted him. “I would think the bed would be a lot more comfortable than the floor,” he said, unable to keep his irritation out of his voice.
Startled to discover that he was awake, she turned in the direction of the couch. “My aunt not only snores like a sailor, she kicks like a mule. Now I know why she and my uncle had separate beds.” The “you're treading on my space” tone in his voice grated on her nerves. “If you don't want me in here, I'll go sleep in the car.”
He'd heard the snoring and knew she wasn't exaggerating. He also didn't want her where he couldn't keep track of her. “No.” He shifted into a sitting position. “You can have the couch, I'll take the floor.”
Katrina balked. She wanted no favors from him. “I didn't come in here to take your bed. I'm perfectly comfortable here.”
“Well, I'm not. The couch is too short. Besides, I've spent half of my life sleeping on the ground around a campfire. I rest better on a hard surface.” Already on his feet, he tossed his blanket and pillow onto the floor. Then rounding the coffee table, he scooped her up, blanket and all.
Fear of being dropped caused her to circle her arms around his neck. She didn't think she'd ever felt such strength in a man before.
The moment he had her in his arms, Boyd knew he'd made a mistake. He'd been wondering too long how her lips would taste. Before he realized what he was doing, he was kissing her. Her lips were soft and inviting and she tasted even better than he'd imagined.
Momentarily stunned, Katrina put up no resistance. By the time she got over her surprise, she didn't want him to stop. His mouth was warm and enticing. The flames of desire began to spark to life within her and her hold around his neck tightened to harden the kiss.
Boyd had never been so instantly aroused by a woman. He wanted her then and there.
This isn't smart!
his inner voice warned. He started to ignore it, but a sudden combination of loud snorts and snores from the bedroom reminded him of the company he was keeping and the reason he was there.
“Damn!” he growled, breaking the contact. Furious with himself for his near loss of complete control and frustrated by unsatisfied urges, he rounded the coffee table and dropped her unceremoniously on the couch. Then returning to the rug in front of the fireplace, he tossed her pillow to her and put her gun on the coffee table.
As he rolled up in his blanket, Katrina frowned at him. His behavior made it clear he was angry with himself for having kissed her. Pride caused the hairs on the back of her neck to bristle and demanded that she say something. “Don't worry, I won't go shouting about that from the treetops.”
It deserved to be shouted about from the top of a mountain,
her inner voice admitted, grudgingly. Not certain who she was angrier at...him for rejecting her or herself for the way her heart was still pounding wildly...she turned her back to him and ordered herself to sleep.
Boyd made no response. He could still taste her and he still wanted more.
Keeping the women and yourself alive depends on you keeping a clear head,
he growled mentally at himself. It also depended on him not forgetting that Katrina and her aunt could be playing a game with him as a pawn.
Chapter 6
M
idmorning the next day, Katrina stood at the front window. Her job was to stand guard inside the house while her aunt cut a deal with the federal attorney. From her vantage point she could see anyone approaching the porch. She could also see through the bedroom door to the window in there.
Boyd and the two agents who had come with the attorney were patrolling the outside. She found herself searching for glimpses of him to reassure herself that he was all right.
Don't you have any pride? You know he's ecstatic to be free of your company,
she chided herself and forced her attention back to the porch and the interior of the cabin.
Outside, Boyd finished a wide sweep of the woods surrounding the cabin.
“Quiet?” Fred Carrelli, the senior agent who'd come with the attorney asked.
“Quiet,” Boyd confirmed.
Fred's job was to watch for any movement on the road leading up to the house. With a pair of binoculars, he could see through the tree cover to the main road. “Nothing here, either.” Giving his eyes a rest, he pressed the talk button on his walkie-talkie. “Anything?” he asked into it.
“Nothing,” came the reply from his partner. Charlie Klause, the other agent who'd arrived with the attorney, was posted at the rear of the cabin.
“Guess you'll be glad to get those two off your hands,” Fred said, setting the walkie-talkie aside and again peering through the binoculars.
The implication in the man's voice placed Katrina in the same category as her aunt. Boyd experienced a nudge of irritation. In the next instant he was mocking himself. She and her aunt having an agenda of their own was one of the suspicions he'd been harboring since this began. Keeping his voice conversational, he said, “You think Officer Polenari is in on this with her aunt?”
“Maybe. You know what they say about a leopard not being able to change its spots. Or, could be she's in it with Garduchi. Her whole âleaving the family' thing could have been staged. If that's the case, then even the aunt wouldn't know. Garduchi would keep a deep mole a secret, known only to himself.”
