Deceived (7 page)

“Yet you're acting like you expect someone to come barging in and attack us at any moment,” she accused.

He took a step closer and immediately realized his mistake when his heart started pounding at the nearness of her.
Shit.
He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from touching her. “If being paranoid is what's going to keep you and your son alive,” he said, “then guilty as charged.”

“Please don't take this the wrong way, Luke,” she began, edging closer, damn it all, “but why does it matter so much to you if Eli and I are safe? You don't know us. I get that you've been given an order, but I also heard you talking to your commander and know you'd rather be somewhere else. If you'd insisted that someone else watch over us, I would've understood. I can just go to the police, tell them what happened. I'm sure it'll be fine.”

Luke stared at her for a long moment, trying to figure out the answer to her question. Hell if he knew why it mattered so much to him that he keep them safe. In the technical sense, he protected people every day and had for going on fifteen years when he added up his time in the military and then working for the government and now with the Alliance. But she was right—this assignment was hitting him on a level he hadn't anticipated.

“I guess because, when I wasn't much older than Eli, someone took my mother and me in, watched over
us
when we needed it,” he finally said, not sure where the explanation was even coming from. “And someone else did the same thing for me again a few years ago when I was in a really dark place—except this time the enemy I was up against was myself. If it wasn't for that person stepping in, I don't know where I'd be. But dead is a damned good bet.”

Sarah straightened. “Oh. God. I'm sorry.”

“Don't be,” Luke told her. He shook his head as his vision went a little blurry. Suddenly too tired to stand, he leaned against the edge of the sink. “I made a promise to keep you and Eli safe, Sarah. I'll keep it. There's no way I'd abandon you, so don't worry about it.”

The next thing he knew, Sarah's arms were around his neck, hugging him tightly. He resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her and hold her close, to bury his face in her hair and let the warmth of her wash over him. But when she pressed a kiss to his cheek and whispered, “Thank you,” in his ear, he almost gave in.

Fortunately, before he could move, she stepped away and hurried back into the room with Eli, leaving Luke gaping at the empty doorway and wondering exactly what the hell he'd gotten himself into.

* * *

Sarah had to force herself to concentrate on the documentary on TV and not to keep glancing over at the other bed, where Luke slept, breathing softly.

She'd been offering him an out when she'd told him she would understand if he wanted someone else to watch over them. But when he'd shared his reasons for wanting to make sure they were okay and promised not to abandon them, she had been secretly relieved.

And she'd impulsively thrown her arms around him, wanting to feel those protective arms around her if only for a brief moment. But he'd gone rigid with a sharp intake of breath when she'd hugged him, keeping his arms at his sides. Her initial reaction had been disappointment until she'd felt his heart pounding in his chest and her own kicked up a notch to match the frantic pace.

And when she'd brushed her lips against his cheek, she felt the almost imperceptible shudder that shook him. And for one crazy second she had the urge to kiss him again, this time on those fierce lips that he kept in a grim line, except on the rare occasions that he smiled. And
that smile
. . . it completely transformed his already handsome face. But luckily she'd come to her senses and put some distance between them before she did something colossally stupid. It was the situation, she told herself. Stress and adrenaline and some misplaced knight-in-shining-armor fascination—although come to think of it, that wasn't far off the mark with the whole Templar Knight shebang—had her waxing poetic and experiencing crazy thoughts and feelings toward this man.

Sarah sent another glance his way.

God, he was a gorgeous man. And she'd noticed that, in spite of his tall, muscular frame, he moved quietly, making almost no sound at all when he walked. Like a man who was used to being a predator. And yet, for all the deadliness she sensed in him, he treated her and Eli with such gentleness—not exactly something she would've expected from a man who radiated raw masculine power.

But there was a darkness to him as well—something he'd referenced when he'd vaguely spoken of his past when she'd cornered him in the bathroom a couple of hours ago. His piercing dark eyes had gone even darker in the remembrance of whatever it was that haunted him.

