The Prime Objective

“I…I can’t tell you. The less you know, the safer you’ll be.”

Kate detected the obstinate note in Colleen’s voice and almost groaned. Her sister may not have much self-esteem or confidence, but she had stubbornness and guilty conscience down to an art form.

“I’ll handle this,” Colleen declared shakily. “I got us into this mess, and I’ll get us out of it. Somehow. Just go to Tralee and stay out of sight. I’ll call you when I’ve figured it all out.”

“Look, why don’t you meet me somewhere and we’ll both go to the farm. We’ll put our heads together and come up with a plan.”

“No. If we’re together and they track us down we’ll both be killed. If we split up there’s a better chance that one of us will survive.”

“It won’t come to that. C’mon, sis, let me help—”

“No. I’m not going to put you in any more danger than I already have. I’ll take care of this.”

“But—”

“You’re in your car, right?”

“Yes.” Kate realized that her sister had heard the car door close and the engine start. She backed out of her parking slot and headed for the exit. “I’m on my way.”

“Good. Stay safe. And, Kate…I really am sorry.”

“No, wait! Colleen! Don’t hang up!”

Kate looked at Jack and spread her hands in a helpless gesture. “But it was too late. She’d already disconnected.”

“That’s a helluva story.”

“I know it sounds crazy. And I’ll admit, at first I was merely humoring her to calm her down, but the longer we talked the more I began to believe that we both really were in danger.”

“What convinced you?”

The back road ended at State Highway 19, and Jack turned right toward Palestine, but Kate was too distracted to notice.

“For one thing, the state she was in.” She met Jack’s gaze in the dim glow from the dashboard. “I’ve seen and heard my sister when she was afraid before. Hundreds of times. You know what a timid soul Colleen is. But I swear, Jack, this was different. She was terrified out of her mind. Almost incoherent.”

“So you believe that Bobby really was shot? That he’s dead?”

Blinking back tears, Kate nodded. “After tonight, I don’t think there’s any doubt. Poor, sweet Bobby. He never hurt anyone in his life.”

Three generations of Mahaffeys had owned and operated Mahaffey’s Interiors, a wholesale building and decorating supply store in Houston. Bobby Sloan had worked at the store for thirty-six years. Kate’s grandfather had hired Bobby as a favor to his mother, Margaret Sloan, an old family friend.

Bobby had been slow and in many ways childlike, but he’d been hardworking, reliable, honest and he was absolutely loyal. Over the years, especially after Margaret passed away, he had become almost one of the family.

“Where was Ed during all this?” Jack demanded. “Didn’t he come to Bobby’s aid at all? And where is he now? With Colleen?”

“Ed? Why would he—Oh. That’s right. You don’t know. Colleen and Ed are separated. She filed for divorce four months ago.”

“No kidding? Good for her. It’s about time.” Jack frowned and sent Kate a piercing look. “Wait a second. What did that bastard do to her? God knows, Colleen should have kicked Ed’s ass to the curb years ago for the way he treated her, but she didn’t. So what happened that changed her mind?”

Kate twisted her hands together. Her sister was a shy, private person. Humiliated by what had happened and disgusted with herself for not getting out sooner, she wanted to keep the details quiet, but if anyone had a right to know it was Jack. After all, in the past, he had done all he could to protect Colleen from Ed.

“Well?” Jack prodded.

“Five months ago Ed beat Colleen again,” Kate replied in a subdued voice. “Despite your warning, the abuse never really stopped. He was just careful to hit her where the bruises weren’t obvious. This time he nearly killed her.”

Jack shot her a steely-eyed glance. Only the tiny muscle working along his jaw and his white knuckles revealed his anger.

“And?”

“Afterwards he left her, barely conscious, and went out for a drink. To cool off, he said later. And, of course, he blamed the whole thing on her. He said that Colleen had provoked him.

“Yeah, right.” Kate snorted. “Like that was difficult. All she had to do to set him off was exist. The sorry, vicious, lowlife son-of-a—”

“You’re getting sidetracked, Mick. You don’t have to convince me that Ed Baxter’s an asshole. Finish your story.”

