HER BODYGUARD Page 18

  "Thank you," he said, his tone almost painfully careful. "I appreciate your concern—" He broke off, as if searching for what else to say, and a sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

  How embarrassing. She'd revealed her innermost feelings to him, and for all she knew, he was just looking to her for a good time.

  "But it's not something you need to worry about," he continued. "Once your life gets back to normal, you'll forget about me, and what happened between us won't seem important anymore."

  A sudden, icy anger washed over her. "Is that supposed to be comforting?"

  "It's the truth. I'm not denying there's an attraction between us, Lili, but it won't last. And it shouldn't … you and me, we don't exactly move in the same circles. After you're home, after you've put some distance between us and had time to think, you'll see I'm right."

  "What if you're wrong?" His words hurt; he made it sound so trivial, and her feelings for him were anything but trivial.

  "I'm not. Not about this."

  He sounded tired, and for an instant she glimpsed a weariness in him, an old and long-standing weariness that triggered an instinctual need to comfort and protect, and she ached to hold him in her arms.

  "A threat to your safety is all that's keeping us together," Matt said, avoiding her gaze. "Once the threat is eliminated, we move on."

  Lili watched him, torn between accepting his answer and her certainty that their deepening feelings for each other weren't as temporary as he wanted her to think.

  She also wondered if perhaps he wasn't as certain of himself as he'd led her to believe. He'd seen Manny shot, was grappling with the possibility that Dal might die – and the undeniable fact that it could just as easily happen to him.

  The thought made her shiver, and she pressed closer against his warmth. He cupped her face again, tipping it toward him, and he stared at her – and this time, she couldn't miss the turmoil in his gray eyes.

  "Ah, damn," he whispered, and kissed her.

  Hard this time – no gentleness at all – and angry. At her, at himself, it didn't matter, not now. She returned his kiss with the same anxious, angry intensity, gripping his shirt in her fists.

  Matt slid his hands downward, and under her shirt. His hands were warm and rough, and rested a moment on her belly before moving up to her breasts. He cupped her breasts in his hands, rubbing her aroused nipples through the lace, and then he slipped his fingers beneath her bra.

  Lili sighed with the pleasure, wanting it, and guilty for wanting it, but not protesting as he lifted her and set her on the trunk.

  He moved between her legs and pressed her down against the sun-warmed metal, still kissing her, his hands on her breasts, teasing and promising. Desire wound through her, aching and taut.

  She didn't even realize she was crying again until he kissed the tears from her cheeks, murmuring her name, his kisses and touch suddenly gentled. He kissed her eyelids, her nose, chin, and neck, as he pushed up her shirt, then her bra, and finally the hot, wet heat of his mouth closed over her breast, teasing, before moving to the other. His tongue caressed her nipples, and the need to have him inside her, moving hard and deep and strong, swept through her.

  Damn him, damn … damn…

  "Don't," she whispered.

  He looked up at her, his face dark against the paler skin of her breasts. "You want me to stop?"

  "No," she said on a long sigh. "But don't try to distract me like this. It won't work, Matt … I won't forget."

  He gave a low, frustrated groan and pulled away.

  "You're going to drive me crazy," he said, sounding more resigned than angry. "You'd better get in the car before I do something stupid."

  Thirteen

  Lili waited in the car as Matt stashed their Wal-Mart bags – full of clothes, shoes, toiletries, bags of munchies, various odds and ends, a couple boxes of Trojans, and two cheap gold wedding bands – in the backseat.

  The wedding rings had startled her badly; though she'd managed to quip dryly, "Hey, you don't have to marry me to have sex with me."

  The elderly counter clerk hadn't been amused and Matt had flushed that telltale dark red color, but he hadn't said a word.

  Now, as he got into the car, a more serious problem concerned her. "What did Monica say? How are they doing?"

  "Manny's in surgery," he said, slipping on the sunglasses. He took a long breath. "Dal's doing the same."

  She looked down, fighting the disappointment. It would be too much to hope for, that he'd come out of his coma this soon.

