A Hunted Heart

A HUNTED HEART J.J. MASSA

A HUNTED HEART Published by Linden Bay Romance, 2007 Linden Bay Romance, LLC, U.S. ISBN Trade paperback:

978-1-60202-050-4 ISBN MS Reader (LIT):

978-1-60202-051-1 Other available formats (no ISBNs are assigned): PDF, PRC & HTML Copyright © J.J. Massa, 2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The work is protected by copyright and should not be copied without permission. Linden Bay Romance, LLC reserves all rights. Re-use or re-distribution of any and all materials is prohibited under law. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or business establishments, events or locales is coincidental. Cover art by Beverly Maxwell

I dedicate this book to my sister, Ellen, the psychologist, from her sister Joan, the writer. No matter that you prefer the solidity and knowledge of life on land while I need the waves and water to ebb and flow around me, your love is with me every day in every tide as mine goes out to you. My world is better for knowing you’re there. I hope you like this book. Thank you Tracey, you are a true friend.

A Hunted Heart

Prologue “Tatiana, my darling, you’re looking pale.” Tatiana froze with her key in the lock of her apartment door. She stood immobile as she watched her worst nightmare emerge from the shadows. “There are cops right downstairs, you’re a fool to be here tonight.” Breathless, she struggled to keep her head together. “But, beloved, it’s our tenth anniversary. I had to see you.” Her blood chilled at his words. Ten years. Ten years was long enough. She would end this tonight. “Is it? I’d forgotten.” She sounded indifferent to her own ears. Good, she couldn’t let him know how his appearance had shaken her. “Tatiana!” Bill...damn! She hoped she had enough time to push this madman over the edge before Bill could make it up the stairs. “Don’t pretend you don’t remember what I did to you—how it felt—how I altered your entire life. Don’t pretend...” With effort, she managed not to shake as she turned to him and looked into his eyes. “Only one man’s touch has ever affected me. It’s his touch I think about every day, not yours.” 1

J.J. Massa “You’ll die with my touch on your body and on your mind!” he roared, grabbing her by the back of the neck. “My touch, darling,” he snarled, his voice like broken glass. She heard Bill’s shouting and the sound of feet pounding up the stairs as if from far away. “A little caress then, my precious, until later,” he purred into her ear. Pain exploded in her as he slammed her head into the wall and flung her backwards toward the stairs. As she began to lose consciousness, she knew that Bill had caught her and that her tormentor had escaped.

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A Hunted Heart

Chapter 1 Startled from a sound sleep, Von Branigan sat up in his cold and lonely bed. Angel? She’s not here. She’s long gone. What had awakened him? Oh, the phone. The phone was ringing. He glanced at the clock, reaching for the telephone. Good news never comes at two in the morning. “Yeah?” he grunted. “This is Detective Bill Lester of the Yonkers, New York, police department.” Von sat up, disoriented but coming awake. “How can I help you, detective?” “Sir, is anyone at this number acquainted with Miss Tatiana Branigan?” “Yes,” his answer was clipped; he was now fully alert. “I need a friend or family member to come here to the station, please. I’ll be here till ten in the morning. You need the address?” Von grunted negatively. “Thank you, sir.” With that, the detective hung up. Stunned and frightened, Von pulled on his clothes, urgency fueling his actions. He drove like a man possessed, his teeth clenched tightly the whole time. He didn’t care if he got stopped. He was going to the police station anyway. What was normally an hour drive took 3

J.J. Massa him less than forty-five minutes. During the trip, he tortured himself ceaselessly. What if she was dead? Would he be left with only memories? His angel, Tatiana Branigan, his estranged wife. At his lowest point, when he felt like he’d wasted his life and was worthless to his family, Tatiana Dmitri, the little angel from his childhood, had come along and showed him another way. She had been barely eighteen and he had been twentyfour years old. Even then, she had been ethereal and enticing. Every move she made had been magic. He’d come home in disgrace, having failed in his family’s business and she’d found him in the process of drowning his sorrows in the usual fashion. Tati had taken the bottle from his hand and told him that he didn’t need it. She’d then placed her hand in his and led him along the seashore, talking to him of all the things she’d loved about him her whole life. It had been her encouragement that convinced him to turn his back on the business of his family and build sailboats, his true life’s love. Now, he was wealthier than the rest of them and his services were much sought-after in the boating world. His craft had sustained him during the last ten years since he’d sent her away. He’d been drunk on her devotion, her love, when he’d 4

A Hunted Heart spread their clothes on the sand and taken her virginity. I always wanted you to be my first—my only, she’d told him. He’d married her as soon as he could convince their parents that they were serious. They’d had a year and a half of happiness that had ended ten years ago. That was when he’d caught her with another man. The pictures he’d received in the mail hadn’t shown the man’s face. When Von, from afar, spied Tati in the arms of a dark haired stranger, he thought his heart would stop beating. Though he couldn’t see him clearly, the man vaguely reminded him of someone, but he could never quite put his finger on who. Von hadn’t heard from Tatiana since she’d begged him to listen to her and he’d refused, telling her not to come back until she was ready to claim her place in the family crypt. Aside from his housekeeper, Von had spent the last decade in deliberate isolation. He had no family other than his half-brother Rian who occasionally showed up at the family home, but not often. If Von were honest with himself, he didn’t really like Rian. He wouldn’t see him voluntarily and he doubted very much that his brother would befriend him, given a choice. So Von remained alone, sealing himself off from the world and everyone in it. ~ 5

J.J. Massa Von told the sergeant at the desk that he’d received a phone call from a Detective Lester. The sergeant showed him to a small room and said he’d let the detective know he was there. Trying not to think the worst, Von settled in a chair and waited. After he had been sitting for a few minutes, a large man came in. “Detective Bill Lester, sir.” A beefy, forty-something giant with a ruddy complexion and a shock of red-blonde hair stepped in front of him with his hand out. He looked like a bar fight waiting to happen. “Von Branigan,” Von replied, shaking the man’s hand. “Look, what’s...” The large man handed Von a snapshot. The photo showed a thin, frail young woman laying on a black surface. Her features were pale, her eyes were closed, and blood could be seen around a wound at her temple. “Can you identify that person, Mr. Branigan?” Von nodded, swallowing. “Her name is Tatiana Branigan.” Detective Lester stood. “Wait here, please, Mr. Branigan.” “Is she...” Von began. “Please wait here, sir.” The detective left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. 6

A Hunted Heart Von’s head was spinning. Had he just identified the body of his wife? Was she dead or alive? I don’t know if I can live in a world that she isn’t living in. There must be something wrong with me. How can I still care so much after what she did? As he sat, trying to absorb what had happened so far this night, Von began to notice the quiet of the building. He heard footsteps approaching and began to focus on the voices he could hear nearby. “Go easy, Jim, it’s been a heck of a night.” Von heard a door open across the hall. “Bill, it’s bleeding again. I’m gonna check her eyes.” He had to be addressing the detective that Von had just talked with. “Stop it, Jim. You’re making my headache worse!” Von sat up straight. A voice that sounded seductive even when she was irate. That couldn’t be... “Tatiana, you need to be in the hospital. I know you have a concussion. You’re not really recovered from the pneumonia.” Jim sounded very agitated. He called that woman “Tatiana”! My angel is alive! “You know I’ll refuse further treatment. What are they going to do for me, Jim?” came her soft-voiced reply. “They can’t put my head in a sling.” “Tati, I’m going to call that number you gave me. You 7

J.J. Massa need someone to take care of you now.” That was Bill, the big detective. “Bill, nobody at that number wants to care for anything besides my remains. Don’t make me sorry I trusted you.” What number, my number? Is that what she thinks? And why wouldn’t she think that? I made it pretty clear she wouldn’t be welcomed back, didn’t I? “It’s only a happy accident you’re not sporting a toetag right now, dang it!” Von wanted to go in there but something made him listen for a minute longer. He waited for the pain of her betrayal to wash over him but he could only feel elation. He needed to get himself together. She’s alive! “He could have killed me any time in the last nine years, Bill. He doesn’t want me dead, he wants me to suffer.” Who is she talking about? “Up until tonight, Tati, I would have agreed. But you tipped the scales, didn’t you?” What is he talking about? “I don’t know what you mean, Bill...” Von could tell that, clearly, she did too know what he meant. 8

A Hunted Heart “Don’t lie to me Tatiana Dmitri Branigan!” the detective barked. They must be pretty close. “He’s been torturing you for a decade or so, hasn’t he? Killing you slowly.” Von moved toward the sound of their voices. “But I heard what you said to him before I got up the stairs. You not only asked him to kill you, I think you gave him a reason, didn’t you?” “What number?” That was Jim again, Von guessed. He’d apparently stayed in the room, whether he could help her head injury or not. Von pushed the door open. She’s even more beautiful than she was ten years ago. She wore a long-sleeved dress that flowed over her. It was dark green velvet and came to her ankles. Her long black hair waved and curled just above her elbows. Blood trickled from a cut on her temple. “Please, don’t call that number, Bill.” “It’s too late, angel.” At the sound of his voice, she grabbed for a nearby table. “Von,” she whispered. She looked as if she were seeing a ghost. He moved to stand in front of her and cupped her cheeks. Those eyes. Her big gray eyes nearly took up her face. He caressed her delicate jaw with his thumbs. He let 9

J.J. Massa his hands slide down her shoulders until he lightly held her forearms. Her whole body shook. “I thought you were dead, angel,” he couldn’t look away from her, his voice a hoarse croak. “I am dead, Von.” Her eyes filled with tears and she closed them whispering, “Go home. Please go home.” “I can’t angel. I can’t walk away from you.” “I’m not your angel anymore, Von,” she objected, though not very strenuously. He eased his arms around her until he gathered her trembling body against him. She was obviously too stunned to protest, not resisting as he pulled her closer. He leaned his cheek against her head, savoring the satin feel of her soft hair tickling his face. She continued to tremble but he could feel some of her stiffness ebbing away. Finally her hands moved to grip the fabric at his waist. “Von,” she whispered again, shaking her head from side to side. “My knight in shining armor.” It almost sounded like a sigh. He held her a little tighter and dropped a light kiss on her hair. She felt so fragile in his arms. So slight. Why was she so thin and pale? Pneumonia could cause that, if it was serious enough. The officer had mentioned pneumonia and she must have had it very recently. “Time to come home, angel,” he murmured. He hadn’t 10

A Hunted Heart really thought about it before speaking, but it was right. There was no question—his wife needed to come home. “He’s right, Tati. You have to go home and you need care. You should still be in the hospital. Mr. Branigan, I apologize for letting you think...” “I’m sure I’ll want payback later, Detective Lester,” Von rasped, even though he turned to accept a handshake of apology from Bill. Tati shifted to face the man as well, but Von kept an arm around her. She seemed poised to flee at the first opportunity, perhaps she intended to. Too bad if she did. He wasn’t letting her go. As the two men shook hands, Bill began to ask, “How’re you two...” Tati cut him off in her soft voice. “Bill, Von is...” She looked up at Von, her glance questioning. “Are we still...” “We’re still married, angel,” he confirmed, speaking low. How could she think he had divorced her? But really, it wasn’t unreasonable, was it? Bill looked like he’d run headlong into a building. Pole-axed. That’s what pole-axed looks like. Did they have an intimate kind of relationship? Is this my angel’s lover? Von began to feel his anger burn as the other man turned to Tati. This man was a little too comfortable with 11

J.J. Massa Tati for his liking. “Lancelot?” Bill asked. She nodded. “Angelina?” he arched a ginger-orange eyebrow. She nodded again. Now Von was seriously confused, and getting more annoyed by the minute. “So Donald is real, too?” the big detective persisted. Von had no idea what they were talking about and he didn’t like it one little bit. “He is…I’m not sure, Bill, but I think he’s…remember the other character in the series? I can’t say for sure that the Donald in my books is our—my stalker.” “Come on, Tatiana.” Bill sat down hard on his desk. “Damnation, honey. I’m gonna need more than that.” Looking at Von, he said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Branigan. Please excuse the verbal shorthand. We’ve worked together a lot over the last nine years and it occurs to me that I’ve never really listened to a thing your wife has told me.” Before Von could respond, Tati said, “Its okay, Bill. That happens to me a lot. Listen,” she went on, “this is just informed speculation, anyhow.” “Detective, I’d like to know what’s happened tonight,” Von insisted, trying to keep his anger in check. “Mr. Branigan, your wife was attacked outside of her apartment around eleven p.m., upon returning from an 12

A Hunted Heart awards ceremony. We believe that her attacker is the same man who has been stalking her for the last year.” The man looked carefully at Von, possibly wondering if he’d known about the stalker. “He could be the same person who has…played pranks on her off and on…” “Pranks?” Von arched a questioning eyebrow. Maybe he thinks I am the stalker. No, I’d be in jail already if he really believed that. Tati shook her head a little and the large man seemed to take whatever hint she was trying to give him. Von made a mental note to bring the subject up later. “Or not,” Bill hedged. “Just to fill you in,” he went on, “since the event in question was for department employees, associates, and family members, Officer Jim Leeds and myself were escorting her.” Von was startled. He didn’t bother pretending knowledge he didn’t have. This man knew her better than he did, and of course he would. He’d been with her tonight—Von hadn’t seen her in a decade. “You work for the police?” he asked his wife. “In what capacity?” “Mrs. Branigan is a profiler, sir. She consults with other departments and agencies, as well. She is not an employee of the Yonkers Police Department.” His angel certainly had grown up, hadn’t she? 13

J.J. Massa “Tati, do you need anything from your apartment? I don’t think she should stay there tonight, do you Bill?” Jim changed the subject, though it didn’t seem that either Tati or Bill intended to say much more either way. “I’ll need some clothes but I have all my meds in my bag. Did someone get that? I think it went over the railing when he clobbered me.” Tatiana seemed only too happy to follow the new conversation. Von wasn’t fooled, but he certainly knew when to back up and regroup. Someone would be filling him in about Tati’s current injuries and anything else he wanted to know. He would insist on it. “You still have clothes at home, angel. We can refill your prescriptions in Stratford if we need to.” Von kept his voice even and low. He wasn’t sure when this had become so important to him—probably the minute he heard the phone ring at two in the morning. “We have your bag right here. Jim, did you grab her little oxygen tank thing?” Jim nodded, obviously uncomfortable with Von, though he was clearly concerned for Tati. Whoa, oxygen tank? This is serious. “Mr. Branigan?” “Von,” he replied. “You can call me Von.” The big man smiled, softening his features a great deal. “Von, then. When would you like to go by your 14

A Hunted Heart wife’s apartment to pick up a few things?” To Tati he said, “I’m gonna keep a man on it for a few days. I’d like to have a look to make sure nobody’s been in there. You know this guy’s M.O.—well, such as it is.” “Such as it is,” she agreed with a sigh. “Really, Bill, just because he spoke to me this evening—well, that doesn’t mean he’s responsible for anything else, you know that.” “It doesn’t mean he’s not, either, Tati,” Bill growled. “It bears looking into.” “I have every intention…” Tati began, temper clear in her soft spoken words. “Detective, I’d like to talk to you about this and everything else very soon.” Von effectively cut the argument short. “Right now, though, I think it’s past time that I take my wife home. You have our phone number. Do you have a card?” Bill handed him one, scrawling his home number on the back. “Von, I don’t think going back there is a good idea...” Tati began. “Home with me or the hospital, angel?” If she chose wrong, he planned to overrule her anyway. “Stratford, I guess.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but I’ll take it. “Good answer,” he said aloud. “I’ll call you around 15

J.J. Massa lunch,” Von said to Bill. He was anxious to get home. He had no idea what he would do with her. Maybe she wasn’t the treacherous, philandering little witch he’d painted her. Even if she was, he owed her. She’d saved him and he would save her now. He didn’t know if he was doing the right thing but he planned to figure it all out at home.

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A Hunted Heart

Chapter 2 Waking alone in the bed she had once shared with her husband, Tati wondered if she’d ever had control of her life. Off and on during the last ten years, she’d had the illusion of control, but it had never lasted. Now, she was back in the place where she’d lived her happiest memories and her worst nightmares. It was almost as if she’d come full-circle. Her father had worked for the Branigan family since before she was five years old. She’d fallen in love with Von as soon as she’d been old enough to think about such things. Von was six years older than she was and hadn’t been around much when she was a teenager. As a small child, he’d always called her his little angel, teasing her gently and then leaving to go about his life. Time after time, he’d saved her from his younger half-brother Rian who was something of a bully, as well as other, bigger kids that had lived around them. She wished she could turn back time and let him slay all of her dragons for her. If only she’d never made love with Von, her life would have been so different—she might not have married him. But she had and she couldn’t really regret it. Closing her eyes, she fought against the memories of their life together before her whole world had gone down the tubes. 17

J.J. Massa His dark brown hair, just a little long, had always begged for her fingers. His nearly black eyes had mesmerized her with so many secrets. His hard muscular frame seemed the perfect fit for her smaller, softer one. He was powerful, dangerous, gentle, loving, and she’d always felt safe with him. Stop! Stop this; you just aren’t ready for memory lane yet. One tiny step at a time... She struggled to sit up. The problem was, while she wanted to go one tiny step at a time, life kept insisting that she hurry up and get with the program. Her estranged husband had spent the night sleeping in the chair beside her bed. That alone had kept her awake half the night. She was dragging a hand through her curtain of hair when the door opened. Von came in, carrying a tray. He hesitated in the doorway and then moved forward. “Morning, angel,” he said softly. “Think you could eat something?” She looked at him warily. This man, the man she’d loved more than life itself, had told her not to come back here while she was alive, and now he was serving her breakfast in bed? Is it me, or is something seriously out of whack here? He carefully put the tray down next to her on the duvet and waited. When she continued to stare at his face, he 18

A Hunted Heart pulled a chair near the bed and sat down. Tati began to investigate the contents of the tray. “I wasn’t sure how much your tastes have changed,” he explained. “The muffin is gooseberry. I remember that you used to like them. Your medicine is on that little saucer.” He smiled one of his patented devastating smiles. His smiles had always been lethal to her. “Thank you,” she said politely. She tried to lift the small coffee carafe and it began to slip. She just didn’t have the strength right now—not emotionally and not physically. Von was there immediately. He managed to catch it before it could fall. Tati tried to control her shaking but she felt so foolish and weak. He reached for her to put an extra pillow behind her and she flinched. Seeing his jaw tighten in anger, Tati was filled with dread. She shrunk against the pillows. He’s still mad at me, it looks like. If I really did what he thinks I did, I guess I’d be mad at me, too. Please don’t hit me, please. She closed her eyes and willed herself to stop shaking. Over the last few years she’d become a respected criminal profiler and had a doctorate in criminal psychology. Besides that, she had authored a very popular suspense series. She had no reason to cringe like a beaten puppy. 19

J.J. Massa That whole being-raped-and-beaten-and-stalked-thing could account for some of her shrinking in fear... But Tati wasn’t going to dwell on that. She’d had counseling, support, she’d gotten an education. Things had changed for her. She’d grown up. Von rose from his chair and walked to the dresser, obviously trying to control his ire. He pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, along with some under clothes for her. He laid them all out on the end of the bed and sat back down in the chair. Carefully, she lifted the half-filled mug of coffee and took a sip. She broke off a piece of the muffin and smiled tentatively, nibbling at it and watching him cautiously. “Tell me a little about what your life is like these days, angel.” Von seemed genuinely interested. “Do you mean generally or a microcosm?” At her question, his face split in a grin. “Like that! You were always very intelligent but I know you didn’t know the difference between a microcosm and a microchip ten years ago.” At first she was surprised though she couldn’t help but laugh. He was right. She had gone back to school for fun when they were first married though she had never taken it very seriously ten years ago. Her entire mindset was drastically different. 20

A Hunted Heart What if he doesn’t like the person I’ve become? Wise up you nit! He told the person you were not to come back while you were still breathing. Deciding not to bring up anything that had to do with her leaving here, Tati began, “I returned to school and got my B.S. in Social Psychology. Since I achieved my degree in a very short time, I continued and got my doctorate in criminal psychology. I had been interning and later working with my most trusted professor. He used to work for the FBI and continued to consult. As his health began to suffer, I took over more and more of his consults.” She turned away when she began talking about Professor Vinton. She’d grown to love that old curmudgeon. “What happened to him? This professor you worked with and trusted?” Von’s voice was deceptively even. She knew he thought she’d been seeing her mentor socially. He’ll always suspect me of infidelity, even though it doesn’t matter anymore. “Gerard—Professor Vinton—died almost five years ago of pancreatic cancer. He was sixty-seven then. Everyone thought he was my grandfather. He always called me his ‘little foundling’.” She tried to control herself but she felt the tears threatening. With a sniff, she went on, “It’s because of him that I began writing.” Von sat down on the edge of the bed and poured her 21

J.J. Massa antibiotic tablets from the saucer into his hand. He picked up a glass of juice and held them both out to her. She tried not to flinch when his hand touched hers around the glass or when he took her hand to place the medicine in it. He removed the breakfast tray and freshened both coffees, placing the tall tray outside the door and putting a smaller one on the bed. After that, he resumed his place in the chair. Tati relaxed a little. “What kind of writing do you do?” he asked mildly. “Um, fiction. Just stories. You know, suspense and stuff.” “Anybody read ‘em? Are you published?” He must be teasing me. She looked intently at him, trying to decide if he was serious or not. She published under her real name and she had a bit of a following. She was no Patricia Cornwall or Sue Grafton, but she wasn’t doing too badly. “Um, yes, I’ve published,” she mumbled, unable to stifle a big yawn. Haven’t even gotten out of bed yet and I’m ready to go back to sleep. Well at least I don’t have far to go. “Why don’t you go back to sleep for a while, angel?” Von murmured low as he took her coffee cup and the tray and moved them to the dresser. “Anything in particular you want from your apartment?” 22

A Hunted Heart She felt the bed move when he sat back down on it. “My laptop,” she yawned again. Was that his hand on her back? The warm weight of it felt nice. “It’s in the safe. The combination is...why am I so sleepy?” He chuckled. “The combination is your birthday.” She yawned again and rolled over, pulling the comforter over her head.