“Oh, right. Well…if Colleen hadn’t somehow managed to knock the telephone receiver off the hook and pressed the speed-dial button for my number I’m not sure she would have survived.

“When I picked up the phone all I heard on my end was moaning, so I raced over to their house. I found her on the floor, unconscious and battered. There was blood everywhere and…” Kate closed her eyes. “Let’s just say…she was a mess. I called 911 for the police and an ambulance.

“Thank heavens they got there before Ed came back. The paramedics rushed Colleen to the hospital and the police waited for Ed and arrested him.”

“What kind of damage did he do this time?” Jack asked.

“She had to undergo emergency surgery to repair a tear in her esophagus. He also broke two of her ribs, her collarbone, her nose and cracked her cheekbone. Plus there were various other contusions and cuts and both of her eyes were swollen shut for a couple of days.” Kate shuddered and stared straight ahead into the darkness beyond the windshield. Recalling how her sister had looked still gave her chills.

Jack reached across the space between the seats and gave her arm a squeeze. “She’s lucky she had you.”

“I suppose. But to tell you the truth, once I knew that she would recover, I was furious with her. A part of me still is.

“Dammit, she should have left him long ago. She knew that we—that I would have helped her. But all that worthless animal had to do was shed a few crocodile tears and vow that it would never happen again, and she would forgive him and the whole cycle would repeat itself.

“It was always the same—he would beat her, then be full of remorse, they’d reconcile, there’d be a brief period of him being all lovey-dovey to her, but before long his true nature always emerged and the abuse started again.”

Kate clenched her fists and made an exasperated sound. “It was maddening. And so difficult to watch. I love my sister, but I swear, Jack, most of the time I wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled. Even at the hospital, as concerned about her as I was, I was still angry.

“Something had to be done. I knew that if she stayed in that marriage he would eventually kill her. So that night I took matters into my own hands.

“I had to act fast. I knew that as soon as Ed posted bail he’d be hunting for Colleen.”

“Whatever you did, it obviously worked. How did you convince her?”

“By the time she woke up after surgery I had our attorney at her bedside and round-the-clock off-duty policemen guarding her door.” A wry grimace twisted Kate’s mouth. “Poor thing. I lit into her before she could say a word. I told her that Mr. Atwood had a restraining order and divorce papers drawn up and ready to file. And if she didn’t sign them and give Ed the boot this time I would never speak to her again. That I was through picking up the pieces. From that point forward she would be on her own.”

“Yeah, right. Tell me another one.” The look Jack slanted her way was rife with wry amusement even though his lips didn’t move. “You’re incapable of turning your back on your sister and you know it. Don’t tell me that Colleen fell for that.”

“All she said was, ‘Show me where to sign.’ Actually, she had to write it. She couldn’t talk.”

“Good for her. It’s about time.”

“Yes, well, I have to admit, she was so weak she couldn’t put up much of a fight.

“After David Atwood left to file the petitions I started worrying that Colleen’s quick agreement had been the anesthesia and the pain medication talking, but the next day she was wide awake and still determined. She hasn’t wavered from her decision.

“To be honest, I think she’d already made up her mind on her own. Ed’s violence was escalating, and she realized that she probably wouldn’t survive another attack.”

Jack shook his head. “Talk about learning a lesson the hard way.”

“I know.”

After a short pause Kate added, “There was one bright spot in all this, though. Ed was served with divorce papers, a restraining order and a pink slip all at once while still in jail. And I went along with the process server and watched.”

Jack glanced at Kate and chuckled at the look of hard satisfaction on her face. “I would’ve enjoyed seeing his reaction to that.”

“Trust me, he was livid. All he could do was rage and rattle the bars like the animal he is.

“I made it my business to attend his arraignment, too. At first he pleaded ‘not guilty’, but later, at trial, he changed that to ‘no contest’ after the ADA entered into evidence the photos that I’d taken of Colleen at her home before the medics arrived and at the hospital, before and after surgery.

“Just as I expected, the restraining order turned out to be worthless. The moment Ed bailed out of jail he ignored the order and came storming into the hospital. You wouldn’t believe the scene he created when he tried to charge past the guard. That, fortunately, got him rearrested and his bail revoked. He had to cool his heels in jail until his trial, which was fortunate for Colleen.

