Savannah's Curse Read online

  Savannah ignored Asia. “This is from Dad’s collection. I know you don’t like guns, but with everything that has happened, I think it’s best.”

  Reluctantly Montana took the weapon and placed it in her purse.

  A short time later, Savannah watched from the living-room window as her sisters entered their cars and left to go home. Due to it being quiet in the house, Savannah’s body jerked at the sounds of the floor creaking near her. She didn’t have any pets, so the creak had to mean one thing—an intruder had invaded her space. She could see someone in her peripheral vision. Savannah’s natural instinct kicked in. With a quick, effortless spin around, she used some of her martial arts skills and ducked and did a sly kick, causing her surprise guest to fumble. With another move she had the culprit on the floor. She straddled his back, holding both of his arms. If she moved his left arm a few more inches, it would snap.

  “Wait. I’m here to help,” the somewhat-familiar voice of the strange man said between clenched teeth.

  “Who are you?” Savannah asked.

  “Let me up and I’ll tell you.”

  Savannah tightened her grip. “Wrong answer.”

  “Ouch. I’m Bridges.”

  “Name doesn’t sound familiar.”

  “I’m a friend of your father’s.”

  Savannah wasn’t sure if she could trust him. His words made her recall her father mentioning the name Bridges on his dying breath. She used her free hand and scratched the back of her head.

  “I don’t mean to sound like I’m complaining, but you have a mean grip on my arm, and it’s hurting,” the man said.

  Savannah’s surprise guest’s voice did sound familiar. He also wore a familiar scent. It reminded her of the cologne her ex-boyfriend wore—Unforgivable. Bridges sneaking into her house uninvited was unforgivable. The urge to run her hands over his smooth, bald brown head left as quickly as it had come. She shook her head. What was she thinking? This man could be working with the man who killed her dad. She released both arms and moved her 150-pound frame from the top of his back.

  As he stood up, she got a good look at the guy who called himself Bridges. His muscular build was no match for a woman who was trained to take men down three times her size. His cream-colored shirt and khaki pants were a little wrinkled from the attack. Bridges really did look so much like her ex-boyfriend. Savannah had to blink twice to make sure he wasn’t a mirage—a strange figment of her imagination.

  He moved his arms forward, rubbing both of them. “Thanks.”

  Savannah reached into the drawer of the table behind her without taking her eyes off him. He looked surprised to see her point a Glock at him. “You have five minutes and then I’m calling the cops.”

  “Four minutes.” Something about his eyes was familiar to Savannah.

  He reached for his pocket. Savannah clicked back the Glock. The sound stopped him. “I need to show you this e-mail I got from Major. From your dad.”

  Savannah patted her foot. “Go ahead, but I must warn you. If I see anything shiny, I’m shooting first and asking questions later.”

  Bridges removed his black wallet and took out a folded sheet of paper. He hesitantly walked closer to her, and was about to hand it to her, when Savannah said, “Hold it up.”

  He did as instructed. Her eyes scanned the piece of paper. He could have forged the e-mail; but for now, she would pretend to trust him. That is, until she could find out more about who this Bridges guy was, and how he knew her dad. A little relief swept through her body as she lowered her gun, but she refused to take her hand off the trigger.

  “Have a seat,” she said as she motioned for him to move forward toward the living room. “Excuse the paper. My sisters and I were celebrating. Well, anyway, it doesn’t matter. Just tell me how you knew my father.”

  “Savannah, it’s me.”

  Savannah stared at him with a blank expression.

  He continued, “It’s me . . . Troy.”

  Savannah blinked her eyes a few times. So many questions ran through her mind. She always imagined what she would say or do if she ever saw Troy again. In her fantasies she would make love to him first, and then curse him out later. Now that he was actually sitting here in the flesh, Savannah was speechless. Her mind flashed back ten years. Ten years ago, she was a starry-eyed college student head over heels in love with Troy Nelson, not Troy Bridges. Regardless of what name he was using now, Troy left her heartbroken, and for that, she should aim the gun and shoot him in the heart. Fortunately for him, she loved her freedom too much.

  2

  Troy didn’t expect to be manhandled by the beauty, who stood five feet six inches tall. When he approached the house, he had heard Savannah and her sisters; he wanted to catch her by herself. From what Major had told him, Savannah and his other daughters were more than capable of taking care of themselves. His task now was to convince Savannah that she needed him as much as he needed her. She had some key information somewhere in this house, and he decided to go about it the right way. With his training, Troy could have done a sweep of the house, and, most likely, she never would have known he was there. But then again, if memory served him correctly, Savannah was a stickler for things being out of place and would have noticed if one item had been moved. He hadn’t counted on his old feelings for Savannah to resurface so soon. There was barely a day that went by that Troy didn’t think about her.

  Troy had kept up to date via Savannah’s father on the comings and goings of her life. She was definitely a knockout, literally and figuratively speaking. He wished he could have met her under normal circumstances. Troy recalled the few months of peace and joy Savannah had brought to his life ten years ago. She had a way of making him feel good, in and out of the bedroom. The look she gave him now was a far cry from how she used to look at him. If looks could kill, he would be six feet under.

