by Em Petrova
When she was safe and could make the choice without her mind being clouded by circumstances, he was going to tell her.
But one thing worried the hell out of him. Her behavior when he’d left her was an unmistakable freeze-out.
He elbowed Rocko. “You awake, man?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I talk to you about Fleur?”
Rocko cracked an eye at him. “Am I the relationship advice columnist for Knight Ops now?”
Chaz chuckled. “No, you’re the only person who won’t be a dick to me about it because you’re not related.”
Rocko sat up straighter in the SUV seat. “What’s going on?”
Chaz filled him in, using as few words as possible to describe his feelings. Then he ended with her being cold to him.
“Do you think she knew what I was up to with those questions?”
“More likely she was disappointed in your performance in bed, bro.”
Chaz barked a laugh that had his brothers’ heads swiveling. “She wasn’t fucking disappointed, man.”
Rocko grunted. “Whatever you say.”
“Seriously, man, I don’t know what to do when I see her.”
“Bring her some flowers.”
“Flowers?”
“Haven’t you ever romanced a woman?” He looked at Chaz’s face. “You haven’t. Look, a woman isn’t going to be charmed by your magical penis alone. You have to show her that she’s important and deserves to be given the world on your palm even if she never asked for it.”
“Is this what you do, man?” Chaz was rolling the words around his head and trying to guess at Fleur’s reaction to getting a bouquet from him.
“Nah. I don’t have time for that bullshit.”
It was Chaz’s turn to stare at him. “We all know you’re crazy about our sister. What the hell are you waiting for?”
“I’m waiting for you to stop asking me this shit.”
“Fine, I won’t. Thanks for the advice.” He sat back and closed his eyes, wondering if Lexi could give him some more advice—on the best flowers to bring Fleur.
Chapter Nine
“Goddammit, you can’t be serious,” Chaz said to Ben.
“Jackson’s orders. He wants Fleur for more questioning.” The Gulf breeze ripped at their clothes, threatening with a storm. Just what Chaz wanted to pole a boat through the bayou through to bring Fleur back.
“What the hell could they have left to ask her?” Chaz’s question was rough with the fury he couldn’t hold in any longer.
Ben brought his hand down on his shoulder and squeezed. “You know you have to comply. I’m not privy to the information they have. If it’s about Fleur, then she’ll have to face that.”
Chaz’s anger swelled to his head and made his blood drum in his temples. “Are you fucking suggesting that she’s working with her father to help him escape us?”
His brother met his stare for a long minute and then dropped it. “No. I think she’s innocent. But they might have someone for her to identify or something. You said there’s a guy who has a bag.”
At this point, Chaz didn’t give a fuck if they ever found the bag—he wanted to get her out of here and put it all behind her. Of course, that meant he was leaving Knight Ops too because he wasn’t leaving her side.
Words burned in his throat, unsaid. He looked up at the sky, and Ben did too. “Gonna pour on your ass if you don’t get a move on. Sean’s coming with you to collect Elise.”
They’d learned just as they hit the Louisiana border that Bo had been called away with his own team.
“Fine, I’ll bring her to Jackson. But I’m not fuckin’ happy,” Chaz bit off.
Ben squeezed his shoulder. “I know, man. Just play nice and we’ll figure shit out. Guts and glory.”
“Guts and glory,” he muttered and strode to the OFFSUS vehicle Sean was sitting in behind the wheel.
“Why the fuck’re you always driving?” Chaz barked as he slid into the passenger seat.
“Because I’m the big brother.” He grinned at Chaz, nonplussed by his bad attitude or the way he slouched. So what if he was acting like an ill-tempered teen boy. He had a fucking right.
“Jackson told me to keep watch over her. Now he wants her back in for questioning?” Chaz’s demand had Sean silent for a second, as if pondering the answer.
“Dude, I don’t know any more than you do, but I know you love her and you’re going crazy at the thought of her being in the thick of this.”
Chaz leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands. “Do you all fucking know how I feel? Hell, I didn’t even know until the ride back from fuckin’ Mississippi.”
Sean chuckled and turned on the wipers just as the first big splat of rain hit the windshield. In seconds, it was pouring so hard that they could barely see the road, but he was used to driving in the worst conditions and continued on at the same speed.
After a drive that took longer than Chaz was happy with, they finally reached the stopping point where they’d take the rest of the journey by boat. The small flat-bottomed boat was the only thing they used to get to their remote part of the bayou. In the more open places, an engine could be used. But here they had only manpower or Elise’s airboat, which she had with her.
The rain let up enough for them to manage the boat and Chaz wrestled the pole from Sean’s grasp. “Let me. I can go faster.”
Sean sat down with a laugh. “Be my guest.” He watched Chaz pump hard with the long pole against the shallow bottom of the bayou to propel them toward their destination.
“You really didn’t know you loved her till a while ago?” he asked.
He tossed a look over his shoulder. “How the hell would I know something like that? It’s not like I’ve ever been in anything but lust before.”
“True. It’s a hell of a different feeling, isn’t it?”
