Protecting Her (Honor Bound #5)

Chapter 3

3

JUDE

B ogotá's morning air bit cold. "Tell me about Yemen," Carmen said quietly. "Not the official report. What really happened."

Jude's hand tightened around her glass. "What makes you think there's more to it?"

"Because I've read enough sanitized reports to know they hide the reality.” Carmen turned, studying her at this altitude, the Andes' shadows to the east still holding the night's chill. Jude circled the armored BMW, her body running on caffeine and training after the overnight flight. Every vehicle check was completed with muscle memory now: tire pressure, armor plating, door seals. Yemen had taught her to trust no one's work but her own.

The private hangar still held traces of their midnight arrival: jet engines cooling, ground crew moving with practiced efficiency, and the lingering scent of aviation fuel. Jude had watched Carmen descend the aircraft steps with her grace intact despite the late hour, somehow managing to look elegant even after six hours in the air. They'd shared only professional words since departing DC, but Jude had felt every accidental brush of shoulders during the flight's turbulent moments and cataloged every quiet breath when Carmen had finally dozed off in their private plane.

"Perimeter clear," Sarah's voice came through her earpiece, pulling Jude back to the present. "Morning traffic patterns are normal for the route."

Jude acknowledged Sarah’s report with a quick tap of her mic as she scanned the hangar's shadows. Their arrival had been confidential—routed through secure channels with a carefully crafted flight plan—but she'd learned that information had a way of leaking in war zones, and Bogotá was definitely a war zone beneath its cosmopolitan surface. The local security forces had been too eager to help and too interested in their movements. She'd seen that kind of attention before in Caracas . . . right before everything went wrong.

"Three-vehicle convoy is ready," Marcus reported from the driver's seat. "Kate's got surveillance drones up giving us eyes overhead."

Jude nodded, checking her weapon for the third time. The weight of her tactical vest felt heavier here where the altitude made every movement cost more energy. Or maybe it was the weight of watching Carmen move through her morning briefing with the local embassy staff, her voice carrying that particular tone of authority that somehow managed to make Jude's pulse quicken, even while discussing threat assessments.

The click of heels on concrete made her look up. Carmen approached with her usual composure, but Jude noticed the subtle signs of fatigue from travel—a slight softness to her usual precision and the way she held her coffee cup like armor against the morning. Even tired, she commanded attention without demanding it, her charcoal suit and silk blouse a stark contrast to their security gear.

"All clear, Captain?" Carmen's voice carried warmth despite the fatigue Jude could read in the slight tension around her eyes. The overnight flight had been rough with unexpected turbulence that had their security teams constantly recalculating threat scenarios.

"Vehicle's secure, ma'am." Jude opened the rear door, positioning herself to shield Carmen from potential vulnerabilities. Their eyes met briefly, and Jude fought against remembering how Carmen had instinctively gripped her arm during the worst of the turbulence on the plane. "We'll take the alternate route to the hotel."

Carmen slid into the backseat with practiced ease, and Jude caught a whisper of her perfume—something elegant that made the armored car feel suddenly smaller and more intimate. Marcus took the driver's seat while Jude rode shotgun, her body angled to watch both the road ahead and Carmen's reflection in the rearview mirror.

They merged into morning traffic, the city slowly waking around them. Bogotá's streets were already filling up with vendors setting up stalls, business people hurrying to their offices, and the constant dance of motorcycles weaving between lanes. Through her earpiece, Jude monitored her team's positioning: Sarah and Kate in the follow vehicle behind them, David coordinating surveillance from their temporary command center, and James on standby at the hotel.

"How long were you stationed here before during the last coup attempt?" Carmen asked, her voice carrying that diplomat's gift for making conversation sound both casual and purposeful.

"Three months," Jude answered, somehow unsurprised that Carmen had read that detail in her file and suspected she already knew the answer. "Mostly intelligence gathering on cartel movements near the embassy."

"Two motorcycles approaching," Marcus said quietly. "Right side, matching speed."

Jude's hand shifted closer to her weapon. "David, got eyes on them?"

"Checking traffic cams." A pause. "Just commuters. But there's a black SUV that's made the last three turns with us."

Carmen leaned forward, close enough that Jude could feel her presence like heat. The morning sun caught the silver in her hair, and Jude forced herself to focus on the traffic instead of how the light played across Carmen's features.

