by Barb Han
What did Blake know? She moved to his side, watching as he winced as his wounds were being cleaned with a liquid that looked like alcohol.
He pinched the bridge of his nose as if trying to stem a headache.
“What’s going on, Blake?” she asked.
Her blue-eyed blonde-haired college friend blinked up at her. “This is big, Kinsley.”
She threw her hands up in frustration. “I can see that. Why?”
“Your book.”
“For what? My book is about hot spots in the European economy [MEGAN—do you have any thoughts on how to tie her book into The Russian?].” Granted, there were ties to bigger terror cells.
“I should’ve gotten to you sooner. There was a threat early on to stop the book from going out to reviewers. I didn’t take it seriously at first and I should’ve.” He raked his fingers through his hair to straighten it. Every strand was perfect despite everything they’d been through. “I wish you would’ve turned on your cell notifications.”
“You know I don’t.” She didn’t like where this was going, and she could hear the defensiveness in her own voice.
He must’ve realized it, too, because he looked at her. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean it like that. This isn’t your fault.”
“If I’m understanding you correctly, an obscure terrorist has just targeted me because of a reference in my book to the fact that they exist at all.” Her book was mostly about the change in European culture in the past century. “There have always been terrorist attacks in Europe. Why now? Why go after a college professor?”
“Well, these are linked to threats in the U.S. and The Russian is involved somehow.” Gabriel’s voice made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and her body warm. Kinsley cursed. Her reaction to him was unwanted and unwelcomed.
“The who?”
Her body must’ve tensed and she must’ve shot him a look because he’d had no problem calling her out. “What? Not happy to see me?”
Gabriel Cooper. She was happy that he was alive. But how did he know about anything connected to her?
“Why are you here, Gabriel?”
Chapter 4
“No hug? No tears? No welcome home, Gabriel?” Gabriel hadn’t been sure what kind of reaction to expect when he saw Kinsley again. Her hair was different than when he last saw her, but she was even more beautiful. It was still the color of wheat on a sunshiny day that looked silky as spun gold, shorter than it had been years ago.
Those cobalt blue eyes pierced him even though they’d barely made contact with his. An uninvited reaction stirred in his chest at for a split-second it felt like the wind knocked out of him. Since those thoughts would get him about as far as a handful of change at one of those frou-frou coffee shops, he shoved them aside.
Kinsley barely made eye contact when she turned to open her circle but the effect on his heart was the same—a blast.
She said, “Blake Henderson meet Gabriel Cooper, the man who saved your life.” She accented the introduction by placing her palm up like she was presenting Gabriel to Blake.
A stab of jealousy he had no right to allow crushed his ribs and made taking a breath difficult. He reminded himself that they hadn’t been more than kids when they knew each other before. His reaction was over the top.
Besides, she was most likely trying to distract her friend from noticing just how much blood he’d lost.
Gabriel offered a handshake to the guy who was probably considered good looking to most women in that prep school way. Gabriel wanted to ask how Blake knew Kinsley, but it wasn’t his business anymore and hadn’t been for a long time.
And, hey, she hadn’t punched him which was probably what he deserved after the way he’d left things. But he didn’t have time to chew on that, either. He had a question to ask and bad news to deliver. He didn’t see a point in dragging it out.
Before he could ask, she thanked him for saving her and Blake and then pointed a finger in his chest.
“How did you know this was going to happen? Who do you work for? What are you doing here?” It was her stress response kicking in and he figured she was still in shock, which was the reason she hadn’t really connected those dots earlier.
“I have a better question. How’d your name become associated with The Russian?” he asked her point blank.
“I’ve never heard of him.” She had a lost quality to her eyes that he didn’t want to have hit him square in the chest even though seeing it there did just that.
Gabriel looked to Blake, who shrugged.
There was no easy way to say this so Gabriel came out with it, “The Russian is a well-known money launderer and heads up a group of hitmen. What on earth would put you on his radar?” He didn’t remotely believe she was associated in illegal activity.
“Why do you know this and how the hell did you get here?” A little spark returned to her blue eyes and Gabriel saw that as a good thing. Maybe some of the shock was wearing off and she’d think more clearly. Civilians weren’t used to the world of spies and hitmen.
“That’s not important,” Gabriel stated.
She softened her grip on her elbows and blew out a slow breath. “I realize you saved our lives and I’m grateful you came along when you did. None of this makes sense to me and I’m trying to wrap my brain around the fact that there were two men who just tried to kill us. And now I’m finding out that The Russian wants me dead.”
“He won’t get to you on my watch.” Gabriel didn’t make promises he couldn’t keep. Was this Blake character a fixture in her life?
“None of this makes sense.” She looked like she was searching for something to grab hold of to anchor her to this new reality.
Gabriel figured she deserved to know something about him. He told himself that gaining her trust would make the mission go easier, but it was for another reason he didn’t want to think about or admit.