She studied him more intently, frowning a little as she tried to solve the puzzle that was Luke Rogan. What secrets was he keeping? If he knew her father, then he definitely had secrets—likely ones that were deeper and darker than she could possibly imagine.

“How long was I out?”

Sarah started so violently at the sudden sound of Luke's deep voice that she earned a worried look from Eli.

“It's okay, Mom,” he said, patting her arm. “It's just Mr. Rogan.”

She forced a little laugh and gave Eli a hug. “Thanks, pumpkin. I guess I'm just a little jumpy.”

When she turned her attention back to Luke, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, studying her with narrowed eyes. But his gaze wasn't menacing. It was . . . curious.

She held his gaze for a moment, but when she felt heat rising in her cheeks, she glanced toward the bedside clock. “Um . . . uh . . . a couple of hours.”

Luke glanced down at his wristwatch, confirming the time, and gave her a terse nod, then grabbed his phone from the same table. “Time to check in with my commander.”

He was on his feet and out the door before she realized he was even moving. A moment later, she could hear his booming voice outside the door and went to it, pressing close to try to hear what he was saying.

“—that this is a seriously bad idea.”

She leaned closer as his voice got quieter, her heart sinking when she heard her name. He was trying to off-load them after all. That had to be what he meant by “bad idea.”

She heard him wrapping up the conversation with an exasperated “Copy that” and hurried away from the door, pretending to inspect the air-conditioning unit under the window.

“Time to move out,” he said as he shut the door behind him. “Eli, time to go, buddy.”

“Where are we going now?” Sarah asked, her tone clipped.

Luke's brows twitched together in the hint of a frown. “East for about two hours. I'm meeting a colleague there to pick up some things for you and Eli. Then we'll continue to my house in Wyoming.”

She shook her head slightly. “But I thought—” She bit off her words to keep from letting on that she'd been listening to his conversation. “Okay. But we'll need to get lunch somewhere along the way. Will there be someplace we can stop?”

“It's okay, Mom,” Eli chimed in. “I can wait. I'm not that hungry.”

She turned in time to catch her son sending Luke a wide grin and a starry-eyed look of admiration. She'd have to discourage him from getting attached to Luke, especially when the man clearly saw them as a burden, regardless of what he said to her face.

“Listen to your mom, Eli,” Luke said mildly. “She's the boss.”

Eli gave Luke a nod that was a very good imitation of Luke's own. “Copy that.”

Luke's mouth twitched with the hint of a grin. “We'll grab some lunch at the first place we see,” Luke assured them. “Eli, can you be my eyes and watch for some place? I'm used to traveling alone and not eating very often.”

Eli nodded emphatically. “Sure!”

“All right then, let's move out.”

Sarah started for the door, but Luke put out a restraining arm, catching her around the waist. Her cheeks flooded with heat at his touch and she lifted her eyes to his. For a moment, their gazes locked and the air between them grew thick with tension as he looked down at her, his brows drawn together in a slight frown as if he'd forgotten what he'd intended to say.

When he finally spoke, his voice was rough. “I go first. To make sure it's safe.”

Her voice seemed to have deserted her, so she merely nodded and watched him as he opened the door part of the way and peered outside before stepping out and going to the SUV. He glanced around casually, as anyone else might, but Sarah could tell by the way his eyes narrowed that he was taking in every detail of their surroundings, searching for any sign of a threat.

“I like Mr. Rogan,” Eli said, slipping his hand into hers. “Do you think we'll stay at his house for very long?”

Luke waved them out at that moment, so Sarah left her son's question hanging. But considering the way her stomach fluttered and her heart pounded when Luke gently placed a hand on the small of her back to guide her to the SUV, she realized the sooner they were away from Luke Rogan, the better.

Luke leaned against the hood of the SUV, waiting for Finn to arrive and trying not to think about how heavy the weight of Sarah's gaze had been while he was sleeping. Even when he had been out cold, he could feel her looking at him. It made him uncomfortable—mostly because he hated what she must've been thinking of him.

