Dark Waters (2013) (34 page)

The first thing Katherine registered as she drifted back into consciousness was a deep, bone-biting chill that penetrated the light fleece she wore. Then pain. Her hands were swollen and numb, the hard plastic cutting into her wrists, but at least her hands were now in front of her. Her ankle bones rubbed against one another with bruising pressure. Her hip throbbed every time she tried to shift or get comfortable.

Had she been in a car accident?

There was a gentle rocking motion that made her feel nauseous—not a good idea while wearing a gag. It was dark except for a small strip of light beneath a door. The room felt small, like a closet, the floor felt hard, but not concrete hard.

Where’s Harvey?
A short sharp burst of panic shot through her and she thrust her legs sideways, desperately searching. She connected with something warm and solid and immediately quieted. Was he breathing? She wriggled closer, pressed her body against his back to feel whether or not his chest was moving.
Yes. Thank goodness
.

Her touch must have woken him because he rolled over. Even though they couldn’t see one another’s faces in the darkness, he reached out and took her icy fingers in his, massaging them gently. He shuffled closer, offering his warmth and comfort. She squeezed his hand in gratitude. What a mess.

Harvey managed to spit out his gag and then she felt his fingers against her lips as he eased her gag down over her chin. “We’re on a boat?”

“I think so,” she whispered. The last thing she wanted to do was attract anyone’s attention by making a noise. And that was the crux of her whole life, she realized. That’s what Davis had taken from her, and now these animals were trying to do the same.

Katherine managed to turn around so she could peek beneath the door, but all she could see was what looked like a narrow corridor. And then a pair of black boots appeared and she cringed away from the light as someone opened the door. She found herself staring up at the hard handsome face of a man wearing mirrored sunglasses. He squatted, expression devoid of emotion. He lowered his glasses, and his eyes were the scariest thing she’d ever seen—far colder than the mirrored lenses. She scooted back next to Harvey and the guy grinned, but it still didn’t warm his eyes.

“You planning something stupid?”

Katherine shook her head vigorously.

“Because there are all sorts of ways to make you compliant.” The suggestion in his eyes scared her to death. She wedged herself tight against Harvey.

His dark gaze shifted between the two of them and whatever he saw must have convinced him they’d behave.

He closed the door and both she and Harvey let out matching sighs of relief.

“Who was that?” Katherine asked.

“I don’t know.” Harvey rubbed his chin against her hair. “But the devil comes to mind.”

A shiver ran down her spine. “I’m so sorry I got you dragged into this.”

“I got myself into this mess chasing after you.”

When was she ever going to be anything but a liability?

“But I wouldn’t change a damn thing, Katherine. The thought of you going through this alone makes me ill.”

They lay side by side, pressed together for warmth and support. Ed would hate this. He’d probably hate the fact she was with Harvey as much as the fact she’d been kidnapped. Katherine didn’t know what to make of that.

They were slowly taxiing along a runway in Victoria. Anna was shaking from a combination of nerves and lack of food. No matter how hungry she was, she couldn’t force herself to eat until she’d seen her mom.

They’d made it through customs in Vancouver with the help of a tall, square-faced man who’d worn plainclothes but had an RCMP bodyguard and whom not a single person had questioned. Turned out Holly’s father was a big deal in the RCMP. A
very
big deal.

She’d overheard Brent agree to deliver her into protective custody as soon as Anna had seen her mother. Anna fidgeted in her seat, unable to relax. Even before the seat belt signs were off, she’d grabbed her meager bag of belongings from under the seat, and was on her feet. Brent had left his new jeep and all their camping gear in a barn in North Dakota. She’d make sure he got it back if she had to drive it all the way here herself.

Right now he was still mad at her. Her assumption that he was OK with people dying was selfish and insulting. Now that she was thinking rationally, she knew she’d meant to suggest finding bodyguards rather than hired guns, but her mouth had opened before her brain had engaged. The results weren’t pretty. Plus, he was worried about her for coming out of hiding and rushing home—although since she’d planned to go into protective custody anyway as soon as she’d seen her mom, she didn’t really know what the problem was.

His features were set in tight, angry lines. He certainly wasn’t acting like he remembered a damn thing about last night.

The airplane doors opened and they were striding along the flight tunnels into the small airport. Finn had arranged for them
to pick up a car. He and Holly were en route back from Winnipeg and, apparently, not exactly the founding members of the Anna Silver fan club.

Brent and Anna went to the rental desk and then tracked down their car in the parking lot. Anna got in the passenger side and placed her belongings in the backseat. She shifted in her seat and shot Brent a look from under her brow. He wasn’t talking to her. She’d screwed up.

“Thanks.”

He glanced at her sharply.

“For everything, but especially for last night.”

His brows crunched over those incredible blue eyes, but he still said nothing. The silence was full of brooding menace. Why was she forcing this issue? Her stomach rumbled and she placed her hand on it. There was a drive-through up ahead and he signaled. They pulled up at the window and he ordered coffee and muffins.

“It helped,” she said when the server disappeared. Still he didn’t speak. Just placed the coffee in the cup holders and drove off. She wanted him to know how much it had meant to her. It hadn’t been just sex for her, and as they might have to go their separate ways in the near future, she needed him to know that.

She’d expected a flippant “anytime” response. This moody quiet unnerved her. She turned and looked out the window, caught a glimpse of her reflection. God, she looked like crap. She pulled a face.

The countryside was rugged, the trees a lush healthy green. A few miles farther down the road Brent pulled into a turnout that overlooked a vast stretch of ocean. His skin was pale, jaw locked so tight it could have been superglued.

Then he spoke.

“Next time you need a therapy fuck, find someone who doesn’t give a shit.”

