Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

He shouldn't be kissing Alisa, but every time Jason thought about stopping, her mouth invited him back in. It took several minutes before he could finally put an end to the impulsive desire that had ripped through him when she'd looked at him the way she had, when she'd put into words what he was feeling, too.

Her face was flushed, the breeze lifting her dark-brown hair as the surrounding trees rustled, bringing him back to reality, to the situation they'd found themselves in.

"I'm sorry," he muttered as he stepped back, fully breaking the contact between them.

"Don’t apologize. I wanted to kiss you, too," Alisa said, her voice soft. "I know it’s crazy—we barely know each other."

"We just went through something intense," he said.

"That’s probably why," she agreed, though her eyes still held a lingering question, daring him to admit it might be more.

But he wasn't going to admit that. He knew the high that came with a close call. And that was why they'd ended up sharing one of the best kisses he'd had in a long time.

Clearing his throat, he said, "We need to get out of here."

"Right." Her gaze moved up the steep hillside. "I still can't believe we didn't flip over on the way down. "

That surprised him, too. He was also astonished they'd missed other trees on their way down the hill. Thankfully, the brush had slowed the car down enough that by the time they'd reached the last set of trees that the impact hadn't been as destructive as it could have been.

There had definitely been luck or someone watching out for them because it was a miracle they were not just alive but also not seriously injured.

He pulled his phone from his pocket. "I've got a weak signal. But hopefully, that will get us some help."

"Oh." She looked back toward the car. "My bag is still in there. I need to get it. I need to check my phone, too."

"Hang on," he said. "I'll get it." He moved away from her, leaned into the car, and grabbed not only her purse from under the airbag but also pulled her keys out of the ignition. He handed everything back to her, then used his phone to call Savannah.

"Jason, where are you?" Savannah asked. "The lawyer came and went."

"I was in an accident. I was driving Alisa to her parents' house, but we'd barely started down the hill when I realized the brakes on her car didn't work. I'm sure someone cut the line."

"Seriously? Are you both all right?"

"We're okay, but we were in an accident. We're stuck at the bottom of the hill leading up to the hospital. I don't think anyone can see us from the road, but we went through a guardrail, so that should identify where we are. Can you call the fire department?"

"Of course. What about an ambulance?"

"We don't need an ambulance. Just help to get out of here."

"I'm on it."

As he ended the call, he saw Alisa on her phone. "The test was negative?" she asked, then listened for a moment. "Okay, thanks."

"How's your mom?" he asked .

"Her brain scan was normal. But she's sleeping again, and her vitals are still weak. Dr. Grayson will stop by my mother's room in about an hour. Do you think we'll be out of here by then?"

"I think so. Help should be here shortly. It's good that her scan was normal."

"It is. But we still don't know what's wrong with her." She blew out a breath. "At least we've ruled out one more thing. I guess that's something." She looked back at her phone. "I should call Jerry, too, my mom's neighbor." She punched in another number on her phone. "Hello? Jerry? Can you hear me?" She frowned. "Jerry, are you there?" Then she swore. "Damn. The phone just dropped the call."

"You can call him later. There's nothing you can do about the fire now. I'll talk to the fire department and find out what happened. I'm guessing it was arson."

She met his gaze. "Arson? Why? Because…someone just tried to kill me?"

Her shaky voice made him want to give her another hug, but he dug his hands into his pockets to stop that from happening. He didn't need to confuse the situation any further. "Yes, that's why. Someone must have tampered with your car last night, assuming at some point you'd be back to get it. The good news is there are probably cameras in the garage, so maybe we'll be able to see who did it."

"I just don't understand why someone would want to kill me. I'm nobody. I'm just a nurse. I don't have money. I'm not tied to anyone important. I've never broken the law or hurt anyone that I know of. I'm an ordinary, rather boring person." She gave him a baffled look. "Why would someone hate me this much?"

"It's not about hate, Alisa. And there's something about your life that is not as ordinary as you think it is. I suspect your missing father might be in the middle of it all."

"Why?"

"Because of your mother's undiagnosed illness and the two attempts on your life. "

"Two?" she echoed. "Right. It wasn't just a carjacking or a kidnapping. They were probably going to kill me. I was right when I thought I might not survive getting in that car."

