“Mr. President?”
Her question pulled Gareth from all sorts of scenarios.
“You’re going the wrong way.”
Kira’s inhalation sounded remarkably like a hiss. Her nostrils flared for a second before she seemed to shrug it off.
“Come again?”
As much as he’d like to do just that with Kira, Gareth blocked his mind from tangled sheets and her warm body beneath his.
“Agent Jackson, the tunnel isn’t that way.”
This time he was sure the sound coming from her lips was a hiss. Reminded him of a cornered cat.
“Okay, point me in the right direction, and then get behind me.”
Gareth chuckled under his breath. If she was expecting an argument, the sexy aspiring agent was out of luck. He’d love to get another glimpse of her delectable backside.
* * * *
Kira waited as Gareth moved aside the cabinet, blocking what she hoped was the tunnel entrance. It had taken them five minutes to get to their goal. If she’d kept her mind on the job, she would have asked where the tunnel was instead of taking off like a lady Rambo. Or better yet, used her vampire senses to sniff it out. Two of those minutes were spent with the president speaking to staff and telling them to vacate the premises. If she’d been a nail biter, her closely clipped nails would be nubs.
Finally!
Gareth’s white shirt showed the determination of his labors. Dirt from the back of the wooden monstrosity he’d shouldered aside also streaked his tanned face.
Kira’s offer of help, of course, had been politely declined. If she wasn’t banned by following Malachi’s orders to not exhibit any of her creature traits, she would have moved the darn thing herself—with a flick of her finger.
She’d give the man his due. Over a decade out of the military, and he wasn’t even breathing hard. Not an easy feat for most men, let alone a president who normally spent his days in meetings.
“I thought you were in a hurry?”
Gareth’s sexy baritone played over Kira’s ears, turning her blood into a mixture of putty and mush. While she’d been lusting over him, he’d keyed in a code on the ID panel situated in the center of a metal door. One tug and he had it open.
She brushed past Gareth, snagging his arm as she stepped over the threshold into the tunnel. The corridor was a gloomy pit of darkness. Kira scanned the passageway, her vision going red while the president closed the door behind them, but found nothing to alarm her. She quickly dimmed her vampire vision and was prepared to proceed when lights on either side of the tunnel beamed on.
A glance sideways revealed a wide-toothed grin from Hayes.
“You were expecting cobwebs and ghosts?”
Kira wanted to smack him. Instead, she gave him a smile of her own—minus the fangs. “Actually, vampires are more to my taste.”
Gareth’s deep chuckle caused her knees to dissolve for just a second. She had to get a grip. This was not the time to fantasize about playing sheet roulette, especially with the president of the United States. Concentrate, girlfriend. The man’s life was being threatened. Malachi would skin her alive and threaten her within an inch of her life if she didn’t get her head on straight and get Gareth to safety.
“Well, I can’t say I agree with you about vampires, but I can show you how to get off the grounds.”
“Right, sir, but I’d prefer if you just stayed behind me.”
Another deep chuckle and for the life of her, she couldn’t understand what was so amusing.
“Okay, Agent Jackson, you take point, and I’ll be right behind you.”
“Fine, let’s move out, shall we?”
* * * *
The tunnel extended forward in a maze of turns. By Kira’s watch, they had been walking for at least ten minutes. After the first two, the president had moved up by her side. So much for Gareth staying back and letting the little woman protect him.
“Any idea how much longer?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. President, but I’ve no idea.” Kira glanced at him briefly before turning back toward the continuing void, “I take it you haven’t been in the tunnel before?”
“I was in the tunnel once, for about a minute. It was my first tour of the White House. Malachi showed me how to key in the code, and we stepped inside, but that was it.”
Gareth’s tone, which had waxed from cold, obstinate, teasing, and serious from the moment she met him, sounded a bit sorrowful. “It was right after I took office. Things were still a bit strange for me.”
Of course they would have been—he’d just lost his wife a month prior. It must have been hell for him to go through steps that normally would have included a First Lady.
Kira slowed her pace, reached out, and touched Hayes’s shirtsleeve. Bad mistake—she could feel the blood flowing under her hand. Jerking back, she finally got her tongue past her fangs to speak. “That time had to be terrible for you.”
