by Maya Banks
“There’s no reason to panic. I have no intention of harming you or your child.”
“You’ll pardon me if I don’t believe that,” she said.
“I’ve been watching you for a while now. I’m attracted to you, Maren,” he said unemotionally. They could have been discussing the most mundane topic in the world for as much enthusiasm as was reflected in those words. “At first I sought you out because you were a convenient solution to a problem I needed solved. But I find I rather like the idea of you being where I am.”
“And what problem do you need solved?” she asked, afraid of what the answer would be.
“I’m having plastic surgery soon. Again.”
Her eyebrows went up in disbelief. Plastic surgery? He had to be freaking kidding.
“I’m not a surgeon,” she said. “I’m a general practitioner.”
He smiled in amusement. “There isn’t much I don’t already know about you, Maren, including the illicit visits from the man who is undoubtedly the father of your child, which is why I felt pressed to make my move now. And I don’t expect you to do my surgery. In my line of work, it becomes necessary to change my appearance every so often. That way I remain a step ahead of my pursuers—and there are many. The time has come for me to move on from this place and start over somewhere else. I’m starting to feel the heat, as you Americans say. Therefore I’ll be flying to Paris in a few days’ time and you’re going to accompany me and oversee my recovery.”
“Why on earth would you trust me?” she asked incredulously. “You have no reason at all to believe I wouldn’t betray you at the first opportunity.”
“Oh, but I do,” he said softly. “You see, I’m sure you value your unborn child’s life.”
She froze, her blood turning to ice. Fear trickled up her spine as she stared at his very determined expression. “What are you saying?”
“I’m proposing a bargain of sorts. You do as I want and no harm will come to you or your child. Give me any reason to doubt you and you’ll suffer. I can’t be any more clear than that.”
“You bastard,” she seethed. “What gives you the right to take over my life, keep me as a prisoner to act as your personal physician? Only a complete bastard would blackmail me with the safety of my child.”
“Think of me as you wish. But my offer stands firm. Prove yourself indispensable to me or you’ll be disposed of just as the others in my employ will soon be.”
“What do you mean, you’re disposing of the others in your employ?” she demanded.
He smiled. “So caring of others. It’s one of the things I like about you, Maren. But yes, I will be rid of those who serve me. It becomes necessary to disappear, and one can hardly do that when he’s surrounded by dozens of people. Only you and Armand will accompany me into my new life.”
“What will you do with them?” she whispered.
He shrugged. “Nothing directly. Perhaps the organization you have ties to will dispense with them for me when they come to rescue you. But that isn’t the important issue, Maren. Do I have your agreement? Are you going to cooperate or will I have to dispose of you as I do the others?”
She couldn’t believe this. It was absolutely surreal. Like some bizarre dream she couldn’t wake up from. Things like this didn’t happen in her world. Sure, she didn’t have the most normal existence. She’d certainly been in her share of predicaments. Africa came readily to mind. But KGI had gotten her out when she and several other aid workers had been held hostage by a militant rebel group. She just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and was caught up in a hostage situation.
But never had she been singled out like she had been now. She never drew attention to herself. She blended in, did her work and was largely ignored except by people seeking her services. While she couldn’t ever say her life was boring, neither could she say it was anything out of the ordinary. She did her work and spent the rest of her time in her cottage. Reading, drinking tea or other mundane, boring tasks.
“It doesn’t appear I have any real choice,” she said, despair creeping into her voice.
“There’s always a choice. Some are just more desirable than others.”
“What about after?” Her chin came up and she shook some of the paralyzing fear away. She had to be smart about this. Had to look beyond her initial panic and think of some way out of this. “Will you let me go after you’ve recovered from your surgery? And what about when my child is born? Will you let me go before I deliver?”
He pursed his lips and regarded her thoughtfully for a long moment. “That is something we will discuss when the time comes. You can rest assured that I will provide you the best medical care possible when it is time for you to deliver your child. And as long as you uphold your end of the bargain, no harm will come to you or your child. That’s the only guarantee I’m prepared to offer.”
Her heart sank. Would she forever be his prisoner? And maybe he wouldn’t touch her now, when she was pregnant, but what about after? Did he plan to keep her as his mistress? Would he force himself on her after her pregnancy was over?
He’d told her no harm would come to her or her child provided she cooperated. But what did he consider harm? If he was convinced of his sexual prowess, it was entirely possible he planned to make a move on her regardless of whether she was pregnant.
And then another thought hit her and it nearly crippled her. She raised her gaze to his and stared back unflinchingly.
“Promise me that you won’t separate me from my child,” she said. “I’ll agree to your terms if you swear to me that my child stays with me no matter what. And if you swear you won’t hurt either of us.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up into a half smile.
Her eyes narrowed and anger made her reckless. “I’ll make you a promise, Mendoza. If you do anything at all to harm my child or to take it away from me, I’ll kill you. I’ll find a way, and believe me, there are ways to die that you’d never expect. As a doctor I have extensive knowledge, and I wouldn’t hesitate to find a way to make you suffer. Are we understood?”