"Considering what just happened here, I think you made the smart decision last night to fight like your life depended on it, because it did." He felt a wave of anger on her behalf because Alisa seemed like an incredibly nice person, a loyal daughter, a woman who worked at a job caring for others. She didn't deserve any of this.

But a small voice in his head cautioned him not to let his admiration for her cloud his judgment. Maybe she wasn't as innocent as she appeared to be. Perhaps she knew more than she was saying.

But that seemed doubtful. She had very expressive eyes. He didn't think she'd be a good liar. Every emotion she had was revealed in her gaze. He'd seen that firsthand a few minutes ago when her sparks of desire had lit the fire inside him.

The sound of sirens sent both their gazes to the hillside.

"We'll be out of here soon," he said, then paused. "Alisa?—"

"Don't," she said quickly. "We don't need to talk about it."

"Okay, but if that changes…"

"It won't." She smiled at him. "I do want to say, however, that I'm sorry I got you into this. When you were unconscious…" Her smile faded. "I felt a lot of guilt that I might have been responsible for you dying, and I couldn't stand that idea. You were just being kind to me by dealing with my fears and look at what happened."

"I wasn't just being kind. Your series of problems intrigued me, and I started wondering if the kidnapping attempt wasn't as random as I thought it was. I didn't think you should drive because you were shaky, but a part of me also wanted to go with you to see what was going on with the fire at your parents' house. We're going to figure it out, Alisa."

"The FBI will get involved in this?" she asked.

"Yes. We'll see where the investigation leads us. "

"Do you think it will lead to the man you were looking for yesterday?"

Her question sent a chill through him. "I hope not because he's a terrible person."

She shivered at his words. "Now I'm sorry I asked."

"I don't want to lie to you, Alisa."

"You shouldn't lie because, clearly, I need to know what's going on before someone tries to do this again. I do not want the third time to be the charm."

Her valiant attempt at dark humor impressed him. She might not think of herself as brave, but she had a deep well of courage inside her. He had a feeling she might need every ounce of that courage before this was over.

Getting back up the hill was almost as harrowing as the trip down, Alisa thought, as she was strapped into a metal basket and hoisted up the hill on a shaky ride that made her nauseous and dizzy. Finally, she reached the top and was helped out of the cage and into the back of an ambulance, which had come despite Jason's claims they didn't need one. While Jason was being brought up to the road, the paramedic gave her water and assessed her condition.

She knew she needed some treatment, cuts that should be cleaned to prevent infection, and a better look at the pain she was now feeling to make sure the adrenaline rush hadn't covered up anything more serious.

Jason joined her a moment later, speaking to his blonde female partner for a moment before joining her in the back of the ambulance. They were whisked away to the hospital on a short ride, reminding her just how quickly everything had gone wrong.

Once in the ER, they were taken into separate exam rooms and treated for their injuries .

Georgia, the nurse who had been on duty the night before, came in just as another nurse finished cleaning her wounds.

"What on earth happened to you now?" Georgia asked.

"My car brakes didn't work. I went off the side of the road."

"Oh, my God! You are living under a dark cloud."

"Tell me about it." She slid off the exam table. "I need to go upstairs and check on my mom. I'll see you later."

When she reached the lobby, she saw Jason talking to his partner.

His concerned gaze immediately flew to her. "Everything check out?" he asked.

"Just some cuts. You?"

"Same."

"You were both extremely lucky," the woman said. "We haven't officially met, Ms. Hunt. I'm Savannah Kane."

"Thanks for your help today and last night," she said.

"No problem. I'm just sorry you needed help."

"Me, too. I need to go upstairs."

"I'll meet you up there," Jason said.

"Okay." It felt strange to walk away from him. He'd become her anchor in a very stormy sea. This latest storm had passed, and while she hoped there wouldn't be another one, that was probably wishful thinking.

Jason led Savannah into the hospital cafeteria. He needed coffee, and she needed to catch up.

"How are you really feeling?" she asked, giving him a speculative look as they sat down at a table.

He sipped his coffee, happy for the hit of caffeine that might help drive some of the fog from his brain. "I'm okay."

