He expected to be crushed by a throng of scandal-hungry reporters, but the lobby was nearly deserted. Only a few people, carrying raincoats and umbrellas, were hurrying in and out of the restaurant and bar.

Adria relaxed a little. It had been a long day and she’d been on edge, if not because of the reporters and their questions, then because of Zachary. He’d been apprehensive, his gray eyes brooding as he’d watched the crowd and tersely answered the few questions cast in his direction. She’d felt his tension hovering in the air, noticed the muscles of his neck flex when a reporter asked a particularly pointed question, and knew the minute he turned his gaze on her. He was with her most of the day, only leaving her for about an hour when she was in an interview with a woman reporter from the Oregonian.

She found it impossible to believe that he was her half-brother. He was just too sexy, too darkly sensual, to be related to her. Surely she wouldn’t find him so attractive, so dangerously alluring, if in fact the same blood ran in their veins. As if he read her thoughts, he turned his eyes on her and she saw it, that tiny flicker of passion that he tried vainly to hide.

Her throat closed in on itself and time seemed to stand still.

She felt as if she and Zach were the only two people in the world. One man. One woman. Licking her lips nervously, she noticed that his gaze was drawn to the movement at her mouth. He swallowed hard.

“Miss Nash?” The clerk at the registration desk was trying to catch her attention.

“Oh, yes,” she said, glad for the interruption. Clearing her throat and praying she wasn’t transparent, she asked, “Are there any messages for me?”

“Does it rain in Oregon?” the desk clerk asked dryly, trying to make a joke as he handed her a thick stack of small papers that filled her fist. She flipped through each missive quickly. Some of the people were reporters, others she didn’t recognize at all, probably just the curious, starstruck that someone dared claim to be London Danvers.

They walked to the elevators and Zach cast one final look over his shoulder before he touched her arm. “You don’t mind if I come up to your room and see if your friend left any more gifts?”

Adria’s heart nearly missed a beat. She hesitated and bit her lip. This is stupid-just plain stupid, Adria. You’ve always been a smart woman, so don’t blow it now! Think, for God’s sake! Being alone in a hotel room with Zachary is asking-no, begging-for trouble so deep you’re sure to drown! He’s asking the impossible! With a lift of her shoulder as she punched the elevator call button, she replied, “Whatever you want.” Oh, God, had she really said that?

They stepped into the elevator car and the atmosphere seemed close, making breathing difficult. Zachary placed both hands on the back rail, leaning his hips against the smoothly polished brass, not attempting to close the distance between them.

She shouldn’t be thinking about Zach like this. She didn’t have time to get involved with a man; she had to remain focused and, until she knew if he was her half-brother, the only sane thing was to stay away from him.

Which seemed impossible.

Well, at least quit thinking of him in any way the least bit sexual, she told herself as the car stopped and the elevator doors parted. He’s the worst candidate for a lover for you. The absolute worst! For God’s sake, use your head, Adria!

Trying to ignore Zach, she stepped into the long hallway. It was deserted and quiet. Almost too quiet. Too empty.

Don’t let your imagination run away with you.

She attempted to shake off the feeling that something was out of place, just not quite right, but as Adria reached for the door, she felt more than a second’s hesitation. Dread made her hand pause, her key extended. Silly as it was, she had the eerie sensation that someone or something evil had been here recently, and a frisson of fear swept down her spine.

Which was ludicrous. She’d just had a long day and the notes and package she’d received earlier were getting to her-that was all. Still, she hesitated before inserting her key.

“Something wrong?” Zachary asked, so close she could feel his breath against the back of her neck.

Don’t be silly.

“No, of course not.”

He lifted a dark brow, encouraging her. “You want me to go in first.”

That did it. “No, Zach, I think I can manage,” she said sarcastically. “Relax with the bodyguard tactics, okay?” Managing a thin smile, she pushed her key into the lock and shouldered open the door.

She took one step inside.

The room was freezing, the air conditioner rumbling.

Adria’s gaze fastened on the full-length mirror near the closet. Her blood turned to ice. “Oh, God,” she whispered, biting back a scream.

“What?” Zach demanded, striding past her, only to stop short as he viewed the scene. “Jesus!”

The mirror was cracked and smeared with blood, as if someone had put a fist through the glass. Upon the splintered pieces, a large, mutilated photograph of Adria had been taped. Her head was severed from her body, the bloody crack in the mirror slicing across her neck. Her eyes had been cut out and rimmed in blood, the mirror behind streaked red, so that when she looked at the image she saw the reflection of her eyes cast in blood.

Adria began to shake. “What kind of monster would do this?” she whispered.

“Someone who wants you out of the picture.” Zach wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t look at it.”

She couldn’t drag her gaze away. Fear congealed inside. “This is crazy,” she whispered. “Certifiably nuts.”

“You got it.”

“Someone hates me.”

“Very much, and you’ve got him backed into a corner.”

“Oh, God.”

“You could just give up, you know,” he said, his chin resting on her crown, his arms wrapping around her. “Forget all this London stuff. The family would pay you-”

She pushed away from him. “Is that what you want? Are you…are you some part of this sickness?” she demanded, her mind racing. Was Zach here at someone’s behest, to be her savior, to talk some sense into her, to make sure she was being driven away?

“I want you to be safe.”

“And leave.”

“Adria-”

“It won’t work. I think I told you before, I don’t scare easily.”

“This isn’t a little prank.”

“I know. But I’m not backing down.” Though she was trembling, she set her jaw. “I can handle this, Zach,” she said and wrapped her arms around her middle. “Sick, twisted bastard. He won’t get away with it. I won’t let him.”