His smile faded. He went still, staring intently at her a long moment. Their gazes locked, neither backing down or looking away. Then he slowly nodded.
“We understand each other. But know this, I’ll expect certain concessions from you when I’ve fully recovered from my surgery. As long as you keep me happy, you’ll give me no reason to go back on my word. Keep that in mind.”
His meaning couldn’t be misunderstood. He did expect an intimate relationship with her, and it didn’t even appear as though he planned to wait until after her child was born. Her stomach revolted at the mere thought.
“Now that we’ve gotten business matters out of the way, shall I have something else for you to eat brought out to the terrace? Or perhaps you’d like to retire to your room now and contemplate your new circumstances.”
She nodded numbly and then pushed up from her chair, her knees shaking so hard she worried she’d fall. Armand appeared, his sharp gaze finding hers. Then he took her arm, his grasp surprisingly gentle.
“See that she makes it back to her room,” Mendoza said. “And arrange for breakfast to be brought to her in the morning. Don’t worry about preparing anything, Maren. Armand will take care of all our travel arrangements. When I’m ready to leave, Armand will come for you.”
Armand’s grip suddenly tightened on her arm and she blinked, realizing that he’d been saying something to her.
“You’re pale,” he murmured, surprising her by offering an opinion. He rarely said anything at all, and usually it was to give her a terse order from Mendoza. “Come with me. After I’ve taken you to your room, I’ll have some hot tea brought to you. I made certain we stocked all your favorites.”
She stared hard, her mind grappling to take it all in. This had been planned. She’d been watched for God only knew how long. Armand knew far too much about her. He knew about KGI. He knew what teas she drank. Who the hell was this man?
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Armand urged her forward, and she had no choice but to fall into step with him or be dragged behind him. He didn’t walk with his usual brisk pace, though. He slowed and seemed to wait while she slogged through mud. Every step was like dragging a ton of bricks behind her.
When he got to her door, he opened it and instead of leaving her as he usually did, he ushered her inside and eased her down on the edge of the bed.
“Put your feet up and rest. I’ll have your tea brought to you,” he said shortly.
Her gaze collided with his and she shook off the fog surrounding her. “How do you know so much about me?” she asked quietly. “Who are you?”
One corner of his mouth quirked upward, but it didn’t remotely resemble a smile. It just made him look more dangerous than ever.
“Why me?” she blurted. “I heard what you said to him. You think he shouldn’t involve me. Can’t you convince him to leave me behind?”
Armand’s eyes flickered and then his lips tightened into a firm line. “It’s too late for you, Maren. You know too much. If he leaves you behind at this point, he’ll kill you. Your only option is to go along for the ride and cooperate fully. Don’t do anything to piss him off. I’ll protect you the best I can. But be smart.”
With that he turned and stalked from her room, leaving her openmouthed on the bed where he’d left her.
Protect her? He scared the hell out of her. She was far more scared of him than she was of Mendoza. And he was going to protect her as best as he was able?
This was becoming more bizarre by the minute. She’d be a fool to trust him. She’d be a fool to trust anyone. Armand was right about one thing, though. She had to play this smart.
If only she could send word to Steele. Or Sam. Or anyone with KGI. What she wouldn’t give for them to storm the compound and get her the hell out of here. If Armand was to be believed and they indeed knew about KGI and, as Mendoza had hinted, that there would be a rescue attempt, then maybe, just maybe she could at least leave a clue for them. Not that she had much to offer in the way of information. But she’d tell them all she could.
Her eyes lighted on the pretty floral stationery on her nightstand. It was a long shot, but it beat doing nothing at all. She grabbed a pen and hastily scribbled a note giving as many details as she knew, which, granted, wasn’t much. She outlined the situation, saying that Mendoza planned to have surgery in Paris and then relocate to an undisclosed location.
She hesitated, not knowing if she should say she was pregnant. She mulled it over before deciding it would serve no purpose to put it down. The last thing she wanted was for Steele to find out this way. It would only make things worse, especially if he and his team were the ones to come in and then find her gone with a note saying she was pregnant.
No, she’d leave that part off and just hope to hell she got the opportunity to tell Steele in person that she carried his child.
After finishing the note, she folded it and slid it underneath the mattress. When it came time to leave, she’d place it under her pillow. It wasn’t likely anyone would find it, but if they did a thorough search of the premises, maybe they’d come across it and maybe it would at least lead them in the right direction.
She had to hold on to that hope, as slim as it was, because it was all she had.
She straightened and put a hand to her belly, staring down as her fingers splayed wide over her stomach.
“I’ll do anything to keep you safe,” she whispered. “Even make a deal with the devil himself.”
CHAPTER 16
STEELE dropped his bag inside the KGI war room and impatiently scanned the room for Sam and Garrett. Their mission had been extended by a few days because of unforeseen complications and he was more than ready to report in and get the hell out. Maren likely thought he’d bailed on her entirely, and he was eager to prove her wrong by returning as he’d promised.