"The last time I was here," Carmen said, voice pitched for Jude's ears alone, "we lost two vehicles to a coordinated ambush. The cartels had bought off half the local security force. They're patient; they'll wait until you start feeling safe."

The proximity of Carmen's breath against her ear made Jude's skin tingle, but the intelligence beneath the casual observation sharpened her focus. "When was this?"

"Two years ago. Different political players, same tactics." Carmen's tone carried years of experience in reading between lines of official reports. "The corporate interests haven't changed, just their proxies. Watch for the private security contractors; they're usually ex-military, probably from the same units you worked with during the coup."

Jude stored that insight away while tracking the black SUV in her side mirror. "Sarah, peel off and get eyes on our tail. Marcus, next intersection we'll?—"

"Test if they follow," Carmen finished, and Jude caught her quick smile in the mirror. "I've done this dance before, Captain. Though usually with less . . . competent partners."

The simple praise shouldn't have warmed Jude's chest. She blamed the altitude and situation for how her pulse jumped when Carmen continued sharing details about previous security incidents, each observation tactically relevant and delivered with diplomatic precision that made Jude increasingly aware of the woman behind the professional facade.

"The hotel's security chief is new," Carmen added, shuffling through briefing papers. "Replaced after the last summit. His background check shows multiple connections to corporate interests we're investigating."

"I’ve already flagged him," Jude confirmed, allowing a small smile tug at the corners of her lips at their synchronicity. "His shifts are being monitored."

Their bubble of focused tension broke when David's voice crackled through the comms. "SUV turned off. Clean for now, but satellites show unusual traffic patterns near the hotel's south entrance."

They arrived at the Hotel Gran Diplomático's private entrance twenty minutes later, the morning sun now painting the glass building in blinding streaks. As Marcus did a final sweep of the underground garage, Carmen gathered her briefing materials.

"Thank you, Captain." Her hand brushed Jude's shoulder, feather-light but electric. "I know my experience with local security risks complicates your job."

Jude turned, and for a moment, they were too close in the car's confined space. She could see flecks of amber in Carmen's dark eyes, count her individual lashes, and feel the weight of everything they left unspoken. The air felt thinner, as if Carmen's presence seemed to consume all the oxygen in the space between them.

"Your experience keeps us alive, ma'am," Jude managed, her voice professional despite the heat building under her tactical vest. "The more intelligence we have, the better we can protect you."

Carmen's smile held knowing warmth. "Always the soldier first, aren't you?" She stepped out of the vehicle before Jude could respond, leaving her with the ghost of perfume and the growing certainty that maintaining professional distance was becoming impossible.

Jude followed, scanning the garage's shadows while trying to ignore how the morning light played across Carmen's features. They had a summit to secure, threats to neutralize, and a peace treaty hanging in the balance. She couldn't afford distractions, couldn't risk letting her growing attraction compromise her judgment.

But as they moved toward the elevator, Jude caught Carmen watching her in the polished steel doors' reflection, and she knew she was already fighting a losing battle against feelings that had nothing to do with duty and everything to do with the woman who made diplomatic protection feel like falling.

The elevator ride to the lobby stretched endless, each floor bringing them closer to the public spaces Jude had spent weeks analyzing through security footage. Carmen stood closer than strictly necessary, their shoulders almost touching as they ascended. Through her earpiece, Jude monitored her team taking up positions throughout the hotel.

"Lobby swept and secure," Kate reported through Jude's earpiece. "Local security's trying to access our feeds."

Jude's jaw tightened at the news. A slight movement caught her eye; Carmen had noticed her reaction.

"They'll try to monitor everything," Carmen murmured, soft enough that only Jude could hear. "Watch the cleaning staff supervisor. She reports directly to our friends in corporate security."

The elevator doors opened, revealing the marble lobby spread before them, morning sun streaming through the windows. Jude positioned herself slightly ahead of Carmen, scanning faces and movements while Marcus handled check-in procedures they'd arranged through secure channels.

"Welcome to the Hotel Gran Diplomático," the manager stepped forward, all polished smiles and careful deference. Jude had memorized his background check: Miguel Santos, twenty years in luxury hotels, no obvious red flags but too many connections to local power players.

Carmen handled the social requirements with practiced ease while Jude watched the staff's movements. Two bellhops approached with luggage carts, their uniforms pressed to military precision that set off Jude’s internal warning bells.

