Behind His Eyes - Truth Read Online Free PDF

Tony found the black velvet box and grinned. Peering inside, he gently touched the delicate white gold chain and cream-colored pearl. The necklace had belonged to Claire’s grandmother. Closing his eyes, he remembered the night he gave it back to her—the night of the symphony.
    Glancing at the numerous pictures from his years of surveillance, Tony wondered if he and Claire had come full circle. Would it be like this again? Would his only connection to her be through this new investigator? Would he only see Claire in two dimensions? Tony searched for their contract, the beginning of their personal journey together. He knew it wouldn’t be that easy again. If he were to get her back to Iowa and into his life, it wouldn’t be because of a signature on a napkin.
    Then he shook his head. He didn’t want her back, did he? Hell, the lack of sleep was making him sentimental. He stopped his search. The damn contract was no longer valid; it never had been—legally. Pushing the box back into its hideaway, he contemplated throwing it all away. Having her back wasn’t his goal; learning her location was. She had no right to disappear.
    With the necklace in his hand, Tony settled upon the soft leather sofa in front of his fireplace. If Phillip Roach were correct, in a few moments he’d hear the voice that used to fill his suite and his house. When her voice came through his phone, Tony wanted to feel her presence. He imagined the sound as he looked up at her wedding portrait and saw the emerald green that haunted his dreams. What did he want to hear? He wanted to know she was safe and unharmed. He wanted to know where she was, and he also wanted to bring her back to Iowa—because that was where she belonged.
    It didn’t make sense. To the world she was the woman who tried to kill him. To Tony she was more than that. The past twenty hours had proven it. She was his drug. Claire Nichols ran through his system like ecstasy, sending him on otherwise unobtainable highs. He reasoned that lows followed highs, and she’d given him those, too; they’d given them to each other. Nevertheless, without the right stimulant, the euphoria could never again be achieved. Whether it was elation or misery, neither would be obtainable without the exhilarating potency of Claire. He didn’t want an empty envelope. He wanted her. Nathaniel was wrong: Claire wasn’t gone; she was just misplaced.
    For the last twenty-four hours, his entire being had surged with anticipation. Claire may not understand it—hell, Tony didn’t understand it, but he couldn’t deny it. Now that she was gone, he needed her back in his life, and he would have her.
    Tony shook his head. He was acting like a heartsick schoolboy. He squared his shoulders and exhaled. The telephone number from Roach was already programmed into his phone, and of course, his number was blocked. The clock read 9:47 PM. Tony honestly didn’t know for sure where he was calling. Roach suspected California, and if that were the case, it would be two hours earlier there. Momentarily, Tony contemplated a drink to calm his nerves. No, the only drug he wanted was unknowingly waiting for his call.
    The small cream-colored pearl swung from his finger like a pendulum, keeping rhythm with the ringing phone. When the ringing stopped, time stood still. The anticipation was over. Claire’s voice came through loud and clear.
    “Hello?”
    It electrified him from head to toe.
    Relief. Hurt. Love. Loss .
    Her greeting was a torpedo hitting the dam he’d built around his memories. His mind flooded. He was back in time to her first coherent night at the estate. Even in her shocked condition, Claire stood tall—for her—and defiant. No longer was Tony seeing the woman in the designer wedding gown. No, behind his closed eyes, he saw Claire Nichols—his acquisition.
    “Good evening, Claire.” He greeted her in a tone drenched in debonair swagger. As he awaited Claire’s response, Tony heard other voices. When