She considered this but then looked at his intense brown eyes, staring into hers. And she said, ‘Okay. Sure, baby. Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.’

‘I love you,’ Seth whispered. He kissed her hard and she kissed back, embracing.

Pam sat forward, sipped coffee. ‘Munchies? I could use something. A pizza?’

‘Sure.’

She rose and walked into the kitchen again, opened the refrigerator door, pulled out a pizza and set it on the counter.

And sagged against the wall, feeling her gut churn, heart rate pound.

Thinking: How the hell did Seth know about Larchwood? She desperately thought back to their time together. No, I never mentioned it. I’m sure.

You need to tell Seth everything about your time underground.

No, I don’t.

Think, think …

‘Need a hand?’ his voice called.

‘Nope.’ She made noise, ripping the pizza box open, banging the oven door down.

This can’t be happening. There’s no way he could be involved with those people.

Impossible.

But Pam’s instincts, honed by years of survival, took over. She eased to the landline phone and picked it up. Held it to her ear.

Hit nine. Then one.

‘Making a call?’

Seth stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

Keeping a smile on her face, she turned, forcing herself to move slowly. ‘You know, we were talking about Amelia. I was just thinking. Maybe I will apologize. I think that’d be a good idea, don’t you? I mean, wouldn’t you, if you were in my place?’

‘Really?’ he asked. Not smiling. ‘You were calling Amelia?’

‘Yeah, that’s right.’

‘Put the phone down, Pam.’

‘I …’ Her voice faded as his steely dark eyes bored into hers. The same shade of brown. Her thumb hovered over the one button on the phone. Before she could hit it Seth stepped forward and pulled the phone from her hand, hung it up.

‘What are you doing?’ she whispered.

But Seth said nothing. He took her firmly by the arm, pulling her back to the couch.

CHAPTER 69

Seth walked to the front door, put the chain on and returned.

He smiled ruefully. ‘I can’t believe that I mentioned Larchwood. I knew you and your mom stayed with the Patriot Frontier there. But you never mentioned it. Stupid of me, a mistake like that.’

She whispered, ‘It was one of the things Amelia and I argued about. She asked if I’d told you about my life there. I said it didn’t matter. But really? I was afraid to tell you. And now … You’re one of them, aren’t you? You’re working with the people who tried to poison the water.’