by Bianca D'Arc
“Hastings arrives later today. Some of his folks would be perfect for this job.”
Another one of those annoyed sighs. “Okay. Pick your team. Send them to me, and I’ll sign off on them once they clear background checks. There are liability issues since Miss Lane’s contract is with Halibut, but if we put Hastings’ people on as sub-contractors or something, we should be able to do this. I’ll sort it out. For now, just keep her safe. Make contact with the backup teams and report back in thirty. Linelli out.”
Nick had to chuckle. Sounded like Linelli forgot he was talking on a phone and not a tactical radio. The line went dead as Linelli hung up without further ado, which was just as well. Nick had things to do on his end, and Sal was still sitting next to him, looking stunned but determined.
“Backup is here,” he told her. “I just need to talk to them, and then, we can decide what you want to do for the rest of tonight.”
“I don’t want to stay here,” she said almost immediately.
“All right,” Nick replied slowly. He hadn’t really thought about where he could stash her for the night, but he’d figure something out. First, though, he had to interface with the squads that were securing the perimeter. “You okay here with me?” he asked her gently as he saw the big black SUV roll into the driveway and flick its lights in the prearranged pattern.
“Yeah. I’m sticking to you like glue for now, Nick. Sorry.” She swallowed hard, her body trembling just the slightest bit.
“Don’t be sorry. That’s what I’m here for. To keep you safe. Stick with me, kid, and you’ll be fine. I promise.” He made that vow even as he raised the short-range radio they used on site and made contact with the men in the SUV, giving them the proper code before they piled out of the dark vehicle.
Nick pushed the button that would unlock the front door for them. A minute later, seven big guys entered in the foyer then fanned out to search the rest of the house. The team leader—a behemoth named Doug—stayed in the foyer with Nick and Sal, communicating with his guys on their own radio frequency and reporting their progress back to Nick, who was site commander in this situation.
The house was clear, which was no surprise to Nick. The scent of insane shifter had faded. The perp was long gone. At least for tonight. Now, Nick just had to figure out where to take Sal for what remained of the night.
“Let’s go upstairs, and you can get dressed and pack an overnight bag,” Nick said to her in a gentle voice.
“Where will we go?” He liked that she had no doubt he’d be by her side throughout. The cat wanted to purr in satisfaction. She was already seeing them as a couple.
“Not sure yet. Worst-case scenario, you can come back to my place. I have a spare room.” It was a furnished rental he’d selected when he’d arrived in town. Secure building. Difficult approaches should anyone come for him for whatever reason. The guest room was full of equipment at the moment, but it wouldn’t take long to clear off the twin bed in there for her use. “It’s not the Ritz, but you’ll be safe there for a few hours until we decide what we’re going to do about tonight’s events.”
“Let’s just do that,” she said quietly. “I’m still a little too shaky to make good decisions right now. If I can stay with you, I think I’ll be able to calm down and think clearly. I’m sorry to invade your personal space, though. Are you sure it’s all right?”
“I’m sure,” he told her as he escorted her up the stairs. He went into her bedroom and checked both it and the attached bathroom while she watched. The place was empty. “You can change in the bathroom. I’ll be right out here, securing the sliding door and looking for clues.”
He flashed her what he hoped was a reassuring grin and was glad to see the corners of her mouth curve upward slightly as she went to her dresser and pulled out a few items of clothing. He tried not to notice the silky underwear in her hand. He really did.
Nick turned away, willing his raging attraction to settle down. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off.
Luckily, the radio drew his attention as she walked into the bathroom, the other teams reporting in. As Nick had suspected, the original guards were down with blows to the head. Thankfully, it wasn’t worse. That shifter could have just as easily killed them all.
Then, his cell phone rang. It was Linelli, calling earlier than expected.
“Problems?” Nick asked by way of greeting.
“Fucking concussions, man. In the Teams, if someone rang your bell, you just shook it off and kept going. In civilian life, it means a shitload of paperwork and medical testing, plus time off work. Your original team is toast, Nick. They’re all going to be at the ER for the next few hours, then off duty until the damage can be fully assessed.”
“I figured. I’m just glad they’re not dead,” he replied honestly.
“Yeah, there is that,” Linelli agreed in a somber tone. “Anything that could blow through five guys that efficiently could have done a lot worse.” He paused. “You recognize this?”
“Yeah,” Nick admitted, saying nothing more. Linelli had to have run up against this sort of thing when he was in the Teams. He was a good man, but the shifter secret wasn’t something Nick could share.
“I wish to hell I knew what you know,” Linelli said at last, and Nick breathed a sigh of relief. Linelli had accepted the need for secrecy.
“Actually, I truly believe you wouldn’t want the burden of this knowledge,” Nick answered after a moment’s thought. Linelli and the other human Special Operators thought of themselves as invincible. As the top of the food chain. The predators who protected the innocent.
They were all that, but if they knew about the existence of shifters among them, Nick honestly didn’t think it would be good for morale. Sure, there were always some guys who were better at certain things than others, but in the end, they were united because they were all the same. Dedicated people who wanted to serve and protect with the special skills they had acquired through hard work, perseverance and training all the time.
