Dangerously Close, page 13
FBI agents were always warned to go with their first instincts. Hunter shouldn’t brush this one off so easily. He swung his attention back to Sly who was now using his cell phone as video as he slowly moved it around the crowd, getting closer to Hunter.
“My darling Ashley,” he said softly, “we’ll be on video here in a moment so I suggest you kiss me.”
Her body stiffened and she looked up at him. “Sly?”
“Yes. He’s taking a video right now.”
“Then we both need to face the river.”
Without waiting for his answer, she turned toward the Hudson. He had no other choice but to follow. Keeping his arms around her, he pulled her against him as he rested his head on top of hers.
“That’s odd,” she said.
“What is?”
“I didn’t figure Sly – or any of Zander’s men – were social media freaks.”
“Why would you think he was using social media?”
“Because he’s taking a video. Why else would a guy do that?”
Hunter chuckled. “True. I can see if this was Sly’s first time on a ferry that he’d want to capture memories, but I don’t think he’s a tourist.”
“He’s not.”
After a few minutes passed, Hunter couldn’t wait any longer. He needed to take a peek. Turning his head slowly, he pretended to kiss Ashley’s head as he zeroed his focus on the spot Sly had been standing. The man now was looking at his phone as if watching something inside. Confusion marred the man’s face, and seconds later, anger lines marked his forehead and around his mouth. The man’s gaze jumped up and met with Hunter’s, clashing immediately. Sly moved his jacket aside, displaying the shoulder holster and especially, the gun inside.
Hunter swore under his breath. Somehow the man recognized him.
Grabbing Ashley’s hand, he glanced around them, looking for a place to run. Going back to the car was out of the question.
“What’s wrong?” Ashley asked in a high-pitched voice.
“He knows who we are.”
At least there were several people separating Sly from Hunter and Ashley, so they ran in the opposite direction from him.
“Don’t look back. For now, he just recognized me.”
Ashley shook her head. “But I thought you said he doesn’t know you.”
“He doesn’t. But he does now... I just don’t know how.”
They dodged around people, heading for the inside of the ferry. There were too many people, and Hunter didn’t want any of them to get hurt. He just prayed that Sly didn’t want to hurt anyone else, either.
“We need to go by the vehicles. We can hide better,” he said, pulling her toward the decks where the cars were parked.
Hunter didn’t look to see how far away Sly was, only because his focus was ahead of them and where to hide. When they reached the first level of cars, they ran behind the black SUV, crouching lower. But he didn’t stop. They must continue moving, but quietly.
They crept by two more vehicles when another pair of quick footsteps echoed in the parking garage and then suddenly stopped. Hunter held his breath, and by the look of terror on Ashley’s pale face, he could tell she was doing her best not to breathe.
“I know you’re down here, Ryan,” Sly shouted.
Ashley narrowed her gaze on Hunter and shook her head. “Why did he call you Ryan?” she whispered.
“That’s the name I used when I worked at the bar.”
Her mouth formed in an O and she nodded.
He moved them to another car. He was really considering sneaking in the back seat of one of the vehicles, but then most people probably had a car alarm, and opening up the door would certainly cause the alarm to go off, and people to come running...
He sucked in a quick breath. Great idea!
As they neared a set of stairs, he grabbed the Glock out of his ankle holster and smashed the window. A split second later, the alarm went off. Ashley glared at him as if he’d lost his mind, but he didn’t have time to explain. Not yet.
He peeked through the window, noticing Sly running the other way. He grinned. That worked... for now.
Hunter’s attention fell to the back seat of the car. A man’s baseball cap and two sweaters were lying on the seat near the window. Without another thought, he snatched the articles of clothing and hurried away.
“Put this on,” he said, shaking the glass off the smaller sweater before handing it to Ashley.
She did as requested. He pulled the other sweater over his head. It fit him snugly, but at least it fit him. He quickly put the cap on his head. Just before making it to the top level, he noticed a side door that read janitor. He opened it and pulled them inside, slowly closing the door behind them.
He held Ashley’s trembling body against his in the tight-fitting janitor’s closet. Her head pressed against his chest as her arms wound around his waist. After a few minutes, he heard people scampering down the stairs, coming to see if it was their car that was beeping.
“Smart thing to do,” she said with a shaky voice.
“Yeah. I’m glad I thought of it.”
“Maybe,” she lifted her head to look at him, “we should have lured him to the top deck and pushed him overboard.”
He chuckled silently. “That will be plan B.”
She sighed and snuggled against him. He smiled, but worry still filled him. They’d gotten this far without being caught. How much farther could they go before Zander or his men finally closed in on them?
THIRTEEN
Ashley felt awkward wearing a sweater that Hunter had taken, but if it was going to help save her life, she’d do it. When they heard the horn from the ferry, announcing their arrival, her heartbeat gradually returned to normal.
Hunter slowly opened the door and peeked around to make sure Sly wasn’t close by. When the coast was clear, he pulled her out and toward the lower level parking. People were returning to their vehicles, and she prayed Sly didn’t notice them, even though they wore someone else’s sweaters.
