by Terri Reed
“It sits for fifteen minutes.”
Anthony checked the time on his watch. She took a seat on the edge of the tub to wait for the color to set.
Needing some space, Anthony said, “I’ll check on Mikey and be back in fifteen.”
Her pleased smile zinged straight through him. He beat a hasty retreat. Pausing between rooms, he leaned his forehead against the doorjamb. He’d revealed more than he’d intended and felt way more than he wanted to. He had to put a halt to the attraction and connection building between him and Vivian. She was his protectee. His client. Nothing more. There couldn’t be anything more.
He moved into the connecting room and leaned against the wall. Mikey slept peacefully in the bed. Unfamiliar emotions rose. Anthony had never been responsible for a child’s life before. Diplomats and their wives and presidents and first ladies, but never a child this young. There was something so innocent about Mikey. Anthony supposed the coping disorder made the child seem even more in need of protecting.
He returned to Viv. “Time’s up. Hey, cutting Mikey’s hair might be enough of a change and less traumatic for him.”
The tender look of approval in Viv’s blue eyes shot straight to Anthony’s core, knocking him off balance.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “Just give me a few minutes to rinse.”
Taking the scissors with him, Anthony walked out and shut the bathroom door behind him.
Vivian blinked back tears. Anthony’s consideration for her son touched her deeply. The more she got to know Anthony the more she was finding herself drawn to him.
Her bodyguard.
Of course the intense situation exaggerated her feelings. The close proximity and the need to rely on him for her and Mikey’s safety warped her sense of reality. Once this was over, once she didn’t have to live in fear of being hunted down and killed or sent to prison for a crime she didn’t commit, she’d be able to look rationally at her emotions.
For now she’d be grateful for the kindness and compassion Anthony showed to both her and her son. There was no harm in being thankful and appreciative. She just couldn’t allow anything else to develop.
Though why the thought of Anthony with another woman made her stomach knot, she didn’t know. Silliness on her part. She didn’t care who his future was with as long as he kept her and Mikey safe.
After rinsing out the dye in the shower and then blow-drying her hair with the hotel’s dryer, she put back on her sweater and slacks. She hardly recognized herself in the mirror’s reflection. The dark hair was so shockingly different. She hoped Mikey didn’t freak out when he saw her.
First they had to cut Mikey’s dark curls. She joined Anthony at Mikey’s beside. The table lamp cast a soft glow in the room.
“Wow.” Anthony’s stunned expression unnerved her.
She touched her hair. “That bad, huh?”
“You were gorgeous as a blonde, but as a brunette, you’re stunning. The dark hair with your pale skin and pale eyes is…amazing.”
Heat flamed her cheeks. She couldn’t detect any hidden agenda in his tone or in the sincere expression on his handsome face. And for some reason his compliment didn’t infuriate her as most compliments on her looks usually did.
She rather liked the idea that Anthony Carlucci, bodyguard extraordinaire, thought she was gorgeous and stunning. Too bad it could never lead anywhere.
Taking a seat beside her sleeping son, she gathered him in her arms. Mikey stirred slightly. She made soothing noises to settle him until his slim body relaxed against her. Her heart overflowed with love as she held him while Anthony cut at the thick hair covering Mikey’s head. Before long, her son had very short hair. She hadn’t realized how young he’d looked with his curls. She settled him back against the pillow.
Headlights in the parking lot swept past the lightweight curtains. Anthony rose and went to the window. He pushed back the curtain slightly and peered out. His frown sent apprehension sliding over Viv’s limbs.
Moving to his side, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Turn out the lights,” he replied in a hushed tone.
Heart thumping, she quickly turned out the bedside lamp, throwing the room into semidarkness. Light from the parking lot filtered through the curtains. Anthony stayed at the window, watching.
Anthony made a disgusted noise. “How did they find us?”
Viv’s stomach sank. She ran to the window. “Let me see.”