Donovan “Van” Kelly dropped his bag next to Steele’s and rubbed a hand through his hair. Van had gone with them, not surprisingly. The mission had involved recovering two abducted children who had been held for ransom. Van had a soft spot a mile long and a mile wide for women and children, and he participated in every mission having to do with either, but especially kids.
Steele had thought many times that he was surprised Van hadn’t already settled down and had a brood of children. Instead, he was one of only two Kelly brothers who hadn’t married or started having families.
The rest of Steele’s team straggled in behind him and Van. They all looked tired and in need of some downtime. Though Van was notorious for his soft spot for children, the fact was that whenever children were at stake, his team’s emotions became more involved. It was never easy to know they might find the worst when going after a kidnapped child.
Fortunately for them, this time the children had been safely recovered. Their father, a wealthy businessman in New York City, had been targeted, despite his high security measures, and his two children had been kidnapped from school when their nanny had gone with the security detail assigned to the children to pick them up.
The nanny had been shot and was even now in critical condition. One of the guards had taken a bullet to his vest and one of the other men had been killed when he’d attempted to fire on the kidnappers.
It was a clusterfuck from the word go, and the kidnappers had made it clear they’d kill the children in a very bloody fashion if the money wasn’t handed over.
Once Steele, along with Van and his team had retrieved the children, they’d been tied up for days with red tape and the FBI. It chapped Steele’s ass, but only when Adam Resnick, their shadowy CIA contact, had pulled some strings, had the dust settled and Steele’s team been released to go on their way.
The media had a field day, saying a top secret “government” agency specializing in the retrieval of abducted children had been commissioned to go in and take the kidnappers out. Thankfully, the FBI was more than willing to take the credit for the mission. Had it gone wrong, Steele wasn’t under any misconception that they wouldn’t have been quick to point the finger.
But the kids’ father had called in KGI. He knew who had gotten his kids out and he’d paid the hefty fee along with expressing his heartfelt thanks to Steele and his team. Steele shoved off and had let Sam take the gratitude. That wasn’t his thing. He liked it better when he worked in anonymity.
And now, he just wanted to be done with the whole thing so he could take the R and R he’d tried to take before. Only this time, he was going to make it clear that unless the world was going to end, he wasn’t taking a mission for at least a month. An entire month with Maren in Costa Rica? Now that the idea had taken root, he was obsessed with seeing it to the end. He was already imagining their evenings together in her garden. And the nights in her bed.
For the first time ever, he had a place to go after a mission. He had other interests other than retreating to his farmhouse and spending his time in solitude. And he liked it. He was eager to spend time with Maren. If he could only hurry the process along with Sam and Garrett. Maybe he could dump the mission report on Van. He’d been there and had taken just as active a role as Steele or any of his team.
He turned to Van as they waited for Sam to get off the phone. Whatever it was Sam was discussing, it wasn’t good and he wanted no part of it. Garrett stood right next to Sam so he could hear what was going on and his expression didn’t look any better than Sam’s.
“Can you tag this one?” he asked Van. “I’ve got places to be.”
Van wasn’t the only one who gave Steele a surprised look. Dolphin, who was right behind Steele and Donovan, arched both eyebrows but remained silent.
“Yeah I’ve got it. You and your team can head out.”
“I’m off the books for the next month,” Steele said shortly. “My team needs the downtime. I need the downtime. Rio can draw the next mission and if he can’t, Nathan and Joe can take it. They’re ready.”
“Steele, I need you to hang out a minut
e,” Sam called from several feet away.
Steele glanced up to see Sam holding the phone down from his mouth while he stared intently in Steele’s direction. His expression was grim and his entire body was tense. Shit.
“I’m late for some overdue downtime,” Steele said.
Sam held up his hand. “I know,” he said quietly. “But this is important. I wouldn’t hold you up if it weren’t.”
Steele’s team shifted behind him, already in warrior mode. They all tensed, ready to hear what was going down. And he liked that about them. Always ready for action. Alert and attentive. But not now, goddamn it. Sam’s timing sucked ass.
Steele sighed in resignation and then turned to Van. “Guess I’ll give him the report if I have to stick around.”
Van shot him a curious look. “Everything okay with you, man? Not used to seeing you . . . agitated.”
Steele ignored the question, not that it would come as any surprise. He was more glad than ever that he’d never been open with anyone at KGI. He had no desire to get into what was eating at him. Instead he focused on the rest of the occupants of the room.
Nathan and Joe were still training with their team, so all members of it were present and accounted for. Over the last several months, they’d spent most of their time on the training facilities onsite and had bunked in the building built for team housing. Steele had overheard Skylar and Edge talking about their plans to move their permanent residences closer so they’d never be very far from the compound.
So far things were looking very good with the new team. Steele had to give them credit. They were sharp and eager to learn and they didn’t have huge egos, which was a big positive when it came to training. There was nothing more annoying than having some know-it-all rookie convinced he already knew everything there was to know. Those were the kind you couldn’t teach shit to because they were already convinced they had it all down.