They came to Hunter’s father’s car and climbed inside. The windows were tinted, but not as tinted as she would have wished. But she didn’t think Sly would be able to see them unless he stood right in front of their vehicle.
During the time she’d stood in the janitor’s closet, something kept running through her head that didn’t make any sense. For some reason, it wasn’t adding up.
“Hunter, can you explain something to me?”
“Sure, beautiful.” He grasped her hand and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. “I’ll tell you anything.”
“If you knew Zander in college, why doesn’t he know your last name is Thomas?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “I never thought to tell you about that.”
“Well, now is a good time, don’t you think?”
“You see, my father was police chief before I entered college. He insisted I enroll as Hunter Ryan. He didn’t want me to have any problems being the police chief’s son. So when I met up with Zander, he knew me as Hunter Ryan.”
She nodded. “That makes sense. Aren’t you glad your father was thinking ahead?”
“More than you know.”
When the ferry came to a stop, they started unloading the cars, the bottom level first. As Hunter kept a close watch on the ferry workers giving the signal to leave, Ashley kept her gaze focused all around them. They pulled out, into the light, and she glanced to the top level. Sly stood against the rail, moving his gaze over every car. Thankfully, he was too far to recognize them.
“Can he see us?” Hunter asked.
“He can see the car, but he can’t see inside.”
“Good.” He tightened his fingers around the steering wheel. “But now Zander knows where we are. I’m sure he’ll have his men who are located in this area, looking for us as soon as possible.”
“True, but unless he knows what we’re driving, it’ll be almost impossible.”
He glanced at her and shook his head. “Never underestimate Zander.”
Her heart sank as she looked ahead at the road. Would this ever be over? She wanted to live a normal life again, but she didn’t see it happening anytime soon.
Once they were on the road again, she breathed easier and stopped bunching her hands into fists. Her mind filled with everything she’d learned so far since meeting Hunter – which was quite a bit of information. She realized she could trust him now, and because of that, her heart softened once again when she thought about the kind-hearted man who liked to save women he didn’t really know.
She glanced at his profile. His creased forehead let her know he was in deep thought. Funny how she could recognize his expressions so easily now. She just hoped that he’d be able to figure out how to get them out of their dangerous situation, and quickly.
His hair was slightly messy and a few strands rested on his forehead. She had the urge to reach over and move them back with the rest of his hair, but resisted. If they were going to have a relationship past all the danger they were in, she wanted him to get to know her in a non-physical sense, just as she wanted to know him the same way.
“Is your father still police chief?” she asked after a long stretch of silence.
“No. He’s retired.”
“While your father was in office, did he know about Zander?”
“I’m sure his precinct had leads, but since Zander was out of my father’s jurisdiction, nothing could be done.”
She dragged her fingers through her hair, realizing that she still had it in a bun, so she pulled it loose. “Where are we going now?”
“We’re turning around and we’ll catch the ferry going back.”
“What?” She snapped her gaze toward him. “Are you crazy?”
“No. I’d be crazier if I stayed here. We can’t follow Sly because now he’ll be watching. And there’s no reason to stay here unless you want me to take you home.”
Frowning, she shook her head. “I don’t want to put my family in danger.”
“That’s what I thought, so let’s head back.”
“What about going to Harlem to get the money?”
He shook his head. “Since Zander’s men know we’re around these parts, going to Harlem would be a bad decision, too. We definitely want to keep them away from the money. However...” He tapped his finger on the steering wheel. “I should contact some agents at the home office to find your car and locate the suitcase. I’ll get them to examine it for fingerprints.”
“Do you trust them?” She leaned toward him, resting her hand on his arm. “I know Zander has officers on his payroll. You’d even mentioned it.”
“Yes, I trust these agents. They’re like my brothers.” He paused and then added, “The one who called me last night is one of them. I’ll see if he’ll take on the responsibility of fingerprinting the suitcase.”
He stayed quiet for a few moments, before turning to look at her. “Do you remember what ran through your mind when you saw that money?”
She nodded. “At first, I was too shocked, and I knew I needed to rest to regain my strength and hopefully my memory. After a few days when my memory hadn’t returned, I went back and looked in the trunk of my car, hoping some kind of memory would come. I didn’t touch the suitcase after that but left it there. I wish I knew how I got it, but deep in my heart, I wondered if Zander had something to do with it. After all, he was a wealthy guy.” She shrugged. “I honestly thought I’d stolen it from him.”
Hunter laughed. “You probably did. Zander wouldn’t carry a lot of money around. If it was in a suitcase, I’m sure his purpose was to pay someone – maybe for drugs. I don’t know.”
“Oh, maybe,” she said as her mind ran in circles, “someone was paying him and I interceded the deal.”
Glancing at her, he arched an eyebrow. “Now you’re on to something. What if he was trying to sell you to the highest bidder and you were able to get away with the money, instead?”
