it through the door and down a long corridor filled with elegant chairs arranged in private seating areas. Opulent oriental rugs muffled their steps in this older wing of the hotel.
No one else was waiting for an elevator. Once inside the wood-paneled car, she leaned heavily against him and took more deep wheezing breaths. He was glad they were almost there. Her lips were no longer the healthy pink they’d been in the limo.
Shaun hung on to her when they exited and she almost made it to the door of their suite before her knees buckled. He pulled out the key card he’d been given earlier in case a “safe house” was needed, unlocked the door and carried her the final few steps across the threshold into the richly appointed living room. The master bedroom had a large balcony and sliding glass doors with a spectacular view of the National Zoo. The far more interesting sight was the large white pharmacy package beside the bed and the nebulizer that was already assembled.
Donner’s second team was fast and Shaun was grateful. He’d sent the text only twenty minutes ago. Normally he himself was the one racing around like a bat out of hell, setting this stuff up. He wasn’t sure how Donner had this task executed so quickly unless he’d known Abigail was asthmatic. But then, Donner was known for being prepared for every eventuality.
Maybe Shaun’s job wasn’t quite as secure as he’d thought. He saved that happy thought for another time and tore open the bag.
Inside were all the requested medications including an EpiPen. Abigail was reaching for it and had the wrapper off before he said anything. She pressed the auto-injector to her thigh above the top of that stocking that had so fascinated him earlier and reached for the other items, as well.
She opened the emergency albuterol inhaler, using it twice before speaking. “I’ll do a treatment with the machine, too.”
She picked up the mouthpiece for the nebulizer and flipped the switch. A tiny stream of smoke poured out. Putting her mouth over the vapor-filled end, she started breathing in the medication. It looked as if she was smoking a hookah.
“You want something to drink?” he asked, feeling a bit like a voyeur.
“Water would be great. Thanks,” she murmured between puffs. The change in her breathing from moments before was remarkable. He left her and texted his boss from the kitchen to tell him that they’d arrived and to take the heat for blowing his cover so soon.
His phone rang immediately. “What happened?” asked Donner. “I didn’t even think you were going to talk to her at the funeral.”
“It was too good an opportunity to pass up.”
“I’ll trust your judgment on that,” said Donner.
“’Tis what you pay me for.” Shaun wasn’t absolutely sure he trusted himself on this, but he wasn’t telling Donner that now. “Are you coming to explain the situation, or shall I?”
“I’ll be there in fifteen.”
Shaun snagged two bottles of water from the fridge. He started to go back in the bedroom, but Abigail’s nebulizer was still puffing like a steam engine. Within a few minutes he heard it stop and her heels clicked on the hardwood of the bedroom floor. He stood. Abigail didn’t strike him as the kind of woman who was going to wait long for answers once she was back on her feet. Better to meet her head-on. Maybe that way, he could stall until Donner got there.
He met her in the living room doorway. “I brought your water. You sure you don’t want to lie down?”
She unscrewed the bottle cap and sipped the drink before spearing him with those whiskey-colored eyes. “No thanks. I’d rather talk in here.”
“Let’s sit.”
“This is all very civilized.” Her deep Southern accent came pouring out with no trace of the wheeze in her voice, but there was plenty of sarcasm. “However, I’d prefer we cut to the chase. Who are you and what’s going on?”
Chapter Three
Abby stared hard at him, daring him to lie to her. Her breathing was stable and for now she was holding it together but she knew she didn’t have a lot of time before the adrenaline surge wore off, jet lag kicked in and the day came crashing down on her. Still, as long as she was able, she was going for answers and right now she wanted the truth about what had just happened.
“I’ll tell you everything I can.” He took a long sip of his own water and met her gaze without looking away.
For a moment she lost herself in his stare. His blue-green eyes were that mesmerizing, changing from emerald green to Caribbean blue depending on the light. Then she remembered admiring his face when she’d first met him and he’d implied he was a “friend” of Jason’s.
Had he lied about everything?
She glared, her blood heating for a completely different reason. Yeah, she was pretty sure he had. “Do you know who was shooting at us?” she asked.
“I have no idea.”
“What’s your real name?”
“Shaun Logan.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“From whom?”
“From those who would do you harm.”
“Why does someone want to harm me?” She began to settle in her seat as she slipped off her shoes and tucked her aching feet underneath her.
“I’m not at liberty to sa—”
“Oh, bull.” He didn’t rise to the bait.
“Did you even know my brother?” she asked a moment later.
“I’d met him.” He took another pull on the bottle.
“Did you sleep with him?”
He coughed and sputtered, the question obviously taking him by surprise. “I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
“I want to know. He was my brother. You approached me claiming you were friends. I want to know how much of that was a lie.” Her voice broke on that last word as she felt the loss and toll of the day begin to catch up with her.
“All I said was that I was an admirer of his work. That much is true. But if you need to know, then no, I didn’t sleep with your brother. For the record, I’m straight, not gay.”
Right. She’d pretty much guessed that when she’d caught him checking out her legs in the limo, but she’d wanted to know for sure. She studied him like a bug under glass, and to his credit he didn’t flinch beyond that initial splutter with the water. Instead, he leaned back into the plush sofa.
“Some people might find your line of questioning offensive,” he added.
“You said you’d tell me everything you could.”
He shook his head and narrowed his own stare for a moment. Other men might have raked
