by Sofia Grey
Pink dotted her cheeks, but her voice was firm. “What gives you that idea?”
“You could always give me your number, and then we could recreate this moment another time. You, me, and a big ol’ bus.”
“I could, but I’m not convinced I should.”
Jack couldn’t help himself. He leaned closer. Her perfume was subtle, and it reminded him of fresh-cut grass under a hot sun. So tempting. “What would it take to convince you?”
Juli’s nostrils flared, and she tilted her head toward him. She was close enough to kiss. Damn, but he wanted to. Why the fuck did Yanni have to get on this bus?
“It would take something extreme,” she whispered.
“Go on.”
“The truth. That’s all.” She lifted a hand and tapped his nose with her fingertip. “I don’t like secrets.”
Yeah, and that wasn’t gonna happen. Not anytime soon.
“I guess we just enjoy the moment,” he said. “Admire the views.”
When Juli turned to look out of the window, he didn’t know whether he was relieved or disappointed. Probably a bit of both.
Chapter Two
Some days, Daisy felt like pinching herself to wake up. Not only had she landed the job of nanny to Callum, foster child of Rock God AJ and his bass-player wife Sizzle—known to Daisy as Alex and Sylvie—but she could travel the world with them on tour. And here she was, in New Zealand. A million miles away from rainy Manchester, where she grew up.
Today was a perfect example of how her life had changed. Alex and Sylvie were busy in Wellington all day, doing sound checks and rehearsals, which meant Daisy could spend the day sightseeing with Callum. And not by herself, either. There’d been vague threats made toward Callum, probably by some crazy fan of the band, but Alex was sufficiently concerned to hire two bodyguards.
Jack and Tanner were both delicious. They were ex-Marines, fit and strong, all flexing muscles and flashing teeth. They were unfailingly polite and friendly, great with Callum, and ideal travelling companions. How much better could Daisy’s life get?
Well, there was one teeny thing, that would make it a whole lot better. She was being greedy. A year ago, she’d have given her eyeteeth, if she even knew what they were, to have this job, but a year ago, she hadn’t met Charlie Jones.
Her daydreaming about Charlie was interrupted by Callum’s bouncing on her lap, one foot kicking her in the stomach. As she chided him gently and took the opportunity to reposition him, she glanced at Jack. Was he making out with the woman sitting next to him? That was fast work. She gave Tanner a little nudge and nodded in Jack’s direction, but he stared intently toward the front of the bus, seemingly oblivious to everything else. How strange.
Callum pointed at something outside, and Daisy dragged her attention back to him. By the time she looked at Jack again, he was sitting with one arm draped across the woman’s shoulders. Tanner leaned across the aisle, and the men muttered together.
The bus lumbered out of Wellington and continued northward along a wide highway, the driver calling out places of interest as they travelled. Callum yawned and snuggled next to her. With luck, the gentle rocking movements would send him to sleep for the journey. After passing some stunning countryside, including the tiny seaside hamlet of Plimmerton, where they were staying, they diverted inland and started climbing in earnest up a steep hill, the road getting narrower on each bend. The views were tantalising. Daisy kept catching glimpses of the sea in the distance, a vast, shimmering expanse of blue. The temperature was climbing steadily outside, and she was glad the bus had air conditioning.
Eventually they pulled onto a large area of tarmac at the summit of the hill. The driver switched off the engine, and then climbed out of his seat to address the party. They’d have half an hour here, time to grab a coffee from the little roadside stall and take some photos, and then they’d be leaving again.
Daisy went to stand up, but Tanner placed a warning hand on her arm. “Let the others go first.”
Jack waited too, with his lady friend. Daisy and Callum were the last to disembark, and she noticed Jack hanging back, crouching to adjust the laces on his walking boots. His seatmate disappeared toward the coffee cart, and Daisy took Callum to gaze at the view, while Tanner queued for their drinks.