If human Spec Ops soldiers suddenly became aware that the guys next to them weren’t fully human, after all, it could cause a rift that might never be healed. All in all, Nick thought it was safer all around—for the humans and for shifters—to keep the existence of their kind under wraps. Possibly forever.
“I’ll have to trust you on that,” Linelli replied, and Nick felt a bit of satisfaction. Trust. That’s what bonded them. Linelli trusted Nick and was willing to put his business on the line and allow Nick to keep his secrets in order to protect their client. That meant a lot.
“I’m glad you do,” Nick said honestly, hoping Linelli understood the very real emotion behind his words.
“What are you going to do with the client?” Linelli changed the subject neatly.
Of course, the question was a loaded one. There were many things Nick wanted to do with her. Most of them X-rated. But Linelli wanted to know about her security, so Nick got his mind out of the gutter and back on business. Admittedly, with some difficulty.
“She doesn’t want to stay here,” Nick told Linelli.
“Well, I can’t say I blame her.” Linelli paused, sighing audibly. “I’ll have to think about where we can put her.”
“No need.” Nick knew this next part would cause Linelli’s eyebrow to rise. He was famous for that one-eyebrow Vulcan question look of his. “I’m taking her to my place.”
Linelli whistled through his teeth, making a horrible screeching sound over the phone speaker. Nick winced. Sometimes, humans were hard on shifter ears.
“My, my. You do work fast, young Nicholas.”
“It’s not like that—”
“I didn’t think she was your type.” Linelli talked right over Nick’s protestations, but Nick couldn’t let that statement stand.
“A gorgeous gal who meets danger with a nine mil in her hand? You bet she’s my type,” Nick said with an easy grin. “But my place is the most secure I know on short notice.”
“
You’ve got a condo somewhere, right? Wait a minute…” Nick heard the tapping of a keyboard on the other end of the line as Linelli looked up Nick’s information. “Oh. Wilson Towers. Yeah, that’s a good complex. I’ve stashed clients there myself. Solid floor plan. Good construction. Easy to defend.”
“That’s why I picked it,” Nick agreed amiably. “And it came furnished. It’s not too bad, actually.”
That was an understatement. The place was owned by a rich Chinese businessman who only used the place twice a year. The rest of the time, he rented it out on a monthly basis. Nick had taken it for the month, not knowing how long he would need to wrap things up. That the businessman was one of the rare panda shifters was known only to a few, but the vast majority of those who rented the condo were also shifters, since he advertised mostly in places other shifters would see the listing.
“All right. Hourly check-ins until the end of your shift. I should have something better lined up by then. Or, if she wants to go back…”
“She said she wanted some time to clear her head and think out her next move. I expect I’ll be able to let you know what she wants to do in the morning. I have no problem keeping her at the condo until she’s ready to leave.” In fact, he’d be happy if she just stayed with him. Period. But it was a little too soon to be saying such things to her.
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll set up an escort and some decoy vehicles for your ride.”
“Appreciate it. We’ll be ready to roll in about ten minutes,” Nick told Linelli, then went through the details of the move.
They would take as few chances as possible getting the client from her rented mansion to Nick’s rented condo. It was a complex maneuver, but this was something Halibut Security specialized in. Getting their celebrity clients from place to place while ditching paparazzi was a specialty.
When Nick ended the call, he was aware that Sal had come out of the bathroom some time before. She’d heard a few things that might have surprised her, but he hadn’t turned around, giving her time to pack her overnight bag in relative privacy. He was facing the sliding glass doors, though, so he could see a filmy reflection through the sheer curtains of her moving around from closet to dresser and back again.
He replaced his cell phone in the small holster attached to his belt and turned to face her. He hadn’t been sure what to expect, but he certainly was surprised to see her grinning at him, her delicate brows raised in question.
“So, pistol-packin’ mamas are your type, eh?”
Nick was at a loss for words. He could hear the wry amusement in her tone, and it made him feel lighter…happy that he’d been able to make her feel joy even momentarily on this dark night.
He moved toward her, walking right up to face her from only two feet away. He watched her reaction carefully, not wanting to scare her or throw her off in any way. She’d had enough upset for one night.
But then, she surprised him. She took a step forward. Toward him. Closer than they’d ever been to each other. Her gaze met his and held… And then…
Nick bent slowly. So slowly. Giving her time to escape if she wanted to, but she didn’t move away. In fact, she moved forward, joining her lips to his in their first kiss.
The first of many, he prayed as he’d never prayed before.
CHAPTER FOUR
Sal couldn’t quite believe she was kissing Nick the bodyguard, but yeah, she was. And she wasn’t about to feel sorry for it. On the contrary, he’d been the leading man in her dreams for the past week. Ever since they’d shared that late-night cup of tea, she hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind.
Even during the day, when he wasn’t on duty, she thought about him almost constantly. She wondered what he was doing when he wasn’t with her. She wondered what kind of music he enjoyed. And most of all, she wondered what kind of lover he would be.
Oh, yeah. This kiss told her a lot about that last, most vital question.
