Chapter 19
Coral jumped when Rand entered her office. “Oh my gosh.” She put a hand at her heart. “It is not a good day to startle me.”
He closed the door. “I apologize for scaring you. But you’re safer here than most places on earth. You might want to relax a little.” He rolled his eyes and then held up his phone. “Hey I have a new assignment for you and I hope you don’t mind, but I’m gonna take a phone call real quick too?”
“Uh.” She looked at her computer screen but then sighed and said, “Sure.” She was anxious for Rand to hear her message. It was as if he already knew they were surrounded by bad guys and being bugged all the time. He played the part well. Could she even trust him? She was reeling from everything she’d heard in the last four hours. She most desperately wanted to trust Rand.
“So, check your email. You should have received our travel plans and some files to look over. We both need to be familiar with those by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” She clicked open her email. “We’re flying to South Carolina?”
“Charleston.” He grinned. “Our newest client manufactures yachts, among other things.”
She felt her own smile grow. “And so we’re going to get a first-hand look at their products.”
“We are.”
“Me and you?”
He laughed. “Yes. I promise I had nothing to do with it.”
“Hm.” She felt happier and more relieved than she’d felt in the last six hours. “This is actually great news. And I should keep working on my current cases?”
“Oh yes, this will not be your only client. We just need to go spend a long weekend in Charleston getting to know a relatively new client to our firm. I don’t need to emphasize how important it is that we make a good impression.”
“Of course. And I don’t know if you know this, but I’m a regular regatta winner.”
“So you know your way around a yacht.”
“I do.”
“Excellent. Does your family by any chance own a Monroe yacht?”
“I’ll find out.” She made a note on her phone and then, almost hating to ruin the light mood, picked hers up. “Do you mind if I take this?”
“Not at all. I have a message on here I need to listen to.”
Coral knew what it was about to say. She knew he was about to listen to a full audio book of bad news from her. But she needed him to know, needed to see his face, needed his help. She replayed the message in her mind while he listened.
Rand. We are being bugged. Everywhere. At home, in our cars, in our offices. Never say anything you don’t want the Firm or the Client to hear. My visit with Muskanza went well today. They warned me against the firm. They seemed like good normal people, except for one thing. My security detail was compromised. I lost contact with them and they arrived to pick me up at a new location without talking to me at all. Muskanza arranged it. I can’t trust my team.
Rand’s face went very still. Coral knew he’d just heard that part of the message.
I left the meeting feeling confident in Muskanza and suspicious of our firm, but then they pulled me into the security offices. And I felt like I was talking to Lucan. They have state of the art systems. They knew all about Othello. They filled me in on the latest intel in their own systems to track the terrorists. They warned me of the dangers and advised me to let their own men stand watch outside my apartment. They also warned me against a possible breach in my security detail. They asked me about my meeting with Muskanza. And then warned me against them. They had details, proof that Muskanza has interacted with known members of Othello.
Rand coughed. “Oh sorry. I’m getting some disturbing news. Just a moment.” He stood and started pacing.
I don’t know what to do Rand. I don’t know where to go. I need your help. She had hung up after that.
Rand lowered the phone. “Wow, that was some message. I’ll have to address some of that in just a minute. I can’t stay much longer. I just wanted to give you the news. Oh, and Coral. This might sound a little forward, maybe even more than you’re wanting right now, but learning we get to work together was great news for me. Want to get dessert after karaoke tonight with the others?”
“Dessert?” She wrinkled her nose. What was he getting at?
“Sure. I have a whole set up for fondue and ice cream at my place…” He smiled like he was flirting with her. Hadn’t she just explained the whole being bugged thing? What was he doing?
He put a hand down on her table so he could lean in closer. “We can talk work…or not. Up to you.” When his face was close enough, no one else could read his expression, his eyes turned very serious.
So she nodded. “Great. I’ll pack my bags early then, maybe stay at your place?” She flipped her hair and suspected she looked ridiculous. She had no way of knowing how to flirt when you felt like you were in danger so that your boss thought you were serious.
But he grinned and then nodded. “Excellent.”
He turned. “I’ll deal with this and get things in order. I think the email says we will be out five days.”
“Yes, you’re right. Looking forward to it.”
“Me too.” He rested a hand on her door frame, looking like he wanted to pull her into his arms.
She would have gladly accepted one of his strong hugs. But that could come later. “See ya.”
