much, but she didn’t notice him getting sleepy, either.
“How are you feeling?” she asked him.
“Stiff. My back is aching, but not as badly as it was earlier.”
“Are you getting drowsy?”
He grimaced. “A bit. It’s coming on. Don’t worry.”
“I just want you to be comfortable on the trip,” she reminded him.
He nodded, but his mind was obviously on something else. He searched her face. “So how did you become a guard, Janis?”
She hesitated, but decided to try to get closer to the truth if that was possible. “I’m not really a guard. This assignment just kind of fell into my lap.”
He nodded. “I have a feeling you did some military work during the war. Am I right?”
Her breath caught in her throat. Could he be beginning to remember? “Yes.”
“Special forces? Or intelligence?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Why would you think that?”
“Instinct. The kind of things you say. The way you handled Kylos. The way you look at me, as though you know what I’m thinking before I think it.”
She smiled. “So you think I can read minds?”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it past you.” He raised an eyebrow. “So am I right?”
She nodded slowly.
“Good. Then you are just the woman I need.”
“Really? In what way?”
“Talent and training. I have something I’d like you to do for me.”
“What is that?”
He met her gaze with his own and stared hard. “I want you to find my wife for me.”
Her heart stood still, then raced so hard she thought she would keel over. “Uh…did you remember getting married?” she asked breathlessly.
He shook his head. “No. But it seems I did.” He gestured toward a wooden box sitting on the dresser. “They gave me all the effects I was carrying with me when I was brought in, after the accident. I finally took a look at it a few minutes ago. You look, too—you’ll see what I mean.”
Rising, she went to the box and opened it. Inside she saw his wallet, his keys and his wedding ring. Their wedding ring. Her heart began to pound. She turned to look at him.
“You were wearing this ring in the accident?” she asked. That didn’t seem reasonable. They had exchanged rings in their wedding, but they only wore them at home, when they were alone. Their wedding had been a secret that could have resulted in them both being fired from their jobs if they’d been found out. And after the fight they’d had, after what he’d said, why would he have been wearing the ring? She stared at him, completely at sea.
He shrugged. “So it seems.”
“But…” She pressed her lips together to keep from saying something she would regret.
“Kylos doesn’t know anything?” She only asked in order to see what he would say.
“No. We didn’t have much contact over the last couple of years.” He shrugged. “At least, not that I remember.” He looked into her eyes. “You’re wondering where my wife is, aren’t you?” he said sensibly. “I don’t know. I feel like something must have happened. That’s why I want you to find her.”
She was numb. What on earth could she say to that? “What if she doesn’t want to be found?” she murmured, then wished she hadn’t.
“You’ve got a point,” he said, looking sleepy. “If she still wanted me, she would have shown up by now, wouldn’t she?”
“Oh! Not necessarily. Maybe she doesn’t know what happened.”
“Maybe.” He flexed his back and grimaced at the pain. “There are a lot of screwy things going on with this whole issue. For instance—look at the ID in the wallet.”
She pulled the wallet out and opened it, but she already knew what it would say. There it was, a picture of Mykal, and the name John Blunt on the card. John Blunt. It was a name she knew well. It was the name he’d been going by as he infiltrated a local shipbuilder’s union in the small seaside city of Pierria where they had both been working undercover.
So Mykal had been racing down a road on that old
“How are you feeling?” she asked him.
“Stiff. My back is aching, but not as badly as it was earlier.”
“Are you getting drowsy?”
He grimaced. “A bit. It’s coming on. Don’t worry.”
“I just want you to be comfortable on the trip,” she reminded him.
He nodded, but his mind was obviously on something else. He searched her face. “So how did you become a guard, Janis?”
She hesitated, but decided to try to get closer to the truth if that was possible. “I’m not really a guard. This assignment just kind of fell into my lap.”
He nodded. “I have a feeling you did some military work during the war. Am I right?”
Her breath caught in her throat. Could he be beginning to remember? “Yes.”
“Special forces? Or intelligence?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Why would you think that?”
“Instinct. The kind of things you say. The way you handled Kylos. The way you look at me, as though you know what I’m thinking before I think it.”
She smiled. “So you think I can read minds?”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it past you.” He raised an eyebrow. “So am I right?”
She nodded slowly.
“Good. Then you are just the woman I need.”
“Really? In what way?”
“Talent and training. I have something I’d like you to do for me.”
“What is that?”
He met her gaze with his own and stared hard. “I want you to find my wife for me.”
Her heart stood still, then raced so hard she thought she would keel over. “Uh…did you remember getting married?” she asked breathlessly.
He shook his head. “No. But it seems I did.” He gestured toward a wooden box sitting on the dresser. “They gave me all the effects I was carrying with me when I was brought in, after the accident. I finally took a look at it a few minutes ago. You look, too—you’ll see what I mean.”
Rising, she went to the box and opened it. Inside she saw his wallet, his keys and his wedding ring. Their wedding ring. Her heart began to pound. She turned to look at him.
“You were wearing this ring in the accident?” she asked. That didn’t seem reasonable. They had exchanged rings in their wedding, but they only wore them at home, when they were alone. Their wedding had been a secret that could have resulted in them both being fired from their jobs if they’d been found out. And after the fight they’d had, after what he’d said, why would he have been wearing the ring? She stared at him, completely at sea.
He shrugged. “So it seems.”
“But…” She pressed her lips together to keep from saying something she would regret.
“Kylos doesn’t know anything?” She only asked in order to see what he would say.
“No. We didn’t have much contact over the last couple of years.” He shrugged. “At least, not that I remember.” He looked into her eyes. “You’re wondering where my wife is, aren’t you?” he said sensibly. “I don’t know. I feel like something must have happened. That’s why I want you to find her.”
She was numb. What on earth could she say to that? “What if she doesn’t want to be found?” she murmured, then wished she hadn’t.
“You’ve got a point,” he said, looking sleepy. “If she still wanted me, she would have shown up by now, wouldn’t she?”
“Oh! Not necessarily. Maybe she doesn’t know what happened.”
“Maybe.” He flexed his back and grimaced at the pain. “There are a lot of screwy things going on with this whole issue. For instance—look at the ID in the wallet.”
She pulled the wallet out and opened it, but she already knew what it would say. There it was, a picture of Mykal, and the name John Blunt on the card. John Blunt. It was a name she knew well. It was the name he’d been going by as he infiltrated a local shipbuilder’s union in the small seaside city of Pierria where they had both been working undercover.
So Mykal had been racing down a road on that old
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