Dangerous Proposition

by Jessica Lauryn

  Wrapping the bedsheet around her body, she stood and walked to the dresser. She took a pair of jeans and a shirt. After putting them on, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

  Fluffing her curls, she stared at her pale complexion. She certainly looked different from the way she had last night. But this was who she was, take it or leave it. She hadn’t worn that cocktail dress for any man. She’d done it to help her dad, which, hopefully, having seen the face of another one of those bastards who’d taken him, she had.

  The bathroom door swung open, and Colin entered the room. He looked her over, a noticeable frown forming on his face. “That didn’t take long,” he said dryly.

  “Just thought we ought to get an early start,” Julia said, avoiding his eyes as she shut the dresser drawer. Approaching the window, she said, “These guys tend to pull all-nighters, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be conducting our investigations during the day. I mean, if Mateo Esposito could figure out in just twenty-four hours that those men are…”

  “Julia—”

  “Who knows what we mind stumble upon if we get back over to that penthouse and…”

  “Julia, I really think we need to—”

  “The first place we ought to search is that hallway. I’m sure those scumbags are making an exuberant effort to cover their tracks, but it’s more than likely that they’ve left some sort of clue behind. I’ll check out the bedrooms, and you can stand outside the door and—”

  “Julia! I know you’re anxious about finding your father. But don’t you think that we should talk about last night?”

  “Last night?” She blinked. “Oh. Well, look. I realize it was a little over-the-top of me to go to that party without telling you. And I’m sorry I dragged you into that whole mess with Dylan Rossler. But I wasn’t about to sit home and knit while you went off to face those psychopaths alone. It’s not my style.”

  Colin nodded. “I appreciate you looking out for me. But I wasn’t referring to what happened at the party. I was referring to what happened after the party. At the hotel.”

  “Oh,” Julia replied, her voice sounding so quiet she doubted he had heard her.

  Colin approached her, the sight of him in nothing but pants causing her insides to do somersaults. “I hope you know,” he began, “I mean, I hope you know that I never intended to—”

  “Oh, come on,” Julia said, managing a dry laugh. “You don’t think I actually took our little romp in the sheets last night seriously, do you? I mean, you’re very cute in that whole Superman-thinks-he-can-save-Lois-Lane kind of way, but you and me? That’s like raw salmon and bowl of double-chocolate ice cream.”

  “That’s quite an analogy.”

  “And a very true one. ’Cause even on a good day, you and I are barely friends. I know that you’ve got a bit of a hero complex, and I also know that you were trying to comfort me last night. Any guy worth his nuts would have done the same thing. Right?”

  She watched him carefully, looking for some sort of indication that she was wrong. An eyebrow twitch. A shift of his lips. But his face remained unchanged.

  “I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Colin said after a moment.

  “So am I.” Biting back tears, Julia cleared her throat. She forced herself to plaster on the biggest smile she could manage. “Now that we’ve got that settled, I think it’s time we map out our battle plan.”

  “I’ve already taken care of that,” Colin said with a secretive smile.

  “You have?” She wasn’t entirely sure she liked the sound of that.

  “Oh yes,” he said, reaching into the closet. Sliding into the shirt he’d selected, he said, “Everything’s all set. If things go the way I’m anticipating, we may even have Tucker back tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Hope flooded her veins. “Oh, Colin, do you really think that’s possible? That we could have my dad back by tonight?”

  “I don’t want to get your hopes up. But I believe that one of my associates may have tracked down John Rizzo. As I was telling Esposito, Rizzo was the one who tipped me off to that first party we attended. If we find him, there’s a very good chance we’ll find Tucker, too.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” Julia snatched Colin’s car keys from the nightstand. As she approached the door, the sound of someone knocking on the other side stopped her in her tracks.

  “That must be my little surprise,” Colin said, stepping past her.

