and someone's always watching you."
"You really believe I'm in danger, don't you?"
Devon reached out to smooth a strand of silky blond hair away from her face. "I really do. Lara, last night before we left the theater, I checked your car. The steering mechanism had been tampered with. I made sure the engine wouldn't start."
She waited for fear to sweep over her. But it didn't. In her mind was the rational awareness that someone very likely wanted her dead, but... It was only then that Lara realized she no longer felt alone. For the first time in too many long months, that overwhelming sense of isolation was gone.
"Lara?"
She wanted to throw her arms around him and laugh out loud, because even living on the edge of a knife felt wonderful with the loneliness gone. It felt alive. Looking at him, she was conscious of a wave of love so powerful that it stole more than her breath for a moment. She didn't voice the feeling, because she knew Devon would think it was gratitude. He already thought that at least partly, she knew.
Instead, she drew a deep breath and said steadily, "So what's the next step?"
The shadows were back in his beautiful eyes for the first time that day. "I want you out of it," he said.
"You know better than that."
He did, and the reluctant knowledge was in his eyes, along with that almost savage anger that she'd seen before. But he said, "We'll find another way to get them, Lara."
"There is no other way. If I disappear, whoever they sent to get me will disappear as well. The only way is somehow to get the man they sent—"
"Or find your father's evidence."
"I don't know where it is!"
Devon put an arm around her. Quietly, he said, "You know something. I don't think you're holding back; I believe you know something you're not aware of."
"How could that be?"
He was silent for a moment, then said, "The mind plays tricks on us, honey. Especially when we've had a shock."
Lara shook her head. "But why would I block out some knowledge of where the evidence is?"
"I don't think that's it. I think you saw or heard something that you just didn't take in at the time."
"What?"
He looked at her gravely. "We can try to find out. If you can bear to relive that night."
"Hypnosis?"
"No, something similar. The mind retains everything, but sometimes you have to take it step by step through an experience in order to remember."
Step by step... Lara remembered telling Devon about that night, remembered the pain she'd felt. And everything inside her shied away from confronting those memories again. In the blur of images, all she could see clearly was her father's body.
She shook her head. "No. I—I can't. Not now, Devon, please. Not yet."
His arm tightened around her. "All right. But you'll have to face it sooner or later."
Lara forced lightness into her voice. "Not if we catch my would-be assassin."
"They sent a pro, Lara; you can be sure of that."
"Meaning that he won't be caught so easily?" She sighed. "I assumed as much. But so far his attempts have been at a distance and haven't involved guns. The truck, my car. If he's just trying to scare me—"
"In both cases, you could have been killed."
Lara thought about it, then began musing aloud. "Either he was following me that first night, or he knew where I'd be. He could have gotten to my car any time, I guess; but how did he know when the apartment would be empty long enough for him to search it?"
Devon gave her an odd look. "You were ready to think I was the man; hasn't it occurred to you that several other people entered your life at the same time you met me? People who are also involved in the play, who know where you are every night, where your car's parked."
After a long moment she said, "You think it's Luke."
"I think it could be."
Lara tried a laugh that didn't quite come off. "But he's funny, charming. He's not a killer."
"Honey, the most charming man I ever met was an international assassin."
"I just can't believe it."
He drew a short
"You really believe I'm in danger, don't you?"
Devon reached out to smooth a strand of silky blond hair away from her face. "I really do. Lara, last night before we left the theater, I checked your car. The steering mechanism had been tampered with. I made sure the engine wouldn't start."
She waited for fear to sweep over her. But it didn't. In her mind was the rational awareness that someone very likely wanted her dead, but... It was only then that Lara realized she no longer felt alone. For the first time in too many long months, that overwhelming sense of isolation was gone.
"Lara?"
She wanted to throw her arms around him and laugh out loud, because even living on the edge of a knife felt wonderful with the loneliness gone. It felt alive. Looking at him, she was conscious of a wave of love so powerful that it stole more than her breath for a moment. She didn't voice the feeling, because she knew Devon would think it was gratitude. He already thought that at least partly, she knew.
Instead, she drew a deep breath and said steadily, "So what's the next step?"
The shadows were back in his beautiful eyes for the first time that day. "I want you out of it," he said.
"You know better than that."
He did, and the reluctant knowledge was in his eyes, along with that almost savage anger that she'd seen before. But he said, "We'll find another way to get them, Lara."
"There is no other way. If I disappear, whoever they sent to get me will disappear as well. The only way is somehow to get the man they sent—"
"Or find your father's evidence."
"I don't know where it is!"
Devon put an arm around her. Quietly, he said, "You know something. I don't think you're holding back; I believe you know something you're not aware of."
"How could that be?"
He was silent for a moment, then said, "The mind plays tricks on us, honey. Especially when we've had a shock."
Lara shook her head. "But why would I block out some knowledge of where the evidence is?"
"I don't think that's it. I think you saw or heard something that you just didn't take in at the time."
"What?"
He looked at her gravely. "We can try to find out. If you can bear to relive that night."
"Hypnosis?"
"No, something similar. The mind retains everything, but sometimes you have to take it step by step through an experience in order to remember."
Step by step... Lara remembered telling Devon about that night, remembered the pain she'd felt. And everything inside her shied away from confronting those memories again. In the blur of images, all she could see clearly was her father's body.
She shook her head. "No. I—I can't. Not now, Devon, please. Not yet."
His arm tightened around her. "All right. But you'll have to face it sooner or later."
Lara forced lightness into her voice. "Not if we catch my would-be assassin."
"They sent a pro, Lara; you can be sure of that."
"Meaning that he won't be caught so easily?" She sighed. "I assumed as much. But so far his attempts have been at a distance and haven't involved guns. The truck, my car. If he's just trying to scare me—"
"In both cases, you could have been killed."
Lara thought about it, then began musing aloud. "Either he was following me that first night, or he knew where I'd be. He could have gotten to my car any time, I guess; but how did he know when the apartment would be empty long enough for him to search it?"
Devon gave her an odd look. "You were ready to think I was the man; hasn't it occurred to you that several other people entered your life at the same time you met me? People who are also involved in the play, who know where you are every night, where your car's parked."
After a long moment she said, "You think it's Luke."
"I think it could be."
Lara tried a laugh that didn't quite come off. "But he's funny, charming. He's not a killer."
"Honey, the most charming man I ever met was an international assassin."
"I just can't believe it."
He drew a short
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