Breath Of Malice Part 3

Ivy said, "And if I had been invited, it isn't as if I could have gone anyway. You would have said no." Ivy's chin lifted in challenge. "Would you have let me go, Paige?"

Not knowing if Thames had someone tailing her had made Paige wary and kept her on guard. Since she'd left New York, she made sure not to get to know anyone and not to let anyone know her. As a result, Ivy lived in isolation as well. Now Paige couldn't deny that Ivy was right.

Ivy's features tightened. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Ivy moved away from Paige as quickly as she could and joined a checkout line.

The drive back to the apartment was another silent one. Ivy kept her head turned to the window. Not wanting to hear any more endors.e.m.e.nts of Thames, Paige left the radio off.

Back in the apartment, Ivy maintained her silence as she and Paige put away the groceries.

Paige wanted to make up for the loss of the party, and the best she could do was offer her an alternative where Paige could be present at all times. Other than school, where Ivy was in a closed, monitored environment among many people, Paige was always with her sister.

Paige shelved a box of Ivy's favorite candy bars. "My office is helping out at a fund raiser in Kirk County Park today. My shift ends at three. When I'm done, I can pick you up and we can go back there and hang out. Go on a few rides. Eat too much junk food. It'll be fun."

"Not interested."

Paige felt her temper spark and her heart squeeze. "Ivy, I know things aren't ideal, but I'm really trying here. I'm trying to do what's best for us."

Ivy's lower lip quivered. "If you really wanted what was best for me, we would still be in New York."

Ivy abandoned the ice cream she was about to put in the freezer and left the kitchen.

Paige bowed her head, feeling the weight of her failures with Ivy like an anvil on her chest. Again, Paige felt a deep sorrow over that and a sense of helplessness about how to close the ever-widening gap between her and her sister. Rubbing her eyes against the sting of useless tears, she stuck the ice cream in the freezer. The rest of the groceries weren't perishable and were going to have to wait to be put away. She needed to leave for the park.

Mrs. Hendershot's directions were precise, and Paige found the park easily. Sam's truck was in the lot. She noted the many open s.p.a.ces before parking beside his vehicle. Pocketing her keys, she tucked her handbag under her seat, then got out and locked the doors.

Wearing a T-shirt and shorts, Paige looped her ponytail through the back of the Kirk County General Hospital ball cap she'd bought to support the cause and to keep the sun off her head. Over her T-shirt, she'd added a b.u.t.ton-down shirt to conceal the holster clipped to her waistband that held her Glock.

The day was already in full swing with parents and grandparents being towed by children. There were more people than she'd expected given the number of cars in the parking lot.

As she made her way to the grill area, Paige scanned the faces in the crowd, looking for anyone who appeared out of place or who might be watching her. She was terrified that the next face in the crowd she saw would be Thames's.

She had no reason to suspect Thames had found her, no reason to jump at shadows, but even telling herself that didn't combat the fear brought on by the fact that he'd found her twice already. Her fingers twitched above her Glock.

A trio of excited preteens ran into her path. Paige dodged them and moved on. The atmosphere was festive and loud. Music came from the midway. The scents of cotton candy and popcorn wafted on the air.

Paige reached the grilling station. Sam was at one of the two grills and dressed casually as well in a T-shirt and jeans. If her life wasn't what it was, she would have been able to appreciate that he looked as good dressed down as he did in his work clothes. The T-shirt and jeans defined the hard, muscled body his suits had hinted at. He hadn't shaved, and the scruff made him look s.e.xier. His looks, Paige noted, would speed up the heart rate of any breathing woman.

Sam's gaze settled on her face. "Feeling okay today?"

Paige's brow knotted. "Sorry?"

"The fish yesterday."

She remembered the excuse she'd given Sam for racing to the ladies' room after hearing that Thames was free. "Fine now."

"Good. Grab an ap.r.o.n. Burgers are in the cooler behind the table. I have your grill going."

Sam stepped aside for her to walk past him. Paige eased in behind the grill, approaching it warily. "This one's mine?" The grill looked older than Paige. Plumes of smoke spiraled into the air.

Sam's lips curved in a smile. "Don't let the old girl intimidate you. She's all bl.u.s.ter."