  He opened the door, and a streak of sunlight illuminated the entranceway. In its midst stood a man significantly shorter than the two of them, whose skin and hair were white. The man had deep lines around his mouth and a hump in his back that seemed to make it impossible for him to stand up straight.

  Colin grinned, turning with a triumphant glimmer as the elderly gentleman took an unsteady step through the doorframe. “Julia, I’d like you to meet Frederick McGinley. Your new bodyguard.”

  * * * *

  Julia stood, unsure of what to say. She blinked several times as Frederick McGinley, a man who looked like a cross between Santa Claus and her great-great-grandfather, stepped into their hotel room.

  The old man’s thinning hair glinted in the fluorescent light. His frail body shook as he handed Colin his coat. His hand felt leathery as she took it in hers.

  Was this Colin’s idea of joke? The latest way of messing with her head? She could understand why he wanted her watched over—she was surprised he hadn’t pulled a stunt like this sooner. But why was he setting her up with a soldier whose only chance of defending them against an attacker might be to knock him or her unconscious with the soles of his orthopedic shoes?

  “Julia,” Colin said as he hung the old man’s coat in the closet, “don’t you have something to say to Mr. McGinley?”

  She might have. If this were the friendly meet-and-greet he was pretending, and not some low attempt at humiliating her. She forced a pleasant smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McGinley. It’s so nice of you to take time out of your busy schedule, what with bounty hunting or whatever it is you do for a living. Would you excuse us for a moment?” She snatched Colin’s arm, dragging him in the direction of the mini fridge.

  “Of all the idiotic things—”

  “Is something wrong?” He lowered his dark brows.

  “Is something wrong? Yeah, I’d say something’s wrong. You’re trying to cut me out of my dad’s investigation again. You walk off into the sunset to conduct your search-and-rescue and probably fall into another death trap, while I get babysat by Father Time!”

  He chuckled. “Come on. I know how much you enjoy riding in the fast lane without a helmet, legs, but it isn’t as bad as you think. Fredrick McGinley has a number of years of experience at being a bodyguard. Many, many years, as I’m sure you could imagine. So long as he’s here with you, I know you won’t be getting yourself into trouble. And I won’t have to worry about rescuing your pretty little neck, and I can concentrate on finding Tucker.”

  Had he just said she was pretty? Julia shook her head furiously. “Assuming I thought you had a point, what makes you think I’d go along with your totally one-sided plan?”

  “Because,” Colin said with a composed smile, “I’m the only one who knows where John Rizzo might be hiding. That’s right. My associate tipped me off this morning, and he gave me a very good idea of where to start looking. And the only way I’m going to check into that lead is if I know you’re here with your bodyguard. And you have no way of sneaking off and getting yourself killed.”

  Julia tucked her arms behind her back. “What makes you think I’m capable of pulling off such a feat?”

  “Let’s not go there. I want your word, Julia, that you’ll stay with McGinley and that you won’t attempt to leave the hotel until I get back.”

  “Guess we’ll just have to break out a game of checkers.” She glanced at where the old man was wandering beside the bed. “Though I seriously doubt St. Nicholas over there will be able to keep up with me. Guess I’ll just
have to go easy on the old geezer.”

  “Please do,” Colin said, tailing her as she strode to the opposite side of the room. Maintaining an even pace, he allowed her to walk ahead of him, almost as though he didn’t entirely trust that she wouldn’t attempt to climb out the window otherwise.

  He said a quick good-bye, offering her a swift peck on the cheek. She watched him wander down the hall, imagining pulling every strand of black hair from his head, the thought of her doing so giving her an exuberant amount of pleasure.

  “What would you like to do today, Juliet?” Fred McGinley, who was pacing in excruciatingly slow circles, asked.

  Oh, this is gonna be a piece of cake, Julia thought, the wheels in her head spinning as she shut the door. Stage a fire, emergency “trip” to the vending machine—the ideas were flooding her mind like a torrent.