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Chapter 3 Von backed his SUV out of the driveway and turned it toward Yonkers. He was eager to get another look at Tatiana’s life. The brief time they’d spent together this morning had only created new questions. The combination to her safe was his birthday? Why would she want to remember him every single day like that? What else would he find? He thought about how skittish and wary she was of him. He could tell she was fighting it. It didn’t matter, it seemed innate, a reflex. She was terrified that he was going to grab her. And do what with her? Whenever he got just a little too close, her body went rigid. She’d seen the anger in him when she’d cringed earlier. For some reason, he had really scared her. Didn’t she think he could control himself and his anger? He had wanted nothing more than to choke the life out of her ten years ago. He’d controlled himself then, hadn’t he? Conversely, she’d enjoyed his light touch as she’d drifted off to sleep. Worse then that, or perhaps more confusing, he had enjoyed touching her. He should be angry with her. She’d been his everything—his whole world. She had cheated on him in their own home, and now she was back. How was he supposed to feel about all 24

A Hunted Heart that? And why did he feel like he was missing something important? Von turned the radio on to escape his thoughts. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get away from them. He was pondering why she’d looked so confused when he’d asked her about her writing when one of the announcers answered his question. “At the top of the news today, Yonkers resident and celebrated author, Tatiana Branigan was attacked last night in her apartment building. The author of the popular Life Shadows suspense thrillers is said to be recovering from her injuries today at an undisclosed location. Wasn’t she attacked just a few years ago, Amy?” “Yes she was, Joel. Hey! You don’t suppose there really is a Donald, do you?” Amy answered him. “That just gives me the creeps, Amy,” the male announcer verbally shuddered. “But the popular series has tapped a nerve of thriller aficionados everywhere,” he went on. “Have you read them all, Amy?” he asked, his bland voice making every word sound like a sales pitch. “I just picked up my copy of Night Shift, Joel. And I know I saw Evening’s Education on your desk last week.” “The first three books in the series, for those of you who haven’t read them, are: Angel in the Morning, Hero at High Noon, and Afternoon Delivery. We’re all waiting for 25

J.J. Massa the sixth book, Midnight Caller,” Joel informed the listening audience. “So of course Evening’s Education and Night Shift are Life Shadows books four and five, respectively,” Amy clarified. Von listened for a minute as the two talked about her books, speculating on when the next one would be released. Though he didn’t do much reading for pleasure, Tati had certainly managed to capture a lot of people’s attention and imagination with the books she wrote. No wonder she’d looked at him so quizzically when he’d asked her if she’d been published and if anyone read her stuff. She was much more accomplished than he imagined. What else was different about her? There was so much he didn’t know. Maybe it was time to find out what had changed in the last ten years. It was time to get to know his wife all over again. ~ Bill greeted Von with a handshake and led him to his office. He’d already decided to treat Von the way he’d want to be treated in his shoes. Of course, he’d never be in Von’s shoes but Tatiana was the little sister he’d never had and one of his best friends. He may have to kill this joker yet, but he planned to give him every chance at survival. Bill suspected that Tati still loved him. 26

A Hunted Heart When they sat down, Bill handed Von a picture he kept on his desk. It was actually two pictures held together by hinges. On one side, it showed Tatiana leaning against the wheelchair in which an elderly, hawk-nosed man was sitting. They were surrounded by six men in suits, one of whom was Bill Lester. The older man in the picture had to be Gerard Vincent. He did look quite frail, Von decided. Upon closer inspection, he realized that Tatiana did favor the old man somewhat. It was no wonder people had thought them related. He felt a little silly for his jealous moments when she’d first mentioned her mentor. In the second picture a smiling Tatiana was flanked by two women dressed as she was in shining caps and gowns, the mantle of doctorate draped over their shoulders. Each held champagne glasses aloft in one hand, arms circling waists as they saluted the camera. On the bottom of the picture, written in thick black script, were the words, The doctor is in! “In the first picture, we’d just closed a multijurisdictional case ending a killing spree. That’s Gerard Vincent, Tati’s mentor, in the chair.” He paused, looking at Von for a minute. “That other picture? Of course, you see little Tati in the middle—that’s my wife, Georgette, on the left and Jim’s wife, Lena, on the right. They all had 27

J.J. Massa reasons for being nervous about going back to school, so they teamed up.” Bill got up and leaned his head out the door and yelled out, “When you guys get finished, come in here! I got a good one for ya!” He sat down again, looking at Von, trying to decide how direct he should be. Von must have been considering the same question. “I left her sleeping after eating breakfast. Pretending to eat breakfast, I mean.” Von sighed. “Maybe she’d be better off here. With you…” Bill knew the other man didn’t believe that. He wasn’t sure if the man knew what he wanted, but he was reasonably certain it didn’t include dropping Tati back into her life of the last ten years and leaving her alone. That much was obvious to anyone, but Bill wasn’t just anyone. He could tell that Von was completely invested in Tati now. “I was surprised when Tati introduced you as her husband last night, but not for the reasons you might think.” Bill was trying to be tactful and helpful at the same time. A knock was heard on Bill’s office door and three men came in. Both Bill and Von stood up. All three men were in their thirties, muscular, capable, educated men, each 28

A Hunted Heart appealing in their own way. “V.B., I want you to meet the most worthless examples of law enforcement south of the Peekskills. John Young of the FBI, Pete Fleming, Manhattan’s finest, and Nick Del Marco, Bronx,” Bill boomed out the introductions. “Meetcha,” said Nick. “V.B.,” that was John. “Hey.” Pete shook his hand. Bill knew Von was wondering what this was all about. “Freakin’ shame what happened to Tati last night, huh?” Pete asked. “You shoulda taken him down six years ago, when he attacked her in your district,” Nick snapped at Pete. “We don’t know it was the same guy,” John snapped. “She’s high profile you know—especially to folks she helped put away. Need any help from the Bureau, man?” he asked. Bill shook his head. “Maybe later, right now we’ve got some new leads. I had to call you guys in here to help out a brother.” “What’s up?” echoed around the room. “Well, it seems my buddy here,” he indicated Von, “saw Tati when we were at that alumni thing at Manhattan College a few weeks back.” 29

J.J. Massa The men were getting funny smiles on their faces. Two of them patted Von on the shoulder in a ‘you-poorthing’ gesture. Bill went on. “Seems he’s thinking of asking her out. Thinks they’ll be perfect together. Got a lot in common, I guess.” Bill grinned. The men seemed to be holding their collective breath. “V.B. asked me...” Bill cleared his throat. “He wondered if she was seeing anybody!” Guffaws were heard around the room. “Sorry, man. No, she’s not seeing a soul, not that it makes a difference, you’ll still get the same response.” “You poor fool!” “Don’t do it man, she’s just gonna hurt your feelings.” “Seriously, buddy, if she was gay, you might have a chance,” Nick said. “She’s asexual, dude.” “That sweet little thing has crushed each of our egos at one time or another, but she’s saved all of our bacon enough to make up for it,” Pete told him. “We’re gonna catch that bad guy that clocked her. We’ll catch him and…” John looked around the room with an odd smile on his face. “We’ll put him in the witness protection program. Think he’ll like Wyoming?” “You’re sick, man,” Bill chuckled. Von realized they were joking about Wyoming, using it as a euphemism for being ‘erased’. It was a standard 30

A Hunted Heart reference used by men in the field, suggesting that there really wasn’t any Wyoming relocations and no real Federal Witness Protection program. It seemed campy, surprising in a way; all these law enforcement professionals cutting up and kidding around while all he wanted was to take care of Tati. These were her friends. Why weren’t they trying harder to find her stalker? Von took a deep breath, forcing down his anger as best he could. They had to let off steam somehow. He was more curious about why Bill had lied about who he was. Why hadn’t the other man just said that he was Tati’s husband? They’d all know soon enough, wouldn’t they? Well, they would if he and Tati stayed together. And that, he realized, was the root of his anger and impatience with all of these men, Bill included. He didn’t know what his own intentions were regarding the woman that all these men were so focused on. What was he going to do about his wife? After a little more laughter and back-slapping, the other men left Bill and Von alone again. There was only silence as they turned to each other. Von glared at the large man, focusing all of his pent up frustrations on him. “You trying to tell me I don’t have a chance with my wife?” he growled. “I’m trying to tell you that nobody has had a chance 31

J.J. Massa with her for ten years. Not sure who she’s been saving herself for…or if it’s just an overall inability to trust, given everything she’s been through. But I’d guess that if any man does stand a chance with her, you do,” Bill snapped back at him. “If you can get your head outta your anal orifice and figure things out, that is.”

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Chapter 4 Von had tossed some empty boxes and suitcases in the back of his SUV before leaving home and was now following Bill to Tati’s apartment. When they arrived, Bill led the way up and stopped to talk to the officer near the entrance. As soon as he unlocked the door, Bill stopped Von from going any further. “Is she alone at your house?” Bill asked him. Von was looking around, trying to see what Bill was seeing. Bill repeated his question. “No, Mrs. Smith, the housekeeper is with her,” Von replied. His eyes kept coming back to an odd assortment of objects on the coffee table. Bill looked hard at him. “You see it?” Von nodded. “That’s not hers. Get her on the phone.” Von dialed and when the housekeeper answered, he asked her to put Mrs. Branigan on the phone. “Are you okay, angel?” he asked when he heard her voice. Before she could answer, Bill reached over and slapped the speaker on the phone. “Tati, it’s Bill, I’m at your place,” he sounded different to Von. Harder. “Go ahead,” she said. Her voice was still soft but it 33

J.J. Massa sounded official somehow. “Tell me what you see, Bill.” How’d she know? Bill approached the table cautiously. “A gingerbreadtype cookie...” “Run, run, as fast as you can...” Tati murmured the beginning of the old nursery rhyme. “Can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man,” they finished together. “What else?” she asked. “A round-ish thing...it’s white, it has a hinge and serrated edges that may fit together—looks like it’s wearing...” “All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again,” she quoted the nursery rhyme. “Yeah, I see it now,” Bill responded. Von watched and listened in awe. “A taunt and a threat... Where’s the promise?” Tati asked. Man, what a quick mind…and that’s my angel... “Found it!” “Go ahead, detective.” Tati’s soft voice had the edge of authority to it. That almost sounded like an order. “It’s a flyswatter with a very large roach squished 34

A Hunted Heart underneath it.” “Just one roach or two?” What could possibly be the difference? “One,” Bill responded. “Okay, Von’s still safe. Order a car in behind his and do something to obscure his plate. Get him a local or something.” I’m still safe? What’s that mean? Bill pulled out his radio and ordered the officer downstairs to pull in behind Von’s SUV. Bill promised her that he’d get Von a department plate for the trip home. Von was impressed with the way that her orders were rapped out and followed. “Von?” she asked. “What is it, angel?” “It’s important that you stop somewhere and discreetly change the plate back, okay? After you cross state lines.” It seems like a small request... “Okay, I promise.” “Bill? Get some shots of all that, different angles. Also, go see if my bed is screwed up. If the spread looks okay, pull it back carefully.” She was quiet while Bill was gone. He returned quickly. “Bed seemed untouched. Under the spread was a black chalk outline. I’d be willing to bet that it’s proportionally 35

J.J. Massa correct,” Bill reported. “Plans to kill me in bed but not in my sleep. All right. Shots of that, too. In fact, just shoot and dust the whole place, and vacuum. I know he probably only made statements in those two rooms, but I bet he ate and even bathed.” “Why do you think that, Tati?” Von asked. Bill was nodding as if he had planned to ask the same question. “He’s arrogant, he’s controlling, and he’s smart. He knows I’ll look. He’s trying to spook me. I’m hoping he washed his hands or left a dirty glass. Maybe he ate something, or drank something and left DNA, you know in saliva... A pubic hair in the shower, I don’t know. Just test everything, Bill. If he doesn’t know I’m here, he’ll never think I am. Maybe we can catch him before he gets too far.” “Gotcha.” “Are you going to be okay?” Von couldn’t help asking. “He’s a bully, Von. He would be afraid of you—you’re bigger, full of confidence. Just don’t get caught alone, please. Firearms tend to lend courage to the biggest cowards.” That and the birthday thing could almost make me think she still cares. 36

A Hunted Heart They hung up the phone and Von moved to the safe and removed Tati’s laptop. He was shocked to find a small photo album containing pictures of him. One had him working on a boat. In another, he was lifting weights. Still another was a birthday photo. Very confusing. In the end, Von cleared out the safe and then took a stack of books that Bill handed him. He stood, waiting patiently for him to say whatever was on his mind. “I think you’re a smart man, Branigan. She didn’t do what you think she did.” What’s that supposed to mean? The big man waited a second before speaking again. “I don’t know everything, but she and I have spent a great deal of time together. I know what she’s like inside. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Bill walked away, mumbling about idiots and people who didn’t use the sense God gave them. There were five books in the stack that Bill piled in his arms and Von could see that the author was Tatiana Branigan. He knew he’d be reading them as soon as he could. ~ The man stood in the shadows and shifted in the rooftop doorway, adjusting the focus on his binoculars. I don’t believe it. But he had no other choice. 37

J.J. Massa Right there, climbing out of a huge, dark blue SUV in front of her apartment was his nemesis, Von Branigan. His stomach roiled and heaved. It wasn’t fair. He was so close to winning. All his life he’d hated Von. Von was the chosen one, the kind of kid who had it all handed to him on a silver platter. The family business had been Von’s for the taking. And what had he done? He’d rejected it! Von had failed, with a bit of help of course, though he never realized it. But had that come with repercussions for him? No, it hadn’t. He’d chosen another field, one that had nothing to do with the family investment firm. Von had chosen to build sailboats. Sailboats! They were nothing more than expensive toys and yet Von was praised for his insight and expertise. Though he wasn’t a favored son like Von, he’d worked hard at the firm since before college. He’d proven himself, showed an aptitude for the industry. But had he been offered the business in Von’s place? No, in fact he had not. Granted, he had been allotted a place in the company, but that was all. It was a pat on the back, no matter that he deserved more. He deserved the top spot in that company on merit alone. Always a bridesmaid, never the bride…and he was the best! 38

A Hunted Heart Besides all that, Von still got the girl. It didn’t matter that he had been there with her, for her, all her life. She was a servant’s kid. A nobody. But he, not Von, had paid attention to her. That hadn’t stopped her from giving herself to Von, though. Giving herself to him as if he was worth it! As if he wasn’t a failure! No problem, though. Not a man satisfied with second best, he took for himself what he deserved. He took away Tatiana’s cushy life, her rich husband, her safety and security; ultimately, he eventually took every bit of joy from Von’s life. Everything but the boats. The boats didn’t keep Von warm at night, though. And whenever the mood struck, he reminded Von and Tatiana that bad things could still happen. For a while, that had been enough. Just knowing that Von was suffering, that his life was all but empty filled a deep seated need that nothing else could touch. Aside from that, he’d enjoyed punishing Tatiana for her mistake. He’d enjoyed dominating her to begin with and for the last ten years, he’d enjoyed toying with her, terrorizing her, whether she knew it was him or not. It was nothing terribly overt. He ignored her for a year or two while she became complacent and he transferred into a nice, large company. He became valuable somewhere else in a company that appreciated him for his 39

J.J. Massa own talents and didn’t punish him because he had not been born Von Branigan. Watching from his hidden perch, he saw Von the loser stepping out of his very expensive automobile and going into the apartment building. And he was there too, that big, ugly redheaded cop, Tatiana’s friend, right behind Von, getting out of a department car. Seething, he trained the binoculars on the two men, following their silhouettes through the thick glass bricks as they made their way up the stairs. Fine! Let them both find my little surprise. He knew when they had. He easily interpreted Tatiana’s hand in things when the patrol car moved in behind the huge SUV. Smirking, he watched the uniformed policewoman change license plates for Von. Yeah, it made him mad. Tatiana was his. Had been his from the beginning and was still his today. Yet there was Von, irrefutable proof that Tatiana was with him again. He’d watched her over the last decade. He knew that she’d been chaste since she left. But it had allowed that beautiful brain of hers to emerge. Tatiana had only grown more beautiful as time passed. They were more intimate than ever now, him and her. He had enjoyed sparing with her, teasing her, testing her over the years. Not too much at any one time, just enough to 40

A Hunted Heart make her wonder. He was not going to let her skip merrily into the future with Von, oh no. This was far from over.

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Chapter 5 Tati was asleep on the couch in the east den when Von had returned from Yonkers. She’d felt the cushion go down as he sat next to her and just about jumped out of her skin. His closeness startled her so badly that she began to hyperventilate. She couldn’t catch her breath and her fingernails began to turn blue. “I’m sorry,” she gasped. “Please, don’t be mad.” Von ran upstairs and brought the portable liquid oxygen tank down and slid behind her, holding her and the tank. At first, she sat rigid while he held her but somewhere between her exhaustion and his gentle consistency, she relaxed. They remained that way for a while, sitting quietly. After a time, the parts of her not touching Von began to feel cold. She sneezed and got goose bumps. Von got up, built a fire in the fireplace and brought back a carafe of hot chocolate and a large plate of cheese and crusty bread squares. “Let’s just sit and enjoy the fire, okay, angel?” he asked her. “I forgot how much you always loved this room. We’ll eat and talk a little and maybe you’ll want to nap.” 42

A Hunted Heart “Okay,” she said shyly. “Can I sit with you on the couch, angel?” he asked gently. He was being so considerate. She wasn’t sure why he was being so thoughtful of her and it made her even more nervous. Something of what she was feeling must have shown somehow. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been together. We don’t know each other anymore. But, then again, you still know me better than anyone else ever did,” he explained. She nodded and scooted to the other end of the couch to give him room. He looked at her and arched a brow and she scooted a little closer. “How is the boating business, Von?” she asked after he poured her a cup of hot chocolate and helped her take her antibiotics. He smiled, draping an afghan over her legs. “It’s better than anybody but you ever thought it would be.” He grinned proudly. “I’ve been designing for the U.S. Sailing Team. We won the Nationals last year.” She grinned back at him. “Are you working on anything now?” Tati was so proud of him. She couldn’t hide it and didn’t try. “I do have something out there now. Maybe when you put on five pounds, you can come out and see it.” He gave 43

J.J. Massa her a severe look. “That’s more than five percent of my total body weight! How about one pound?” “Three!” he countered. “Three? No way! Two?” She gave him a pleading look. “Two, but you have to bundle up and can’t stay long.” He gave her another stern glare. He was kidding, she knew that. His playfulness was kind of fun, and his seeming concern warmed her through and through. “Okay, but if it’s a nice day...” At his fierce look, she subsided, feeling a little smug inside. “Okay, you win.” His smile took her breath away. “Come look at the fire with me while we talk, angel. I’ll hold your mug. Let’s pull the blanket up so you don’t get cold.” Some part of her wanted to resist; she was uneasy. Then again, a large part of her heart just wanted to snuggle in and be held. “Its okay, angel, just sit near me, okay?” Von murmured, his soothing voice wrapping around her, making her feel safe. She nodded and allowed him to pull her a little closer. Academically she knew that he could easily do what he wanted with her. He could overpower her without breaking a sweat. She decided that her subconscious just wanted a 44

A Hunted Heart fighting chance to get away. In her heart of hearts, though, she knew she was physically safe with him. Even if she’d conditioned herself—or been conditioned—to fear most men’s touch, Von Branigan would never lay a hand on her in anger. After a time, he began speaking again. “I was impressed by how you knew what to do when I was at your apartment today.” She glanced at him, surprised. “Okay,” she accepted, wondering what he was getting at. “From the time Bill told you what he saw, it was like you were the person in charge.” He was making a statement, yet still asking if his observations were correct. “I assumed the lead because I have a greater understanding of what the bad guy has most likely done or what his thought processes are. If there had been immediate danger, I would have backed off unless Bill needed me to talk,” she explained. She sipped her hot chocolate and tried to snuggle into the cushions more. “Why might Bill need you to talk if there’s danger present?” Von asked, not judging, simply trying to understand. “Either in an effort to soothe with a woman’s voice, or occasionally

using

my 45

skills

in

psychology.”