"Our finest suite is prepared." Santos gestured toward the private elevator. "If you'll follow me..."

"We know the way," Jude cut in smoothly, catching Sarah's subtle hand signal about the bellhops' earpieces. "Thank you."

The Hotel Gran Diplomático's presidential suite took up half the top floor, a sprawling complex of interconnected rooms that gave Jude's security instincts fits. Too many windows, too many entry points, too many variables to control. She moved through the space with razor-sharp precision, cataloging every potential vulnerability while her team set up their equipment.

"North-facing windows have clear sight lines from at least three buildings," she noted into her comm, watching Kate mark the coordinates. "I want surveillance on all of them."

"Already running facial recognition on the occupants," David's voice crackled back. "Three law firms, two tech companies, and a lot of recently rented office space."

Sarah appeared in the doorway of what would be Carmen's bedroom, her expression grim. "Local security cameras are compromised. Someone's tapped into the feeds."

"Switch to our system." Jude moved to inspect the connecting door between her room and Carmen's, testing its reinforced locks. "I want our people monitoring every angle."

The door represented both tactical necessity and personal temptation. Having direct access to Carmen's room was essential for protection, but Jude couldn't quite ignore how the proximity would affect her already fragile professional distance.

Soft footsteps in the hallway made her turn. Carmen entered with her usual quiet grace, trailed by hotel staff carrying her luggage. Even after the long flight and tense drive, she maintained that diplomat's gift for making every movement look effortless.

"The staff has been cleared?" Carmen asked, though Jude suspected she already knew the answer.

"Thoroughly. Though I'd prefer you let us unpack?—"

"That won't be necessary, Captain." Carmen's smile held gentle amusement. "Some things should remain private, don't you think?"

The suggestion in her tone made Jude's collar feel too tight. She focused on checking window seals while Carmen directed the staff, hyperaware of how the other woman moved through the space. Each brush past felt deliberate, every shared glance carrying weight.

"Communications are up," Marcus reported, drawing Jude's attention back to security. "Encrypted channels confirmed secure."

She nodded, moving to inspect the bathroom's ventilation system. "I want thermal imaging on adjacent rooms and?—"

The words died on her tongue. Carmen stood in the bathroom doorway wearing only a silk robe, hair damp from a shower Jude hadn't even heard running. Water droplets traced paths down her neck, disappearing beneath deep blue silk, and Jude's carefully maintained control cracked.

"Sorry, Captain." Carmen's voice carried a hint of something that wasn't quite innocence. "I thought you'd finished in here."

Jude forced her eyes up, maintaining professional eye contact through sheer will. "Just checking the ventilation access points, ma'am. I'll give you privacy."

"Always so proper." Carmen's smile held heat that had nothing to do with her shower. She moved past Jude in the narrow doorway, close enough that damp silk brushed against tactical gear. "Though I wonder if that's getting harder to maintain."

The scent of Carmen's shower products—something expensive and subtle—filled Jude's senses. She stepped back quickly, nearly colliding with Sarah who'd appeared with security updates.

"Ma'am," Jude managed, her voice remarkably steady considering how her pulse raced. "We'll finish the security sweep and let you settle in."

Carmen's knowing look suggested she hadn't missed Jude's reaction. "Of course, Captain. Though do remember that connecting door works both ways. You know, in case of an emergency."

The reminder of their shared access hung between them, loaded with implications beyond just security protocols. Jude retreated to her own room, directing her team to finish setting up surveillance while trying to forget how Carmen's robe had clung to shower-warm skin.

Later, alone in her room, Jude stared at the connecting door. She could hear Carmen moving around next door, taking calls with that diplomatic voice that somehow managed to be both authoritative and intimate. The sounds felt too close, too personal, like classified information Jude shouldn't have access to.

She touched the door's handle, telling herself she was just checking the lock again. But she knew the real danger wasn't what might come through the door.

It was how much she wanted to open it herself.

Her secure phone buzzed, breaking the moment. She expected a security update, but Carmen's name lit up the display instead.

"Captain." Carmen's voice through the phone carried that particular warmth that made Jude's pulse quicken. "Could you join me to review tomorrow's security protocols?"

"Of course, ma'am." Jude was already moving, her professional mask firmly in place. "Give me two minutes to coordinate with the team."

