Killer Moves (6 page)

“What are you doing?”

“I’m calling Sheriff Hanson.”

“No, you’re not.” When she would have ignored him, he stopped her. “Wait just a second, Kara.”

She stood staring back at him, with the phone still in her hand, angry with him—with God for giving Ava the gift. But most of all, angry with herself for still caring about Davis Martin.

“Why? Justine might be in danger.”

“I’ll send someone to keep an eye on her. She’ll be safe, I promise. But you and I have to talk. I want answers, Kara. Does my daughter have the gift or not?”

Kara didn’t trust Davis or his reasons for being there tonight. He still belonged to the Bureau. She couldn’t trust him not to use Ava’s gift the way the Bureau used her.

“She doesn’t have the gift, okay?” she told him at last, and tried to sound convincing.

“Then what was that all about just now and why are you so worried about your friend?” When Kara didn’t answer, he added, “She does, doesn’t she? You told me once that it manifests itself in different ways. Ava can see into the future. Can’t she? Dammit, answer me, Kara!”

“I don’t know,” Kara said quietly.

“What do you mean you don’t know? You told me you knew you had the gift when you were still a child. Around Ava’s age, wasn’t it?” He watched her stubbornly ignore his question. “Answer the damn question.”

“I don’t know! I don’t know, okay?”

“Kara.” Davis took a step closer but she turned away.

“Are you going to help me or do I call Sheriff Hanson?”

Davis took the phone from her and called the local sheriff’s office, identifying himself. He directed the sheriff to sit on Justine’s house but not to bother the girl unless something happened.

“Call your friend back and tell her everything’s fine.” Kara started to protest when he added, “There’s no use bringing this to her door tonight. It can keep until morning, surely.”

After Kara called Justine back, she found Davis in her kitchen making coffee. He looked a little too familiar there for her comfort. Kara forced aside memories of all the times they’d made dinner together, made love with abandon, and worked throughout the night at her small apartment in DC.

“It’s going to be a long night. You look as if you could use some as well.” She took the cup he handed her and sat down at the table.

“Why did you go to the shop today?” she asked quietly.

Davis’s gaze slipped over her before answering, “Isn’t it obvious? I went looking for you.”

Kara nodded without speaking. She could only imagine what went through Justine’s head when she saw Davis. Since she’d walked into her life, Justine had constantly tried to uncover Kara’s secrets.

“Why her, Kara? Why do you think he would pick this girl?”

“Who are you talking about?” She knew. But she needed him to deny it.

“You know who. The Angel. Frankie. Whoever the hell is doing these killings. Why pick your friend? How did he know about her?”

She wished she could answer that. “I don’t know.”

“Did you talk to her today or see her?”

“Oh God—she called.” Her worried gaze met his. “She called me earlier today.”

“Who else have you spoken to today?” he asked quietly, trying not to alarm her.

There had been only one other call. Her grandmother.

“Maggie.”

“I’ll send someone over there as well. Until we know what’s going on here, they’ll both need to be in protective custody.”

Kara nodded without answering. She couldn’t believe this was happening again.

“Anyone else?”

Kara glanced up and found him watching her. For a moment, she couldn’t think clearly. Not with Davis standing so close. Not when she felt this vulnerable.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

Davis scrolled through the called numbers on the phone. Too late, she remembered her call to the Bureau.

“You called the Bureau? Why?” Another pause and then he asked, “You were calling me, weren’t you? Why, Kara?”

Reluctantly, she looked at him but she couldn’t answer. She still didn’t understand why she’d needed to call him.

“Why now? After all this time?”

“I don’t know. I wanted to…I wanted to tell you how sorry I was about Rachel.” Their eyes locked. She wanted to say so much more but she didn’t trust herself or him.

Davis’s cell phone chirped and he turned away, breaking the spell. She could breathe again.

Kara sat listening to the voices of the dead calling out to her once more. And above their cries, she heard his voice. The Angel was taunting her.

“I’ve asked the Austin police to pick Maggie up for me,” Davis’s voice quietly reassured her over the others.

“Thank you.”

“I’m taking Ava as well,” he added in a tone that discouraged argument.

“No, you’re not. You are not taking my daughter from me.” Kara got to her feet and faced him once more. “I won’t let you.”

He stepped closer, controlled anger in every inch of him.

“She’s my daughter as well.”

“No…”

“I have no intention of walking away from Ava now that I know about her, Kara, so you’d better learn to deal with sharing her with me.”

The determination she saw in him frightened her. Davis could move mountains when he wanted something…or someone. She wasn’t sure what hurt the most. That he’d found her the minute he knew about Ava, or that he hadn’t come for her.

Anger and regret left a hard edge to her voice. “I won’t let you take her away from me!”

Davis released his breath slowly, giving in for the moment. “I’m not talking about taking her from you, Kara, but she is my child and she needs to know she has a father who cares about her.”

When Kara could no longer hold his gaze, he asked, “What did you tell her about me?”

Kara didn’t know how to confess her sins to him. “She thinks her father is dead.”

“For God’s sake, Kara, how could you do this to me?” he asked.

The heartbreaking reality of how wrong her decision had been was there in his eyes. She’d thought she’d done the right thing for everyone involved. Now she wasn’t so sure.

“Davis, I thought—”

“What? You thought you could make all the decisions about our child and never expect me to find out?”

“Yes—no, I don’t know. I just thought I was doing the best thing for all of us. I thought you wouldn’t want any reminders of the past.”

