Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
DUNCAN
Ican't wait until I can take a break and text Maya to tell her I'm in town.
My current job is to protect the undersecretary to the Prime Minister of France's daughter.
Because this trip includes the prime minister and the undersecretary, we were radio silent, so I couldn't warn Maya I was coming to town.
Then we had to attend this gala. I walk in from taking a call from Joshua to check on my team before I call Maya.
"Raul, where is Ian?"
He nods across the room to where the Israeli contingency stands. "He's going to see if he can lure a woman away from an old codger." He smiles and shakes his head.
I turn to see where Ian is heading. A tall bald-headed man is standing beside a beautiful woman whose very presence calls to me. "What the bloody hell?"
"What, Big Guy?" Raul looks at me, his eyebrows dropping and his face tightening; he knows my tone.
"I'll be back." I stomp off, stalking the woman that keeps me up at night. She turns to look at the man and smiles. That's a smile meant for me, not some old codger.
I barrel down on Ian. "Go back to Raul, now!" I bark as I pass him.
She has her back to me and I realize I need to be careful how I do this. I focus on something other than her lithe body in that dress. As she turns to accept a glass of champagne, I notice the slit going up her leg. Son of a bloody hell, what is she wearing? I pause and try to focus again.
"Excuse me, may I have this dance?" My voice comes across ruff, more demanding than questioning.
She turns and the shock on her face is evident. The man standing next to her goes to pull her behind him. Oh hell, he didn't. "Maya, please!" I demand, bowing my head slightly.
"Uh...just a moment, David. I'll be right back," she says, smiling at the bloke who is going to die if he doesn't release her.
"Sweetheart, are you going to be okay?" he asks while looking at me. That’s when I realize he’s more than some old man. I can see the training pouring off him by the way he stands.
"I'll be fine. Duncan’s a friend; he's James’s son."
He still looks at me warily and I grit my teeth at him, trying not to growl my hatred to his touching her.
She offers her hand out and I haul her into me, pulling her behind me. My body is humming with energy. Instead of turning around, I push her as I back us up onto the dance floor, spinning her around until she faces me.
"Did I miss something, or did we break up?" I growl.
"I'm helping a friend, that’s all. What are you doing here?"
"I was going to call and tell you I'm here for the night. But instead, I see you fawning all over that old man." I swing my arm in the direction of her date.
"Don't let David hear you say that, he’s still just as dangerous as he was when he was a Mossad agent."
"Baby, did things change?"
"No, I said I'm helping David, but you're going to blow our cover if you don't give me some space. What hotel are you at? I'll meet you there after the gala."
"At the Crowne Plaza, room 1121. I want to kiss you right now."
"You can't. I’ve missed you too. Goodbye."
She pulls away from me and turns to walk back to her date. Just before she gets to him, her head turns to look at me and I see the desire in her eyes. I fight the urge to go and grab her and run.
"Bugger me, Big Guy, who was that lovely lass?" Ian interrupts my thoughts.
"That is my sister's best friend, Maya."
"Looks like you know her more than just 'she's my sister's best friend.'"
"That is none of your business. Come on, we have work to do."
I turn to look over my shoulder once more and find she is looking at me again.
"My father does not pay you to dance with hookers. I want to leave," Alisa, our protectee, yells. Her voice grates on my nerves.
"She isn't a hooker, she's my sister's best friend, and I thought I could say hello as Raul and Ian were here."
"You're not paid to think. I want to leave, now."
I nod to the guys and we head out, but before I reach the door, I look back once more. Maya is watching me again. Her head nods slightly and I can't wait until later.
Maya
My nerves are still raw from seeing Duncan.
I can't believe how turned on I was by his show of jealousy.
When he walked out and I nodded at him, I saw the woman he was guarding giving me a look that I can only describe as evil.
I push that thought back as I think about him in that black suit with the guns he was carrying.
Most people might not have known he was carrying, but I could tell he had a single gun in a shoulder holster and another at his back.
I'm fairly certain he has an ankle piece too.
But the thing that turned me on the most was the number of knives I could see on him.
I want to lick his body as I pull each out and test it.
"Earth to Maya. Want to tell me about the man?" David's voice interrupts my fantasy.
"He's Ana's brother. We met at her wedding in June."
"Is that all? You know I could have his whole dossier before morning."
"He's a friend. Don't worry about it."
"He could have been the one searching your background."
"No, it wasn't him. He just..." I feel the sudden urge to flee. "David..." I hear the panic in my voice.
My tone must put David on edge; he turns and then his body is falling into me.
I pull him with me as I grab my cell phone from my purse and pull us behind a bench.
We had decided to walk through the park near my condo after we left the gala so we could talk.
Two more bullets hit the pavement near where we are hiding.
I feel the bite of rock hitting my skin, more importantly I feel the stickiness of David's blood as it runs from his body.
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
"This is Officer Aaron of the ERT. Shots fired, one person hit. We are at the park near Massachusetts Avenue and 3rd Street in the Triangle. Request ambulance and ERT for a possible sniper."
"Maya..." David groans. I look down to see the shot entered his back on the right side and exited through his chest.
"How bad?" I'm worried about him.
"Not too bad. I won't be able to show you up in the gym tomorrow."
I hear the sirens and realize no more shots have been fired.
An hour later I'm still standing in the park answering questions. I'm tired. I have plans. And I want out of these heels. I texted Duncan to tell him I was running late. I didn't tell him what was happening.
"Maya!" I turn as Derek and Greg stalk toward me. Derek is yelling my name as he moves faster. I know this is one of his greatest fears.
"What the hell happened?" Greg demands.
"David and I were taking a walk when he was hit. I think someone at the gala figured out what he was up to."
"And what was that?"
"We were just checking the ambassador's current security."
"Are you hit?" Derek pulls me into him and I shiver from the fear coming off him.
"Here take this." Greg hands me his tuxedo jacket. I look up at him and realize he saw me tonight.
"He asked me to help him. He also wanted to talk about someone researching my parents."
"I saw what you were up to. We'll talk about that later. Someone just searched your address here."
"What?"
"Yep, come on, you're going home with me for the night."
"I can't and I won't."
"What do you mean you can't? I'm not going to argue. You're not safe."
"I'll stay in a hotel for the night."
"Did the EMT check you out?" Derek asks.
"Yes, just scrapes and scratches, I'm good. I will be at the Crowne Plaza. See you tomorrow at brunch."
I turn and walk away, heading toward my condo. I pull out my cell phone and am glad I had it in a protective cover. When I threw my clutch earlier, I thought it was broke.
Me
I will be there in 20 minutes. Need to change.
Duncan
I've been waiting. Is everything okay?
Me
I'll explain when I get there.