She updated Sarah about the change in position, checked her weapon, and tried to ignore how eager she felt to cross the space between their rooms. The connecting door clicked open with careful precision.

Carmen's suite glowed amber in the evening light streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows. The diplomat stood at her desk, still elegant despite the long day, and Jude noticed how Carmen’s silver-streaked hair caught the sunset. She'd changed from her blue silk robe into something even softer—a cream silk blouse and tailored slacks that made Jude intensely aware of still being in her work clothes.

"Drink?" Carmen gestured to the bar cart by the window. "I think we've earned one after today's excitement."

Jude hesitated. "Ma'am, I'm still on duty."

"You're always on duty, Captain." Carmen's smile held understanding. "But sometimes we need to blur the lines between protection and partnership. Especially given what we're facing."

She moved to the bar cart with fluid grace, pouring two measures of what looked like expensive scotch. The casual domesticity of the gesture felt more dangerous than any security threat they'd faced.

"The balcony has been swept," Carmen added, holding out a glass to Jude. "And I imagine you'd feel better assessing sight lines from out there."

Their fingers brushed during the exchange, sending electricity up Jude's arm. She followed Carmen onto the balcony, automatically noting defensive positions and angles of vulnerability. But her focus wavered when Carmen leaned against the railing, “And because I recognize that look you get sometimes. The one that says you're carrying old ghosts. Tell me about Yemen.”

The evening air felt thinner, charged with more than just altitude. Jude took a careful sip of scotch, letting the burn ground her.

"We lost two team members," she finally said. "The official report says we couldn't have predicted the attack. But I saw the signs: local security acting strange, unusual patterns in staff rotations, the works. I just didn't put them together fast enough."

"And you've been watching for those signs ever since."

"Like you've been watching for signs of corporate interference in peace negotiations?" Jude countered softly.

Carmen's smile held surprise and approval. "You've been paying attention."

"It's my job to pay attention, ma'am."

"To security threats, yes." Carmen shifted closer, her perfume mixing with the evening air. "But you see more than that, don't you? The way corporate interests are using humanitarian aid to control indigenous communities. How they're corrupting local officials."

"The same way you see more than just tactical movements when you watch my team work."

The observation slipped out before Jude could stop it. Carmen's eyes darkened with something that held more than just surprise.

"We're more alike than they'd expect," Carmen murmured. "Both dedicated to protection, just with different methods." She paused, watching the city lights flicker on below. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like? To choose something for yourself instead of duty?"

The question hung between them, loaded with implications. Jude turned to face her fully, transfixed by how the fading light softened Carmen's features.

"Duty is easier," Jude admitted. "It has clear lines and defined boundaries."

"And this doesn't?" Carmen stepped closer, erasing their professional distance. "This thing we're not talking about?"

Jude's breath caught. Carmen stood close enough now that she could see the flecks of gold in her dark eyes and feel the heat radiating between them.

“Carmen…” The name slipped out before she could swallow it, the first time Jude had used it instead of the usual honorific “ma'am.”

Carmen's hand came up to trace the scar near Jude's temple, the touch feather-light but electric. "Always so careful, aren't you? Always in control?"

"I have to be." Jude's voice roughened. "People's lives depend on it. Your life depends on it."

"And if I told you some things are worth the risk?"

Jude hesitated, not saying what she really wanted to. The kiss, when it came, was gentle but deliberate. Carmen's soft lips pressed against hers with passionate intensity. For one fleeting moment, Jude let herself respond and lean in to the kiss, tasting scotch and possibility and everything she shouldn't want but did.

Then Carmen pulled back, reality crashing over them with the evening air.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her professional mask slipping back into place. "That was inappropriate. I shouldn't have?—"

She retreated into the suite before Jude could respond, leaving her alone on the balcony with the ghost of the kiss and the certainty that nothing would be the same after this.

Jude pressed a finger to her lips, still feeling the phantom pressure of Carmen's mouth against her own. The city sparkled below, oblivious to how her world had just shifted on its axis. Her military training screamed about compromise and distraction, about how attraction could get people killed.

But her heart, treacherous and honest, knew it was already too late for warnings.

She finished her scotch in one burning swallow and walked back into her own room through the connecting door, each step an exercise in control. But as she prepared for the night security shift, Jude knew she'd lost the most important battle of all: the one against falling for the woman she was meant to protect.