  "But it's not all bad news," he added, and cranked the ignition. "Monica gave me an address and number for Willis Conroy. Pine Lake Retirement Park, about an hour away from Big Moccasin Lake Lodge."

  "Are we going there next?"

  "Nope." Matt pulled out of the parking lot, and headed for the highway on ramp. "I called. He's gone to visit his niece." He smiled humorlessly. "Willis is back at the family resort, next door to where Mancuso died."

  "Well, that's convenient."

  "Yeah, it sure is."

  "So we're going to the resort?"

  "You got it."

  He said it in a nonchalant tone, but a sudden fear fluttered in her stomach. "Are we staying there?"

  "I don't know yet."

  She shot him a glare, but he didn't notice, once again fixated on the road, on his inner thoughts, and on planning his moves. Unbuckling her seat belt, she reached over to the back and rummaged through the shopping bags until she found the screwdriver, penlight, and pocket knife.

  "What are you doing?" Matt asked as she buckled up again.

  "Looking to see if Joey Mancuso left us a handy set of instructions." She turned over one of Rose's shoes, and winced. "I hate this, though. It's like defacing a Leonardo da Vinci or something."

  "People have been shot on account of those shoes."

  "I know, but it's still hard." As carefully as possible, she pried off the heel cap, then took the penlight and peered inside. "It's hollow, all right."

  "See anything?"

  "No," she said, disappointed. "Maybe we'll get lucky with the other one."

  Soon after, she had the other heel cap off and she sighed. "No luck. Nothing. Nada. Zilch."

  "I guess a map would've been too easy."

  "We could use a break," Lili said irritably. "Joey Mancuso was just a two-bit bank robber, not Einstein. Why is it we can't figure this out?"

  "We work backward. Once we know what was in the bag, then we'll know how the shoes fit into it."

  With some disgust, Lili stared at the shoes on her lap. "It's only money."

  "There has to be something more," he said after a moment. "Gotta be."

  "But what? Mike Riley was a bootlegger. He dabbled in prostitution, extortion, and gambling … all the usual vices, but that would've brought in nothing but cash. Maybe Joey made off with a lot more money than Mike Riley was willing to admit to."

  "Maybe the money wasn't in bills."

  Intrigued, Lili stared at Matt. "I hadn't thought of that. You mean like gold bullion or something?"

  "Could be. It would hold up better over seventy years, too."

  She frowned, turning to look outside, where the farms had given way to trees, mostly pines. "Where would Riley get hold of gold bullion during the Depression? Banks were failing left and right, and I can't see anybody stashing gold bars at speakeasies or next to the stills while they were brewing hooch."

  "It's a long shot. Maybe Joey's boss didn't tell the truth. It wouldn't be the first time the crooks held back on the cops."

  Lili sighed. "I hope Monica turns up a few answers fast."

  "Conroy's gotta know something." He glanced at Lili. "What can you tell me about him?"

  "Not much," she admitted. "I did most of my research on Rose. Willis worked for Mike Riley and met Rose when she was sixteen, probably through her mother's brothel, and was briefly involved with her. After Willis hooked up with Joey, he introduced him to Rose, and it w
as love at first sight."

  Matt arched a brow in interest. "Joey poached his own partner's girl? Little bastard. How come Conroy didn't kill him for that?"

  Lili shrugged. "Maybe he didn't care. Willis never lacked for lady friends. Later, when they started pulling bank jobs, Joey was the brains, and maybe Willis stuck by him as long as it was in his best interest to do so."

  "How did Conroy know Mancuso was at the lodge?"

  "They'd made plans to go to Canada together, and start over clean."

  Matt looked at her, his expression skeptical.

  "Well, that's what the book said, and apparently they split up to make hiding out easier. They intended to hook up again in Canada, and kept in touch by phone." The open windows admitted a breeze sharp with the tang of pine and loam, and Lili inhaled deeply. "When Willis was caught in Minneapolis, he bargained for a reduced sentence by giving away his partner to the police."

  He peered over the top of his sunglasses. "Riley's men killed Joey, right?"