“I used to work for a Blackwater-type organization that is now defunct. One of the men I worked with opened an independent agency and I happened to be with him when the news came in that you were a target.” All of which was the truth.
“So, what? You work for him now? Last I heard you were in the military.” More of that spunk was returning. He didn’t want to recall how sexy he’d thought she was when she was being spirited.
“None of that’s important. But no. I don’t work for anyone right now,” he admitted. Gaining her trust again would be impossible but telling her something about himself might just make what he had to say next easier to chew. “You need to come with me.”
She glanced from Gabriel to Blake and his heart did that traitorous flinch again.
“Why me?”
Gabriel didn’t respond. He gave her a minute for her brain to catch up.
A few seconds later, her mouth formed an almost perfect O. “You said my name is on The Russian’s list.”
Gabriel nodded and relaxed his arms at his sides. “Hearing this news isn’t easy.”
“I wrote a book about [European history]. What does this have to do with men in ski masks with guns?” Reality seemed to smack her in the face, hard.
“I should’ve taken the threat more seriously,” Blake finally seemed to find his voice.
“What are you talking about?” Kinsley asked, wheeling around on him. “Is that why you were trying to call me earlier?”
“I tried to warn you to be careful. I thought it was just some crackpot. You know, you hear about that sort of thing happening. A false threat trying to derail a launch. It sounded a lot like something one of my old co-workers would’ve said actually and I thought he was playing a prank.” Blake’s expression was that of being one hundred percent dumbfounded.
“What kind of threat?” Gabriel zeroed in like a laser on a target.
“It was from some group calling themselves, Justified,” Blake reported.
“How did it come in?” Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. The name wasn’t familiar, and it was generic enough for doze
ns if not a hundred groups to call themselves by the same. It was most likely a cover for The Russian, but Gabriel needed to make sure a new cell hadn’t crept up.
“What about those men from earlier?” she gasped. “Can’t you get information from them? Force it out of them?”
“They won’t talk. If we’re lucky they’ll still be locked up by morning,” Gabriel said.
“How can they get out?” Kinsley’s shock widened those beautiful blues.
“That’s not the question we need to be asking right now,” Gabriel countered. “What’s our next move? How will I keep you safe until the threat is neutralized? Those are better questions.”
“Are you saying this isn’t over?” Kinsley paced. “If my book caused this that’s easy, we’ll meet with the publisher and cancel distribution.”
“I did a major promo blitz,” Blake said. “I convinced McMahon and Hamburg to send out a hundred advanced review copies in order to generate buzz.”
“Well, the secret’s out then. But I don’t remember writing anything about a group by the name of Justified.” Kinsley rubbed her temples like she was trying to ward off a headache. “Why come after me?”
Gabriel sat there, contemplating her words. The answer came to him quickly. “Because whatever information Justified is concerned about getting out isn’t in the book.”
“Which means it could be in my research,” she caught on.
“There are only two reasons to kill you.” Those last two words tasted bitter in his mouth. “One is to stop you from uncovering the truth.”
“And the other?” she asked.
Gabriel shot an apologetic look.
“To silence you.”
Kinsley let Gabriel’s words sink in. Kill. Silence. Truth. The initial shock of seeing Gabriel again was strong but she’d moved from seeing her situation for what it was—the reality of it had struck hard and deep—to denial. None of this could be happening. Her first love couldn’t be standing two feet away from her. Her research and book couldn’t cause her to become a target of—what?—a militant group? A terrorist?
And her life couldn’t be crumbling around her.
A split-second was all it took to destroy ten years of sacrifice and research, long nights at her office. Being on the screen until her eyes had dried up and she could barely blink anymore.
“This place is not safe.” Gabriel with the thick hair that was so brown it was almost black stared at her. He wanted a reaction but she didn’t oblige. “We can’t stick around much longer.”
“It’s like Fort Knox in here,” she said.
“Everyone knows this location. It’s compromised.”
A man wearing a uniform walked up to Gabriel.
“The chopper’s on the roof, sir,” the uniformed man said.
Gabriel gave the green light and a pair of men rolled a stretcher into the room, moved Blake onto it and wheeled him out of the room. Kinsley started to leave with Blake.
There had to be a government agency program she could go into. Even if it meant giving up her life temporarily. Right? There had to be a place that she could go until all this blew over. Witness protection? That had to still be a thing. Maybe she could step away from her life and still search for answers. Was that possible?
“Kinsley, hold on,” Gabriel said, touching her arm. A jolt of electricity shot through her.
“Why?” She needed to hear him out. She had no idea what he’d done for the military or since but the way he dispatched the men in ski masks caught her attention. Gabriel seemed to know how to handle himself in the face of danger and she was totally out of her element here.
“You two have to split up.” He said a little too quickly. It was probably their shared past that had a little piece of her wishing she heard a little jealousy in his voice.
She exchanged glances with Blake.
“He needs medical treatment and that’ll expose you to unnecessary risk.” Those words didn’t sound reassuring.