  “I don’t have all night,” Savannah said as she stared at him with her piercing ebony eyes.

  Troy contemplated how much he wanted to reveal to Savannah. He decided to go the honest approach; well, as honest as he could be in the line of work he was accustomed to.

  “Major was my lead operative. He was who I reported to while out in the field.” Troy held back his emotions. He didn’t want Savannah to see how much seeing her in person affected him. Major’s loss hurt him too. Major understood him and always had his back when he would go about handling cases in nontraditional ways. Major was the one who encouraged him to start his own private-security firm.

  Savannah watched with curiosity. She sensed something besides a boss/colleague affiliation. She could tell Troy had more of a personal relationship with her father, and she wanted to know how personal.

  “My dad never talked about you.” Savannah couldn’t help but wonder how Troy and her dad’s paths crossed. She met Troy while attending college and no one knew about their love affair, or so she thought. How did Troy end up working for SNA, the Securities National Agency known more commonly as “The Agency”?

  “It was standard that we were not to discuss our business affairs with our family. That way, if any assignment went awry, the less our families knew, the safer they would be.”

  Savannah crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “That’s why I hate secrets now.”

  “Your dad loved you all. He always talked about you.”

  “That’s odd, because I can’t recall ever hearing him speak of you, or hardly anyone else for that matter from work. The only person I know of is Uncle Raymond.” The sparkle in Savannah’s eyes disappeared.

  Troy was tempted to reach over and comfort Savannah, but he knew any movement from him could result in him being back down on the floor. This time however he would be prepared. A sly grin formed at the thought.

  “Your dad thought it would be best if he didn’t talk about our missions with you and your sisters. The less you knew, the safer you would be. Well, that’s what he thought, anyway,” Troy stated.

  “How do I know you’r
e telling me the truth?”

  “You’ll have to trust me.”

  Savannah grunted. “Try again.”

  Troy shifted in his seat. “Your uncle Raymond is my ex-boss. You can call him and confirm, if you like.”

  “I just might do that.”

  Savannah pressed a button on her cell phone. The phone beeped to indicate it was on speaker. He watched her dial ten digits without once taking her eyes off him. They both listened to the high-pitched rings.

  “Baby girl, how are you?” Uncle Raymond asked.

  “I’m fine. I was going through Dad’s stuff and had a few questions.”

  There was silence on the other end. Savannah was the first to speak. “Uncle Raymond, you’re there?”

  “Yes, dear. I was in the middle of something. Can I call you back?” he asked.

  “It’ll only take a few minutes. I promise.”

  “Okay. Well, hurry it up now.”

  “What do you know about Bridges? Troy Bridges?”

  “Bridges? Why do you ask?”

  “I told you I ran across some information of my dad’s.” Savannah became fidgety in her seat. She hated when she wasn’t able to get a direct answer.

  “He’s no longer with The Agency, and that’s all I can say.”

  “Thanks, Uncle.”

  “Savannah?”

  “Yes.”

  “Stay clear of Troy. He’s trouble with a capital T. I could never keep a rein on him when he was with us. Your dad was the only one who could tame him.”

  “Don’t worry. I don’t plan on having anything to do with him.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  Savannah didn’t know how to respond to that statement. She felt embarrassed because Troy Bridges, or whatever name he went by now, was sitting there listening to the entire conversation.

  “I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

  “Before you go, answer this. Did you find any other papers of your dad’s?”

  Savannah was about to answer when Troy shook his head back and forth. Savannah didn’t know why she trusted the guy, but instead of telling Uncle Raymond the truth, she responded, “No. It was just a card with this Bridges guy’s name on it, and I don’t recall meeting him at the funeral. That’s all. No big deal.”

  “Well, if you or your sisters need anything, and I do mean anything, don’t hesitate to give your old uncle Raymond a call now.”

  “I won’t,” Savannah said before discontinuing the call.

  Savannah turned and looked at Troy. “I don’t know why I lied to him, but you better hope I don’t live to regret it.”

  “You lying to him had nothing to do with me. Apparently, he doesn’t know your plans.”

  “What plans?” Savannah asked innocently.

  “What I’m about to say will either make you shoot me or hit me, but I’m prepared for both.”

  Savannah’s eyes darkened. “Spill it.”

  “I know you’re looking for your dad’s killer. The Agency has had you under surveillance since your dad died. I’m not sure of what your dad told you, but the Securities National Agency is an organization that only a few select people in the government know exist. The main purpose of the organization is to eliminate any threats to our national security on our own soil and abroad.”

  Savannah placed her hand on her weapon. “I hope there’s more to why you’re here.”

  Troy never took his eyes off Savannah’s hands. “I know you’re eager to aim that at me.”

  “You’re right.” Savannah held up the gun. “I should shoot you right now, but I don’t know how I would justify killing you.”

  “You could always say you killed an assailant.” Troy was toying with her.

  She held the gun down and placed it on her thigh, without removing her hand. “So you knew my dad. So you worked for The Agency. It still doesn’t explain why you’re here.” And under her breath she said, “And why you left me ten years ago.”

