Holiday Illusion (5 page)

But still…she could look. No harm in that, right?

Glancing in the side mirror, she noticed a fast approaching car coming up behind them. A black car with tinted windows. The Mercedes symbol glinted in the sunlight. Anna blinked at the glare and adjusted the mirror.

“Hey Lucas, you might want to move over into the right lane; that Mercedes is riding awfully close on your bumper.”

“You're right. I just noticed that.” He signaled, pulled to the right. The Mercedes followed. Now, Anna became concerned. Lucas sped up, the powerful black car followed easily.

“Lucas, something's not right with this.”

No sooner had the words left her lips than the Mercedes gunned it and rammed into the back of the rental.

A
nna heard Lucas yell and felt herself thrown back against the seat, then bounced off the passenger door. Her head cracked against the window, pain radiating. The seat belt cut into her shoulder and waist, pinning her in the seat. She threw her arms out and grabbed the dash turning to look at Lucas's horrified expression. He wrenched the wheel to the left to avoid a headlong plunge off the highway. Wheels screeched against the pavement, the smell of burned rubber singed her nose.

“Lucas!”

“Hold on!”

The black Mercedes crept up closer, the tinted windows making it impossible to see anything inside. The powerful engine roared. Anna swiveled to look out the back window to get a look at the driver, hoping the front window wouldn't be darkened, but before she could catch a glimpse, the Mercedes gave a sudden burst of speed to ram into the tail end once again. She screamed as the rental went into a tailspin.

Fighting the steering wheel, Lucas growled, focusing his attention on keeping them in the right lane and out of oncoming traffic. Anna grabbed her purse from the floor, searching frantically. She pulled her cell from the side pocket and punched in three numbers.

“Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?”

“We're on Standing Wave Highway heading toward North Carolina. Someone's trying to run us off the road!”

A slight pause. “I have a car on the way. Give me a specific exit number if you can.”

“Passing Exit 53. Hurry! Lucas, watch out. They're coming again!”

The impact jerked her head back into the window for the second time; stars danced before her eyes.

“Ma'am, are you there?” Anna focused back on the 911 operator.

“Yes, I…I'm here, but we need some help. Fast.”

Lucas managed to dodge another run at the car. The Mercedes slid past, the brake lights flashing. Two more minutes of watching Lucas avoid another collision had her nerves stretched to the breaking point. Finally a siren sounded to her left, another up ahead. The Mercedes immediately backed off, took the next exit and disappeared, but not before Anna thought she caught a glimpse of the number 1 on the license plate. Not that that information would do any good. How many Mercedes would be registered in the city of Rocking Wave Beach with a 1 as one of the numbers on the license plate? It would be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Lucas slowed, allowing the police to catch up. One went after the Mercedes, but Anna didn't hold out hope that he would catch it. Her head hurt. Lifting a hand to the throbbing ache centered over her right eye, she felt wetness. When she looked, bright red stained her fingers.

Her door opened and the officer, seeing her blood, said something into his radio. Lucas reached over to grab her left hand. “Are you all right?” he demanded.

She lifted her eyes to his. “So much for staying under the radar, huh?”

 

How had they found her so fast? Lucas fumed as he thought. First the hospital and now this. He rubbed his shoulder where the seat belt had cut into it. But he ignored his minor aches and pains as he thought.

How was it possible that she'd been located so quickly? Was it truly possible that de Chastelain had the ability to track her passport usage? Or was it something else? Something so obvious, it was scary. It could also be that FBI guy, Justin. He was the only one who'd known Anna was back. Lucas ground his teeth as he paced the den of his father's home.

The old man had yet to put in an appearance. They'd been let in by Ted, who'd gone to get an ice pack for Anna as soon as he'd heard their story. Anna sat on the couch, the ice pack held to her head. She'd downed two ibuprofen pills without complaint. Her pale features worried him, but Anna assured him she was fine, she just needed to lie down. Maddy, one of the household staff, promised him that their rooms would be ready within five minutes.

