What Are You Afraid Of? (The Agency #2)(51)

“No, I’m here to welcome my cousin to our home,” he assured her. “I’m very happy to have you here, my dear, and I personally hope you’ll consider staying so we can have a proper reunion.”

She hid her grimace. Matthew had a slick charm that she’d encountered too many times during her book tour.

“I plan to come to lunch tomorrow,” she told him.

“Good. Perhaps if you stay a few more days we could plan a proper celebration—”

“I thought you were skiing in Aspen after Christmas?” Baylor interrupted.

Matthew snapped his fingers, as if he’d just remembered his plans.

“That’s right.” He sent Carmen a regretful glance. “I’m afraid I already have my reservations.”

“Please don’t change them on my account,” Carmen said, her interest captured by his casual words.

“We’ll still have tomorrow,” Matthew said.

“Do you travel a lot?” she asked.

Matthew shrugged. “Sometimes for business.” There was a loud snort from Baylor. Matthew chuckled. “Mostly for pleasure,” he admitted.

“I’ve been crossing the country for the past year.” She offered an encouraging smile, as if she was fascinated by his journeys. “I’m surprised we’ve never bumped into each other.”

“Actually, we were in the same city. At least for a few hours,” he surprisingly told her.

Her heart missed a beat and she felt Griff stiffen at her side. “Really?”

“Yes. I was in Chicago for the opening of a friend’s nightclub when I saw you on the local television station talking about your book.”

Carmen frowned. Her book signing in Chicago had been over six months ago.

“Why didn’t you contact me?” she asked.

His smile remained, but she sensed a sudden wariness. He was hiding something.

“I thought about calling the station to get your number, but I was afraid they would think I was some weirdo.” He lifted his hands in a dismissive gesture. “And besides, I wasn’t sure you would even want to see me.”

With a sharp motion, Baylor was on his feet. Was he afraid that Carmen could sense Matthew was lying?

“We should go,” the younger man announced.

Matthew scowled. “We haven’t had a drink yet.”

“I’m sure if we checked your blood alcohol it would be over the limit from last night,” Baylor mocked.

Genuine annoyance tightened the older man’s handsome features. “You nag like a wife. It’s no wonder I’ve never wanted to get married.”

Baylor grabbed his brother’s arm, sending Carmen an impatient glance.

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

Her lips twitched. It was difficult to imagine how he could have made the words sound less enthusiastic.

“I can’t wait.”





Chapter Fourteen


Dusk came early. Along with it was a brisk breeze that made Hunter shiver as he paced along the edge of the lake. Not the sort of night anyone wanted to be out walking, but it was the only way he could be assured of privacy.

He needed to think. And revise his plan.

The last thing he’d expected was for Carrie to travel to Louisville. She was supposed to be in Baltimore, following the clues he’d so conveniently left for her. It should have taken her days. Even a week.

That would have given him time to do his duty here, and then travel to his next location to complete the next act in his ongoing drama.

His first impulse had been to kill her.

He had a feral desire to lay her in a nearby field, her golden curls spread around her head like a halo. Her eyes would be wide with wonderment as he revealed himself to her. Then, he would slowly slide a knife into her heart.

In the garden of memory, in the palace of dreams . . .

He would watch her blood seep into the ground. His ground.

And he would be free. Free of the past. Free of his nightmares.

But even as his dark desires had tried to lure him into a hasty finale, he’d resisted temptation.

There were still games to be played, he’d sternly reminded himself. And women to be savored. Not to mention a couple loose ends that needed to be tidied up.

No. He would have to wait. Which meant that his timeline was screwed. Pulling the phone from his pocket, he prepared to start making the necessary calls.

At the same time, he glanced around at his surroundings, a wistful regret tugging at his heart.

“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then,” he whispered.





December 25, Louisville, KY





Griff rose early. It wasn’t just that he’d wanted to sort through the vast amount of information his program had managed to collect overnight. Or the fact that he’d been awake since five o’clock with his body clenched with a frustrated desire.

The information, after all, could wait. And he’d made the conscious decision after returning to their room yesterday not to pursue the erotic awareness that sizzled between him and Carmen.

Being in Louisville was draining her spirit. He’d seen it in the slump of her shoulders and her weary expression as she’d wandered around the room.