“How would they know where to find me?”she challenged.
“Because of us.I’m sorry, Rowan.”He even sounded faintly sorry.
“They killed my father.Did you know they would do that?”
“No, I thought they’d try to kidnap you again.If I had known they were that desperate… look, I thought they were just sloppy the first time.If I’d known, I would have tried to save your father.”
His gaze met hers.Rowan’s back roughened with gooseflesh again.Dark, level, and utterly focused.She wasn’t used to people reallylookingat her.Most people’s eyes just slid past her, judging her as pretty but brainless.It wasn’t bad.She preferred being ignored and concentrated daily on making herself invisible.
“I defied direct orders to stay with you.Henderson ordered me to get out of there.I didn’t want to.I wanted to stay and make sure you were all right.I won’t let anyone force you into anything.”
“Why?”She glared at him, lifting her chin.This is insane.This guy is telling me the government’s chasing me because I’m psychic?And that he’s part of this secret society that wants to “save” me?Good God.
He shrugged, then stretched, the stretch turning into a graceful movement that brought him to his feet.She noticed abruptly how smoothly he moved—no wasted motion, every gesture economic and efficient.
She took another deep, jagged breath and finished the coffee in two hot gulps.“Justin?”she said, tentatively.“That’s your name, right?”
He went absolutely still, looking at her.“They call me Delgado here.”
“Okay.Delgado.Those… those men in black.The ones that killed my father.They were in the kitchen.How did we get past them?”
His jaw set and his eyes glittered.“I killed them both.”Nice and direct.He certainly wasn’t pulling any punches.“Look, I’m going to go find you some clean clothes.The bathroom’s in there, and there’s breakfast on the tray.I’ll be back.”He swung around and stalked across the room to a big, heavy wooden door.
She sat there, stunned, while he opened the door.He vanished, but he didn’t close the door behind him.He left it open, and she heard his footsteps going down the hall.
It was that single thing—the open door—that convinced her afresh that he was telling the absolute truth.If they wanted to keep her captive, he would have locked the door, wouldn’t he?
Then again, maybe she couldn’t escape the house.And if what he said was true, where would she go?
His voice echoed in the air.I killed them both.He said it like it was no big deal.Like he did it every day.
For all she knew, he did.
Rowan dropped the empty cup onto the bed.Jesus.It was as if the entire world had twisted off its axis, all because she’d been curious about lights in the windows of the Taylor house.I thought there were a bunch of teenagers messing around in there.If I would have just left it alone, maybe Dad and Hilary would be…alive.
She buried her face in her hands.Her father was dead.Hilary was dead.
And her?She might as well be dead too.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
When Delgado returned,he heard the shower running.She’d made the bed, but she hadn’t touched any of the pastries.He laid the clothes on the bed and poured himself another cup of coffee from the thermal carafe before it occurred to him that she might not want to walk out into the room naked.
He walked to the bathroom door.It was slightly open, and steam drifted out.“Rowan?”he called, knocking twice.
A listening silence descended on the bathroom.“Yes?”she finally said cautiously, her ruined voice echoing on tile.
“I have some clothes here.Some of them might fit you.Can I put them on the counter?”
Another long silence.“Sure,” she said, and he could tell she’d been crying again.
This should never have happened.Del clenched his teeth against the words and shoved them down.
He laid the stack of clothing on the counter, not even daring to glance at the glassed-in shower.The bathroom was clean, lit with brilliant incandescent bulbs and tiled in dark blue.It was a far cry from her neat, cozy home.There wasn’t even a potted plant in the entire safehouse.Nobody had the time to take care of them while out on mission.
He retreated to the bedroom and settled with his coffee, vaguely surprised she was still here.He’d left the door open deliberately so she wouldn’t feel any more trapped than was absolutely necessary.If she wanted to, she could probably get a fair ways through the house before he caught up with her.
The shower shut off after a short while, and he listened intently, hearing her move.He’d given her two sweaters, a pair of jeans too small for Catherine, a pair of sweatpants, and socks—he hadn’t found any undergarments.They would have something at Headquarters, if she consented to going.