He hadn't intended to make reference to his past when they were talking. It was better for everyone if that stayed buried. But it was almost like she could see right into his soul. And that made him want to yak up all the muffins he'd wolfed down at breakfast. If she'd had any idea what he'd done in his lifetime, could see even a
fraction
of the shit that gave him nightmares, she wouldn't look at him in that particular way she had that made him want to drag her into his arms and not let go.

He glanced over to where Sarah and Eli were sitting in the grassy field next to the truck stop where he'd been told to rendezvous with his fellow Templar, both of them needing to stretch their legs and be out of the SUV for a few minutes. As he watched, Sarah closed her eyes and turned her face up to the sun, her hair lifting slightly in the autumn breeze.

She was so beautiful in that unguarded moment that his chest constricted with emotion. He'd been to more countries than he'd bothered to count, had seen some of the most beautiful places on earth. And yet it all paled in comparison to the sight before him now.

Oh, yeah. This is a
seriously
bad idea. . . .

He'd tried to get that across to Commander Asher when they'd chatted outside the motel room. Luke hadn't had the balls to come right out and tell his commander that he was attracted to the woman he'd been asked to protect, that he worried about where things might go if they spent too much time together.

There'd been no point. He knew exactly what Will would've said—
keep your dick in your pants, Rogan, and do your fucking job
. It'd been made very clear to Luke that this was a nonnegotiable condition of his employment when he'd been recruited.

There was a reason the Templars were discouraged from getting involved in romantic relationships. They were distracting. And that directive had never been an issue for Luke. Hell, he'd had a hard and fast rule about not getting serious with anybody well before he'd been recruited into the Alliance. And since then, he'd been all about the job, determined to prove to himself and his brethren that he deserved to be there. And that hadn't been a problem. Until now.

He was just going to have to keep his shit together and keep his distance. Period. Which was a great fucking plan until he felt Sarah's pulse racing every time he touched her and realized she was into him too.

Quiet footfalls on the gravel sent a spike of adrenaline through Luke's veins. He spun around, weapon drawn.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,
brah,
It's just me.” Elliot “Finn” Finnegan sauntered his way, the guy's shaggy blond hair sun-bleached and his tan surprisingly golden brown for someone who spent the vast majority of his time behind a shit ton of computers in their ops center.

Luke lowered his gun. “You were supposed to call when you got here. I damned near shot your ass.” Jerking his chin toward Finn's gaudy flower-print shirt, ripped-out jeans, and flip-flops, Luke asked, “Just get back from the island?”

Finn flashed the wide, easy grin Luke knew had a way of procuring some of the best ass around in spite of the guy's being a total geek. “Fuckin' A. The waves off Waikiki were totally bitchin'. You should come with me next time, check it out.”

Luke chuckled. “I'm more comfortable riding horses than riding waves, but thanks. So whatcha got for me?”

Finn handed over the black duffel bag he was carrying. “Standard field tech. Plus new, secure phones for Sarah and her son. We're still assessing just what was affected by the breach, so I've switched everyone over to a backup system I'd installed on the sly—you know, just in case.”

Luke gave him a wary look. “And who exactly is kindly hosting this backup system if we've been compromised?”

Finn chuckled. “Let's just say there are certain branches of the United States government that have been most accommodating.”

Luke lifted a brow. “I'm guessing they have no idea just
how
accommodating.”

Finn shrugged. “Wouldn't be the first time I've taken full advantage of their generosity. Anyway, Sarah and Eli's numbers are already programmed into your contacts, and yours into theirs. Aside from calling you, each other, or my direct line at the ops center, they can't make outgoing calls. They can receive incoming calls, but we're going to be the only ones that have the numbers.”

“What about email?” Luke asked.