“But even from jail he managed to harass us. He called Colleen’s and my cell phones constantly and filled up our voice mail with heavy breathing calls. We both finally had to cancel our phone service and go to prepaid phones just so we could make a call now and then. Trust me, we’ve given those numbers out to only a few key people.”

“Good move. That’s going to work to our advantage. Those things are impossible to trace. If we are dealing with bad cops or agents at least they won’t be able to trace her movements or yours through phone records.”

“Oh, good. We need all the breaks we can get.”

“So…what kind of sentence did Ed receive at trial?”

“Oh, wait until you hear this! Because Colleen had never pressed charges before, the judge treated the case as a first offense. Ed got ninety days in county jail and a severe lecture. Big woo.”

“Has he stayed away from her since he got out?”

“Yes and no. Since his release about a month ago he’s been working for Goldrush Homes, a contact he’d made while working at Mahaffey’s Interiors. Unfortunately, it’s a job that requires him to pick up orders at the store. We went to court and tried to bar him from the premises, but the judge decreed that we couldn’t interfere with his livelihood. However, he does have to give us notice before he makes a pickup so that Colleen can leave the premises.”

“What about when she’s home? If he knows she’s alone in that house what’s to keep him from harming her there?”

“That worried me, too. Which is why I moved her into the condo with me when she was released from the hospital. At the store there are always employees around and I spend as much time there myself as possible.

“I leased the commercial space adjacent to the store and moved my design studio there. I also had a connecting doorway cut through the common wall between my office and Colleen’s. The arrangement has worked out great. I can keep up with my own design work and run my business and still be there for her.”

“You’re kind of delicate for a bodyguard, don’t you think?” Jack drawled.

“Maybe so, but Ed knows that I’m licensed to carry a weapon and that I keep my .38 and a stun-gun with me at all times. He also knows that I won’t hesitate to use either, especially on him.”

“What happens when your business takes you out of town like it did last week?”

“I’ve cut back on traveling as much as I can. In the past four months I’ve managed to limit my trips to two. The rest of the time I’ve sent Jennifer Warren, my assistant. When I absolutely have to be gone Colleen stays with Jennifer at her place.

“I called Jennifer on my way to Tralee. She told me that just a short while earlier Colleen had come flying through the connecting door like a bat out of hell and yelled over her shoulder on her way out the back that she wouldn’t be staying with her that night. Jen was surprised, but she didn’t question her. She didn’t have a chance. The wall between my studio and the store is soundproof, so she didn’t hear the shots or the commotion.”

“How much did you tell her?”

“Not a thing. I just said I was taking some time off and for her to man the office until I returned. I thought the fewer people who knew about this the better.”

“I agree.”

“I could tell that she was curious, though, possibly even a little flustered and upset about having everything dumped on her without notice, but she’ll hold down the fort. She’s the most dependable assistant I’ve ever had.”

They reached the outskirts of Palestine, and Jack turned north off of Highway 19 onto the Loop. “This stuff about the police and FBI agents being involved is worrisome.”

“Do you think it’s true?” Kate asked.

“It’s possible, I guess. I’ve seen people do some pretty awful things for money. On the other hand, those guys could’ve just been bluffing Bobby, trying to make him talk.”

“Maybe. But Colleen is convinced. She got so upset the only way I could calm her, even a little, was to promise that I wouldn’t call the authorities.

“That’s when I knew I had to contact you and ask for help. I’m sorry I’ve involved you, Jack, but I didn’t know what else to do. I have no idea how to deal with this. Or how to find my sister.”

“It’s okay, Mick. I’m glad you sent for me. Really,” he assured her. After a moment he asked, “Have you tried calling Colleen since that night?”

“Only about a hundred times. I’ve left messages, too. But she’s not responding.

“I’m worried, Jack. I have no idea where my sister is.”

Kate’s voice quavered on the last few words. Jack reached across the space between their seats and squeezed her hands, which she was twisting together in her lap.

“Hey, take it easy, Mick. Don’t go borrowing trouble. One thing we know for sure is, they haven’t found her yet. Those guys back there were half expecting her to be with you.”

