How to Shield an Assassin (Unholy Trifecta Book 1)

by AJ Sherwood

  He was alright with the first, but not the second. “Why do I need to take Harrison?”

  “He’s got the credit card we’re using for expenses,” Kyou answered, already turning around. His attention remained only half on Ari now, the other half on whatever he was doing on the screens.

  For this, Ari would gladly pay for it out of pocket, but he sensed that if he did, he’d give his friends an opening to pry. And it was the prying he was most anxious to avoid. Ivan was already amused at his hesitancy. Dammit. “Fine. Where is he?”

  “Playing hide and seek with Ivan and Remi, I think.”

  Ari blinked. “Why?”

  “Because he’s a nice guy and for some reason likes your daughter?” Kyou tilted his head against the back of the computer chair to give him a smirk entirely too knowing. “I understand from Ivan that turns you on.”

  “Hey train wreck, this isn’t your station.” Ari frowned at him as menacingly as possible.

  Unfortunately, Kyou had known him long enough he was fairly immune to that glare. “What are you making a fuss for? Harrison’s trustworthy. I wouldn’t let him near the princess if he wasn’t. He’s hot. He’s hot for you. You’re hot for him. Make a move, man.”

  Ari wasn’t going anywhere near that statement. It was an undetonated landmine. “You’re only pushing ’cause your love-life is even more pathetic than mine. You want to live vicariously through me.”

  Sighing woefully, Kyou lamented, “I wish someone would take me out.”

  “Are we talking on a date or with a sniper rifle?”

  “Surprise me.”

  Rolling his eyes, Ari extricated himself from this conversation and went to bellow up the stairs, “Harrison! I’m going shopping! Either come with or throw me the card!”

  The man came out of the main floor’s stairwell closet/cubby thing. Ari blinked in surprise. A grown man could fit in there? Was Harrison part cat? He folded up rather well.

  “Shopping?” Harrison brushed his shoulders off. “I thought you went out already this morning.”

  “Not for food,” Ari corrected him, struggling to keep a neutral expression on his face. It kept trying to break out into something besotted and entirely un-assassin like. “For the painting and a portfolio to protect the real deal when we get it.”

  “Oh. Yeah, it’d be best to get that sooner rather than later. Ivan wants specific drones; we can pick those up while we’re out. We didn’t get them yesterday, like we planned.”

  The trip out had gotten sidetracked by their research into the security company protecting Knowles. And how to get around said security company. They wanted to pose as employees and bypass security that way, but the logistics of creating employee records proved tricky. Kyou was positive he could hack the company and get them some IDs, but he wasn’t certain he could do it quickly enough to make it feasible for them to use it as cover. The security company was—gasp, surprise!—rather secure. Their firewalls weren’t something easily toppled.

  They’d spent hours tossing out ideas back and forth, not sure which would work best. They hadn’t come to any firm conclusions, but it was best to make as many preparations as possible while they had the time instead of cramming it all in last minute.

  As he juggled the SUV’s keys in his hand, he asked Kyou, “You need anything?”

  “Sanity,” Kyou sighed, sagging sideways in his chair. “This security company is seriously driving me insane. They’ve got a rotating encryption system that’s giving me a migraine to hack remotely. It might be easier to send Ivan in with a flash drive at the rate I’m going.”

  “Now I know you’re desperate.” Ari couldn’t resist leaning in to murmur for Harrison’s benefit, “Ivan and tech don’t get along. He’s not really that good with it. He can handle electronic locks, but anything with an actual computer attached gets dicey. He’s old school.”

  “Successful old school,” Harrison observed. “Which is an interesting mix.”

  “Isn’t it, though.” Kyou levered himself back up and reached for a small plastic box on the desk. “I’ve got these set up on a frequency channel now. One for each. And yes, I’ve got one for Remi too. That way she’s abreast of things. She’s already got one in her ear.”

  Ari understood what he meant when Kyou opened the lid and extended it toward them. Inside were small earbuds, compact enough that they’d pass for hearing aids. Ari picked up one and stared at the translucent tech, whistling low. “I’m impressed. The last version we had wasn’t this small. What’s the range on this thing?”