“Their accounts have already been taken care of,” Finn assured him. “I'm keeping an eye on things and monitoring incoming messages. Outgoing will be evaluated. And we're already working on making arrangements for Sarah's personal affairs. Commander Asher will fill you in on the details. Also got a new laptop for you and newly secured mi-fi for all the devices so you can check in with HQ. You'll also find new IDs and passports for all three of you, courtesy of my masterful forgery skills—just in case. I've set up a bank account and credit cards for you and Sarah under the new names, too. You're now Mr. and Mrs. Randall.”

“People know my name where I'm going,” Luke told him. “I've lived there for a while.”

“So say she's your girlfriend then,” Finn said with a shrug. “And just use the cash when you're in town so no one gets their dick twisted. Is your house in your name? Is it traceable?”

Luke shook his head, explaining as he made his way to the back of the SUV, “It's listed under a phony trust set up by one of my aliases from an op I ran before the Alliance. Someone would have to know about that to figure out it's mine.”

“Still, better give me the address in case of an emergency,” Finn suggested. When Luke hesitated, Finn held his arms out to his sides. “C'mon, Rogan. You've known me
how
long?”

“I don't want my address on record,” Luke reminded him, opening the SUV's rear door and grabbing his own duffel. “That was the deal when I signed on.”

“It won't be on record,” Finn assured him. He tapped his temple. “It'll be right up here. Nowhere else. And when this is over—poof! It's gone.”

Luke gave him a wary look. “Yeah right. I've never known you to forget a damned thing. But you'll just purge my address from your memory?”

Finn gave him a tolerant look and gestured at himself. “Dude. There's only so much awesome this body can take. I have to purge the shit now and then.”

“Fine. But if my address gets out, it's your ass.” Luke rattled off his address, earning raised eyebrows from Finn.

Finn's brows shot up. “No shit? Wyoming? So the whole thing about riding horses . . .”

“Wasn't bullshit.”

Finn nodded. “Sweet.”

“Now give me yours,” Luke demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Quid pro quo.”

“Don't have one,” Finn said with a shrug. “Gotta keep movin'. I just go where the waves take me.”

Luke shook his head. The Chicago commandery's golden boy was a piece of work, but he couldn't help but like the guy—even if he did always look more like a beach bum than a genius with three PhDs who had a price on his head in at least four countries for hacking government secrets.

“Have anything else for me?” Luke asked. “Sarah and Eli had to leave without grabbing anything.”

“I've got a couple changes of clothes for each of them,” Finn replied. “Maddie Blake helped me on sizes. But they'll probably want to grab some other things. There's a mall about twenty miles from here.” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the red SUV he'd driven up in. “You can take this fleet vehicle. I'll take care of ditching this one. You know the drill.”

Luke gave him a terse nod. This was hardly his first time evading an enemy—foreign or domestic. But like most of his other colleagues, Finn only had a vague knowledge of Luke's background. Jack and Commander Asher were the only ones who knew the full story—Jack because he'd recruited him; Will because his ass was on the line if Luke fucked up.

“The commander's calling an emergency meeting of the team,” Finn told him. “Bringing in anyone from ops who can be spared. You'll need to check in tonight at twenty-two hundred. Your laptop is set up and ready to go for you to conference in.”

Luke slammed the rear door of the Expedition and tossed Finn the keys. “Thanks, I'll—”

“
Daaaaamn
,” Finn drawled under his breath. Luke turned to follow Finn's line of sight and saw Sarah and Eli walking toward them. “Sure you want this detail? I'd be happy to take her—I mean
it
—off your hands.”

Luke sent a look of warning Finn's way that made the man chuckle. Not exactly the reaction he was going for. But Finn wiped the grin from his face when Luke stepped in beside Sarah and guided her forward with his hand at the small of her back.

Luke cleared his throat and vaguely gestured in Finn's direction. “Sarah, Eli, this is Finn.”

Finn's smile returned as he glanced between Luke and Sarah. “No way . . .”