  “Actually, it’s Julia.” Gesturing toward the couch, she picked up the TV remote. “How about a movie? I think Colin sprang for a few of the premium channels on this TV. HBO, Showtime. Whatever the hotel includes in that pricy, movie-lover’s package.”

  “That sounds nice.” The old man sat down, a drawn-out process involving the bending of his knees that Julia found almost painful to watch.

  Turning toward the television, she flipped quickly through the channels. She watched McGinley’s expression, attempting to figure out what he might be interested in watching. His gray eyes lit as she stopped on a cooking show where the chefs were preparing a chicken dish with tomatoes and red peppers. He stared at the duo’s platter intensely.

  “Gosh, I’m hungry all of a sudden.” Walking toward the fridge, Julia said, “How about I fix us something to eat? I think that Colin picked up some groceries yesterday, sandwich meat and kaiser rolls, maybe a condiment or two.”

  “That sounds nice,” the old man replied, his eyes fixed on the television the screen. “Thanks, Juliet.”

  “No problem,” Julia replied. Holding her breath, she walked to the back door. She looked over her shoulder, smiling when she saw that McGinley remained engrossed in the cooking special.

  As quietly as she could manage, she drew back the curtain and turned the latch. She slid the glass door sideways. Stepping onto the balcony, she pulled it closed behind her.

  Grateful to see that McGinley was still staring at the television, she walked to the end of the balcony’s wooden planks. The drop was higher than she’d expected it to be, but she imaged it shouldn’t be difficult to climb down. They were only on the second floor. She wasn’t crazy about heights, but they weren’t especially high up. She looked down, and her head spun as she caught sight of the cars driving below. From the distance at which she stood, the people on the ground looked like ants. She swallowed, taking a gigantic step back.

  Don’t be a baby, Julia, she scolded herself, forcing her eyes to remain open. She walked to the railing and put one leg over the bar, then the other. With her feet wedged between the posts, she moved her left leg sideways, coming to where the cast stone column connected to the balcony below.

  Julia eyed the column. If she could wrap her body around it, she could slide down like a fireman and land on the ground.

  She lifted her left leg, bringing it around the side of the pole. When she was certain she had a good grip, she brought her right leg around it as well. Her shin brushed against the building, and her right shoe spun as it was kicked it off. The loafer spiraled hard and fast, tumbling against the pavement as it came in for a landing.

  Julia shook with terror. Seeing her shoe from such a great distance, she did all she could to reassure herself that things could have been worse. It could have been her who’d just fallen twenty feet.

  Holding her breath, she stretched her left arm as far as it would go. In one swift motion she let go of the railing and pulled her body against the column. She slid downward, keeping her head up, her bare foot raised. Her foot hit the ground, and she stood, dusting off the dirt that had collected on her jeans.

  Colin thought he was so smart. Leaving her with a nursing home resident while he went off to enjoy the good stuff. She’d show him. She slid into her shoe then hurried up the street.

  Julia’s confidence rose with each step. She hurried to the corner then made a mad dash down Madison Avenue.

  She wasn’t entirely sure where she was going, but she had a feeling that penthouse they’d visited last night would give her some answers. Dylan Rossler had been seething with information. And she was positive that both he and the man he’d spoken to on the phone were directly connected to her dad’s disappearance.

  As she quickened her pace, Julia heard footsteps behind her. Two strong arms grabbed hold of her. A hand clasped over her mouth.

  Chapter 19

  What a feisty little pain in the ass Julia was, Colin thought, struggling to hold her still as she kicked at his legs with the soles of her shoes. The woman wasn’t just clever—she was strong, and she had fists of steel. But he didn’t have time for any more of her shenanigans. His patience was wearing seriously thin.

  He hadn’t intended to scare her. He hated that he’d had to, but perhaps it was for the best. If Julia believed that he was Griffin Strycker, or one of the other men they suspected of kidnapping her father, maybe she’d have herself a good scare and take his warnings a little more seriously.