"Why were you in the car with Alisa Hunt? I thought you were just walking her into the garage?"

"I was going to leave it at that, but she was too shaky to drive. Look, there's a lot going on with her, and I don't know how it fits with Novikov's appearance in LA, but I believe there's a connection."

"Seriously?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes. I no longer think the attack last night was random. Kashin went there to kidnap her. When that didn't work, someone sabotaged the brakes on her car. If she'd been driving, there's a good chance she wouldn't have survived."

"Having seen the crash site, I would believe that. What else are you thinking?"

"Her mother is upstairs, sick from a mysterious ailment that the doctors have not been able to diagnose. Her father, who allegedly adores her mother, has disappeared and his phone number no longer works. Her mother's health issues are very serious. So why would he disappear?"

"Okay," Savannah said. "I see where you're going. Is there more?"

"The reason Alisa had to leave the hospital was because her parents' house was on fire. Obviously, we never made it there, so I don't know if it was arson or an accident. Considering everything else, I'm going to assume it was arson."

"Does Alisa live with her parents?"

He thought about that. "She didn't say. She talked about it like it was their house, so I don't think so. But that's a good question." He paused. "Putting all that aside, Kashin is the connector. He was in the car that we saw Novikov get into at LAX. Then he shows up here at the hospital and tries to kidnap Alisa. It has to fit together. We need to know more about her father, her family, anything that might tie them to Novikov."

"Agreed," Savannah said, quick to jump on his train of thought. "I'll stop in at security before I leave and look at the camera footage from the garage last night to see who might have tampered with the car. That will give us someone else to track. I don't believe we'll get anywhere with Kashin. He's not afraid of us. He'd rather go to prison than talk." She paused, taking a sip of her coffee. "Has Alisa told you anything about herself? Her family?"

"We haven't really had time. I know she's a nurse here. She claims her family is super normal and on the boring side. She can't imagine why a Russian terrorist would be after her. And it's difficult to believe she's lying because she has a very open face."

"A very pretty and open face," Savannah said with a small, knowing smile. "And she looks at you like you're her personal action hero."

"Well, I saved her life twice. You know how it goes," he said, trying to avoid her gaze as his mind flashed back to the kiss they'd shared. "At any rate, I'm focused on finding Novikov, and Alisa is an unexpected clue. I also think she's probably still in danger. They tried to take her out twice. There will be another attempt. And the mother is a target, too."

"We can get her mother protection and move Alisa into a safe house."

"I don't think she's going to a safe house while her mother is fighting for her life."

"She won't be able to help her mother if she's not alive," Savannah said pragmatically.

"No, she won't." He took another long sip of his coffee. "I need to go upstairs and find out what's happening with the mother. I'll talk to her more about her parents. What they do for a living, where they're from, all that…"

"Okay. After I check with security, I'll go back to the office and check in with the team. In the absence of any other good tips, Alisa's family seems to be the best lead."

He was happy to hear her say that because he didn't want to make the mistake of getting too caught up in Alisa's situation just because they'd almost died together. And definitely not because he'd kissed her.

"Nick is going to pick me up," Savannah added as she passed him the car keys. "The car is under the direct eye of the valet. No one will tamper with it. "

"Thanks."

"On our way back to the office, Nick and I will check out the fast-food restaurant where Novikov first went after leaving LAX. He didn't go inside, but maybe we can get better camera footage from the restaurant or some other buildings in the area. There are a lot of small, local businesses whose cameras we can't access online." She paused. "Andi also called me while you were driving off a cliff to tell me she's doing a deep dive into Tatiana's life, and we have an agent watching her moves. She's been at her dance studio all day, but he'll follow her home and anywhere else she might go."

He didn't know who Andi was, but he was impressed with the way Flynn's team had jumped into the investigation. "Your team is good."

"Your team for now," she reminded him with a smile.

"Right. Well, thank you." He finished his coffee, and then got to his feet. "I'll check in with you later. If anything comes up in the meantime, let me know."

"I will," she promised.

They walked out of the cafeteria and parted ways in the lobby. He headed upstairs, feeling like it had been hours since he'd seen Alisa when it had only been about twenty minutes. But judging by how much had happened in the last twenty-four hours, a lot could have happened in those twenty minutes.

