Jacob frowned at the information. “Did you call him?”
She shook her head. “No. In the past, I’ve only called him once I’ve had to run again. I didn’t have to run this time.”
His expression took on that dangerous, predatory look once again. “I’ll take care of it,” he promised, the sound of his voice as dangerous as the look on his face. “I’ll take care of him and John both.”
Sallie nodded at the statement. Both John and Rance had lied to her, had hidden the fact that they knew Jacob. He could take care of that. She had other things to take care of.
“I need my car,” she told him firmly, rising to her feet. “I have to be at work tomorrow, and that’s not up for debate.” She could see the denial in his face. “You want to catch the bastard, do whatever you have to do, but it’s destroyed enough of my life. If I’m going to stay in Deer Haven, then I’m not going to lose any more than I already have.”
“Neither will I.” He bent to her, nearly nose to nose with her. “You want to go into work, fine. But you won’t be going alone.”
“Stop trying to intimidate me, Jacob.” She pushed against his chest, rising to her feet, and staring back at him, certain she should be wary of the look on his face.
Part predatory, sexually intent, and demanding.
“I’m not trying to do anything, baby,” he assured her, his tone way too autocratic to suit her. “I’m simply stating fact. You won’t be alone.”
What was it with men like Jacob—men that many called alpha males—that made them think their word was law and every woman in their vicinity was to obey their every wish and whim? She’d never obeyed well. It had been her stepfather’s biggest complaint, that she didn’t obey his idea of how she should dress, talk, or act. She didn’t make the right friends, refused to attend the proper parties, and acted as though she had no civility at all.
Even her mother had been incredibly critical of her inability to adapt, as she called it. But then, Megan Dougal had been very adaptable. The perfect ambassador’s wife, the ultimate hostess. Always perfectly dressed and in complete control of herself and her surroundings. Her mother attended the proper parties, made the proper friends, and ensured she behaved in a dignified, class-conscious manner.
To see them together, no one would have known Megan Dougal and Kyra Bannon were mother and daughter.
“Don’t make the mistake of believing I’m easy to control, Jacob,” she warned him. “This situation has me terrified, but as much as I want to hide in a dark room and pretend I don’t exist for a while, I’ve never allowed myself to be that person. If I’m going to stay rather than run, then until I have no other choice, I won’t find that dark room.”
“I’d never allow you to be placed in a dark room, sweet Sallie,” he murmured. “Unless it was a bedroom and I was there with you.”
Her eyes narrowed, irritation vying with arousal.
Damn him, he shouldn’t be able to make her want him like this. He’d just taken her in the kitchen and her body was more than willing to have him do it again.
“You’re about to piss me off, Jacob,” she warned him. “And you really don’t want to do that.”
A dark, mocking brow lifted as if Jacob was curious. “Could be I really don’t care if do. I think I could handle your anger.”
“Don’t make that mistake, Jacob,” she snapped, staring back at him, the admittedly short fuse to her anger began to burn. “Just because you can arouse me, never believe you’ll control me. I won’t be dictated to and I damned sure won’t be controlled. Now, I have to be at the store before eight in the morning. I’d appreciate my car, or a ride. Don’t make me call someone to come pick me up.”
Turning on her heel she stalked to the door, then turned back to him.
“And I’d like to be present during your call to Rance, if you don’t mind,” she asked him, careful to keep her tone brisk and cool. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”
chapter fourteen
It didn’t surprise Sallie in the least that Rance canceled the scheduled phone call with Jacob that evening. His aide was properly apologetic, but Mr. Dougal had been called away on another business matter.
Sallie rolled her eyes at the excuse. It was the aide’s standard excuse for Rance’s missed appointments. The aide, Ray Masser, didn’t have much imagination when it came to lying for Rance, and Rance simply didn’t care.
“Does he know who you are?” she asked Jacob when he disconnected the call and placed the phone on the desk.
Jacob leaned back on the desk and crossed his arms over his broad chest as he frowned at the question.
“He knew Jake Rossiter, though I doubt he knows my true identity or has the contacts to get it,” he said, his tone brooding. “His security clearance wasn’t anywhere near high enough for that information.”
“I don’t think he knew John was with the CIA either.” That one still had the power to bother her. Rance talked about his references once and seemed unduly impressed by the fact that John had worked with several other ambassadors and had a variety of overseas contacts that he felt would help with other political concerns he had at the time.
“Rance played with the idea of going into politics with the ultimate goal of running for president. A plan that never materialized beyond the discussion stage.”
Her stepfather was intelligent, and entirely calculating enough for politics, but Sallie had always felt it was her mother pushing that agenda rather than Rance. With her mother’s death, Rance had dropped the idea and worked at building his consulting business.
“You said John showed up just after your return to the States,” Jacob reminded her. “What was his reason?”
Sallie glanced down at where her hands rested in her lap for a moment. She was uncomfortable talking about John with Jacob. There was too much pain involved in it.
“According to him, he was there to apply for the position of aide that Rance had available.” She glanced up at him, caught by the steady focus in his gaze, as though he could see inside her for the answers he was searching for. “Rance seemed ecstatic that he was interested.”
Rance and her mother had discussed it for days. John Dillon was known for both his overseas and stateside contacts according to his references. When Rance had checked said references, he’d been far more impressed with him than anyone else he’d been considering at the time.
“I bet he was,” Jacob muttered, scowling at the information. “John’s cover was already in place when the operation in Switzerland began. At that time, he was working as an attaché to the state department assigned to the embassy. His contacts and knowledge of politics were extensive.”
Sallie nodded at that. “Mother and Rance were quite impressed.”
“And you? Were you impressed?”
Sallie started back at him silently for long moments before she gave a light shrug. “I married him.”
Jacob’s expression hardened in an instant, his gaze narrowing on her.
“Did I mention I actually spent several years working with some of the agency’s most experienced interrogators?” His tone was harder than his expression. “You don’t have the training to lie to me, baby, don’t pretend you do.”