  “About twenty miles. Battery power lasts eighteen hours. I’ve got a wireless charger for them, so turn them in when you’re not using them. They are waterproof, but not EMP proof, so don’t lean up against things magnetized or supercharged.”

  “So, avoid the things that normally kill people, and the buds will be fine,” Harrison drawled. “Got it.”

  Kyou grinned at him. “So sarcastic. Ah, do a drive by of the security company, get me a picture of what vehicles they drive and their uniforms. Nothing on their website shows that.”

  “Roger.” Ari put his earbud carefully in. He’d once jammed one in too far, and his ear had ached for a day afterwards. When he felt it was situated snugly inside, he tried shaking his head a bit, but it didn’t budge. Satisfied, he looked to Harrison. “Ready?”

  “Sure, let’s roll.”

  They went out through the garage, with Ari taking the driver’s wheel. He didn’t ask if Harrison knew DC better than he did. He needed the excuse of not looking at the man.

  “National Gallery of Art will probably have a print,” Harrison mentioned casually. “A good quality print, I mean. It’s on 6th and Constitution Avenue.”

  “Did you look that up or did you just know it off the top of your head?”

  “I may have looked it up this morning with Kyou. That man’s googling ability is supersonic.”

  Ari snorted in amusement. “Understatement.”

  “I can hear you guys, you know,” Kyou pitched in.

  “You hush and go hack something,” Ari shot back.

  “Oooh, salty. Want some fries with that salt?”

  Ari ignored him. Sometimes, that was the safest option.

  They drove without much being said between them. Ari kept his eyes firmly on the road, not only because it was the sanest course of action in DC traffic, but to keep himself from staring at Harrison. The silence grew and thickened between them, and while it wasn’t tension, it wasn’t comfortable. His skin felt charged and he was hyper aware of the man in the seat next to his. Ari felt like fidgeting right out of his skin, he was so antsy, and would have, if it didn’t mean giving a major signal to the other man he wasn’t comfortable.

  “Hey, Daddy? Can you hear me?”

  “I sure can, gattina, what is it?” Right, he could talk to Remi to cut the silence. Thank god for daughters. Ari couldn’t take much more of the atmosphere in this car.

  “Can you get me a laptop? I want to help Uncle Kyou. He’s swearing and listening to that Mong Metal music again.”

  Both not good signs. Kyou considered Mongolian metal music his ‘fight music,’ so if he had that blasting? Then he wasn’t making the progress he wanted to.

  Before Ari could get a word out, Kyou interjected in true horror, “You want to use store bought?! Princess, no, that’s so many levels of wrong! If you want a computer, I’ll build one for you, okay?”

  “You don’t have time to build one,” Ari pointed out. “It’s fine. Next job, Rems, we’ll plan ahead, okay? Get you a computer so you can help him.”

  His daughter’s voice held an audible pout. “Fine.”

  Harrison pointed out the turn they needed to make, and Ari shifted lanes to reach it.

  The painting and portfolio proved to be a quick in-and-out. The print would not in any way, shape, or form fool a close look, but it would a quick glance, and a quick glance was all they needed. This was a stalling tactic to fool the security cameras and nothing
more.

  They were back in the SUV in fifteen minutes, stashing their purchases in the back seat. Harrison took the wheel this time, as he knew where to go, and they took to the streets again in search of the security company’s office building. It resided in the spiffier part of downtown—a noticeable statement of wealth to afford a four-story building in this section of town.

  It also boasted plentiful cameras and two guards at the front entrance, encouraging people to not loiter. They couldn’t just pop up, take pictures, and walk on. Not without attracting attention.

  Harrison slowed a tad as they passed the building, not enough to draw attention, but to give them more than a glance. “They’ve got a sidewalk in front. Pose as a couple, walk it, get some footage? I can stick my camera in my front pocket, no one would suspect it.”

  It was a viable enough plan and Ari nodded. Being able to touch Harrison without raising suspicions had nothing to do with his quick agreement. (Bullshit, but he sometimes tried lying to himself to see if it would stick. Despite his many warnings to himself, he did want to at least touch. Casual touching should be fine, right? It wouldn’t get him into any trouble.) “Let’s try it.”

