Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
“Y ou are in a foul mood,” Rhys said.
Cam looked up from scowling at his laptop. “I’m just sitting here, quietly, doing my work.”
“You’re brooding.”
Cam just scowled harder.
“You left the party early last night.”
“Rhys, did you have a reason for coming in here?”
“Yeah. Vander sent me a case. Some corporate espionage. Thought you might want to help me with it.”
Dragging in a breath, Cam nodded. “Sure thing.”
“Oh, and Vander said there haven’t been any more sightings of Mikhailov this morning,” Rhys added.
Cam sat back in his chair. “Good.”
“And he’s talked with Wolf. The Sentinel Security team is making sure Mikhailov doesn’t pop up in New York. For when Saskia gets back.”
At the mention of Saskia returning to New York, tension filled Cam. He tried to unlock the muscles in his jaw. “They’ll keep her safe.”
Rhys studied him. “You’re crap at hiding how you feel about her.”
Cam stayed silent.
The other man threw up a hand. “Fine. You want to fuck up your life, go ahead.”
Cam’s cell phone rang. He yanked it from his pocket and frowned. “It’s Savannah.” He touched the screen. “Savannah—”
“Cam, I can’t reach Hunt. He had to testify in court today.” Her voice was out of breath, afraid. “Saskia and I are shopping.”
Cam’s hand tightened on the phone. “Are you all right? Where are you?”
“Union Square. Cam, we’re being followed.”
He shot to his feet. “Stay in the open, Savannah. I’m on my way.” He looked at Rhys. “Savannah and Saskia think they’re being followed.”
Rhys’ face sharpened. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Clutching her shopping bags, Saskia hurried down the sidewalk with Savannah.
She glanced back over her shoulder. There was no sign of the guy she’d spotted earlier.
He was a bulky goon in a suit. She was certain it was one of the guards from Mikhailov’s Napa estate.
A cold wind hit her. The sky was like a gray ceiling above them, threatening rain.
Thankfully, Savannah knew her well and had bought Saskia new jeans in her size, cute brown boots, a white sweater, and a navy blazer.
She’d left them out for Saskia to wear today.
Added to that was a soft gray scarf. She had to admit that wearing some nice clothes made her feel a little bit brighter.
And shopping for more clothes helped too.
It didn’t fix her cracked heart, but it helped.
She shoved thoughts of Cam away.
They’d hit Saks and Macy’s, then Saskia had spotted the guy in the suit. He’d been watching them.
She and Savannah crossed the street to Union Square.
“Maybe I imagined it. Maybe it’s just some poor San Francisco businessman, and my overworked brain saw a Russian goon,” she said.
Savannah grabbed her arm. “We’re not taking any chances. I called Cam. He’s coming. He said to stay in the open, around other people.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.” Saskia hugged her friend.
“Oh, Saskia, I’m always here for you.” Her friend hugged her back. “I’m so sorry for what you went through.”
“I escaped before anyone hurt me. I’m lucky.” Saskia scanned around. She didn’t see the guy she thought was following them. She prayed it was just her imagination.
Her gaze shifted to the column in the center of the square. Cam was on the way.
God, last night at the bar. The way he’d touched her. She shivered. She’d felt how much he wanted her.
“You’re thinking about Cam,” Savannah said.
Saskia jerked her head up. “I’m that obvious?”
“Just to me. He’s coming to get us. Maybe you should talk—?”
Saskia shook her head. “I told you, I’m not forcing myself on him.”
“He watched you the entire time at the party last night.”
Her heart squeezed. “Savannah—”
Her friend’s nose twisted. “Okay. I’ll just get him to drop us home.”
“I’m sure this is all nothing. Mikhailov is long gone. I just imagine bogeymen at every corner.”
“Believe me, after everything you’ve been through, and from my own experience, it pays to be safe and not sorry.”
Saskia nodded and gripped her bags tighter. Despite the cold, gray weather, there were a few people out. Saskia saw a man in a suit walking with a small blonde, his arm snug around her. She beamed up at him.
Saskia looked away. Damn people in love. It was like the universe was rubbing her face in it.
Then her gaze collided with a man in a rumpled, ill-fitting suit. He had a craggy face and heavy brow.
Oh, God . It was the guard from Napa.
“Savannah, we have to go.” She slid her arm through her friend’s, dragging Savannah in the opposite direction.
“What? But we—”
“ Move .” Saskia looked back and saw the man break into a run. “Run!”
Savannah saw the man now, as well. They broke into a sprint, dropping their shopping bags. People stumbled out of their way.
Ahead, at the end of the square, was the historic facade of the Westin Hotel.