He stepped back. She peered out the slit in the curtain. Below in the parking lot two men were climbing out of a black SUV. She sucked in a sharp breath and stumbled back. Shock ricocheted through her. “Those are the FBI agents I was telling you about.”
Her gaze flew to Anthony. She’d trusted him to keep them safe. How could this be happening?
Anthony scooped Mikey up and carried him toward the connecting room. She dogged his steps. He set Mikey on the bathroom floor. “Stay here. Lock the door.”
Fear slammed against her ribs as she twisted the lock behind Anthony. Feeling alone and vulnerable, she scooted over to Mikey. She loved him so much. She couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her son. Gathering him in her arms, she closed her eyes and prayed.
Adrenaline pumped through Anthony’s veins. He grabbed his SIG Sauer P229 from his holster hanging over the back of a chair. He checked the slide, extinguished the bedside lamp and moved quickly into the room Viv and Mikey shared. He closed the connecting door and rushed to the window.
Two men, weapons drawn, made their way up the stairs. Shadows obstructed their faces. The men stopped on the landing to check a small glowing gadget one of them was holding before stalking forward and stopping in front of the door to Anthony’s room.
He reared back. They had some sort of tracking device.
Anger and fear tightened his chest. His mind raced. One thought formed. Stop the men before they could get to Viv and Mikey. Whether Viv was involved in her husband’s murder or not, Anthony had to make sure they stayed alive. That’s what he’d been hired to do. Trained to do. He couldn’t fail again.
He had to act fast. He moved to the bed, swiped one of the dense fiber-filled pillows and rushed back through the connecting door. Two seconds later the outer door burst open. Leading with their guns, the two men entered the darkened room.
This better work. With the pillow over the barrel of his gun as a makeshift silencer, Anthony fired, hitting the first man in the thigh. A scream of surprise and pain echoed through the room.
The bright flash from a muzzle and the distinct “psst” noise of a silencer alerted Anthony to incoming fire. He rolled sideways as a slug slammed into the wall where he’d just been. He brought the pillow and barrel up to shoot the second assailant in the shoulder. The man went down with a cry.
Anthony made quick work of disarming the wounded assassins. They refused to answer his questions. He yanked the sheet from the bed and ripped it into strips to use as binding and to dress their wounds. He didn’t want them bleeding out before they were found. After tying the men’s hands and feet together, he dragged them into the closet and shut the door. He wedged a chair against the handle to lock them inside.
Relieved, yet knowing there could be others on their way, Anthony hustled to get Viv and Mikey. Breathing hard from adrenaline, he opened the bathroom door and flipped on the light switch.
Viv and Mikey were huddled in the corner. Viv used her body to shield her son, even though her eyes were scrunched closed. The instincts of a mother. Tenderness welled.
Her pale skin and tight mouth showed her terror. His heart melted a little more each time she tried to be strong for her son no matter how scared she really was. He wanted to take all her fear away. Kneeling beside her, he laid a hand on her shoulder. She jerked with a whimper.
“Shhh. It’s okay. It’s me,” he said.
She opened her eyes. Relief and trust shone bright in her gaze. His heart squeezed tight.
She peered over his shoulder. “I hear
d…noises.”
“I neutralized the threat. But we have to go.” He helped her to her feet.
Mikey awoke and struggled to be let go. He took one look at his mother, his gaze skipping to her dark hair and began to scream.
Viv clapped a hand over his mouth. “Shh, baby. Quiet now. It’s all right. Everything’s all right.”
Anthony smoothed a hand over his shorn hair. “Your mom looks different. But it’s her, okay?”
Mikey calmed and touched a hand to Viv’s face. She smiled encouragingly. He seemed to accept her new look.
“We need to go,” Anthony said, ushering them out of the confines of the bathroom. “There might be others coming.”
Viv held on tight to Mikey and guided him through the connecting door. Anthony grabbed his things and all the discarded trash from their earlier activities. No time to wipe down the rooms. Every second they remained here put them at risk. With all the noise, the police were no doubt on their way. And there could still be more bad guys coming.
