She nodded. “More than you can know.” That was certainly the truth. She darn sure couldn’t tell him that the CIA was involved. He probably wouldn’t believe her any way.
By the time she’d finished her tea she felt a little less shaky. She couldn’t stop worrying whether or not Joe was all right. Maybe she should call Director Calder again. The sound of sirens intruded into her thoughts and drew her to the front door.
“They’re here.” Her voice came out small and shaky in spite of her much calmer state.
Rosco joined her at the door. “You think that fellow survived?”
Dread welled in her belly. “I don’t know.” But she wasn’t worried about the awful man who’d been holding her hostage. She was worried about Joe. Had the CIA been able to get to him in time?
“I’m going over there,” she told Rosco. “Thank you for your help.”
“That’s what neighbors do, lady,” he let her know. “They help one another. Most any of the folks in this neighborhood would’ve done the same if they’d been home. I’m the token old man ’round here. ’Bout the only one retired.”
She managed a smile for her Good Samaritan and walked out to the street. Exhaustion made her feet feel as if they weighed a ton each. But she didn’t stop until she’d reached the front walk where three police cruisers and an ambulance were parked.
A sedan pulled over to the curb drawing her at tention be yond the fray of uniformed personnel rushing about.
The driver’s side door opened and a man emerged.
Terror exploded in her chest. David.
Elizabeth started to run back to ward Mr. Fedder’s house. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest but she didn’t slow, just kept running.
“Elizabeth!”
She felt her feet stop beneath her, almost causing her to fall forward.
“Elizabeth! It’s me, Joe!”
Her whole body quaking like mad, she slowly turned around in time for him to skid to a stop only a couple of feet away.
“Honey, it’s me, Joe.”
Hope tugged at her. It was Joe’s voice. But the face…
Her gaze settled on his and her heart leaped with joy.
The most beautiful blue eyes stared back at her.
“Joe!” She threw her self against him. His big strong arms closed in around her.
“I told you I’d be back,” he murmured close to her ear.
And he hadn’t let her down.
She drew back and looked into his eyes again. She wanted to tell him the truth…that she loved him de spite her best efforts not to.
But would love ever be enough with a dangerous man like Joe Hennessey?
Chapter 14
Elizabeth slipped on her surgical gown then scrubbed up. As she dried her hands and arms she studied her reflection. Her throat was still bruised but she’d get over it.
Incredibly the man who’d done that damage had survived and the Agency hoped to garner much needed information from him. Elizabeth didn’t care how useful he could be to the Agency as long as he spent the rest of his life behind bars…far, far away from her.
She’d been stunned to learn that killing off the agents had been a ploy to lure her into a situation, both as a suspect and as an asset to be protected. David had wanted to steal her away in such a manner that an Agency operative, namely Joe Hennessey, would be blamed for her disappearance and ultimate loss. No one would ever be the wiser that David was alive and he would have Elizabeth to use in his new posh escape clinic. She would have been a prisoner, giving sleazy, how ever wealthy, criminals new faces in exchange for living another day.
How could she have been so completely fooled by David?
“Dr. Cameron.”
Elizabeth hauled her attention back to the here and now, and away from those disturbing thoughts. “Yes.”
“The patient refuses to be prepped for anesthesia until after he speaks with you.”
Elizabeth sighed. “I’ll be right there.” She’d been through this routine before.
With the same patient as a matter of fact.
She breezed into the O.R. and strode straight up to the operating table.
“What seems to be the problem, Mr. Hennessey?” She glared down at him, resisting the urge to tap her foot.
He looked around the room at the Agency’s specialized team who waited to begin. His gaze lit back on Elizabeth’s. “I really need to speak with you alone.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and huffed her exasperation. “Clear the room please.”
When the last of the four had moved into the scrub room, Elizabeth, keeping her hands where they wouldn’t get contaminated, glared down at her patient.
“I just wanted you to know that I didn’t mean to take advantage of you.”
She did not want to talk about that night again. In the past three days they’d scarcely seen each other and when they had he’d wanted to apologize for making love to her. How was that for making a girl feel like she was loved? Not once had he mentioned having treaded into that four-letter territory.
So, of course, neither had she.
It was for the best, she supposed. He would go back to his superspy world and she would return to her work.
No harm. No foul.
They were both alive.