by C. D. Hersh
“I suppose you wonder why I called you here this early,” he began.
She nodded, stirring the sugar into her cup. Then she poured cream into her teaspoon and stirred it into the coffee.
A tiny smile tipped the edges of Falhman’s mouth, and his eyes softened. He plucked a danish and a chocolate-iced doughnut from the tray, cut them in half, and presented them to her.
As she took the bakery items, she stared at him. How did he know which ones she liked, and how much she only ate of each?
The question must have showed on her face because he said, “You prepared your coffee just like your mother did. I guessed you’d eat the same pastries as well.”
After all these years, the man still remembered how her mother took her coffee?
“She was very special to me,” he said, as if he’d heard her thoughts. “Did she ever mention me?”
Fiona shook her head. “No. Mother never talked much about her life before marrying Father. She was a private person.”
“Yet, she must have told you something, because here you are, with her ring, wanting a mentor.”
The nostalgic expression left his face, replaced by a cagey one.
Fiona sipped her coffee, formulating a reply. “She left me with a basic knowledge of her ring and the shifter world. But she’s gone now, and I want to know more.” She studied Falhman for a long moment. “I’m surprised someone as important as you would want to mentor me, Mr. Falhman. Can I ask why?”
He leaned against the white chair he occupied. “Call me sentimental. I have fond memories of your mother. Call me curious. I wanted to know what her daughter looked like. Call me a shrewd businessman. You have something OmniWorld needs, and they have something I want.”
“My company isn’t part of this deal. I made that clear to Mr. Swindell.”
Falhman leaned closer and the buzzing in her body intensified.
“Not your company, my dear. Your beauty.”
The teacup in her hand rattled against the saucer. “My beauty?”
“Your mother was an exquisitely beautiful woman who could charm every man who saw her. Swindell told me you were gorgeous, but he lied. You, my dear, have your mother’s beauty.”
Fiona had no response for Falhman’s praise. She thought herself good looking, but an exquisite beauty? No one had ever complimented her so. The heat of a blush crept over her neck and face.
“We are going to use it to get the Morrison Shipping Company. You will charm the owner into falling in love with you and marry him. No prenups, so when he goes you own it all. Then you will turn it over to OmniWorld.”
The heat drained from her flesh as if she’d landed face down on a polar ice cap. She set her cup on the table with a clank. “You’re going to pimp me out and make me an accessory to murder?”
“You agreed to help us in exchange for keeping your company.”
“I agreed because OmniWorld threatened me. I won’t murder anyone.”
“You completely misunderstand, my dear. OmniWorld isn’t asking you to kill. They just want you to marry the owner, with no prenuptial contracts. Then you’ll own not only your shipping company, but his as well. They’ll handle the other sordid aspect. Your hands will be lily white.”
“But not my conscience.”
Falhman studied his nails, a bored expression on his face. “As you wish.” He waved for the butler. “Show Miss Kayler out. Our business is concluded.” He stood and offered his hand to her. “I hope you won’t hate the messenger, but I’d like to give you some advice. Sell whatever you can and buy as many shares of your company’s stock as soon as possible. When OmniWorld finds out you’ve reneged on your promise, they will come after you. They won’t be nice about it.” When she didn’t take his hand, he placed it on the small of her back as she rose, and guided her toward the door. “Good-bye, my dear, and good luck. You’ll need it.”
Her feet froze to the floor. She couldn’t lose her company. And if she wasn’t of use to them where did that leave her?
Dead?
Whirling to face Falhman, she asked, “What if I can help OmniWorld underbid Morrison Shipping? Would they forget about killing him?”
“How would you accomplish such a thing?”
“I could get a job at the company using my alter ego, find out what they’re bidding on, and pass the information to OmniWorld. Of course, it would mean their plan would be delayed until I could reach the alter-ego stage. Swindling someone would be an evil act. I wouldn’t want to take chances.”
Falhman ran the backs of his fingertips along her jaw. Fiona willed herself not to shiver at his touch.
“We definitely wouldn’t want to mar your beautiful face with mimic shifting.” He steepled his fingers under his chin, tapping them together. “I think your idea might work. But they’d probably want to keep the wedding plan as a backup. I’ll talk to my OmniWorld contact and see if they would be willing to alter their plans.” He reached into his vest pocket and withdrew an envelope. “In the meantime, here’s an invitation to tonight’s Charity Cotillion at the Shoreby Club. The new CEO and owner of Morrison Shipping will be there. You should make his acquaintance. If we can tell OmniWorld he’s already falling for you, it might shift the balance of their decision your way. A generous donation on your part might help him notice you.”
“My part? Why isn’t OmniWorld footing this bill?”
Falhman shrugged. “Proof of loyalty, I suppose.”
“What a crock of bull. I’m already shipping illegal cigarettes which could land me in prison if I get caught. How much loyalty are they going to require?”
“There are many facets to proving one’s loyalty, don’t you agree, my dear?”
Not the answer she wanted to hear. “How much is this loyalty going to cost me?”
