Tom’s face. “I haven’t been able to do anything myself without arousing suspicion.”
“Consider it done,” replied Ben. “Call the school right now.” He handed Tom his phone. “Talk to the principal. Tell her to keep the girls in the office after school and send someone out to get Mallory. I’ll meet her there. I’ll get them to LAX and make sure they get on the plane. Zane still in charge of security at LAX?”
Tom nodded.
“Call him, too. Get them security clearance. Have him meet us at the entrance to the domestic terminal with a team.”
“You’re dead, remember?”
“Not anymore,” said Ben. “Whoever has Angel already knows I’m alive. What kind of car does Mallory drive these days?”
“A royal blue Toyota Highlander. I bought it for her six months ago.”
It was Ben’s turn to nod. “All right, I’ll go by your house when I leave here and make sure she’s not followed on her way to the school, and I’ll check the apartment this evening. We’ll figure this out, Tom. Whoever this is, they won’t beat us at our own game,” said Ben, tasting bile as he choked back his growing rage. “Angel better be alive and well or there will be hell to pay.”
Grace couldn’t concentrate. Every time she tried to focus, the only thing she managed to focus on was the weight of Ben on top of her, the feel of him behind her, moving inside her. She repeatedly experienced that distinct clench in her belly, a sensation she hadn’t felt in over two years. It was welcome and disconcerting at the same time. She wanted to be with him again, now, tonight, as soon as possible. It wasn’t just the sex, although under other circumstances, that might have been enough. It was the vivid memories she still carried of her earlier relationship with Ben.
She had fallen desperately in love with him when she was eighteen, before he’d vanished from her life. Back then, drawing upon the resilience of youth, she’d swallowed the hurt and the feelings of rejection, and eventually fallen in love again. She kept telling herself it wasn’t personal. Ben had a plan. There were things he planned to do that did not involve her. And he never, ever made any promises. He gave her thirty days.
Grace decided that thirty days and one morning, no matter how intense, weren’t enough. Come hell or high water, she wanted more.
Grace finished up her presentation and made an appearance at the faculty cocktail party. This time she stuck with club soda and a squeeze of lime. Some of the participants hung around to ask questions in a more informal setting, keeping Grace occupied until dinner was announced. All of the faculty and most of the students attended. Grace stopped in the courtyard in front of the reception room to switch on her cell phone. No missed calls. With a big sigh, she switched it back off.
What did she expect? Ben’s life didn’t involve her in the slightest. Truth be told, she didn’t know anything about what he’d done or where he’d been for the past ten years. She only knew he’d loved a woman and lost her along with their child. And he carried a gun.
But the longing in her gut didn’t change.
Grace wanted to be with him for many reasons. Some reasons were as clear as day—the sex was mind-blowing—but other reasons flitted through her consciousness, some involved true love, others hinted at her isolation and loneliness.
Grace swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat and turned her attention to the open set of double doors. She gazed at the crowded room and was seized by an impulse to run to her car and drive straight to the airport.
Do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars.
She drove the impulse back, and instead, she smiled and stepped forward and was quickly swallowed by the crowd of doctors, therapists and her fellow nurses.
The hazy California sun had finally set, its golden light fading into the deep blue Pacific. Ben sat in an old arm chair in front of the big
“Consider it done,” replied Ben. “Call the school right now.” He handed Tom his phone. “Talk to the principal. Tell her to keep the girls in the office after school and send someone out to get Mallory. I’ll meet her there. I’ll get them to LAX and make sure they get on the plane. Zane still in charge of security at LAX?”
Tom nodded.
“Call him, too. Get them security clearance. Have him meet us at the entrance to the domestic terminal with a team.”
“You’re dead, remember?”
“Not anymore,” said Ben. “Whoever has Angel already knows I’m alive. What kind of car does Mallory drive these days?”
“A royal blue Toyota Highlander. I bought it for her six months ago.”
It was Ben’s turn to nod. “All right, I’ll go by your house when I leave here and make sure she’s not followed on her way to the school, and I’ll check the apartment this evening. We’ll figure this out, Tom. Whoever this is, they won’t beat us at our own game,” said Ben, tasting bile as he choked back his growing rage. “Angel better be alive and well or there will be hell to pay.”
Grace couldn’t concentrate. Every time she tried to focus, the only thing she managed to focus on was the weight of Ben on top of her, the feel of him behind her, moving inside her. She repeatedly experienced that distinct clench in her belly, a sensation she hadn’t felt in over two years. It was welcome and disconcerting at the same time. She wanted to be with him again, now, tonight, as soon as possible. It wasn’t just the sex, although under other circumstances, that might have been enough. It was the vivid memories she still carried of her earlier relationship with Ben.
She had fallen desperately in love with him when she was eighteen, before he’d vanished from her life. Back then, drawing upon the resilience of youth, she’d swallowed the hurt and the feelings of rejection, and eventually fallen in love again. She kept telling herself it wasn’t personal. Ben had a plan. There were things he planned to do that did not involve her. And he never, ever made any promises. He gave her thirty days.
Grace decided that thirty days and one morning, no matter how intense, weren’t enough. Come hell or high water, she wanted more.
Grace finished up her presentation and made an appearance at the faculty cocktail party. This time she stuck with club soda and a squeeze of lime. Some of the participants hung around to ask questions in a more informal setting, keeping Grace occupied until dinner was announced. All of the faculty and most of the students attended. Grace stopped in the courtyard in front of the reception room to switch on her cell phone. No missed calls. With a big sigh, she switched it back off.
What did she expect? Ben’s life didn’t involve her in the slightest. Truth be told, she didn’t know anything about what he’d done or where he’d been for the past ten years. She only knew he’d loved a woman and lost her along with their child. And he carried a gun.
But the longing in her gut didn’t change.
Grace wanted to be with him for many reasons. Some reasons were as clear as day—the sex was mind-blowing—but other reasons flitted through her consciousness, some involved true love, others hinted at her isolation and loneliness.
Grace swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat and turned her attention to the open set of double doors. She gazed at the crowded room and was seized by an impulse to run to her car and drive straight to the airport.
Do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars.
She drove the impulse back, and instead, she smiled and stepped forward and was quickly swallowed by the crowd of doctors, therapists and her fellow nurses.
The hazy California sun had finally set, its golden light fading into the deep blue Pacific. Ben sat in an old arm chair in front of the big
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