Alisa couldn't believe how much better her mother looked since she'd returned from her MRI. She wasn't a hundred percent back to normal. She was still extremely pale, but she was able to say hello, to confirm her nausea was improved, and to ask for water.

As her mother sipped water through a straw, Alisa didn't know how to feel about the change in her condition. She was happy, of course, but it was also odd how her symptoms came and went. Maybe everything was going to be all right. She desperately wanted to believe that because the rest of her world was spinning out of control.

"What happened to you?" her mother asked suddenly, her gaze narrowing. "You have dirt in your hair and on your clothes. Your jeans are ripped, and you have bandages on your hand. What's going on, Alisa?"

"I don't want to get into it now. I'm fine. That's all that matters, and I want to concentrate on you."

"And I want to concentrate on you," her mother returned. "I'm still your mother."

The simple statement made her tear up. She was hurting, but she couldn't tell her mother why. She couldn't put any stress on her fragile condition. She had to solve her own problems and stand on her own two feet. "I'm okay."

Before her mother could argue about that, a knock came at the door, and Jason stepped into the room, giving her a questioning look.

"Hello? Who are you?" her mother asked curiously.

"He's my…friend," she said.

"Well, tell your friend to come in."

She didn't have to do that because Jason was already approaching the bed.

He offered her a smile, then turned to her mother. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hunt. I'm Jason Colter. I hope you're feeling better."

"I am." Her mother frowned again. "You look like you've been in a fight. In fact, you look like Alisa does. What happened?"

"We were in a car accident," she told her mother. "We both got some cuts, but we're okay."

"She's right," Jason agreed. "By the way, you have an amazing daughter."

Her mother found the energy to smile at that comment, even though it was a tired smile. But it was something Alisa had seen little of in the last ten days.

"She is amazing," her mother said. "I'm so proud of her. Her father and I both are."

"Speaking of Dad. Do you know how I can reach him? I have a problem I need to talk to him about. My car is totaled. He'll know what I should do about it."

"He'll be back as soon as he can. Trust me on that, Alisa."

Her mother had never given her a reason not to trust her. Nor had her dad, for that matter. But something was off.

Before she could say more, Dr. Grayson entered the room.

"Well, this is a much better sight than I saw this morning," he said as he moved to the bed to look at her mother. "How are you feeling, Pamela?"

"Not nearly as bad as I was," her mother said. "I could hardly keep my eyes open this morning."

The doctor checked her chart and looked at the monitors. "You're definitely doing better than you were. How's the nausea?"

"It seems to be gone."

"And your breathing?"

"My chest doesn't feel so tight or heavy," she admitted.

"Good. Very good," Dr. Grayson said with an approving nod.

"Do you know what's wrong with me?" her mother asked.

"I'm getting closer to figuring that out," he replied. "Why don't you rest now? We'll talk more later today."

"I am feeling tired again. I wish I could find some energy."

"You will," he promised. "Rest."

"I'll walk you out," Alisa said, sensing the doctor wanted to speak to her alone. "I'll be back shortly, Mom."

"Don't hurry. I'm going to nap." Her mother gave her a sleepy smile, then turned to Jason. "I hope you'll come back, too. I like getting to know Alisa's friends."

"I will definitely be back," Jason replied .

"Make sure my daughter eats something. She's burning the candle at both ends, trying to work and take care of me."

"I will do that," he promised.

With that, Jason followed her and the doctor into the hallway. When her mother's door had closed, she said, "What do you think is going on?"

Dr. Grayson glanced at Jason. "Perhaps we should have this conversation in private."

"It's okay," she said quickly. "He's my friend. You can speak freely."

"Very well. Your mother's blood work came back with several anomalies. Her liver enzymes are elevated, and so is her white blood cell count. We saw increases in these numbers when she was first admitted, and then they went down, only to reappear today."

She stared at him in bewilderment as he continued talking about her mother's blood work, none of the lab results making sense. "I don't understand. Why would her numbers be jumping around so much?"

He gave her a long look. "I have a theory. That's all it is right now, a theory. I need to do more research."

"What's your theory?" she asked, her body tensing.

The doctor glanced at Jason, then back at her. "I think your mother is being poisoned."