J.J. Massa Unknowingly, she’d confirmed that she’d had to put herself in danger deliberately at work. “Why did you choose this line of work, angel?” Even though his voice was soft now, he seemed closer. She was getting sleepy. She yawned deeply but tried to hide it. He took her mug and placed it on the coffee table next to the couch. “After everything that happened to me, you know, right before I left and then...well, I was trying to understand. Behavioral psychology seemed a good place to start. One thing led to another and I ended up doing what I do. I didn’t intend it.” She yawned again and didn’t notice that he turned the lamp off. “What happened to you, angel?” he asked. “Umm...” she yawned again. “Can we talk about this later?” He leaned forward and caught her against him as she dozed off. ~ “Von!” Tati screamed, jerking him out of a doze. “Help me! Oh, no! Help me!” She was sobbing and tossing in her sleep. “Angel!” he said, turning her so he could see her face. “Von, stop him, please stop him! He’s hurting me, please, where are you?” “Angel, baby, wake up! Angel! I’m right here, it’s a 46

A Hunted Heart dream. A bad dream.” He shook her lightly and tapped her cheek gently. “Von?” she collapsed against his chest. “It’s a dream? None of it ever happened? He never touched me?” “Shh, angel. It was a bad dream,” he told her again. He had no idea what she meant, but he agreed anyway. She cried tears of relief now. He put his arms around her and rocked her. “Von, you don’t hate me and want me to die?” she whispered. “No, angel, I want you to live.” “But you don’t hate me?” “No precious angel, I don’t hate you, I could never hate you.” “What about him? He’s not trying to torture me and kill me? It’s only a dream?” He didn’t have the heart to see her suffer any further. She’d been nearly hysterical. Her poor little heart couldn’t take this kind of strain right now. Nobody tells the truth to a hysterical woman having a nightmare. “Shh, angel. It was all a bad dream. Go to sleep in my arms. I’ll keep you safe, okay?” “I’ll always love you, Von,” she mumbled. He froze. She was dreaming. She didn’t know what she was saying. She doesn’t love me. It was a reflex. 47

J.J. Massa Why had he told her that he could never hate her? He’d certainly put on a good show of hating her over the years… Still, he didn’t hate her. If the truth were told, he hated himself far more than he could ever hate her. At the end of it all, he was tired of hating. He wanted to feel better, live a life. Somehow, he knew that he would never move forward if he held on to the hatred he’d nurtured for Tatiana. He sat, stroking her hair and rocking her until he was certain that she was fast asleep. No, he didn’t really hate her at all. It was time to stop acting as if he did. Gingerly, he reached back and turned on the table lamp. He lifted the first of the books Tati had written and opened it. The story engaged him from the beginning. Immediately, he began to realize that Tatiana was telling her own story. When her Lancelot moved between her thighs and entered her, it was the most beautiful pain Angelina had ever felt. This incredible man had joined with her and taken her for his own. As long as she lived, Angelina would cherish the memory of her brief pain and the ecstasy that followed. He read about how Lancelot loved to work with wood and create beautiful things, sometimes restoring old things to remembered glory. For an entire two and a half 48

A Hunted Heart chapters, Angie and Lance lived an idyllic life. Chapter three is where it all came crashing down. Donald, a distant family friend, had become convinced that Angelina should marry him, keeping the family’s fortune from the hands of strangers. Lance had his own wealth, though, and Donald applied himself to finding a way to acquire as much of it as he could. It was Angie’s own fault, or so she believed. The family home where she and Lancelot lived sported a large swimming pool, well hidden, isolated. She was on her own the day that Donald found her lounging by the pool. There were no servants; Lancelot didn’t believe in them, in fact, he enjoyed his privacy a great deal. The day that Angelina chose to sun bathe nude, dozing to her favorite music, there wasn’t another soul around—at least, that’s what she had thought. “Now this is perfect, my darling,” Donald purred, settling over Angelina, sliding his slick, oiled shaft into her from behind. She was stunned, struggling but unable to move as he pinned her in place. His strong hands on either side of her face turned her head to the side. “Smile for the camera, little Angie,” he sneered. One hand slid down to fondle her naked breast as the other cupped her face. The hold was deceptive, hurting and painful, though Angie saw later how it looked like a 49

J.J. Massa loving caress. “Let go of me! Get off,” she sobbed, hating his touch, his body, his ownership of her in that moment. “I’ll tell Lance! He’ll kill you!” “Ahh, my own dear Angelina,” he ground out, pumping in and out of her slowly, his larger body holding her immobile. “You left me plenty of time to go inside and get Lancelot’s little toy camera. What a thoughtful thing to do, setting it out for me that way, tripod and all. When Lancelot sees these pictures, he’ll have no doubt of our affair.” Angie struggled, crying pitifully as she tried to fight, pinned in place while Donald pumped into her, thrusting to completion into her unwilling body. Von had to close the book there, unwilling, perhaps unable to continue on. Sure, it was all fiction, but the imagery was disturbing to him. Some of it, obviously, was based loosely on their lives together, that was obvious. It was just vague enough, however, that he didn’t know what to infer. With a sigh, he marked his place, folding down a corner before closing the book.

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Chapter 6 A dream—none of it was real... Sigh. Yes, the bad things were real, the comfort—that part was the dream. As always, when Tati woke up she took inventory. She was in her husband’s bed. She wore a sweatshirt, panties, and socks. She couldn’t remember much about how she’d gotten to the bedroom from the east den. She thought she heard breathing nearby. Carefully, she turned her head. Von lay next to her in the bed on top of the comforter. The line of pillows they’d carefully positioned down the center of the bed remained in place. At first she was frightened and kept her eyes trained on him. He wore only a pair of gray sweat pants. Curious, Tati gingerly sat up. He’d had muscles when they were first married but now he was a lot more muscular. She was thirty, so he’d be thirty-six now. He was a very well built thirty-six year old. She watched his face for a minute, satisfied that he was indeed asleep. Then she let her eyes wander over his torso and down his abdomen. He had ridges on his stomach. That must be what six-pack abs are—those ridges. She wondered if they’d be hard to the touch. She’d always wondered about that, but didn’t want to get close 51

J.J. Massa enough to a man to find out. Any man who had muscles like those would be strong. Her eyes roved back over his bulky arms and welldefined chest. The hair there looked so soft. She remembered how much she’d loved to run her fingers through it years ago. While running her fingers through his chest hair would be too much of a risk, maybe touching one of those ridges on his stomach wouldn’t be noticed. No, I shouldn’t...what if he wakes up? Slowly, Tati climbed to her knees and leaned over Von. Curiosity was tugging at her. He seemed very deeply asleep. Her eyes darted back and forth between his face and his stomach and she extended her index finger. Her hand was shaking but she gingerly pressed a finger into the stomach ridge closest to her. Von’s hand shot out and his eyes snapped open at the same time. “What the...” With a scream, Tati flung herself backward and fell off the bed, crawling crab-like to the door and into the hall. Her mind was in chaos. She’d hurt him and she’d angered him. Where could she go? What would he do to her? “Stop, angel, stop!” She heard him but she couldn’t stop. Her sense of self52

A Hunted Heart preservation wouldn’t let her. She was too afraid to turn her back and run. Rationally, she knew it made more sense to do that but she didn’t want to lose sight of where he was. She was clinging to the railing that led to the stairs. Little by little, she was edging toward them. Von dropped to his knees. “Look, I won’t move, I promise. See, I stopped.” Her breathing was ragged. She could hardly take in a breath. It felt like her lungs were going to explode. She forced herself to move sideways for one more rung. “I promise not to move at all. Stop and rest, angel. Look, I’m going to sit down and pull my knees up, okay?” Von nodded his entreaty. She stopped, but didn’t respond. ~ What just happened? She touched me and I—what? I grabbed for her. I didn’t know... “Angel?” Von tried again to reach her. “I’m going to back up to the intercom and call Mrs. Smith.” He stayed on his rear end and scooted to the doorway of the closest room. He kept his eyes on her and she had her watchful gaze trained on him. “Mrs. Smith, please bring Mrs. Branigan’s oxygen tank to the top of the stairs as quickly as you can.” She was wheezing and her lips were turning blue. She 53

J.J. Massa still had both hands wrapped around the banister rails. Mrs. Smith rushed up the stairs and, glancing at Tati and then at Von, she began to hand the machine to him. “Hold the little cup near her face, Mrs. Smith, and turn the knob on the front.” Mrs. Smith was becoming flustered and upset seeing Tati struggle for air. “Hand me the tank and you hold the cup to her nose.” Mrs. Smith did as ordered and Von turned the machine on. Tatiana never took her eyes off of him while she breathed in the oxygen. After several minutes, her color appeared to improve. “Put the cup in her lap and go bring some coffee, please.” He turned to look directly at Mrs. Smith. “Thank you, Mrs. Smith.” Von smiled at her, acknowledging the watery smile she sent him in return. Little by little, Tati loosened her death-grip on the rails. Soon, she was leaning against them and holding the oxygen cup to her face. “You can turn it off now,” she said quietly, after a few minutes. Mrs. Smith placed the coffee tray in the middle of the hallway between them and began to turn back down the stairs. “Check on us in a little while, Mrs. Smith,” Von told her. She nodded. 54

A Hunted Heart He poured Tati some coffee and slid it across the carpet to her. He poured his own and cupped it in his hands. He watched her as she lifted the cup and sipped it. She stared into her coffee until he fidgeted a little, shifting his body into a more comfortable position. When he moved, her startled gaze flew to him. “What…angel, what has you so jumpy all the time?” Possibly it was a stupid question, if so, he’d deal with it. It was high time to get some things out in the open between them, stupid or not. Apparently he was a bit slow if the way she was looking at him was anything to go by. “I, uh, I was attacked,” she said finally, looking down into her coffee. He considered her for a long moment. “I know you were attacked, angel. I picked you up at the police station, remember?” Obviously, he was missing a glaring clue here. Eyes wide, she looked up from her coffee to stare at him. Von began to wonder if he’d splashed something on his forehead. He felt his brow furrow when she nodded decisively, as if she’d come to a realization of some kind. If her epiphany had anything to do with his IQ, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “I was raped,” she said quietly. “Beaten and raped,” she added, her voice low, her words careful. 55

J.J. Massa White lights flashed in front of his eyes and his entire body felt icy—cold and hot at the same time. He couldn’t swallow, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. “Raped?” he choked, reaching for her. She leaned away from him, just a little—no sudden movements, watching him as if he were an untamed animal, interesting but potentially dangerous. “Tell me?” he managed, his voice thick, husky, and hot in his throat. Now her brow was furrowed as she looked at him in mild confusion. “No, I don’t think so right now,” she murmured. “I really…I can’t talk about it just now.” “We, angel, we,” he started, his voice a high-pitched croak. “We have to talk about this,” he countered. “When did this happen…” he gulped a deep breath of air. “I would have been there for you. You should have called me right away, I mean…when it happened… It doesn’t matter what was between us. I would never have held that against you.” Von knew he’d be angry later, at someone, everyone, chiefly himself, no doubt. It was there, mixed in with the shock, the hurt, the agony that such a thing could happen to his wife, his lover, his family. And then he began to wonder… Had it been when they lived together? Thinking back, hadn’t all the signs been there? Of course they had. He’d chosen to ignore them in 56

A Hunted Heart favor of keeping the peace and seeing what he wanted to see. A fat lot of good that had done him… There was no peace, not really. He’d lived in exile, in agony, for ten long years. “Back before I left…we were still together.” “Oh God, angel, why didn’t you tell me? You should have told me…” “I should have told you?” Tati shook her head in gentle disbelief. “Von, I did try to talk to you—I was afraid, confused. And then, you threw me out. I just…not now, okay? Maybe you should talk to your doctor or something. I don’t want to talk to you about this now.” She squeezed her eyes shut, reaching toward him, touching him with two fingertips. “Let’s not make this a case of ‘did not, did too’. Talk to someone, then later, in a few days or so, we—you and me, and maybe your doctor if you want—we can talk.”

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Chapter 7 Tati was on the phone with a homicide lieutenant from Brooklyn when Von re-entered the house early that evening. He’d been out pretending to work on a boat he was building for the last nine hours. In reality, he was obsessing badly about what she’d told him that morning. His wife had been raped. Tatiana had been raped and beaten. She said it had happened before he’d thrown her out. Well, that wasn’t exactly what she’d said, was it? But if so, how had she been able to hide it? And why hadn’t he suspected anything? He had puzzled over that inconsistency for long hours, going back and forth about what she had meant. No, she’d said she’d been beaten and raped after she’d been made to leave. She’d also made it plain that she had been forced before she’d left his home. However, Tati made it clear that she didn’t want to talk about it. While he wanted to respect her wishes, Von needed to talk about it. Maybe he should speak to someone else about it before he tried to talk to Tati. He’d spent plenty of time thinking about the last ten years and what he’d been doing during that time. He compared his own personal growth with what his angel had been doing for ten years. How did the two stack up? How much had he changed? 58

A Hunted Heart Upon entering the house, he found Mrs. Smith puttering around in the kitchen. “Mrs. Branigan is on the phone with the police, sir. They have asked that she call them. I heard her say Brooklyn. She is in the second study, sir. I put her computer there, okay?” He nodded. The second study was really a small extension to the main study. In years past, it was a place where the woman of the house could manage her correspondence, menus, and grocery lists. It hadn’t been used in decades. In just a few minutes, he would join her in there. First, he needed to make a phone call. “Dr. Morgan’s office,” a smooth voice answered in mid ring. “Annella, this is Von Branigan, I...” he hesitated and the receptionist waited patiently. Squaring his shoulders, Von forced himself to continue. “I need to talk with Dr. Morgan about some things. Does she have any openings?” “Well, hi Mr. Branigan,” the young lady’s smile was clear in her voice. “She does have an opening, tomorrow in the morning. Since it’d be your first visit, do you think you could come early? About eight-thirty?” Von caught himself nodding to the telephone. “Sure, eight-thirty sounds fine,” he agreed. Satisfied that he was doing the right thing, Von continued toward his wife’s adopted office, sitting down in 59

J.J. Massa a chair next to the desk where she sat. He smiled at her and she nodded, focused on the task at hand. The phone on the desk had the speaker turned on as evidenced by the feedback pouring through it, and she was using cellular Internet on her laptop, it seemed. He could see that she’d showered and changed. She wore a new, lightweight sweat suit that looked elegant on her. Mrs. Smith had apparently been shopping. “Okay, Reg, here they come. Yikes! All right, it’s obvious that our perp isn’t a mental giant...” “Whaddaya mean, sweetness?” Hey! Who does this jerk think he is? “The victim’s throats are cut, Reg, wake up! I know people can get pretty creative about suicide, but cutting one’s own throat?” “Shoot, I should really start drinking more. Why didn’t I catch that?” “Forest for the trees, Reg. Now, take a look at the first lover’s wrist. Left, see it?” “I don’t see it, sweetness. I guess I need your pretty little hands to aim my eyes at the right spot.” I’m gonna aim something at this joker’s eyes in a minute. “Just what I don’t need, a nearsighted dreamer. Try squinting and turning your head... Do I need to circle it 60

A Hunted Heart and send it back?” Ouch. “Wait! What is that?” “Ligature marks, bright eyes.” Double ouch. Tati’s fingers began to fly across the keys. “All right, here’s what I know about this bad guy: he’s got a big ego—an enormous ego, not as smart as he thinks he is, sadistic...” she rattled off a few more characteristics including the man’s probable ethnic background and followed up with an email of observations and suggestions. She recommended that Reg sweep his crime scenes again now that they knew how little attention this criminal paid to details. Before she hung up, she told him to label the consult brief and she’d invoice the department in a week or so. “You comfortable in here?” Von asked her. “It’s fine,” she answered hesitantly. “Good,” he smiled, unsure of himself. “That was impressive. You’re good at what you do.” A pink blush crept up her cheeks. “Well, I’ve been at it a long time,” she mumbled, clearly uncomfortable. “You should feel good about it,” he countered. “You have every right.” He shifted in his chair, thinking about 61

J.J. Massa what he wanted to say to her. With a mental shrug, he opened his mouth to speak. “I made an appointment downtown with Dr. Morgan.” She looked at him but didn’t say anything. “The psychologist,” he provided. “She’ll… I wanted to talk to her about what you said this morning.” Tati nodded. “That’s a very good idea, Von,” she smiled. One nervous hand reached out for him, dropping before she could touch him. “I’m really…” she chuckled. “I’m impressed.” She shrugged. “I’m proud.” Von resisted the urge to preen. She was proud. It was a step in the right direction. ~ The evening meal that night was quiet, thoughtful. Tatiana felt a little removed from everything, having told Von that she’d been raped. She’d expected him to want to discuss it and was relieved when he respected her request not to. The fact that he had made an appointment with a local psychologist elevated Von that much further in her estimation. So what was her problem? “Angel? Would you like some coffee?” Von asked her, apparently not for the first time. Although she was seated at the supper table, Tati’s mind was far away, and try as she might, she couldn’t ignore the memories tugging at her. 62

A Hunted Heart “I’m sorry, Von,” she apologized, unable to focus completely on what he was saying. “I’m just distracted tonight.” She pushed her chair back and moved to her feet. “I think I’ll go to bed early if you don’t mind.” “That’s fine,” he nodded, his smile uncertain. “You sure you’re okay?” He was trying so hard. Tatiana couldn’t help but feel guilty for running out on him. Even though he believed she’d betrayed him in the past, he was working hard to accept her for who she was now. That was both wonderful and sad. Wonderful because it showed growth and a generosity of spirit that she fell in love with over and over again. What was sad to her was that he would be so terribly upset when he realized how he’d misjudged her. Tati had spent many hours in a therapist’s office as well as working through group support with other women. What that monster had done to her was rape, from the first moment that he’d touched her without her permission, to the last time he’d hit her and hurt her when she’d refused him. It didn't matter that he hadn't beaten her that first time. She hadn’t wanted him and had tried to stop him. After that, she had been afraid of him and afraid of what he might do to Von. His touch on her body had been nonconsensual. 63

J.J. Massa It didn’t help that he had been her attacker the night that Von had been called. It wasn’t certain that he had been the person who had taunted, threatened her in the past. It did seem more likely, though. “Do you need my help getting up the stairs?” Von asked her solicitously, pulling her chair out for her. “No, really, I’m fine,” Tati protested, though her breathing was a bit thick just now. “Um…about tonight…” “Yes, I do intend to sleep next to you again tonight, angel. I know you don’t like it much and now I understand why, but I think it’s best.” He could see in her eyes that she wanted to object. “I made sure the barrier of pillows were all lined up when I was in there earlier. I know you’re not crazy about the arrangement, angel, but I think we need to keep it up—at least until your breathing is more clear.” “Uh…yeah, it’s true that I’m not crazy about it. Still, I guess you’re right, for now. So, I’ll just go on up...but I doubt I’ll be asleep before you get there.” She turned and made her way out, acutely aware of his eyes on her. No, she wasn’t happy about the arrangement, though it was better than going to the hospital. She’d gotten used to sleeping alone, being alone. No doubt this would be a short-term situation. She could deal with it—after all, she was feeling better all the time. 64

A Hunted Heart “I’m just going to lock up,” he murmured, standing. “I won’t be long at all. I know it would be better if I didn’t creep in and wake you up later…” ~ By the time Von arrived, Tati found herself more exhausted from wrestling her misgivings than the other activities of the day. Dressed in a nightshirt and reclining on pillows on the bed, she watched Von as he completed his ablutions and climbed in. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him there, she did. That was what bothered her. She wanted him with her more than she was comfortable admitting. Sleeping next to Von at night could easily become a habit once again. Besides that, she felt a little guilty for taking so much comfort in his body next to hers when she couldn’t even agree to do more than try to be his friend. “Angel, don’t look at me that way. You aren’t well. If you need oxygen in the middle of the night, I wouldn’t know about it unless I’m here. We’ve been over this a few times already.” She couldn’t argue with that—she really didn’t want to, but he wasn’t done. “Not to mention that I was there the other day when you told Bill that your stalker has plans to kill you in bed. I don’t think that’ll be as likely if I’m in bed with you.” She continued to watch him as he reached over and 65

J.J. Massa tucked the comforter around her, shrinking back just a little. He lay down on his side of the bed and pulled his blanket up to his waist. She didn’t see how she was going to be able to sleep. “Von...” her throat was dry. He turned toward her. “I won’t touch you unless you need my help for something. I promise.” Neither said anything for a long time but Tati knew that Von was still awake. When he spoke, she jumped a little. “Angel? What were you doing the other morning when I scared you so bad?” He waited patiently for her answer. “Um… It’s kind of embarrassing,” she hedged. When he didn’t respond, she went on. “I was… You know how you have those… I was curious.” “Curious? About?” He remembered that she’d poked him but, curious? “You’ve been working out a lot, haven’t you?” she asked shyly. “Yeah, I guess I have.” She’d get around to filling him in on what she was talking about, he was sure. “You’re stomach,” she blurted. “My stomach? I’ve been working out my stomach?” He was confused. “You have those bumps—ridges—on your stomach. I 66

A Hunted Heart thought that must be what six-pack abs were. I’ve seen them but I never touched one. I was curious.” Von struggled with a grin. He gave in. “Angel, I’m really pretty glad you’ve never touched any other guy’s abs—six-pack or otherwise.” Even in the dim light, he could see that she was blushing. “I woke you up. I scared you and you jumped. I’m sorry,” she mumbled, turning away. “You know, I’m wide awake right now.” He waited again. Would she touch him voluntarily? “Yeah?” she asked, uncertain what he was getting at. He snapped a dim light on. “You could touch one now and I won’t be surprised.” He crossed his arms behind his head and glanced at her. “Um…maybe I shouldn’t.” Her voice sounded a little funny. “I’m sure you don’t need me pawing at you.” “Angel, if anybody’s ever going to paw at me, I wish it could be you.” He smiled and winked. “If you’d like to feel my abdominal muscles, I’d be honored. In fact, it would validate all the hours I’ve spent sweating and straining with those weights.” She didn’t answer but moved into a sitting position, eyeing him suspiciously. “I hope you don’t get curious with some other guy’s muscles…” he murmured, only half teasing. 67

J.J. Massa “Oh no!” she gasped. “I don’t want anything to do with other guys’ muscles. Only yours…” Apparently that had slipped out, though he couldn’t be more pleased. She gasped again and buried her face in her hands, pulling the blanket over her head. YEAH! That’s definitely a step in the right direction. He rolled to face her. “Tatiana? Angel? Could we do something else?” Cautiously, she turned toward him and peeked out of the blanket. He could barely see one big gray eye and he fought the urge to tug the bedding away from her face. Smiling at how cute she was, he waited until she poked her head out a little bit more. At her questioning look, he said, “I’d really like it if you could put your hand on my shoulder or my arm for a while.” Her brow furrowed. “I feel pretty bad about pushing you away, angel. I should have been there for you, tried harder to understand. I can’t tell you how devastating it is to realize what my stubborn pride has done to both of us. I know I don’t deserve your comfort but it would mean a lot to me.” He saw her eyes fill with tears. Gingerly, she reached through the pillow wall he’d erected. When her fingers met with his hard bicep, she tentatively inched them around it and splayed them, resting her hand on it. 68

A Hunted Heart Von wanted to cover her hand with his but he didn’t. He smiled at her. “Thank you,” he said and closed his eyes. He hadn’t meant to bring that up, to say those things to her. Still, it was high time they did speak to each other. So many years had gone by without him knowing where she was, what she was doing. It had to end somewhere. He wanted her in his life. Skittish she might be, but it seemed that she wanted to be with him, too. They had to talk about it. After a long time, he heard her breathing become even. Much later, he dozed off.