Zach eyed her a second, then quickly checked the bathroom and closets. Both seemed okay. They were alone. “Whoever did it is gone, but not by much, the blood isn’t completely dried. Maybe he got careless, maybe he left a fingerprint or hair or something.”

“Bastard,” she muttered, her insides turning to jelly. Despite her brave words to Zach, she wanted to fall into a million pieces, to throw in the towel, accept defeat and leave. Who the hell cared if she was London Danvers? It wasn’t worth it. Not when she was dealing with a psycho. And yet she couldn’t. Not when she was close enough to have obviously scared the living hell out of the bastard.

“I’m calling the police first and hotel security second.” He checked out the room, then strode to the bedside phone.

“Wait a minute.” She reached for his arm.

“Like hell! This is serious, Adria. Whoever is doing this to you is sick. First the rat, now this.” He picked up the receiver.

“Whoever is doing this is running scared,” she pointed out, trying to keep from panicking, which was damned hard to do. She was safe, she reminded herself. She was with Zach.

But isn’t he part of the family? Hasn’t he encouraged you to back off-even suggested taking a payoff?

The back of her throat turned dry. Could she trust him? And if not Zach, then whom? “I just need a minute to think and…and sort this out and-”

“Stop! Don’t even go there.” He glared at her. “You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t a kid’s prank. Some major pervert is on your case. He’s obviously unhinged. No telling what he’ll do next.”

“I’m…I’m not afraid,” she lied.

“Like hell. You’re afraid and I’m afraid. Don’t give me any of that crap. Look, I didn’t fight you when you wanted to go to the press, and I stood by like a friggin’ wooden Indian while you gave your interviews. But I’m not gonna have something happen to you just because you’re too bullheaded to back off when some major nutcase is threatening you.”

“You want me to back off?”

“Hell, yes!”

“That’s what he wants. What he expects.”

“Fine. Who cares?”

“I do.”

He glared at her. “Then you’re not as smart as I give you credit for.” He crossed the room and grabbed her shoulders before thrusting his face next to hers. His nostrils were flared and his eyes narrowed. “You’re getting out of here tonight.”

She decided not to argue. She couldn’t stay in this room a second longer than necessary. “I get the message,” she said, her nerves beyond frayed. “And you’re right, I am afraid. What happened here tonight scares the hell out of me.”

“It should.”

“But,” she admitted, “I’m trying to stay as calm as possible-which isn’t easy.”

“Amen to that.”

“So how does he get in here?”

“With a key-someone on the staff,” Zach said, thinking aloud as he took another quick look around the room. He squeezed her shoulders gently, then let go. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. You’re not safe here.”

She didn’t try to stop him from calling the police. He was right; she knew it. Len Barry wasn’t on duty, but another detective, Celia Stinson, arrived and took charge by sealing off the room and calling in a crime-scene team. The hotel security officer wasn’t happy, but Stinson didn’t seem to care as she gave orders, took notes, and listened to what Adria and Zach had to say. Then, after hearing about the notes, dead rat, and observing firsthand the magnitude of the stalker’s depravity, she advised Adria to move. Pronto.

“And I’m not talking about just down the hall,” she said, eyeing the cracked mirror, picture, and smeared blood as a photographer took pictures of the scene and another officer was dusting the room for prints. Still another was carefully vacuuming the carpet. “This creep means business. And he’s dangerous. Go to another hotel, preferably far away.”

Adria provided the detective with a statement and a list of people she thought might be trying to terrorize her. Most of them were members of the Danvers family.

Who would try to terrorize her?

Jason?

Trisha?

Nelson?

Someone she didn’t know about? Someone who was afraid that she really was London Danvers.

Adria glanced at Zach and prayed that he wasn’t a part of this…surely he wasn’t. His fear and anger seemed too sincere.

But who? Who was so desperate? So determined? So deadly?

From the corner of her eye, Adria caught her reflection in the cracked, bloodied mirror and her heart nearly stopped. Her hair was disheveled, her face pale, her image distorted.

For the briefest of seconds Adria felt as if she’d been given a glimpse of the future and witnessed her own death.

19

Hell.

That’s what the last three days had been: pure hell.

So far the police hadn’t located the perpetrator who had terrorized Adria. The crime scene at the Orion Hotel had given up no fingerprints nor any other substantial evidence. Zach had spent most or his time with Adria, either dealing with the media circus that her announcement had created or camped out on her doorstep at the run-down hotel in Estacada, miles away from the city. He’d taken the room next to hers and insisted they keep the connecting door unlocked should she need help. Every night since then he’d spent hours looking at the unlocked door and thinking about her-how warm and innocent she would look with her hair fanned around her face, her dark lashes curled over her rosy cheeks, and her breasts visible over the edge of the sheets. The image had nearly driven him out of his mind.

He’d even given in once, opened the door and looked in, watching as she lay sleeping. Moonlight had spilled through the window and she’d sighed, her lips parting gently as she rolled over. Her eyelids had fluttered for a second and he’d stood still as death, but she hadn’t awakened and he’d somehow found the strength to turn away from her. He’d gritted his teeth, slept little, and spent more time taking cold showers than he wanted to admit.

So far, it seemed, no one knew where she was staying. He hadn’t told a soul and unless she opened her gorgeous mouth, she should be safe. She had talked about more permanent quarters, but he’d managed to convince her that mobility was important should her personal nutcase find her and force her to leave in a hurry.