“It’s my fault he’s in this position—”
“I took on this job, Kinsley. Whatever happened is not your doing.” Blake made a point that she wasn’t quite ready to concede.
“Even so, it’s my book—”
“I hear you but it’s a weak argument at best. We could easily spin this thing around and say that all this is my fault because I’m the one who made a big splash out of the book,” he said.
“Speaking of which, I need a list of all the names who received an early copy,” Gabriel said. His physical size was impressive. The military had done good things to his six-foot-four frame, filling it out with muscles she didn’t need to notice. She told herself that it was down to pure biology. She was in danger and on a primal level needed to evaluate who could help her fight off at attacker. Gabriel had done that in spades earlier.
“Done. The minute I get hold of my laptop,” Blake said.
“Which is where?” Gabriel asked and the urgency in his voice was another shot of how dire the situation was.
One some level, Kinsley knew but that state of denial was a force meant to protect her brain from short-circuiting.
“I’m not comfortable being away from each other right now.” She could put her foot down on this one issue.
She looked to Gabriel, expecting an argument. Instead, he was calm.
“I can see that you care about him,” he said.
“Of course. He’s more than my publicist. We have history,” she said. The admission didn’t go over too well with Gabriel but what did he expect? She had history with him, too, but it was nothing like her and Blake.
“So do we and I doubt you want to spend the next few days alone with me but that’s what you’re going to do.” Gabriel’s dark eyes were practically slits and his lips had thinned. There was something else in his expression, too, that warned her not to push him. “If you care about Blake like I think you do the best thing you can do is stay away from him while this whole situation is straightened out.”
Those words were a knife to the chest. Kinsley wouldn’t argue because she knew down deep that they were also true.
“I’ll keep my phone on,” she said to Blake.
“I’m sure Mr. Fabulous here will keep you safe. You’re better off with him. I’d only slow you down,” Blake said.
“Heal fast.” She gave her friend a peck on the cheek and heard Gabriel’s hard footsteps falling away from her. He was doing it on purpose, she realized, because he would be stealth otherwise.
“You know that guy personally?” Blake glanced around like he didn’t want Gabriel to hear what he was saying.
“Not in a long time but, yeah, we were close once.” Kinsley wasn’t ready to tell the whole story and maybe never would be. Gabriel obviously worked for some super-secret agency. He’d disappear as fast as he’d appeared and she figured any evidence she’d actually seen him would disappear, too.
And that got her heart racing, considering she’d lost sight of him already.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Gabriel seemed like her best chance at survival.
Blake squeezed her hand. “You be careful with him.”
That was an odd thing to say.
“We need to go now,” an EMT said.
“I’ll see you soon,” she said to Blake, hoping it was true.
And now she had to find Gabriel.
Chapter 5
A moment of panic struck Kinsley as Blake disappeared around the corner. She was alone. All hell had just broken loose and Gabriel was nowhere in sight. Before she could think about her next step her feet were moving in the direction he’d gone a few moments ago.
Her heels clicked on the tile floor, echoing in the hallway. The place seemed empty. She picked up her pace as panic drove her feet to move faster.
As she rounded the next corner, she barreled into Gabriel. It was like slamming into a solid wall.
He immediately grabbed her to keep her from losing her balance and his touch sent electricity pinging down h
er arms. There was so much heat filling the space between them that she had to take a step back in order to gain her perspective. Between the current and the all-male spicy scent of his aftershave she needed to put as much space between them as she could.
Taking a step back didn’t help. It only ushered in more of his scent.
Kinsley put her hand against the wall to regain her balance.
“Whoa, there.” It didn’t help matters that his deep baritone skimmed over her sensitized skin.
Or the fact that it had been a long time since she’d had such a visceral response to a man. A little voice reminded her that no other man had caused that much chaos to her senses. She told it to shut up.
“It’s been a long day. I’m fine.” She tried to dismiss him.
But he brought his hand up to cup her chin and tilt her face toward his. His gaze roamed over her in a way that should make her uncomfortable.
“I’ve never met a woman who said she was fine when she really meant the opposite.” His dark eyes took her in and she didn’t like the way he seemed to see right through her.
She broke eye contact and knocked his hand away. “Be serious, Gabriel. How much trouble am I in?”
He leaned against the wall and pinched the bridge of his nose like he was trying to ward off a headache. “As far as I can tell? A helluva lot.”
She’d give him points for honesty.
“Right now, we need to get you to a safehouse and then we can come up with a plan for how to deal with the situation,” he said.
Exhaustion was wearing her patience thin and she wanted a safe place to take a hot bath and recharge. She couldn’t begin to process what was happening let alone the impact this would all have on her day-to-day life. Although, a piece of her could comprehend the reality that nothing would ever be the same for her again.
“I’m ready to go when you are.” The fight had drained from her.
Gabriel alerted someone to the fact they were ready over his cell. She had no idea who and didn’t care at this point. Three men and a woman came toward them down the hall. The woman was roughly Kinsley’s height and build.
