Dark Deceptions by Dee Davis

Author:Dee Davis [DAVIS, DEE]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780446558396
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2010-04-30T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

Annie closed the bedroom door. It had taken three stories, and a lot of reassurance, but Adam had finally fallen asleep. She walked down the hall, stopping at the top of the stairs, glancing out the window at the perfectly manicured neighborhood. A block and a half off campus, the cul-de-sac felt more like a back lot than reality, especially when one considered that the occupants of the half circle of houses were all members of A-Tac.

Dubbed “Professor Cove” by students, the mixture of Cape Cods, Colonials, and Saltboxes recalled an earlier time. A more gentle America. The irony was not lost on Annie. She’d dreamed of living in a neighborhood like this, of having a shot at normalcy.

But this was only a facade. Play pretend. CIA meets Ozzie and Harriet.

She and Adam had a real life. In Colorado. And if she was lucky, they’d find their way back or at least have a shot at building something new. But in the meantime, she was stuck here. Avery hadn’t left her with a choice. He’d managed to keep Tom and Homeland Security at bay for at least a little while longer, but that didn’t mean she was totally off the hook, just a stay of execution. And for the duration, she and Adam had been assigned quarters in Nash’s house, which meant she had to play nice.

Easier said than done.

Sucking in a breath, she headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. Lightning flashed on the horizon, the wind whistling through the open French doors. The air was heavy with the smell of roses, and Annie frowned at the sensory memory, her mind jumping to the black lacquer box nestled in her gear upstairs.

She’d grabbed three things when she’d left Colorado: Adam’s favorite stuffed bear, her Beretta, and the puzzle box. An odd trio, yet somehow indicative of her life. She shook her head, dismissing her troubled thoughts.

“Is Adam asleep?” Nash asked, appearing in the doorway, his dark gaze shuttered.

“Yes. But I’m not sure for how long. This has all been really hard on him.” She frowned, wishing for the millionth time that she could have somehow prevented the kidnapping.

“You couldn’t have known,” Nash said, reading her thoughts.

“Maybe not. But that doesn’t change the fact that my son has been through hell—because of me.”

“And some bastard with an ax to grind.” Nash held out a glass, the wine glowing crimson in the soft half light. “I thought maybe you could use a drink. I know I could.”

She took the glass with a nod, settling into an Adirondack chair facing the garden. Lightning flashed like a strobe, momentarily filling the small garden with color, green grass against the red and white of a rose-covered gazebo. The pink of a lily contrasted against the dark green leaves of a rhododendron.

“I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything new?” she asked, closing her eyes as she sipped her wine.

“Nothing of substance. Drake is still working on the prisoner. And Hannah’s trying to sort through intel.

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