Lisa Harris - Taken

He kept his gaze straight ahead, watching the maze of cars around him while at the same time glancing frequently into the rearview mirror to ensure they weren’t being followed again. “I know you’re scared, but I need some answers. Start from the beginning. What in the world are you doing in Paris?”

“I—”

“Because I remember specifically telling you to stay in Dallas with your sister,” he continued, not giving her a chance to answer. “And yet somewhere you got the crazy notion that you could take care of things by yourself.”

A taxi flew past them, forcing him to swerve into another lane, adding to the tension in his gut. The next time he went out he was going to forget driving, stick to Pierre’s advice and use public transportation. Because if whoever was after them didn’t get them both killed, driving in Paris certainly could.

Her voice matched his own frustration when she finally answered his question. “What did you expect me to do? Sit in that hospital and wait? The doctors aren’t sure Rachel will ever wake up. And no one has found Sophie yet.”

“Listen.” He worked to soften his voice. “I really do understand that this is hard for you, but it’s not your job to go running after a bunch of felons. You’re lucky you’re not dead, because these guys mean business.” He glanced at her again, fighting to hold in his irritation. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself involved in.”

“I didn’t choose to get involved in this.”

She might be right, but his anger had yet to fully alleviate. “Even so, it didn’t mean you should just hop on a plane to track down a man with known criminal ties.”

She stared straight ahead out the window at the passing shops, her frown deepening. “It seemed like the right thing to do twenty-four hours ago.”

“This isn’t a game, Kate. You saw your sister. And you saw what happened just now. These guys play to win.”

“Do you think I don’t realize that?” She gripped the door handle and turned to him. “They just tried to grab me off the street in broad daylight.”

“I saw them grab you. That’s why I came after you.” Marcus slowed to a stop, waited for the pedestrians to cross, then turned into the underground parking garage and proceeded down the narrow entrance, which explained why all cars in this city were compact.

“Tell me what I should do now.” Her voice shook, despite the determination in her voice.

He squeezed into an empty parking space, then shut off the motor, his mind still running through his options regarding what he was going to do with her. His first choice was to send her back to Dallas on the next flight.

“We’ve got a safe house set up. You can stay there until I can get you a flight back to the States.”

“I’m not going back.”

He frowned, but he hadn’t expected an easy fight. “You don’t have a choice, and besides, you’ll be safe—”

“Safe?” She unbuckled her seat belt and turned to him, the panic in her voice back. “I’m not sure there is anywhere safe. They found Rachel. And now, for some reason, they think I’m involved and found me here. And the crazy thing is that I don’t even know who I’m running from. But I do have a choice as to whether I stay or not.”

“I told you not to get involved, and from what I’ve seen this morning, I was right.”

“And you think I’ll be safer in Dallas? My sister wasn’t safe.”

“Listen, Kate. I know you’re scared.” He pulled out the keys from the ignition and clutched them between his fingers. Arguing wasn’t going to get them anywhere for the moment. He needed to change the subject. “Can you think of any reason why they would come after you?”

Marcus’s phone rang again. He picked it up. Pierre.

“Give me a second,” he told her. “I’ll walk you up to the apartment.”

He stepped out of the car. “Hey. What have you got?”

“The car you asked me to look up was stolen.”

“Figures.”

“And the girl?”

“She’s with me. Safe for the moment.”

“What are you going to do with her?”

“My plan is to ship her out on the next flight back to the United States. I don’t have time to babysit.”

“Not so fast. We might need her.”

Marcus leaned against the car and shook his head. “Why? She’s just arrived in the country and brought me nothing but trouble.”

“My point exactly. Why are they after her? Neither of us believe in coincidences, so she has to be connected to the case somehow.”

Marcus tapped his fingers on the side of the car, unconvinced. He’d meant it when he’d told her she should leave things up to the authorities. He started pacing the small space between his car and the next. “I don’t know.”

“You know I’m right. Bring her to the safe house, and let her stay there. You can try to find out what she knows. Use her as a bridge to find Chad.”

“I’m not going to assume responsibility for her.”

“What’s wrong with playing the hero who saves the damsel in distress, as you Americans seem to love so much? We need a break in the case, and she might be exactly what we’re looking for.”

Marcus rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, ignoring the hero-damsel comparison. According to Kate, she didn’t need a hero to sweep in and save her. Which was fine with him. But maybe Pierre did have a point. If she stayed in Paris, he might be able to get some information out of her and keep his eye on her at the same time. For as much as he didn’t like the idea, as far as he was concerned, Kate Elliot needed someone to look after her.

* * *

Kate watched Marcus pace outside the car, cell phone pressed against his ear, his frown deepening. She knew he was talking about her. More than likely, he was having his friend book the next flight out of the country for her. But if Sophie was here, she was going to do everything in her power to help find her niece. And there was nothing Marcus could do to stop her.

When he finally slipped back into the car, she was ready to argue her case. “I’m not leaving Paris.”

“That’s fine.”

“That’s fine?” Kate paused. “You’re not taking me to the airport?”

“That was my first choice, but Pierre convinced me that we might be able to use you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Whoever tried to grab you today clearly thinks you are connected to the case somehow. I want to know how. And in exchange, you get a safe place to stay.”

Five minutes later, Kate stepped out of the small elevator onto the fourth floor of the apartment building, into a lit hallway with three doors, still unsure if she was happy with the situation. But if it kept her safe and in Paris, maybe it was time to stop arguing.

Marcus pressed the buzzer of apartment 403, then waited beside her until a man wearing a suit opened up the door and ushered them inside.

“This is Pierre Durand.” Marcus introduced the man. “He’s with French intelligence, working on the same case I am. He also speaks perfect English.”

The older man pushed back his glasses and grinned. “From living in Boston for three years.”

Kate shook the man’s hand and realized her own was still trembling. She pulled her hand back then glanced around the tiny apartment’s living room with its mismatched table and chairs and eclectic collection of artwork on the walls. Even the late-morning sunlight streaming through two large windows wasn’t enough to lighten her somber mood.

Her gaze shifted back to the other agent. The reality of why she was here hit afresh like an aftershock. She needed a few minutes alone to get her emotions in check.

“You’ll find the apartment small, but sufficient. And safe,” Pierre assured her. “It’s completely off the grid.”