Elijah gestured to the couch while he took the recliner. “Tell me all about yourselves.”
Hunter peered down at Talia to see her gazing at him with, if he didn’t know better, he’d think it was adoration. Damn, it was a good look on her. He cleared his throat and forced his gaze to Elijah. “I’m Henry McKay and this is my wife, Tina.”
“Henry, Tina, nice to meet you. Are you from Denver?”
Hunter shook his head. “We’re just drifting right now. I’m between jobs so we’re just ambling around the country.”
“What do you do for a living, Henry?”
“Right now, living off the wife’s trust fund.” He chuckled like it was so damn funny. At the mention of a trust fund, Elijah’s eyes sparkled, much like they had when they locked onto the expensive watch encircling his wrist. The bait was being dangled, now they needed the fish to bite. “I’m a security specialist.” They’d decided to stick close to truth since with his height and build, it would be hard to pass himself off as a paper pusher.
“Security specialist?”
“Glorified term for a bodyguard,” he said self-deprecatingly. Talia stroked his bicep lovingly in support. “Protected some big wigs.” He named a few politicians and actors, including his boss Logan’s wife. “That’s how I met Tina. I was assigned to be her bodyguard and guard her body, I did.” He winked at her and she dissolved into a fit of giggles. Talia giggling. Hunter snapped a mental picture to file away so he could pull it out in the future and marvel at the sound.
Elijah steepled his fingers, his rapt gaze focused on them. “Why would you need a bodyguard, Mrs. McKay? Are you an actress?”
Though the question was directed at Talia, Hunter answered. “She’s gorgeous enough to be on the screen, isn’t she?” Hunter gushed.
“She certainly is.”
“Her father is richer than Croesus. He didn’t want anyone messing with his princess. Little did he know he opened the door and let the wolf into the den himself.” He chuckled lecherously.
“What does daddy think about his princess marrying her protector?”
Hunter scratched his chin and the overhead light caught the diamonds in his watch and sparkled. “Can’t say he’s too pleased. Kicked her out. Cut her off.”
You could practically see the light fade in Elijah’s eyes. He thought he had reeled in a whale, only to find out it was a lowly mackerel.
“Cut her off? That seems harsh.” His tone wasn’t as avid as earlier.
Hunter tossed off a negligent shrug. “He might’ve cut her off, but he can’t touch her trust fund.”
And there went the light, clicking back on.
“You’re living off the trust fund?”
“Nah, she can’t access it until she turns twenty-eight.”
“So, years from now. What are you, Tina, twenty-one, twenty-two?”
“You are so sweet,” Talia purred with a syrupy-sweet drawl. “I am twenty-seven. I will turn twenty-eight in six weeks.”
Cue predatory smile.
“Will you be able to live off the fund alone?”
Hunter chuffed out a laugh. “Are you kidding? It could support several small nations for decades.”
Dilated pupils. Check. Rapid breathing. Check. Accelerated heart rate. Check. Elijah was well and truly hooked.
“What does your father do? How did he make his fortune?”
“Oil,” Talia answered.
“Really. I have a few contacts in the oil industry. What’s your father’s name?”
“Ricardo Martinez.”
Elijah looked thoughtful. “I don’t know that name. Where does he live?”
“Houston.”
“Well, what does your mother think about him cutting you off, Tina?”
“She passed away when I was young.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Talia shrugged a shoulder. “It was a long time ago.”
Something in her voice made Hunter think she wasn’t lying. He didn’t know the story of her family and he wondered if she had lost her mother at a young age. He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back.
“If you’re cut off from Tina’s family will you go to your family, Henry?” He was clearly digging for information and Hunter gave him exactly what he was looking for. “Don’t have any. Parents passed away a while ago. No brothers or sisters. It’s just me and the little lady.” He gave Talia a squeeze and she cuddled against his side. Damn, it felt good.
“No children?”
“Nope.”
“What will you do? Where will you go?”
Hunter held his hands out. ‘“Haven’t really made any plans. Wherever the wind takes us, I guess.”
