Chief (Kings of Guardian Book 7) (The Kings of Guardian)

by Kris Michaels

  Tatyana broke away from his gaze. The sincerity in it struck her hard. She nodded, and they continued to the warmth inside. He turned over her phone at the security checkpoint and escorted her to her room after they were both scanned. Obviously, he didn't trust her not to try to slip a device onto his person.

  "Sleep well, Tatyana. Hannah will be here in the morning to assist you with whatever you need. I expect you to take your meals with me. I exercise every morning from six until eight. If you'd care to accompany me, have Hannah bring you to the gymnasium. Good night." He dropped a soft kiss onto her forehead and turned down the cold dark passageway. She watched until he opened the set of doors at the end of the hall. He turned and winked before he shut the door to his bedroom.

  She stared at his closed door for several long seconds before she pivoted on her heel and entered her room. Their conversation, no, make that this entire situation, disturbed her on a basic level. She'd been living and working with the Bravata for years. She understood the deviants that dealt with the criminal element she represented. There was a common lust for the forbidden, a desire for the unattainable and a need to be perceived as ultimately powerful. What was his impetus for dealing with the Bravata? True, David struck her as extremely dangerous, but he lacked that… Tatyana considered what it was he lacked. She couldn't put her finger on what was missing, or perhaps present, to make her question his involvement. She'd learned how to read people and what her gut was telling her wasn't what her mind perceived. There were too many unknowns to formulate an opinion.

  Taty broke out of her swirling thoughts and gawked at the room she'd been given. A fire crackled in the fireplace, and her king-sized canopied bed had been turned down. The affluence and excess in her suite alone were astonishing. The man could be a tyrant, but he wasn't. David Xavier was a consummate gentleman, which acted as more fuel for her suspicion and concern.

  Jewell drew a deep breath and squinted at the computer screen. She pushed up her glasses and rubbed her eyes.What freaking time was it anyway? She glanced down at the time and date icon and suddenly felt tired. It was 2:14… but morning or afternoon? She looked around at her bodyguard. Zane's face lit up from the glow of his tablet. He was a very attractive man, but a royal pain in her ass. It didn't help that her brothers had given him carte blanche to stick his nose into her business. She squinted at him before she turned back to the computer screen. His voice carried across the room. "You have two more hours before we are leaving for an early dinner."

  Jewell spun and lifted her bare feet into her oversized ergo-something leather chair. "What in the hell did you do to get assigned as my wet nurse?" She hadn't been able to find anything but laudatory comments in the man's files. He'd seen a shit-ton of action overseas but had cross-trained into PSO duties. She'd never admit it to anyone, but the man was growing on her.

  "Just lucky I guess. Have you finished the search?" He set his tablet down.

  "Yeah, I'm waiting on a secondary validation before I go talk to Jason." She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

  "I'll call Sonya and make an appointment." Zane lifted his huge form out of the straight-backed chair. Damn, that thing looked uncomfortable. Jewell swept her office. There were no other chairs available. She swung back to her computers and ordered something more comfortable. Hell, she wasn't a bitch… well, not that much of one anyway. The man had never complained about the chair in the time that he'd been tagging after her. She had closed the screen before he turned back from talking to Sonya. Her notification box popped up at the same time. Jewell opened several windows and compared the numbers. Seven. Only seven. Atlanta, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and Miami. Bingo. She needed to get the information to Jason… like now.

  She hit the print button and grabbed the sheets as they spit out. She headed toward the door. "Come on Starsky; this isn't going to wait for an appointment."

  She didn't wait to see if he was following her. They had a way to close down the intake portion of the Bravata in the United States. Halle-fucking-lujah all those hours had paid off. Finally!

  Chapter Nine

  A feeling of mild annoyance followed Chief out of the gymnasium this morning and continued to grow as he approached the empty breakfast table. Garrett had been relentless and talked way too much. His endless chatter and questions grated on his nerves. Tatyana's no-show at the gym or at breakfast was what was really pissed him off, but Garrett's overt friendliness of late blurred the lines Mike had drawn.