Chaz’s throat felt suddenly tight. “Yeah.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“That I can’t say. We need to find her damn father and finish this in order to set her free. And then… I’m not sure she’ll want anything to do with me.” He’d been thinking about that pretty much nonstop since realizing he loved her. What if he represented a time in her life she wanted to forget? He wouldn’t blame her for picking up and leaving like she’d initially planned.
“Hell, it’s all a fucking goat-fuck of a train wreck,” he muttered into the wind.
When the cabin came into sight, his heart gave a lurch. Sean leaned forward to catch the dock and rope off the pirogue. Before the boat was secured, Chaz stepped out of it and strode to the cabin door.
He shoved inside and scanned the room, his gaze landing on two dark heads. “Lexi, where’s Fleur?”
At the sound of his voice, both women jumped up and he realized with a shock that it was Fleur.
Of course it was. Her hair color belonged on her like nothing else ever could.
In three strides he had her in his arms, yanking her onto tiptoe. He crushed his mouth over hers, stealing whatever words she might have said.
He broke the kiss and cupped her face, studying her appearance. Brown eyes, brown hair. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.” He swooped in to kiss her again, but she dodged him.
His heart gave a hard jerk in his chest as he gazed at her. His first reaction was to put his hands on her. He’d never considered she didn’t want his affection.
He let her go and backed up a step. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked at him.
“Chaz, we need to talk.”
Yes, they fucking did, but not until he had this bullshit with Jackson over with.
“First, we have to go. Gather your things.”
Fear slithered through her eyes, and it punched him in the gut to see it there. He only wanted her happy and carefree—even if it wasn’t with him.
“Look, honey, Jackson needs to speak with you again. We need to get this over with.”
She seemed to be holding her breath a
nd then let out a shaky sigh. “What does he need from me?”
“I don’t have access to that information. I’m sorry.” Fuck, was he. He couldn’t even warn her of what was about to be asked of her. “But Fleur, whatever happens I’m here for you. I won’t leave you hanging, and later on, once this is done, if you want me…”
He trailed off, and she stared up at him, lips parted.
He went on, “If you want more with me…” Why the hell couldn’t he finish a sentence? He tried again. “If you want to pick up where we left off before Bo and Elise showed up, then I want that too. God, do I want it.”
She blinked at the vehemence in his tone. After a long second, she nodded. “I’ll gather my things.”
* * * * *
She didn’t know what to believe when it came to Chaz. She was certain that he’d been grilling her for information about her father, and she couldn’t shake the thought that he’d slept with her just to get what he needed.
But hearing him stammer through basically telling her he wanted more with her… Well, it made her want to put her arms around him and never let go.
He was staring at her, and she felt more self-conscious than ever. With her tale out there for him to analyze and even her hair returned to its natural hue, she felt she was showing Chaz a truer side of herself. At last.
Finally, he could see what she really was. Appearances weren’t everything, but she’d been hiding for so long she was afraid she hadn’t shown him her real self all the time. Fear had been driving her for so long that she wasn’t sure how to live anymore but when it came to Chaz, she had to be true to him—to herself.
An hour later they were on the other side of the bayou and pulling up to the base where OFFSUS had interrogated her last. She wrapped her arms around her middle and stared at the building and the trees in front of it bending in the harsh winds. The storm came in bursts with torrential rains, but right now it was in a lull.
“Hurry before the sky breaks open again,” Chaz said, getting out of the vehicle. He grabbed her by the arm and drew her across the seat and through the open door. He picked up her bag, gave Sean a nod of farewell and took off for the building with Fleur in tow.
The next two hours were spent alone with the suited men again, being asked questions and shown pictures. Some men she knew and others she didn’t. And when they pushed one photograph across the table at her, her heart gave a wild flip.
Her poker face slid into place as she studied the photograph.
“Do you know this man?”
“I’ve never seen him that I recall,” she said in an even voice. How she managed that when her heart was lodged in her vocal cords, she had no clue. She turned her attention to the man questioning her. “Who is he?”
“This,” he tapped the picture, “is a known arms dealer responsible for supplying terrorists in the United States. And a friend of your father’s.”
She masked her response, controlling her breathing, trying to silence her rising panic and confusion. Joffrey was one of her father’s Irish friends and a friend of hers too. He was like a favored uncle. He’d come once or twice a year to the plantation to stay, and she only remembered him pushing her on a swing or later giving her beautiful silver filigree jewelry made by Irish artisans for her birthdays.
He had little girls she played with when they visited his estate home in Dublin. And they’d have tea and buns and have the best pretend play. As a teen, she and his daughters would wander the village and flirt with Irish boys who went out of their way to act cool and charming. Then they’d run home and hole up in one of the girls’ bedrooms and giggle over what was said to them.
It was the closest thing to sisters or cousins she’d ever had. And she loved them all.
“I’ve never seen him that I recall,” she said once more.
The man questioning her sat back in his seat and glared at her. “Get Knight in here.”