She let out a faux laugh. “Then I would have to be one very smart woman.” She shook her head. “But since I was dating Zander, that proves how stupid I was.”
“No, my beautiful lady.” He grasped her hand. “Don’t sell yourself short. Zander knows how to get women. He knows how to charm, and he definitely knows how to flaunt his money. Any woman would feel privileged to go out with him.”
“I still feel stupid.” She sighed. “I feel like I should have known better. I knew he had a harsh temper, and I felt controlled around him and wanted out. But I still feel as though I should have gotten out sooner.”
“How could you know? You probably thought he was a great guy because your father approved.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“That’s okay. We’ll find the evidence against him and have him thrown in jail, and hopefully, we’ll be lucky enough to break down his organization and make many arrests.”
“That would be great if we could.” She rubbed her palm over his muscular arm. “And then you can return to being an FBI agent, and I can return to my job at my father’s bank.”
Ashley’s mind stopped. Could she return to work, especially after everything she’d been through with Hunter? Could she carry on the way she used to – socializing with the upper class and acting like she hadn’t changed? But she had changed. Hunter had changed her. He had made her feel alive both in body and in her soul. She’d never thought of other men the way she thought about Hunter. Never had she wanted any of them to be her hero.
“Yeah, as long as I find out what happened to my sister,” he said softly as he squeezed her fingers. “I might have to keep you close by until your memory returns... no matter how long that takes.”
Her heart flipped, and she wished she didn’t feel this way. If they were to return to their old lives, she couldn’t fall in love with him. Or could she?
“I’m sure I’ll remember something.” She smiled. “At least I know I didn’t kill her.”
“No, you didn’t kill her. Your heart is too pure. I deal with criminals every day, and not once have I met a criminal as sweet as you.”
She laughed. “You’re being too charming again.”
“Yeah, I know.” He shrugged. “Can’t help it. You bring out that particular trait in me. I kind of like it.”
She liked it, too. “Thanks for not thinking of me as criminal material.”
“You’re welcome.” He lifted her hand and brought it to his mouth where he brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “Dare I hope you trust me fully again?”
“Yes, I do.”
He didn’t say anything as he lowered her hand, but his wide smile as he drove them back to the ferry said it all. She liked being the one who could make him smile this way.
The ferry was up ahead, and although she didn’t want to go back, she understood that Hunter had to follow his feelings. But as they neared the boarding area, Hunter stopped the car. His gaze narrowed as he watched the men in fancy black three-piece suits as they moved from one ferry worker to the other, showing them something on their cell phones.
Hunter slammed his palm against the steering wheel and cussed. “We can’t get on the ferry now. That’s Zander’s men right there, and I’d bet good money that they were showing our pictures to everyone working on the vessel.”
Fear jumped to her throat. “If it’s not one thing trying to stop us, it’s five others.”
He quickly turned the car around and headed back in the direction they came. She peeked over her shoulder toward the back window to see if any of the men were looking her way. Thankfully, they didn’t notice.
“Now what’s your plan?” she wondered, turning back in her seat and peering at the road in front of them.
“I guess we’re going to Harlem after all.”
“Should we try to get more disguises?”
“Yes.” He looked her way and smiled. “Brilliant suggestion. Sly might not know what type of car I’m driving, but I’m sure he remembers what we are wearing.” He moved his gaze back to the road. “Do a search on your phone and see if you can locate the nearest thrift store. We’ll find some clothes, even if they are faded and torn. I promise, we are not going to let them catch us.”
Ashley had to put her faith in him. If not... they would both surely die at Zander’s command.
HUNTER STOOD IN THE thrift store’s dressing room, looking at himself in the mirror. He’d finally found some clothes that fit him. He had to dress like an Amish man, but at least the store had his size. Amish men were hardworking and strongly built like oxen – just like Hunter.
He wore dark blue jeans, a white shirt with black suspenders. Also, parts of his disguise were the black felt hat on his head and black boots on his feet. His hair would be too long to pass for an Amish man, he just knew it. However, he had no other choice but to dress this way. And Ashley would have to dress like an Amish wife.
Sighing, he left the dressing room just as she walked out of the women’s dressing area. They both stopped and stared at each other. He’d always think she was a beautiful woman no matter what she wore, but he just didn’t like her in the plain blue dress that reached her calves, and the white apron that went over the dress, along with the white hat the Amish women wore. On her feet were the ugliest pair of brown women’s boots he’d ever seen. She’d left her hair loose, which she’d have to fix before they went out in public.
She blew out a heavy breath and shook her head. “I have to give you credit for finding these disguises. I don’t think Zander will ever find us now.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Groaning, she closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. He moved beside her and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.
“We won’t be like this for very long,” he said. “Just until we can get to Harlem and collect the suitcase, and then back to New Jersey without being seen.”
She looked up at him, frowning. “And you know as well as I that it might take a few days to do that, especially since Zander is on our tails.”
“Come on.” He led her toward the cash register. “The quicker we can get this done, the quicker it’ll be over.”