Davis let out an explosive growl. “Reminders? She’s my daughter. You had no right to make that decision for me. Dammit, Kara, I should have been told. I had the right—I earned that right.”

“You had no rights,” she told him, her anger matching his. “You made your decision.”

He came toward her once more but this time Kara backed away.

“Did you know about the baby before you left? Did you? Answer me, dammit.” He reached for her, his fingers gripping her arms tightly.

“No! No, I didn’t know. But you know what? It wouldn’t have mattered because I still would have handled things the same way.”

Davis released her as if the touch of her sickened him.

He started to say something but then turned away, unable to look at her.

All the hurt she’d stored up inside came rushing to the surface. “Don’t you dare try to pretend you’re innocent in this. You told me you loved me and that you couldn’t live without me, and yet you chose the Bureau time and time again over me. I needed you, Davis, I’ve needed you all these years, and yet you weren’t there for me. It’s been six years and now you’re coming after me. When the killings have started again.”

Davis turned back to her in disbelief. “You think—”

“You need my help. Admit it. That’s the only reason you’re here now.”

“Dammit, Kara, how dare you think that of me! I’m here because of Ava
and
you. I wanted to—” Before he could finish, his phone rang again, leaving Kara with the impression he’d been close to saying something important.

When he finished speaking, he appeared calmer. Davis sat down at the table slowly before saying, “Let’s just get one thing straight right now. There is absolutely no way I’m walking away from my daughter—ever. And you and I can either work together to bring up our daughter, or we can fight it out in court. It’s your choice. But I think you should realize your odds aren’t looking too good right now—not after keeping her birth a secret from me for all these years.”

Kara’s fingers trembled around the cup she gripped tightly in an attempt to hide her fear from him. Always in the back of her mind, she’d known this day would come.

“You’d take her from me? You’d actually do that?”

“If I have to.” His gaze never left hers.

“Kara, look, why don’t we call a truce for now,” he added gently. “Until whatever’s going on here with your friend and Maggie is settled, I think it’s best that we don’t talk about this. We’re both too emotional, and I can’t think about it and not want to wring your neck.” He stopped when he spotted her reaction.

“As well as Ava’s safety, the people you care about are in danger here. I need your cooperation.”

He meant he needed her help.

“I told you, I can’t help you solve Rachel’s murder. I don’t have the gift anymore.”

“You’re lying. Now is not the time to reject your gift.”

She moved to the window. She needed time to steady her frayed nerves. The waning full moon reflected back the quiet desert. Nothing stirred beyond the window. Not even Buster, who had moved beneath the kitchen table and lay listening to their conversation and occasionally growling at Davis.

“It’s not a gift, Davis. It has never been a gift.” She turned back to him, shocked by the tenderness in his eyes. She rejected it as just another ploy to gain her cooperation.

“I know you believe that. No matter how hard you try to deny it, or run away to the middle of nowhere to escape it, it exists still. Doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” she admitted at last. He got to his feet and came to her. Just for a moment, she let herself go into his arms, accepting his strength.

Neither said a word, and yet it felt right somehow. But she’d been on her own far too long to allow herself to lean on anyone. Certainly not Davis Martin.

Davis had thought about this moment many times. Through all the countless dreams about her, he’d ached to touch her for real just one more time. Now that he had, it wasn’t enough. He wanted more of her. All of her.

Seeing his daughter, his flesh and blood, looking like a miniature version of her mother with his eyes had shaken him to his core. It made him remember all the things he’d wanted long ago. Things like a family, children, a normal life. He thought he’d let that dream slip away.

Kara felt so good in his arms. He wanted to keep right on holding her, touching her forever. God, he wished he could stay there with her and leave the horror of death behind in DC. Believe that maybe it wasn’t too late for them after all.

“Kara?” His lips brushed against her soft cheek. He felt her tremble in response. The years had changed her. She’d grown up. Become more confident in her own skin. But here in his arms she was the same woman he’d loved in the past. The same woman he still loved.

She didn’t answer, but for the moment it didn’t matter. He just wanted to hold her. He could feel his body awakening to hers. And so could she.

She pulled away. Reluctantly he let her go. When their eyes met, there were tears in hers. Davis closed his against the raw pain he saw in them. The past had crept between them again.

“Kara, I’m sorry I hurt you. I know how difficult my decision must have been for you back then, but surely you realize with all the media that was focused on the Bureau after the Angel case, I had no other choice. It was all for show. To save the Bureau’s reputation.”

“Reputation?” She moved farther away. His arms fell to his sides as he faced her condemnation again. “Dammit, Davis, I should have meant more to you than the stupid reputation of the Bureau. You were everything to me! I gave up everything to be with you because I loved you and you couldn’t do the same for me.”

“I did do the same thing for you. What are you talking about? I told you what I was doing. I asked you to wait for me. But you ran away. You didn’t tell me where you were going. I assumed you never wanted to see me again. You weren’t honest with me either, Kara. You never told me about our child.”

“You gave me no choice! I certainly couldn’t count on you being there for me.”

“That’s a lie. You chose to run instead of waiting for me.”

“Because you were married to the Bureau, Davis. You still are. You eat, sleep and dream about it. No woman could ever compete with that.”

“Is that what you think?” he asked incredulously, taking a step closer.

Kara answered his move with one of her own, stepping away from him.

“It’s what I know.”

“You know nothing, Kara. I haven’t stopped loving you since the day I met you. I’ll never stop loving you. You’re all I’ve thought about for six years. And nothing can ever replace you in my heart. Nothing—especially not the Bureau.”