Hed learned that painful truth the hard way.
By the time he reached the turnoff to Perdition Gap, sleet had begun to fall, making crackling noises where the icy pellets hit the fallen leaves blanketing the roadside. He picked up speed as the road dipped downhill toward the narrow gorge cut into the mountains by Ketoowee River, hurried along by the bitter westerly wind that drove sleet like needle pricks into his bare cheeks.
Hed made his choice. Set himself on a course it was too late to alter, at least for today. Snow was coming, and he had to find shelter soon.
And the cabin looming out of the curling fog ahead was his only choice, for good or for bad.
There was a car parked on the gravel driveway, the same sleek black Mazda shed driven when they had been together. It gave him pause, the sight of something so achingly familiar in a world that had turned alien on him almost two years ago.
He dismounted the bicycle and walked it slowly up the driveway, still staring at the Mazda, noting a tiny ding in the right front panel that hadnt been there the last time hed seen it. And there was a small parking decal on the front windshield, as well.
The sound of a door opening drew his gaze back to the house.
She stood there in the doorway, dressed in jeans and a snug blue sweater that hugged her curves like a lover. In one hand she held a Mossberg shotgun at her side. He knew from experience that she could whip that thing up and fire before he could reach for the pistol tucked in his ankle holster, so he froze in place.
He realized he could see her better than she could see him. He was bundled up against the cold and damp, a scarf wrapped around the lower part of his face and a bike helmet perched atop his head.
Hey there, Sharp.
She stopped short.
Sorry to drop by without calling, he added, moving slowly toward her again, pushing his bike closer to the cabin.
She took a few steps closer to the porch steps, a tall, fierce warrior of a woman blocking the entry. So it was you at the bank.
He stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked up at her. God, she was beautiful, he thought, taking in the perfect cheekbones, the snapping blue eyes and the windblown blond waves framing her face. Shed cut her hair since theyd worked together. The short style suited her.
It was, he admitted. I was afraid youd closed the account, but I thought Id take a chance.
Is that how you found me? Through the bank?
Your address was on the account.
And you found a way to get the teller to show it to you. The faintest hint of a smile made the corners of her mouth twitch.
I did.
She took a deep breath and released it. But now youve left a paper trail. You have to know it wont take long for people to connect you to me and come looking for you.
It was a calculated risk. He was beginning to feel a potent sense of unreality, standing here in the cold, gazing at a woman hed once loved more than anyone or anything in his life.
Sometimes, he thought he still did.
You should turn yourself in.
Already tried that, he said bluntly, the heat of old anger driving away some of the cold. Ended up chained in a backwoods cabin for a month. Youll forgive me if Im not eager to try it again.
Her eyes narrowed. Is that supposed to be a joke?
No. Believe me, there was nothing funny about it. The phantom sting in his wrists returned. He tried to ignore the sensation, hating the frisson of dread that jolted through him each time he experienced the burning pain.
You look cold.
He couldnt stop a wry laugh, looking around him at the light snowfall. You think?
She made a huffing noise but stepped back, opening a path to her door. Get inside before you freeze.
He grabbed the used duffel full of thrift-store clothes and climbed the stairs slowly, keeping an eye on her and her Mossberg. She didnt look as if she was inclined to shoot him where he stood, but a lot had changed between them since Richmond.
She entered the cabin, leaving the door open for him. A wave of delicious warmth washed over him when he entered, and he quickly closed the door to shut out the cold.
As he started to turn around, he felt cold steel against his neck.
Put your hands on the door where I can see them. Olivias voice was calm and cool. And spread your legs.
Im armed, he warned her as he dropped the duffel bag and complied.
I figured as much. She started to pat him down, her hands moving quickly over his arms, then slowing as she reached his waist. He couldnt quell a shiver of pure sensual awareness as she slid her hands over his hips. Youve lost weight.
Meals have been hard to come by recently.
She discovered the pistol stashed in his ankle holster and relieved him of it. Where have you been?
Here and there. He felt her retreat, cool air replacing the warmth of her body. Can I turn around now?