Her stomach bottomed out. Were they going to force her to say this in front of Chaz or one of his brothers? Lying to his face right now would take extreme effort—something she wasn’t sure she was up to.
One of the men got up and went to the door and opened it, barking, “Knight!”
Chaz entered in seconds—had he been standing just outside the door? Could he hear anything she’d said?
His gaze searched out hers, and she could nearly feel his touch. Are you all right? she imagined him saying.
She pursed her lips and slanted a look at the photo lying on the table. It was entirely possible that Joffrey was in cahoots with her father in dealing weapons. But she couldn’t believe it was anything but business for him—he was no terrorist and she’d break her silence to say as much too.
The interrogator tapped the photo. “Miss Sutton swears she’s never seen this man before.”
“Then Miss Sutton hasn’t seen him,” Chaz returned. He stood with his arms loose at his sides and legs braced wide, as if prepared for a fight. Having seen him in action before, she didn’t want to again. But she could admire the power that flowed from him in waves. She studied his face, glad to see the dried blood in his brow had been cleaned away and a small bandage crossed it.
“Leave us,” Chaz said quietly.
The men exchanged glances.
“Leave us!”
They got up and walked out of the room. The guard closed the door, and silence resounded in the space.
“Fleur.” He searched her face. “You’re holding up, I see.”
She gave a nod.
He leaned over her, bringing his masculine scent into her nostrils. “But you forget I’ve seen your poker face and you can’t fool me.” He sliced a look at the photo. “Do you know him?”
She drew her shoulders back and clamped her jaw.
“Fleur. You might believe you’re saving this man from harsh treatment, but let me assure you that he’s been on our radar for a long time.” He circled the table and whipped open the file the interrogator had left behind. Chaz shoved a photo in her face.
The gruesome sight ripped a gasp from her. Blood and the twisted body of a man whose life ended too soon. She turned her gaze aside.
“This is what Joffrey’s weapons have done to this country. That’s a government official.” He pulled out another photo. “And that’s his wife and kids.”
She glanced at the photo that was equally as horrible as the man’s. Tears and bile rose in her at the same time.
She shook her head. “Stop it, Chaz. Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because you need to see that you’re not helping anybody, let alone yourself. This man is responsible for a lot of deaths, many by his own hand and some he’s contracted by hired killers. He takes out anybody standing in his way and if you were that person standing in his path right this second, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill you too.” He leaned over her again. “Now, Fleur, you’ve got to point the finger at this man if it’s in your capacity. If you know he’s had dealings with your father, you have to say so.”
She sat there staring into space, her mind rioting with emotions and memories. Betrayal was the only word that came to mind when she thought of doing what Chaz asked of her.
He placed the pictures back into the folder and closed it. “Look, I understand your silence because I’d do anything in my power to shield my family as well. Deep down, even if people make mistakes, the love for blood is real. The good times surface in your mind and harming people you’ve spent so long trusting—loving—is hard.”
When she didn’t speak, he pushed the file her direction. Then he got up and left the room.
Nobody came back in. Fleur sat there battling with herself and finally she opened the folder and flipped through pages of written accounts and photos. Oh God, too much travesty to imagine.
Was she any better protecting people like her father or Joffrey?
Shaky and nauseated, she got up and stumbled to the window to look out on the windy, stormy day.
The door opened, and she spun to see C
haz and Colonel Jackson striding in. She opened her mouth to tell them she was ready to identify that Joffrey was the man they believed him to be, but Chaz cut her off.
“We’ve found Antonio. And the bag.”
* * * * *
“H-how?” Fleur grabbed onto the table as if to keep from toppling over. Her face had gone white, and Chaz darted a look at the folder he’d left with her. It was moved, which meant she’d probably looked inside.
He took a step toward her but Jackson cleared his throat, drawing him up short. He had to keep a professional distance from this, even if he wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her it was going to be okay.
“We have our ways, Miss Sutton,” Jackson said. “But from what your uncle told us, your father only wanted the bag back for personal reasons.”
She blinked at that tidbit. What did that mean really?
“Antonio is being brought in with the bag right now.” Chaz was so grateful to have the connections he did. So much easier than going out with Fleur on a manhunt of the city, knocking on all the doors of a man named Antonio. And that was assuming the man had ever even lived in New Orleans.
This way, Chaz could keep her safe, and that was his only priority right now.
That and ending this nightmare for her so she could move on with her life, with or without him. Wait—without him? Clearly, he’d had too much time to think because now he was thinking of her above his own desires, which was to explore what they had started together.
Fleur was silent, her face a mask but not her poker face. No, she was in shock. Maybe she’d never believed they’d find Antonio, and what was in the mystery bag could change her life.
“Come with us, Miss Sutton.” Knowing she’d obey his command, Jackson turned and strode from the room.
Chaz rushed to her side and took her hand. Anchoring her to him with an arm around her waist, he brushed his lips against her forehead. “I’ll be with you, petite fleur. I won’t let you do this alone.”
“Chaz, I…” She tipped her head up to look at him. So many emotions lived in the depths of her dark brown eyes that he wasn’t sure how to process them all.
