Free Renee Simons Special Edition by Renee Simons Page A

This is a private street, so look for cars without parking stickers."
    They cruised slowly up the hill but found nothing suspicious. "I think you're safe," Kevin said.
    "You’d best be off soon as we get inside, Kev. Just in case someone followed us."
    "I've been watching my mirrors. There's nobody behind us." Kevin turned to Jordan . "You shouldn't go back to the hotel, love. They'll be watching the place."
    "I’ll stay here tonight."
    Ethan unlocked the front door and waved Kevin away. Inside, a sleepy Mrs. Willis approached.
    "Miss VanDien will be staying with us tonight, Mrs. Willis. Do we have a room she can use?"
    "Of course, Mr. Ethan."
    Jordan followed the housekeeper up the curved mahogany staircase to a room furnished with yards of white eyelet setting off a four-poster bed of highly polished cherry wood. The setting might have been frilly and saccharine. Instead, it looked crisp, cool and clean.
    Mrs. Willis waited silently by the door. Jordan smiled at her. "This is a beautiful room."
      "Mr. Drew asked me to extend his personal welcome if you ever came to visit." She spoke softly, her expression filled with pride. "I hope you'll enjoy your stay." She turned down the covers and opened the closet. "You'll find a guest robe there, and a nightgown in the chest of drawers. They won't be an exact fit, but you'll be comfortable enough."
    After the housekeeper left, Jordan showered and slipped into a shimmery gown, so unlike the ragged sweat pants and tee shirt waiting for her at the hotel, she felt as if she were dressing for a party. Expecting to spend hours rehashing the night's events, she pulled the covers up and turned on her side, falling asleep instantly.
    When the wolf appeared during the night, she stared him down, finally turning her back on him and walking away. A night of nearly uninterrupted sleep left her rested and full of energy when she woke the next morning.
    After a breakfast fully as glorious as any one of Mrs. Willis' previous meals, Ethan and Jordan lingered over coffee in the cream and blue breakfast room.
    "Do you think Conlon's men will trace you here?" she asked. "The way they found the hotel?"
    "When I worked with VolTerre, I lived over on Newbury. I don't think anyone knows about this house."
    "Did you list Drew as next of kin on any insurance forms?"
    "Only on the accidental death policy."
    She shook her head. "Conlon wouldn't have needed more, no matter what address you gave." Her visit couldn't have helped. "Even worse, I think someone must have followed me after we left the site. I waited until Conlon was gone before hailing a cab, but how else could they have shown up at the hotel last night?"
    Once they'd followed her there, it would have been an easy matter to identify her. A description and a few bucks in the proper palm would have done nicely, phony name or not.
    "Have you thought about what Kevin said last night?" Ethan asked. "Checking out of the hotel and coming here to live might be safer."
    She sipped her lukewarm coffee. "If Conlon gets to someone in a position to provide a billing address, he could easily connect me to Drew and eventually to this house."
    Since she'd already been seen in Ethan's company, the connection would be clear. She groaned. Why had she given in to her curiosity and a desire to do something? She’d known it could lead to trouble.
    "If they're watching the hotel, they’ll make short work of tracking me here."
    Ethan poured himself enough coffee to heat what sat in the bottom of his cup. "We could use Kevin's van, maybe go out the back entrance or something..."
    "Do you think those guys could have made Kevin's plates while we were parked behind them?" she asked.
    "Not likely. I think the van's safe."
    Safer than her car, which had been seen by VolTerre minions and was parked in a lot near the hotel. Clearly, she had to throw Conlon's men off her trail. Moving to the house was the only thing she could think of short of seeing him again and confronting