He nodded, his jaw muscle tightening.“I was the only one close enough on such short notice.”
“Oh.”Of course.Her cheeks turned hot.“Well, I’m sorry then.I’m sure you were hoping to never see me again.”
He shook his head, an exasperated gesture that she used to go out of her way to elicit.“I could say the same.”
Whatever.“Do you know if my parents are on their way?”
“Uh, no.They’re not.”A grimace twisted his handsome face.“Not anymore.”
Her face scrunched in confusion.Notanymore?“Why the hell not?”
Ford studied her grimly and rubbed his jaw with obvious discomfort.“Because they believe you’re dead.”
CHAPTER TWO
FORD TOOK A sip of the lukewarm coffee that tasted like scorched metal and managed not to make a face.Natalie stared at him for several seconds, her pretty blue eyes wide with disbelief and betrayal.
“What do you mean they think I’m dead?”She looked so small and vulnerable in the oversized hospital bed, her voice a bewildered rasp.
He ran his knuckles across his chin, delaying the inevitable.“When I arrived and it became clear just how motivated those men were to find you, I made a tough decision in order to protect you—”
“What men?”
Shit.He was getting ahead of himself.“I don’t know exactly.Two white guys who sounded like they were speaking Russian.A redhead with a bandage on his hand, and one with dark hair.They were trying to get information about you, and they weren’t being very subtle about it.”
Her mouth formed an O as her gaze trailed to the floor.“The redhead could be the guy Jason fought in the elevator.”
Ford had no idea who Jason was—or why he wasn’t here with her—but that could wait.“Maybe.Either way, they knew you were still alive, and I had to assume they wanted to finish the job.So, I had you declared dead, and they seemed to buy it.They left soon after.”They had, in fact, followed Ford to his car as he played the grieving fiancé and tailed him to a hotel.
Natalie’s lips parted as if to speak, but she just stared at the wall.Not quite the chatterbox he remembered.Then again, she was coming out of anesthesia.
When he’d entered her room—a feat made possible by the whole fiancé ruse—her skin had looked almost gray as she lay engulfed in white bedding, flanked by a lazily beeping heart rate monitor and an IV pole.It had felt wrong for her to be so still and silent, so unlike the woman who was always laughing, teasing him, trying to crack his guard, break his focus.Unfortunately, the one time she’d succeeded, it had nearly gotten them both killed.
Guilt lanced his chest.Protecting Natalie had been his job then, and he’d come far too close to failing.Now someone had attacked her again, and he would do whatever it took to ensure her safety.Even fake her death, dammit.
She finally met his gaze.“The only way you could think of to protect me was to make the world think I’m dead?Even myparents?”The pure anguish in her voice lodged in his ribs like a dart.
But there was no point second-guessing himself.He’d made his choice, and now they both had to deal with it.“Under better circumstances, I might have handled things differently.But I don’t have an entire team at my disposal, and I don’t know the full nature of the threat.I also wasn’t sure if the police were there to question you or arrest you.”
Her frown deepened at his mention of the cops, and she rubbed her forehead.“And Gretchen agreed?”
Gretchen Hawthorne?The older woman who’d referred Natalie’s father to Beaumont & Associates four years ago was exceedingly protective of her little flock, but he didn’t understand why he would need her approval.“She doesn’t know either.”
Natalie blanched.“So, no one else knows?”
He inhaled deeply, filling his nostrils with the scents of ammonia and bleach.“Just the person who made it happen, and the few medical staff who signed off.”
“You didn’t arrange it yourself?”she asked, probably rightfully concerned about the number of people who knew her secret.Each one they added to the scheme made it more likely to unravel.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have the contacts for that—especially in Lucerne—but I know someone who does, and she made it happen fast.”Lehmann was a shady but invaluable woman to know.Luckily, she’d been willing to take on Natalie’s case at the last minute.For a hefty fee, of course.
“And you trust all of these people not to give me away,” she said.
The knot in his chest tightened.“Not forever, but we paid them well and told them you were on the run from a dangerous mob.”Which appeared to be true.“The bullet wound went a long way toward selling that story.It just needs to work until we remove the threat.”Or until they got her into hiding.
She yawned and blinked a few times, the fresh dose of pain meds Dr.Amadi had administered probably kicking in.“Do you know if my friend Emma is safe?She and Jason escaped right before the police arrived.”
Ford couldn’t hide his shock.“They left youalonewith a gunshot wound?”His hands curled into fists and the room was suddenly stuffy.So far, the police didn’t realize anyone else had been at the scene besides Natalie and the dead guy.Something they’d need to discuss eventually.
