Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
I zzy left Emily flirting by the pool and went back to her room to lie down and catch up on some emails. Allison, her father's D.C.-based executive assistant, was emailing her meeting schedules and filling her in on operating decisions Robert had made regarding Omega Enterprises.
Thank God for Robert. He'd been effectively running the company for years, since her father preferred to live on site. After his death, she and Robert had flown out to Mexico to meet the site manager, a tough local engineer called Luis Alvarez who was in charge of the miners and the day-to-day workings of the site.
Alvarez was rapidly promoted to General Operations Manager of the Montezuma Project and his remit had expanded to include the distribution network, railroad and port infrastructure, and decision-making powers. They'd spent two weeks helping him build a close-knit team of supervisors, assistants, and security officers to run the mine.
Security was outsourced to an American company operating out of Guatemala, mostly ex-soldiers and mercenaries, not unlike Blackthorn Security. It was necessary, Robert said, to prevent theft and random attacks by banditos and drug barons who wanted a piece of the action.
Omega Enterprises owned and operated several mines across Mexico. These included significant projects in Sonora, Zacatecas, and Guerrero. Each of these operations was profitable and managed by capable local teams. She had met all the managers after her father had passed away, ensuring continuity and a personal touch in the management of their extensive operations.
Robert oversaw all the mines from the D.C. office. He made high-level decisions and effectively ran the company. Her role was more like that of a silent partner, but she still wanted to know what was going on.
"The board was worried that I'd sell my share of the company after my father died," she told Viper on the way up to the suite. She had no idea why she was sharing with him other than he was a great listener—probably because he didn’t say much, and she needed to off-load. "To be honest, I thought about it, but the company meant so much to him that I decided to keep things as they were. Not rock the boat too much, so to speak. As it was, we lost market share when my father died."
"I can imagine," Viper said, politely.
She sighed. "Anyway, it's left me with a lot of extra work, not that I'm involved in the day-to-day running of the company. That's Robert's job." She glanced across at him. "Robert Hampton-Barnes was my father's Chief Financial Officer, but I've promoted him to CEO. You'll meet him next week if he manages to get out here for a few days."
Okay, so she was babbling, but Viper simply let her carry on, nodding in all the appropriate places. It felt good to air her thoughts, even if she wasn’t getting a response. She couldn't discuss such things with Emily, who was a genius when it came to fashion and marketing, not so much running a corporation.
"I like to keep tabs on what's going on. Allison, that's my father’s, now Robert’s exec assistant, keeps me abreast of any new developments."
Another wordless nod. They walked down the corridor to their suite. She stood back while Viper opened the door—see, she was learning—and checked the adjoining rooms before allowing her entry. "All clear, Miss Beaumont."
She glanced up at him, exasperated. "Izzy, please."
"I feel more comfortable with Miss Beaumont, ma'am, if you don't mind."
"Whatever." Would it hurt him so much to relax a little? She didn’t bite. He hadn't even flinched when she'd barged in on him in his underwear. Not a flicker. She was beginning to wonder if he possessed any emotions at all.
"I’m going to my room. We’ll be heading out around seven, but order room service if you're hungry," she told him, aware he hadn’t had lunch. "Charge it to the room."
"Thank you," he replied, giving a stiff nod. She wondered where he'd gotten that cut on the side of his head. Must be recent. It looked like there were still a couple of stitches in it. Another assignment, maybe? Had he fended off an attack on another vulnerable victim?
She swallowed, suddenly weary. The constant tension was beginning to weight on her. Conversely, Viper appeared calm and collected, but then he always did. A sniper, patiently waiting for a chance to strike. Was that how he’d gotten his nickname? He saw her studying him. “Was there something else, Miss Beaumont?”
“No, but I’ll be quite safe in the suite, if you want to take some time to yourself.”
“I’m good, thank you.”
She gave a tight nod. “Suit yourself.”
It was a beautiful balmy evening. Not a breath of air and the heat from the day encased the city in a warm glow, as if it were still basking in the residual warmth of the sun.
"Wow, that's breathtaking," gasped Emily, staring out over the Pacific Ocean that mirrored the pink, peach, and yellow of the changing sky. Izzy had to admit, it was stunning. Viper was wearing those aviator sunglasses he'd worn by the pool, so she couldn't tell if he was looking at the sunset or not.
Emily had wanted to go out for a drink, so she’d agreed, even though she hadn’t really been in the mood. Snap out of it , she told herself sternly, glancing at Viper walking next to her. To the casual observer, he could be mistaken for her boyfriend. Taller than both of them, arms bulging out of that shirt, hotter than hell with his square jaw covered with stubble. Impossible to ignore. It was a stunning evening, they were on a working vacation, and she was lucky to be here. Why was she letting a few poison pen letters get the better of her?
So far, nothing had come of them. They’d been idle threats. It was Pat who had convinced her to take them seriously. Pat who’d insisted they assign her a close protection officer for the next few weeks, just until the cops could get to the bottom of who was sending them.
He might seem casual, but she knew him well enough to know he was on full alert. She felt the concentration radiating off him like a ball of wound-up electricity, waiting to be unleashed.
Just ignore him, Pat had said. He’ll stay in the background. You won’t even know he’s there.
Ha! Fat chance.
Sure, he really blended into the background.
The way he watched her was unsettling too. Watched without seeing, if that made any sense. No direct eye contact, but she was never out of his sight.
If she were brutally honest, it was also damn sexy. She found herself doing things for his benefit. Lounging in front of him, tilting her head at just the right angle, flaunting her body. She knew how to show herself off to her best advantage, and she was turning it on, just for him.
