Detectives

TWENTY NINE

If she was to give him an honest answer, she would sound pitiful, though at times that was exactly how she felt. The truth was, she had never had a close relationship with anyone but her sister. She had kept most people at a safe distance, and that was the way she liked it. She was an intensely private person. At least, that was her excuse for being so introverted. She didn't want anyone to look too closely into her background, because she was embarrassed and a little ashamed. The less others knew about her, the safer she felt. Every time she stepped outside her comfort zone, she felt vulnerable.

Odd, she was so cautious about her private life and yet she was able to set aside her inhibitions when she modeled for Giovanni. She couldn't really explain the contradiction, but when Giovanni and his team transformed her with their makeup and clothes, it was almost as though she became another person wearing a mask no one could see behind.

She loved and trusted Giovanni with all her heart, and although it had taken time, she had grown to care for and trust her housemate Dan. And yet neither one knew what she could do with a computer. During Phillips's long interrogation, he had actually referred to her as a master criminal. She wondered what Giovanni or Dan would think about that. They probably wouldn't believe him, and if they did, they would have been shocked.

Her friendship with Jordan was different. She knew that Allison was a hacker and had broken several laws, yet she still remained her friend. She also knew a little about how dysfunctional Allison's home life had been and wasn't deterred. If Allison was ever sent to prison, she wasn't positive Jordan would bring her a cake with a file in it, but she had a strong feeling Jordan might try.

"I asked you a question," Liam reminded her, bringing her back from her musings.

"I don't like people thinking I'm a criminal."

Before he could comment she rushed on. "Oh, I know what you're going to say. ‘You are a criminal.' Okay, yes, I guess you could look at it that way. That's all in the past, though. Haven't you ever heard of second chances, for Pete's sake?"

"Allison-"

She interrupted to finish her thought. "And that's why I insisted that, along with immunity, you and Alec both give me your word that only a select few would know what I've done."

"I remember what I promised."

"You know what would happen if it got out that I took millions of dollars. Even though I gave it to the FBI, I'd be added to a list, and every time a government agency was hacked, I'd be dragged in and interrogated. Being on that list would follow me for the rest of my life."

"I'm not going to let that happen," he said, his tone emphatic. He pulled up in front of her apartment building, put the car in park, and turned to her. "Why are you worrying about this now?"

"Because you'll be leaving, and I wanted to make sure . . ."

"You wanted to make sure I'll keep my word."

She knew she had insulted him. His clenched jaw was a big indicator. Should she apologize? She'd probably make it worse if she did. He seemed so serious, as though he had something troubling on his mind. 

"I guess this is the last time you'll be driving me to and from the cyber unit," she said. "Good luck on your next assignment."

The doorman, a retired car salesman named Stamos, unbolted the glass door from within and opened it wide. Allison smiled at him before turning back to Liam. "You don't need to go up with me." She was involved in a tug-of-war with her tote bag. She was pulling on it, but he wasn't letting go.

Liam finally released his hold on the bag and followed her up the steps and into the foyer without saying a word. Allison couldn't tell what was going through his mind, but the way he was looking at her, as though searching for the answer to some pressing question, was making her feel very uneasy.

She wanted to find out how long he would be staying in Boston without being too intrusive. Subtle, she decided. She would be subtle. "Will you and Alec be leaving to follow up on the leak? I imagine you've already taken another assignment after this one. Or is it too soon? Are you waiting to decide, or are you going to take a few days off? That's what you should do. Take some time to relax." She couldn't seem to slow down. So much for being subtle. Her words were fairly tripping over one another. Why she was suddenly feeling so nervous was beyond her. Perhaps it was because it was doubtful she would ever see him again. Maybe once she was away from him, she would come to her senses and figure it all out. It was impossible to distance herself now.

The doorman gained their attention. "Miss Trent, there was an incident you should know about." Stamos's usually booming voice was hesitant. He kept glancing at Liam.

"Stamos, this is my friend Agent Scott. Tell me about the incident, please." She had a bad feeling she already knew what he was going to say, yet foolishly held out hope it was something else . . . anything else.

"You had some company," he began. "An older man and woman came by. They parked right in front of the door, so I saw what they were driving. It was a year-old Chrysler 300C Platinum with twenty-inch polished cast aluminum wheels, a dual-pane panoramic power sunroof, and HID headlights. It's a nice, smooth ride," he continued. "This one had dents and scratches all over it, like someone had taken a hammer to it or maybe had been driving when he shouldn't . . . if you know what I mean. They ruined that beautiful car."

Liam tried to get him back on track. "You were telling Allison about the man and woman. Who were they? Do you know?"

"Oh yes, of course. They told me they were your aunt and uncle. The woman even pulled out her driver's license and waved it in my face to prove she had the same last name."

Allison felt as though the wind had just been knocked out of her. They had found her. And so soon. Damn. It was inevitable that they would track her down, but she had hoped it would take them longer to figure out she had moved, and even longer to find her new address. No such luck.

"When was this?" she asked.

"They showed up around four this afternoon, maybe four thirty." He scratched his jaw as he continued. "They were . . . difficult."

Difficult? That was putting it mildly. "Did they make a scene?" she asked, knowing full well they did.

"Yes, ma'am, they certainly did. They wanted to wait in your apartment. I refused to let them, of course, and that was when they started shouting at me. The woman told me she had your permission. Don't worry. I would never let anyone inside your home," he rushed to add.

"Did they tell you what they wanted?" Liam asked.

"No, and I didn't ask. They tried to push past me to get to the elevator. I pushed back and explained again that they couldn't go beyond the lobby. They both became quite belligerent and as loud as a couple of broken mufflers. Your uncle threatened me, said he could get me fired. I'm pretty sure he was intoxicated."

Of course he had been intoxicated. He usually started drinking around noon, sometimes a little before. It was just the way it was in the Trent household. Allison wished Liam wasn't hearing about her relatives. It was embarrassing to be related to such vulgar people. She reminded herself that their behavior didn't reflect on her, but she wasn't very convincing. "I'm sure he was drunk or on his way there, and I'm sorry you had to deal with them. I know how difficult they can be."

"Now that you know what they look like, don't ever let them inside, and if they try to force their way in, call the police," Liam ordered.

"I'll alert the other doormen. There're three of us in all," he told Liam. "I lock up at ten each night, and tenants have to use their keys to get inside the front door until six in the morning."

Great. Now outsiders were getting involved in the fiasco. The more Allison tried to avoid her aunt and uncle, the more belligerent they became. "I'm so sorry they were a bother," she apologized.

Liam heard the mortification in Allison's voice and immediately felt his protective instincts rising again. "You aren't responsible," he said, putting his arm around her.