Dangerously Close, page 7
“I listen to the police scanner a lot, and read the newspaper. I don’t like watching TV, though.” He shook his head. “Media! They’ll say anything for a good story.”
“So true.”
“But I do remember hearing a horrific story a few weeks back that happened in Manhattan along the docks somewhere.”
Beside her, Hunter’s body stiffened, and he turned his head to look at the other man.
“Apparently,” the driver continued, “a young, wealthy woman was murdered there. Now that was a big story. There were no leads, and no witnesses. It was such a senseless act of violence.”
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Hunter bunch his hands into fists. She lifted her gaze to his face. His jaw was tight as a frown took over his expression. He wasn’t looking at the side mirror any longer, but on the road in front of them.
“Did you hear about that?” the man asked. “It was all over the news. The story got front-page headlines. I think it’s because she came from a wealthy, prominent family.”
Ashley opened her mouth to tell the man she hadn’t heard the story, but Hunter grumbled the word yes before she could say anything.
Hunter cleared his throat. “It was a devastating misfortune.”
“Yes, it was.” The man shook his head. “If only there wasn’t so much violence in this world. If only more people had loving, forgiving hearts. Maybe that would bring peace to our country.”
“To the whole world,” Ashley said solemnly.
She glanced at Hunter who was still rigid. She placed her hand on his fist and caressed his knuckles. Gradually, his hand relaxed, and he opened his fingers for her to link her hand with his.
Her heart broke. That must have been his sister’s murder that he’d mentioned. She wished there was something she could do to console him other than just holding his hand.
“Turn off at this exit right here.” Hunter pointed to the sign they were approaching.
After the man had left the interstate, and approached the first neighborhood, Hunter told the man to pull over and stop.
“That’s the house right there.” Hunter motioned to a white house with blue trim. A full, green yard decorated the property, lined with lovely rose bushes.
She turned toward the man and patted his hand, caringly. “Thank you so much. You’re very kind.”
The man smiled. “Any friend of Troy Jenkins is a friend of mine. He was one fine police detective back in the day.”
Ashley hitched a breath. Police detective? And he was friends with Hunter? Apparently, Hunter’s family hadn’t known what kind of crooked deals their son had gotten himself into.
“Thanks again.” Hunter shook the man’s hand.
“Good luck you two, and congratulations on your marriage.”
Ashley was just climbing down from the truck, and the man’s comment made her stumble against Hunter. His protective arms surrounded her as he passed a faux smile to the other man.
“Thank you,” Hunter said before closing the door.
They stayed on the curb, waving as the man drove away. Ashley hiccupped a laugh. “He thought we were married?”
“But we are so cute together.” Hunter winked and linked her hand with his again.
She turned toward the white house, admiring the pretty blue trim. “This is the safe house?”
“No.” Hunter pulled her along as he walked up the sidewalk. “I just didn’t want the man to know where we were really going.” He shook his head. “I can’t trust anyone.”
“Even if he’s a friend of Troy’s?”
Hunter nodded. “Yes. Zander has contacts everywhere.”
They walked over a few streets until they came to a bus stop. She gave him a quizzical stare, and he chuckled.
“We’ll be taking the bus now. It’s better than stealing a car, right?”
“Yes.” She moved in front of him and grasped both of his hands, looking up into his saddened eyes. “That was your sister Mr. Ruston was talking about, wasn’t it?”
Hunter’s smile disappeared again. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry. I had no idea he would have brought up that particular subject.”
“Yeah, the man rambled on about everything. Go figure he’d mention something about my sister.”
“Do... you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
His answer came so quickly and there was so much tightness in his voice, she didn’t dare push him. When he was ready, he’d open up to her, she just knew it.
“All right.” She smiled softly. “I’ll be here for you, you know.”
His hardened expression relaxed. “You’re too sweet, but I thought you didn’t trust me.”
“I’m starting to.” She lifted her eyebrows. “You have continued to protect me from danger, and you’ve selflessly risked your life for mine. How can I continue to harden my heart toward you and not believe that you really are a good man?”
She moved her gaze over his slightly mussed hair, down his dirt-smudged face, and to his neck and chest. His shirt had been ripped in a few spots, and even on his sleeves. Dried blood dotted a few places on his shirt and arms.
“Oh, Hunter. You’re hurt.” She released his hands to touch one of the places on his chest where his shirt had been ripped and showed stains of blood. “Forgive me for not seeing this sooner. Are you all right?” She lifted her gaze to his. “Are you in any pain?”
“No, I’m fine.” He cupped her face. “And I’m glad you’re starting to trust me. You don’t know how much I needed to hear that.”
He’d been able to say the perfect words at the right time since she’d met him. Now was no different. She smiled.
The roar of an engine signaled the arrival of the bus. Keeping their hands together, they turned toward the bus.
He paid for their fare, and they found a seat together. His focus was on their joined hands. There was a solemn look in his eyes as he caressed her fingers, but he didn’t voice his thoughts.