  Pulling off a minor miracle, Harrison found a place two blocks down to park along the street, and they got out there. It was a meter parking, so Ari fed the machine a quarter for thirty minutes of parking while Harrison got the camera started on his phone and slid it into the breast pocket of his light-weight jacket. It sat well, the top of it just tall enough for the camera lens to not be blocked.

  Joining him at the meter, Harrison gestured toward the street, “I’ll walk on your left to give the camera the best angle. Should we just lap the block, or cross the street and walk back?”

  Harrison’s hand came up as he spoke, fingers finding Ari’s shirt collar and flipping it, straightening it out so it lay straight. Part of Ari leaned in, enjoying the brush of warm skin, part of him stalled, not sure how to respond. The dual responses fought for dominance. Carter’s eyes met his for a second, and Ari felt very exposed.

  Harrison caught the conflict—of course he did, as he was an observant man. He stopped with his fingers barely touching Ari’s shoulder and slowly withdrew, slate blue eyes searching Ari’s. “Sorry. I’m making you uncomfortable when I touch you, aren’t I.”

  “No. Yes. No, it’s…” Ari bit back a growl of frustration, the words tangled in his head.

  Harrison’s mouth quirked up in a wry manner. “Well, that was definite.”

  “I don’t understand why you keep doing that,” Ari burst out, the frustration finally getting the better of him. “You don’t touch either Ivan or Kyou like this.”

  “Well, I’m not attracted to them, either.” Harrison held his gaze, part challenge, part question.

  Ari’s jaw just about hit pavement. Had he suspected Harrison’s interest in him? Sure, he’d wondered. But the last thing he’d expected was for Harrison to just put those cards on the table and see what Ari would do with them. Dumbfounded, he said the first thing that popped into his head without thinking to check it. “You’re such a straight shooter.”

  “I don’t know how to be anything else,” Harrison admitted frankly. “But if you don’t want me flirting with you, I’ll stop—”

  “Whoa, whoa, who said anything about stopping?” Ari flushed and mentally cursed himself. Smooth, man, real smooth. Clearing his throat, he couldn’t meet Harrison’s smug grin. “I just didn’t know your intentions. I’m good now.”

  “Yeah?” Harrison murmured and shifted in a half foot, his hands coming up to rest on Ari’s hips. It pressed his chest up against Ari’s lightly, putting them in kissing distance, which was as nerve-wracking as it was nice.

  Ari suddenly developed a slight problem where it became hard to swallow. His skin felt too tight and stretched over his bones. He really wanted to lean into Harrison the last couple inches, take that mobile mouth with his and kiss him until they were both dizzy. Something held him back. Even he wasn’t sure what. He just wasn’t comfortable doing so right in this moment.

  “You’re not comfortable enough with me.” Harrison said it like a statement instead of a question.

  Dammit. The man did read him too well. “It’s not you. I’m…it’s hard for me to let another man in my space.”

  “Hey, man, I get it. In your line of work, if someone’s this close, they likely have a knife in their hands.”

  Ari just about melted in relief. Harrison really did understand. “Yeah.”

  The mercenary let go and leaned back, giving them a few inches of space. He evaluated Ari for a moment, in a manner suggesting he did high levels of calculus in his head. It felt absurdly flattering he did so over Ari.

  “Alright, let’s clear the air. Remi said you liked me, that you’re attracted to me.”

  Ari had the sudden, burning desire to have a little heart-to-heart with his eight-year-old. He cleared his throat and forced himself to meet the man’s eyes levelly. “I am.”

  “You’ve got to understand something about me, Ari. I don’t like sleeping around. So if I’m pursuing a man, it’s because I really want to date him. You’re not the type to sleep around either.”

  It hadn’t been a question, but Ari nodded anyway in confirmation. “Harrison, are you really suggesting dating? Honest to god dating?”

  “It’s a perfectly normal thing to do, you know.” Harrison’s eyes crinkled up into crow’s feet in a silent grin.