He got out of the jeep, slammed the door, and went to stand by the guardrail and stare out over the bluff. Anna sat stunned. She
tried to steady herself with a sip of coffee, but her hand shook so much it spilled. She wanted to go after him, to comfort him.

She made herself sit in the damn seat and not move a muscle.

It was better this way. She was bad for him. It was better that he started to hate her, because there was no way they had a future together and he’d already sacrificed too much.

So even though she wanted to go to him, to wrap her arms around him, and to tell him it hadn’t just been therapy, it had been amazing, she sat there. It would just drag him further into the mess of her world at a time she needed to push him away—for his own good. He finished his coffee and got back in the car, not looking at her. His admission that he felt something for her seemed to embarrass him, and that shamed her. Because he wasn’t alone. But she needed to make a clean break, and telling him how she felt about him would only make the parting even harder than it promised to be.

It didn’t take long to get to the hospital.

“Just drop me off at the entrance.” She forced the quaver out of her voice.

He looked like he wanted to argue and then decided against it, as she already had her door open. “What ward is she in?”

“Ten,” Anna said. She didn’t want Brent’s obvious disapproval to mar her reunion with her sick mother. She didn’t want Brent upset or angry. She should never have gone to him for help, although if she hadn’t, she’d probably be dead. “If you’d rather, I can get a taxi into RCMP headquarters while you pick up your truck. You could still make your exhibition…”

Holly had impounded the truck in a fit of fury.

He shot her a look of blue fire, but didn’t bother to answer. He pulled a burner cell out of his jeans pocket and tossed it in her lap. No touching. She felt like a leper and knew she deserved it.

“Your father asked for my help. Until Holly has you safely under her wing, I’m sticking.” Whether he liked it or not. Which he clearly didn’t.

She tried to not let it hurt. “OK, just give me a few minutes to talk to Mom alone first.” She slipped his cell phone into her jeans pocket. He didn’t say anything. Just waited for her to get out.

Her legs were unsteady as she walked through the large glass entrance of the hospital building. The last time she’d been here, she’d been in the ER and then locked up in the psych ward for a week. She shivered. That hadn’t been any fun.

“Anna!”

She whipped around at the sound of her name. Saw Ed standing near the coffee shop and hurried toward him. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. “Thank God you’re here.” He grabbed her arm and started tugging her toward a fire exit.

She slipped out of his grasp but hurried beside him. “Is Mom OK?”

“I transferred her to a private facility that has better doctors.” He wouldn’t meet her gaze.

Panic clutched at her chest. Oh, crap, that had to be bad. Whatever else she thought of Ed, she had never doubted his devotion to her mother. They strode out the side door and into the parking lot. She looked around for Brent, but didn’t see him anywhere.

“What exactly is it that is wrong with her?”

His white sedan was parked three rows over. He steered her toward it.

“Wait. I need to call someone and tell them where we’re going.” She pulled out the phone Brent had given her and dialed his number. Ed looked impatient enough to grab the phone from her hands. His skin was ashen and his lips were bloodless. Things must be bad with her mom. Brent’s cell was busy so she left him a quick voice mail. “What’s the name of the place?” she asked Ed.

“St. Catherine’s.”

Apt. “Never heard of it.” She told Brent to Google it and to meet her there. The space would do them good.

She braced herself for bad news when she got in the passenger seat. “So what’s wrong with her?”

“Breast cancer, so help me God.” He ground the words out like he was in physical pain.

Not cancer. Please not cancer. Her mother had always been the picture of health.

Ed’s hands were shaking. His first wife had died of breast cancer and now her mom? It wasn’t fair. Emotions bubbled in her throat, too terrible to deal with. She refused to believe her mom was going to die, although from the look on Ed’s face…

And she wanted to reach out and lean on Brent, let him help her through another terrible moment in her life. Because she was selfish and a coward. Like he needed more trouble or anguish brought to his doorstep. She straightened her spine. She could deal with this. She’d dealt with plenty of bad things and she was stronger now. Strong enough for others to lean on her.

“I need a coffee.” Ed sounded like someone had taken a saw to his vocal cords. They pulled into a Tim Horton’s and Anna looked around, the area familiar because it was near where her grandmother had lived. When she’d been growing up, she’d spent a lot of time here. Most of the shops had changed—a florist and coffee shop stood where the hardware store had been. The post office was still there, though.

Her heart stopped beating for a moment, everything suspended. Then it raced triple time. Everything fell into place as she stared at the Victorian façade of the heritage building. Her father’s horrible apartment. Her old letters in that battered red box. The cryptic message from her father, “
You’ll know
.”

She did know.

And all of a sudden, she wanted it to be over. Then she could be with her mom, nursing her back to health, because she
was
going to get better, and they were going to have a proper relationship. Anna was done with living a life in small, unsatisfying pieces. She was going to talk to Brent too, because she had fallen for him and, assuming she lived through the next few days, she wanted to be brave enough to tell him that without any expectations. Maybe it
would go nowhere. Maybe it was one of those crazy connections based on intense circumstances, but she finally wanted to find out. She’d hurt him and there was no excuse for that.

God, she’d messed up so badly.

To push away a man like that after he’d given her so much? Because she was scared. A coward. Well, she was done being a coward. She was done running away.

She got out of the car as they lined up in the drive-through. Ed shouted at her. She ignored him and crossed the street and walked into the old building with its rows and rows of post office boxes. Retracing the steps of her tortured teen self when her mother couldn’t bear even the thought of a letter from her former husband coming into her reinvented life. The PO box key hung on her key ring where it had been for so many years, she’d almost forgotten what it was for. Her grandmother had died at the end of January, and she’d probably renewed this PO box automatically every year. Anna would get the paperwork at some point, but she hadn’t seen it yet.