Gareth’s smile was slight, but he seemed to have accepted her unmentioned condolences for his loss.
“Thank you, Agent Jackson. I’d like to—”
Kira’s cell went off. It had to be Malachi, hopefully with an update.
“Yes, sir.”
“Kira, where are you?”
“In the tunnel.”
“Good, stay there.” Malachi’s tone sounded less tense. “The White House has been secured, and we’re checking the grounds now. When all is clear, I’ll send Caleb to get you.”
She turned her body just a hair before replying to her boss, “I can handle this myself, Malachi.”
“I know you can, but Caleb will be stepping in as an agent if Gareth proves stubborn about you being a woman.” His words were a bit hesitant over the last part of his sentence.
“You know, it might have been helpful if you had clued him in beforehand. And why, Caleb? He’s not even a VGP.” Kira whispered that last part.
“Ahem, well, if he is put on nights, it won’t matter.” Malachi cleared his throat. “And as to the other, not your business. Just see that you keep Gareth safe.”
Kira would have laughed if circumstances were different. Malachi always changed the subject when he didn’t know what to say. He’d been that way ever since she’d known him, which was all of her life. His physical description notated a man at the beginning of his forties, like Hayes, but Malachi had seen several more decades of life.
The serum he’d injected as a youth, after his parents, Kira’s great-aunt and uncle, had perished in a fire, slowed down the aging process. By the time he’d entered high school, the head of the VGP was in his forties. Only after her grandfather had fine-tuned the serum had her boss enrolled at Hayes’s high school. A few quick strokes of a computer, and he had transcripts and an ID listing the age he looked.
She admired Malachi’s determination to get his diploma and then his years at college. A vampire his age could have winged it, but even years ago, he knew the semblance of normalcy would aid him in becoming a protector.
“Kira?”
“Yeah, I’m here. I’ll do as you asked.”
“Good girl. See you in a bit.”
Malachi clicked off, and Kira turned back to the president.
“Sorry about that, Mr. President.”
“I take it that was Malachi?” Hayes’s sorrowful gaze had disappeared. In its place, Kira saw a glimpse of hardness.
“Yes, sir.”
“Are my people safe?”
“The White House is secure, and Malachi didn’t mention any injuries.”
Gareth’s exhalation stirred Kira’s bangs.
Respect traced a path through her brain. Again, the man had proven to be more than the leader of a country. He was endowed with one of the traits she most admired—concern for others.
“Good. So, do we start back now?”
“No, sir, we are to stay put. Malachi will send another agent when it’s safe to return. It shouldn’t be much longer.”
Chapter Four
Kira
and Gareth made themselves semi-comfortable on some crates set against the tunnel walls. A few packages peeked out between the slats. MREs, or meals ready to eat, for military personnel were in abundance. Someone had made sure if the president ever had to make the tunnel a safe place during an attack, he would not starve to death.
Kira searched for any topic that might lighten the silence that occurred after telling Gareth they were to stay in the tunnel. She glanced sideways.
The icy expression still filled the president’s green eyes. His facial expression had also tightened. His nostrils flared just a bit, and his lips were once again pulled into a grimace.
Yep, he was ticked off royally. Forget lighten—she might as well just meet his attitude head-on.
“Mr. President, I know this is not easy for you. I understand that, but with the death threats coming more often, it is imperative you remain safe. That is why—”
“Agent Jackson, do not patronize me. You cannot possibly know what I think. If you did, you would realize I want nothing less than to find the son of a…making these threats and beat the hell out of him.”
Gareth lunged to his feet and began pacing. “Do you know how many threats I have received since I began my candidacy for president? Thousands, that’s how many.” He shoved a hand through his hair.
Kira couldn’t help but wonder if the disheveled locks mirrored the image of a man just waking in the morning, or after making love. She shook her head, trying to dislodge an image of a nude Gareth Hayes.
Still agitated, he stopped in front of Kira. “Can you not understand? It’s not me I’m worried about.” His previous gruff tone had softened.
“It’s the men and women who work here and the ones who put their lives on the line every day for me and for this nation. If this deranged terrorist, or whatever he is, succeeds in his goal, this country will be subject to a panic not seen since 9/11.”
