More Than a Mission - Caridad Pineiro [82]
They circled her and herded her inside, but not before looking his way and shooting him looks that warned him to go away and stay away. He couldn’t blame them in a way. He’d hurt her. Nothing was going to change that.
But in time, she would forget him.
In time, he was certain he would forget her, as well.
It was part of who he was. What he was. What he had done since he was a child and become used to a wandering life.
Nothing was going to change that, especially not a woman like Elizabeth who needed stability and a place to call home.
Those things were not in his game plan. Ever.
Chapter 29
Nikolas Donovan had disappeared.
Lord Southgate had tried every location he knew. Called every friend they had in common. None had any idea where Donovan had gone.
Donovan had run like the guilty man he might be, Aidan thought as he reviewed the report Lazlo had e-mailed that morning about Donovan’s disappearance.
From the looks of it, Donovan had left some time close to when Dani had been shot. Now, days later, the only clue they had was a report that he had been spotted in France.
Which meant that for the moment, Lizzy was safe.
The cell phone on his PDA rang and he pulled it off his belt, answered. “Spaulding here.”
“Mr. Spaulding. Lazlo here.”
As if he wouldn’t recognize his boss’s voice after seven years. “Mr. Lazlo. I was just getting ready to call. It would appear it’s time to give Ms. Moore back her privacy.”
“Do it then, Aidan. Remove the surveillance equipment and the detail guarding her, but after…Lord Southgate has asked us to track down Nikolas Donovan.”
Donovan. He wanted him found and punished almost as much as he had wanted vengeance on the Sparrow. Maybe even more. “What will it entail?”
“I’ve called in Rhia de Hayes to track down Donovan.”
Aidan couldn’t hold back his disbelief. “Rhia? Doesn’t she normally specialize in more…youthful targets?”
Lazlo also allowed himself a chuckle. “Yes, she does. In fact, Rhia is rather amused by this assignment. She’s currently finishing up a case and will be available in a few days to get on Donovan’s trail.”
Aidan appreciated being kept in the loop, but wondered about it since it wasn’t standard operating procedure. Which could only mean one thing…“Do you need something else from me, Corbett? Or do you have my next assignment already?”
“How badly do you want Donovan?”
He should have known he couldn’t fool Corbett. “Badly. He killed Liz…Ms. Moore’s sister.”
“Then I guess you wouldn’t mind being backup for Rhia. It would mean leaving in a few days to meet her in Paris,” Lazlo advised.
Leaving Leonia. Leaving Lizzy.
“I understand, Corbett. Let me finish up here. Clean up everything. Get things settled.” It would give him a few more days of seeing Lizzy. A few more days to work up the courage to say a proper goodbye. Not the hurried and angered one they had shared days earlier.
“You sound…hesitant, Mr. Spaulding.”
He wondered how the man could be so intuitive across a telephone line. “I just need to straighten out a few things here before I go.”
“Get it done quickly, Mr. Spaulding. Rhia could use your help.”
With that, Aidan hung up, but immediately contacted the four agents who he had assigned to keep an eye on Lizzy while he…
While he kept an eye on her, his PDA tuned into the various channels as he watched her with friends and family when they came by to pay their condolences. Worried as she stood by the window at night, staring out at the ocean. So alone. So wounded.
He wished her relief from her pain. Hungered to see her back at what she did best—tending to her gardens, her hands skimming over the flowers and herbs as she selected what she would need for one of her fabulous dishes.
Only, it was too soon since Dani’s death. The restaurant had been closed for days and would remain closed until Dani’s memorial service. It was scheduled for tomorrow and he, along with Lucia and Walker, planned on attending.
After that, Lucia would pack up and head back to New York to await another assignment. Walker