He smiled. 'Perhaps I wanted you to realize that you're not as invulnerable as you think you are.'
He had done that, she thought bitterly. She hadn't felt this uneasy since she'd first started training with Mark. 'You proved nothing. I never thought I was invulnerable. But I did break away from you and woke up when you were trying to keep me asleep.'
'Did you break away?'
She had a sudden twinge of doubt. Had he let her go? She searched his expression. 'You're bluffing. Damn right I did.'
He chuckled. 'You're right. You slipped out from under in the end.'
She hadn't expected him to admit it. 'Then you might just as well not have come.'
His smile faded. 'Except to let you know that I wouldn't be pleased if you do anything to hurt Megan. In fact, I'd be so upset that I believe you'd end up in small, bloody, pieces.' His words were spoken softly, almost casually, but that didn't alter the deadliness.
Damn, he was an intimidating man. She wasn't used to being frightened but in this moment she was afraid of Neal Grady. Don't let him see it. 'Get out of here, Grady.'
'I'm on my way.' He nodded. 'Have a good night.'
The next moment the door was closing behind him.
She drew a deep relieved breath. She wished Mark was here to tell her how ridiculous she was being. He'd always said that fear was the most dangerous enemy she'd face. She'd laughed and told him that quote was completely unoriginal. Shades of Winston Churchill. It was idiotic being afraid of Grady when she had no fear of Molino.
Guilt?
Maybe. She didn't feel good about this or what she was going to do. What difference did it make how she felt? Edmund had not felt good when he had cut his own throat. You did what you had to do to protect the Ledger. Grady was right, it was not a sacred responsibility to her as it had been to Edmund, but it was a duty and an obsession.
And she mustn't let Grady stop her from doing what had to be done. She'd been hesitating, waiting until she could smother any lingering regret and function efficiently as she'd been taught. But Grady wasn't hesitating and she had to move fast now.
She reached for her cell phone and dialed the number Mark had given her last night.
WHERE THE HELL WAS HE? Megan thought in frustration. After she and Grady had returned to the cottage, she had gone directly to her bedroom. But an hour later she had heard Grady leave the cottage and he had been gone for hours.
Where?
It didn't matter. Grady could take care of himself. There was no use panicking because the stupid man had not had the consideration to tell her he was going out when Molino was hot on their trail.
She'd tried to ignore the fear, tried to go to sleep, tried to work on her patient records on her laptop. No way.
She ended up sitting in the living room in this damn chair like a wife waiting for a wandering spouse.
It was nearly morning when she heard the key turn in the lock.
Relief poured through her, immediately followed by anger.
His brows rose as he saw her. 'Hello. Are you as annoyed as I think you are?'
'You should have told me you were leaving.'
'Why? You didn't want to be around me. You ran like a jackrabbit when we got back to the cottage.'
'So you left because you knew I'd worry? To punish me?'
His lips tightened. 'God, what a stupid thing to say. I'm no kid who'd pull a stunt like that just because I wasn't going to be allowed bed privileges. I knew how you'd respond to a threat to me. You'd panic, you'd hurt. It's your nature. I may not be your favorite person right now but you do care for me. I'd never make you go through that if I could help it.'
It had been stupid. If she hadn't been emotionally overwrought, she would never have said those words. Grady was not petty and he was an intelligent, mature male. 'Then why didn't you tell me you were leaving.'
'I hoped you were asleep. You've learned to block me so well that I couldn't tell if you were. I waited an hour before I left. I had a few things to do.'
'What things?'
'I called and got an update on the police investigation on Phillip's attack. They've traced the tires and found they belonged on a Chevrolet truck manufactured between 1995 and 1998.'
'And how many thousand trucks were sold during those years?'
'But they may be able to narrow it down. The tires were new, the tread showed no more than two months' wear. The police are going to go around to tire dealers in Atlanta and asking questions.'
'It might take a long time.'
He nodded. 'Or they might get lucky and come up with an answer on the first day.'
'Why didn't you phone from here?' Her gaze narrowed on his face. 'A call like that would take minutes, not hours. That's not the only thing that you were doing, is it?' No.
'And you're not going to tell me.'
'That's right. It wasn't anything that would hurt you or interfere with our common aim.' He turned away. 'And now I'm going to bed down on this couch unless you've changed your mind. Just invite me and I'll be in your bed in two minutes.' He smiled. 'I have no pride where sex is concerned.'
And neither did she. They had gone far beyond pride last night. She wanted nothing more than to have him touch her. Lord, was that why she had been sitting here waiting for him? Worry, yes. But hunger had been present too. Hunger to see him, to touch him, to feel his hands on her.
'Invite me,' he repeated softly, his gaze holding her own. 'You won't regret it.'
She wouldn't regret it tonight. But only hours before he'd closed her out and still was refusing to confide in her. Everything he did was beginning to mean too much. She didn't know if she could keep herself from giving everything and she wouldn't be cheated.
She turned on her heel. 'Good night, Grady.'
'Sleep well, Megan.'
There was no mockery in his tone but she wasn't going to sleep well and he probably knew it.
She turned out the bedside light and stared into the darkness. If she couldn't sleep, she could plan.
Think of Molino. Think of the Ledger.
Don't think of Grady lying on that couch only a few yards from her bedroom door.
SHE WAS STILL NOT ASLEEP WHEN the cell phone on her bedside table rang four hours later.
'Get out of there,' Renata said when she picked up the phone. Her voice was crackling with urgency. 'Now. I don't know how much time you have. Dammit, I don't know how much time I have. Molino wouldn't have only sent one man. Not after Falbon.'
Megan jerked upright in bed. 'What's happening? Why are-'
'What do you think? Molino. He traced me. If he's found me, he might know you're right on my doorstep. I can't talk to you any longer. I have to get on the move.'
'Wait. I'll call Grady and-'
Renata has already hung up.
Megan threw back the covers and jumped to her feet. 'Grady!'
She grabbed her clothes and started dressing. 'Dammit, Grady, where are you?'
'Right here.' Grady stood in the doorway. 'What's wrong? Who was on the phone?'
'Renata.' She sat down and put on her shoes. 'Get dressed. She said Molino may be on his way. He's traced her. She wanted to warn us.'
'How does she know?'
'I don't know. She hung up. She said something about Molino wouldn't have sent just one man. She was in a hurry.' She grabbed her jacket. 'We have to get over there and make sure she's okay.'
'Wait.' He turned and went toward the bathroom. 'I'll be dressed in a few minutes. We'll call and tell Harley to