During the silence, she contemplated her feelings for him. She wanted to trust him with her life, and part of her had already given in to him. So why was she still hesitant?
They entered the main part of town, and the bus passed more businesses. As the bus slowed for the next stop, Hunter stood, pulling Ashley with him.
“Where are we going?”
He shrugged. “I want different clothes. How about you?”
She chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s a great idea.”
The next two hours passed by as if Ashley floated on a cloud. For the first time in months, she didn’t feel stressed, and she didn’t look over her shoulder to see if Zander was spying on her. Hunter treated her like a queen. Using his credit card, he bought them each three more outfits. He told her he wasn’t sure how long they were going to stay at the safe house. He also purchased chargers for their phones.
He held her hand most of the time, pretending like they were going out. But she didn’t care, knowing he was doing this as part of his character. He made her heart light, and that’s all she wanted right now. They laughed together and enjoyed each other the best they could out in public. Sometimes she felt almost guilty for feeling so carefree, especially when they were being chased by people who wanted them dead.
There was something about New Jersey that made her feel calm. Normal. Maybe it was because Hunter had mentioned that the safe house was here.
With their many bags of new clothing, they boarded the bus again and continued on their journey until they neared the beach. Hunter then stood and they left the bus.
“The safe house is out here?” she asked. “On the Jersey shore?”
“Yes, it is.” He gave her a wink. “Is that all right with you?”
Ashley expected to find a small hut with broken furniture, but the area where Hunter headed, wasn’t anything like that. Instead, these were houses where the rich and famous stayed. Two-story homes – some three-story – looked freshly painted and well taken care of. Some were condos, or double-decked homes.
If Hunter owned one of these places, had he paid for it with drug money? Her gut twisted and she prayed she was mistaken.
He walked up to a two-story, tan and white, Colonial style home with a wooden wrap-around porch and white railing. Trimmed bushes decorated the green lawn. He shifted some of their bags in his arms and punched in a code to the alarm system, turning it off, and then punched in another code that unlocked the door. He motioned for her to enter.
Four large windows with valances greeted her as she walked inside, which made the view of the beach perfect. In the middle of the house was a split set of stairs with a black and gold carpet and wooden railings. On the other side of the stairs was a large spacious kitchen with a chef’s table in the middle. Several sofas, cushioned chairs, and coffee tables sat in the front room, and from where she stood and looked into the kitchen, a beautiful dinette table with four chairs were on the hardwood floor.
She expelled a sigh of awe. Her parents were wealthy, but they’d never owned a home as lovely as this one.
Hunter walked in, closed the door and locked it. When he faced her, he grinned. “What do you think of the place?”
She folded her arms and cocked her head, peering directly at him. “Tell me the truth. Who owns this house, really?”
“It’s my family’s summer home. Since it’s not quite summer, they won’t be here for at least another month.”
“How long will we be here?” she wondered.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. All we can do is take one day at a time.”
“I was thinking...” she tapped her finger on her chin, “don’t you have enough evidence to turn Zander into the police? I would back you up and tell them everything I know, especially what’s happened to us lately.”
“I thought of that, too.” He shook his head. “But until we have lots of proof of his criminal activities, he won’t be in jail for very long. We need to get something solid on him to keep him in the slammer for the rest of his life.”
“True.” She frowned. “I just hate feeling this way.”
“So do I.” He motioned his head toward the stairs. “Why don’t we get cleaned up and change into our new clothes. There’s a shower down the hall,” he pointed to the hallway toward the kitchen, “and one upstairs. Which one do you want?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Okay, you take the one upstairs. That way, I can hear if we get unexpected company.”
“Do you think we will?” she asked hesitantly.
“No. This was my parents’ secret summer home. They didn’t tell any of their friends about this hideaway. That’s why I referred to this place as the safe house.”
She gathered her bags of clothes and took them upstairs. As she passed each room, she peeked inside. There were three, all of them about equal size. One room was obviously decorated for a woman, and the other one was obviously Hunter’s. The door to the other room opened into a room that was probably his parents.
The bathroom was easy to find, and she gasped at the garden tub and the two walk-in closets on each side. Good grief! This place was a paradise.
As she prepared her bath, she wondered which room she’d sleep in tonight. Her heart raced with anxiety. Hopefully, Hunter wouldn’t hint at sharing another bed tonight. There was no way she was going to do that. But she had a feeling he was going to press the issue in his charming way. So, she must be strong.
Yeah, good luck with that, Ashley!
HUNTER CLIMBED OUT of the shower and breathed a relaxed sigh. Being on the run for almost twenty-four hours was taking its toll on him, and the shower calmed his nerves. As he dressed in his new clothes – black jeans and a brown and white plaid button-down collared shirt – he studied his reflection in the mirror. It had taken him a few years to grow his hair long, but now he’d cut off his locks, he actually liked this look better. His hair rested on his neck, but didn’t go any farther. He scrubbed a hand over his clean shaven face. He definitely couldn’t wait to grow his goatee back.