Knock yourself out.
He turned to find her emptying the magazine of his Kel-Tec P-11 onto a rolltop desk by the wall. His duffel bag was on the floor by her feet. Is that really necessary? he asked with a nod toward the pile of ammunition.
For now. She removed the round in the chamber and added it to the pile of ammo on the desk before she set the pistol down and turned her cool blue gaze on Landry. Why did you come here?
Nice seeing you again, too, Sharp. Its been such a long time.
She shook her head, her eyes narrowing. You disappeared nearly a year ago after McKenna Rigsbys undercover mission went very wrong. At least one corrupt FBI agent has gone missing, and the Bureau is scrambling like crazy to find out what other agents might be compromised. You are on the top of their list.
I know.
And yet, here you are. Did you think I would just turn a blind eye to the fact that youre wanted by the FBI for questioning?
She was magnificent when she was angry. Always had been. Her blue eyes took on an amazing electric hue, and the atmosphere around her crackled with energy. He felt drawn to her, despite himself, and took a helpless step forward. Livvie
Dont. She held up her hand, a pained look replacing the fire in her eyes. Please dont call me that.
I know you have questions. But Ive spent the last two hours riding a bicycle in the bitter cold. Im tired. Im freezing. I havent eaten since yesterday. Its snowing out, and I need shelter. Food, if you can spare any. In exchange, Ill tell you everything Ive been doing for the past two years, and if you still want to turn me in to the FBI after that, then fine. Ill accept that. Because Im sick to death of running.
Her forehead creased as she considered what hed just said. Youll turn yourself in if I say so?
He nodded, meaning it. He hadnt realized it until he saw her again, but he really was through running. Hed trusted the wrong person once and lost his freedom for a monthand damned near lost his life in the process.
But he had to trust someone, or what was the point of going on? He couldnt keep living under the radar forever.
And hed already gone nearly two years without seeing Olivia Sharp. There had been a time when he couldnt have imagined such a thing, couldnt have considered even a week without her, much less a lifetime without her spreading out in front of him as far as the eye could see.
Were you working with the Blue Ridge Infantry? she asked, breaking the tense silence between them.
He met her gaze, took a deep breath and answered the question with the truth.
Yes, he said.
Chapter Two
Hearing Cade Landry admit what shed spent the past year trying not to believe shouldnt have felt like a kick in the teeth. But somehow, it did. It hit her hard enough that she took an involuntary step backward, her foot catching on the braided rug in the cabins entry.
As she started to lose her balance, Landry lurched forward and caught her before she could fall, his arms wrapping around her waist. His hands were coldshe could feel the chill through her sweaterbut his touch sent fire singing through her blood.
Hed always had that effect on her. Even when he shouldnt.
She pulled free of his grasp, steadying herself by clutching the edge of the desk. How long?
He stared at her, a puzzled expression on his face.
How long did you work for the Blue Ridge Infantry? When he didnt answer right away, she added, Are you still working for them? Is that why you came here?
He took a deep breath and let it out in a soft whoosh. I was never working for them.
She shook her head, shock starting to give way to a fury that burned like acid in her gut. Dont play semantics games with me, Landry.
His dark eyebrows arched, creasing his forehead. Are you going to listen to what I have to say or should we just cut to the part where you call the cops to come haul my ass out of here?
The latter, I think. She went for her shotgun.
He beat her there, jerking it out of her grasp. Dont, he said sharply as she changed course, going for the P-11 shed just emptied.
She froze in place, turning slowly to look at him. Something hot and painful throbbed just under her breastbone as she met his hard gaze. Just get it over with.
Im not what you think I am, he said, lowering the Mossberg to his side. Thats what I was trying to tell you.
Youll forgive me if I have a little trouble believing you.
His lips pressed to a thin line. I was really hoping you, of all people, would look beyond the obvious.
She pushed down a sudden flutter of guilt. You dont get to play the victim card. Youre the one who disappeared almost a year ago without telling anyone where you were going.