Elijah leaned back in the chair and regarded them calculatingly. “We have another service tomorrow morning. Why don’t you two join us again?”
Hunter glanced at Talia and she nodded eagerly. “I would love to. You are so eloquent, and your words speak to my soul.” Nice touch, babe.
Elijah stood and shook their hands again. “I am very happy to make your acquaintance, Henry and Tina. Praise God for guiding you to our church.” With a nod, he disappeared out the door.
#
Talia released a breath after Elijah departed, leaving her and Hunter alone. It was hard to play the part of simpering female when she was anything but.
Clasping her hand, Hunter smiled at her and stood, bringing her with him. He led her from the room. They withheld from discussing the meeting until they were alone. Walls had ears. So did their clothing…they both wore hidden cameras and microphones that would transmit the entire conversation to Sawyer and Mason, who were parked outside monitoring the dialog. That was assuming they hadn’t fallen asleep during Elijah’s endlessly droning monologue.
A few people were still loitering in the vestibule and they mingled, but she felt Elijah’s gaze on her the entire time. Thankfully, Hunter was ready to leave, and they made their way to the rented Ferrari 488 GTB. He opened her door but stopped her before she could slide inside. He gripped her head in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. Talia had no time to protest, not that she would. His lips were firm and warm, and she sank into him. He was an amazing kisser, as she knew he would be. When he pulled her closer, she pressed against him, shocked to find he was turned on. For her. He broke the kiss and she whimpered, wanting to pull his mouth back to hers. He kissed a path along her cheek and then his breath tickled her ear, causing a full-body shudder.
“Make it look good, we have an audience.”
The words jarred Talia out of the sensual fog and her eyes snapped open. Hunter hadn’t kissed her because he wanted her, he kissed her because they were being watched. She felt like a fool. But…there had been no mistaking his arousal.
She shouldn’t feel disappointed. She was on a case. She had a job to do and having lustful thoughts about her partner wasn’t in the script. Time to nip those in the bud right now.
Taking her hand, Hunter helped her inside the car. His movements were natural, almost instinctual and she had no doubt this would be how he acted on dates. Holding the door for the woman, letting her proceed him. Normally, she rebuffed men’s attempts at chivalry. It was dead, after all. But with Hunter, it made her feel cherished.
She glanced back at the church to see Elijah was indeed watching them through the open door with a calculated gleam. No doubt he took in the expensive car and dollar signs danced a jig inside his head.
While she was glad to be away from Elijah’s watchful gaze, she was nervous to head back to the hotel where she would share a room with Hunter. The man was too sexy for words. Her only salvation was that Sawyer and Mason would soon show up and act as buffers.
Hunter slid inside and smiled. Her traitorous heart somersaulted in her chest.
“How soon do you think before he jumps online and researches Ricardo Martinez?”
Talia cast one last look at the church, but Elijah was gone. “I would say right now.”
#
Elijah watched Henry and Tina McKay leave and he couldn’t take his gaze from the enticing sway of Tina’s heart-shaped ass. Henry’s hand rested just above the gentle swell and he guided her to a flashy red Ferrari. Elijah’s eyes widened. Damn. That was one mighty fine set of wheels. His breath caught when Henry pulled Tina to him for a heated kiss. It was passionate and steamy, and he wished it was him tasting those red luscious lips. Then Henry was helping her inside and they drove away.
He spun around and searched for Clint and Rob. He needed to get back to the compound and do a little research. Anticipation had his extremities tingling. Henry and Tina could be the ones. He found the two men mingling with the remaining couples. They were screening for potential members, but Elijah had already found his dream team, as he thought of them. He wanted to hate Henry for being with Tina, but he had a grudging respect for the man. Hell, he could even like him. He’d protected politicians and celebrities. He’d even met Oscar winner Juliet LaRue, one of Elijah’s favorite actresses. If he could convince Henry and Tina to join his cult, maybe he’d put Henry to work as his personal bodyguard.
