Good Deed Bad Deed, Marcia Morgan [summer beach reads TXT] 📗

A hush fell over the room as each of them imagined what was ahead. Ben was the first to speak and looked at his mother. “I can see now that there’s a reason for all this. I just don’t know what it is, or how you fit into it.”

Paris said, “Well, it must have to do with the control I have over the exhibit—maybe the transport. What else could it be? Whatever they want me to do must be significant or it wouldn’t have been worth trying to kidnap you.” She began to thumb through the papers again, but stopped and looked at Ben. “Since they didn’t succeed at that, what kind of leverage could they have now?”

Ana had nothing to say, feeling that it wasn’t her place to offer an opinion. Yet she was very sure they weren’t home free. Something bad was coming. She was sure of it. Ben told his mother all that could be done was to wait, that whoever was running things would reveal himself soon enough. Paris felt a rush of anxiety, and her heart began to pound as she wondered what kind of threat was coming.

Ben asked the women if either needed to use the loo. Paris shook her head no, but Ana said yes. Paris suggested that they should get some fresh air in the small garden at the center of the building where there was no outside access. Ben agreed, but said they wouldn’t stay away long, that there could be news at any time. As they got up to leave, he told his mother to lock the office door behind them. She did so, and Ben walked Ana down the hall. When they reached the lady’s room he took hold of her arm gently and turned her to face him.

“I hope you know how much it means to me—that you’ve hung in there through what’s happened so far.”

The intensity of his stare all but buckled Ana’s knees. The urge to kiss him, to tell him that she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, required a strong will. She had to make certain things clear first. She leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath. “Ben, you know this all started because of my need for an interview.” Ben nodded, his expression showing doubt at what might be coming. Ana reached out to stroke his arm then said, “Since shortly after we arrived at your parents’ house, nothing has been about the interview.”

Ben took both her hands in his, but looked down rather dejectedly. “Like I said, I’ve probably done a bang-up job of getting you fired.”

“None of that matters.” She began to pace in circles, thinking. “I’m going to call my editor and tell him that I can’t complete the assignment because something important has come up.” He could see she was adamant in her decision. She stopped pacing, faced him, and said, “I’m part of this mess until everything is resolved. You’ve become many things to me in a short time, Benedict McKinnon. A job is not one of them.”

“The first moment I see that I can’t keep you safe, you’re out of it. Understand that and don’t question me.”

“You haven’t seen my stubborn side yet. I basically won’t be letting you out of my sight.”

Ben shrugged his shoulders, deciding to let her vent but knowing things would be done his way. He quickly decided to divert the conversation away from a battle of wills and said, “You may come out a winner yet. When all’s said and done, this could make quite a story—an exclusive for you. No doubt you’d be back on your editor’s good side.”

Ana pushed the restroom door partially open then turned around. “Maybe,” she said. “As long as the story has a happy ending.” She disappeared inside, and Ben leaned against the wall to wait, his face drenched with worry about what that ending would be.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Gareth had managed only a meager amount of sleep before leaving for the airport. He was weary and sleep deprived, but spent most of the dawn flight to Madrid worrying about his identity. He would have to go through customs and present a passport that identified him as Gareth Logan. Clive Warren couldn’t check in at any hotel because that also required passport ID. Renting a car would present the same problem. Gareth wondered if his alias was now useless to the plan in which he was being forced to take part. He turned the instructions he had been given over and over in his mind, not really believing he could carry through with most of it, but knowing that somehow, he must. His biggest concern was whether he would have to see Olivia, who no doubt had already been taken. Whatever happened from this point on, he hoped it wouldn’t include her finding out about his role in her abduction.

After landing in Madrid, Gareth easily made it to the connecting flight to San Sebastian. He was unable to relax, and his fatigue caused him to forget whether someone would meet him, or if he was supposed to take a taxi to Pamplona. Perhaps he had been told that if no one showed up, he was to take a taxi. The uncertainty frightened him. He had come too far to fail now and have his brother pay the price. As the approach to the landing strip was announced and the small plane began to reduce altitude, his heart began to race. He now suspected that courting Olivia had been the easy part, yet he had never intended to connect with her emotionally, let alone so strongly.

The plane landed and Gareth disembarked. He hurried to baggage claim, where he waited for his duffle. A rush of adrenaline accompanied the realization that he hadn’t even called a friend, let alone his boss, to say he’d be gone for a week. He knew that merely sending someone a text might cause suspicion. Such an