Thomas couldnt shake his suspicion about the man. But unless Jane filed a complaint or he had concrete evidence to say this man was a danger to her, there wasnt anything he could do, legally. Still, it wasnt any concern about legalities that was twisting his gut with a sense that something was off here. Something about that friendly smile and ankle holster felt like Jane was risking more than she should with this guy.
Well, Thomas was about to surprise Conor Wildman. He was certain hed surprise Jane. Maybe he even surprised himself when he cupped the side of her neck, sliding his fingertips into the silky base of her ponytail before leaning in to kiss her cheek. Her skin was cool and smooth but 100 percent softer than the ivory porcelain it resembled. He lingered for a few seconds, feeling the spot warm beneath his lips before he pulled away.
Her eyes were wide, searching his as he straightened the collar of his jacket and tugged it together at her neck before breaking contact entirely. He wouldnt admit to a stab of jealousy that she was choosing this friend over a ride straight to the house in his truck. Thomas had no proprietary claim on this woman. And it was pretty inappropriate for him to be kissing a woman who worked for him. But his gut was telling him it was damn important that Conor Wildman understood Jane wasnt alone here. She had someone looking out for her. Someone would have to answer to him if anything happened to her.
The message was for her as much as Wildman to understand.
Call me if you need anything. A ride. Whatever. Ill see you at home.
* * *
THE UNHAPPY MAN watched Thomas Watsons mouth flatten into a grim expression as the nurse and the suit walked away into the shadows of the parking lot. The Detective Lieutenant Yeah-Im-a-Legend-in-My-Own-Mind didnt move until the suits car pulled out of the parking lot and drove away into the night.
Well, now, wasnt that sweet? Thomas had gone old school and marked his territory in front of that other man.
With a family full of well-trained cops who carried guns and were hypervigilant about their surroundings, hed thought the Watson familys most vulnerable weaknessthe one theyd all do anything to protecthad been that white-haired has-been, Seamus. Hed known for years that family was the most important thing in Thomas Watsons world, that hurting his family would be the surest, cruelest way to hurt him.
But now he was rethinking his plan. The aging father wasnt the big guys only weakness anymore. As hed begun to suspect over the past couple of months, Watson had developed feelings for the woman. After all these years, the loneliness must be getting to him. Did he want to get into Nurse Boyles pants? Did he fancy himself in love with her? Shed been living in Thomass house for six and a half months now. Maybe they were secretly screwing each other every night.
The mans blood burned at the thought. His breath hitched, then came in shorter, deeper gasps as the familiar injustice that Thomas Watson had gone unpunished for far too long raged inside him. The thought of terrorizing Jane Boyle, killing her with his bare hands while Thomas watchedweak, helpless, in the same kind of pain hed lived with for all these yearsalmost made him euphoric. That was the kind of pain he wanted to inflict on the man. He inhaled a deep breath, calming himself. Yes. There was another vulnerability he could prey upon to keep Thomass life in a state of upheaval. Keep him off guard. Keep him focused on Jane until he could...
Wait. From his vantage point in the shadows, the Unhappy Mans gaze was drawn to someone else whod been watching the interchange at the rear of the ambulance, someone who watched Thomas limp back to his truck and climb inside before darting off through the crowd and disappearing. Curious.
Almost all the Nosy Nellies standing outside the yellow tape were watching the police officers or the CSIs with their badges and guns and crime-scene kits inside the tape. That was the show they couldnt resist. But that guy, nondescript with dark hair and his face hidden by sunglasses and the upturned collar of his denim jacket, had been watching the two men and woman and their standoff at the back of the ambulance. Hed watched that kiss.
The Unhappy Man smiled.
Looked like he wasnt the only one who didnt enjoy seeing Thomas Watson safe and happy.
Maybe he could use that to his advantage somehow. Or maybe hed have to be careful not to let Blue Jean Boy interfere with his end game.
He started the engine of his own car and pulled out, waving to the uniformed officer directing traffic as he drove past. Two hours ago, the two hundred dollars hed spent to hire that gangbanger to spray bullets at Thomas and the people he cared about had been worth it at ten times the price. But he now knew that he needed to fine-tune his approach to Thomass downfall. He needed to focus his attack on where it would hurt the most.
The detective lieutenant was worried about the safety of his family and that skinny, shapeless nurse he had the hots for.
The man squeezed his fists around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Mary Watson had been tall and willowy, with hair like sable fur and eyes as blue as the clear Irish sky after a rainstorm. Compared to a beauty like that, what could he possibly see in that beige woman who played down her looks and personality so much that she faded into the background?
Thomas had let Mary die. Watson had taken Mary from him and let her die. He wasnt allowed to be happy with any other woman. He wasnt allowed to be happy, period. But if Jane Beige Boyle made him happy, then hed be only too happy to relieve him of that burden. An eye for an eye. One dead love for another.
His nostrils flared as he eased out a steadying breath and loosened his grip on the wheel. Patience and invisibility were his allies. The Watsons had no idea of the pain and rage he carried in his heart.
And they wouldnt until the moment he destroyed them all.
Chapter Four
You think Watson suspects Im your WITSEC handler? Marshal Conor Wildman stepped around the corner of the kitchen peninsula in the house where shed lived before accepting the job as Seamus Watsons home-care nurse and moving into one of the upstairs bedrooms at the Watson house.
Jane took a seat on one of the stools furnishedjust like the house itselffor her by the US Marshals Witness Security Program. I think he thinks youre my ex-boyfriendand maybe not a very nice one.
Conor grinned, unbuttoning his shirt collar and loosening his tie as he pulled coffee from the cabinet and started brewing a pot. Although the house off Thirty-Ninth Street was still listed under her Jane Boyle identity, Conor had probably spent more time here over the past few months, checking security or planning meetings with her. It was an easy cover to have to return to her own house to pick up clothing or supervise yard work or home repair, and then meet with the man whose job it was to maintain her identity and make sure she was safe. Well, that would explain that goodbye peck on the cheek before we left the restaurant. The big guys jealous of you leaving the scene with another man.
Thomass strong fingers sifting into her hair and the warm press of his lips against her chilled skin had felt like more than a peck on the cheek. It had felt like, if shed turned her head a fraction, those firm, gentle lips would have been kissing her mouth instead. Janes breath caught in her chest as she remembered the heat that had suddenly suffused her at the older mans touch. And now, for some inexplicable reason, she felt cheated that she hadnt turned that fraction of an inch. I dont mean anything to him.