  “Major suspected that some of the agents we worked with were shady. Since I now work independently, he felt he could trust me to get to the bottom of it. The only thing is, someone else must have known your dad was onto something and had him killed.”

  “Dad was retired. How and why did this happen now?” The tears formed before Savannah could control it.

  Troy forgot all about the gun Savannah had on her thigh. If she shot him, so be it. He didn’t hesitate to get up out of his seat and rush over to comfort her. He placed his arms around her. Reluctantly, she leaned on his shoulder and cried until she couldn’t cry anymore.

  “Let it all out. I cared about your dad too,” Troy said. “That’s why I’ve made it my duty to find out who did it . . . even if it’s the last case I handle.”

  Savannah felt strength in his words. She removed herself from his embrace. He handed her a tissue off the table. She blew her nose. She felt embarrassed for her show of emotions but didn’t know how to express herself. Memories of her father and seeing Troy after all these years overwhelmed her. She stood up and walked over to the mantel. She picked up picture after picture, pictures of her dad with her mom, pictures of her dad with her and each one of her sisters.

  “This has been an emotional day: my birthday, my dad not being here, seeing you again. And now you’re saying someone at The Agency, where my dad committed the majority of his life, might be responsible for his death. It’s just surreal.”

  Troy knew his time for comforting Savannah had passed. He allowed her the space she needed to gain her composure.

  Savannah pushed her pride aside and turned around and looked Troy straight in the eyes. “I’m prepared to pay you whatever amount you want. But I need your help to find my daddy’s killer.”

  Troy didn’t blink. “This one is on the house.”

  3

  “Let’s start over,” Troy suggested. “I’m Troy Bridges, a friend and an ex-colleague of Major Blake’s.”

  He extended his hand out toward Savannah.

  Savannah looked at it for a second before reaching to shake it. “I’m Savannah. Well, you know that. This is silly.”

  They both laughed. “If you want a slice of cake, there’s plenty left over,” Savannah suggested.

  “I’ll take a piece, if you promise it’s not laced with arsenic,” Troy said.

  Savannah winked, and a wicked smile adorned her face. “You’ll just have to try it and find out.”

  Moments later, Savannah returned with a huge slice of cake with purple icing and a can of ice-cold soda. Savannah watched the man who came into her life like a whirlwind. With the information he shared about a traitor at the agency, Savannah knew she and maybe even her sisters were in danger. This made it even more imperative to find out who had killed her dad. She had vowed not to involve her uncle Raymond, and now she wasn’t so sure. Maybe with his connections he could confirm or disprove Troy’s allegations. If her father thought someone was a traitor, the proof was somewhere. The question was where. Maybe Troy knew more than what he was telling her. For now, she would have to trust him enough to get the information she needed. She hoped it wouldn’t be the second time in her life that he abused her trust.

  Troy’s voice broke her train of thought. “That was good.”

  She watched him wipe the crumbs from around his sexy mouth. His lips reminded her of the rapper LL Cool J. “I know you said you were looking for information to help find my father’s killer, but you could have done that without my help. What did you really come here for?” Savannah blurted out.

  “I was wondering when you were going to get to that.” Savannah looked at her watch. “I’ve wasted time. Can’t afford to waste any more.”

  “Touché,” Troy responded.

  Savannah crossed her legs and waited for Troy’s response.

  “One of the last communications between Major and me was about a safe-deposit box. He said that if he died, you were the key.”

  Troy’s response was not exactly the response she was
looking for. She was speaking of something more personal. She wanted to know why he had left her. She still remembered the countless number of e-mails and phone calls going unanswered. She remembered going by his apartment and learning from his neighbor he had moved without a forwarding address. The day she learned that was the day her heart grew cold. No man had ever been able to get close to her since. She pushed her personal feelings aside and concentrated on his only purpose for being here—solving her father’s murder.

  Savannah had a revelation. “That’s what he meant about a key.”

  “So you do know what I’m talking about?” Troy asked.

  “Sort of. I haven’t gone to the safe-deposit box yet.” Savannah looked away. “I know what you’re thinking. I should have done it months ago. I just started going through the stuff in my dad’s personal box.”

  “Can I see it?” Troy asked.

  “Wait right here.”

  When Savannah returned with the wooden box, Troy’s back was turned, but she could hear him talking to someone on his cell phone. “I’ll be there shortly.”

  Savannah figured it was probably his wife or girlfriend. A chill went up her spine as she recalled the last time they made love. It was the same night she confessed her love for him, and the last night she saw him. He was a thing of her past. So what if he was married or had a girlfriend? How they dealt with his commanding personality—well, she didn’t know, but it was their problem, not hers.

  “You can come closer. I felt your presence the moment you walked back in the room,” Troy said before turning around.

  “My dad used to say the same thing.”

  “Something you pick up over the years,” Troy responded. He sat on the couch. Instead of sitting across from him as she previously had, she made a point of sitting in the spot right next to him on the couch.

  Savannah removed the papers out of the box and handed them to Troy. “This is what I’ve discovered so far.”

  He scanned each page. Savannah watched how his brow would rise or fall with each piece of paper he read.