She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “So you were a good guy who was on the inside?” she clarified.
“Right. Deep cover, as we call it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Did you know I was there?”
Regret washed over his face. “I didn’t. I only knew he had a girl. I didn’t know it was you. I wasn’t a part of his inner circle.”
“I guess that one girl wasn’t enough to provoke a rescue?” Bitterness soaked her voice.
Stone’s eyes softened. “We’re talking about the life of one person versus the lives of thousands—hundreds of thousands. I worked hard to get into that organization, and I couldn’t blow it. Not when the stakes were so high.”
“A lot of good it did.”
“You’d be surprised at what we were able to stop with my information,” Stone said. “A bombing. A village being raided. A terrorist attack right here on American soil.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Dante was planning all of that?”
“He had his hand in it,” Stone said. “He had his hand in a lot of bad things. I was able to provide information that helped us in the raid that night.”
Her shoulders softened slightly as she let that sink in. “I see.”
“I asked Tennyson to meet with me last night,” Stone continued.
“Why?”
“I’ve been following Dante’s network since his . . . since his death,” Stone said. “We believe his network is still strong and still planning acts of terrorism across the globe.”
Her pulse quickened. But all the pieces still weren’t fitting together. “What’s that have to do with Tennyson exactly?”
Stone exchanged a glance with Tennyson. “It’s not so much Tennyson as it is . . . you.”
She pointed her finger to her chest. “Me? What do I have to do with any of this? Last I heard, terrorist attacks weren’t on my agenda for this tour.”
Stone lowered his voice. “I know about the dead bodies that look like you. We’re concerned that there’s a connection with Inferno.”
A pit in her stomach grew larger and deeper with every new tidbit of information. She still wasn’t sure why that meant a former spy needed to show up here. Now. “You think those dead bodies are going to lead you to a terror cell? You think this terror cell is following me?”
“Not exactly. But we’ve wondered if someone associated with the terror cell is following you. We’re just trying to cover every base.”
“So why come here tonight under these circumstances?”
Ethan and Tennyson exchanged a look. Finally, Tennyson spoke. “Ethan and I don’t always see eye to eye, to say the least. I thought he should keep his distance.”
Her gaze volleyed to Ethan. “You didn’t.”
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t. There are larger matters at stake here, Mallory.”
Her jaw set in thought. More secrets. More deceit. More danger.
How much could she take?
“I’m sorry, Mallory,” Tennyson said. “I wasn’t at liberty to discuss the subject. Besides, my job is to protect you.”
“Keeping me in the dark isn’t protecting me.”
He pressed his lips together. Her words had hit him hard. Harder than she expected. Was there more he was hiding from her? She prayed that wasn’t the case.
“I understand,” he said.
Her trust in him had been fractured. To think that earlier she’d been dreaming about kissing him. Wondering what life would be like after this tour, with Tennyson at her side. “I’d like some time alone.”
Tennyson said, “Of course.”
“Mallory, if you would consider talking with me sometime . . . ,” Stone said.
“Maybe. Probably. But right now, I just need to clear my head.”
CHAPTER 20
Mallory disappeared into her room. She needed to be alone. There was too much happening, and it was all making her head spin.
She sat down on her bed, pulled out her phone, and began scrolling through her text messages. Grant didn’t screen these since so few people actually had this number. She stopped at one from Jason.
I’m in town tomorrow. Meet for lunch?
Jason was in town? In Atlanta at the same time she was? Could this really be a coincidence? And why was he texting her? After so many months of silence, they meet for an interview, and then he contacts her again as if they’re old friends?
She stared at the message, unsure how to respond.
Before she could type a reply, someone knocked at her door. Mallory’s heart sank when she saw it was Grant and remembered their earlier argument.
He came inside and sat across the bed from her. “What’s going on out there? Who’s the new guy? I decided it was in my best interest not to ask Tennyson.”
She pressed her lips together. “Long story. Let’s just say he’s an old friend of Tennyson’s.”
Grant’s frown made it clear he wanted to ask more questions. Instead, he said, “You don’t look happy. Want to talk?”
Did she want to talk? She wasn’t sure. There was just so much to process and think about right now.
Finally, she decided to sum up what had happened for him. He deserved to know about the new developments.
“So this Ethan guy wants to work with you?” A wrinkle formed between Grant’s eyes.
She shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“Do you think you can trust Tennyson?”
She thought about it for a long minute. It seemed like she regretted giving her trust to anyone, including Grant. Grant may have made some poor choices, but he’d always been there for her. She wanted to trust him, to think that he offered some kind of safety net.
“I do think I can trust Tennyson,” she finally said. “I just wish he’d told me that the NSA was also investigating this in an effort to locate members of Inferno.”
“I know you decided to keep him on despite what I advised—”
“It was ultimately my decision,” she said, her words sharper than she intended. “It’s not up for discussion.”