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Chapter 8 “Hello, Von,” greeted Dr. Morgan. She was an older woman, in her mid sixties. Von had known her distantly for years, but had never seen her professionally. He felt more than a little self-conscious now. “Hi, doc,” he smiled, sinking gratefully into the seat she offered. “I thought you guys had couches for this.” “Do I look like Sigmund Freud to you?” she mockgrowled, raising a salt and pepper colored brow at him. “The whole couch thing is so that both parties can be comfortable,” she explained, crossing her legs at the ankles. “I find that I’m not comfortable with some guy lying on a couch in my office.” Von grinned, relaxing a bit at a time. He’d been more than a little worried that he wouldn’t be able to talk—that he’d be nervous. She’d put him at ease right away. This was the same Doctor Morgan he saw at town meetings. She was the very same person who’d always treated him with respect and consideration no matter what was going on with the rest of his family. “I’m glad you could find the time to see me, Doctor Morgan,” Von started, shifting a little in the leather chair facing hers. “I—you might have heard that my wife is back.” She looked at him sagely, not saying anything. “We 70

A Hunted Heart have issues.” “I’d be surprised if you didn’t,” she sighed, shaking her head. “So…since we have another forty minutes or so, how about you tell me a little about them?” “Yeah,” he exhaled heavily. “Yeah…there’s a lot. Uh, one of the things… How do I start?” he asked rhetorically. “Well, she’s changed of course. She’s grown up... She’s got a doctorate in criminal psychology. She’s a profiler now.” “My, that’s quite a lot of changing for you. How do you feel about all that?” she asked predictably. Von shrugged and leaned forward. “She was raped, doc,” he murmured, not looking at her. Silence reigned for a few moments. “I see,” she acknowledged finally. “So tell me what that does to you?” “What do you mean, ‘what that does to me’? What’s that supposed to mean?” he yelped in disbelief. “She’s my wife!” “It’s not a trick question, Von. You’re obviously upset about this, and rightfully so.” She uncrossed her legs, recrossing the right over the left. “I’d be upset if I learned my mail carrier’s daughter had been raped, let alone a family member. It’s a terrible thing…the question is, why exactly are you upset.” “She’s my wife, doc…” he said again, his voice 71

J.J. Massa breaking. “Von,” she said gently, leaning forward. “There’s no such thing as common-law divorce…if there was, you and Tatiana would qualify. She hasn’t lived as your wife in a decade and it seems that you haven’t inquired in that long.” She paused. “You haven’t, have you?” she asked, seeming to know the answer already. “No,” he admitted, his voice low and husky. Looking up, he glared at her. “But that doesn’t change anything. She is my wife!” Doctor Morton looked hard at him. “All right, Von,” she began, as if offering him a challenge. “Which thing would you like to deal with first? Shall we talk about what made her leave ten years ago? How you feel about her now? Or that she was raped?” Von blinked slowly. “I…wow. I guess I never really…it seemed so simple. Come in here. Tell you she’d been raped. Deal with it and go home.” “The rape, then. Let me just say that it’s not unusual for a man to think things can be compartmentalized so easily. In the end, we will have to talk about all of this because it’s all inexorably linked. But right this minute, tell me everything you know about it,” she instructed with a “come on” wave of her hand. Von took a moment to gather his thoughts, clearing 72

A Hunted Heart out all the confusion that seemed to follow him in to the doctor’s office. “She told me yesterday morning, but it’s easy to tell that something like that must have happened. She’s very…skittish,” he murmured, not really looking at the doctor anymore. “At first, I thought maybe it was a result of the stalker attack that she suffered a week or so ago. But yesterday morning, she said, “I did try to talk to you about it. And then you threw me out…” He glanced at the doctor and then away, toward a window across the room. “The implication is that this happened while she still lived with me. Right under my own roof. And then…” he shrugged, decided that he might as well say it all. “She said she’d been raped and beaten, as if it may have happened before she left, and then again after. She was having an affair… I just…” he sighed, dropping his head into his hands. “Von,” she said impatiently. “Think. First…how do you feel about the woman who’s in your home this morning? Right now, how do you feel?” “Uh,” he stared at her, sure he looked like a deer in headlights. “Well, I still care about her, I just can’t help it. And she’s so nervous around me. I hate that, but at least now I understand it. So…the short answer is that I want her to be more at ease around me—to feel safe.” He shifted uneasily in his chair. “I like her, I care about her, 73

J.J. Massa and I want her to stay. What can I do?” Doctor Martin smiled at him proudly. He was positive for just a moment that she was going to give him a cookie. “It’s important to realize that the effects of rape can be long lasting. I’m sure you gathered that when you realized it had taken place ten years ago.” He nodded, waiting for her to go on. “At first, a lot of victims want to forget what happened. They’re numb, disconnected. Given the advances Tati has made, it’s apparent that she’s gotten help, though you will want to talk to her about that.” “Um, yeah.” Von nodded, wishing he could take notes. He needed something to do with his hands more than he needed a written record of what the good doctor was telling him. “The thing is, she doesn’t want to talk about it now. She told me to see a doctor. And…if it happened before we…before we split up, wouldn’t I have noticed? She said she was raped, and then she said she was beaten and raped. I would have known if she was beaten, but raped…” he sighed. It was all so much. Too much. “Rape is a traumatic event no matter how it happens,” Dr. Morton explained. “You might not have noticed for several reasons, not the least of which is that it’s very usual for young women to hide sexual abuse—to keep it quiet.” She reached behind her to fumble through a bookshelf. Turning around, she started speaking again. “I 74

A Hunted Heart think the most important thing right now is to get used to each other again. You’ve both been through many changes. You’ve both grown up.” She handed him a small stack of books with a gentle smile. “Everyone deals with personal trauma differently. Chances are very good that Tatiana has managed to keep a bit of a buffer between herself and men who might have taken a sexual interest in her—which would explain her skittish behavior. Read these books, and take it slowly with your wife. You can call me at any time, but I’d like to set up another appointment.” She tilted her head a moment, thinking. “About the talking or not talking—I would respect her wishes, but do make it clear that you really would like to address this. Especially in light of all you’ve both gone through, all your marriage has gone through; honesty really is the best policy.” Von’s throat felt tight. He glanced at the books she’d handed him. There were three, each a survivor’s story: one from a husband’s perspective, one written by a woman, and the other by a man. On the one hand, he wasn’t sure he could handle this, though he knew he had to. What did he really feel for Tatiana? She was his angel, no matter what. Lying to himself and lying to her was pointless. If he couldn’t do this, at least he would know. 75

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Chapter 9 Turning from her computer, Tatiana watched as Von parked his SUV and got out. He held a few books in one hand, standing still and glancing between the barn where he did most of his work and the window where she was sure he could see her. She lifted a hand in a hesitant wave, wondering what he’d do. A half-smile graced his face as Von waved back, pointing up, upstairs, she surmised. He then held up one finger—the universal sign for wait a minute. She nodded, not bothering to fight her own little smile. There was no point in kidding herself. She felt giddy. Her belly tightened in a familiar wave of anticipation, and her heartbeat sped up just a little. He would be there in just a minute. Tati hit the button on her monitor, shutting it off. The black reflective surface made it into a makeshift mirror which she took advantage of shamelessly. No amount of self–recrimination would stop her from caring how she looked. She wanted to look good for Von, wanted him to find her attractive. The fact that she didn’t know if she could actually let him do more than just look was a puzzle, but one step at a time, she told herself. Maybe she was setting herself up for heartache. If so, she would handle it. 76

A Hunted Heart Just wanting a man to find her attractive was big for her, very big. The fact that it was Von did not surprise her in the least. She could deal with all that, too, as time went on. “You look beautiful, angel.” Von’s quiet voice at the doorway startled her a little. “Well, so much for my clandestine primping, huh?” She blushed, hitting the button to turn her computer monitor back on. Von grinned at her, lowering himself into the chair next to her little desk. “That’s a pretty big compliment. More powerful than words.” He winked. She didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing. “Angel,” he murmured after a brief pause. “I just wanted to tell you—I’m glad you’re here.” Tati arched a brow at him, even more unsure of what to say to that. “I, uh, I’m glad, too. I guess.” She shrugged at him, apologetic. “I wish things hadn’t happened the way they did, but you know the saying, ‘If wishes were horses…’” she waited for him to finish it. “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride,” he smiled, completing the quote. “I won’t go into all the things I wish or don’t wish. It’s a jumble right now anyway.” “Yeah, I know what you mean,” she agreed. “So 77

J.J. Massa thanks for saying that you’re glad that I’m here.” Von considered for a moment. “I think it’s important that we be as up front as we can be with each other from now on, angel,” he started. She nodded, unsure in general, though certain that honesty was a good place to start. “I went into town to see Dr. Morgan, and we talked about what you said, about being raped.” Tatiana gaped like a hungry goldfish, at a loss for what to say next. “You’ve changed as much as I have over the years,” she said finally, shrugging one shoulder. “Well, yeah!” he chuckled. “Ten years is a long time for anyone.” Sobering up a little, he went on. “I’ve been alone all those years. By choice… But I’ve missed you, Tatiana. You. I’ve missed you.” Tati opened her mouth to speak again, feeling even more like a goldfish. “V-Von,” she stuttered, no idea what she meant to say. He held up a hand to her, staving off any comment. “I just wanted to tell you that. Uh, and I think I’ll be working kind of late tonight. So,” he stood, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I’ll see you either later, or in the morning—sometime tomorrow, anyhow.” A wash of emotion swamped her as she watched him walk away, stopping at his own elegant desk before disappearing around a corner. Her heart beat fast and her 78

A Hunted Heart head spun with confusion. He’d missed her. He was glad she was there. He’d seen Dr. Morgan but didn’t expect to talk about the past, the rape—rapes, really. Tati stared at the computer monitor unseeing, her mind whirling a mile a minute. She’d been in love with Von Branigan almost her entire life. He was handsome, strong, capable…he’d never hurt her physically. Of course, emotionally, nobody could do more damage to her. It seemed that he was trying to find some middle ground with her. Was he interested in friendship? More? Was there hope for this relationship, such as it was? The whole thing was both exciting and exhausting. Tati pressed the hibernation key on her computer and closed the lid. She just didn’t have the strength, or for that matter, the patience to think things through right that moment. A nap and acceptance at face value were the order of the day, she decided, moving through the archway that separated Von’s office with a small sitting room. There were far too many little parlors in this huge old house, but for today, this one suited her purpose. Before another few minutes went by, she’d be cuddled on a cushy sofa and dozing. What a heavenly plan. Some part of her knew when Von lifted her and carried her to bed. Smiling through what seemed to be a lovely dream, Tati snuggled against him with a sigh. A 79

J.J. Massa perfect end to a decent day. She’d take those whenever she could get one. ~ He sat in his office, staring unseeing out at the green metropolis of Managua, Nicaragua. His corporate job gave him plenty of freedom and he really didn’t have to be there, behind that desk, missing the pleasure of a beautiful day. It was simply easier to get work done if he forced himself to go to an office everyday. The multi-national corporation that he worked for had gobbled up the business Von should have inherited long ago, with his help. He was important, but had a great deal of freedom now. The company had a large office in Managua so it made sense on many levels for him to call it home. “Hold my calls, Gina,” he snapped into his little intercom. He didn’t bother speaking the language. She worked for him. If she didn’t understand him, she’d be fired. “Yes, sir,” she answered rapidly, her accent minimal. He knew she did her best not to sound Spanish. He enjoyed the tropical climate—who wouldn’t? The economy in Nicaragua suited his needs, allowing him to live well but on less money. Although most of the nation’s economy was served by the capital city, he was pleased 80

A Hunted Heart that the influx of country peasants was relatively small. He just didn’t want to be bothered with those he saw as less than himself, while at the same time, he wanted to live in an upscale urban area. Yes, New York would fit his needs, but it was in America. For his purposes, it was better to live abroad. For him, it was simple enough to fly in, cause whatever mischief was called for, and fly out whenever he wanted. Mischief was on his mind just now. He’d managed to enjoy his fair share of it lately. If the authorities were searching for him, they wouldn’t find him for some time. And the way he entered and left the country made it difficult at best to keep track of his wanderings. He worked for a company based in Spain that had offices all over the world and always flew on a company jet into private airstrips. Besides that, it was not a difficult task to alter computer records that said he was in one place or another at any given time. Tatiana might have told someone who he was by now. She must have. He’d left plenty of doubt in the past whenever he left a little surprise for her. She was a profiler and a known author. It was more likely that she would attract the attention of an angry stranger than that she wouldn’t. In general, he tried to leave just enough evidence behind when he visited—just enough to make her 81

J.J. Massa wonder. She couldn’t be sure, of course. Up until the last visit. He hadn’t been able help himself this last time. A decade had passed and it needed to be acknowledged. Tati was stubborn, ridiculously so. It was her own fault when he’d hit her. She’d managed early on to convince Von to give him what he needed—money and lots of it. After that, he made sure that she had no place else to go except to him. He knew she wasn’t in love with him. But there was a fine line between love and hate, wasn’t there? And while she’d never been his captive, per se, he still made it a point read up on Stockholm Syndrome. She had been weak enough to let him control her. Maybe just being so young at the time was the cause. It didn’t matter to him. He’d gotten her to do what he wanted. He’d manipulated her for sex and money, threatening her with everything from exposing her faithlessness to Von to promising to hurt or kill him if she didn’t give in. They both knew that Tatiana had never voluntarily cheated on Von. That didn’t matter. He had enough skewed evidence to make her look guilty without ever even showing his own face. There had been pictures, secondhand accounts, tapes… Needless to say, he had used everything he could against her anyway, regardless of how compliant she’d been. Who could blame him for 82

A Hunted Heart losing his temper at the end? He’d gotten money and property from Von, thanks to Tati’s grudging cooperation, and when Von threw her out and turned his back on her, Tatiana had refused him. Refused to stay with him as she was supposed to do. She would pay for that error in judgment. Pay and pay again. He shook his head hard. Already he’d spent too much time in the past. Tatiana had never appreciated him—not really. It was time to bring this whole thing to an end so he could get on with his life. He wasn’t the desperate fool he’d been ten years ago. He was somebody now and it was time to reap the benefits. Before all was said and done, both Tatiana and Von would realize how important he was. They would both understand what a mistake it had been to ignore and demean him as they had. Tatiana would be his and Von would be gone. Failing that, neither would live to tell the tale. Whatever the outcome, he would come out the winner. Nobody could touch him where he was now. He was head and shoulders above them all.

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Chapter 10 Over the next week, Von alternated between reading the rape survivor books Dr. Morgan had given him and Tati’s books. She was a talented author, he decided with pride. The rape survivor books both helped him and upset him terribly. The feelings, the actions described by the women and men telling their stories were all too horrific to him, disturbing, to say the very least. The idea that Tati had gone through any of the things he was reading about was distressing. The fact that he could sit with her, hold her hand, made all the difference to Von. The morning before last, she’d awakened just after two a.m., shaking. He was thrilled that she no longer argued about the necessity of sharing a bed with him, though it wasn’t strictly necessary any more. Her health had improved a great deal. Last night he’d leaned across that vast border of pillows, almost without thought, and had placed a chaste kiss on her warm cheek. He caught himself in the act and had simply followed through on it, determined. “Von,” she’d gasped, more than a little surprised. “Angel?” he’d countered, teasing. “You kissed me.” Her voice had been a breathy sigh, 84

A Hunted Heart rushing right through him. Some things hadn’t changed. Just being near her made his heart pound and knees weak. The way she was touching her face with the tip of one finger made him think that the attraction could possibly go both ways. “Yes,” he’d agreed. “I did kiss you. I’d like to do it again.” “Um, really?” She’d almost looked dazed. When he nodded, she had blushed a little. “Okay,” she’d grinned at him. Slowly and carefully, Von had leaned over and kissed her gently on the other cheek, lingering over the high curve of her sweet face, tasting and teasing, carefully, of course. She’d smiled shyly at him, watching him as she drifted off to sleep, her eyes closing a little at a time. The very next morning had found her half on top of the pillow-wall and cuddled against his side, warm and safe, like he hoped to find her every day from now on. Now, as he read one Life Shadows novel after the other, Von couldn’t help but compare the characters and situations with their own past. Unless he was terribly mistaken, she was writing, albeit loosely, about her own life. That made Donald the antagonist. Von wasn’t so foolish as to think that Donald was her rapist’s real name. The problem he was facing as he read the well written 85

J.J. Massa books was that Tati was very subtle. Donald could be any number of people, he reasoned. And whoever the man was, Von suspected that he was the same person that had attacked Tati the night Bill had called him. During that rapid fire exchange, Tati had seemed to suggest that her attacker could be Donald, anyhow. Either way, it was fast becoming time to sit down and discuss the entire thing. They were comfortable together now in a way they hadn’t been in years. Perhaps they were comfortable enough to get through a serious conversation. Under the expert guidance of Dr. Morgan, Von’s opportunity wasn’t long in coming. His second visit with the psychologist, and many books later, he decided to take a chance and broach the discussion she’d denied him that morning a week before. “Angel, would you come sit with me for a minute in the sun room before supper?” She could refuse. He wouldn’t blame her if she did. She didn’t refuse, turning to follow him. They had just entered the room when Mrs. Smith came to tell them that supper would be ready in half an hour. After the housekeeper left, Von took a deep breath and dove in. “Since I got the call from Bill a week and a half ago, angel, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he started, deciding to just come out with what was on his mind. 86

A Hunted Heart She sat in a chair across from him trying to make herself small, or so it seemed. “I was pretty selfish, angel. It never should have been about me, but I refused to see it any other way. I should have listened to you. I was a lousy husband. I was no kind of husband at all.” She didn’t say anything. She just looked at him with her enormous gray eyes. She’s always been honest. Anything she said to deny that last statement would be a lie. “Angel, you’ve been forced to come here and let me pretend to take care of you.” Her fathomless eyes told him nothing. “I want to be your friend. I want to really take care of you. Maybe, someday, you’ll want me for a husband again. A real husband. We really need to talk about this. Please?” She nodded. “I’d like us to work toward touching each other again—having a regular relationship if that’s possible…” If he didn’t put it out there, he reasoned, there would be no chance at all. She stared at him without speaking for a minute. “Von, you—I don’t think you understand.” “Tell me what you’re afraid of, angel.” We’re talking, and she’s not running. This is good. 87

J.J. Massa “Von, I can’t help it.” At his questioning look she went on. “I have tried. I’ve worked with others who have been—well—raped and abused.” She expelled a deep breath. “Angel, why didn’t you make me understand what happened? Why?” The words were torn from him. “Make you understand? I told you. I begged you to listen to me.” She tugged at the hem of her blouse. He knew she was looking back, remembering. “Where did you go? Maybe if you’d stayed nearby, maybe if you’d written...” He looked away from her. He had no idea what he was hoping for. “Von, you told me to get out and to not come back until…” she said gently. He lifted his anguished eyes to hers. “I did what I could to make you know what happened. I was injured badly.” She lifted her shaking hands to push the hair off of her face. “I wanted to die. I wanted to make myself die. Mrs. Smith wouldn’t let me. Before my father passed away, she had promised him that she would look after me so I’d never be alone in the Branigan house.” He swallowed convulsively, fighting his emotions. “I wish I could say that you were never in danger of that but I guess I can’t, can I?” Taking a deep breath he managed, “Where did you go, angel? How did you get there?” he 88

A Hunted Heart asked. “She, Mrs. Smith, drove me to Danbury. She has a niece on staff at the hospital there. I stayed with her for awhile, until I could get on my feet.” “Why didn’t you write? Call? Why didn’t Mrs. Smith...” he threw his hands up, not sure what he was trying for. “I know what I said to you. I know that you…” He looked away, his mind going back over the years. “Tati, those pictures were on my desk with that note, surely you can understand how upset I was. Pictures of you having sex with some man, of course I yelled and acted badly. But I would have listened to you, if you’d given me time to cool off. I know I would have.” Von had to believe that, otherwise he’d never be able to live with himself. “Von, what do you want from me? I don’t want to hurt you.” He was upsetting her, he knew; he could hear it in her voice. “Just tell me straight out, angel. We’ll never get past this if you don’t.” “What makes you think we’ll ever get past it anyway?” She looked hard at him. “Maybe we won’t, but I need to hear this. Tell me why you didn’t confide in me.” Tati sighed. “Oh, Von. It was so hard to tell you, to 89

J.J. Massa beg you, my husband, to help me. You didn’t, couldn’t believe me. You were so sure that I was cheating on you, even when I tried to tell you what was going on. All you saw was your own hurt.” She turned her tortured gaze to his. “I told you that I was having some trouble. I told you that I needed to talk to you. Maybe I wasn’t forceful enough, but I was afraid. By the time that you got those pictures, it was just too late. It couldn’t be about you anymore. I never cheated on you, Von. Not ever. I begged you to listen but you were convinced in your own mind… He was forcing me—I didn’t want to be with him, didn’t want to have sex with him and he hurt me, threatened me. That’s rape.” “You mean those pictures…that he was forcing you…that he was… Oh my God, angel, I know you said it wasn’t your fault, that he forced you, but I didn’t think you meant he forced you, I thought you meant he seduced you into letting him…” He dropped his face to his hands. All these lost years, all the pain of being separated, and right at a time when she had needed him the most. He knew what she wasn’t saying. ‘You promised to love and cherish me. Why didn’t you come for me? Where were you while I was going through all this?’ Home in bed, safe, that’s where I was... 90

A Hunted Heart “Is there any way you can forgive me, angel, for not seeing, not believing… Isn’t there any way...? We can get past this, this, I know we can,” he insisted, hope strong in his voice. They were talking about it, finally. Perhaps it was too much to hope that she’d give him details, not that he wanted more than a name…still, one step at a time. “The way I react when you reach for me, I can’t help it. I can’t make it stop.” Her voice broke. “Angel, maybe it will never go away. Or maybe, in time, if you find you can trust me, it will lessen, won’t be as bad all the time.” He moved to squat in front of her chair. “Your friendship is more than I deserve. I’d like a chance to earn it, though. Maybe someday you’ll love me again.” This nightmare in their lives had begun, one way or another, while she still lived under his roof. He should have seen it, should have known. “Von,” she whispered. “I never stopped loving you. That’s not the problem. I just can’t trust you. That’s the problem.” His heart soared at her words. She loved him! If that were true, wasn’t there some way that she could learn to like him, to trust him again? “Trust can be earned. I can be trustworthy. I can be a man you can trust, angel. Will you stay here, in my 91