While Paige donned an ap.r.o.n, Sam placed burgers on the grill. Mrs. Hendershot strode up to them. She was wearing dark shorts and a long cotton top.

Mrs. Hendershot shook out an ap.r.o.n with a loud snap. "Good afternoon, sir. Agent Carson."

Before Paige or Sam could offer a greeting in return, Mrs. Hendershot went to a table that had been set up with a cash register.

A family of five ambled up to the grills. Sam faced them. "What can I get you?"

Paige quickly lost count of the number of burgers she served. The grills were doing a swift business. Mrs. Hendershot managed the cash and kept the coolers stocked and the line moving at a fast clip. The woman was a whirlwind of organization.

Sam introduced Paige to the people he knew. She would have preferred to remain faceless and nameless in the background, but there wasn't any way to do that, she found. She nodded and commented appropriately after each greeting. The one good thing about Sam identifying the people he knew was that Paige could dismiss them as threats.

But Kirk was a large county, and Sam didn't know all of the residents or those who'd come over for the day from neighboring counties. It was those unknowns who made Paige tense. She could have come face-to-face with someone dispatched to watch her and never have known it.

"Paige?"

Paige startled at Sam's voice. "Sorry, what?"

Sam pointed to the burgers. "They're burning."

"Oh!" Paige turned the patties.

Sam turned away from the grill and gave Paige his full attention. "Something on your mind? You're quiet. More quiet than usual."

Since coming to Kirk, Paige mainly spoke to Sam, and everyone else for that matter, only when spoken to. It caught her off guard that he'd noticed. "Nothing important," she lied.

At three o'clock, Harry showed up along with Dom to relieve Paige and Sam. Despite the hot day and the heat coming off the grills, Harry wore a Shakespearean hat with a feather sticking out of it and a long, flowing robe that looked like a costume from Julius Caesar. He was a walking advertis.e.m.e.nt for the production, which was likely the idea.

"Relief's here!" Harry called out, throwing his arms up and grinning.

Sam set his spatula on a tray on the table, then stepped out from behind the grill. "All yours."

"Now why can't that be said of some gorgeous brunette?" Harry heaved a sigh. "Paige?"

"Be careful, Harry," Sam tossed back. "She carries a gun."

Harry rolled his eyes as far back in his head as he could and splayed his hand across his chest. "Be still, my heart. I think I'm in love."

Harry's easygoing nature and harmless teasing had made Paige smile in her week with this team, but just now, she had to work up that smile. She was glad to see her shift come to an end. She was wired tight from being on for the last few hours, putting on a show of normalcy for Sam and everyone she'd come into contact with, and from her constant vigilance.

Dom greeted Paige, then took her spot. As he faced the next person in line, Paige took her keys from her pocket and made her way toward the parking lot. Sam walked by her side. Unlike when she'd arrived, the lot was now filled with vehicles. It was impossible to take in the entire area at a glance. Her tensed shoulders didn't relax until she reached her van.

Paige turned to Sam. "See you Monday."

"Monday."

But when Paige pressed her key fob, the van doors remained locked. Frowning, she used the key to open the door, got in, and stuck her key in the ignition, but the engine wouldn't start. She tried again. After the third time, Sam appeared at her window. Without power, she couldn't lower the window. She opened the door.

"Pop the hood," he said.

Paige did so, then joined him outside.

He bent over the engine. "See this?" Sam pointed. "It's your alternator. That black stuff around it shows that your fan belt is burning. The alternator must have seized. You'll need a new one."

"How do you know that's what it is?" Paige's palms went damp. Was an alternator something that could be tampered with?

"I worked my way through college fixing cars at a service station."

But she had to know if anyone could have caused the alternator to seize. "What makes an alternator seize?"

The van had a few years and miles on it. Sam explained that what had happened had likely resulted from normal wear and tear.

On her own since she was a teenager, she'd become self-reliant. She'd taken a basic automotive course that included quick, temporary fixes, and she had some knowledge of how things worked in a vehicle. With Thames d.o.g.g.i.ng her, she could not allow herself to become stranded anywhere. But her knowledge about cars in no way came close to Sam's. "That puts you a million steps above me in automotive knowledge." Paige felt relieved that it was nothing more than a random occurrence. "Can you recommend a service station?"

