Page 4 of Desire
Chapter Two
Tension in my fingers made me squeeze the steering wheel while bearing down on the back of my teeth. At the moment, I was an idiot. Ambition had gotten the best of me. I’d left the office but hadn’t gone home first to pack a bag. I had been impulsive, a trait that servedme well most of the time professionally. However, when impulsivity failed me, I found myself as irritated and regretful as I was in that moment.
It had dawned on me about two hours before that I had chosen to cross Arthur Valentine. I’d never chosen to focus on Valentine before. Surprisingly, even with all of his dastardly deeds, he had never been on my radar, perhaps because I thoughtI already had him figured out.
The Valentines’ wealth was quite diversified. They had their tentacles in finance, energy, wine, and farming. The earlier Valentines had been happy with merely being billionaires. The Valentines of the mid to late twentieth century had acquired bloodlust for ultimate political power.
After that stunt Conrad pulled, I’d never seen any indications thatthey were still trying to acquire the seat in the Oval Office. If I were on Arthur Valentine’s radar, then Jasper was right to warn me. I had to be careful. But there would be a blizzard in hell before I would let that billionaire hoodlum restrict my movements. I knew how to lose a tail, and that was what I had decided to do.
I kept the lights on in my office as I packed my MacBook andput on my ankle-length winter coat and beanie. I took the stairs to the parking garage and slipped into the alley. I took steps as if I were evading a sophisticated surveillance operation and walked into the rear entrance of the medical offices three buildings down on the opposite side of the alley. I hiked several blocks in the stifling cold, heading down the smaller city streets. I made sure tochange it up by walking down one-way streets, being mindful of the differing directions of traffic flow. It would’ve been hard to follow me in a car. I kept checking around me, making sure no one was tailing me on foot. A few blocks away from the rental car place, I went into a CVS drugstore and bought a three-pack of bikini panties, a red out-of-season holiday sweater, and stretchy sweat pants, aswell as a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and soap. I purchased a six-pack of bottled water then went into Subway and ordered a foot-long turkey, cheese, and lettuce sandwich, chips, and a chocolate chip cookie. Even though it was cold enough to freeze my eyebrows off, the brisk pace at which I walked and completed tasks helped me stay warm. The rental car place was only two blocks east. Theyput me in a four-wheel-drive vehicle fairly quickly and sent me on my way.
I was stuck behind the wheel for the better part of six hours. Between portions of the highway being closed, traffic diversions, and major and minor accidents, driving was a nightmare. I was only in Virginia, and my head ached to no end. I could hardly keep my eyes open as I saw the sign for Harrisonburg. The sandwich,chips, cookie, and two bottles of water had already completed the digestion process in my body, and I had to use the toilet.
Instead of pulling off and finding another fast-food restaurant to use the restroom, I pulled into the parking lot of a decent and comfortable-looking hotel, where all the rooms were suites, and booked one for the night.
My accommodations were on the top floorand had a sparsely lit view of a flat, snow-covered field and perfectly lined trees. So often I’d considered moving to Hawaii or Southern California, but one had volcanoes and the other bad air quality. I found neither of those actualities appealing. Plus, I loved living in the thick of it. The East Coast was fast-paced and powered by erratic energy. It always felt as though anything could happenand would happen, and when it did, as a journalist, I had to be near enough to see it, feel it, and capture it first. But the flat white terrain before me was a reminder that I was securely on the road, on assignment, and once again, getting used to being alone while working.
I needed to unwind before digging into the Internet to research more about another story that had piqued my interestearlier while I scanned through the AP. Berman Corporation had plans to build six new prisons across three southern states. The best way to sniff out whether corruption was part of the deal was by following the money. Berman Corp rarely made legit deals. It was about time someone sniffed around their ass.
I went into the bathroom, which was clean but had the over-worn feel and look of ahotel that was next to the interstate. Since I’d drunk just about all the water I’d bought earlier, it took me a while to relieve my bladder. However, someone knocked on the door while I sat on the toilet.
“One minute!” I called and quickly finished up. When I scurried out of the bathroom, I checked the time on the clock sitting on top of the nightstand while I hurried to the door. It was9:47 p.m.
“Who is it?” I asked as I looked through the peephole. A face filled the frame. I gasped and took two large steps backward.
“Jasper, is that you?”
“It is.” I could barely hear him.
I pressed my hand over my heart, contemplating what to do next.How in the hell did he find me here?
“Holly?” he called.
“Shit,” I whispered.
I paused brieflybefore I opened the door. My heart swelled from seeing Jasper Christmas in the flesh.