He opened his mouth and then closed it and nodded. “See ya.”
The rest of the day went as long as it was possible to go. Every moment seemed to drag on.
Trey stepped into her office right before dinner. “You in tonight?”
“I am, you?”
“Yep, but I’m always in. Where have you been?”
She sighed. “I actually went to visit a client. And then had some kind of orientation with security.”
“Wow, will we all have that?”
“I don’t know. It might be related to my family situation. I’ve had security briefings before about all kinds of things.”
Trey stared at her a moment like she was odd but then let it go. “So, karaoke? Do you sing?”
“Absolutely not, but I love to dance and it’s fun to try to sing, right?”
“I guess. Unless you can’t carry a tune….” Trey looked worried.
“Oh stop. You’re probably one of those choir/theater boys who can totally belt out Les Misérables or something.”
“How did you know?”
“Wait, seriously?”
“Maybe a little bit, but karaoke isn’t about show tunes.”
“But it could be. This is too good.” Coral laughed at his embarrassment. “I’m excited to hear what you got. And don’t worry. No one listens too closely. They’re all getting drunk and dancing.”
“Ok great.” He didn’t sound too convinced or too happy no one was listening. Coral couldn’t tell which.
But she liked him. He as uncomplicated. “Want to head over together?”
“Yes. I was coming over here to try to be smooth enough to make that happen.”
“That’s hilarious. Well, I made it easy on you.”
“Or I was that smooth.”
“For sure you were that smooth then.” She laughed. “See you in about an hour?”
“An hour? You still working?”
“Some of us missed half the day, just let me finish up a couple things.”
He plopped down on her chair. “Have at it.”
At first she didn’t believe he was just going to sit there but then he didn’t move, so she did her best to ignore him.
Once she was finished, she turned everything off, stuffed her laptop and three huge files into her bags and then followed Trey out the door.
“You bringing all that with you tonight?”
“Um, yeah. And I leave tomorrow to meet a client in South Carolina. Quick trip, but I can’t just ignore all this other work.”
“You’re already going to meet a client? How did that happen?”
“I don’t really know. But they put me on a new client and we need to go and meet them and help them feel at ease.”
“I bet it’s a good one too.”
“Yacht company.”
He groaned. “Of course you got a yacht company.”
They made their way to the parking garage, and she climbed into his two-seater sports car. “This is fun.”
“Thank you. The weather here is perfect for it.” He pushed a button and the top went down. “I think everyone is meeting us there in about an hour. Let’s take it for a drive first.”
“Oh awesome. That’s a great idea.” She put her bags in the trunk and joined him in the front. “This is beautiful.” She tried to ignore her security detail but then missed them because two cars she’d never seen before pulled out and followed behind in the parking garage.
“Those guys are unreasonably close.” Trey frowned into his rearview mirror. “What’s the deal?” He raised a hand toward them.
Coral texted Joe. “You can back off. Trey is a good guy. We’re going for a drive and then to karaoke and dinner.”
Joe responded immediately. “We aren’t behind you. We were told you would be another hour inside.”
Coral’s heart filled her throat as she texted furiously to Joe and to her team. “We are leaving now, being followed too closely by two black cars.”
“Don’t leave.” Her team gave the same warning as Joe.
“Do you just want us to stop? Park? What should we do?”
“Wait right there. Pull into a nearby parking spot.” Joe’s advice again repeated did not sit well.
Coral looked over at Trey. This was going to be difficult to explain and she really didn’t want to have to give up all her royal identity as well as the knowledge that she might be a target. She didn’t want to talk about how the Muskanza was a danger to them all. Trey just didn’t need to know any of that information. Or at least he hadn’t needed to know until this moment. He certainly would need to know if the cars behind them didn’t leave them alone, or worse, they put them at risk.
She called Rand.
“Hey, where are you? I’ve got some nervous security guys right here.”
“I just texted my head of security.”
“Not according to these two. They thought you were still in the building.”
“I’m with Trey. We are going for a drive before karaoke because we were faster than everyone else, but Rand. My guys don’t know where I am? Who am I texting?”
She heard him relay that information to whoever was standing with Rand. And then she had a realization. She didn’t trust them. She didn’t trust whoever she was texting. She didn’t even know Trey. Rand was the only person she had a reasonable amount of trust in. And she was not with Rand. “Um. Trey and I have a couple guys in black cars following too closely. We can’t shake them. A stranger on the phone who I thought was Joe told us to park.”