They needed to get inside. They darted across the street. Cars screeched and a horn honked.
“Inside,” Saskia panted.
Then she collided with a man in a delivery uniform. She was knocked back and landed on her butt on the sidewalk.
“Hey, lady, you okay?” the worried deliveryman asked.
“ Saskia ,” Savannah cried.
The goon powered across the street, his gaze locked on them.
“Get inside, Savannah,” Saskia yelled.
“No.” Her friend’s face hardened. She grabbed Saskia’s hand. “I’m not leaving you.”
Savannah hauled her up. The guard was striding down the sidewalk, dodging people.
A taxi disgorged a family with bags, blocking him.
Savannah and Saskia charged into the Westin. The lobby was all stately grandeur and oozed historic charm. There was a table in the center laden with fresh flowers. Overhead, circular chandeliers hung along with a huge old-world clock.
They raced across the polished floor, their heels tapping.
Chest heaving, Saskia scanned around. They needed to find somewhere safe to hide.
A hand grabbed the back of her jacket and yanked. Saskia stumbled, felt pain tear through her bad knee. She pulled herself free and spun.
“You come with me,” the man growled in his heavy accent.
“Hell, no! We have help on the way. You’d better go.”
“No, Mr. Mikhailov wants you.”
Anger was like a volcano. “ Mikhailov is a scumbag rapist. He should be in a jail cell.”
The man’s face hardened. He shifted his jacket to show the holstered gun at his hip.
“Come now, no one gets hurt.” His gaze did a quick scan of the other people in the lobby.
Saskia’s heart did a hard thump. She looked into his eyes and realized that he’d do it. And he’d have no trouble doing it.
Suddenly, Savannah rushed in with an umbrella in her hand. Saskia had no idea where she’d found it. With a grunt, she smacked the guy in the head.
The man made a low, enraged sound and swung out and hit Savannah.
Saskia’s friend stumbled back and fell, hitting the floor on her side.
“Savannah!”
Her friend sat up, cradling her arm, pain on her face.
From nearby, people started shouting.
“Someone get security!” a woman yelled.
The guard’s face hardened, and he stepped toward Saskia.
“Run, Saskia!” Savannah cried.
Hell, no . Saskia snatched a vase of flowers off the table and threw it at the guy. It bounced off him and smashed. She grabbed another one and aimed at his head.
Suddenly, he was on her, water dripping down his ugly face.
His backhand made her ears ring. While she was dazed, he grabbed her arms and spun her. He wrenched her arms behind her back and started marching her toward the front door.
No, dammit.
Then the goon dragged her back outside.
* * *
The X6 sped down the street. Cam spotted Union Square ahead.
His jaw locked. If anything had happened to Saskia or Savannah…
“You got a grip on it?” Vander asked from the driver’s seat.
“Yeah.”
“Pretty sure that’s a lie,” Rhys drawled from the back seat.
Vander’s brother looked like a bad-boy movie star, or rock singer, but Cam knew Rhys was a former Ghost Ops soldier and had skills. He was Vander’s best investigator.
“I told them to wait in the main plaza.” Cam scanned out the window.
His cell phone rang. “Savannah?”
“Oh God, oh God.”
His pulse jumped. “Slow down, Savannah. Take a breath.”
“A guy attacked us. He had an accent. He took Saskia.”
“Fuck. Okay. Where are you, Savannah?”
“The lobby of the Westin at the end of Union Square.”
Cam’s gaze shifted and locked on the hotel.
“The guy pushed me down, and dragged Saskia out.”
“You all right?”
“I hurt my arm, but I’m fine. Find Saskia. Please .”
“I’ll find her. Stay in the hotel lobby until one of us comes to get you.”
“All right, Cam.” Her voice hitched. “Find her.”
Cam shoved the phone away. “Savannah’s in the Westin. A guy took Saskia.”
His focus narrowed. He slowed his breathing, scanning Union Square. Then he spotted a big man in a suit dragging a fighting woman behind him.
“There! In the square.”
Vander yanked the wheel. They jumped the curb and screeched to a stop on the sidewalk.
Cam and Rhys shot out of the SUV before it fully stopped.
Cam broke into a run.
The man saw him coming and yanked Saskia in front of him like a shield. She had a large, red palm print on her cheek.
The fucker was dead. Cam pulled his Glock and got closer. “Duck.”
Saskia dropped fast, without the tiniest hesitation.
But he couldn’t risk hitting her. Instead, he lunged in and hammered the butt of the handgun into the man’s face.
Once, twice.
The guy’s grip on Saskia loosened and Cam pulled her free. He grabbed her and swung her toward Rhys.