  Tucker’s abductor—rather, his abductors—were out for blood. Dylan Rossler, a man he had once presumed basically harmless, had locked Julia in a room. If Colin hadn’t shown up when he had, he couldn’t begin to imagine what might have happened to her.

  Much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn’t handle it if anything happened to Julia. He’d never felt that way about anyone, and the realization of it was both surreal and terrifying. Thinking about those men gawking at Julia as though she were some sort of prized lamb, he fought the desire to kill with his bare hands.

  He took his hand from Julia’s mouth, briefly enjoying the feel of her warm lips. Her elbow rammed hard against his ribcage.

  “Get off me, buddy!” she exclaimed, clamping his hand with her teeth. “You’re messing with the wrong chick!”

  Grasping her by the shoulders, Colin turned her around sharply. Their eyes met, and Julia’s blue irises nearly popped out of their sockets. She raised a fist, ramming it hard against his stomach.

  Colin coughed as the wind was knocked from his body. He clutched his intestines, taking several seconds to catch his breath before he was able to formulate a coherent sentence. “What the hell was that for?” he demanded sharply.

  “Me?” Julia exclaimed. “What’s the big idea trying to scare me like that?”

  “You’re lucky it was me who caught you and not one of Strycker’s men. Are you out of your mind, Julia? Those men will kill you if they find you again. They know who you are, and they know what you look like. Just once, why don’t you listen to me for a change and stay with the bodyguard for your own damned good!” Blocking the sun with his hand, Colin scanned the sidewalk. “Where’s McGinley?”

  “I believe he’s enjoying that premium cable package you sprang for as we speak.”

  He grunted. “I’m going to have to terminate him for this.”

  “Is that all you rich people do? Terminate people? No wonder you have so many friends.”

  Colin clenched a taut fist. He’d ignored Julia’s childish remarks thus far. This one had been over the top.

  He hadn’t fired anyone in years. Though many had deserved it, he’d resisted the urge, as he knew all too well what happened after. Or rather, what could happen. Some things simply weren’t worth doing.

  Nevertheless, he had made a colossal mistake this afternoon. He never should have left Julia alone with McGinley. It had been a hasty decision, and one made in a weak moment at that. The old man probably couldn’t protect a child from a circus clown.

  “Exactly what should I do, Julia?” He crossed his arms. “If the man can’t keep you out of trouble, what good is he to me?”

  “Funny you thin
k I’m the one who needs to be babysat,” she muttered under her breath.

  Colin heaved a sigh. “Clearly, I’ve underestimated you. But don’t think I intend to make the same mistake twice. McGinley’s replacement will be every bit as diligent as a bodyguard needs to be to keep Julia Dyson from walking into an early grave.”

  He dialed Eric Mason, a man who was a few years younger than himself. Mason wasn’t the most proficient of ninjas, but he possessed a key quality which made him the perfect candidate in which to entrust Julia’s care. He was a flaming homosexual. “I need your help. Yes, naturally you’ll be well compensated.”

  “Where?” Mason’s high-pitched voice questioned.

  “Carteret Hotel. Corner of Seventy-Third and Madison Avenue.” Flashing his redheaded companion a frown, Colin said, “Now, there’s no reason to give me such a sour face. It’s your pretty little rear end I’m saving. Perhaps when all this is over, you’ll even want to…thank me for what I’ve done.”

  He ducked as Julia thrust her knapsack forward, narrowly missing his scalp.

  * * * *

  An hour later, Colin stood before a building that clearly hadn’t been painted in years. Its side paneling was chipped, and most of the wooden slabs were broken. Sections of black had faded into gray. The steps that lead to the porch had clearly seen better days.

  As he looked up into the dusty windows, a chill shot up his spine. This was the place where it had all began, the place where he’d forged the partnership that had forever changed his life. That stormy night thirteen years ago, when he’d realized that life wasn’t black and white, when he finally saw his father for the son of a bitch he really was. Here, he’d signed on to Project Gemstone, the venture that had made him a man.