He shut the connecting door and locked it. “We can’t leave anything behind. Not even the trash. Nothing that will tell them we’ve dyed your hair or cut his.”
Together they picked up as much as they could.
“Time to move.”
Anthony went out first to make sure it was safe before waving Viv to follow. Viv had her hands full coaxing Mikey down the stairs. Anthony urged them to the back of the parking lot where he’d parked the van. Once they’d stowed their stuff and gotten in the van, Viv started a DVD for Mikey.
Anthony didn’t fire up the engine. Instead, he held up the device he’d taken from the assassins. “They have some way of tracking you that led them straight here. We can’t make a move until we figure out what it is.”
Anthony grabbed Viv’s bag from the floorboard at her feet. He dug around inside. He pushed aside the leather wallet, a bottle of perfume, and a pack of gum and a handful of hard candy. His hand closed around a small Taser.
Wary surprise rocketed through him. He held the Taser up. “You didn’t tell me you had this.”
She shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”
Doubts filtered through his mind. What else was she hiding?
He set the Taser aside and reached back inside the bag.
He brought out a four-by-four-inch rectangular black unit with an LED screen showing a tiny green blip. “What’s this?”
“The monitor for Mikey’s Wanderer Alert ankle bracelet.” She twisted around to reach back and tugged Mikey’s pant leg up to reveal a white strap with a square head that glowed green. “He’s escaped from the house a few times.”
Frustration beat a bass drum behind Anthony’s eyes. “Didn’t think to mention that either.”
No wonder they kept being found. Until this very moment he hadn’t realized how afraid he was that he’d lost his edge, his ability to protect.
“No one knows he wears it,” she stated.
Arching an eyebrow, Anthony said, “Someone does.”
She frowned. “Well, of course a few people do. I meant the public at large. Steven was careful to keep Mikey’s autism out of the media.”
“Then who?”
“The staff. Mikey’s teachers, a few close friends and associates of Steven’s, but none of them would… I mean, I can’t believe…” Her complexion lost even more color.
“Believe it. Someone not only knows Mikey wears the bracelet, but has the capability to hack into his signal.” And the means to hire assassins.
Anthony grabbed the scissors from the console tray where he’d placed them. “The bracelet has got to go.”
Distress pinched the corners of her mouth as she wrestled with his proclamation. Finally, she nodded. “You’re right, of course. I’ll distract him while you cut.”
Anthony slipped out of the driver’s seat, opened the back panel door and scooted next to Mikey.
“Honey, are you hungry?” Viv said. “Would you like a snack?”
Mikey pointed at the screen. “Watching.”
Leaning in, Anthony snipped the strap attached to Mikey’s ankle. It fell to the floor. Taking the strap and the monitor, he retreated, shutting the door firmly. He looked around the parking lot, his gaze landing on the big rig a few feet away. Quickly he darted to the truck, worked the tie holding the tarp over the cargo bed until he had a corner lose enough to slip the monitor and bracelet inside. He retied the tarp down tight and jogged back to the van.
Once they were on the road, he said, “I need you to write down every person who knows about the Wanderer Alert bracelet.”
Her shoulders sagged. A tear crested her lashes. “I hate thinking someone I know and trust could have killed Steven. It just doesn’t seem possible.”
Feeling her pain as acutely as if he’d been the one betrayed, Anthony said, “We can never be sure what lies in another person’s heart.”
“I know you’re right,” she replied and wiped at the tears. She dug into her bag and produced a notepad and pen. “It will be a short list.”
“Easier to find who’s behind your husband’s murder and who wants you and Mikey dead.”
“Now do you believe me that I had nothing to do with Steven’s murder?”
Her voice dropped to a whisper on the last word, but the note of hope in her tone and the plea in her big baby-blues were clearly identifiable.
Anthony’s gut clenched. Was he ready to believe in her innocence?