His gaze narrowed on the guard.
One of Mikhailov’s goons. Trying to take Saskia again. His fury was a cold, angry thing.
He holstered his weapon, then he attacked. A hard punch, then Cam spun. He rammed his elbow to the man’s face, and the guy let out a pained grunt.
Cam spun again and kicked him. Methodically, he kept hitting and punching. The man went down on one knee and Cam kneed him in the face.
There was a crunch as his nose broke.
“You won’t ever touch her again,” Cam said. “She doesn’t exist for you.” He grabbed the front of the man’s shirt and punched him again and again.
The guy sagged, but Cam kept hitting.
“Cam. Cam, enough.” Vander shouldered in.
Cam dropped the guy, his chest heaving. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a lock on it.”
Vander eyed him carefully. “See to Saskia. Rhys, find Savannah.”
Saskia stood nearby, pale, a little shellshocked. Her gaze dropped to the guard, then back to Cam.
He stiffened. This was it. He’d let loose some of the darkness inside him. She’d look at him with horror now.
Her dark gaze met his.
Then she walked toward him.
“Don’t touch me,” he said.
She paused just inches away. “Why?” Her bottom lip trembled. “If you really don’t want me around you, then go.”
Not want her around? He frowned. “I just pummeled that guy.” He flexed his hands and saw the blood on them.
Her face changed. “You think this—” she waved at the downed guard “—changes how I look at you?” She shook her head.
“Cam, you just saved me. Again. He was dragging me off to Mikhailov. He threatened to shoot people. He assaulted Savannah. You and he are nothing alike.” She lifted her chin.
“I was nineteen when I saw my brother kill a man. It was a foreign assassin who was after him. We were out for lunch, and I thought my brother was an analyst at a bank. The assassin would’ve killed me, too, but Killian strangled him with a napkin.
I’m well-aware that to fight for your country, to protect the innocent, requires its soldiers, its protectors, to wade into some gray and uneasy areas.
” Her eyes fired. “So don’t stand there and expect me to condemn or judge you. ”
Fuck, she was something. Magnificent . Cam felt his walls crumbling.
He just couldn’t keep fighting what he felt for Saskia Hawke.
She was in danger, and he could keep her safe.
He would keep her safe. No matter what.
He reached for her and yanked her to his chest.
After a beat, her arms wrapped around him, her cheek to his chest.
He rested his chin on top of her head. He looked up and met Vander’s gaze. Vander had the guard zip tied.
“Saskia!”
They pulled apart. Rhys was leading Savannah over. The artist was clutching her left arm to her chest.
“Looks like her wrist is broken,” Rhys said. “I’ll take her to the hospital and call Hunt.”
“What?” Saskia breathed. “Your arm is broken?”
“It’s okay.” Savannah hugged her. “It just really hurts. I landed badly.”
“That asshole .” Saskia whirled and kicked the guy with her boot.
The guard grunted.
She kicked him again.
“Okay.” Cam pulled her away. “Not that he doesn’t deserve it.”
“So you get to go to town on him, but I don’t? That’s not fair.”
He saw Vander shaking his head, a small smile on his face.
“Mikhailov wants her.” The guard smiled, blood on his teeth. “He wants her naked and screaming in his bed. He’s a shark. He’ll wait until the right moment, then attack.”
Saskia gasped. Cam wrapped an arm around her and glared at the guard.
“He will get her,” the guard said.
“Yeah, well, he has to go through us,” Cam said. “And we aren’t easy prey.”
Vander hauled the guy up. “Not another word, or I’ll duct tape your mouth shut.
” He glanced at the others. “Rhys, call the office and get a car here, then get Savannah to the hospital. I’ll get our guest back to the office.
” He jerked the guy. “We have a nice holding cell for you.” Then Vander looked at Cam. “You keep Saskia safe.”
He nodded.
“Cam—”
He cut her off and cupped her cheeks. “You’re safe now.”
She shuddered. “I know.”
“I’m not going to let Mikhailov touch you, Saskia. We’re going to the Norcross office, then you’re staying with me.”
She straightened. “You don’t want that. I’m not sure it’s a good idea—”
“You’ll be safer with me.”
Her eyes widened. “God, I can’t stay with Savannah. It’ll put her in more danger. She’s an artist, and that asshole broke her wrist.” Her expression became one of devastation.
“Like I said, you’re staying with me, sweetheart.”
Her gaze flew to his face. “Cam.”
He stroked his fingers over the smooth skin of her injured cheek. “You’re staying with me. I’ll keep you safe.” He stroked her cheek again. “And then we’ll talk.”