“She hates Garduchi. She blames him and her father for her mother's death,” Boyd said in Katrina's defense.
Fred gave him a patronizing look. “Maybe she does and maybe she doesn't. Could be she's just a good actress. Her father was one of the best enforcers in the business. If she's as good as he was, she could take out anyone without a blink of an eye and the death of a relative would mean nothing.”
“If she wanted to take her aunt out, she would have already tried.”
Fred shrugged. “Could be she's got a good reason for playing along for a while.”
Boyd tried to picture Katrina as a cold-blooded killer. He couldn't. But was that his gut instinct or was it coming from a lower region of his body? He didn't like to think that he could be influenced by lust, but he was human. “I'm going to make another sweep.” Heading off into the woods, he recalled how easily they'd escaped their tail. Had it been luck or had it been arranged? He'd been so certain she hated Garduchi. Cursing under his breath, he again cautioned himself not to let his guard down.
Inside, Katrina marvelled at her aunt's coolness in cutting the deal with the attorney. Leona had gotten him to agree in writing to everything she wanted.
“Of course this is all contingent upon you providing us with proof of Garduchi's guilt,” the attorney said, when Leona finished making her demands. “Account numbers. Their locations. Amounts, etc.”
“Of course.” Leona gave him a dry look. “And I have everything you need...copies of the past five years of the private ledgers I kept for Vince that record all the monies received, where they came from and how they were laundered .”
“And you have these ledgers with you?”
“Don't be ridiculous.”
“Then just tell me where they are and I'll have someone pick them up.”
Leona gave him a caustic look. “You get your grand jury together. I, my niece and Agent Logan will pick them up.”
The attorney frowned. “You'll be much safer if you let us keep you hidden. We'll need your testimony to verify the records.”
“Trusting the authorities is difficult for me. I'll feel more comfortable if I keep my aces in my own hand.”
“You really should listen to him,” Katrina encouraged. Not only was she convinced that her aunt would be safer if she complied with the attorney's wishes, Katrina had no desire to continue her association with Agent Logan.
Ignoring her niece, Leona sat back, crossed her arms and faced the attorney with resolve. “It's my way or you get nothing.”
“That means the three of you'll be on your own,” he countered.
“I have as much confidence in myself as I have in your people,” she returned.
For a long moment a tense silence filled the cabin as each tried to stare the other down.
Katrina's money was on her aunt. She won.
“All right,” the attorney snorted. “Have it your way. I'll convene a grand jury. It'll take a few days. I'll be in touch.”
Leona smiled brightly at Katrina as the door closed behind the lawyer. “This will give us some time to get reacquainted.”
Grudgingly, Katrina admitted that deep inside, she liked her aunt. She wasn't certain why. Most likely because Leona had been the only family member who'd shown her any real sympathy after her mother's death. And Leona had always been able to make her laugh. When her aunt wanted to, she could be quite witty. But Katrina wasn't blind to Leona's other sides. She was greedy and self-serving and those traits ran deep. “You're up to something, aren't you?”
“I'm just trying to stay alive.”
“You have a plan. There's something you're not telling me.”
“My plan is to let you and Agent Logan protect me.” Leona rose, approached Katrina and placed an arm around her shoulders. “But you're right There is something more. I wanted some time with you. Other than a few distant cousins I prefer to avoid, you're the only family member I have left.” She gave Katrina's shoulders a squeeze. “You were such an adorable baby and such a sweet child.”
Katrina considered the possibility that her aunt was telling the truth. Maybe going through the change of life had made Leona pine for family ties. But she couldn't stop thinking that the honey in her aunt's voice was just a little too thick.
I'm letting Agent Logan's suspicious mind affect me too strongly,
she chided herself. Her aunt was a survivor and she had to know that the only way to get out of this mess was to cooperate with the authorities.
Boyd entered with a dark scowl on his face. “Apparently we're going to be spending a little more time together.”
“Your enthusiasm is overwhelming,” Leona noted with a smile.
“I tried to talk her into placing herself entirely under the care of you and your fellow agents and allowing the attorney to arrange to have the evidence picked up,” Katrina said, wanting him to know that she wasn't any happier about this situation than he was.
Boyd studied her narrowly. The lawyer had mentioned that Katrina had tried to dissuade her aunt. But she probably knew it was futile. If she was working for Garduchi, the evidence could be the prize in the game. Once she had it in hand, she was to take care of her aunt and destroy it.