Grant nodded, visibly backing off. “I understand. And I apologize for my role in your current stress. I can be a bit of a control freak at times. It’s what makes me good at my job, but it also makes me an occasional pain to work with.”
“I suppose.”
“Look, Mallory. I really am sorry. I’m just trying to look out for you, even though it may not seem like it at times.”
“I know. Apology accepted.”
“I do think you should hire someone else to be on your security team,” Grant said. “With these threats escalating, it only makes sense.”
She thought about the dead bodies. The perfume. The note. The e-mails. She had to be wise here.
She slowly nodded. “I agree. But who?”
Grant’s gaze locked on hers. “I have someone in mind. I found another guard who comes highly recommended. His name is Logan, and I took the initiative to find out if he’s available. He is. How would you feel about bringing him on?”
“Shouldn’t we hire someone from Tennyson’s company? That makes more sense.”
“Tennyson himself said there’s no one else on staff who’s qualified yet. Their program is just beginning.”
“Before you hire anyone, I insist you run them past Tennyson first since he is in charge of security.”
He smiled. “Great. I’ll talk to Tennyson and get right on it.”
“Have there been any updates on those letters from Nameless? Or on the identities of the deceased girls?” Murdered girls, she silently corrected herself.
Grant shook his head. “I spoke with both the detective in DC as well as Agent Turner today. Both assured me they’re still looking into things, but there are no definite leads yet.”
“Thanks, Grant.”
He stood to leave.
“Oh, and Grant?” She stopped him before he left. “Jason texted me and wants to meet for lunch tomorrow. That should be okay, right? My interview isn’t
until afterward.”
“If that’s what you want to do.”
Was it what she wanted to do? She wasn’t sure. But she wouldn’t let fear stop her from living life. She couldn’t give it that much control. “Thanks.”
Tennyson had walked Stone out and was lingering in the hallway where Kori stood duty.
“Everything okay?” she asked, her shoulders back and gaze scanning the hallway.
“I need you to stay at the door,” Tennyson said. “I’m going for a walk to clear my head.”
He needed to cool off. A little walk should do the trick.
Something flashed in Kori’s eyes. Curiosity. Perceptiveness. “She’s getting to you, isn’t she?”
Tennyson paused, and his hands went to his hips at her implications. “What do you mean?”
“You like Mallory.”
“Mallory’s a good person.” He knew exactly what Kori meant, though.
“You watch her all the time. And I’m not talking about just for the job.”
He pressed his lips together. “Do we really have to have this discussion right now?”
“You’d talk to me if the roles were reversed. You know the number one rule of body guarding is to not let your feelings get involved.”
“I know that, Kori.” He lowered his voice, trying not to let his irritation show through. He was irritated with himself, not Kori, but she was the one who’d brought this up.
“Up here you might.” She tapped his temple before pointing to his heart. “But down here, I’m not sure you do.”
“If anyone knows it, it’s me. You do remember what happened with Claire, don’t you?”
Her eyes softened. “I can’t forget. That’s why I thought it was important to remind you to keep your feelings in check.”
He raised his chin, refusing to admit anything. He and Mallory had a professional relationship. Maybe slightly more than that. Maybe they were becoming friends. But that was it. Just because he thought the woman was beautiful and fascinating and strong didn’t mean he wanted to explore a future together.
Even as the thoughts flashed through his mind, Tennyson wasn’t sure he had himself convinced. If circumstances were different, he wouldn’t mind getting to know Mallory as more than a friend. But it was complicated. On Mallory’s end. On his end.
The truth was he didn’t deserve to be happy after what happened with Claire. No, he deserved to live every day with guilt at his failure. And when Mallory learned the truth about the decisions he’d made in the past, she’d resent him. Anyone would. That had been clear by her reaction to Stone when she’d learned he knew that Torres was keeping a woman at his compound.
So all this was a nonissue. He and Mallory would never happen.
He stepped outside and into the crisp night. The city streets were surprisingly quiet, and the air was just brisk enough to invigorate him. He started at a quick pace down the sidewalk.
Kori was right. He cared about Mallory. He knew he did. But they could never be together. He was damaged and undeserving of love. And Mallory was his client. There were professional boundaries in place, and feelings would only get in the way of him doing his job.
Just as he reached the corner, he felt something whiz by him.
A bullet, he realized.
Someone was shooting at him.
CHAPTER 21
Tennyson ducked behind the corner. He counted to three before daring to peer around the edge. Despite the streetlights, it was too dark to locate the shooter. Too many shadowed spaces lined the street.
Tennyson guessed that the gunshot had come from the upper floor of one of the surrounding buildings. He looked for the glint of metal or the reflection of glasses. Anything that might tip him off.
He saw nothing.
Had someone just been waiting for him to emerge from the hotel?
He didn’t have time to think about that now.
Another bullet hit the wall beside him. The musty smell of dust and the metallic scent of a fresh bullet filled the air. His mind tried to transport him back to the war zones he’d fought in. He didn’t want to go there now.
