Christy Barritt - Hidden Agenda

He didn’t buy her story for a second. “And was he?”

She swallowed so hard that her throat muscles visibly tightened. “You didn’t see him. Did you?”

He shifted, his hands going to his hips. He reminded himself that Bailey, most likely, wasn’t one of the bad guys here. He didn’t need to go into interrogation mode. “You need to tell me what kind of game you’re playing. Otherwise, we might both end up dead.”

Wrinkles appeared at the corner of her eyes. “Look, I’m sorry. I won’t wander away again. I had a moment of bad judgment.”

That little excuse wasn’t going to settle with him. But she wasn’t saying anything else right now.

He’d keep an eye on her. He didn’t trust her.

But for now, they had to work together.

He couldn’t be 100 percent sure that the intruder was gone. Whoever it had been had definitely set it up to look as if he’d left. But the person behind this vandalism wasn’t a newbie. They were experienced...and possibly working with Bailey?

He had to keep that idea at the forefront of his mind.

Trust no one.

That had been his mantra for more than a decade.

He didn’t see it changing anytime soon.

FOUR

Bailey rubbed her throat, suddenly exhausted, weary and overwhelmed. “What now?”

“Right now we secure the house and batten down the hatches, so to speak, for this storm. Until it’s daylight, there’s not much more we can do except try to stay safe and keep our eyes open.”

Bailey nodded. As she felt Ed’s gaze on her, she rubbed her throat again. He wasn’t stupid. He knew she wasn’t telling the truth. But she had no other choice at this point. She had to do whatever she had to to keep her family safe. She needed time to think, to figure things out. Her adrenaline wanted to race ahead as her mind struggled through the possibilities.

“I know where all of the entrances to the house are,” Bailey offered. “I can show you and we can make sure they’re secure.”

Ed nodded. “Good idea. We’ll stick together.”

She wouldn’t argue with that. She had no desire to wander this place by herself. “Let’s go.”

They moved throughout the house, checking windows and doors. They said very little as they worked. Bailey tried to ignore the tension between them, tried to pretend that everything was like it was before. Everything hadn’t been great earlier, but now her conscience bothered her. Now she did have a secret and, along with it, she had guilt.

Just two hours ago, things had seemed relatively simple. She’d planned on reading her novel, turning in for the night, and in the morning she’d depart this place and look for a new job. Though she’d been dreading starting over again, right now she dreaded staying here even more. Especially under these circumstances.

How could two hours turn her life upside down?

Finally, Ed checked the last window. It was latched.

“We’re secure,” he said.

But Bailey knew that nothing was really secure. Someone very likely was still in this house with them. Where? She had no idea. She hadn’t seen a sign of him as they’d moved throughout the place. Whoever this man was, he was good. He had the ability to disappear. Maybe he’d even planted cameras somewhere. That fact had her on edge.

“Let’s get back to that fire,” Ed suggested. “It’s freezing in here.”

Finally, they went down to the living room. Bailey knelt in front of the flames, absorbing the heat for a moment. She only wished the flames could warm her heart as it did her hands. Despair and panic did a tangled dance inside her.

Ed’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Any food left here?”

“I donated most of it and threw away the perishables.” She shrugged. “I was planning on leaving in the morning and I didn’t want it to be wasted.”

Except, she couldn’t now. She had to think of some way to stay. That meant that she should probably get on Ed’s good side, especially since this was his place now.

“I did save some crackers, cheese, peanut butter and a few apples to snack on until I left. I think there’s coffee and some of that fancy tea your dad liked, also. Would you like me to get them for you?”

He stared again. The man obviously didn’t trust her. He shouldn’t trust her, at this point. Bailey had always been the kind of person people could depend on, the one people told their secrets to. She didn’t even know how to be untrustworthy, which only added to this crisis of conscience.

“I’ll get the food,” Ed finally said. “Where did you leave everything?”

“The kitchen counter. Beside the refrigerator. In a basket.” She’d been planning on taking it with her on the boat. Then she’d call a taxi from the piers to take her to the rental-car agency. She’d been planning on going down to see her sister.

Ed stepped away. Being away from him both made her relax and feel tenser at the same time. She was glad to be away from his scrutiny, but she couldn’t help worry as she sat alone in the dark.

Her thoughts revolved around Ed and his credibility. Why hadn’t Mr. Carter kept any pictures of his son around the house? What kind of relationship had the two of them had? Mr. Carter had certainly spoken with pride about his only offspring, but if they had such a close relationship, why hadn’t Ed shown up for his father’s last days? Something wasn’t adding up. A lot of things, for that matter. What if Ed wasn’t who he’d claimed to be?

She shrugged it off and grabbed some blankets from the closet, leaving a few on the couch in case Ed needed them. Then she pulled the leather recliner closer to the fireplace and settled there, pulling several blankets over herself. The temperature had dropped, and the air in the house was more than chilly. It was downright uncomfortable.

As another shiver washed over her, she looked over her shoulder. Was the stranger watching her now? Was he waiting for just the right moment to flaunt his power over her? Nausea turned in her stomach at the thoughts.

Ed appeared with a tray a few minutes later. He’d scrounged up not only some crackers and apples but also a few bottles of water. He set them on the table between them. “I thought you might be hungry, as well.”

She swallowed hard. “Thank you.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, her stomach grumbled. It seemed she was hungrier than she’d thought. She leaned forward and grabbed some crackers. If anything, they might help to settle her stomach, which was twisted in knots.

Ed sat on the couch, ignoring the blankets in favor of leaning closer to the fire, and grabbed an apple. “How long did you work for my father, Bailey?”

Bailey ran a finger over her lips, hoping to dislodge any stray crumbs. “Eight months.”

“And how’d you end up on an isolated place like Smuggler’s Cove?”

She shrugged, thinking back on the broken path that had led to her decision to come here. “Long story. I needed some changes in my life. I had worked as a nurse in the ER, but I was tired of the pace, the pressure, the social scene of life back in Raleigh. I decided maybe I should be a home health nurse and applied with an agency. A day later, I got the call about your father.”

“I’m surprised you lasted more than a week around that ornery man.” He offered a wry smile.

The mystery of their relationship deepened. The way Ed said the words was with an unmistakable affection, but that didn’t add up with the facts she already knew. “Your father was a wonderful man. I mean, he was kind of gruff sometimes. But once you got past those walls, he was delightful. I loved listening to his stories.”

He took another bite of his apple and leaned back. “What kind of stories?”

“Of traveling the world. Of the people he met. Of how our country has changed since he was a boy. He took a lot of pride in the United States and the freedoms we have here.”