It looked awesome, as the Kiwis were so fond of saying. The view, that was. She’d never seen anything quite so beautiful. The sea was the colour of a David Hockney painting. She let Callum race beside her to the fence, his hand in hers, and poke his fingers through the mesh. The sun blazed down, and she adjusted his sun hat and worried about whether he had enough sunblock on his bare arms. When Tanner returned with bottles of water instead of coffee, she smiled.
“Thanks.” She took one bottle, while he opened another for Callum. “Does Jack always pull this quickly?” she asked.
Tanner shrugged. “Pull?”
“You know—hook up?” It amused her how Tanner and Jack didn’t understand her Manchester slang.
“I need to talk to him for a minute. Will you be okay?”
“Sure. What can happen here, in the middle of nowhere? We’ll be fine.”
Daisy watched them hold a discussion behind the bus, then Tanner went to speak to the driver, before strolling back to her side.
“It’s leaving in ten minutes,” he said. “Jack will be staying here though, so don’t draw attention to him.”
Huh? “Staying here? We’re at the top of a mountain. How will he get back?”
“We’ll catch up with him later. No need to worry.”
She wasn’t worried, but this was an odd turn for the day to take.
*
Jack was pleased when the bus stopped for a rest break at the top of the hill. It would give him the perfect opportunity to slip away unseen.
Tanner held Daisy back until everyone else had disembarked, and then went to mingle with the group of tourists. Yanni didn’t know him, so Tanner was safe to move freely in the crowd.
Regardless of anything else going on, there was still a job to do. They had a young woman and a small child to protect.
Tanner soon returned, and dispensed bottles of cool water. “Yanni and his buddy asked the driver if a guy called Julien Pascal is on the tour today,” said Tanner. “I bought the driver a coffee. I also snuck a look at the passenger manifest, which shows a woman with that name. One of the TM-Tech people. Not sure what’s going on there.”
What the fuck? The chances of two people with that name on the same bus was zilch. “Juli Pascal was sitting next to me.” Jack squinted into the distance, while his brain spun in circles.
“Either Yanni isn’t sure who he’s looking for, or your seat mate isn’t who she seems.”
“We need to figure out if she knows him. And then the obvious question—what does he want with her? My gut tells me it’s not good.”
“One option is that she disembarks here and you take her back to base. Let’s check in with Jordan. See what he wants us to do.”
It was a good idea, except for the lack of cellphone signal.
Jack sighed. The day started well, but now he was getting a headache from the complications. They needed an urgent change of plans.
*
Juli waited patiently in line, to be served at the coffee cart. Caffeine would be good right now and might clear her tired head. The verbal sparring with Jack was fun. Was he serious about trying to avoid someone, or was that a line?
“Hey,” said a deep voice at her side. “I wanna steal you away for a minute.” It was Jack’s friend. He had a more pronounced American drawl than Jack.
She looked longingly at the barista, and the five people ahead of her. If she left the queue now, she might not have time to grab a coffee before the bus set off again. “Can it wait until I’m served?”
“’Fraid not. Come over here, where it’s more quiet.”
Curiosity won over her need for coffee, and she followed him to the far side of the tour bus. Jack stood there, while th
eir female companion sat on a nearby wooden bench in the shade, the toddler in her arms.
Jack greeted her with a grin. “This is my buddy, Tanner. Tanner, this is Juli Pascal.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said automatically. “What’s up?”
“The two newcomers,” said Tanner. “Do you know them?”
Did he mean the late-arriving guys? Juli had taken no notice of them. She turned to scan the group of people, and Tanner pointed to two men. They chatted with the tour guide, a pretty, young blonde.
“Those two,” he said.
They looked like a pair of tourists. Scruffy denim jeans, plain T-shirts, trainers, baseball caps. They were olive skinned and dark haired, but had the kind of faces that would blend into any crowd. The taller of the two said something to the tour guide, and she giggled and fluffed her hair with one hand.
Juli would swear she’d never seen the men before. “I don’t know them. Who are they?”
Jack’s smile disappeared. “Thing is, Juli, they seem to be looking for you. Which is kinda worrying.”
