within the glitter of his eyes that congeniality could not disguise. He was a man who lived with secrets he would never be able to share and being a former operative for SPEAR was secondary to the fact that he considered himself a murderer.
That it had happened in the line of duty during a high-speed chase had not cleared his conscience. The teenager whod come out of nowhere on a bicycle and right into the path of Easts oncoming car had been a boy in his prime, having just won a four-year scholarship to a prestigious college, and an honor student throughout his high school years. The headphones hed been wearing had blocked out the sound of the oncoming cars, and according to the police whod investigated the accident, he had also bicycled across the highway from the hill above without even trying to stop, obviously trying to beat the traffic. Despite East having been cleared of wrongdoing, the guilt of the act was a hair shirt on his soul. What was done, was done. The kid was dead. End of story.
Afterward, it had been all East could do not to put a gun to his own head. Night after night he kept reliving the sight of the young mans face spotlighted in his headlights, then the impact of flesh against metal and the scent of burning rubber as hed tried to stop.
SPEAR had sent him through counseling, then to Condor Mountain to rehabilitate. But it didnt take. For three months he had lived in the room that theyd given him, refusing to interact with anyone except on a need- to basis, hiking the mountains at night and trying to purge his soul. And then one dark night during one of his nightly forays, he met Jeff. Fourteen years old and a professional runaway from the welfare system, the kid was as hard and wild as they came. East was drawn to the youth in spite of himself, recognizing the boys sullen anger as a result of fear rather than meanness. The bond they formed was slow, but it surprised them both. Within a year, Easton Kirby had a whole new role in life. At the age of twenty-five, he became a father to a fourteen-year-old boy, and Jeff was no longer homeless.
A short while later, SPEAR named East manager of the hotel where hed been sent to recuperate. His file at SPEAR was purged and his days as a counterespionage agent were over. But that hadnt ended his ties with the organization. Condor Mountain Resort and Spa was a part of the Monarch Hotel Chaina legitimate corporation owned and operated by SPEAR, and available to agents on the verge of burnout.
Occasionally East saw acquaintances from his days of active duty, but only if they were sent to the Condor Resort for some R and R after the close of a particularly grueling case. Yet the tie that had bound them together before had been severed by time and distance. That part of his life was over. He existed in a come-and-go world with his adopted son as his only family and it was just the way he liked it. Only now and then was he haunted by nightmares, and when he was, he focused instead on the doctor Jeff was studying to become, rather than the horrors of his own past. It should have been enough, but the absence of a woman in his life often left him with a rootless, empty feeling. Yet how could he live his own life to the fullest when hed taken the life of an innocent man?
The two seagulls which been sitting on the railing took flight as a waiter walked past. A few moments later, Easton Kirby walked out on the patio, causing more than a few female hearts to flutter, as well. He nodded and smiled as he moved through the area, but his focus was on the couple at the far table. Theyd checked in last night after hed gone to bed, but his staff had informed him they were here. He made it a habit to personally greet all honeymooners, and from the way the pair was cuddling through their morning meal, their stay at Condor Mountain was off to a good start. He couldnt help thinking how blessed they were. Their whole lives were ahead of them, while his was stalled in a guilt-ridden limbo.
Before he reached their table, his cell phone rang. He moved to a guest-free area of the patio to take the call.
Hello.
Kirby.
It had been years since East had heard that voice, but there was no mistaking it. Instinctively, he moved off the terrace and down the steps toward the beach, putting distance between himself and the rest of the world.
Jonah?
Yes.
East reached the first landing, and sat. Something told him he needed to be immobile when he took this call.
How have you been? Jonah asked.
Easts belly knotted. Fine, but Im assuming you know that, sir, or you wouldnt be calling.
A slow intake of breath was all East heard. He waited for Jonah to continue. Chit-chat was not something one did with this man. Finally, Jonah spoke.
I need to ask
a favor of you,
Easts eyes widened. Favor? Jonah didnt ask favors, he gave orders.
Sir?
I have a problema big problem, Jonah said. Someone is trying to destroy me.
Easts heart skipped a beat and he stood abruptly, as if bracing himself for an unspeakable blow.