This evening she'd picked this particular outfit because she'd thought he'd like it. How crazy was that? He was nobody. So why was he demanding so much of her attention, without even trying?
"How do I look?" she'd asked him before they'd left the suite, doing a little pirouette in the hotel room.
"Very nice, ma'am."
Nice?
That’s the best he could do? Nice didn't get her thousands of likes and comments online. Nice didn't grow her following or get her contracts with top brands. To make matters worse, he hadn’t even looked at her when he'd said it.
"You're not yourself tonight," Emily remarked, as they browsed the lit-up designer stores, tourist shops, bars, and restaurants in the town. "You're very quiet. Is something wrong?"
"No, just thinking about the shoot tomorrow," she replied.
She definitely wasn't sulking.
Nice , indeed.
"Ooh, look at this fabulous jewelry." Emily grabbed her hand and dragged her into a glamorous store with shiny, well-lit cabinets filled with sparkling trinkets. She saw Viper frown, then follow them in. He stood patiently at the door, while she browsed with Emily, finally picking out a silver chain with a lovely turquoise pendant on it.
"I want to wear it," she announced, turning to Viper. "Won't you put it on for me?"
He hesitated, then nodded.
She gave it to him and turned around, lifting her hair. To her surprise, he deftly opened the clasp and hung it over her head, brushing her arm with his. She shivered, as his fingers secured it at the nape of her neck. He didn’t fumble once, not even with those big, callused hands of his.
“You’ve done that before.” She shot him a slanting look. He didn’t react.
"Dexterous too," winked Emily, walking past.
They moved on to a restaurant where they sat outside and ordered shellfish and a bottle of wine. To be fair, Viper stood several meters away giving them some space while they ate, but he was constantly on guard. She could tell by the way he kept looking up and down the street. He'd removed his sunglasses now that the sun had set, but he still didn't look at her. Not once.
What the hell did she have to do to get his attention, and why the hell did she care?
They passed a popular bar with loud music and a crowd spilling out onto the sidewalk. Everyone was laughing and drinking and dancing to the beats, created by a DJ inside the bar.
"Let's have a dance," Emily said, pulling Izzy inside. Viper shouldered his way in after them.
"This is not the safest place for you to be, Miss Beaumont," he shouted, raising his voice to be heard over the noise. “I can’t protect you in a place like this.”
“I like it here,” she retorted, fed up with being scared, fed up with not getting a reaction out of him, and needing to let her hair down. The revelers were shoulder to shoulder, some lounging, some gyrating, everybody having a good time.
"Let's dance." Emily pulled her onto the dance floor. “Come on, Viper. Have some fun.” He scowled after them, but didn’t move, preferring to stay by the bar where he could watch her from afar. With his six-foot-something height, he looked over most people’s heads.
It took all of five minutes before Izzy and Emily were besieged by man wanting to join them. Izzy ignored them, absorbing the music, enjoying the sensation of letting go. One of the men shouted something inaudible in her ear. She ignored him, and glanced up at Viper, who was staring straight at her, an intense look on his face.
Now he looks at me.
She beckoned, but he didn’t budge. Didn’t move. Simply stood there, glaring at her.
Fine. Be like that.
In a moment of rebellion, she turned it up a notch, bringing out all her hottest moves. The circle of predatory men around them deepened. But every time she looked up she saw his gaze fixed on her above their heads. Unblinking. Unsmiling.
She danced on, losing herself in the music. The DJ was on fire. Lasers shot multi-colored beams across the club. Artificial smoke billowed out from vents at floor level.
One of the men grabbed her arm and pulled her against him. She wouldn't normally have minded, except he was groping her ass and grinding his pelvis against hers. She tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge.
"You're so sexy," he murmured hotly in her ear. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, even above the smoke.
"Get off me." She pushed against his chest.
"What's the matter, sweetheart? I saw the way you were looking at me."
Bullshit.
She'd been looking at him .
She tried to wriggle free, but he gripped her harder. She sighed, used to these sorts of situations. He wasn't a threat, simply an inebriated oaf who didn't know when to quit. She'd dance some more, then slide out of his grip.
Except she didn’t get the chance. A shadow loomed behind them and before she could gasp, her dance partner went careening backwards into another group of dancers.
"The lady said get off," a voice growled.
“Hey!” The drunk guy took a step forward, saw the look on Viper’s face, and the size of him, and held up his hands. “Sorry, man. Didn’t know she was taken.”
Viper.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the club. Emily was still molded to some guy with long hair and a leather thong around his neck. They'd just gotten outside when she turned on him.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“What I’m paid to do.”
“I can look after myself. That sort of thing happens all the time.”
He stared stonily ahead.
A bouncer hurried over. "Everything all right?" He eyed Viper up and down. Unlike the drunk guy, he knew a formidable opponent when he saw one.
"Personal security.” Viper flashed a card in the bouncer's face.
Izzy nodded. "He's mine. We’re good.”
The bouncer nodded and disappeared back into the club.
"I don't need you fighting my battles for me,” Izzy continued, feeling her suppressed annoyance come flooding back.
"That's what I'm paid to do."
"Not on the dance floor," she retorted. "It was hardly an assassination attempt."
"You looked like you were struggling. I was just doing my job."
"Okay, well can we limit your involvement to real danger like kidnappings and attempts on my life from now on?"
"I'm afraid not, Miss Beaumont. If I see you're in trouble, I'm going to step in."
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Macho. I get it. I can see I'm not going to be having much fun with you around."
"I'm sorry about that, ma'am."
She huffed, resisting the urge to pummel his chest. This man made her so mad. "We may as well go back to the hotel. And for God's sake, stop calling me ma'am."