Right now, he was in his own war zone.
Whoever was shooting at him was using a silencer. Which would only make locating the shooter that much harder.
Tennyson glanced at the bullet hole, noting the direction it had come from. It had come from above. His suspicions were right—someone was hiding in one of these buildings.
He dropped to the ground behind a car.
Pulling out his phone, he dialed the local police.
“My name is Tennyson Walker,” he rushed. “I’m a private security guard, and I need to report an active shooter situation.”
“What’s your location?”
He glanced around until he saw the street sign, and he rattled off the cross streets.
“We’ll send someone right out.”
Another bullet pierced the air and hit the side-view mirror of the car he was against.
Where were those bullets coming from? The hotel across the street?
This wasn’t good.
He had to get out of sight.
He glanced around again. There was an entrance to a deli about ten feet away. The restaurant was closed, but the alcove where the front door was located might be the perfect shelter.
If he could only get there without getting shot.
He had no choice but to try.
Before he could move, a group of college kids rounded the corner, totally oblivious to what was going on.
His heart rate ratcheted. “Get down!”
All five of the young adults looked at him like he was crazy.
“There’s a shooter!”
They still didn’t react.
Another bullet ripped through the air, hitting the window of the shoe shop behind them. The glass shattered.
The group screamed as one; some people ducked, and others darted away.
Tennyson had to figure out who was doing this. But by the time he could pinpoint the person’s location, they’d be long gone. He knew that. The shooter knew that.
Sanchez. Was this Sanchez?
Or was it Dante?
He hoped the police arrived before he got shot.
After being questioned by police, Tennyson started back up to the suite, desperate to stay close to Mallory after the shooting. He was lucky to have gotten through that with only a sore shoulder from where he’d dropped to the ground. It could have been much worse.
He called Kori on his way up, explained what had happened, and instructed her to keep an eye on Mallory.
Then Tennyson called Stone.
“I just got shot at. You know anything about that?”
“What? Why would I know anything about that?”
“Because I’m fully aware that there’s something you’re not telling me.” Tennyson didn’t really think that Stone would be shooting at him. He was smarter than that.
“I may not like you, but I’m not going to try and kill you either.”
He hung up and rushed toward the room. Kori stood outside the door.
“Did you see anyone in the hallway?” he asked.
Kori shook her head. “No one. It’s all been quiet. So what happened?”
Tennyson filled her in.
“You didn’t catch the person who pulled the trigger?” she asked.
Tennyson shook his head. “Whoever it was, he was good.”
His muscles tightened as he felt someone approaching. He turned to see Stone.
“I got back here as soon as I could. Nothing new?” he asked.
Tennyson shook his head.
“Why would someone shoot at you?” Stone asked.
Tennyson had thought about that himself. “Maybe this person wants to get rid of me so he can get to Mallory.”
“Sounds very Dante-esque,” Stone said.
Tennyson couldn’t deny it. He walked to the other end of the hallway, determined to check the stairway. Stone fell into step b
eside him.
“I’m surprised that Mallory wants to make herself a public figure considering Torres could still be out there,” Stone said.
“She feels very strongly about her mission.”
“Does she know you had the chance to rescue her but didn’t?”
His gut clenched. “No. It doesn’t seem important.”
“Based on her reaction earlier, I’m not sure she’d have you on staff if she knew that.”
“I told you, it’s not important. Not right now.”
Stone let out a grunt. “I’ve seen girls who’ve come out of human trafficking. Most never recover.”
Tennyson paused by the stairway and bristled. “What are you saying?”
“Just that that kind of trauma can mess up the most stable of people.”
Tennyson refused to believe that. “Mallory is different.”
Stone narrowed his eyes, studying Tennyson a moment.
“You like her, don’t you?” Satisfaction tinged his voice.
“And if I do?”
“Then good for you. Challenges make life interesting.”
Tennyson fought to keep his emotions under control. He couldn’t let Stone bait him, and he had to be the bigger person. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened with Claire. Is that what you want me to say?”
All the smugness left Stone’s expression. “I know I can’t hold it against you. Claire chose you. Neither of us ended up winning that one, did we?”
At the thought of Claire, Tennyson’s heart began pounding. He realized that lately Claire’s picture had begun being replaced in his mind with Mallory’s image. He wasn’t sure when it had happened. He hadn’t even realized it had happened until this moment.
“Claire was a good woman,” Tennyson said. “She didn’t deserve to die at Torres’s hand.”
“No, she didn’t. For her sake, let’s make sure he doesn’t kill someone else who’s innocent. Put the past behind us?”
Tennyson nodded. “Put the past behind us.”
Tennyson stood when Mallory walked into the living room the next morning. Her demeanor was different—more businesslike—as she went into the kitchen and grabbed some coffee and yogurt.
He hadn’t seen her since she, Stone, and he had talked. He’d hoped that with some space things might resume as normal, but that obviously wasn’t the case. She appeared standoffish.
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