His gaze was unnerving Katrina. “Don't look at me as if I'm the one being difficult,” she snapped.
She looked and sounded innocent, but Boyd had learned that the most deadly of enemies could appear innocent on the surface. “I've got a headache,” he growled, stalking to the cabinets and searching for some aspirin.
Leona grinned at Katrina. “You see, you did inherit some of the family traits. I don't know how many times I've been accused of giving a man a headache.”
Her aunt was enjoying this. Giving her a rueful glance, Katrina turned to watch the cloud of dust in the distance as the car carrying the lawyer and two other agents left. “Do you think it's safe to stay here after all the traffic in and out today?” she asked.
“Probably. But there's no guarantee.” Boyd had found the aspirin. He took two, then an extra one.
“I want to be on our way today, anyway,” Leona said. “We've got a lot of ground to cover. And tonight I would like to stay someplace with room service and a decent wine selection.”
“And where are we going?” Boyd asked.
Leona smiled with exaggerated sweetness. “You'll know when we get there.”
Boyd shoved the bottle of aspirin in the pocket of his jeans. He was sure he would be needing it again.
Â
Leona directed him to a small town a couple of hours southeast of the cabin. There she had him stop at an old Victorian house with a sign out front advertising it as a bed and breakfast.
“I left the rest of my luggage here,” she said.
Katrina had been surprised when her aunt had insisted on changing before they left the cabin and had emerged from the bedroom in a polyester pantsuit. Now glancing over her shoulder, she discovered Leona had again put on the gray wig, the bright red lipstick, and the glasses. It was amazing, she thought, how just the clothes, the wig, the lipstick and the glasses could change her aunt's appearance so drastically.
Boyd wasn't surprised to discover his passenger's transformation. He was now certain that whatever Leona did, she did well and that she had planned her every move in advance. He just wished he knew what the outcome of her plan was.
“You,” Leona addressed him, “may come inside and carry my suitcases out for me.”
Katrina went as far as the front door, then stood guard on the porch.
A few minutes later, Leona emerged carrying a small overnight case. Behind her was Boyd with two large suitcases.
“You must have packed everything you owned,” Boyd muttered as he hefted the cases into the back of the car.
“Not everything. But you certainly couldn't have thought I'd leave town with only that little bit of stuff I had in that bag, did you?” Leona signed. “I had to leave my mink behind but then I can always buy a new one.”
Climbing back into the driver's seat, Boyd breathed a sigh of relief. His part of the job was nearly done. “Now that we have the ledgers, I can take you to a safe house near Washington so you'll be in easy distance to testify once the grand jury is convened.”
Leona gave him a wry look. “You don't actually think I would be carrying the ledgers around with me in my suitcases?”
“You mean that there really is only clothes in those bags?” Boyd demanded, his frustration showing.
“So where are they?” Katrina asked, as disappointed as Boyd that they didn't now have them in their possession.
“You'll know when we pick them up,” Leona replied. “Now let's get going. Head south.”
It was after dark when Boyd decided it was time to stop. Periodically, he'd turned off of the main road and taken a side road that ran parallel to make certain they weren't being followed. Again leaving the main road, he drove until he found a small, out-of-the-way motel.
“I hope the accommodations improve somewhere along the line,” Leona complained.
Boyd ignored her and went inside to register them. Coming out a few minutes later, he climbed into the driver's seat, then said, “If anyone asks, Katrina and I are the Clay-pools and you...” He turned to Leona. “You are Mrs. Snodgrass, my mother-in-law. It seemed like a perfect role for you.”
Leona cast him a haughty glance. “I'm hungry.”
“The manager said there's a fast-food place down the road that's open all night. We'll get something there and bring it back to our room to eat. The less we're in the public view, the better.”
“You are obviously not a gourmet eater,” she complained.
“Sometimes you have to settle for what you can get.”
“Well, you go get it and Katrina and I will wait in the room.”
Boyd clicked the master lock switch on his door console preventing her from opening her door. “We stick together.”
“Your chosen traveling companion is as stubborn as a Missouri mule,” Leona said to Katrina as Boyd pulled out of the parking lot.
That she hadn't “chosen” him was on the tip of her tongue. Instead, Katrina heard herself saying, “He's just doing his job.” She couldn't believe she'd come to Boyd's defense. The man didn't trust her enough to leave her alone for even a few minutes with her aunt.
“I suppose,” Leona muttered.
Surprised by Katrina's response, Boyd glanced at her.
“I'm assuming that your acute stubbornness is part of what makes you good at your job,” she said.