Luke sent a dark look Finn's way. “Don't even go there, man.”

Finn smothered his shit-eating grin, but amusement still seemed to tug at the corner of the little bastard's mouth as he reached out and shook Sarah's hand. “Don't mind him. Dude's just jealous of my good looks and is worried I'll sweep you off your feet with my irresistible charm.”

Sarah laughed, clearly amused by Finn's flirting. “Well, I can see why he's concerned, Mr. Finn.”

Finn slid his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, striking an Adonis-like pose that came naturally to him. “Just Finn,” he said with a wink.

“Don't you have somewhere to be, ‘just Finn'?” Luke snapped.

Finn shook his head, his gaze fixed on Sarah. “Nah, I'm good.”

Luke strode to the other SUV and jerked open the passenger door. “Well, we do. Thanks for the care package.”

Sarah sent a bemused look Luke's way, but then extended her hand to Finn. “It was nice to meet you, Finn.”

Finn took her hand, holding on to it longer than Luke would've liked. But it was actually Eli who interceded. He stepped between them with a huff and grabbed his mom's hand. “Mr. Rogan says we have to go, Mom.”

“Eli!” Sarah scolded softly, ushering him into the back seat. Then she sent an apologetic look Finn's way. “I'm sorry. He's normally not so rude.”

Finn shrugged good-naturedly. “No worries.”

Luke helped Sarah into the SUV, then turned back to Finn, whose wide grin had returned. “What?”

Finn shook his head. “Be careful,
brah
. You're headed for trouble.”

Luke frowned at him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Finn chuckled. “Nothin', man,” he called over his shoulder as he sauntered away. “Nothin' at all.”

Luke was still frowning when he put the duffel bags into the rear of the red SUV and got behind the wheel, earning raised brows from Sarah.

“I didn't like that guy,” Eli grumbled, crossing his arms. “And his shirt was stupid-ugly.”

Luke chuckled as he started up the SUV and got them back on the road. “His shirts are always ugly. Don't hold it against him.”

“Eli,” Sarah interjected, “there was nothing wrong with Mr. Finn's shirt.”

“Fine,” Eli huffed. “But I didn't like the way he looked at you.”

Luke grunted. He didn't like it either, but he sure as shit wasn't about to admit it.

“What are you talking about?” Sarah asked with a slight chuckle, sending a glance Luke's way.

Eli shrugged. “Nothing. I just didn't like it. He had that look like in the movies when the guy puts his tongue in the girl's mouth.”

“What?” Sarah cried. “
What
movies are you talking about? Were you watching cable at Dylan's again?”

Luke glanced in the rearview mirror in time to catch Eli rolling his eyes. “There's kissing in
all
the movies, Mom. Sheesh. But it's okay when Mr. Rogan looks at you like that. I don't mind
him
wanting to kiss you.”

Luke damned near steered the SUV off the road. But his surprise was apparently nothing compared to Sarah's; she twisted around in her seat so fast it was a miracle she didn't get whiplash.

“Elijah Gregory Scoffield!” she hissed. “I suggest you hush this instant, young man. You have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Sure, I do,” Eli argued. He leaned forward enough to tap Luke on the shoulder. “You think my mom's pretty, right?”

Luke suddenly found himself wishing for a well-placed sinkhole to swallow up the SUV. He shifted a little in his seat and sent a glance Sarah's way. “Yeah. Sure.”

“And don't guys always want to kiss pretty girls?” Eli pressed.

Luke cleared his throat, the air in the vehicle feeling too thick to draw into his lungs. “Uh . . . it's a little more complicated than that, buddy. You can't just kiss every pretty girl you see.” He sent a guarded glance Sarah's way. “She has to
want
you to kiss her.”

Eli sent an expectant look his mom's way. “You
want
him to kiss you, right, Mom?”

Sarah looked like she wanted to dive out of the moving vehicle, her cheeks nearly as bright as her sweater. “End of discussion, Eli.”