When they'd finished giving their statements, the officers had tried to convince them to turn around and go back to the hospital, but Anna had refused. Lucas informed them that he was a doctor, promising to keep an eye on her. They quit pushing it. He'd managed to get the little rental car started and they'd finished the remaining ten-minute drive to the Haven, North Carolina, beachfront home located at the top of the man-made cliffs that overlooked the crashing ocean below.

An easy winding path led down to the boathouse where several boats nestled against the pier. The boathouse itself could be seen from the main house and looked like a small stone cottage. Very quaint and very familiar. The sight of it brought pangs of grief for the brother who'd died there, but still it surprised Lucas how good it felt to be home.

They were now ensconced in his father's house where scents from his childhood, the fresh roses from the winter greenhouse, his father's old pipe, and lemon furniture polish washed over him, reminding him of good days when his mother was alive and he felt loved, sheltered.

“Lucas?”

Spinning on his heel, Lucas found himself face-to-face with the cousin he'd grown up with. His best friend and co-troublemaker. “Godfrey.”

Sincere affection flooded him as he crossed the room to hug the man who hadn't aged a bit in the past three years. His dark good looks had always driven girls nuts and he'd reveled in his popularity. Until he'd met Dahlia, now his wife, and was smitten for life. “You look great. It's good to see you.”

Godfrey smiled, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners as he patted Lucas's shoulder. “I can say the same for you. Brazil must have been some kind of vacation.”

Lucas gave the man a light punch to his shoulder. “Funny.” He pushed aside the reason he'd gone to Brazil and said, “Now come here and let me introduce you to a friend of mine. This is Anna Freeman. We met in Brazil at the orphanage, but she grew up just a couple of hours from here in Rocking Wave Beach.”

Rising from the couch, Anna held the ice pack in her left hand to grasp Godfrey's outstretched hand with her right. She smiled, but the purple bruise peeking through her wispy blond bangs made her look fragile, like she could be snapped in two without much effort.

Concern gripped Lucas. She really needed to lie down.

Godfrey's eyebrows rose as he spotted her; a frown creased his forehead as he said, “Very nice to meet you. What happened to your head?”

“Someone tried to run us off the road on the way over here.”

“Run you off the road!” Godfrey's eyes flew to Lucas. “Why would someone do that?”

“It's…a long story.”

“One I think I might like to hear.” The clipped voice came from the doorway. “Hello, Lucas. It's been a while, hasn't it?” The three turned to watch the old man enter the room, his dignity worn like a suit of armor. Everything about him shouted money, control, power. His gray hair didn't dare move as it sat upon his round head. The hand on his hip, while aged with spots and wrinkled skin, wouldn't think about giving a betraying tremble.

Looking into his eyes, Lucas realized they were his own. He knew exactly how he would look in thirty years. The man moved stiffly yet regally to stand before Lucas, all signs of a stroke carefully hidden. Even his words were crisp; no slurred speech in evidence, although he spoke slowly, in a deliberate way that Lucas didn't remember from before. “So, the prodigal returns. Shall we kill the fatted calf?”

Lucas swallowed hard. He hadn't realized how he would feel actually seeing the man face-to-face. He felt…he didn't know how he felt…weird. As usual when he felt uncomfortable, he reverted to sarcasm. “The Bible, Father? Did you get religion?”

“Religion? I daresay, not in this lifetime. It was merely an expression. Welcome home, Lucas. It's about time you came back to reclaim your rightful place in the family. I do hope you've managed to, shall we say, sow all your wild oats, and are ready to settle down. I'm quite ready for grandchildren and have a perfectly suitable woman picked out for you.”

 

Between the throbbing in her head and the way her eyes were ping-ponging back and forth between father and son, Anna thought she might very well be on her way to her first migraine ever.
This
was Lucas's father? This stiff, unyielding block of…cement? She shuddered. No wonder Lucas had escaped to Brazil. Why on earth had he come back to this house?

“Excuse me, sir?” said a timid voice above the commotion. “I've got the rooms ready if Mr. Lucas and Miss Anna would like to retire to them.”