Sam rubbed his chin with the pad of his thumb, and the stubble rasped, the sound as s.e.xy as the look.

"There's one off Main," Sam said. "I'll take you there."

"I can just give them a call rather than take you out of your way."

"It's not far."

She'd always been averse to accepting help of any kind. Before Thames, being self-sufficient had been a matter of pride and arrogance. But now, not relying on anyone but herself had become a matter of survival. "I'll grab my bag."

Sam closed the hood, then went to his truck. When she was ready, he drove them to Bud's Service Station, according to the sign above the small building. A wiry man in pants and a shirt that looked too big for him stood at the open bay door smoking a cigarette. He took a final drag, the tip glowing red, then dropped the b.u.t.t into a bucket by his feet that was filled with sand.

"Hey, Sam." The man stretched out a hand that was dotted with liver spots.

"Bud." Sam shook the man's hand.

"Your truck don't sound like she's ailing from what I just heard. What brings you by?"

"Bud, this is Paige from the office."

The man squinted at Paige and said a polite h.e.l.lo.

"Paige's van isn't starting," Sam said. "We'd appreciate if you could tow it here and take a look."

"Sure thing. Where's the van at?"

"Kirk County Park. On the lot."

Bud nodded. "I can do that. What's she doing or not doing?"

Sam looked to her. "Paige?"

Paige told Bud the little she knew, ending with, "Sam thinks the alternator is the problem."

"Sounds like he's right," Bud said. "But I'll call you with an estimate before we do any work."

"Where can I rent a car?"

Bud removed his oil-stained cap and scratched the bald patch on the top of his head. "Usually here. Kirk County Car Rentals operates from here, but they close down at two o'clock on Sat.u.r.day afternoons and don't open again until Monday morning."

"Is there another car rental agency?"

"You can try Linkdale. That's the next closest town."

Sam faced Paige. "I can drive you home today and back here Monday morning to rent a car."

Paige didn't want to be dependent on Sam any more than she had been already, but apparently she had no choice. "I appreciate it."

They said their good-byes to Bud.

On the walk back to Sam's truck, Paige glanced up at him. "I need to go back to the van. I have to get something out of it." Paige would have done so before, but she'd expected to have a rental and be able to go back herself.

"No problem."

Not long after, they were back at Paige's van. She slid the rear pa.s.senger door open, and Sam looked inside. He stood with his hands braced on the roof. She saw him take in the wheelchair platform, but Paige didn't volunteer any information about Ivy.

"What do you need from in here?" Sam asked.

"The seat lift."

She'd bought the portable lift for Ivy back when she was still saving up for a van that she could have outfitted with a wheelchair platform. Now she kept the lift as a backup for just these kinds of situations, to enable Ivy to get in and out of other vehicles.

Sam reached in and picked up the lift. It was designed to be easy to tote, and in a couple of minutes, Sam had placed it on the backseat of his truck.

When Sam pulled into her apartment building's parking lot, Paige said, "I can take it from here."

She retrieved the lift, raised both arms in an awkward wave, then entered the building. Inside the apartment, the groceries had been put away. Ivy was at the stove grilling cheese sandwiches. As Paige was about to set the lift down and close the door, Sam appeared in the doorway.

"You forgot this in the truck." He raised his arm. Clutched in his large fist was her purse.

With her arms already full, she couldn't take the handbag from him. She stepped back from the door. "Come in."

As he stepped into the tiny entrance hall, Paige lowered the lift to the floor and set it against the wall. That done, she accepted the purse from him. "Thanks for bringing it up."

Sam stuck his hands in his back pockets. "You're welcome."

Ivy turned off the stove and joined Paige and Sam. Her brows pulled together. "Why is the lift here?"

"The van broke down," Paige said. "It's going in for repairs, and we're going to use this in a rental car when we get one. Ivy, this is my boss, Agent McKade. Sam, my sister, Ivy."

Sam faced Ivy. "Just Sam. Hey, Ivy."

Ivy's fair brows drew together, and she ducked her head. "Hey."