“That’s true. But all the same, I’m really worried about her, Jack. She’s so timid. She’s not used to fending for herself or being on her own.”

“Take it easy. Colleen may be a gentle soul but she’s smart—just like all you Mahaffey women. We’ll find her. And when we do we’ll get to the bottom of this and straighten everything out.”

Kate put her head back on the neck-protector and closed her eyes, willing her taut muscles to relax. “I hope you’re right.” She turned her head on the rest and looked at Jack’s strong profile. “Thanks again for coming to my rescue. I didn’t know where else to turn.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me, okay? I’m glad you got in touch with me. It’s been a long time.”

The gaze he turned on her held a world of unspoken thoughts and guarded emotions. Kate knew that he was thinking about the last time he had heard from her, but he returned his gaze to the highway and fell silent.

Tension began to creep back into her muscles. She knew Jack. He was biding his time, waiting for the right moment, but sooner or later he would bring up the subject of their divorce and demand some answers. She had known that would happen when she’d sent him that message.

Kate turned her head and gazed out the side window at nothing, her jaw clenched. She owed him an explanation. She knew that. But the last thing she wanted, especially now, was to dissect their marriage and explain her actions to Jack. Doing so would serve no purpose other than to stir up bitter feelings. Their marriage was finished and she’d moved on. She assumed that Jack had done the same.

He’d certainly honored her request that he stay away from her, something she hadn’t really expected he would do.

A tiny frown creased her forehead. How, she wondered, had he known about Uncle Quincy and Aunt Rose’s deaths? She had no doubt that Jack had been working in some armpit country halfway around the world at the time, yet after each death she and Colleen had received flowers and cards from him.

At the traffic signal at the junction of the Loop and the Tyler highway Jack turned left, and for the first time since leaving the woods Kate took note of the landscape on either side of the highway. Her frown returned. “Where are we going? If we’re going to find out anything we have to go back to Houston.”

“And we will. But except for catnaps on government planes, I haven’t slept in over two days.” He shot her a dry look. “And frankly, Mick, from the look of you, I’d say you haven’t, either. And since I don’t want to risk overtaking those two goons on the highway, we’re going to get a hotel room here in Palestine and get some rest, then head for Houston tomorrow.”

“A room? Oh, I don’t think so. If you think I’m sharing a bed with you, Jackson Prime, forget it.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“True. But we’re not married anymore.”

“That wasn’t my choice.”

“Jack—”

“Oh, lighten up, Kate. You’re safe. I’m too tired to seduce you tonight. I’ll get us a room with two beds.”

“But—”

“Sorry. That’s the best I can do. No way am I letting you out of my sight until this is over.”

“But…shouldn’t we start trying to find Colleen?”

“Sweetie, everyone needs to sleep now and then. Even bad guys. This way we’ll start fresh in the morning.”

Kate knew he was right. God knew, she was exhausted, and certainly Jack was after traveling halfway around the world through several time zones. He had to be suffering major jet lag. Still, the need to find her sister ate at her. She doubted she would sleep a wink for worrying.

The hotel that Jack chose was a worldwide, moderately priced chain, but it was the newest and nicest hotel in Palestine.

The instant they entered the room Kate claimed dibs on the shower and disappeared into the bathroom with her duffel bag.

With his hands hooked over his lean hipbones, Jack stared at the closed door with a hint of amusement on his angular face. You can run, sweetheart, but you won’t escape. Our time of reckoning has arrived.

After removing what he needed, he hung his weekender bag in the cubbyhole of a closet, double-checked all the locks on the doors and windows, then stretched out on one of the beds to wait, ankles crossed, fingers laced beneath his head.

About a half hour later the bathroom door opened and Kate emerged in a roiling cloud of steam, redolent with the scents of soap, shampoo, toothpaste and sweet, clean woman. A halo of wet ringlets framed her scrubbed face and she wore a knee-length, long-sleeved, flannel nightshirt.

Nice try, Mick, Jack thought, biting back a grin. He had no doubt that she was going for dowdy and nonsexual, but she looked adorable.

“It’s all yours,” she announced.

Jack rolled to his feet, grabbed his toiletry kit and headed for the bathroom. At the door he stopped and looked back at her. “I won’t be long. When I’m done we still have some talking to do.”