J.J. Massa company, long enough to see?” He was willing to beg, he couldn’t let her leave him again. Gently, carefully, he gathered one slim hand in his own, so relieved and grateful when she allowed it. “I come with a built-in stalker, Von. You could be in danger just by having me here.” A deep breath and he was shaking his head, negating that as an obstacle to their relationship. “I wish you’d tell me…more. Still, it would be harder to get to you with me in the picture—you can’t deny that.” He stroked over the back of her hand with his thumb. Long, slow strokes. “You’re safer with me.” “Yes,” she whispered, agreeing reluctantly—but agreeing. “Angel?” She still hadn’t answered his question. “Will you stay for a while? Even when you’re better? Will you let me try to be a friend to you? Maybe try to be a husband?” She was silent for a long time. After closing her eyes for a long pause, she opened them and looked at him. Von waited, holding his breath. Finally, she said, “Okay, Von, I’ll try.” He leaned back and plopped down on his rear-end, grinning, her hand slipping away from his. “Von...” 92

A Hunted Heart “Don’t worry, I understand that we have a long way to go and may never get there. Not that long ago, I was sure that I’d never see you again. My life was empty and all I had was my work. Work I did at home. This place had become my universe and my prison.” He didn’t know if she understood. It didn’t matter. He had been depressed and living in a cocoon for ten long years. He’d become someone he didn’t like and could barely tolerate. Now he had hope in his life, and in his heart, again. ~ Opening his eyes, Von saw Tatiana’s fine-boned hand resting in his. He wasn’t holding it, her hand simply nestled in his of its own accord. He saw that she was draped over the pillow border with her head resting on one, her black hair cascading in a wave. As he took in the scene, he saw that her sleep-shirt had ridden up and her exposed hip and thigh hung over another pillow further down. Her delicate foot perched on his bent knee. He found her beautiful but so painfully thin. She looked almost emaciated to him. Could it be entirely the fault of the pneumonia? Why wasn’t she eating properly? How had she gotten so thin? Her hand twitched in his and he glanced at her face. He could tell that she was waking up. He smiled, 93

J.J. Massa watching. Her toes curled against his leg. Von didn’t move, waiting for her to wake—waiting to see what she did. Her mouth curved in a smile as she opened her hand and touched the pad of his thumb lightly. She slid her foot up and down over his knee. Slowly she looked into his eyes. “I guess I tried to storm the ramparts in my sleep, huh?” she said quietly, a little red in the face, but not panicking. She was still smiling slightly. “Now you know why they’re pillows instead of bricks,” he chuckled. “I wouldn’t want you to get scraped up.” “It’s a good thing we didn’t sleep any later, isn’t it?” He could tell that she was fighting the urge to hide her face. “That depends on your perspective I think.” Carefully, he lifted the hand that still nestled in his. He kissed it and gently let go. Impulsively, he reached down and stroked her foot then, with a mischievous smile, he tickled the bottom of it. She jerked her foot away, giggling. Sitting up, Von pushed a button on the phone. When she answered, he asked Mrs. Smith to bring a coffee tray. “I can go down for coffee and breakfast, Von,” Tati 94

A Hunted Heart objected. “I know you can, angel. You’re breathing is much better today. If I can refrain from scaring you every time we turn around, you may even get better.” He looked speculatively at her. “Can I help you get situated?” “What do you mean?” She arched an onyx brow at him and waited. Von stood and came around the bed, sitting gingerly at her hip, leaning over her expectantly. She hesitated and then looped her joined hands around his neck, letting him pull her into an upright sitting position. “Maybe you’d like a bath this morning? Or a shower? I could help…” he smiled warmly at her, not knowing just what to expect. “Oh, no, I mean…” Heat crept up her face as she considered the options. “Um, I can really do it myself, Von, you don’t have to help me bathe. We’ve been through this already.” “Maybe I want to,” he grumbled low. “Uh, what?” Eyes narrowed, her gaze was hard, as if she wasn’t sure what to make of him. He shook his head. Yes, he was disappointed that she was still so uncomfortable with him though he hadn’t really expected anything else. “What if I just get you some clothes and help you run 95

J.J. Massa the water? I’ll wait out here or…” She tilted her head at him, confused, a half smile on her face. “Von, it’s okay. Really. You don’t have to do anything.” He sighed gustily. “I know. I just want to help. I just want to be more involved in what you do everyday.” He looked away and then back at her, his cheeks a little pink. “I could hold your towel…” She tried a glare but ended up laughing at him. “I’m not totally sure how to take that. Maybe you’d better get breakfast and let me get my bath in peace.” Von took the hint, dropping a quick kiss on her cheek before escaping relatively unscathed. Tati was glad they’d talked, and was even more glad that they were able to joke and laugh with each other. As for him holding her towel…she wasn’t ready yet to explore how that made her feel. Shaking her head ruefully, she turned and made her way into the en suite bathroom. It was shaping up to be a very interesting day already. She didn’t want to miss a minute of it.

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Chapter 11 “It’s beautiful, Von,” Tati breathed, walking around the mostly finished boat. “It takes up a lot of room, doesn’t it?” Von laughed, keeping an arm around her shoulders. Ostensibly, he was holding her in an effort to keep the cold at bay, though he doubted she believed that. The truth was clear—he wanted to touch her, to be near her. She allowed it, even leaning into him a little. Sweeping his free arm wide, he gestured toward a boat attached and hanging from sturdy beams. “This is my little pride and joy. I thought maybe we’d take her out when the weather warms up a bit. What do you think?” Open on two sides, this particular outbuilding wasn’t as nice as his main work area, where four walls kept the wind away. Keeping his arm around her, Von leaned back against one corner of his shed, hoping to give her as much room as she needed to move around and feel free. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel trapped. He also hoped she would stay near him, initiating more contact. It was up to her, but the cold weather could only help his cause. Part of his devious intent, he admitted to himself, was that she’d turn to him for warmth while she was looking at his hard work. 97

J.J. Massa She turned to face him, stepping closer when he opened his coat for her and allowing him to wrap his arms around her. “You’re very warm,” she murmured, snuggling a little closer. “Your nose is cold,” he rumbled, trying to act casual, but so pleased that she was there with him, touching him, letting him hold her. They’d come a long way in the short time since she’d made clear the events of all those years ago. Somewhat clear. Von knew there were things she wasn’t telling him and he didn’t like that part one bit. Still, she was talking to him. He knew things he hadn’t way back then. Over the last few days he’d managed to touch her more. Sometimes he thought perhaps she didn’t notice. Other times he was sure that she did. The important part, as far as he was concerned, was that they were moving forward. “Is it okay if I warm it up a little?” she asked huskily. “I’ll do it,” he whispered, leaning down and gently kissing her red nose. Maybe it was an accident, he didn’t care, but she tilted her head back to look up at him. A little shift and his lips were on hers, soft, warm, so good. She made a little noise in the back of her throat and he pulled her closer, licking, nipping gently at her lower lip. 98

A Hunted Heart “Von,” she groaned, holding on tightly. He caught her face between his gloved hands, bending to cover her mouth as her lips parted, his tongue sinking in, tasting her. As if of their own accord, Tati’s arms wound around Von’s neck as her mouth opened under his. He kept his movements slow, reverent, sipping, laving, savoring her flavor, the feel of her so close to him, her tongue loving his, sharing, a gentle plunder. Finally, when breath was short, she pulled back, gentle kisses trailing down his jaw until she buried her face against his throat. Von could feel her heart racing under his hands, even under the thick fabric of her coat. “Are you okay, angel?” he murmured, cupping her head with one hand while the other arm held her close. She puffed a heavy sigh against his sternum. “I think, as a couple, we’re making forward positive progress,” she intoned primly into his throat. He arched a brow, looking down at her. “Is that so?” he asked, bemused. “Yeah,” she groaned. “That was hot.” He chuckled, leaning down, and nudged her head back. “Good,” he breathed, covering her lips in an openmouthed kiss. “Hot was the direction I was going for,” he murmured, kissing her slowly, one after the other. He could have kept that activity up all day, he knew. 99

J.J. Massa “Cold,” Tati shivered. “My feet are cold,” she explained, pulling back. “I guess we’d better go inside and warm them up, huh?” He worked valiantly to keep the disappointment out of his voice, though he wasn’t sure he was all that successful. “For the first kiss in a decade,” Tati soothed, turning with him toward the house, “I give that a nine.” “A nine?” he stopped in his tracks, just a few feet from the door. “Why a nine? You said it was hot!” She moved ahead of him, opening the door and giving him a teasing smile over her shoulder. “We have to have something to strive for next time…” She wrinkled her nose at him. “Wouldn’t want our relationship to get stale on us, would you?” He was about to grumble when her words registered. Next time! Oh yeah, she’s already thinking about next time… Relationship! She’d said relationship! Von fought an overwhelming tide of euphoria as he reached for her. With an impish grin, she ducked away, her laughter tinkling behind as she disappeared into the kitchen. Letting her go on, he stopped and leaned against the wall to regroup. There were no guarantees, he could accept that. But now, her words fresh in his ears, her kisses still soft on his lips, Von had hope in his heart, something that had 100

A Hunted Heart long been missing in his life.

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Chapter 12 Tati shifted the phone to her other ear, released an impatient huff and reached out, tapping the speaker button. She wasn’t rich but her husband was. She found she was rather enjoying the fruits of his ten years of labor now. Working in the public sector for so long, she’d become used to denying herself luxuries like speakerphones. “You still there, Tati?” Bill’s breathless voice came back on the line. “Yes, Bill, I’m here,” she smiled to herself. Bill was such a good man. She was so lucky to have him as a friend. The problem was that he got distracted so easily. “Sorry about that. I just wanted to see if the lab had anything on the samples we ran the other day. Oh!” She knew what that meant. He’d just remembered that he was angry with her. “Since you know perfectly well who your assailant is, I think it’s time to share.” She sighed, a long puff of air. “Yeah, okay Bill, you’re right. I guess it’s time to talk about it. But…” she didn’t want to go into too much detail. She was just beginning to feel better. As always, Bill anticipated her. “Just give me something on him, would you please? You know we’re going to have to get all the down and dirty details later, 102

A Hunted Heart don’t you?” She did. “Yes, I know.” “Good. I expect you’ve done some kind of investigation?” Bill’s voice was a little snide. He knew she had. Tatiana was the consummate professional. Of course she had. “It really is impeding an investigation not to give me what you’ve got. If it was anyone else, young lady…” Tati cut him off before he could get too wound up. “I have all my notes here on disk. They were in my safe, in the stuff that Von brought back.” “You’ll be sharing those with me, yes?” he growled, impatience in every syllable. “I could spank you, Tatiana Branigan, doggone it, I just…” his gusty sigh breathed irritation down the line and she felt bad. “He was right there with you, and I know you recognized him.” “I’m sorry, Bill, please believe me I am. But there was nothing you could do. If there was anything all these years that would shed one tiny crack of light on him, one little bit of evidence…but there just wasn’t. He’s clever, Bill. I couldn’t even believe it was him… It was almost like a really bad dream. Even afterward, I tried to prove or disprove that it was him. He left no tracks to follow—none.” She’d tried everything to find evidence against him. There was never any kind of trail to show that he’d ever 103

J.J. Massa been within twenty miles of her. Tati had pulled out all the stops while Von was busy with his boats or off with Dr. Morgan. He didn’t even file taxes in the United States. He had a social security number, but no record of income, and his only physical address was a house she knew he hadn’t lived in for decades. How was that possible? “Okay, okay, don’t go getting upset,” Bill grumbled. Her voice hadn’t even risen; she wasn’t upset. Bill often calmed her down when he was in danger of losing his cool. Tati smiled into the phone, but then shuddered when she thought about the man she was about to describe to Bill, the one whose name had become synonymous with everything bad that had ever happened to her. “No problem, Bill, I’ll keep it together. So let’s talk about my stalker, Rian Branigan, Von’s half brother.” “Half brother… Holy spit!” Bill choked. He was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath before continuing. “Good Lord, Tati! Half brother? Have you…? Does Von know? You gotta tell him, honey. You can’t keep something like that from a man! Well, shoot, I guess you can. This just…I can’t…” “Bill, I couldn’t tell him. Surely you get that? I mean, come on…and I did try. I swear that I did at first. But now…” She sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the last 104

A Hunted Heart ten years settle around her. “I know it’s going to devastate him, Bill. It hurts to think about. I love him—you know I love him. I never stopped.” Her voice broke and she cleared her throat, sitting up straight in the chair. “Look, can we just do this, please?” Bill cleared his throat and Tati could hear him shift around on his end of the line. Finally, he spoke. “Okay, vitals first. Branigan, Rian, that’s right?

Same last

name—spell the first name?” She knew Bill was taking notes. He’d add what she told him to all the files. He’d find a way to say that she suspected Rian of stalking and injuring her and then he’d support it. “Ralph,

India,

Alpha,

Nancy,”

she

spelled

phonetically. “Got it,” he snapped, fully on the job now. “Age, weight, height, address, what else?” “Thirty-two, straight dark hair, pock marked forehead, five feet, nine inches—maybe ten, one sixty maybe, and where he lives? Last address was Dayton, Ohio, but that’s no good anymore. And that was just a P.O. box. There’s no residential address for him besides this one. He’s a mutual fund broker, he does most of his work on the Internet, so he can work from anywhere. He had a post office box, but no fixed address for the last four years. 105

J.J. Massa There’s no record of him in bringing in income…his mail gets forwarded here.” Bill swore softly but she heard him and cleared her throat loudly. “Sorry, Tati,” he muttered. “It’s like trailing smoke. I guess he can be anywhere, anybody, just… hmmph!” “Yeah, Bill, I know,” she agreed softly. If she’d been able to get a single thing on him in the last decade, she would have. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried, after all. The fact was, he hadn’t been overt—far from it. If Rian was her stalker, and now she knew he was, he’d been so careful that nobody who even looked like him could be tied to the incidents. His attacks ranged from childish pranks to attempted murder, and there was absolutely no way to pinpoint what he was responsible for and what he wasn’t. “I’ll get back to you in a day or so, huh?” he mumbled, distracted. Tati knew that his mind had moved on and that he was working at the puzzle she’d presented him with. Chances were he barely even remembered that he was on the phone. “I’ll talk to you soon, Bill. I wish it could have been anyone else. I sort of suspected…but now that we know for sure it’s Rian Branigan, we can move forward on this before he does anything else. I don’t know how to tell Von 106

A Hunted Heart that it’s his brother, but…I’ll deal with it. Let me know what you come up with,” she added, hanging up without waiting for a response. Bill would be distracted now, anyway. They never stood on ceremony when it came to investigating a case. Replacing the receiver, Tati turned, a noise at the doorway grabbing her attention. ~ “My brother?” Von choked, moving into the room. “Von?” she began, scooting her chair back as she tried to calm him. “You’re telling me…or telling who? Bill? You’re saying that my little brother is the man who raped you…forced you?” He could barely speak, the words choking as he forced them past numb lips. On the one hand, it didn’t matter who Tati’s attacker was, there was no best person. On the other hand, though, it was his brother—his family, who had hurt his wife so badly. His own brother had torn Von’s marriage apart, injured his wife, and then reveled in it. “Oh, God,” he moaned, reaching for her. She hesitated, just barely but it was there, before she moved into his arms. Rian had done this—had put that hesitation there, and Von had been there, somewhat. “I remember so many things he said, he did, I saw him, and you.” Von 107

J.J. Massa wrapped his arms around her, needing her close. Tati moved with him, unresisting as he made his way to a large chair, pulling her down with him. She was shivering, but so was he. “I’m sorry, Von,” she whispered, and he moaned again. He knew that she was sorry he’d found out this way, that he was hurting. That was so wrong, but so right. It was just right for a woman who loved her husband. “I remember thinking…” he took a deep breath, needing to tell her what was going on in his mind, but determined to be unselfish if there was any way at all. “Angel, we’ve got to talk about this now,” he rasped, eyes fixed on her face. Would she? “Yes, of course, Von,” she agreed, one very slim hand reaching out, touching his cheek. “It’s past time that we talked about this.” With a sigh of relief, he nodded. “I remember when…well, you started acting funny, weird. You didn’t want me to touch you. You were too busy all the time. And then you said you thought Ri was being treated badly. Was that when it started?” “You were out of town,” Tati explained. “It was one of those SailFest events…and I didn’t realize he had a key to the house.” Seeing his guilt, she rushed on. “Von, I’m not sure it would have mattered if I’d known. It never occurred 108

A Hunted Heart to me that he would do anything like what he did. It wouldn’t have occurred to you either.” “What did he do, angel?” Von hated to ask, but he had to know. “I was in the downstairs shower, I’d just come in from the beach. I didn’t hear him at all, until he spoke in my ear. I was so shocked…he didn’t hit me, or well, anything too brutal then, except do what he wanted, because…” she was rambling now, her words much like Von’s disjointed thoughts. “It’s okay,” he mumbled into a kiss on her forehead. It didn’t really matter what he said, he figured, as long as she understood what he meant. “He took what he wanted, he forced himself in me, and I tried to push him away, but I couldn’t. And he had that…that stupid camcorder your uncle got him for his birthday. I don’t know why he had it, but he showed me the film. Well, I do know why,” she corrected herself. “He was getting pictures of the house, to sell it. Or to get you to sell it…or something,” she sighed. Her teeth were chattering along with his. He realized this might be the most emotionally charged scene they’d ever had to share throughout their entire marriage. “I’m sorry, angel,” he soothed, shifting so that both of them could be comfortable. “I think I was pretty numb at 109

J.J. Massa the time. So angry. I’d gotten these pictures in the mail, no return address. Shot after shot of you in the arms of some man, here in our house, somewhere else… And a note that said to go to the Ramada Inn and you’d be in the bar. And you were there; I could see you from the lobby. I remember when I saw the man’s back that he reminded me of someone, but was too upset to realize it was Rian.” He leaned back in the chair, eyes closed as he remembered, hands absently stroking Tati’s arms. “He threatened to hurt me, to hurt you, to come and burn the house down, to show you the awful pictures he managed while he had me in that wooden shower. I’m so glad you took that thing out.” Von expelled a deep breath explaining, “I had to get rid of it. It reminded me too much of you and how you loved to swim and all. And it showed up in those pictures.” “He’d put the camera in the wooden window well, where it could get plenty of light. I felt so dirty, Von, so helpless.” Her voice cracked with emotion as she shivered in his arms, her mind back in the past. “You were helpless, angel,” he murmured, trying to take and give comfort at the same time. “He was so crazy and I was so stupid. I believed all that stuff he threatened.” She cast a guilty glance at him and then away. “When he beat me for refusing to stay with 110

A Hunted Heart him at the Ramada, it kind of validated all the threats he’d made.” “When I walked up to you there, in the bar, where did he go?” Von asked. “I was nearly blind with rage—all I could see was you in some guy’s arms. When I went after him, he was…gone. Like smoke, just gone.” He remembered that day so clearly. He’d gotten the delivery of that envelope filled with pictures of his wife, naked in the arms of another man. He’d gone where the note sent him and had seen his wife, her dress clinging and makeup heavy, as she held onto the arm of a stranger in a public bar. When he approached her, it was all he could do not to turn violent. He wanted nothing more than to squeeze the life out of her. Instead, he’d told her to stay at the hotel, not to bother ever going back to the home they shared. “He was there in the bar—there was a kind of a hallway behind that plant. You were so mad when you saw us, yelling at me. He slipped away without ever turning to face you. I…Von, I tried to tell you who it was then, but you were…insensible.” She shrugged, her voice husky and thick. “He was so insanely angry later, when I wouldn’t get in the car with him. He had heard me the day before, trying to tell you what he was doing, and I just couldn’t get it out.” She took a deep shuddering breath, apparently 111

J.J. Massa gathering herself. “I was upset when you left and I went outside. I was trying to get myself together. It was so quiet behind the hotel, nobody was there. And then Rian came. He took me up to his room and yelled a lot. He wanted me to move in with him. When I refused, he hit me, forced himself on me, and hit me some more. I don’t know why he left me alone, but I think he really expected me to be there when he came back.” They were quiet for a little while, until finally Von asked, “Why didn’t you report him, Tati? Why didn’t you have him arrested?” Maybe he shouldn’t have asked, but he felt he had to. The man had terrorized her, it seemed. Surely she couldn’t just let that go. “I was so afraid, Von,” she whispered. “And I didn’t think anyone would believe me.” Her eyes, already misty, began to drip warm tears. “I tried to tell you what was going on, and you didn’t believe me. Why would a stranger believe me if you didn’t? Besides, I just wanted to die, to go away and die.” She cried quietly for a moment, and Von knew that his own tears mixed with hers. He took a deep breath. “I know that’s not unusual. The books I’ve read, Dr. Morton…” he explained. She nodded, but didn’t answer. “So you think the guy in your apartment was Rian, then?” he asked after an even longer silence. Tati shifted on his lap and looked up at him, wiping 112

A Hunted Heart the tears from her cheeks with her shoulder. “Yeah, I pretty well know it is. It was him in the hallway the night before,” she admitted. “Why didn’t you tell Bill or anyone before now, angel?” he wondered, still baffled by that. “I knew when I heard his voice, when he said the things he did, that it was him. I just wanted to prove it. I,” she sighed heavily again. “I just can’t get past the whole ‘nobody will believe me’ thing. And I’ve tried to prove it…or disprove it. He’s good at being a stalker, Von.” “I remember as a kid…he was so fixed and a little scary when he was hunting. I doubt they could have caught him, if he’s been at this for so long. You never suspected him before?” he asked, trying not to upset her, but curious, nonetheless. “I did suspect, now and then. I’ve tried to pin him down. And he wasn’t—or whomever it was—wasn’t constantly bothering me. Just enough to be a problem. Once or twice, it was particularly bad, and obviously aimed at me,” she looked away, clearly fighting an upsetting memory. “Anyway, I could never put him in the right place at the right time, you know? And people in law enforcement, especially who have had some level of success, are often targeted by copycats, or people they’ve put away, relatives of criminals, all sorts of things like 113

