seconds later he joined her.
"Ready?" he asked.
Katie nodded, having apparently lost the gift of speech once again. She let him lead her from the hospital, remaining quiet until they were back in his truck and exiting the parking lot.
"There's something I need to tell you. Promise me you won't freak out."
"I don't freak out ," Katie replied.
"The fireman talked to the elevator repair guy…"
"Wow, they got on that quickly."
"Yeah. Well, it's a good thing too."
Katie nodded in agreement. "We don't want anyone else to get hurt."
"Katie, there's something you should know."
"What?"
"Someone tampered with the cables on the elevator. They were damaged."
"Please. It's an old building. They probably just wore out."
Kaiden hit the turn signal on the truck and pulled off the road into the lot of a fast food restaurant. When he turned to face her, his expression turned serious.
"What?" she asked, a little afraid to hear the answer.
"Someone tampered with them. They were cut most of the way through, the final part frayed as though it had been pulled apart but the rest was a clean cut. The perp even left the tool they used on top of the car."
"That's impossible. Why would anyone do that? Someone could have died…"
Kaiden didn't say anything. He turned to look out the windshield instead.
"Oh… that was the intent."
He nodded.
"And I was the intended?"
"It fits with the rest of the events over the past several hours."
"Why me?" Katie yelled, slamming both palms on the dashboard. "I don't understand. Why me?"
"I don't know yet but we will find out. There has to be something in your relationship with Marks that makes you a target."
"I haven't spoken with him since we split. I thought he was having me followed but then your guys kidnapped me and I figured it was them. Maybe it was Nathan after all. I just don't know and I have no idea why."
"We will figure it out, I promise."
"Yeah, if I live long enough." Her laugh lacked any humor.
Kaiden pulled the truck back onto the road. "Let's go talk to my boss. Maybe he can give us something that will help."
She sighed. "Fine. We need to do something. I guess that's as good as anything."
"I'm not usually like that," she finally said twenty minutes later as they made their way down Virginia Beach Boulevard.
"Like what?" Kaiden squeezed her hand letting her know he knew exactly what she was talking about.
"You know, a wanton tramp who tries to rip guys' clothes off in public places."
"I should hope not. The only clothes I want you trying to rip off are mine. And maybe your own." He grinned and winked at her.
"I am not too sure but aren't you going to get in trouble for… because of me? I mean, aren't I some kind of prisoner or something in your investigation?" She tried to pull her hand away but he held tight lifting it to his lips and kissing the back of it.
"You aren't a prisoner. If anything you may have been a witness but now you are really a victim and it is my job to keep you safe until we are certain that no one is going to try to hurt you again."
"I'm sure you have gone above and beyond the call of duty, Agent James." She smiled slightly.
"I am a James. We never do anything we don't want to."
Chapter Nine
They didn't speak for a long while after that. Kaiden drove the truck back to his office in Norfolk. He needed to bring his boss up to speed on what had happened at the hospital and decide on a course of action for catching Nathan Marks. The part of Shore Drive that connected Virginia Beach to Norfolk was tree lined. The stunning colors of fall transported Kaiden back home to the mountains with his family. He stole a glance at Katie. She looked out the passenger door window. Katie's expression didn't give away her thoughts but he couldn't help but wonder if she too missed the stunning beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
"Maybe I should go back home when all this is over." His heart stuttered a little at her comment.
"It might be best not to make any
"Ready?" he asked.
Katie nodded, having apparently lost the gift of speech once again. She let him lead her from the hospital, remaining quiet until they were back in his truck and exiting the parking lot.
"There's something I need to tell you. Promise me you won't freak out."
"I don't freak out ," Katie replied.
"The fireman talked to the elevator repair guy…"
"Wow, they got on that quickly."
"Yeah. Well, it's a good thing too."
Katie nodded in agreement. "We don't want anyone else to get hurt."
"Katie, there's something you should know."
"What?"
"Someone tampered with the cables on the elevator. They were damaged."
"Please. It's an old building. They probably just wore out."
Kaiden hit the turn signal on the truck and pulled off the road into the lot of a fast food restaurant. When he turned to face her, his expression turned serious.
"What?" she asked, a little afraid to hear the answer.
"Someone tampered with them. They were cut most of the way through, the final part frayed as though it had been pulled apart but the rest was a clean cut. The perp even left the tool they used on top of the car."
"That's impossible. Why would anyone do that? Someone could have died…"
Kaiden didn't say anything. He turned to look out the windshield instead.
"Oh… that was the intent."
He nodded.
"And I was the intended?"
"It fits with the rest of the events over the past several hours."
"Why me?" Katie yelled, slamming both palms on the dashboard. "I don't understand. Why me?"
"I don't know yet but we will find out. There has to be something in your relationship with Marks that makes you a target."
"I haven't spoken with him since we split. I thought he was having me followed but then your guys kidnapped me and I figured it was them. Maybe it was Nathan after all. I just don't know and I have no idea why."
"We will figure it out, I promise."
"Yeah, if I live long enough." Her laugh lacked any humor.
Kaiden pulled the truck back onto the road. "Let's go talk to my boss. Maybe he can give us something that will help."
She sighed. "Fine. We need to do something. I guess that's as good as anything."
"I'm not usually like that," she finally said twenty minutes later as they made their way down Virginia Beach Boulevard.
"Like what?" Kaiden squeezed her hand letting her know he knew exactly what she was talking about.
"You know, a wanton tramp who tries to rip guys' clothes off in public places."
"I should hope not. The only clothes I want you trying to rip off are mine. And maybe your own." He grinned and winked at her.
"I am not too sure but aren't you going to get in trouble for… because of me? I mean, aren't I some kind of prisoner or something in your investigation?" She tried to pull her hand away but he held tight lifting it to his lips and kissing the back of it.
"You aren't a prisoner. If anything you may have been a witness but now you are really a victim and it is my job to keep you safe until we are certain that no one is going to try to hurt you again."
"I'm sure you have gone above and beyond the call of duty, Agent James." She smiled slightly.
"I am a James. We never do anything we don't want to."
Chapter Nine
They didn't speak for a long while after that. Kaiden drove the truck back to his office in Norfolk. He needed to bring his boss up to speed on what had happened at the hospital and decide on a course of action for catching Nathan Marks. The part of Shore Drive that connected Virginia Beach to Norfolk was tree lined. The stunning colors of fall transported Kaiden back home to the mountains with his family. He stole a glance at Katie. She looked out the passenger door window. Katie's expression didn't give away her thoughts but he couldn't help but wonder if she too missed the stunning beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
"Maybe I should go back home when all this is over." His heart stuttered a little at her comment.
"It might be best not to make any
Similar Books