“No, do not park.” Rand’s voice sounded strained. But she could picture his stern face and his precision focus. “Let me talk to Trey.”
She put it on speaker.
“Trey, can you hear me?”
“Oh hey, yeah, is this Mr. McCarthy?”
“Yes, it is. So, we’ve been having some trouble with local guys who follow us too closely out of the garage. They’re not with the firm of course. They’re just trying to do some damage, maybe vandalize, but mostly give us a scare. This isn’t the first time.”
Trey looked in the mirror. “Okay. What do you want me to do about these guys? They’re riding really close. I’m kind of afraid they’re going to rear end me.”
“Don’t worry at all. Look, all you need to do is come driving back toward me, and I’ll take it from there.”
“Where are you?”
“Just go up the next ramp instead of down, circle around and I’ll be on the opposite side.”
“You got it.” Trey turned to go up the ramp.
Coral watched in the mirror, hoping they would just go away, but the cars stayed tightly following Trey’s bumper. “This is weird.”
“I agree.”
“Why would local guys come in here to give us a scare. That doesn’t add up.” He narrowed his eyes at Coral. “What do you know?”
“Why would I know anything? I’m here like you, not knowing a single thing about this firm. It has been the weirdest time of my whole life and I’m not sure I want to stick around for week two.”
Rand’s voice interrupted. “Until you both got here, nothing like this ever happened. I think if we give it some time, things will be calm and small town again. But until then, what’s going on with your pursuers?”
Coral turned around. “They’re still behind us. The windows are tinted but I can see the outlines of two men in there.” She squinted. “And a woman.”
The car moved closer.
“They might actually tap my bumper. Who are these losers?” Trey sped up.
But the car behind sped up as well.
“Just keep coming. Be steady. Where are you?”
“We’re almost there. Turn is up ahead.” Coral’s nails dug into her palms as she clenched her fists. “What are you going to do?”
“As soon as you pull in by me, speed up. I’ll block these guys and then let’s see who they are.”
“What! Rand you can’t do that!”
“It will be fine. I’ve got your detail with me and I’m armed. Just don’t stop and don’t get out of the car.”
She couldn’t trust her team. She didn’t even know if contacting her father would help. He would hire others who could also be compromised. Maybe he would send a full team from home.
They rounded the corner.
Rand yelled. “Now Trey! Gun it!”
He slammed on the gas and squealed forward, flying to the next turn where he slowed only slightly and took it at ridiculous speeds.
Coral whipped her head around in time to see Rand pull in front of the two cars and slow down. “He’s stopping them. Hurry. Let’s get out of here and hide somewhere.”
“Hide?”
“Or I guess don’t stop. Let’s just keep driving.”
They were both quiet for many minutes. Coral was counting the seconds until she heard from Rand. She had no idea what was going through Trey’s head.
“So, you and Rand?”
“That’s what you want to ask me right now?”
“Well, sure, my first question.”
“We hooked up before. Now we aren’t sure what we are because we didn’t know at the time that we’d be working together.”
“That’s good to know.”
“It is?”
“Well sure, I never had a chance because he had prior claim.”
She rolled her eyes. “Really? That’s your concern right now?”
Then he laughed. “Come on. We could have been amazing together.”
“You know? We really could have.”
“So, what is all this? Really. I know it’s not local trouble makers. That’s ridiculous. Tinted windows?”
“The truth is, I don’t know what this is. I’m as clueless as you.” That wasn’t entirely true. “But it complicates things that I’m a royal.”
He coughed. “A royal? Like, you’re the queen or something?”
“One day. I’m a princess. It’s a small island in the Mediterranean, hardly relevant to American life.”
“But you came here for work? As a lawyer?”
She laughed. “Yes. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
“And those guys are after you?”
She shivered. “I think so.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to sound callous. This is all just so…Hollywood or something. Is it for real?”
“Yeah, it’s for real.” She didn’t mention her suspicions about their client. She didn’t mention the terrorists targeting royals. “I’d like it if most people don’t know this about me.”
“That’s fair. But I‘m not sure how this whole situation is going to go down. Mel and Jaden aren’t going to buy the trouble maker story either.”
“I know. I leave in the morning. Maybe it will all die down while I’m gone.”
Trey didn’t say anything.
They drove up and down the roads in the city and then ventured to the neighborhoods just outside, waiting for Rand to call.