“I don’t know them,” she repeated, then thought about what he’d said. “Why is it worrying?”
Jack and Tanner glanced at each other. Tanner spoke first. “They’re trouble. With a capital T. And it’s entirely possible you’re in danger. If they find you.”
This was getting more like an action movie every minute. Next thing, these hunks would be pulling out guns and telling her to duck. Had she climbed onto a mystery bus by mistake?
From the serious looks Jack and Tanner gave her, they weren’t joking.
Juli crossed her arms. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. Who are they? And who are you? And don’t give me another bullshit it’s-complicated answer.”
Tanner nodded. “You work for TM-Tech, right? So I’m guessing you know Jordan Merrill?”
“Yeah. He’s my boss. What of it?”
“We’re staying with Jordan at the moment and doing some security work for one of his friends. We think it’s in your best interests to leave the group here with Jack. He can escort you to Jordan’s. Have you left anything on the bus?”
She shook her head in disbelief. This was crazy. “I have my bag right here. But what about the tour? And how the hell do we get to Jordan’s from here? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
Jack winked, his smile back in place. “It’s a nice day for a walk.”
“Come on. You expect me to abandon the tour, to wander off with you? What the hell is going on?”
“Does your cellphone work here? Can you get signal?” Tanner didn’t seem fazed by her response.
“I don’t know.” She tugged it out of her bag. “Two bars, but it’s shaky.”
“I need to make a call. Will you unlock it for me?”
She wanted to grumble about him not saying please, but this didn’t seem like the time to be petty. “Okay.” She tapped in the PIN and handed it over.
“Thanks.” He tapped in a number and held the phone to his ear. Moments later, he returned it and scowled. “Damn signal dropped before I could leave a message. I was trying to call your boss.”
Sure enough, he’d called Jordan’s mobile number from memory. That wasn’t enough to persuade her to go hiking down the hillside with Jack, no matter how charming he might be.
Maybe a text would get through. She considered what to say, and then tapped out a message.
Hi Jordan.
There are 2 guys on the bus tour who claim to know you. Jack & Tanner. They’ve asked me to leave the tour with Jack but won’t explain why, other than say I’m in danger if I stay. Is this legit? It sounds crazy. I’m staying with the tour unless you say otherwise. Thanks, Juli.
“Look, you might not trust us, but would you trust her?” Jack nodded toward the conker-haired girl, who watched them with undisguised curiosity.
“Come on.” Jack cupped Juli’s elbow with his warm hand and guided her to the woman. “Hey, Daisy, would you please explain to Ms Pascal what our role here is? And how you know Jordan?”
“Sure. They’re my bodyguards, I guess. They’re providing protection for Callum here.” Her Manchester accent was instantly familiar. She tugged the small child closer. “We’re all staying with Jordan and Kate. Do you know them?”
Juli groped for her voice. “Yeah, he’s my boss,” she repeated. Bodyguards? Against what? Or whom?
Her phone pinged with a message. It was from Jordan.
You can trust Jack and Tanner. If they say to leave the tour bus, you should do that. Keep me updated.
Jack looked at the passengers starting to board again, and then back at her. His eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. “Time to leave, Juli. Shall we go?”
Chapter Three
Just walk down the hill. Yeah, right. Even though Juli wore trainers, it was slow going, partly because of the sun blazing down on them, and partly because there was no footpath. She walked with Jack along the edge of the winding road, and scrambled to a safe distance every time a car approached—which was often. Her water bottle was almost empty, and after half an hour of picking her way behind Jack, her energy levels were flagging. Thoughts of the lunch she’d miss taunted her. The rest of the tour group would be stopping at a lovely-looking café soon, and sitting under a shady pergola outside, while Juli sweated in the brilliant sunshine.
Why did she agree to this? Jordan’s text was brief, at best. If she’d ignored it and pretended it never came in, she might still be sitting in blissful air-conditioned comfort.