The flash of panic in her eyes told him that she knew exactly what the subject would be. Regaining control quickly, she nodded and murmured, “All right.”

Jack was tempted to linger under the cold spray. He had barely slept for two days, he was tired, every muscle in his body ached and to top it all off it had been ages since he’d enjoyed the luxury of an American shower. But he’d waited a long time for this showdown with Kate.

In just under ten minutes he stepped out of the bathroom rubbing his wet hair with a small towel and a bath sheet wrapped around his middle…and found his ex-wife curled into a ball on the bed, sleeping like a baby.

Jack stood beside the bed and watched her, frustrated and disappointed. And enchanted.

It was a compliment, he supposed, that she felt safe enough with him that she could relax and give in to sleep, which she obviously hadn’t done in days.

Unable to help himself, he reached out and ran the end of his forefinger along the tips of her eyelashes, which lay fanned out on her cheeks. Then he touched the spattering of freckles on the bridge of her nose. Kate didn’t so much as twitch.

Finally, heaving a sigh, Jack rolled her to the center of the queen-size bed, pulled back the covers, then scooped her up and tucked her in between the sheets and pulled the covers back up to her shoulders. With a wry smile tugging at his mouth, he smoothed her damp curls off of her forehead.

“You win this round, Mick. But our reckoning is coming.”

Kate made a sleepy sound and burrowed her face into the pillow.

Four

A sliver of morning sunlight sliced through the gap in the black-out drapes and drew a line across the bed where Kate slept. Slouched in a chair, Jack sat in the shadows, watching her.

Funny how merely looking at her made him happy, he mused. Being near her made him feel…whole, somehow. Alive. As though she filled an aching empty place in his soul.

She’d had that effect on him from the beginning.

Remembering that first encounter, the barest hint of a smile flickered over Jack’s mouth. In his early twenties he’d been restless and craving adventure and had wanted to see the world, footloose and fancy free. With that goal in mind he’d made the decision never to marry. Joining the agency after college had cemented that choice.

Then, four years later, he’d met Kate.

From the moment he first saw her he’d been drawn to her like metal shavings to a magnet. They had been at a party at the Houston home of a mutual friend, and from all the way across the room he’d noticed that she seemed to glow from within with a vitality that was irresistible.

Without waiting for their host to introduce them, he’d taken matters into his own hands and strolled over to her group, inserted himself between her and the man with whom she’d been talking and, before she realized his intent, maneuvered her away to a secluded corner.

Within moments he’d been smitten. After dating her for only a few weeks he’d been forced to revise his life plan. The mere thought of a life without Kate in it had been unbearable.

He’d always supposed it was some sort of poetic justice that he’d fallen so hard and so fast. And that Kate had not rushed into his arms, as so many a woman had before her. Though he did not think of himself as being particularly good-looking, up until that point he’d never had to pursue a woman.

However, Kate was not one of those women who needed a man to complete her or support her or take care of her. She had far too much self-esteem and confidence for that.

And why not? She’d come from a stable family, every member of which loved and supported her. She was smart, educated, talented, socially adept and ever since he’d known her she’d had a successful career of her own making.

Even back then, at the young age of twenty-four, she’d already begun to carve out a name for herself as a designer of fine diamond and gemstone jewelry. These days her designs were sold in high-end jewelry stores all over the country and she was often commissioned by wealthy patrons to do one-of-a-kind pieces.

No, winning Kate had not been easy.

But then, he’d been prepared to do whatever it took to persuade her to marry him. Hell, he would’ve gotten down on his knees and begged if it had come to that.

Jack’s gaze slid over Kate’s face like a caress. She looked about eighteen, with her face scrubbed clean and rosy with sleep and those long lashes lying against her cheeks like little fans. Her lips were bare and slightly parted, her short auburn hair mussed.

She wasn’t truly beautiful, he supposed. Her nose was too short and splattered with freckles and her mouth was too wide and full for classic beauty. Even so, she had an irresistible appeal. Maybe it was those big, expressive green eyes that made his insides melt. Or that impish grin, complete with a dimple at each corner. They even winked at you whenever she talked.