J.J. Massa that. Professor Vinton had a few enemies, too, that tried to target me, so that muddied the waters a bit.” When Tati yawned hugely, Von realized how emotionally exhausted he was, and how wiped out she must be. “Let’s go take a nap,” he mumbled, standing with her in his arms. The afghan slipped off of them and became a heavy, crocheted puddle at his feet. “We’ll talk about this some more when we’ve had a chance to rest a bit, okay?” He stepped over the afghan, wondering what Mrs. Smith would make of it, there on the floor. “She’ll just grumble and pick it up,” Tati murmured, yawning again. “When did you start reading my mind, angel?” he chuckled, glad to be heading up the stairs. “Yesterday, right after lunch,” she mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder, eyes closed. Shaking his head, he laid her gently on top of the comforter, climbing into the big bed beside her. He had no intention of bothering with the pillow-border just now. Somehow, he didn’t think Tati would mind. They’d cross that bridge when the two of them woke up. He pulled her into his arms and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost at once. 114

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Chapter 13 Mornings were fast becoming Tati’s favorite time of day since waking up wrapped in Von’s arms had become the rule instead of the exception. For some reason, she wasn’t as jumpy when she opened her eyes to yards of bronzed skin and sleek, slightly furred muscles. Tati inhaled deeply, smiling to herself, fighting the urge to press her face against Von’s chest and just roll around. “What are you smiling about?” he whispered, brown eyes twinkling although he was being so careful not to surprise her. She felt her face heat up but couldn’t look away. He was such a handsome man, and especially so when slightly mussed. She’d always thought that. “I had a really great dream,” she mumbled, looking up at him through her lashes. “Is that so?” he rumbled, looking down at her. His eyes were so warm, so inviting, brown satin wrapping around her. “Yeah,” she agreed, not really sure what she was saying, caught. “I think I’m dreaming now,” he murmured, his husky voice stroking over her. “Waking up next to you is a dream come true, angel.” Feelings she couldn’t name rushed through her, 116

A Hunted Heart shocking her. “Von…” she began nervously. She wanted him—a little, anyway, and she was afraid. Von leaned down very slowly, his lips skating over her skin. “Don’t worry, angel,” he murmured, his deep tones soothing her. One butterfly kiss across her brow and then his smooth lips trailed down her cheek toward her lips. Mesmerized, Tati watched, felt, was completely enthralled as he stroked her face with his lips, his large, strong hands resting lightly on her arms. He wasn’t holding her in place, just touching her, letting her know that he was there. “I don’t know…” she sighed, trying to warn him, but not to stop him. “I just want to kiss you, angel. Be with you, share a little.” She opened her mouth to speak, instead licking her lips. Somehow, her hand found its way to his face and his lips covered hers, caressing, lightly tasting, smooth and soft over hers. He didn’t demand, didn’t take, just kissed her. Tati opened her mouth, letting his tongue sweep gently in, dipping, tickling her palate, drifting, sampling. Almost as one, they pulled back from each other. Tati felt confused, but warm, loved, so full that the tears prickled at the back of her throat. 117

J.J. Massa “Shh,” he murmured, gathering her against his chest. “One little step at a time,” he whispered huskily. “It’s…” she sniffed against him. “I want, but I’m afraid…” she trailed off. “I can’t control it.” “It’ll take time, and we have that, angel. Just be with me, okay?” She expelled a heavy breath, wiping the hint of tears away from her lashes. “Okay, I can do that,” she smiled weakly. “One little bit at a time.” ~ The airport was nearly deserted this time of day, comparatively speaking anyway. Rian made his way through customs as usual, not worrying in the least about any records of him entering the country. He had nothing to hide, and no matter what he chose to do with his time, nobody would look too closely at him. Another international traveler, another international airport, unremarkable in the extreme. In many ways, he favored his older brother; certainly their coloring was the same. Rian wasn’t as muscular as Von, not as tall… Whatever the differences, Rian had always come out second best. Now, though, he was happy to be second. The disparity in their looks meant that he wasn’t as memorable as Von. Rian knew that those lives he touched, 118

A Hunted Heart truly touched, made him twice as memorable as his brother. Picking up his rental car was as easy as combing his hair, no problem. “Thank you for all your help,” he smiled politely at the bored young woman behind the counter. “You say there’s a map in the glove compartment?” “Yes, sir,” she agreed, glancing up briefly. “There’s a manual in there, too,” she shrugged. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the woman had popped her gum while speaking. Not to worry, though, not being memorable suited his needs perfectly right now.

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Chapter 14 Von ran his hand over the smooth, nine-foot beam of the thirty-two foot sailboat he was currently working on. All the parts were hand laid, balsa and foam cored, carefully fitted for lightweight and strength. He’d added Kevlar to the hull for additional strength. Stepping back, he squinted, imagining this boat skimming the waves. It was too cold to sail now, but by the time spring calmed the sea and the ocean air lost its bitter sting, this craft could be finished. He didn’t have an order now. He’d sent his last creation out weeks ago. This boat was his. He’d lovingly, painstakingly molded, fitted, shaped it, no clear idea that he would keep it, but knowing inside that it was personal. This one was for him, and he now realized, if he was very lucky Tati would enjoy it with him. As he turned away from the boat, a glint across the water caught his eye. He’d spent countless hours right where he stood and knew this area of the sound very well. There was no building that had glass to shine. Either someone with binoculars or a magnifying glass or something else shiny and reflective was lying in the cold sand almost directly across the sound or…well, or nothing. That was just about the only possibility. 120

A Hunted Heart A few long strides took him to the wall-mounted phone. “Sheriff Whitaker? Hey, Von Branigan here. Oh, well thank you,” he responded to the Sheriff’s congratulations about Tatiana’s return. “Sheriff, it’s not something we really want going around right now,” he began to explain. “Von, I know this is a small town,” Whitaker rumbled, “but we’re a full service law enforcement agency here. I’m well aware that Mrs. Branigan is home recuperating from a recent attack. Detective Lester was kind enough to give me a call.” He sounded a little reproachful in Von’s opinion. “Good, sheriff, good,” Von pretended that he’d personally meant to call all along. The sheriff wasn’t fooled but Von was too prominent a taxpayer to call his bluff. “Listen,” Von went on, “Across the sound from my property, there’s something, I don’t know what, but I think somebody is over there in the dunes. Maybe it’s nothing but my wife has had some trouble, as you know. I’d appreciate it if you’d check it out.” He hadn’t clearly thought of Rian when he picked up the phone to call, but now that he’d said it out loud, he was sure his brother had been in the back of his mind. “I’ll get a man over there right now.” The sheriff snapped to attention, reminding Von of when Tati and Bill had been speaking on the phone at her apartment. 121

J.J. Massa He, too, was in a bigger hurry now to get off the phone. “Thank you, Sheriff Whittaker. Thanks. I’ve had my security system evaluated and improved, thought it was pretty state of the art to begin with. I’d appreciate you helping me keep an eye on things.” Without officially signing off, Von hung up the phone, turning on his heel to head inside. Irrational? Maybe, but he wanted to be near his wife right now. Every day with her was getting better. Something was happening with them, he knew it. Their talk the other day, knowing what really had happened, all of that helped. His first impulse had been guilt, because she’d tried to tell him and because Rian was his brother. Long talks with Tati and with Dr. Morgan had helped him somewhat to assign blame where it belonged. Rian had problems, he had done bad things—he was at fault. And right, wrong, good or bad, Tati hadn’t made it clear to anyone what was taking place. He hadn’t known and had acted in a very human way. It had been easy over the past week or so to forget that Rian was a very real threat. Von sighed and turned back toward the house. He wouldn’t forget again.

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Chapter 15 Binoculars focused on his brother who stood in the doorway of his overlarge boathouse, Rian Branigan swore under his breath. He’d been sloppy. Very sloppy. He rolled over onto his back. He’d been spotted. Maybe nobody knew it was him, but his presence was known. He slammed his binoculars into his bag. Von had moved to the side of the boathouse. He was going to the phone. Rian didn’t know how long before that two-bit sheriff got someone over here or if he’d come himself. It didn’t matter. He had to get out right now. The damned house was like a fortress, the grounds, too. Von didn’t even bother to have someone on the gate. The whole system was electronic. What little Rian knew about the set up he’d learned from Von himself one weekend during an awkward impromptu visit. He’d thought he’d pop in and remind Von that he didn’t have Tatiana anymore, just by showing up. Well, that mission had been accomplished, sure. But he’d tried to come in unannounced and found that it alerted the house. Another time he’d tried to get in without triggering the gate and had brought the sheriff down on him. Von had grudgingly vouched for him but he obviously 123

J.J. Massa hadn’t really cared one way or another. Any time Rian had tried to discuss Tatiana with Von, he met with cold silence as if he hadn’t even spoken. In reality, he wasn’t welcomed back at the family home over the last decade, he just hadn’t been turned away. Now, of course, things had changed. No, he wouldn’t be turned away. He’d be escorted to a nice, chilly jail cell. It was possible that he could disprove anything Tatiana said about him, but there would be doubt. Tatiana’s word carried a little weight now. She had grown, changed, gained credibility. Rian could lose everything if he was caught now. He had no intention of doing that. None. He had a job to finish. Rian crouched low, making his way to his marble green colored day skiff. He slid into it and pushed off with the paddle. The water was a little rough for sailing. It was cold out. The sound was choppy. Still, he unfurled a small sail, hugging the coast. By the time the law found where he’d been dug in, he’d be long gone. His little boat was painted in such a way that it mostly blended in with the water. Rian wasn’t a sport sailor; it wasn’t fun for him. He preferred to have both feet firmly on stable soil. But for watching his brother and quick getaways, a small boat like this one was necessary. He needed the little sail for speed. A motor could be heard. 124

A Hunted Heart And he’d have to buy gas for it, oil. No, this was portable and fast. He knew better than to try to enter Von’s property, family property it was really, but he knew better than to show up from the shore. Von had motion sensors everywhere. Hard to believe but there was a lot of espionage when it came to building and preparing boats for sailing races. Those rich bastards were paranoid. Rian wasn’t worried as he pulled his tiny craft up to a deserted sandbar miles from his brother’s estate. No he wasn’t worried. He was a tactical genius. And he wasn’t done with his precious Tatiana. Not at all. He had a backup plan. It was a plan that he doubted the local police would appreciate, but it would get Tati’s attention. He wouldn’t sign his name, wouldn’t make it obvious that he was their newest murderer. Still, even continental drift gets there eventually, right? He’d kill a few losers in such a way that even that big dumb detective friend of Tatiana’s would have to notice some kind of pattern. He’d wreaked his share of havoc on Tati and in her life, though in the last several years she didn’t know he was the guilty party. She would now, though. There would be no doubt. 125

J.J. Massa ~ “What’s wrong?” Tati knew the minute Von came through the door that something was bothering him. She’d been back in the home they’d shared for two weeks but some things were natural. She had always been able to read his moods as easily as her own. “Nothing, angel, everything’s fine,” he offered a flimsy smile, turning away quickly. “Von Branigan,” she snapped. “Lying to me is no way to make me trust you. I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but I’m trained to spot a lie. Not that I’d need to go to school to see through that look on your face.” With a groan he pivoted back toward her. He’d entered through the kitchen, very likely expecting a quiet word with Mrs. Smith. While that annoyed Tati, she understood it. She knew that she’d grown and changed over the years but Von still saw her as someone to care for. He remembered her young and since then had only seen her ill and in a weakened state. If the truth were told, she didn’t entirely hate that he wanted to take care of her. Right now, though, she couldn’t let him know that. He stared hard at her for several long seconds, possibly gauging her mood. Finally he slumped against the counter, shaking his head ruefully. “I’m doing it again, huh?” His chin dropped to his 126

A Hunted Heart chest making him look like a guilty little boy. “I’m treating you like an innocent teenager instead of the law enforcement professional you’ve become. You’ve just—you’re just so different,” he trailed off. “I grew up, Von. It was going to happen, one way or another.” She shook her head, trying to contain her impatience as well as hide any amusement she was struggling with. Yes, he was handsome, manly, forceful, but he was adorable, too, when he was feeling chastened. “I know, angel, I know,” he snorted at himself. “Okay, I was looking out over the sound, thinking about someday taking the Tatiana out.” He smiled guiltily at her arched brow. “Anyway, there was a glint, a reflection of glass from the other side of the sound. I called the sheriff.” “You couldn’t make out any form?” she was instantly focused now. “No,” he shook his head from side to side. “That’s an area made up of just sand and dunes, right?” She moved out of the kitchen, toward a window that overlooked the sound. “Yeah.” He nodded, saying nothing else. “This is about the same view, isn’t it?” She turned and looked over her shoulder at him. “Show me about where you think you saw the reflection.” She knew she sounded “official”, like she was ordering him around, but she 127

J.J. Massa couldn’t help it. She’d built up her own habits over the years. He came up behind her and she tensed, trying not to start and freeze up. She’d gotten much better at that. She no longer jumped out of her skin every time he got close to her. In return, he took his time, never grabbing her or forgetting himself and taking her by surprise. Settling one big hand on her shoulder, he stood beside her, pointing. “See? Straight ahead, over there. Oh, look, there’s the sheriff’s deputy now.” “We’ll know pretty soon if he found anything,” Tati murmured, knowing that he wouldn’t. It probably had been Rian. The only reason that Von had seen anything at all was because Rian didn’t think he was all that smart. There had to be a way to use that, she mused. There had to be a way. The phone rang. “Branigan,” Von answered, sounding stern. He was quiet a minute. “What else?” A pause. “But you’re not sure?” Von scowled into the middle distance, his grip tightening on the phone. “All right, sheriff. Thanks.” He hung up the phone with an aggravated click. “What’d he say?” Tati asked, barely restraining herself from tapping a foot. Her problem right now wasn’t what Rian thought of Von, but how Von perceived her. “Oh!” Von looked guilty again. “I just forget to tell 128

A Hunted Heart you things, don’t I? I never did treat you like an equal partner, did I, angel?” He reached out and touched her cheek with two fingers. “You were so young…” he sighed, shifting sadly. “Von, that was another lifetime. We’re two different people now. What did the sheriff say?” she asked, her tone patient, encouraging. “He said there were impressions in the sand. Some were behind the larger dune and some sliding into the water just a little east of that. The impressions could be anything but those in the wet sand were definitely a small skiff or something with a keel. Thing is, even though there was somebody there, it could’ve been anybody, for any reason.” She nodded. It could’ve been anybody. She knew inside that it was Rian, but it could’ve been anybody.

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Chapter 16 Von made a little noise in the doorway, pausing until he was sure that Tati had heard him. She looked up, catching his eye in the mirror. “You look beautiful,” he murmured, walking up behind her and cupping her shoulders. She smiled, her delicate lips turning up at the corners. “Thank you, Von. It’s nice to be going out. It’s been too long since we’ve had fun.” She blushed. Von stepped back, holding an arm out. Tati stood and slid her fingers into the crook of his elbow. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead and turned, leading her out of the room. She looked so lovely tonight and so welcoming. He worked to keep his contact light as he helped her into the car. Moving around the other side, he slid behind the wheel. “Can you believe it?” he smiled, signaling before they turned onto the main road. She shook her head slightly in confusion. “Believe what?” she asked. “It’s been a decade since we’ve been out on a date,” he glanced at her and then back to the road. “Von,” her smoky voice tugged at him, exciting him in 130

A Hunted Heart a way that nothing had for so long. “We never really dated. This is actually our first real date.” Von started in shock. She was right. He’d never really asked her out. They’d come together and stayed together in the clinging and urgent way of youth, Tatiana and Von against the world. They’d made love, married, and set up housekeeping, but dating was something they simply hadn’t done. Casting a guilty look at Tati, he thought about that a minute or two. It had been his introverted nature that had kept them isolated and had denied them a normal courtship. The silky soft feel of her hand covering his distracted Von from his internal criticism. “Von, stop,” Tati ordered quietly, her husky voice soothing him. “We’re here now.” He looked over at her as he parked the car, turning his hand to weave their fingers together. “We are at that, aren’t we? Both literally and metaphorically, huh?” She grinned. “Let’s focus on the literal right now. I’m starving for some seafood.” “Wait right there,” he instructed her, sliding out from behind the wheel and hurrying around the car to open her door. “Let’s go, angel.” Opening the passenger door, Von helped her out of the car and led her to the restaurant’s entrance. “We’ve missed a lot of things, haven’t we?” he 131

J.J. Massa asked, his hand on her back as he escorted her inside. Neither spoke until the maitre'd had seated them, leaving them silent and a little awkward. During the interim, Tati had apparently been considering Von’s question-statement. “I don’t know where we’re going, Von, and I really don’t look back too much at where we’ve been.” She shrugged, an apologetic look on her face. “I do visit happy memories, of course I do, but a lot of them are…tainted, for want of a better way to put that.” “I know what you mean,” he admitted, fingering the leather menu. “I’ve more or less ignored the year and a half of our marriage, even the time before it—sulking, I guess.” He grinned sheepishly. “Would you like a wine list, sir?” a young sounding male voice interrupted. Von startled and Tati closed her mouth on whatever it was she was about to say. He accepted the list, consulting with the wine-steward as he glanced at her across the table. Her dark hair flowed like living silk, feathering about her face, framing her elegant features. The soft glow of the candlelight only served to accent her delicate cheekbones and chin, the gray of her eyes looking somewhat ethereal in the flickering yellow circlet. Alone again, Von reached over and took her hand, 132

A Hunted Heart toying with her fingers. “I’m sorry, angel…” he began. She narrowed her eyes at him. “You will be, if you keep wallowing over there. This is the first time I’ve been out with a guy…ever. So…” She arched a shapely brow at him. “…either you show me a good time or it’s our last date, buddy.” Von laughed out loud. What the hell was wrong with him? He had a beautiful, intelligent woman in his life and for the most part, in his bed, and right now, sitting across the table from him. “I’d say I’d better order the most expensive stuff on this menu and maybe even speak French when I do it, huh?” he asked, grinning like a fool. “If you do,” she giggled, “we’ll probably be escorted out of here, or at least go hungry. This is an Italian restaurant, after all.” ~ Rian sat at the bar, half hidden in the shadows. “Another scotch,” he called low to the bartender. “And I’ll have an order of crab rolls.” He decided that he might as well be comfortable since it looked like he’d be there for a few hours. Swirling the amber liquid around the short glass, Rian continued to watch Von and Tatiana. The burn grew in the back of his mind, anger building. 133

J.J. Massa He fought it back as he considered the happy couple smiling at each other. Billing and cooing like a couple of doves, how it made his stomach churn. Rian hoped they enjoyed this quiet time, secure in the knowledge that it would end in the near future. He would orchestrate the next step very soon. After all, the more time spent together, the more each of them would suffer when it ended.

