Free JAKrentz - Uneasy Alliance by User Page A

together. We're like sisters. I wouldn't hurt her for the world!"
    He assimilated that, his expression unreadable. "So what's the problem?"
    "The problem is that…" She paused, licked her dry lips and tried again. "The problem is that there was a weekend a couple of months ago. A weekend that could be misinterpreted. It would hurt my cousin very badly if she were to find out about it. And someone else seems to know about that weekend."
    "And?"
    She couldn't tell how much he believed and how much he was simply filing away for reference. Without a word she freed herself and got up to cross the room to where her purse lay on an end table. She opened the red leather bag and removed the second photo along with the typewritten message. Silently she walked over to where he sat waiting and handed him the two items.
    He studied them both for a tense moment and then put them carefully down on the smoked-glass coffee table.
    "You're being blackmailed," he said quietly.
    Hearing the word said aloud made her shiver. Unconsciously Abby crossed her arms over her small breasts in a childish gesture of self-protection. "It looks like it."
    "How much?"
    "I don't know yet."
    "Any idea who?"
    She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut in despair.
    "Where were you going when I arrived?" The questions weren't brutal, merely unrelenting. Abby was already regretting her decision to tell him the truth.
    "Somewhere. Anywhere. I just wanted to get out of town. That second photo and the note arrived early this morning. All I've been able to think about for the past few hours is getting away from this apartment. I need time. Time to think. Time to draw whoever it is out into the open where I can deal with him."
    "You're sure it's a him?"
    "No, I'm not even sure of that. But I thought that whoever it is would try to find me and in the process I might discover who was making the threats."
    "Did you think about going to the police?" he asked calmly.
    "No!" She swung around to face him. "No, not yet. Not until I've had a chance to deal with it on my own. I don't want Cynthia hurt unless there's absolutely no alternative. She's going to be crushed if she sees those pictures and someone tells her I had a fling with her husband! Oh, Torr, I can't do that to her. We're so close to each other. I don't want her hurt. I'll do anything to prevent that."
    "Including paying off a blackmailer?"
    "There must be a way of stopping him!"
    "Or her," Torr reminded her mildly.
    "Or her," Abby agreed bleakly.
    There was silence in the room as Torr contemplated the information she had supplied. He had his answers now, Abby thought uneasily. What would his reaction be? For the life of her she couldn't read his hard face. The amber eyes were clear and steady but as unfathomable as always as he watched her tense expression.
    "All right," Torr finally said.
    Abby stared at him blankly. He had obviously come to a decision but she was helpless to guess what it might be. "All right, what?"
    "If you want to make a run for it and see who follows, I'll let you."
    She flinched, a little taken aback. Somehow, after demanding all those explanations, she hadn't expected Torr to simply withdraw and let her resume her plans. Was he going to abandon her now? Why had she let him force her into telling him the whole story? Proudly she tilted her head.
    "Goodbye, then, Torr. You've detained me long enough."
    One of the rare flashes of humor lit his amber eyes. "Detained you? Lady, that's only the beginning. My next step is to kidnap you. Since you're all packed and ready I guess there's no point hanging around. Let's go."
    "What? Go where? Torr, what are you talking about?" she demanded seethingly, torn between relief and sheer outrage.
    "You want to disappear for a while and see who comes looking, right? Well, I've got a place you can disappear to. I'll be along to help look over your shoulder so we don't get taken by surprise by whoever's sending you these." He scooped up the photograph and the