“Good. That will be all.” The man never turned to address the woman. Anna knew some of the upper crust didn't acknowledge their help and that it was perfectly acceptable in some circles. She thought it was just downright rude.

Stepping around Godfrey to offer the woman a warm smile, she said, “Yes, thank you so much for getting it ready.”

A hesitant yet appreciative smile slipped across the young woman's face. Anna thought she looked to be about her own age or maybe a couple of years younger. Black curls were pulled back into a ponytail. Anna almost waited for her to offer a curtsy before leaving. Instead, she flashed another smile and an audacious wink that had Anna biting her lip to keep from chuckling.

Lucas said, “Thanks, Maddy. It's good to see you're still here. We'll be right up. I know Anna probably wants to lie down after our little incident.” He turned to Anna. “Father, I was just making introductions. Anna, this is my father, Thomas Bennett.”

Anna once again held out her hand. The man's hesitation was so scant it was barely noticeable, but Anna caught it. In too much pain to worry about it right now or even feel offended, she just longed to crash onto her bed. She'd worry about finding other living arrangements in a few hours. Judging by the undercurrents and tension emanating from the room, she had a feeling these accommodations weren't going to work out.

“Very nice to meet you, sir. I appreciate your hospitality in allowing me to stay in your home.”

“Wasn't really given a choice, but I suppose you're welcome.”

Tell me what you really think.
Anna zipped her lips tight and stretched them into a closed smile so the words would stay in her mind and not pass her lips. Better to bite her tongue than say something that would later come back to haunt her. Instead she managed, “I'll just be in my room. Thanks.”

“This way, miss.” Maddy had ignored her earlier dismissal from the older man and was waiting for Anna, who followed the woman up the curving stairs, down the wood-paneled hallway to the last door on the right. “Here you are, miss.”

“My name's Anna. May I call you Maddy?”

“Of course. You're a guest. You may call me anything you like.”

“Well, we'll see how long I last as a guest.” Not long, most likely. She was going to have to leave at the first opportunity. Her pounding head told her that would be right after a nap and most likely some more ibuprofen.

Maddy giggled then slapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, but I like you.”

Anna grinned through her weariness. She definitely needed to lie down, her tongue was loosening. “Thanks, Maddy. I can take it from here.”

“I'll be right back with your bags.”

“Normally, I would insist I could get my own bags, but right now I'm going to take you up on it.”

“I'll get them,” Lucas said from behind. Maddy nodded and left.

Lucas pointed to the box on the wall beside the door. “If you need anything, just buzz Maddy. One security feature that might let you rest a little easier is the red and the green buttons. If you push them, you'll send a silent alarm to the police that we've got an intruder. I doubt you'll need them, but I want you to see just how good the security is around here.” Anna nodded her thanks, then grimaced as her head pounded in protest.

Sympathy oozing, Lucas said, “You lie down, I'll get your things.”

After he left, Anna took in the beautifully decorated room, noticing the finely carved sculpture in the corner next to the expensive leather love seat. But the thing she wanted most was set back in a small alcove. The queen-size bed with the rose-patterned comforter. Within a minute, she lay stretched across it, ignoring the throbbing in her head, hoping the medicine would kick in soon.

Unable to sleep until the pain lessened, she decided to put the time to good use and think as best she could around her headache. Obviously, getting into de Chastelain's house as an au pair was now out of the question. Somehow, someone had seen her, recognized her and reported her whereabouts to Mr. Shawn de Chastelain, who'd just tried to take her out—and hadn't cared that she was with an innocent person.

Unfortunately, she had a feeling the FBI had a snitch—one named Justin Michaels. The thought was like a kick in the stomach. Her heart ached with the thought that the one person in America she had thought she could trust would betray her. But as she thought about it, she realized he would have had the perfect opportunity. Four years ago, he could have been the one to alert the shooter to the fact that she was at the FBI office and would be leaving…a wide-open target. When she'd awakened from the surgery necessary to remove the bullet, she'd been told she'd never be able to have children thanks to an emergency hysterectomy. All because of one Shawn de Chastelain and his evildoing cohorts.