SIX
Anthony searched his heart. Though he’d only been with Vivian a short time, he was sure she wouldn’t do anything to deliberately put Mikey in harm’s way. Her love for her son was undeniable.
And he liked that about her. In fact, he really liked her. He admired her faith, admired her sacrifices for the sake of her child, admired her intelligence and her quick thinking. He was attracted too, but that didn’t weigh in on the realization he no longer considered her a suspect in the senator’s murder. She was as much a victim as her husband.
“I do believe you.”
“About time.” She visibly straightened her spine and proceeded to make the list of possible suspects. Respect for this tough lady spread through him. He would make sure she didn’t end up dead, too. And not just because it was his job.
They stopped at a roadside diner. While Viv and Mikey stayed within the safety of the van, Anthony ordered their breakfasts to go. They ate in the parking lot, behind a big rig so no one would see the van.
Pancakes, eggs and bacon. All of Mikey’s favorites. Viv ate, but her appetite wasn’t big. She noticed Anthony wasn’t particularly hungry either.
Probably still upset with her for not mentioning the Wanderer Alert. She hadn’t considered that whomever was after her would know about the monitoring device, let alone be able to circumvent the security of the Wanderer Alert company’s computer system.
At least Anthony no longer doubted her innocence. Having him fully on her side bolstered her confidence that they would arrive in Boston safely.
And the delegate from Kashmir probably had been just as confident that he’d be protected. Viv pushed away that unsettling thought as she pushed away her half-eaten plate.
She had to trust that God would keep her and Mikey safe. Through Anthony.
As they finished up their breakfast and stored the containers in the back, Viv could tell Anthony needed to rest, but he shook off her offer to drive.
“I’ll be fine,” he insisted. Though he’d ordered a large coffee to go, as well.
Stubborn man. “You’ll be no good to me or Mikey if you push yourself to exhaustion,” Viv argued.
“We’ll stop again in a few hours. I want to put some more distance between us and…”
She nodded knowing exactly who he meant. The two men sent to kill her and Mikey. A shiver ran down her spine. “Did you…”
“Kill them?” He shook his head. “No. Just flesh wounds.”
She was impressed by his restraint, his mercy.
Four hours later, An
thony slowed the van down and turned into the parking lot of a large mall. “We need new clothes.”
“You’ll get no argument from me on that,” Viv said, adjusting her ball cap.
She promised Mikey a toy so he would cooperate by wearing the ball cap and sunglasses as they entered a large department store. Time flew as Viv, with Anthony’s help, collected a few comfortable outfits for her and Mikey. If anyone thought it strange that they were in their hats and shades inside, no one commented. In the toy department she’d found a few puzzles and a Rubik’s Cube for Mikey, things that would keep him busy during their trip.
She stopped by the cosmetic department where she picked up a few toiletry items and then led both Mikey and Anthony to the men’s department.
She helped Anthony gather a couple of outfits—soft-looking jeans, graphic T-shirts and a nice polo shirt. Clothes Steven would have sneered at. When they took their armload of clothes to the checkout counter, Anthony stopped Viv from using her credit card.
“Too easy for someone to trace,” he murmured as he removed a card from his own wallet and handed it to the clerk.
Concern arched through her. When their transaction was completed and they were headed back toward the car, she asked, “And they couldn’t trace your credit card? Surely whoever is after me knows about you.”
“It’s a loaded cash card,” he said. He opened the back of the van and stowed away their packages. “Trent gives each of his operatives one. There’s no way to trace the user of the card.”
“That’s good to know.” Her father had been right to hire Trent Associates. Competent, smart and worth every cent.
She started back toward the passenger seat when Anthony snagged her elbow. His big hand warm on her skin. She lifted her gaze and met his. Dark circles rimmed his rich chocolate-colored eyes.
He held out the keys. “I’ll take you up on that offer. I need a half hour of downtime.”
Thrilled to be of use, she held out her hand. Steven never let her drive when they were going anywhere together. He always had to be in control. “Thank you.”