He was both tender and demanding as he stepped closer, bringing her body against his. His muscles were hard and unyielding, but at the same time, she knew he would let her go at the least indication. He might be bigger than her, but she was in control. He gave her that. He seemed to be doing all in his power to reassure her and let her know in silent, mysterious ways that he would never hurt her.
He was a protector to the core. She had guessed that about him from their first meeting. It was pretty obvious, of course, from his choice of profession, but there was something deeper to him. Something almost spiritual. Like he had a calling to protect those who were smaller, weaker and more vulnerable than himself.
These weren’t things most people would be able to discern. Sal accepted her differences, for the most part. At least the ones she could live with. She’d always been a little different. Like her mother.
Only Sal had rejected the writhing magic in her soul that had tried so hard to take her over—as it had taken over her poor mother. Sal had put a lid on it and sealed it up tight. The magic was something she never wanted to let free. It was too chaotic. Too dangerous.
But the little instinctual things… They were harmless enough and something she couldn’t really control. Those instincts had helped her many times. They’d helped her pick the right course of action. They’d helped her prepare for difficult times. Hell, tonight, that little voice in the back of her mind had told her to wake up and grab her gun. Just in time, as it turned out.
The knowing had helped her many times. And this time, in this man’s strong arms, it told her many things—many confusing things that she didn’t quite understand—about him. Most of all, it told her she wanted to know more.
Sal’s lips tingled where they touched his. Little zings of magic that made her wonder if there wasn’t something truly special about Nick. Her body grew warm where she pressed against him, small zaps of energy bouncing between them, making her arousal rise.
She was so totally lost in the kiss that she didn’t even hear the knock on the doorframe to her bedroom the first time. Neither did Nick, apparently, which was why the person trying to get their attention repeated the action…maybe more than once. She couldn’t be certain.
“Pardon the interruption.” A strong male voice came from the doorway, and they sprang apart.
For her part, she knew she was reacting out of fear and surprise. She wasn’t altogether sure why Nick let go of her as if she was on fire and he’d been burned. Her gaze narrowed, and her spine stiffened.
Nick could have happily killed Doug at that moment. Shot him dead, right then and there. Or better yet, Nick imagined strangling Doug with his bare hands.
Of course, he did neither.
“What’s up, Doug?” Nick asked instead, placing himself between Sal and Doug, blocking his view of the lady. It wasn’t much protection, but it was at least something to give her a moment to collect herself before facing the world—or, at least, damned Doug—again.
“Grounds have been cleared. Our guys are on their way to the hospital. Convoy’s ready to move out whenever you are,” Doug reported, barely concealing his interest in the scene he’d interrupted.
“Convoy?” Sal asked, coming up beside Nick.
He noticed she had her nine-millimeter handgun in a holster under her arm as she shrugged into a dark jacket. Easy, boy. The fact that she was packing heat and apparently knew her way around concealed weapons was making him even hotter than he’d been already. Damn.
“We’ll start out together, but there are a couple of decoy cars and escort vehicles to make sure everybody gets where they’re going without a tail,” Nick explained.
“Of course, at this time of night, there aren’t that many cars on the roads, so it’ll be easier to spot anyone who tries to follow,” Doug put in.
“You guys are the experts,” Sal replied, zipping her jacket halfway.
Nick approved. The half-zip allowed her quick access if she needed to get to the gun strapped under her arm. It also guaranteed that her jacket wouldn’t blow open in the night
breeze and show the world that she was carrying.
“You got everything you need?” Nick asked her, turning to take the small overnight bag from her. He’d carry this himself, to be certain nobody messed with her stuff.
“Yeah, I’m used to traveling light.” She gave him a grin that felt like sunshine warming him from the inside out.
He hefted the bag and grinned back at her. “You’re not kidding. Are you sure it’s enough?”
She nodded. “Plenty. I’ve got two changes of clothes in there, just in case.”
Nick shook his head, marveling at the small size of the bag for what she claimed was in there. Then, he shrugged. She knew what she was doing. So far tonight, she’d impressed him with her cool-headedness under fire, her familiarity with personal protection, and her willingness to listen to his advice. She also hadn’t thrown the least little bit of a hissy fit at the idea of leaving this lap of luxury for a condo she’d never even seen.
They accomplished the move with little fuss. Linelli had set up the decoy operation, and his guys were the best in the business at this sort of thing. Nick was on the phone with Linelli or Doug almost constantly during the ride to his place, either reporting progress or getting reports from the other vehicles and teams involved. All went off without a hitch, and Nick breathed a sigh of relief as he entered the private underground parking area below the condo.
Two of Linelli’s guys had been pre-positioned there—they had access because Halibut Security already had contacts in this condo complex and had the proper codes. They gave Nick the all clear before he opened the door to the SUV he’d been driving and went around to help Sal out.
She followed his lead, quiet and watchful as they made their way to the private elevator that led to the condo he was renting. In another setting, it might’ve been called a penthouse suite, but here, it was simply one-half of the top floor of this high-rise condo tower. Only residents of the two top floors got to use this particular elevator. There was a special key card involved, which Nick produced from his pocket as they neared the doors. He signaled to the two men who’d been watching the garage for the past twenty minutes to join him and Sal in the elevator.