He splashed some cologne on before leaving the bathroom. The house was quiet, just as he’d wanted. But he missed Ashley’s voice already.
Chuckling, he walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Apparently, his parents hadn’t stocked the house yet. But at least there was bottled water. He took one out and popped off the lid before moving into the front room and to the loveseat to sit. As he sipped the water, his gaze wandered around the room.
Sadness crept over him as memories assaulted him. The last time he was here, Michelle was alive. Now he wondered if his parents would come at all since they’d have the same memories resurface.
His forehead throbbed, so he rubbed it and closed his eyes. He still mourned her death, but what made things worse was knowing that her killer hadn’t been caught. Without those answers, he’d never be able to have closure.
The sound of the blow-dryer made his eyes snap open. Ashley must be out of the shower now. He could hardly wait to see her again and absorb her pure beauty that was both inside and out.
Closing his eyes again, he shook his head. Was she really the killer or was he grasping at straws, trying to find someone to blame? Ashley Reynolds was a very sweet and caring woman. She was still innocent in a lot of ways. And she cared deeply about breaking the law. Would a woman with those kinds of standards have the urge to kill in cold blood – or to be part of it?
He took another drink of his water and opened his eyes. It would be difficult, but he must somehow jog Ashley’s memory. She would know something about what happened to Michelle, he just knew it. If she’d gone this long without remembering, what could he do to help her?
Soft footsteps on the stairs brought his attention toward the angel coming toward him. Wearing the white strapless summer dress he’d purchased for her, with her blonde hair flowing around her shoulders and down her back, Ashely was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Slowly, he stood, unable to take his eyes off her. The heart-shaped bodice of the dress fit her bosom snuggly, showing off her creamy smooth, flawless skin. The long skirt of the dress swished against her legs as she walked toward him. The buttons down the front were undone from the knee down, giving him a glimpse of her shapely legs.
His mouth turned dry and he forgot to breathe. Words had left his head, and all he could do was stare dumbstruck at the goddess in white who walked up to him and stopped.
He’d been fighting his attraction for her since they met, and now he wanted to admit defeat. There was no way he’d be able to keep away from this woman tonight. Not with her looking so alluring. And especially not now that he doubted she was involved with Michelle’s murder.
He moved his gaze over her face, clean from the dirt and grime build-up over the past several hours. Her eyes were lined with makeup, but it was her natural beauty that he could see – not just on the outward appearance, but she was so lovely in her heart.
“Hunter,” she said softly, “why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I-I can’t find the words to describe your loveliness. You’ve literally taken my breath away, and I can’t think straight.”
Her cheeks darkened with a blush. “I’ve never had such a compliment.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
Her gaze roamed over him and her smile widened. “You look so different.” She patted his button-down shirt. “No longer do you look like a hoodlum who tends bar in Queens.”
He chuckled. “What do I look like now?”
She licked her lips. “Like the most perfect man in the world.”
Inwardly, he groaned as his chest tightened with emotion. She couldn’t keep doing this to him. He was already confused.
“I’ve never had anyone say that to me,” he admitted.
“That’s hard to believe since you’re such a magnificent man.”
His heart flipped crazily. The urge to take her in his arms and kiss her passionately was strong. But he couldn’t do that yet. He wanted to entice her first. And yet, if he didn’t touch her now, he’d go insane.
Suddenly, something Ashley had said popped into his head – about finding fire extinguishers before they both bursting into flames. He grinned, knowing that was how he’d feel being with her from now on.
“Are you hungry?”
She shrugged. “A little.”
“I know this great place along the shore. Do you want to walk along the beach with me?”
“Hmm...” she tapped her finger on her chin, “let me think. A romantic walk along the beach with a wonderful man. That’s a tough decision, but I think I’ll go for it, anyway.”
Shaking his head, he chuckled. “You’re a nut, you know that?”
“Yeah, but it takes one to know one.” She waggled her eyebrows.
“Then we are the perfect pair, don’t you think?”
Now that he had said it, he knew the idea would be in his mind, buried deep in his brain until he accepted them as a couple. Something had to happen and soon. He was sinking fast, and he wasn’t ready for this kind of commitment.
EIGHT
The rest of the day was spent holding hands and walking along the beach. Ashley felt carefree and extremely happy, but in the back of her mind, guilt tried to take that away from her. She couldn’t let it. She deserved to feel this way, if only for a little while.
“I want to know all about you,” Hunter said before taking a bite out of his chili-coney hotdog.
They’d found a place to eat that had tables outside to enjoy the fresh air. He’d ordered a coney dog, but she was afraid of spilling it on her white dress, so she picked the sauerkraut dog with a pickle and chips.
“What exactly do you want to know?”
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m the only child.” She took a bite of her hotdog.
“Were your parents always wealthy?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, so you were probably the child labeled as a spoiled little rich girl.”