“Yes, Lightkeeper?” Rob asked.
“I’m not feeling well and I want to lie down. Clear everyone out so we can go home.”
“But…it’s Saturday,” Clint whined.
“Yes, I’m well aware of that,” he bit out. “But I need to rest. Clear everyone out.”
Though they grumbled and groused, Rob and Clint made quick work of ushering the remaining couples out the door. Then they locked up and they left through the door in the rear of the building. The compound was located over an hour east of Denver, in the unincorporated community of Last Chance. Fitting name for what was basically a ghost town. Five tornadoes had touched down in the early nineties, destroying several farms in the area. Then sparks from the flat tire of a passing motorist inadvertently ignited a wildfire that destroyed most of the buildings in 2012, leaving charred structures in its wake. Elijah had picked up the land for a steal.
He nodded off during the drive. He found the flat, uninspiring land east of the Rockies boring. The rumble of tires rolling over a cattle guard woke him. They were driving down the long, narrow dirt road that led to the massive structure he called home…for now. Clint stopped at the electronic gate a mile from the compound and activated the opening mechanism with a code. Elijah was a stickler for security. This fence was twelve-feet tall but only the top five feet were charged with electricity. He didn’t want to fry an unsuspecting Bambi. He did have a heart, after all.
The van bumped and lurched down the road and then the massive twenty-foot stone wall that enclosed the compound appeared before them. Clint punched a button, lowering the drawbridge over the wide moat. Elijah smiled to himself. He’d always wanted a moat. This one didn’t have piranha or alligators, though that would’ve been so cool.
Once they cleared the bridge, it lifted back into place securing them in their own little world. Clint parked the van in the garage and Elijah stepped out.
“Do you want us to give you notes on potential members?” Rob asked as he closed the passenger side door.
“No. We’ll do that after the morning service. I’m tired, so I’m going to bed.” Elijah bid them goodnight as he headed for his cabin. It was larger than the others and sat apart from most of them. The only cabin he could see was the one that was currently unoccupied…possibly the future home of Henry and Tina McKay.
Each couple had their own modest home, which was nothing more than one room with a kitchenette and a separate bathroom. Though they weren’t large, they were comfortable, and he’d made sure the mattresses were top quality. The compound was heavily treed and featured several buildings, one housing a community room where they dined together most nights, a laundry, and several other assorted buildings. The main feature was the massive castle-like church that took up one corner of the compound. Ostentatious? Certainly. But he liked it.
“Lightkeeper?”
Elijah turned to see Nadine Fenton hurrying his way. He barely managed to suppress an eye-roll. The woman was a pest and even though he’d taken a vow of celibacy…or so they thought…she still attempted to seduce him at every turn. It was nauseating, really. He liked her husband, Mel. He’d made a fortune building and then selling an internet start-up business. He was a bona fide geek and Nadine was beautiful. It was obvious she only married him for money.
“I baked your favorite banana bread.”
Elijah accepted the wrapped loaf from her hands. “Thank you, Sister Nadine, that was very thoughtful of you. God appreciates gestures of kindness. I’ll say an extra prayer for you. Goodnight.”
He turned to leave but she rushed in front of him, blocking his path. “Why don’t I come in with you.” She stepped even closer. “I can heat it up for you. Slice you a piece.” Her lashes fluttered in what he expected she considered sexy. It wasn’t. It looked like a couple of hairy spiders had crawled on her face and fallen asleep.
When her fingers glided up his chest, Elijah narrowed his eyes and stepped back, dislodging her hand. “Sister Nadine, go home to your husband.” He ignored the wounded look and stepped around her. Without turning, he could tell she hadn’t moved. He really hoped she didn’t follow him. He heard a dejected huff and then footsteps as she retreated.
He entered his cabin, relieved to have avoided her advances again. She was growing bolder with her seduction attempts. He hoped he didn’t have to take drastic measures.