Jude's room felt too quiet after the intensity of the balcony. She moved through her security checklist with mechanical precision, trying to focus on protocols instead of the lingering taste of scotch and Carmen's lips.

"Northwest sector clear," Sarah's voice crackled through her earpiece, startling her back to duty. "But we've got increased activity around the hotel perimeter."

Jude welcomed the distraction. "What kind of activity?"

"Local police patrols. More than usual. And they're paying too much attention to our security positions."

"Send me the footage." Jude moved to her laptop, grateful for something tactical to analyze. But as the security feeds loaded, she caught her reflection in the dark screen, her fingers subconsciously touching her lips where Carmen had kissed her. She could almost still feel them…

Focus. She pulled up the footage, noting the patrol patterns Sarah had flagged. The local police were indeed showing unusual interest in their defensive positions. Just like in Yemen before.

Her phone buzzed. David's text was brief but concerning: Corporate security team checking in. Same unit as last summit.

The same summit where Carmen had lost two vehicles to an ambush. The memory of Carmen's earlier warning about patient enemies twisted in Jude's gut, mixing with the echo of her whispered apology before retreating.

She needed to clear her head. "Sarah, I'm doing a perimeter check. Keep monitoring those patrols, and radio me if you see anything that suggests the situation is escalating."

The hotel corridors were quiet at this hour, their thick carpet swallowing her footsteps. Jude moved with practiced stealth, checking security positions and sight lines. Everything looked normal, but experience had taught her that “normal” was often when things went wrong. She wouldn’t get complacent in normalcy.

Passing Carmen's door, she heard muted voices from within. She knew she shouldn't listen. But her training—and something more personal—made her pause and linger.

"—increasing pressure on the indigenous communities." Carmen's voice, tired but determined, filtered through the door. "Yes, I understand the corporate interests at stake, but—" A pause. "The peace treaty means nothing if it's built on corrupt foundations."

Jude's chest tightened at the strain in Carmen's voice. She wanted to go in, to offer... What? Protection? Comfort? Both seemed dangerous after what had happened on the balcony.

A movement at the end of the hall snapped her attention back to duty. One of the hotel's security staff was speaking quietly into a radio, his posture triggering warning bells in Jude's mind and body.

"Kate," she murmured into her comm. "I need a background check on the night security supervisor. Something's off."

"Already on it." Kate's fingers clicked over keys. "He's new. Hired right after the staff changes Carmen mentioned. And his bank records show some interesting deposits."

The pieces started falling into place. Carmen's warnings about patient enemies. The too-interested police patrols. New security staff with suspicious finances. They were being watched, assessed, and measured for weaknesses.

Including, perhaps, the growing connection between protector and protectee.

Jude completed her perimeter check, each step strengthening her resolve. She couldn't take back the kiss, couldn't unfeel what was building between them. But she could ensure it didn't compromise Carmen's safety.

When she returned to her room, the connecting door seemed to mock her with possibilities and temptations. She could hear Carmen moving around next door, the soft sounds a reminder of everything she couldn't have. Shouldn't have.

"Activity update," Sarah reported. "Two unmarked vehicles just parked in our blind spot on the south side."

"Track them," Jude ordered, forcing her mind to security concerns. "I want IDs on anyone who exits those vehicles."

She spent the next hour coordinating with her team, reviewing security footage, and updating protocols. But every few minutes, her eyes drifted to the connecting door that separated them. Every shift of movement from Carmen's room made her hyperaware of the woman on the other side.

Finally, when the night had grown deep and the city's lights sparkled like fallen stars, Jude allowed herself one moment of weakness. She pressed her palm flat against the connecting door, feeling the wood's smooth grain beneath her calluses.

"I'll keep you safe," she whispered to the silence. "Even if that means keeping my distance."

But as she turned away to continue her watch, Jude knew she was lying to herself. Distance might protect their lives, but her heart was already too far gone for protection.

The night stretched out long ahead, full of security threats she could fight and feelings she couldn't. Tomorrow would bring new challenges: a peace summit to secure, enemies to identify, and professional boundaries to rebuild.

But tonight, alone in her room with the ghost of a kiss she couldn't forget, Jude accepted a hard truth: sometimes the greatest threat wasn't the enemy you could see coming.

It was the way love could slip past your defenses when you weren't looking.