  "Right. Half the cops and politicians in Chicago were on some mobster's payroll, and once the word was out, it was just a matter of who got to Joey first. Riley's men had the advantage because they didn't have to go through local red tape, like the bureau agents from Chicago did."

  The wind whipped a lock of hair from her ponytail, and Lili tucked it back behind her ears. "The old couple who owned the lodge claimed Joey got a late night call the day after Willis was arrested in Minneapolis. Somebody must've tipped Joey off that he was in trouble, because the police said the getaway car was packed and it looked as if they were getting ready to run."

  "But they never made it out."

  "Riley's gunmen arrived first. Joey never stood a chance."

  "What happened after Mancuso was killed?"

  "The bureau agents and local deputies caught Riley's gunmen on the road, and there was another shoot-out," Lili answered. "The cops found the lodge's blood-stained outboard drifting on the lake, and later sent divers down to look for the bodies. They didn't have any luck, so Riley got away clean on the Mancuso killing. No bodies, no crime."

  "What about Riley? And Conroy, what did he get?"

  "Riley was gunned down a year later by bureau agents. Willis got life for armed robbery and murder, but his sentence was eventually reduced and he was released in 1978." She paused. "Does any of this help?"

  "It sounds like a typical heist gone bad, with a bunch of greedy bastards double-crossing each other, and it tells me Joey wasn't very smart."

  "He was smart enough to hide that bag," Lili said wryly. "And smart enough that nobody ever found it. People have looked, you can bet on that."

  Matt didn't answer, and after a while Lili settled back in the seat. She yawned.

  "Get some sleep," he said, glancing at her. "We've got a couple more hours to drive yet."

  "As much as I'd like to, I don't think I can." She shifted, trying to ease the tight muscles of her legs and back.

  "I could turn on the radio. Can't say we'll get much of a selection way up here, but it might help you relax."

  She shook her head. "No, that's okay. I'd prefer to listen to you talk. I love your voice, I could listen to you talk for hours and hours."

  Matt shot her a startled look. "You want me to talk you to sleep?"

  "Something like that." Lili smiled at the incredulity in his voice. "If you don't mind, that is."

  "What do you want me to talk about?"

  "I don't care, as long as it's not depressing, or doesn't have anything to do with these stupid shoes."

  "How about something guaranteed to put you to sleep?"

  "Sounds good," she said, and closed her eyes, still smiling.

  A moment later, Matt started talking quietly. His deep, even voice washed over her, comforting and familiar. And sexy. God, he had the sexiest voice.

  When the actual meaning of his words penetrated, she almost opened her eyes. What was this? He was talking stocks and bonds, business plans, mission statements … it sounded like the sort of talk she'd heard from Jared.

  Instead of putting her to sleep, it intrigued her. Finally she opened her eyes, watching him through lowered lashes.

  "Are you thinking of starting your own business?" she asked, unable to hold back a wisp of hope that maybe, despite his repeated comments to the contrary, he wanted to ditch his dangerous job.

  "I've reached a point in my life where I need to be doing more. I'll be leaving Armistead and Flannery to start my own agency." He didn't look away from the winding road. "You're my last assignment."

  A sudden chill – and a dark premonition – swept over her at his words. To distract herself, she looked out the window. It was pretty, the fall colors just past their peak. In another week or so the trees would be bare, and the ground covered with brown, brittle leaves.

  "You hungry?" he asked.

  "A little."

  "There's a restaurant coming up. I need something to eat, too."

  The restaurant barely qualified as one. The first thing she saw was a crude, hand-lettered sign that proclaimed FOOD, and beneath that were the words: ARLENE'S EATERY.

  Matt pulled to a stop and they both surveyed the tiny building. Its yellow, weatherworn plank siding needed a new coat of paint, and the gravel parking lot was uneven and riddled with potholes.

  "There's cars in the lot," Matt said. "Maybe the food's not so bad."

  A few minutes later, they were seated at a small table with a chipped Formica top. The linoleum floor was worn and old, and the faded papered walls were decorated with dime store pictures of country scenes. Arlene hadn't invested much in the decor, but at least the place looked clean.