It was times like this that he regretted not adding locks to the cabin doors. His reasoning to not include them had been that he trusted his flock. Plus, his house was off-limits to everyone and they knew it, except Rob and Clint when he needed to meet with them. He did, however, lock his private office. He punched a code into the keypad and entered. The windowless room served as his office and held the safe where he kept the operating money for the compound. The majority of the funds sat in offshore bank accounts, drawing ridiculous amounts of interest. When he needed to have private discussions with Rob and Clint, this was where they met, and they did have the code, so he flipped a switch that would deactivate the keypad. He didn’t want the men coming in unannounced. He hurried to the bookcase and shoved it aside to reveal an elevator. He stepped inside, pushed the button and descended to his private lair. He didn’t allow his followers to have any contact with the outside world. If they needed supplies, Rob and Clint ran out to get them. No televisions, radios or cell phones. He was religious about that. He didn’t want any details of their operation revealed.
His underground lair was the exception. He had a king-sized bed outfitted with 1000 count silk sheets, a seventy-inch high definition plasma screen television, high-speed internet access and several monitors attached to one wall. It also included one extra feature…a tunnel that led to a car he used to drive into Denver and visit Miss Maxine’s House of Massage at least once a week. Celibate his ass. Most of the time, it was twice a week since he took Clint and Rob on one trip. If it was a hard week, then three times. He told his flock that he needed to seclude himself to pray and pray he did as he worshipped at the lovely altar of Farrah and Tawny and sometimes both at the same time.
He dropped into the chair in front of his computer and punched in the name “Ricardo Martinez” and “Houston” and “Oil”. Google responded instantly with thousands of hits. He scrolled through and read several articles, including ones that detailed Martinez’s wayward daughter’s hasty wedding to her bodyguard and Ricardo’s subsequent moves to disown her. Pity. Ricardo was listed as one of the richest men in the world. Staggering. If his daughter’s trust fund was even a portion of that, she would be worth billions.
Tina was described as deeply religious and had even considered becoming a nun. That would’ve been a real pity. He clicked on images and found several of her at different charity events. There were shots of Henry and Tina together. In some of the shots, Henry wore dark sunglasses and a suit, surrounding Tina as she exited a limo. In others, they were laughing to
gether, a couple in love. Would they be content giving up the wealth and travel to join his cult?
He found articles on their wedding. Even though Tina had been a Houston socialite, they’d eloped to Vegas and were married by a corny Elvis impersonator wearing a studded white jumpsuit.
He typed in Henry’s name and the term bodyguard. Several shots popped up. There he was flanking Juliet LaRue. Elijah clicked on the image to make it larger. He had a major thing for the sexy movie star. She was stunning. He wondered if Henry had tapped her. He shrank it back down and then moved to the next photo. Henry was standing off stage as singing superstar Layla Brooks belted out a song. In the next one, he was talking with former Major League Baseball Player Reed Steele. Damn, Henry had been very good at his job. He’d protected several big-name celebrities.
If Tina had been willing to give up her wealth to join a convent, she could be talked into joining him, he was sure of it. Henry would do what his wife wanted. Could he trust them with more? He’d never met a couple before that he wanted to share details of his operation. He shook his head. He could trust no one. He would entice them to join his cult and that was all.
Chapter Six
Hunter and Talia discussed the evening on the drive back to the hotel. They’d both searched for their target, Margaret Conrad, but no sign of her. Talia shared his assessment that the man who walked up the aisle with Clint was indeed Rob Tobin. He’d been clean-shaven in the pictures they viewed of him, but even with the mustache and beard, the eyes and nose were the same. Margaret had not been with him.
They both agreed that Elijah was interested in them. Intrigued. He’d asked many questions and they were confident they provided the appropriate answers. They would return tomorrow morning for the Sunday service and go from there. Hopefully an invitation to join the cult would soon follow.
He zipped up to the hotel and skidded to a stop. Two boys that didn’t look old enough to shave, let alone drive a vehicle shoved each other trying to be the first one over. They both wore official valet uniforms, so Hunter refrained from asking for ID. You can take the agent out of the FBI…
Total Surrender Page 5