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Chapter 17 Bill Lester shook his head. He was stumped. No two ways about it. He was stumped. They’d tried everything. Absolutely everything. It was time to call Tati. Nobody could out a killer quite like she could. And this killer wanted something. These murders appeared random. But there was something—something he just couldn’t put his finger on. They were too random to be random. The fourth largest city in the United States and right on the New York city line bordering the Riverdale, Woodlawn, and Wakefield sections of the Bronx, Yonkers was not known as a high crime area. In fact, Yonkers could boast the lowest crime rate of any city of its size in the United States. While violent crime wasn’t unheard of in Yonkers, murder was murder and the victims deserved whatever justice could be found for them. Or for their families at the very least. The pictures spread across his desk would look scattered to the casual onlooker. They weren’t. There was an order to them that only Bill, Jim, and Tatiana would spot. “Don’t know what the heck is going on, Bill, but I think it’s time,” Detective Jim Leeds said from behind Bill. 135

J.J. Massa Bill released a heavy sigh. “Yeah, Jim. I just—I want her to be safe and well and outta this, but I just have this gut feeling.” “These pictures mean something. These bodies, these people, we can’t wait for another one. And I really think there’s going to be another one soon if we don’t call her,” Jim muttered. “Yeah,” Bill agreed, exhaling gustily. “Yeah.” He lifted his digital camera and took several pictures of the layout on his desk. In minutes, he’d uploaded the images to his computer and emailed them out. Dialing a number from a card in the corner of his desk, he waited, receiver pressed to his ear. Jim flipped open a case folder, thumbing through some loose pages while they waited. “Branigan residence,” answered a sharp, slightly accented woman’s voice. Bill gave himself a shake. He was so used to calling Tati and reaching her right away. If her cell phone had survived the header over the railing the last time she’d been attacked, he had no doubt he’d be talking to her already. The fact that he couldn’t seem to commit her husband’s phone number to memory bothered him somewhat. “Hi. Mrs. Smith?” He remembered that much anyway, and well, he should. He’d talked to the poor beleaguered 136

A Hunted Heart woman about four times a week in the last three weeks that Tati had been there. “Ahh, Detective Lester,” her sharp tone identified him. “So good it is to hear from you after such a long time.” Was the crusty old bird teasing with him? Bill barked out a laugh. “I know Mrs. Smith, I know. I’ve been terribly remiss. It’s been all of two days this time, hasn’t it?” He shook his head, laughing at himself, forgetting the terrible nature of his purpose in calling for just a few minutes. If for no other reason, he felt affection toward the usually dry and forbidding housekeeper today. He slid a hand over the receiver, “Mrs. Smith’s teasing me,” he whispered to Jim. The other man smiled wryly, arching a mocking brow at him. “Mrs. Branigan is, of course, at your service. One moment, if you please.” Before he could say another word, he found himself on hold, waiting. “Tati must be feeling a lot better for Mrs. Smith to be in such a playful mood,” he murmured to Jim. “Good thing,” Jim nodded. “She’s had it tough. I was worried. Lena asks me every single day, even if she does call her every second day,” Jim chuckled. Bill nodded his agreement. “Yeah, she’s had a bad time. She’s due a break,” he agreed in a low voice. “Same thing with Georgette, she calls all the time, too. So what 137

J.J. Massa do you think…?” “Bill!” Tati sounded great. Really great! How he hated to take that away. “Tati,” he began. “What is it, Bill?” she asked, her voice going from enthusiastic friend to serious crime specialist in a second. “Are you at your desk? I just emailed you some crime scene photos.” There was no sense beating around the bush. “Booting up now,” she replied. “Hope springs eternal, but old habits die hard.” “Huh?” He had no idea what she was talking about. “I always love hearing from you, Bill,” her voice was soft, kind. “I always hope you call for the fun of it, but I expect it’s business. I always go to my desk when you call. Always have.” “Huh!” he replied, at a loss for words now. “I’m there now, hang on,” she instructed, so he waited. The seconds stretched into minutes and he began to feel uneasy. He threw a few covert glances at Jim, who simply shrugged. Finally, “These timestamps correct?” she clipped out. “Um, yeah, so?” “The first victim, this young black woman, killed Sunday morning wearing a choir robe?” She seemed to be 138

A Hunted Heart expecting him to glom onto something. Whatever it was, he wasn’t getting it. “Yeah, she was running late. Her uncle told us that she usually carried it and put it on in the dressing room behind the sanctuary, but she was so far behind that morning that she put it on when she left the house. He dropped her off and went to park the car,” Bill explained, still not getting it, still waiting. “And she never made it to the church?” Tati prodded. “That’s right. It was really amazing. She was actually abducted in front of her own church. And nobody saw a single thing. It’s just unbelievable. Horrible. No blood, either. The scene was clean as, well as a church.” “Mmm,” Tati agreed. “Bill, close your eyes and then look at her picture. Just close ‘em and then look at her. Say the first thing that pops into your mind.” Bill looked over at Jim. “She wants us to close our eyes then look at the first picture. Say what we think when we open ‘em,” he filled Jim in. Jim shrugged and obediently closed his eyes. Bill closed his as well. “One, two, three…” both men counted together. “Angel, she looks like a little angel,” Jim breathed. He’d obviously opened his eyes when Bill had. “Yeah… She’s got that pretty light blue satin type 139

J.J. Massa robe and—it even, Tati, it looks like she’s been posed. Why didn’t we see that?” Bill could have kicked himself. It was so obvious now. “You’ve been knee deep in this, Bill. I’ve followed a little of it on the news. I’d heard bits and pieces of this story. This is quite a big deal for Yonkers. And the other murder,” she paused, sighed, “murders,” she corrected herself. “You must be pretty overwhelmed. I’m sure the mayor’s office is all over you to solve this and quick.” Her voice, as always, was calm and soft. But Bill had worked side by side with Tatiana for years. He knew there was more. Jim looked hard at him, coming around the desk, getting closer. Bill turned the volume up on the telephone and held it out so they could both listen. “What aren’t you saying Tati? I mean yeah, this is a big deal, but what’s going through your head right now?” He had a loud voice anyway. He didn’t have to have his lips right on the mouthpiece. “Obviously, Bill, this is the first time I’ve seen the crime scene photos. And here I’m seeing them all at once. I’m getting a pretty comprehensive picture here. The second victim, he was a firefighter?” she forced Bill back on task, her quiet voice firm now with authority. It never occurred to Bill to object. “Yeah, he was. You knew him, Tati,” Jim spoke up 140

A Hunted Heart now, moving closer to the telephone receiver that Bill held out. “In fact, I think you both received awards the same night, the night you were attacked. Michael Fasdazio.” “Yeah, that’s been pretty big news all over, as well, Jim, yeah. Now this timestamp on this picture says fourteen-twenty-six, right? But what time was he actually killed? Do you have an approximate time of death?” Tati was like a dog with a bone. And Bill knew she was onto something. “We have what amounts to an exact time of death I think, Tati,” Bill told her. “His watch was stopped at noon on the button. Of course, that’s not common knowledge. The ME agrees—it had to be about twelve when he died.” “Mm,” she hummed again. She was onto something all right. “This third victim, Bill?” her husky voice was nearly a croak now. “Yeah?” It was hovering; the answer was just beyond his reach. “What was his occupation?” she rasped, seeming to force the words out. “Well,” Bill scratched his head, feeling like he was missing something very important. “Oh, no!” groaned Jim. “Bread,” he blurted. “He. Delivered. Bread,” he said, almost fatalistically. Bill stared at Jim, confused, just not getting it. And 141

J.J. Massa then the penny dropped. “Angel in the Morning. Hero at High Noon.” “Afternoon Delivery,” Tati and Jim finished together.

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Chapter 18 “There’s no doubt about it, Tati.” Von heard Bill boom out as if he were at the bottom of a barrel. “It’s personal, has to be.” “Well yes, Bill, I’d say it’s pretty much a personal note from him to me.” Von heard her chair roll back on the plastic pad he’d gotten for it. “He’s calling me out.” “You can’t come, Tatiana, you’ll be a sitting duck,” Jim’s normally smooth tenor was high pitched and querulous now. Von had already pegged him as the more cautious, almost prissy one among them. He’d never say that out loud, of course. “Jim,” that was his angel’s calm, soft, reasonable voice. “If I don’t go, then what?” “But if you do come, Tati? What then?” She sighed again. A deep, gusty, full expulsion of air that said more about how she felt than any words could. Still, she answered him. “Maybe he won’t kill a teacher or instructor or professor or whatever. Maybe someone else will be spared.” “But maybe you won’t. Tati, we need to talk about this. Really think this through.” Bill had joined the conversation now. 143

J.J. Massa Von had to agree with Bill and stepped into the room. Tati had her face resting in her hands, eyes closed. He glanced at the computer monitor as he approached, gasping at the grizzly scenes on display. Tatiana’s head jerked up and their eyes locked. “I agree, Bill,” Von spoke up. “I think we need to talk this over.” She looked hard at him, squeezing her eyes closed for a moment and opening them again. He could almost hear the words she wasn’t saying. He’d forfeited his right to join in this conversation ten years ago. It was practically his fault that she was in this predicament. She might be his wife but he had been no kind of husband to her. “Von,” she sighed. “Stop it.” He frowned. “Yes,” she went on, “I am going to do what I think is best, but I can see the self-blame on your face. All of that is pointless. Right now, you need to realize what’s going on before you can make some kind of rational contribution to this discussion.” He nodded. Of course she was right. Maybe he was, too, but her reasoning was by far more mature than his was—to a point. “Okay, angel. Tell me what’s going on.” She stood to lean against the desk and he moved in closer. Cautiously closer, so he didn’t startle her. She gave 144

A Hunted Heart him a half smile before turning to indicate the computer monitor. With one elegant finger, she tapped the screen, drawing his attention to a sweet looking young lady dressed in a shiny blue gown. She could have been asleep, or posing for that picture, she seemed so serene. “Angel in the Morning,” Tatiana said. One hand moved to the keyboard where she held down the ALT key and pressed the TAB button. When she lifted her hand, another picture filled the screen. This one was not nearly as serene. He couldn’t look at the man’s face. It was clear he’d died a violent death. “Hero at High Noon,” she said. His gaze skittered over the gruesome tableau and back to lock on hers. Head angled of its own accord, Von didn’t like the sound of what he was hearing. But what other conclusion could he draw? “My brother?” he shook his head in negation. She held the ALT key, pressing TAB again. He sucked in his breath. The third picture was almost stark and all the more horrifying for it. A man of uncertain heritage, possibly in his thirties, brown hair slicked back, sat on the pavement, his back resting against a shiny red automobile. The look on his face was one of disappointment, confusion even, but not 145

J.J. Massa surprise. In the center of his forehead, a dark trail of blood led away from a small, perfect hole. “Afternoon Delivery,” she said with a nod toward the screen. Whether she was agreeing that, yes, it was Rian, or just gesturing toward the computer monitor, Von wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter. “Angel, he’s killing people now?” he began, incredulous. “He’s killed three people now!” He had to get his mind around this somehow. “Branigan,” that was Bill, finally speaking up. “He’s calling her out. We’re stuck.” “If she comes, he’ll know and he’ll go after her,” Jim worried aloud. “But…” Von looked into the intelligent gray eyes of the one woman he would always love. “If she doesn’t come, he’ll know and he’ll kill somebody else.” He took a deep breath. “He’ll keep right on doing it, won’t he?” he asked Tatiana. “For as long as it takes. It’s a game to him. He’s really playing against you, Von. But I’m the—I don’t know,” she huffed. He did though; Von knew. “You’re the queen. This is an elaborate chess match and the queen decides if you win or lose.” “That’s it I guess,” she agreed. “Call it what you will, 146

A Hunted Heart he’ll keep taking what he considers pawns until there are only a few pieces left. He doesn’t really have a sense of remorse. This is his world and we’re all just living in it.” “He’s always seen himself as so smart. So elite. He just hated how easily he thought things came to me. I was such an inferior specimen compared to him.” Von shook his head. He’d seen it for years. He’d tolerated it, too. He wasn’t the only one. Didn’t everyone have a pompous relative? Everyone had a drunken uncle, everyone had a crazy old aunt, and everyone had a self-important, pretentious, conceited cousin or brother or something. But h i s portentous kin was a psychotic murderer who wanted to kill his wife.

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Chapter 19 “Von,” Tatiana rolled her eyes at him. “I’ve slept alone for ten years. I’m much better now.” It was an argument they’d had off and on. She probably shouldn’t have initiated it tonight on the heels of his having to face the enormity of his brother’s madness. Regardless, it was true. She was able to breathe without support and she had been alone for a number of years. They were becoming closer and closer, kissing a little more, a little longer, holding hands, sometimes holding each other. It was obvious that their relationship was changing, getting stronger. However, they’d come so far and no farther. Tati wasn’t sure if she was ready for more. It seemed important that she establish that, one way or another. Von sank down onto his side of the divided bed. “Angel, let me stay, please?” He turned to look into her eyes. Those dark brown pools of intensity mesmerized her every single time. “You don’t have to remind me how well you can do without me. I know that.” She felt a spear of pain in her heart and steeled herself against it. She wouldn’t feel guilty for the truth. She wouldn’t regret hurting him when it was life, the facts of her life anyway. And if they hurt him, so be it, right? 148

A Hunted Heart “Maybe,” he paused and started over. “Maybe I need to be near you. You’re a grown woman, fully capable of getting up and going off wherever you want to go. Without me. And you know what?” He looked at her a moment. “I am honestly trying to start over. To see you as someone brand new.” He flopped back onto the bed. “I loved you before, loved you like a goddess or something. It wasn’t realistic. Then, for ten years, I hated you and loved you at the same time. It was impossible. It was painful. It was poisonous. Now, here you are, the real you. All grown up and so different from everything I knew. But at the same time, there she is, that girl who was my best friend.” He rose and walked around the bed, coming to kneel in front of her. Carefully, slowly, he placed both hands on her flannel-covered knees. Tati’s eyes filled with tears. Why was she being so bitchy? “I don’t have much in my life anymore, angel. I build boats and I have two friends. One is Mrs. Smith and I don’t know how she could stand to look at me for the last decade. The other is you. Nothing else really matters. I feel like a toddler learning to walk again. I accept that we may never live as man and wife again. I do,” he responded to her dubious look. “I accept that. I’m not trying to redeem myself. All I want is to be beside you while we, and I do mean we, see this thing through to the end. Friends. Real 149

J.J. Massa friends, angel. A couple.” He looked at her face, into her eyes, waiting. Not pushing. Just waiting. “Okay then, friends, Von,” she began, her voice cracking. “A couple.” He nodded once, still waiting. He’d listen to her and take what she gave. It took a strong man to admit that he had nothing. Von Branigan had always been a strong man. He hadn’t always used the intelligence he’d been gifted with, though it had never been weakness that had kept him from it. She knew he could be a good man. Could he be good for her, though? And did it matter? Her hand came up to cup his face. “This thing with Rian, you have to trust me. I’m not ‘the little woman’ when it comes to this.” “I know, angel. I’m slow, but I did finally figure a few things out. You’re an amazing woman. Let’s settle this thing with Rian and see what there is on the other side, okay?” He smiled a ghost of a smile. “Be my security blanket for tonight?” She arched a brow at him. Finally, she smiled back. “Be sure you stay on your own side, sir,” she mock growled, turning away and sliding under the covers. “Aww, who am I trying to kid?” she murmured, burying her smile in the pillow as his deep chuckle shook the bed. It was Tati and not Von that ended up on the wrong 150

A Hunted Heart side of the pillow barrier every morning. That was part of why she wanted her own space. It was wildly disconcerting for her to wake up most mornings, cuddled on some part of him, usually his chest, and gazing into those sparkling brown eyes. ~ They lay there quietly for a while but Von knew she was no closer to sleep than he was. They’d dozed a little, but now they were both wide awake. Tati shifted this way and turned that. He, conversely, lay unusually still, wide awake and thinking. “How do you intend to handle this?” he finally asked. She rolled toward him in the dark. “Medium,” she said, confusing him completely. “Ah—I don’t get it,” he answered, turning toward her, supporting his head on a palm, propped on one elbow, looking down through the half-light into her face. “If I return to Yonkers with a lot of fanfare, it’ll be obvious. If I go too quietly, sneak in, he’ll punish me by killing someone else,” she explained. Her voice shook a little and he understood that she felt responsible. While he wanted nothing more than to offer comfort, he honestly didn’t know how. There had once been a time when holding her and comforting her was as natural as breathing. He could only hope that 151

J.J. Massa understanding of a sort would be acceptable in its place. “So you’ll just go in as if you’d been called? As if it was any other case?” “Yeah, he’ll appreciate the normalcy of that. No fanfare but no avoidance either. Anything else would be an insult to his intelligence,” she confirmed. “In that case, it would also be an insult to suggest that you and I aren’t together. And knowing the way his mind works, he probably believes we’re completely reconciled,” he thought aloud. “Bet that drives him insane!” he all but growled. “Oh,” he gasped. “Shoot, that came out wrong.” Her dry chuckle warmed him. “I know what you mean. And of course, you can’t drive someone to a destination they’ve already reached.” She was quiet for a moment, rolling away, onto her back. “Von, that’s the thing,” she began, her voice a little more urgent. “He thinks you—he doesn’t think you’re, um, well…” she dithered over her thought but couldn’t seem to force the words out. “Angel? You’ve really got me curious here,” he prodded, no idea what could be causing her such a hard time. “Um, sorry Von,” he could hear the smile in her voice now. “It’s just that he thinks you aren’t very bright. That’s just not an easy thing to tell someone.” 152

A Hunted Heart Von snorted, scooting to sit up, back against the headboard. “Looking back, I have to wonder.” He headed off her next statement. “I know what you mean, though angel. He’s always seen himself as superior to me. I think that’s why he resented any successes I’ve had. Especially my success in ‘getting the girl’. And he felt like he was winning when you and I were apart. As long as you were away from me and fixed on him…” He let the statement trail off. She sighed. “Yes. That’s so. And he’s always made it clear. As long as he could get to me, he was satisfied. By ‘get to me’, I mean that he was content as long as I was estranged from you and he could spar with me in his own special way.” She was quiet for a few moments. He had the sense that she was wrestling with something, so he waited. Finally, she spoke again. “About four years ago, I went into hiding. Gerard—you remember, my mentor?” “Yeah?” he answered. “Well, he’d died a few months prior. Rian sent a card, flowers,” she sneered. “I just couldn’t take it right then. I went away.” He could hear her swallowing, trying to control her emotions. “It made Rian very angry.” She sighed and gathered her thoughts. Von wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the next part. “The first day he killed my landlady’s cockatoo,” she eased to a sitting position. “He 153

J.J. Massa left a card around its neck. Just a plain, gray, cardstock card, with a little string on each corner. It said simply Tatiana Branigan.” She swallowed a few more times. Von reached out and touched her hand. She tentatively slid her hand over his. “You okay, angel?” he asked, surprised to hear his own voice shaking. She cleared her throat. “Fine,” she said quietly. “The next day, the neighbor down the hall, Mr. Twoony—his cat Muffin was found with a broken neck. Same card. Same thing. The third day there was a picture of the Ramsey’s newborn baby in his crib. Annetta found the picture in the crib with him. His little face was scratched out. The same card was clipped to it. My name on it. I came home.” “So much to deal with all alone,” he murmured, trying not to blame himself completely. He knew he was accountable to some extent, sure he was. But Rian was clearly insane. “I wasn’t completely alone. I had my colleagues. And yes, Bill and Jim and their families. Though, yes, it was lonely, I won’t deny it. I knew it was Rian. I just couldn’t prove it. Just couldn’t pin him down.” “He is a smart man.” Von thought a minute, turning his hand so that hers rested on his palm. “He’s not 154

A Hunted Heart infallible, though.” In the half-light, he could see Tati turn toward him, looking at him full on. ~ Her lips curved in a soft smile. “That’s exactly right, Von. He’s made a grievous error in judgment.” He lifted a curious brow at her. She knew he was waiting, listening. “He thinks of sailboats as toys. He thinks you aren’t very bright. That’s his weakness.” Von grinned. “It’s only a weakness if I prove to him that he’s wrong.” Tatiana’s hand slipped away as she slid down in the bed. “See that you do, Mr. Branigan,” she grumped playfully, trying for a severe tone. “Just see that you do.” He rolled over and winked at her, the muted light of the moon accenting his firm musculature, the planes and hollows of his face. He’d been her everything when she was just a teenager. The years of her adulthood he’d been in her heart, and by default, in her life. She loved him, it was just that simple. She’d never stopped. With an inner groan, she reached over and moved the first pillow, putting it behind her. The second one followed, though she left the third one where it was. “Angel?” he asked, opening his arms automatically as she squirmed closer to him. “A security blanket is no good if it sits across the 155

J.J. Massa room,” she mumbled, resting her cheek against his bare chest. His big hand smoothed down her back, rubbing and stroking lightly. She could feel his erection pressed against her thigh, but somehow, it didn’t scare her. This was Von after all. Perhaps it would frighten her if he were naked or on top of her. “What do you want, angel?” he whispered, his voice thick. “I mean, what…I don’t know how to say it.” She gave that a quick thought. He was being honest, open, and trying to control himself. It really was all about what she wanted with him. She could trust him in this, she knew. “I want to be close to you,” she whispered back. “I want to touch you and make you feel better. But…but…” she wasn’t sure what she should say next. “There are a lot of ways to love each other and touch each other without doing something,” he chuckled. “Without doing it,” he snorted against her neck. “I don’t think I’ve referred to intercourse as it since I was thirteen.” She smiled up at him in the muted light, appreciating his humor though she felt a bit single-minded about the topic they were talking around. “Do you feel like…” once again she trailed off, at a 156

A Hunted Heart loss for words. This time, Von was ready, one hand sliding down her back, pressing her body flush against his own. Dipping his head, his lips brushed across hers, hot breath fanning her face, his lips lingering just above hers now, anticipating, teasing. Before she could move, searching for him, his tongue teased at her bottom lip, her top lip, his velvet tongue sweeping across until she opened her mouth. Now the moist invader slipped in, barely there, so soft, so good. She couldn’t resist touching her tongue to his, her own hands exploring, discovering the changes in him as they trailed up his ribs, across his back. A low hitch in his breathing warned her before he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer, his hands moving under her shirt, fingers caressing her taut skin. As his lips trailed down her cheek, to her jaw, her throat, her shoulder, she pushed under the waistband of his loose sleep pants, fingers teasing wiry hair there. Some abstract part of her was glad that he wasn’t wearing boxers or briefs, though later she might be alarmed at herself. Von didn’t hold back, his large hands sweeping down, pushing her night clothes off, caressing her and feeling her skin. His calloused hands were warm, teasing and enticing and she wasn’t afraid. Hungry, wanting, that’s how she 157

J.J. Massa felt, but no fear, none. They lay side by side, touching each other, clothes falling away, fingertips exploring lightly, punctuated by pants, gasps, long lingering kisses. Tati’s head was spinning as she reached down, wrapping her hand around Von’s erection. “Angel,” he choked. “You don’t have to.” “Let me just touch, okay?” she asked him, her own voice thick, but not with fear. “Can I touch you, too?” His hand rested at her hip, warm and heavy, but waiting. She nodded tilting her head back for a kiss as he gently caressed her thigh. His hand moved slowly, gently skimming the top of her leg until he reached the crease of her hip, traveling a little to tease at the curls between her legs. She wrapped her own fingers around his thick length, feeling him, so soft, so hard, heavy in her hand. Carefully, she tightened her grip, pulling forward, pushing back, enjoying the music of his groans. When his fingers found her center, she opened for him, moaning in concert. Some small voice reminded her that this was sex and she should be scared, but it was easy to ignore. Von’s hands were making her feel so good, moving in time with her own. 158

A Hunted Heart The feeling was climbing, building in her and she could hear in his grunts and gasps that it wouldn’t be long for him. When the wave rushed over her, Tati could only press herself closer and hold on for all she was worth.