“Half a million dollars should get his attention. Give it away as if it doesn’t matter. You must appear flush. We wouldn’t want him thinking you’re marrying him for his money.”
Great. She was flirting with a felony rap, accessory to murder, and jail time for passing bad checks.
By the time she’d returned home, Mike had boarded up the front window. The smell of bacon frying greeted her when she entered the foyer. Following the scent, she found him in the kitchen, a hand towel slung over his shoulder. The sight of domesticity in such a muscled specimen of a man nearly made her sink to the floor in adoration. She could get used to seeing him in her kitchen. He turned as the click of her high heels hit the kitchen’s tile floor.
“Did you get the emergency taken care of?” he asked, setting a platter of bacon on the granite island.
“Yes.” She snatched a piece of bacon and bit into it.
“Care to share?”
“Nope.”
Mike placed his hands on the countertop and leaned toward her. “If you want me to do my job right, you’re going to need to read me in on what’s happening.”
“This morning’s call wasn’t security related.”
“But last night’s attack was. I think you know more than you’re telling me.”
Rotating away from him, she reached for the coffee pot on the counter behind her. She still had a buzzing headache. “Want some?” she asked, holding out the pot.
“What I want is answers.”
She shoved the pot onto the burner with such force the brown liquid sloshed over the glass rim. “Me, too, Mike. I want to know who wants to kill me. I want to know if the cigarette shipment is illegal. I want—”
Mike’s phone rang and he checked it. “It’s Hugh. I’ll let it go to voicemail.”
“Take it. Our conversation’s over anyway. I need some aspirin and a nap to see if I can stave off this headache.” She snatched a couple more pieces of bacon and headed for the staircase.
“Mike.
I hate to ask this, but I need help.” Panic saturated Hugh’s voice, sending Mike’s heartbeat into overdrive.
“What’s wrong, buddy?”
“Someone tried to carjack LJ and the baby.”
“Did you report it?”
“No. LJ saw a Turning Stone ring on the man’s hand when he thrust it through the open window. She gunned the car and got away. They’ve found us, Mike. I’ve already fought off a couple shifters at the house. I need you to get her and the baby to safety.”
“Why don’t you take her?”
“Because they’ve found us. They won’t stop coming. I have to stay here and make them think we’re dead.”
The reality of Hugh’s statement hit Mike. Hugh planned to sacrifice himself for LJ and the baby.
“You’re two days’ ride away. How much time do you think you have?” If he could get to Florida fast enough, maybe he could talk Hugh out of the suicide plan.
“I don’t know. A day if we’re lucky. Hours if we’re not. Fiona has a jet. See if she’ll let you use it. Tell her it’s a matter of life and death.”
“Okay. I’ll call as soon as I know.”
Mike thumbed off the cell and ran for the entry. “Fiona!” he yelled, bounding up the steps two at a time.
She appeared in the hall, her gun drawn. “What is it? Another intruder?”
“I need your jet. Hugh’s in trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” She put the safety on and lowered the weapon.
“Someone tried to carjack LJ and the baby. They escaped. The carjackers followed and attacked them at home. Hugh thinks they might attack again. He needs me to get them to safety. ASAP. Can I use the jet?”
“Of course you can. Tell me where you’re going and I’ll make the arrangements.”
He punched in a number on his phone. “I’m calling in a buddy to cover for me. My nickel since I’m leaving you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Yes, I do. After last night, I will not leave you unprotected. I’m sorry about running off this way, but I owe Hugh.”
“So do I. Go. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
The gun in her hand trembled. Mike wasn’t certain she would be okay, but he had no other choice. He couldn’t let his friend sacrifice himself because of rogue shifters.
Chapter 6
As soon as Fiona’s jet landed, Mike undid his seatbelt. “Wait for me,” he told the pilot. “I shouldn’t be long.” Then he shouldered the duffel with his weapons and sprinted for the car Fiona had arranged. After starting the engine, he speed dialed Hugh and put him on speaker.
“Buddy,” he said when Hugh answered the phone. “I’m leaving the airport. I should be at your house within half an hour. What’s the status?”
“Okay, for now. LJ and the baby are in the basement panic room with orders not to open unless it’s you. Come onto the property through the back road. Don’t use the front. I booby-trapped the drive. You know where the key is. Come in the kitchen door. When you get to the front of the garage, walk on the grass, not the gravel path.”
“Roger that. Be there as soon as possible.”
Mike floored the gas pedal and the vehicle roared out of the small airport. He ran every yellow light and a few red ones in an effort to reach Hugh at top speed. If cops followed him, he’d just lead them to the house and explain there’d been an attack on a former FBI agent with top clearance. He’d deal with the fallout later.
He screeched onto the gravel drive between a row of corn stalks at the rear of the property. In the middle of the field he hung a left and raced along the long, winding road to the house, which sat by itself on several acres partially hidden with a windbreak of trees. When he neared, he saw no other vehicles. He parked behind the garage, dashed across the grass, and retrieved the door key from its hiding place.
