Secret Obsession (Carder Texas Connections #6)(19)

“He’s still alive, but he’s in a coma. They’ve clamped down tight on security.” She lowered her voice. “They think a serial killer did it. That woman I told you about last week, the one who is the only witness, she’s on the run now. They can’t find her.”

“Really?”

He let the slight hint of red chili in the sauce tingle in his mouth and hid a smile of satisfaction. He knew exactly what had happened to Alessandra. And who.

Archimedes had thought he’d recognized the man at her side. A bit of research on the plane from Chicago had verified his rival’s identity.

Noah Bradford. Supposed electronics wunderkind. Wealthy, and his company’s contracts with Homeland Security and the Department of Defense were the envy of many a high school geek who wanted to make it big.

There was Gates, Jobs and Bradford.

This time, though, Bradford had no idea who he was dealing with.

The question was, why would someone like Bradford step out of his pristine corporate CEO position and partner up with three unidentifiable men? Why would Bradford care about Alessandra? Archimedes would have to dig deeper. There had to be a connection.

Not that it mattered.

He slipped his phone from the pocket of his fine cashmere coat and opened the map. After zooming out a few times, a small dot blinked.

So, his prey had gone to Texas.

He looked up from the screen to his companion. She spun her fork in the spaghetti and stuffed it in her mouth. Sauce marred her chin. He sighed.

No, she definitely wasn’t Alessandra.

“I’m afraid we have to cut tonight short, my dear.” He indicated his phone. “Business call. I have another plane to catch.”

She bowed her head, clearly disappointed. “But you just got back. I’d hoped we could spend the night...together.”

He struggled to hide the shudder of revulsion. At least he had an excuse. “My job shouldn’t take long, and then I’ll be able to show you how I really feel.”

He folded the napkin perfectly eight times and grimaced at the mess she’d dropped on the plate. Lipstick stains and marinara sauce smudged the white linens.

Disgusting.

Even if he’d desired her, she would require too much work to perfect.

She wasn’t Alessandra.

No one was.

A small plane ride and his message would be delivered.

Noah Bradford would soon understand.

Alessandra would receive the next clue...her next test.

They couldn’t hide from him.

He was too smart, too clever.

Archimedes stood, waiting for Rose. She stumbled to her feet and he escorted her out of the restaurant to the Metro. At just after midnight, the train still bustled. A man in a suit shoved them aside in his hurry to board the red line.

The pain in Archimedes’s head throbbed. He scowled and pressed against the sharp agony.

Rose clutched his hand, digging her fingernails into his palm, an act she’d pay for. “That man d-doesn’t matter.”

Archimedes tugged her onto the train and sat across from the insolent passenger who focused on his tablet computer.

A few quick strokes and Archimedes had exactly what he needed. He led Rose off the train.

“Where are we going?” she asked. “This isn’t our stop.”

He ignored her. He tapped an image.

The red-line train pulled away. Through the window, Archimedes could see the man convulse as an overload of electrical current pulsed through his fingertips from the tablet. He fell to the floor.

Dead. Heart stopped.

Another lesson learned. They would respect him.

Sooner or later, everyone would understand.





Chapter Five

The dim light of dawn brushed the edge of the horizon by the time Noah ordered Rafe to head directly to the safe house. At least the Texas weather cut them a break. Ten degrees warmer made for a big difference, even in the dead of winter.

From the backseat of the rented SUV that CTC had supplied, Noah scanned the area surrounding the new location. A screened-in front porch encased the ranch-style house. One more barrier. He liked the setup.

“Drive past it and circle around,” he ordered Rafe, even though they’d serpentined through the Dallas–Fort Worth area for the past ninety minutes.

On high alert, his hand on his weapon, Zane peered out the other side of the vehicle. Normally, Noah would have taken the front passenger seat, but he’d slipped into the back with Lyssa.

Surprising how her new name fell off his tongue so easily. He’d almost stopped thinking of her as Alessandra. He glanced over at her. She’d fallen into a deep sleep on the plane. Nearly thirty-six hours awake had scraped her nerves raw. The nap had returned some color to her cheeks. That, along with a hint of embarrassment and a flash of resentment in her eyes.

He’d half expected her to hightail it when they’d landed. He’d practically kidnapped her, after all. She’d been quiet since they’d landed. He had to wonder what she plotted behind those compelling green eyes. She gripped her duffel tight. The shotgun was just inside. He didn’t blame her for keeping the weapon close, as long as she didn’t use it on him.

He’d told her the truth. Maybe the sleep had made her see sense. She was smart. She’d stayed alive for two years. They all needed to regroup. He didn’t like being in retreat, but better alive and together than the alternative.