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Chapter 20 The sharp, tangy breeze whipped off the water, blowing hair around and infiltrating the smart business suits of interested reporters and bystanders. It was cold on the Main Street Pier, the rosy cheeks of those gathered around bore colorful testament to that. There were plenty of places to hide though. Holding the news conference here, one of his first sailboats bobbing in the background as the mayor of the city of Yonkers rested a paternal hand on Von’s shoulder, was a stroke of genius, even if he did say so himself. “Mr. Branigan, Von,” Mayor Marcel Pepitoni corrected himself with a smile, affecting fondness, “I for one am more than pleased that you took the time today to let us know that Mrs. Branigan is on the mend. We’re even more pleased to hear that her next book, Midnight Caller, is due to be released as scheduled.” “Tatiana is a very private woman, as you know, Tony,” he purposely used the mayor’s well known nickname, pretending the false relationship the other man wanted to project. The sailboat behind them was His Honor’s own, so Von didn’t feel all that deceitful. He at least felt affection for the boat. He continued speaking, “But she felt it was important that she reassure the 160

A Hunted Heart residents of Yonkers, the hometown of her heart, that she would continue to be there for them in all the ways they need her.” “We all love that woman, as I’m sure you know quite well. I’m personally very thrilled that you and she have reconciled.” More pretense since no one had known of their relationship at all. The mayor turned to face the reporters and cameras full on now. “Most of you are aware that Tatiana Branigan consults with our police department from time to time, offering her expert insights as a criminal profiler. She’s done a lot for our fair city, both of you have, Von,” the older man wrapped a muscular arm around Von’s shoulder now, a wave of musky cologne all but choking him. “We thank you so much for coming out today and for bringing your sweet wife, still recovering from pneumonia and that assault. If anyone can help us get to the bottom of these terrible murders, it will certainly be due to her input, at least in part.” “I know that she is as dedicated to helping the city and keeping people safe as every law enforcement officer in Yonkers, Tony. We arrived yesterday and I’ll be right here with her until this case is concluded.” Von smiled warmly at the assembled crowd. Only a handful of reporters were approved to ask questions and each of the answers was pre-scripted for the most part. The 161

J.J. Massa point of the exercise today was to be seen. To stake his claim on Tati publicly. She didn’t even have to be present for that. Bill, Jim, most importantly Tati, all agreed that Von had been Rian’s target all along. Tati had pointed out to him that Rian thought he was keeping them apart. As long as Rian believed that he was controlling Von’s happiness, he was satisfied. “In his convoluted reasoning, Von,” Tatiana had explained, “attacking me and stalking me just ensured that you would be miserable. That’s what he believed.” She’d shrugged. “If you’d begun dating, started seeing someone else, he would have gone after her.” Von had reached out, squeezed her hand. “How could I have done that?” Something else had occurred to him. “What if you had started seeing anyone?” At the surprised look on her face, he’d rushed on, “Wouldn’t that have changed the dynamic for him?” “No,” she smiled sadly. “He was pretty certain he’d made sure that I wouldn’t want to see anyone. He’s very smart, he’s right about that.” “Besides,” Bill had joined in, “Tati was the prize, wasn’t she? Your career he thought you’d ended. And your marriage was all that was left.” Von had to agree. “He always saw the boat making as 162

A Hunted Heart a glorified hobby. He knew I was rejected from the family business and was humiliated from it. He hated that I built sailboats, but he couldn’t do anything about it You’re right, the only other thing in my life of value was my relationship, my connection to my wife, however tenuous.” “He wanted you to know I was out there but not available to you, Von. And he didn’t mind punishing me for making the wrong choice,” Tati confirmed. At present, mulling over the brainstorming session they’d had the day before, Von wondered where his psychotic brother was hiding. Maybe it was a sixth sense, maybe it was just blind hope, but he felt sure he could feel Rian’s eyes on him. He knew he could feel the eyes of his “team” on him. Countless officers were stationed throughout the dock area and even along the routes that Von would later take, heading back to the police department. He’d be safe, of that he had no doubt. ~ Rian sneered at the image of his brother standing on the pier. They thought they were so smart. Fools, all of them. He’d been anticipating their moves all along. He didn’t need inside information. All he needed was a set of eyes and a little logic. 163

J.J. Massa He’d known that they’d call Tatiana to help them at some point. He’d been prepared to find targets that fit all of her book titles. If they hadn’t figured it out soon enough, he would have started over. Six people, twelve, what did it matter to him? His entire life had been geared toward this showdown with Von. The people between him and his brother were just sheep in his opinion. Their lives weren’t important. With a flick of his fingers, Rian ended the feed from the remote closed circuit camera he had in place on the pier. He’d watched the police headquarters where he knew that Tatiana would be. When he’d seen some of the officers begin to head out, officers that he could identify, all he’d had to do was follow them. It had been so easy to stroll along the docks an hour before Von and the mayor had come along. He’d had his camera in place well before the area was even cordoned off. These people were so simpleminded. He’d known Tatiana wouldn’t be making a public appearance. Of course not. And who really wanted to see Bill Lester’s florid face? No, Von would get up and talk about his sweet little wife. So predictable. Rian kicked his digital camera across the space of the weekly rental hotel room that constituted his current home. Anger boiled in him as he thought about Tatiana and Von. 164

A Hunted Heart He looked so happy on the screen of the cheap television. Not just happy, satisfied. Von wouldn’t win. No. They just didn’t understand. They just weren’t smart enough. Von wasn’t smart enough. Rian had seen the plainclothes and undercover cops all over. He’d been watching them for so long, he knew where most of them lived. He was under no illusions about who was a cop and who wasn’t. The problem was theirs. They were confused, mistaken. Rian didn’t want to kill Von. He never had. What he wanted was for Von to suffer. Punishing Tatiana had accomplished that just fine. Killing her would make it last. He grinned to himself. Sibling rivalry was a beautiful thing. Tatiana had disappointed him greatly when she’d chosen brawn over brains, looks over smarts. Now, Rian’s average face and build got him into and out of more places than a platinum credit card. In fact, his very unobtrusiveness gained him entrance to places even the wealthy couldn’t stroll into. Rian picked up the phone and dialed. “O’Lears Delicatessen,” growled the rough, aggravated voice over the phone. “Hi, I’m on my way to pick up sandwiches for the first precinct,” he made his voice sound harried, distracted like 165

J.J. Massa the man who’d answered. “Don’t got a order for ‘em,” growled the surly sometime receptionist, seconds from hanging up on him. “Well just give me one chicken salad and one tuna salad. Who doesn’t like that?” he barked back, adopting the tone of one seriously aggrieved. “Yeah, sure,” came the toneless answer, the speaker mollified that his time hadn’t been wasted. Rian hung up the phone, stuffing the fine guitar strings he’d purchased the day before into his pants pocket. Piano wire was so overdone, he thought. The extra light gauge wrapped around his hands nicely and would cut through just about anything. Tatiana’s lovely neck would offer little resistance.

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Chapter 21 Tatiana sat at the desk in the auxiliary office she sometimes used when working with Yonkers detectives on a case. The building was a beehive of activity, officers and city employees passing back and forth beyond her door. It was a day so like many she’d had over the last several years, but then again so different. Surreal. She’d see her husband on television a half hour ago, talking about her and her well-being. Proclaiming her value to himself and to the city. The fact that the mayor stood next to him professing similar affections was beside the point. The knowledge that Rian hovered somewhere between the two of them wasn’t quite as disconcerting. From the beginning, Rian had been between them in one way or the other. The fact that only she and Rian had been aware of the barrier mattered not at all. But now, she and Von were together against him. Together how, she wasn’t sure. Nonetheless, they were a team this time. She was comparing crime scene photos and writing notes when she heard the door of the office open. “One minute, Bill, I think there’s discrepancy here,” she murmured, not looking up. “Take all the time you need, my darling. I’ll never be 167

J.J. Massa far away,” came the smug, definitely not Bill response. The door clicked shut. She heard the rasp of old metal and knew he’d turned the lock on the knob. She carefully laid the pen down, moving to straighten the photos into a tidy stack. Finally she looked up. “Rian, you’re looking well,” she murmured. “What brings you all the way downtown today?” “Why you, of course, precious,” he oozed, stepping away from the door and closer to her. “Ohhh,” she forced her face into a sympathetic frown. “But I already have a date. Well, maybe you can be a third wheel, how’s that?” “You’re so clever, Tatiana darling,” Rian clucked, shaking his head sadly. “Why would you ever think that I’d let you stay with him? I would die with you before I’d let my brother look forward to growing old in your company. I can’t believe that you didn’t realize that.” Rian moved around the desk, an arm’s reach away. “I just didn’t see it,” she confessed, turning, looking up at the man standing in front of her now. “I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t get it. I knew this was between you and Von. I thought that you only hurt me because you couldn’t reach him.” “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Rian shook his head again, clicking his tongue. “When did you figure it out?” he asked, reaching 168

A Hunted Heart into his pocket and pulling out a coil of thin wire. When she didn’t answer right away, his eyes widened, fixed on her face. “Please tell me you figured it out, Tatiana. I’ll be so terribly disappointed if you didn’t.” Tatiana sighed, “I feel bad, Ri, I do.” She managed to sit casually, not jerking away from him as she saw him winding both ends of the wire around each hand and tug. “I didn’t realize that you didn’t want to kill Von. I kind of did, but not really, you know?” He snapped the wire taut between both hands, causing it to sing like a low-pitched saw blade. “Don’t fret, darling,” Rian’s voice had a soothing, cooing quality. “Everybody will know soon enough. It won’t matter that you didn’t figure it out. Von will simply blame himself anyway. He’s so noble, isn’t he? He’ll miss you so much.” Rian stepped even closer, arms raised to loop the wire over her head. “Von figured it out,” Tati murmured softly, causing Rian to freeze. She let out a sigh of relief as Von stepped into the room. Although she’d never doubted him, she wouldn’t pretend that her nerves weren’t frayed with worry. “I did, Ri,” his handsome face sported a half smile. “I knew you wanted me alive and hurting. Tati is just another game piece to you.” 169

J.J. Massa Tatiana could see Bill just over his left shoulder. She assumed that Jim was behind the large redhead somewhere. Von moved forward, allowing the other two men into the room but blocking Rian’s view of them, as well as Tati’s. The sound of his brother’s voice had so stunned Rian that he nearly fell into Tatiana’s lap. She had no doubt that Bill and Jim had weapons drawn, but she didn’t try to see. Instead, she scooted her chair back the few feet to the wall, as far as she could get from Rian. He seemed to be torn between going after her and possibly attacking Von. Surely he knew that wouldn’t get him very far. His actions answered for him when he scooped Tati out of her chair, pinning her in front of him. She shuddered to be held so close against the one man she hated. The one body she despised above all others. “Unhand my wife, Rian,” Von ordered coldly. “This is between us. You and me.” “Your wife!” Rian spat. “She was never really your wife. She’s just—she’s…” his perfect eloquence appeared to have deserted him now. “You—you,” he sputtered, strong hands crushing her shoulders, shaking her. “You didn’t have any right to her. You didn’t earn her. You just took what you wanted. And she…” he shook her again. “She made a mistake. I taught her better. I showed her. 170

A Hunted Heart And here she is back with you,” another teeth rattling shake. “Neither of you are all that bright!” “We must be bright enough,” Von moved a little bit closer. “We did figure you out.” “You couldn’t do it alone,” Rian objected, his voice going high. “No,” Von said calmly, edging another step closer. “You stop!” Rian shrieked. “You stop right there!” “Rian, lets talk about this. You wanted my attention and you’ve got it. Talk to me, brother. You don’t want to hide behind a woman. Tell me what all this is about?” ~ Von studiously avoided looking at Tatiana. He wanted to, how badly he wanted to. He feared that if he did, it would somehow make her that much more real, more tangible, more killable to his insane sibling. She understood, of course she did. Rian was firmly a member of the clinically insane now and any logic processes he had would be sorely skewed. Rian, for his part, seemed to be vacillating between using Tatiana as a shield or tossing her aside. Von feared she’d come away with whiplash given the way he was jerking her left and right to punctuate his words. “You don’t care about me,” he screeched. “None of you ever did! Fools! I’ve always been smarter than you. I 171

J.J. Massa learned the family business. I’m a broker and you make toys! Stupid!” “You’re right about some of that, Ri,” Von agreed, no formed plan beyond keeping his brother talking, and hopefully calming him. “You are smarter than I am in many ways. And you succeeded in Father’s business where I couldn’t. But we did care about you. All of us did, do.” “Well, how come they treated you better? How come I didn’t get the business when you failed? Did you tell them? Did you tell Father’s family not to give it to me? Why didn’t I get it?” Rian was practically whining now, as if Von had gotten a fire truck for Christmas that he didn’t want, but his brother did. “It wasn’t my company, Rian. It belonged to the board of directors. Sure, Father’s name was on the door, but he wasn’t the sole owner. You know that. I would have had to work my way up the same as you. And I just didn’t want to.” Von thought for a moment that he’d gotten through. The grip on Tatiana’s slim shoulders seemed to slacken. Rian’s face was a study in concentration, as if there was a kernel of knowledge just out of his reach. Tatiana obviously thought her freedom was at hand. In what seemed slow motion to Von, she jerked forward, 172

A Hunted Heart almost breaking free. Rian, tugged back to the current situation, yanked her back against his chest, one arm coming up to press against her throat. “Oh, no, my precious,” Rian rasped. “No, this isn’t over yet.” “Rian, surely you know there’s no way out now,” Tatiana wheezed through the tightening vice pressing at her windpipe. “Ah, precious Tatiana,” Rian hissed. “Don’t you know I don’t need to walk out? As long as you don’t.” Von felt his blood freeze. Now it was all crystal clear to him. Rian would die happy if he could keep Tatiana away from Von. The only way he could do that was to kill her before he could be killed. Nothing else mattered to the crazed man. Only that he win. Von sprang forward just as Rian’s other hand moved to the side of Tati’s head. It sank into the thick waves pressing, turning. Rian was trying to snap her neck before Bill or Jim could shoot him. After that, it wouldn’t matter. Years of nothing but lonely sailboats and cold weights had turned Von into a powerful man. Years of hunching over a computer and hiding in shadows had bled away Rian’s strength and fitness. The snapping sound of Rian’s wrist splintering as Von turned it like a tight doorknob filled the office, followed 173

J.J. Massa immediately by an ear-splitting scream. Tatiana slumped to the floor gasping for air. The only thing keeping Rian from following her down was Von’s clamp-like grip on his hand. Gun aloft in his left hand, Jim eased forward and pulled Tatiana from between the two men. Bill, gun in one hand and handcuffs in the other, moved forward. “I got him now, buddy,” Bill murmured, voice shaking slightly. When Von didn’t let go, Rian’s whimpering increased in volume. “Shut up,” Von growled, grip tightening for a moment. Rian yipped and began to sob. “Um, Von,” Bill pressed the barrel of his gun against Rian’s temple and patted Von with the handcuffs. “Yeah?” Von squeezed again, eliciting another keening wail from his half brother. “You keep doing that and he’s not gonna shut up,” Bill told him evenly. “Yeah,” Von sighed, squeezing again, and producing another shrieking wail. “Guess you’re right.” He looked at Bill, wrestling the urge to squeeze the broken bones against each other until the injured man passed out. “Sometimes I’m just not all that smart.” He opened his hand and let go of Rian. The younger man slumped to the ground in a sobbing heap. 174

A Hunted Heart Bill holstered his gun and cuffed Rian’s uninjured hand above the wrist, pulling it behind him and snapping the other cuff just below the elbow. “Jim, you got medics on the way?” he called out. “Sure do, two sets of ‘em,” he answered back. Von whirled around. “Angel?” Jim was holding her head still as she lay on the ground by his feet. Von sunk down beside her. “I think it’s just about over, angel,” he murmured brushing her hair back from her bruised neck. “Hi there,” she croaked. Von could see that she was barely hanging onto consciousness. “Shh, don’t try to talk yet. He’s going to go away now. Jim’s got emergency folks on the way. Just try to hang on for me, angel,” he all but begged. What else could he do? “Its selfish after all you’ve been through,” he whispered. “But I need you. I’m—I…” he felt his eyes fill. He knew it was stupid but “I’m building us a boat. You have to hang on and come sailing, angel. Otherwise I’ll just have to throw it away.” “A whole boat?” her eyes drifted closed. “A whole boat?” she managed to open them a little. “Can’t do that.” “I will if you won’t sail on it with me,” he insisted. “I mean it,” he promised. “Stubborn,” she accused, one side of her lip curling in a smile. 175

J.J. Massa “Yeah,” he breathed, pushed back by the arrival of the emergency medical technicians. “Very stubborn.”

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Chapter 22 After securing the jib and small sail, Von moved to the front of the boat. The wind was light and the sound was flat. It was a pleasantly warm day, unusual for Connecticut this time of year. He was just in time to catch a very guilty looking Tati, with her hands behind her back, as she wheeled around. He didn’t need to ask what she was guilty of. The assortment of wheeling sea birds told the story for her, along with the half empty sleeve of butter crackers on the cushion. Giving her a mock-stern look, Von shook his head from side to side. “I thought I told you not to do that.” He tapped his foot in false agitation fighting a smile. She scraped the cuffs of her long sleeved sweatshirt up over her wrists, more to keep from looking at him than any other reason he was sure. “Um, well yes, you did,” she agreed, glancing at him from beneath a fan of sooty lashes. “But, they looked hungry,” she mumbled, glancing away. “You’re hopeless, Tatiana Branigan, absolutely hopeless,” Von laughed, sweeping in close to kiss her on the cheek and then moving away. Her pink-cheeked blush pleased him so he reached for the crackers, removing one and tossing it and then couple 177

J.J. Massa more up and back, clapping as the birds dipped and caught them in the air. “Hey!” Tatiana objected. “You just scolded me for doing that!” Reaching slowly, he took her hand in his, tugging lightly to bring her to sit next to him on the deck couch, close, but not touching. “I wanted to talk to you,” he murmured, looking at her earnestly. “I realized something very important,” he told her. “I just couldn’t find the right way to say it.” “Okay,” she encouraged, relaxing against the backrest cushion. She had been out of the hospital for almost three weeks now, having been treated for a month for spinal injuries that could have been much, much worse. She was standing on her own, walking; Rian had hurt her but not nearly as badly as he could have. Together they had weathered the storm of his arraignment. Tati had had to give her report on tape. Given the extent of Rian’s decade long on and off campaign of terror against her, she was allowed to watch via closed circuit taping as Von gave his statement and Rian’s plea was made. He’d pled not guilty by reason of mental defect. That had started a scramble of sorts to locate psychiatrists not associated with Tati who could evaluate 178

A Hunted Heart him. This was complicated by the tennis match of state demands for reciprocity versus his private attorney’s demands for unbiased care. After weeks spent in front of grand juries to do their part to ensure that Rian would never be free to haunt them again, Von and Tatiana had returned to Stratford two days ago, greeted by a frazzled Mrs. Smith. She had fretted about both of them for nearly two months and was almost brutal in her care of them. “What did you realize, Von?” Tatiana urged when he’d been quiet too long. “I realized that the only thing lonelier and more hopeless than a sailboat alone on the ocean, is a sailboat builder alone,” he looked away from her, sure that he was talking in circles again. “And maybe a sailboat builder’s wife,” she added, her hand tentatively covering his. Slowly, carefully, Von took her fragile hand in both of his. “I don’t know where we’re going,” he began, unsure of how to continue. “Me neither, Von,” she hesitated, her gray eyes fixed on his. “I wouldn’t mind having a little company for the next leg.” She smiled a little, just a slight curve of her lower lip. “I really don’t care if we ever get anywhere,” Von 179

J.J. Massa assured her earnestly. “I just like the idea of not being hopeless and alone anymore.” “It took you awhile, both of us awhile,” she amended, her small smile growing a little surer, “I think we’re just about to grow up.” Von sighed, feeling as if a heavy weight had lifted, as if he was finally seeing the light of day. “When that call came, angel, and you could’ve been injured, dead,” he took a deep breath, “I had to face it—my world was bleak, the only way I’d ever know if you were living or dead was a call like that one. My heart was broken and my life was hopeless. I was a madman driving to Yonkers. I think I grew up a lot right then.” Tatiana blinked but continued looking into his eyes. “I have to confess, I was still hurt, still angry at you. I loved you, but I didn’t think I could trust you. I’m not sure I really wanted to.” Von could tell that her words had been hard to say. He squeezed her hand. Yes, that had hurt, but it was honest. He could take it. “What about now?” he asked, surprised to find his voice raspy, thick. She shrugged. “Now, I trust you more. I’ve always loved you one way or another.” She pulled in a deep, steadying breath. “Now, I guess I’m ready to find out what 180

A Hunted Heart that means.” “I’ve always loved you, too, angel. It’s taken me too damned long to figure it out. Too damned long to find a way to tell you. Do you think you can ever forgive me?” Would she understand what he meant? “The emergency has passed now…there’s no more threat. Can we have a normal relationship?” Tati moved into his arms, snuggling against him. “I don’t know how life will be without the threat hanging over me. Not being hunted anymore…I’d sure like to try. I’d like to try and just love each other, grow old together, do what we do together. I do love you, Von.” “If you really need to be hunted, angel,” he leaned down and kissed her nose, holding her tight against his side. “I’ll do the best I can.” “You hold my heart in the palm of your hand, Von. Why would you hunt for something you’ve already captured?” He was saved from answering by the press of her chilled lips against his warmed ones. The hunt was over, two hearts found, together. The End

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About the Author: J. J. Massa lives on the New Jersey shore with her family, her guide dog, and two cats. She loves to write about love, mystery and magic because it’s fun—you can make ANYTHING happen that way. She believes that every day can be an adventure and every person has something to offer. Although she’s traveled to many places in her life, these days she does most of her globetrotting from her laptop. Some of what she writes is true, some isn’t…you’ll just have to wonder which is which.

Other works by J.J. Massa: The Edge Detective Paytah has spent his entire life fighting to overcome ignorance and gain acceptance in a world too quick to judge. Always willing to take on any challenge, the tough-as-nails Native American has never shied away from the truth. Until he meets Tyler Baker, that is. Tyler represents everything that Paytah hates; the blond haired blue-eyed gay detective with a penchant for bending the rules was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a champagne glass in his hand. When Paytah is assigned to work with Tyler he anticipates that the partnership will be difficult. After all, working high profile serial murder cases are always challenging. But, as the case of the decade unravels, so does his ability to control his attraction and to deny his own needs. This book by J.J. Massa has it all—passion, desire, intrigue, and an unforgettable ending that promises to take you to The Edge.

  

This is a publication of Linden Bay Romance WWW.LINDENBAYROMANCE.COM

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