  He turned on his heel and strode toward Tatyana's suite. Her absence for breakfast nudged the irritation into anger. Granted he was tired. He'd worked every possible scenario of the altered mission parameters last night before he retired for three hours of sleep. While he didn't like the fact that he was going to use a physical relationship to get this job done, he would follow through with his planned seduction. She might not have been a participant in all the crimes that had been committed by the Bravata, but she was the singular key he had to affirm the meeting took place. Chief would do everything in his power to link her to him and only him. The fate of thousands depended on the success of this mission.

  He strode down the hall and opened her chamber doors without knocking. The room was shrouded in total darkness. He allowed his eyes to adjust and moved quietly toward the bed. She was curled up into a tiny ball in the middle of the massive mattress. Her brown curls fell over her cheek exposing only the tip of her nose and her full rose colored lips. In her slumber, she looked small and vulnerable. Opposite of the Bravata ice-cold concierge his reports described. The head of his security detail had repeatedly warned him of the peril of keeping a member of the Bravata under his roof, but his lead security specialist had no way of knowing what was going on under his nose.

  He sat down on the side of the bed and leaned over. He threaded his fingers through her silky brown hair and pushed it away from her face. Her eyes twitched in her sleep moving her long lashes. A sprinkle of freckles fell over her nose. Her makeup had concealed that beauty from him. He preferred her without makeup. He placed his hand over hers. "Are you going to sleep the entire day away?"

  She stirred and buried herself deeper into the covers. A faint hum was his only reply. He allowed a small laugh at her response. She stiffened and pushed to the other side of the bed. She was up on her knees and immediately ready to defend herself. Mike raised his hands in a symbolic gesture. "You failed to show for breakfast. I came to see if you were being obstinate."

  He watched as his words sunk in. She relaxed for a moment before she grabbed at the sheet covering her silk camisole and thong. He'd be lying if he didn't admit he'd noticed her small, hard-peaked breasts, tight abs, and perfect ass. The woman's body flipped every switch he had.

  "You scared me. What time is it?" Her accent was thick first thing in the morning and held a different sound, more rustic than the usual. Her w pronounced with a sharp v sound.

  "A few minutes after nine."

  "I'm sorry. I rarely oversleep." She swiped her curls away from her face and blinked owlishly as if she was trying to orient herself.

  "I won't deny I enjoyed finding you snuggled in bed." Mike let his eyes travel over the skin not covered by the silk sheets. "Although I think I would have preferred it if you were waiting in my bed."

  He studied her, waiting for a response. Her expressive hazel eyes traveled to his. There was shock and confusion before understanding settled. He had a front row seat as her mask fell into place. The undiluted version of the woman he was dealing with was hidden once again. Tatyana cocked her head and dropped the silk sheet. There was nothing he could do to prevent his body's reaction. His cock filled at her willing offering. He stood and put his hands in his pockets as if he could camouflage his desire. "If that is an offer, Tatyana, I will accept. However, I must refrain until tonight. Business before pleasure. I'll send Hannah in
shortly. She should have awakened you earlier. I'll make certain the staff knows to attend to your needs. Lunch will be served promptly at one. Don't be late." He turned to walk away but changed his mind. No, he needed to set the tone for the relationship. He stalked around the bed to her. She turned as he approached. He reached out and tenderly pulled her against him. His erection pushed against her abdomen. Mike cupped her chin and studied her face before he lowered his lips slowly. He ghosted a kiss across them and felt a shiver run through her. He lowered again and let the union linger. Her lips opened under his, but he moved away. Her eyes opened and locked with his. Her breaths came shallow and fast, and her pupils were wide, blown to the edge of her irises. The desire in her eyes cemented the fact he could use her. He released her and walked out of the room before his lust overran his mission. He would seduce her, use her to finish the mission, and then he would walk away.

