Is the coffee all right? Gabe asked when she took a sip.
Its fine. So, you know how I like my coffeethat still doesnt mean I believe everything youve told me. Placing her cup on the table beside his, she glanced at her ring finger and noticed a faint line. Not necessarily from a wedding band. But it was possible. Did I have any ID on me when you pulled me out of the lake?
He stretched out his leg so he could work his fingers into the front pocket of his jeans. He fished out a single key. This was tucked under the floor mat in the car. It had your fingerprints on it.
Its for a car?
Sanchez shook his head. You left the keys to your rental car in the ignition. This looks more like a house key. Is it familiar?
No. It looked like a key, thats all. A key to a house, and she had no idea where that house might be. Austin, maybe, since thats where she supposedly worked. You didnt find a purse or wallet on me or in the car?
I think the person who tried to kill you probably took it.
That was possible, which made her wonder if the attack was robbery related. But she didnt think so. She probably wouldnt be here if itd been a simple robbery.
Leigh glanced at him. So far, hed cooperated with her questions. Well, some of them anyway, but she had no way of knowing if what hed told her was the truth or even part of the truth. Heck, she wasnt even convinced that the man was truly her husband.
Why didnt you kiss me when you pulled me out of the water? she asked. If were really married, wouldnt a kiss have been the husbandly thing to do?
It happened so quickly, she didnt have time to protest or wonder why shed issued such a stupid invitation in the first place. Gabe slipped his hand around the back of her neck and angled her head. His mouth came to hers. Touched. Brushed. And lingered.
Before he got down to business.
The kiss that followed was hot and clever. Slightly rough and a heck of a lot longer than it should have been. It certainly wasnt a husbandly peck. It had a slick veneer of all sorts of emotion, including some anger, but that didnt quite cover up the pure, raw attraction that sizzled beneath.
When he finally set her free, there was no doubt in Leighs mind that shed been kissed by someone who knew exactly how to do it.
Gabe looked deeply into her eyes. Remember me now, mi vida? he drawled, his tone a cocky challenge.
Actually, Leigh didnt, but she thought she might like to remember him. Too bad that kiss muddled her brain even more than it already was.
She pushed him away and turned her head toward the window. There wasnt much she could do about her erratic breathing, but she didnt want him to see the telltale bewilderment that had to be in her eyes.
Look, I may not know who I am, but Im not stupid, Leigh said crisply. Other than the obvious thing of someone trying to kill me, something isnt right.
Funny, it felt right to me. When her gaze came to his, he rubbed the pad of his thumb over his bottom lip and flashed her a grin that set her teeth on edge.
I didnt mean that kiss. There has to be a reason why I have all these crazy feelings.
Leigh aimed her finger at him when Gabe started to speak. And Im not talking about your mouth on mine. Why wont you tell me whats really going on here?
Gabe dropped onto the gurney right next to her. Youll be safer not knowing.
I didnt buy that from Jinx, and I wont buy it from you. I could regain my memory in the next minute, and if I follow through with that asinine theory, Ill be in more danger than I am right now. Somebody wants me dead, and I dont think they care if I have amnesia or not.
He nodded eventually. Okay. Ill give you the condensed version.
Why not the whole thing?
Itll only muddy the waters, and it wont help you sort things out. He didnt wait for her to agree. A little over two years ago you came across some sensitive information regarding a high-ranking government official named Joe Dayton.
Leigh gave that some thought. All right. What he said could be true. I found this when I was working at the bookstore in Austin?
The corner of Gabes mouth kicked up. No, you were working somewhere else at the time. And dont bother to ask where, because I wont tell you.
Another of Jinxs orders, or did that come from Special Agent Walters?
Not Jinx. Not Teresa. My order. Like I said, itll only confuse you more if I overload you with a bunch of facts that you dont need right now.
Leigh wasnt happy about it, but shed take what she could get. Besides, on that point he might be right. Okay, finish the short version. What about this Joe Dayton?
He was as dirty as they come, he answered after hesitating. We didnt know if he was working alone or if what you learned would make you a target.
She shook her head, not understanding. So, why did he wait two years to come after me?
Youve been hiding all this time.
Finally, something made sense. But it was just the beginning. She needed a lot more pieces of information for this puzzle to come together.
Gabes pager began to beep. He jabbed the button to make the sound stop and sprang to his feet. In the same motion, he whipped out his pistol and reeled toward the door.