I did tell someone, he said quietly, lowering the shotgun to the floor, still within his reach. I told my SAC at the Johnson City RA that I had information the FBI needed to know about the Blue Ridge Infantry. And the next thing I knew, I was being bludgeoned and hauled to some backwoods hellhole and beaten to within an inch of my life.
For a second she pictured what he was saying, imagined him tied up and pummeled by the vicious hillbillies who comprised the mountain militia known as the Blue Ridge Infantry, and nausea burned in her gut. She knew from her own investigations that the hard-eyed men who ran the so-called militia as a criminal organization were capable of great cruelty. If theyd ever lived by a code of honor, those days were long past.
Money and power drove them. In these hills these days, money and power too often came from drugs, guns and extortion.
You told your SAC? She repeated his earlier statement, trying to remember the name of the Johnson City resident agencys Special Agent in Charge. Pete Chang, right?
He nodded. I didnt think he was corrupt. Hes a brownnoser, yeah, so maybe he told the wrong person the wrong thing. I dont know.
Youve been a prisoner all this time? she asked, looking him over with a critical eye. Take off your coat.
He looked down at the heavy wool coat he was still wearing, a frown carving lines in his cheeks. I wasnt a prisoner the whole time, he said gruffly as he unbuttoned the coat and shrugged it off. Beneath, he still wore a couple of layers of clothesa long-sleeved shirt beneath a thick sweaterbut while he looked leaner than she remembered, he definitely didnt look as if hed been starved for nearly a year.
Then why didnt you go to the FBI once you were free?
I just told you that the last time I told anyone with the FBI what I was doing, I ended up a prisoner of the Blue Ridge Infantry. He pushed the sleeves of his shirt and sweater up to his elbows, revealing what theyd hidden until nowwhite ligature scars around both wrists.
Olivia swallowed a gasp. It was stupid to react so sharply to the scarsin the pantheon of injuries shed seen inflicted in this ongoing war between the Blue Ridge Infantry and the good guys, the marks on Landrys wrists barely registered.
It was what they representedthe loss of freedom, the indignity of captivitythat made her heart pound with sudden dread.
Or they could be a trick, she reminded herself sternly as she felt her resistance begin to falter. He could have inflicted the marks on himself to fool people into believing his story.
The fact remained, hed just stood here minutes ago and admitted hed been working with the Blue Ridge Infantry. And nobody who worked with the Blue Ridge Infantry was ever up to any good.
What are you thinking? Landry spoke in a low, silky voice so familiar it seemed to burrow into her head and take up residence, like a traveler finally reaching home after a long absence.
She fought against that sensation and gripped the edge of the desk more tightly. Thats really none of your business.
Youre not curious? he asked, his eyes narrowing as he took a step closer to her. You dont want to hear all the details?
She held his gaze but didnt speak.
Or maybe you really dont give a damn anymore. He spoke the words casually, but shed known him long enough to recognize the thread of hurt that underlay his comment.
Youre the one who left, she said.
Are you sure I was the one? He took another step toward her, and she tried to back away. But the wall stopped her.
You packed your things and left.
Youd already left. Maybe not your body, but the rest of youthe part of you that really mattered He stopped his forward advancement, looking down at the rough planks of the cabin floor beneath his damp boots. Doesnt change the outcome, does it? We both walked away and didnt look back, right?
Why did you come here? she asked again, not because she believed hed answer her any more truthfully than before, but because it was better than thinking about just how many times over the past two years, with how much regret, shed looked back on the life she and Landry had once shared.
Because I thought He looked up at her, pinning her to the wall with the intensity of his green-eyed gaze. It doesnt matter what I thought, does it? Youve made up your mind about me. I get it. He turned away, heading for the door.
She hurried forward and picked up the shotgun. I didnt say you could leave.
He turned to look at her. Youre going to shoot me to stop me?
If I have to. She sounded sincere enough, even to her own skeptical ears. But her heart wasnt nearly as sure.
Shed loved him once, as much as shed ever loved anyone in her whole life. Hell, maybe she still did.