  A young waitress wearing an apron over her jeans and T-shirt took their order, then Lili and Matt sat back to stretch their legs and relax. A dozen or so people were in the diner, and a young family of four sat next to them. The mother was feeding and entertaining a baby in a high chair, her own plate of food untouched, while the father repeatedly told the little girl to sit still, for God's sake, and eat her food, not play with it.

  From his high chair, the baby could easily see Matt. A new face was more interesting than the hot dog chunks on his tray, so he smiled at Matt, showing neat rows of little white baby teeth.

  Matt smiled back, and waggled his fingers. Excited, the baby banged his fists on the tray, squashing the hot dog chunks – and earning a scolding from his mother. He retaliated by bursting into tears.

  Matt turned away, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at Lili. "Uh-oh. Guess I shouldn't have done that."

  She smiled, finding his discomfort endearing in a rough sort of male way. "You don't hang around too many kids, I take it?"

  "Nope."

  "My sister Lauren has two kids, and I see them often. Kids are adorable, but they're a lot of work, too."

  Matt peeled the wrapper from his straw and stuck it in his glass of Coke, his lack of comment conspicuous in itself.

  A few seconds passed, and she asked, "Do you have any family?"

  "Not anymore."

  "Oh." His blunt answer left Lili momentarily startled. "I'm sorry."

  "Don't be. I'm not."

  "Okay," she said slowly. "My guess is that this is one of those subjects you don't want to talk about."

  He watched her, sipping his drink. "You got it."

  "Do you like kids?"

  His brows lowered. "Yeah, I like kids."

  "I'd like to have a couple, eventually. I don't think I'm ready for the whole motherhood thing just yet – much to my mother's despair. I'm her last hope for more grand-kids, because I think she's given up on Olivia."

  "Olivia's the sister who keeps your business manager on a short leash?"

  Lili laughed. "That's one way of looking at it. She's certain marriage will wreck her routines and nice, tidy lifestyle."

  "So how come Sayers keeps chasing after her?"

  "I guess he loves her. Between you and me, I think he should get a little more aggressive and
show Olivia he means business."

  "Sounds like your sister is playing hard to get."

  "Of course she is. That's the way the rules of courtship work. A girl doesn't want to make it too easy on a guy." A sudden heat warmed her cheeks as she realized what she was saying – and how he might interpret it. Hastily, she added, "Unless there's a reason to make it easy, like extenuating circumstances." And being chased by ugly thugs with guns. "There's always an exception to a rule. But I'm sure you know that, since you're so big on rules."

  Matt smiled, a slow, wolfish smile. "You better quit while you're ahead."

  "Good idea." Relieved, she saw the waitress heading their way. Saved by a house salad.

  They ate in silence, and while Matt seemed totally focused on his food, she still had dozens of questions plaguing her. Maybe if she asked often enough, she'd catch him off guard or wear him down so that he'd answer at least one or two.

  "Tell me about this business you want to start," she said.

  "Not much to tell. I want to start my own agency. That's pretty much it."

  "A security agency?"

  He nodded, popping a cherry tomato in his mouth. "That's where my experience and skills are. Security's the only thing I know how to do."

  "I don't know about that. I was listening to you rattle on about stocks and bonds, profitability assessment, cash flows, legal liabilities, and business plans." She dabbed a bit of salad dressing off her mouth with a paper napkin. "You have plenty of other skills and experiences you could put to use in something besides security. Starting your own business—"

  "—is something a lot of people do, all the time. It's not a big deal, Lili. You have your own business."

  "Except I'm not very good at the business end of things," she said as she watched him polish off the rest of his salad – and avoid her eyes "But I'd like to learn. Maybe you could teach me."

  He snapped his head up in surprise. "Me?"

  "Why not? What you were talking about earlier applies to me, too. That whole thing about market assessment … that's what Jared means when he talks about diversifying. The problem is, I'm not sure I want to." Warming to her subject, she leaned forward. "I design bridal shoes, so I'm always going to have a market. Brides and weddings will never go out of style, and while it's not as high profile as haute couture fashion, I don't care. I love designing bridal shoes."