  Well, yes, he knew that but…it wasn’t like Ari had actually ever done it. Not for just himself. The idea tantalized him. What would it be like, to have Harrison—Carter—that way? To have an actual relationship with the man? He looked into those slate blue eyes and saw endless possibilities. It was scary, thinking about trusting someone else to that degree. Like free falling. With all of the stomach-swooping, terror, and adrenaline of a heist. Ari reviewed all the reasons he’d talked himself out of this very thing, all the things he’d told Ivan, and found them to be excuses. He’d never let fear stop him before, not when his life was on the line. He couldn’t let himself do it when his heart was on the line instead. As terrifying as this was for him on one level, he was equally excited by it, because dammit, he liked the man. Ari apparently liked the man well enough to step out of his comfort zone and try. A smile tugged his mouth up, an unconscious decision. “Dating sounds good.”

  “Yeah?” One of Carter’s hands shifted to his arm, trailing heat and tingles along the skin to his wrist before Carter pressed his hand lightly against Ari’s. “Then let’s date. Starting now.”

  Ari laughed soundlessly, and it was him who tangled their fingers together. He felt strangely relieved, as if the concerns and worries he’d been harboring over this very thing were suddenly lifted off his shoulders. Strange, how Carter’s straightforward approach had done that. Excitement bubbled in and mixed with the feeling, leaving him intoxicated and giddy in a way he’d not ever felt before. “Now, huh. Sure, let’s start now. Just…don’t jump me.”

  “I won’t approach you from behind or to the side, not until you get used to this,” Carter promised seriously. “I know your reflexes, and I don’t want to get on the wrong side of those. I’ll end up with a hole in my throat before you even realize it’s me. Which doesn’t lead to sexy times.”

  A wave of relief swept over him. That was exactly why he couldn’t date civilians. They didn’t understand his reflexes, and he couldn’t explain them accurately either, which led to problems. Very, very occasionally he was able to orchestrate something so he was comfortable enough, in control enough, to enjoy a bit of rough sex. But it took some doing and most of the time, he didn’t feel the effort worth it. It was novel, really, the idea of dating someone who he didn’t have to explain anything to. Who got it. Who lived a similar life. It made him impulsive, and for the first time in his life, he gave into impulse without considering how much the action would draw attention to himself. He tilted his head just so and kissed Carter, quick and chaste. />
  Carter wasn’t content with that and leaned in, the kiss still chaste, but lingering, giving them both a firmer impression and sweet heat. He pulled back a bare inch to murmur above Ari’s mouth, “Later, when Remi’s in bed, you and I are going to spend a little time together.”

  “Sounds perfect.” And maybe in the next six hours or so, the idea of dating Carter would settle better and let Ari relax enough to let the man in his space. Just doing this was hard, but that could be because they were in a public area. He couldn’t really relax out here.

  “Hey, love birds,” Kyou’s voice suddenly popped into his right ear.

  Ari almost jumped a foot, and he swore mentally. He’d honestly forgotten for a minute the earbud was in. From the disgruntled look on Carter’s face, he’d forgotten too.

  “You two are being cute and all, but you do remember van and uniforms?”

  “K, one day, you’re going to find someone, and I will take great delight in turning these tables,” Ari growled the promise lowly, meaning every word of it.

  Kyou laughed, not at all concerned. “You can be kissy-kissy with each other later. We’ve got a narrow window to get the stuff.”

  Carter, being more patient, just sighed and got a move on. He did not, however, let go of Ari’s hand. Ari found himself highly reluctant to break that contact. They were in public, yes, but for the first time in his life he was honestly dating someone and dammit, he wanted to linger in that high for a minute.

  There was a soft female giggle and Ari cursed himself all over again. Right. Remi had an earbud in as well. He and Carter shared a somewhat horrified look, although the crooked lift of Carter’s lips suggested he found the situation humorous as well. Which was fine for him as he didn’t have to have a little talk with an eight-year-old after this.

  Ari groaned and kicked himself mentally. Why hadn’t he turned the earbud off? Had Carter seriously affected him so much he’d forgotten it?

  Vans and uniforms. Focus on vans and uniforms. Little girls could wait another hour.

  17

  Ari