from the hangar. You wanted me to keep you informed on the whereabouts of Mrs. Dunhill.'
'Yeah. Something new?' Christian kept his tone steady, but his heart was another matter.
'The pilot has got a flight plan returning to the Dunhill hangar. She's heading back to Chicago. Her ETA is four this afternoon. She's asked for a pickup.' Bill cleared his throat, broaching an opinion. 'I figured if she called for a ride from security, she hadn't contacted you. What do you want me to do?'
He closed his eyes.
A part of him felt relieved to finally know her whereabouts. But an even bigger part was angry as hell at her gall. She'd left him to deal with the murder, intentionally holding back her secrets. Why come back now? Since she hadn't called him, did she have any intention of contacting him at all?
'No pickup, Bill. I'll do it myself. Thanks for the heads-up.' He ended the call and tossed the phone onto the sofa, then pulled a hand through his damp hair. 'Damn,' he muttered.
'Something wrong? You look upset.' Raven's voice came from behind him. Dressed in his white bathrobe, she towel-dried her hair.
'No, just something at Dunhill Tower. I'm gonna have to drive to the city this afternoon.' He busied himself with the coffee and hoped she hadn't seen his uneasiness.
His meeting with Fiona had to be one-on-one. Even though he had a personal connection to Raven, she still worked for the police. His instincts told him to honor the loyalty to his . . . to Fiona. The word 'mother' stuck in his craw. At this point, he wasn't sure he could ever bring himself to call her that. Yet before all this, he would have been honored by the privilege.
'You'll be safe here while I'm gone. I'll leave instructions with my men before I take off. It'll only take a few hours.'
'Oh no, you don't. You're not gonna ditch me again,' she teased with a smirk. 'If you're going into Chicago, I'd like to hitch a ride. Can you drop me off at the station house?'
Her suggestion was not unreasonable. Unreasonable would have been her insisting that she drive her own car in total disregard for her own personal safety. But her compromise took him by surprise. His mind raced with how this scenario might play out. He finally thought of a way to keep Raven off his scent and meet with Fiona alone. The execution of his plan would be tricky.
'I've got a better idea. You drop me off at the tower, then you can have my SUV. But I need to know where you'll be. No deviations. If you're at work, I figure you can't be any safer than that. But promise me you won't deviate from the plan.' Stepping closer, he trailed a finger down her cheek and stared into those dark eyes. 'And I want your cell phone number, so I can find you when I'm ready to leave.'
His smile felt forced. Christian hoped she wouldn't notice. He hated lying to her.
'Okay. I understand. But I can take care of myself, you know.' Raven crooked an eyebrow and lowered her eyes to his chin.
He stared at her for a moment, then chuckled, rubbing his jaw. 'Yeah, I found that out the hard way.'
'That was just a little love tap.' She raised up on tiptoe and kissed his bruised lip. 'Something I learned from the WWE.'
'I should have figured you for a girl into wrestling.' He kissed her cheek, then whispered in her ear. 'When we hook up later, I'll show you some of my patented moves. No spandex required.'
'My, you are a man of many talents. Hunk Hogan move over.'
'I believe that's Hulk Hogan,' he murmured.
'Whatever.'
Wedging herself between him and the counter, she undid the tie to his robe, sliding her fingers to his bare skin. He slipped his hands under her robe, allowing them to stray. He closed his eyes and nuzzled her neck, drinking in the smell of her skin.
The woman made it damned hard for him to ignore her. Yep, Raven made it damned hard, always.
By midafternoon, the sun speared through the dark clouds only sparingly, dashing Christian's hope for a better day. He followed Raven out the front door of his cottage, setting the alarm and locking it behind him. The air smelled heavy with moisture. Today's forecast called for thunderstorms later in the afternoon. On his front step, he turned up the collar to his long black overcoat and heaved a sigh. His eyes fixed on the gathering clouds overhead. Even Mother Nature had conspired against him.
With his mind being so troubled, he wondered how he'd ever hide it from his beautiful passenger.
He should have enjoyed the ride into Chicago. Raven did her best to distract him. Somehow, even with a ruthless killer stalking her, with murder and mayhem blowing his life to smithereens, the intriguing woman at his side made their time together feel normal. Idle conversation should have been a welcome respite from the scenarios jumbling in his brain. Yet all he thought about was Fiona. He had no idea how this would play out. The uncertainty wrenched his gut.
As the traffic picked up and they neared downtown Chicago, Raven yanked him from his brooding.
'You've been putting up a pretty good front, but I can tell. Something's bothering you. Can you talk about it?' She looked up from keying her cell phone number as a speed dial entry into his phone. Her dark eyes filled with concern for him.
His rendezvous with Fiona loomed heavy between them, a barrier he couldn't deny. But he wasn't prepared to talk about it. At least, not yet. A part of him wanted to tear down that wall of lies. For so many years, that obstacle had amassed deep within him, like a cancer. It kept him a prisoner to his past. He wondered what it would feel like to shed light on all his dark secrets. The burden finally lifted. And he imagined doing exactly that with Raven.
But he took the path of least resistance.
'I can't. Not yet.' He stared out the windshield, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. He made the turn down Michigan Avenue, heading for Dunhill Tower, then broke the strained silence between them. 'But I want to. Just have a little more patience with me. I gotta sort through some stuff first.'
He pulled to the curb in front of the tower and left the SUV running. Reaching over, he touched a finger to her cheek, then leaned toward her. With fingers laced in her hair, he kissed her, drawing from her humanity to fortify him. As his lips touched hers, his mind flooded with images of Raven, his heart unwilling to leave her behind. But he had to. With his past so much of a hindrance, he had to find a way to set himself free from it. And it was a journey he had to make alone.
'Remember, no deviations. And I'll call you when I'm done so we can set up a time for the ride home.' He forced a smile, tapping an index finger to the tip of her nose.
'You got my number. Maybe we can swing by the hospital to see Tony later.'
'Yeah, no problem.' He yanked open the door to the car and waited for her to come around to slip into the driver's seat.
After a final kiss and a wave good-bye, Christian stood at the curb, watching her drive away. Under his overcoat, he reached for the cell phone clipped to the belt of his jeans. He hit a speed dial, then headed for the front entrance of the building, his face hardened by determination.
The man answered on the second ring. 'Edwards, here.'
'Yeah, Bill. This is Christian. I've got a favor to ask.'
'Anything. What do you need?'
'Get me a pool car. I'm heading out to the hangar to pick up Fiona.'
'Sure thing. Anything else?'
'Yeah. Just one more thing. I want you to start tracking the GPS on my SUV. I'll fill you in when I see you upstairs.'
'You loaned out your high-tech baby?' the man teased. 'Who is she?'
'What makes you think—' With a grin, Christian shook his head. 'Never mind. Just tell me if it deviates from the South State Street area of downtown.'
He ended the call and pushed through the revolving door, waving an acknowledgment to the guards at the front security kiosk. With the change in logistics, he knew the timing would be tight now. His face taut, he shifted focus. Soon, he'd be seeing Fiona again—and in a whole different light. And he still had no idea what would come out of his mouth.