“Hugh,” he called as he unlocked the door. “It’s me.”
His friend appeared in the kitchen doorway wearing a vest covered in plastic explosives. “Glad to see you, Mike. Sorry it’s under these circumstances.”
Mike eyed the suicide vest. His heart rate ratcheted up. Hugh’s vest looked similar to what he’d seen in Afghanistan. Those bombers took out platoons of soldiers.
“How many are you planning to take down?”
As they shook hands, Hugh’s hand trembled. Mike clamped his free hand on top of their clasped hands in an attempt to hide his own shaking.
“Every single jackal who comes on the property.” Hugh held out the trigger device for the explosives. “I arm it, and the whole place ignites.”
“You wired the house?”
“The house. The front steps, the drive, everything except the kitchen door. I left those alone so you could get in and get LJ and the baby out.”
“You armed it all since I talked to you?”
“Just the land mine at the front entrance. The wiring for everything else has been in place for a while. I connected it when I knew danger was coming.”
“We could set up a remote detonator and watch from a distance to take these guys out. Don’t sacrifice yourself to kill a bunch of low-life shifters.”
“It won’t work. Get LJ and the baby and get out of here.”
Mike headed for the basement stairs, then spun around. “You don’t have to do this, Hugh. Come with us.”
Hugh shook his head. “If I don’t blow this place to kingdom come, Falhman won’t believe we’re dead, and he’ll keep hunting us.”
“You’re using enough explosives to incinerate a city block. They won’t know who went up in the blast. There’ll be nothing to autopsy.”
“I’ve got to do this.”
“Dammit, Hugh. Don’t kill yourself.”
“It’s the only way to keep them safe.”
Mike’s heart sank at Hugh’s clenched jaw. He doubted his friend’s plan, but knew he wouldn’t win this argument. When Hugh made up his mind he would not budge. Mike dashed to the basement and retrieved LJ and the baby.
When he returned, Hugh pressed a piece of paper into Mike’s hands. “Here’s the location of Eli McCraigen’s hideout in Scotland. Take my family to him. He’ll protect them.”
LJ threw herself against her husband, sobbing. “Don’t do this, Hugh, please. We can run and hide again.”
“We can’t spend the rest of our lives running. If he’s coming after you he knows about the baby. I don’t know how he found us, but since he has we’re not safe anywhere. The only people who can protect you are Eli McCraigen and his shifters. You have to go.” He kissed the baby’s head. “For his sake, you have to go.”
The baby’s wail joined his mother’s as she hugged Hugh. He kissed his wife and son. Gently loosening her grip on him, Hugh handed her over to Mike.
“Take care of her, buddy.”
“I will.”
An explosion sounded. “The first perimeter bomb. Get out of here. Now!”
Mike threw LJ’s canvas suitcase over his free shoulder and hustled her toward the door. She slipped from his grip and turned before exiting. He followed her gaze. The detonator in Hugh’s hand blinked. He’d armed the house.
“Stay on the grass,” Hugh commanded.
Mike grabbed his charges and headed for the door. “Come on, LJ. We have to go.”
Sobbing, she allowed him to lead her across the lawn to the car. As they sped away, explosions assaulted his ears, followed by the rapid rat-a-tat-tat of multiple machine guns. When they neared the turn into the cornfield, a massive detonation rocked the car. LJ screamed and swiveled in the seat, practically climbing over the back. In the rearview mirror, Mike saw a billow of smoke framing tongues of fire. Silhouetted against the red he spotted a black SUV barreling toward them.
He floored the gas pedal and ra
ced for the airport, praying he could outrun the vehicle on his tail.
Scrabbling for the cell phone in his pocket, Mike instructed LJ to call Fiona. When the call connected, he took the cell.
“I’ve got a big favor to ask,” he said. “Hugh’s requested I take his wife to Scotland. Can I use the jet?”
“Is Hugh okay?” Fiona asked.
“No. He’s gone.” Mike’s voice broke. He couldn’t let the grief to the front or he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the job of keeping LJ and the baby safe. His training kicked in and added the anguish into the box where he locked his grief.
“Gone? What happened?”
“He used himself as bait and blew up the men who are after LJ. I think one group got away. I saw their SUV in the rearview mirror.”
“Oh, my God! Are LJ and the baby okay?”
“As much as can be expected, considering. He left them in my care, Fiona, and I have to keep them safe. I need to take them to Scotland.”
“Go. Take the jet. Do what you have to do.”
“I’m sorry about leaving you in the lurch.”
“Don’t worry. Your man’s here and I’ll be fine. Take care of Hugh’s family.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Be safe.”
“I will.”
LJ dialed Fiona’s pilot and Mike instructed him to file a flight plan to Scotland.
Hugh’s family was his responsibility now. A rock settled in his stomach. No hard cash in this deal. Only payback for debts he owed Hugh. Was payment of debts considered altruistic by the universe? If so, this tiny baby and his mother were doomed.
The plane stood waiting and ready to go when they reached the airport. After settling LJ and the baby into their seats, Mike went into the cockpit.