Jack and Tanner were persuasive, and even though their story was thin on details, Juli would swear their concern was genuine. She had an uncanny knack for knowing when she was being lied to. She picked up on tells quickly, but it was more than that. Maybe it was down to years of experience of being in charge at work? However it came about, it was a useful skill to have. They seemed honest, as did Daisy. And what was that all about? The young woman had a pair of hulking bodyguards. She’d have to ask Jordan when she next saw him.
Juli’s curiosity was drilling a hole in her skull. Or was that the sun, making her light-headed? Thank God she wore a floppy hat.
Jack strode on, his long legs eating up the distance. He had a nice ass in jeans. She’d rather focus on that, than the sheer drops on the other side of the road.
A trilling noise sounded from her bag. “Hang on,” she called to Jack, while digging for her phone and stepping with care to a safe area. Jordan was calling her, and she took a moment to compose herself before she answered. He was her boss. She didn’t want to sound breathless. “Hi,” she said.
“Hey. I can’t get through to Jack. Is he with you?” The line crackled as he spoke.
“Can you hold a moment, please?” She beckoned to Jack to approach. “It’s Jordan,” she said. “He wants you.” Okay, so her voice came out sharp, but she was exhausted and pissed off with the way the day was shaping up. She should be drinking a glass of crisp local Riesling by now, and snacking on olives and slices of sourdough.
“Thanks.” Jack beamed at her, a dimple flashing high in one cheek. He took the phone and stepped away, angling himself so she couldn’t overhear him.
She was tempted to stand by his side and try to listen. It was her phone, damn it. And her boss.
Instead, she sipped on the remining water, adjusted her hat, and flapped the front of her shirt, to try to get some air down her chest. If she stopped to think about how much her feet ached, she wouldn’t make it much further. They had to be past the halfway point. From here, she couldn’t see the way ahead, but a few steps into the road gave a better view around the next bend. Jesus. The highway snaking along the side of the bay looked freaking miles away.
“Watch out.”
She heard the shout at the same time as the car engine—another driver, speeding around a blind bend. And this time, she was on the road. In the car’s path.
Everything happened at light speed. Jack slung his arm around her waist and hauled her to t
he side of the road. Her feet scrabbled on the loose shingle. The car zoomed past in a squeal of tyres and exhaust fumes, the driver blaring his horn and nearly deafening her. The water bottle lurched out of her hand and tumbled, end over end, down the hillside. And then, balance completely shot, Juli stumbled forward and landed on her hands and knees.
Adrenaline blasted through her nervous system. “Wanker,” she yelled, but the car was gone. She took a deep breath, and then another. Christ. Her hands and knees were going to hurt later.
Jack hunkered down by her side. “You okay? Sorry ’bout that. I didn’t have time to be careful.”
He helped her upright and guided her like an invalid to a large rock a few steps away. “Sit down and let me take a look at the damage.”
She glanced at her hands. Dirt was smeared across her left palm, with gravel embedded in the ragged skin. Fresh blood welled like a string of little red beads. “Ouch.” It stung now, with a throb that reverberated through her body. What state were her knees in? Juli pushed up the legs of her loose, linen trousers and pulled a face. Her skin was grazed, though not bleeding, and walking another few miles would not be fun. “I’ll live. I dropped my water, though.”
“I’ve got an extra bottle. Let’s get that scrape cleaned up.” He rummaged in his bag and produced a tiny first-aid kit. After washing the gravel away and cleaning the area with a disinfectant wipe, he applied a thin line of clear ointment, and then a sticky plaster. “That should do for the moment. I can take another look when we get back to Jordan’s. How does it feel?”
She flexed her hand. It still hurt, but at least it was clean. “Better. Thank you. How much further do we have to go? I’d kill for a coffee right now.”
His grin was a thing of beauty. “You’re a trouper, Juli. I reckon we’re over halfway now, and I’ll buy you a coffee as soon as possible. How does that sound?”
It sounded beyond good. She couldn’t wait.
*
Daisy wasn’t surprised when Tanner announced they were also leaving the tour at the next stop. He’d been glued to his phone for the last twenty minutes.
