Chapter 2

CHAPTER

TWO

Stephen's face flashed in Heidi's mind.

She'd seen him and talked to him plenty of times before. The man was tall and burly with short, dark hair and a matching beard and mustache. His eyes were what always got to her. They were dark and intelligent, showing a sharp, observant man who let very few details get past him.

She trembled even thinking about what this man was capable of.

All Stephen had to do was to take a couple more steps, and she'd be within his reach. He had the capacity and strength to break someone's neck in two seconds flat.

But she also knew he could be friendly. Warm even. They'd had good banter at times at the office when she'd met the team there to go over assignments with them. He'd joked with her about her coffee addiction. About her obsession with breath mints. Once he'd even brought her coffee and a bag of her favorite wintergreen Lifesavers.

The juxtaposition had fascinated her and made her want to dig deeper into the man's background and psyche. But she hadn't—of course. There were professional boundaries in place.

Which Stephen was in her house now? The scary man who could kill her? Or the kind man who'd brought her coffee?

He lowered his voice as he said, "I'm not here to harm you, Heidi."

She still gripped the counter. When lightning flashed through the transom, she saw Stephen's outline.

His broad figure and bulky muscles were intimidating, to say the least.

She remembered his words. I'm not here to harm you, Heidi. He'd sounded so sincere.

But was he?

He waited for her response.

She licked her lips before saying, "If you don't intend to hurt me, then why are you here? Why did you break in like this?"

"It's like I said. So we could talk. Privately. Without Rafferty finding out. Besides, if I'd wanted to hurt you?—"

"You would have by now?" Heidi finished for him as she let his words settle.

They made sense. Rafferty was the type who always had people watching. For that reason, Heidi could never fully let down her guard.

"How do you know Rafferty doesn't know?" It was a question she often asked herself. It seemed like nothing she did was private. Her boss seemed to have eyes everywhere.

"I cleared two bugs and one camera from your home. I watched to make sure I wasn't followed, and I entered your house through the back—after parking four blocks away and using a motorcycle I borrowed from a friend."

Her eyebrows shot up. He really had thought of everything.

Then part of what he said hit her.

"You found bugs in my house?" she whispered. "A camera?"

"That's right. You're too much of an asset for Rafferty to simply let you live your life. He monitors everything you say and do. But I have a feeling you already suspected that."

Heidi continued to grip the counter, her mind racing.

Yes, she'd suspected some of those things before. But hearing Stephen's confirmation . . . it sent chills through her.

"Where exactly was this camera?" The thought was disturbing on so many levels.

"In your living room."

In some ways, that was a relief, she supposed. But it was still an invasion of her privacy at the highest level.

Had Rafferty left those to keep an eye on her? Or someone else? Maybe one of Blackstone's enemies?

Her throat tightened as she tried to figure out her next move. "So you just want to talk?"

"That's right."

"Do we need to talk in the darkness like this?"

"I can turn the lights back on—as long as you promise not to do anything foolish in the meantime."

"Define foolish."

"Calling the police or Rafferty would only end up getting us both in trouble." He paused and lowered his voice. "I promise I'm not here to hurt you, Heidi. You're the only person I could think of who could help."

"Help with what?"

"Help bring James Rafferty down."

She swallowed hard. Bring her boss down?

The idea might seem absurd. However, after hearing about a few of his latest assignments, she was now curious.

She'd always wondered if the man was up to no good. Maybe this was her chance to find out more about who she was really working for.

However, she wasn't sure she could handle the truth.

Stephen prayed his words were getting through to Heidi. That she would help him instead of turning on him.

Right now, everything depended on her decision.

He wished he could see her face. That he could read her mind, for that matter.

He couldn't do those things, but he could use his other abilities. His power of observation had been highly tuned.

He could hear Heidi's quick breathing, which let him know she was still nervous.

He could feel the stillness in the room, as if she were frozen, trying to make a decision.

He could hear her swallow as she was about to speak.

Finally, she sighed and crossed her arms. "Okay. I don't know what I can do for you, but we can talk."

He hoped her words were sincere. "Perfect."

He walked into the living room. He reached for the beige lamp on an end table, snaked his hand through the shade, and screwed in the bulb. Its glow instantly filled the room.

As he turned, he caught a glimpse of Heidi.

Of her heart-shaped face. Her light brown hair. Her thick, curly ringlets. Her petite frame.

He couldn't see the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks from across the room, but he knew they were there. He could easily picture her bright green eyes and straight teeth. He'd practically memorized all her features—not that his attraction to her mattered. He'd even flirted with her on occasion, but he knew those playful interactions would go nowhere.

His past prevented any future relationships. He was too broken.

However, he hated that he'd scared Heidi as he did. But he'd had no other choice.

Milk puddled on the tile floor at her feet. Two eggs were smattered, the yokes bleeding from them. Oranges had scattered from the bag as if desperate to make an escape.

Right now, it didn't matter. There would be time to pick those things up later.

"Do you want to sit down?" he suggested.

Heidi still looked uncertain. Her gaze showed she was calculating her response, weighing her options.

Finally, she nodded. "Okay."

Stephen watched as she stepped over the bag and headed to the couch. She sat tentatively as she stared at him.

He sat in the chair across from her, wishing he could put her more at ease.

He'd always liked Heidi. He'd enjoyed their conversations when they'd talked in the past. He'd even looked forward to seeing her at work. Her cheery face was always a welcome sight after their assignments.

Then he'd discovered the truth about his own background—and Rafferty's role in all of it.

Stephen left Blackstone, a top-secret security company, and teamed up with other men who were just like him—who were fighting to take down those who wanted too much power and control. People like Rafferty.

Rafferty was their current focus. They needed to find him. Interrogate him. Learn what he was up to.

Ever since Stephen had defected from the security group, he felt certain he'd been targeted. He'd found bugs in his own apartment. Had sensed someone following him. Had seen his bank account unexplainably drained.

That meant he needed to be a shadow. Each of his moves had to be planned and executed very carefully.

"What do you want to know?" Heidi rubbed her hands across her dark-wash blue jeans, clearly nervous.

"Everything. I need to know everything you know—and maybe more."

She blinked as if overwhelmed and shook her head. "You are going to have to be a little more specific. I'm only his executive assistant. It's not like he gives me open access to all the information about the company."

Before Stephen could say anything else, a footstep sounded outside.

Most people probably wouldn't have heard it. But his instincts had been fine-tuned through years of training and experience.

Heidi sat up straighter. "What is it?"

He rose. "Are you expecting anyone?"

"No. I was just going to make dinner for myself. No one else."

He was afraid of that. "Someone's here. He's going to be at your door in about ten seconds."

"He?"

"The footsteps are heavy. It's a man."

Heidi's eyebrows flicked up as if she were impressed.

Stephen locked his gaze with hers. "You can't tell anybody I'm here. Do you understand?"

"Y—yeah . . . yes," she stuttered. "Of course."

He quickly considered his options. He could stand behind the door, but if the man came inside, he'd be spotted. He didn't want things to turn volatile.

The coat closet, he decided. That was where he could hide.

He darted toward it, remaining light on his feet. Before he slipped inside, he turned toward Heidi and whispered, "If you tell this person I'm here, there will be consequences."

Were his words a threat? Yes, he supposed in some ways they were. But he didn't plan on hurting Heidi.

Yet there would be consequences.

It would be to both of their detriments if he was discovered.

He stared at Heidi, waiting for her response.

Finally, she nodded. "I'll handle it."

Stephen slipped into the closet, closed the door, and prayed for the best.