  Taty sank onto the bed as he stalked out the door. Her hand rose to touch her tingling lips. Her hand shook because he'd startled her. It wasn't about the kiss. She flopped down onto the bed. That was a lie, but it wasn't just the kiss, it was the way he held her. His absolute possessive certainty that she would allow it. The sweetness of the kiss when he could have been ruthless. She ran both hands through her hair and groaned. If only things were different, but they weren't. She jolted at the soft knock on her door. My assigned keeper no doubt.

  "Enter." She glanced over at the door and smiled at the older woman who balanced a breakfast tray in one hand as she came in.

  "Ech, sorry lass. Had a wee bit of an emergency this morning. I was late, and dinna see we had a guest or your schedule until a just couple minutes past. I hope my tardiness dinna cause you any troubles. The master of the castle was a wee bit huffy and puffy just now."

  Tatyana smiled despite her emotional turmoil. Hearing David described as huffy and puffy was too funny to deny. "There was a problem. He was upset I didn't join him for breakfast. I slept through it." Taty allowed the woman to fluff a pillow behind her back and then settle the tray on her lap.

  "Och, well if you slept through it, obviously you needed the rest, then. I dinna know if you wanted tea or coffee. I settled on coffee. If you'll be needing tea, I can pop out and fetch it."

  "No, coffee is perfect, thank you." She poured out the strong brew and inhaled the wonderful aroma.

  "I'll go run your bath. Oh, I'm Hannah, by the way. I'll be tending to you while you are with the master. I travel with his household." She went into the bathroom.

  Tatyana called after her, "Do you know him well?"

  Hannah peeked around the door. "What was that, lass?"

  "My name is Tatyana. My friends call me Taty. Do you know David well?"

  Hannah smiled. "As well as anyone can, I'm sure. The master is very private but polite and a gentleman. I've only worked for him for the past year. There were a core of us brought on after he fired the last lot. Rumors are they were not as discreet as necessary. I dinna know if that is the truth. From what I have seen he is a wonderful man. He is kind, generous to a fault and works far too hard. If it isn't business, he's working for any number of his charities. He'll drive himself into the ground with the schedule he keeps. My husband is his gentleman's gentleman. The hours the master keeps make that job trying for sure."

  Taty let the conversation go as Hannah popped back into the bathroom. The sound of water played in the background as she drank her coffee and picked at a delicately fruited pastry. Hannah's description of David was counterintuitive to what she'd witnessed firsthand. The man she'd dealt with was cold, calculating and a criminal. Granted, he had a civil veneer, but that was an act. Up until the kiss this morning, she would have bet her life savings on that. But now…

  "Your bath is ready, lass. Would you like me to wait to assist you with your wardrobe?"

  Taty blinked. Repeatedly. Help her with her wardrobe? It was already unpacked. What? "Ummm… I'm not sure I know what that means?"

  Hannah threw back her head and laughed. "Aw lass, it will be fun having you stay with us, that's for certain. Will ya be needing help into the bath or getting dressed afterward?"

  Taty felt the blush of embarrassment creep up her face. "Oh. No, thank you. I won't need any help."

  "Fine. I'll leave you to it then. The water will stay heated, no need to rush your breakfast. I'll pop back and give you the grand tour before lunch. The master said you'd be taking your meals with him from now on."

  Taty nodded and tracked the older woman as she headed toward the door.

  "It's good to finally see Mr. Xavier taking a shine to someone. Such a wonderful soul he is. There's a button on your dressing table. If you need anything, push it, and I'll be here in short order. Enjoy your coffee and your bath, lass."

  Taty finished her coffee and wandered into the bathroom. The gentle aroma of the bath oils tickled her senses. She slipped out of her camisole and thong and slid under the perfectly warmed water. She closed her eyes as she relaxed back against the padded neck rest. The disconnected data points she'd just learned about David Xavier conflicted with her first-hand knowledge. Why would someone worth billions be willing to take part in human trafficking? She'd Googled him. Seriously, who wouldn't? He was reportedly the fourth richest man in the world. There was no reason for him to get involved at such an intimate level with the Bravata.

  Taty turned on the bath jets and adjusted the pressure. The one thing she'd always relied on was her gut instinct. It had served her well, and she'd developed a sixth sense that kept her out of trouble during her years with the Bravata. That sixth sense was telling her David Xavier wasn't a criminal even though he was dangerous. He had no motive for doing what he was doing. Leverage? No, while plausible, it didn't pan out past a cursory level. The Bravata hierarchy was blinded by money. They wouldn't look at motive farther than to ascertain they were not being set up. The only reason she could determine they hadn't asked why the man was dangling an obscene amount of money in front of them was she was present and would warn them of any impending danger.

  Taty pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them as the jets swirled the perfumed water around her. Without a doubt, all the information, conflicting and firsthand, boiled down into a very basic equation. She had a decision to make. Did she trust her instinct and look for thereal reason David Xavier was playing such a dangerous game, or did she accept that the man who held her so tenderly this morning was an uncaring criminal?

  "Are we set?" Jason's voice cut through the din of murmured comments in the operations center. Jared glanced over his shoulder and nodded. He was running point for this operation. With the information the tech team had been able to work, they were about to cut the Bravata's concierge service in the United States off at the knees. The operation was complicated and being done in one coordinated event. They couldn't alert the Bravata or the people involved at one site without sending the other six sites underground. So they were coordinating a simultaneous strike at all the sites. And now that Jewell had a way of locating the bastards that were identifying vulnerable people, they'd be able to monitor for the fuckers if they tried to set up business in another city.

  He reviewed his team's positions. They'd mitigated as many circumstances as they could. Yeah, they were fucking ready. Seven cities, seven perps and seven teams of his investigators—all being monitored live. The kaleidoscope of screens showed all seven teams were set and waiting. Jacob and Tori entered the ops center and waited out of the way but were there if needed. Jared acknowledged them both and turned to Jason, anticipating the command to proceed.

  "Let's get it done." At Jason's words, Jared keyed his microphone. "All teams, we have a go." The echo of acknowledgment rang out. Jared's eyes raced from screen to screen. Jewell's technicians were damn good and the action being fed through the helmet cams was as clear as last evening's news on the local broadcast. Five of the per
ps were so stunned they froze when the teams approached, but two fled. Jared swiped the two screens that showcased the chases and threw them to the larger debriefing monitor so they could focus on the pursuit. The movement of the helmet cam would have made him sick to his stomach had he not been so focused. One perp was caught almost immediately. The other was fleeing through a congested building that he obviously knew far better than Jared's team. "Find out who had perimeter. I want to know why that asshole got out of the area." Jared threw that comment over his shoulder toward one of the three the IT gurus who were running the operation.

  The foot race through the building shouldn't be happening. Someone blew it or was compromised. Neither was a good situation.

  "We've lost him!" The shout rang over the comms.

  "You have coverage of the building?" Jared spun, talking to the console operators. They all nodded but didn't say a word. Eyes glued to their screens, their hands flew over the keyboards. "There." One of the tech's pointed toward the screen.

  "Houston Leader we have a visual at the rear of the facility. Suspect is getting into a late model, red Chevy pickup." Jared released the mic key and directed his next comment to the computer operator. "Get me a plate."

  "When he exits."

  Jared watched his team spill out of the huge office building, now on the exterior cameras. The truck launched from its parking space. Instead of turning to exit the facility the truck turned right. "Holy fuck!" Jared keyed the mic, "Houston, watch out! Incoming!" The truck accelerated and headed straight for his team.

  "Holy fuck, he's going to…" Jason's voice stilled as the truck slammed into the side of the building. The bird's eye view of shattering glass, crumpling metal and flying debris from the building froze everyone in the operation center for two heartbeats.