Kira nodded her head. She agreed completely. Her heart swam further out in dangerous waters as she thought about someone actually killing Gareth. He wasn’t just the figurehead for the United States, but also a man. A man who had known heartache and who had conquered adversity. He was also a man Kira would like to know better, if given the chance.
“Yes, sir, I do understand. That is why I will do my utmost to ensure your safety.”
“Then let’s get the hell out of this tunnel and find out who is trying to kill me.”
Kira hated to squash the expectant look in the president’s eyes, but Malachi would kill her if she allowed Gareth Hayes out of the tunnel before an all clear was given.
“Sir, as much as I would love to do just that, Malachi would kill me if I disobeyed a direct order.”
“Malachi can bite my ass.”
Before Kira could close her opened mouth, Gareth let out a chuckle.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret, Agent Jackson. Malachi doesn’t scare me as much as he thinks he does.” The president leaned in a bit closer. “No, your boss isn’t as frightening as he acts. If he gives you any guff about disobeying, I’ll pull those fangs he calls teeth.”
Kira let out a slow exhalation. Surely, the president was joking. There was no way he could know Malachi was a vampire. Could he? Before she could string together a question that wouldn’t give away any unknown secrets, her ears picked up the sound of footsteps entering the tunnel. The slight thuds were fast and getting closer all the time. She closed her eyes, inhaled, and let out a grunt.
“Mr. President, we are about to have company. As much as you might not want to, please have a seat on the crates and stay still until I see who it is, sir.”
She didn’t wait to see if he did as she asked, but started forward. No way could she tell Gareth she knew who approached. With her fangs strapped, so to speak, she had to behave like a normal mortal.
“Kira?”
The voice came from around one of the bends of the tunnel. Caleb Dalton, a vampire Kira could most certainly do without. A dislike for the fanged creature had begun years before, when he’d wined and dined her in an effort to become the son-in-law of one of the most powerful vampire and protector legends of all time. He’d also wanted to be chosen to inject the serum. Not all vampires were offered that chance. Her dad and grandpa had been most specific about who could partake of Grandpa’s discovery.
Kira had kicked Caleb’s double goals to the curb. The handsome but slimy wannabe-bridegroom had not taken her rejection gracefully. And for that reason, she couldn’t understand why Malachi would send him as backup.
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“And glad I am, sweetness.”
Caleb’s form followed his words. The slightly-above-her-own-height agent slid to a stop in front of Kira’s intentional spine-straight get-out-of-my-face stance.
“Cut the crap, Caleb. We have a job to do.”
“Always one for duty, weren’t you, Kira? You haven’t changed one bit since college.”
Kira flashed a full smile of fangs. “You got that right. Now, if you’re finished with the amenities, I suggest you follow me back to the president.”
“That won’t be necessary, Agent Jackson. I’m right here.”
* * * *
Gareth hadn't been privy to all of the agents’ conversation, but he’d heard enough to know Kira didn’t care for the other man. Although he still wasn’t sure about her being capable of presidential duty, her instincts seemed fine. If she disliked this Caleb agent, he’d bet there was a good reason for it.
“Mr. President, you were supposed to stay behind until I made certain it was safe.”
“I’m aware of that, but I am not used to sitting on my ass while others work. Shall we go?”
Gareth could have told Kira he’d been concerned about her safety, but in the time he’d spent with her, he knew that would have gone over like a shark in the Potomac.
Another thing he knew for certain, Kira Jackson had dented the indifference he wore like a tie around his neck when it came to women. Fascinating, sexy, and a miniature weapon of lust, the agent just might be what he needed to get through the next three years of office.
* * * *
Once again, Gareth sat behind the desk in the Oval Office. Malachi King stood across from him, and Kira was seated in the same chair he’d first seen her in.
“All right, Malachi, out with it.”
For the first time in a long time, the head of the Secret Service looked disgruntled. “I don’t know what you mean, Mr. President.”
“Drop the formality. I’m not buying it.”
“All right, you want the truth?” Malachi’s tone took on a rumbling sound. “I purposely didn’t tell you Kira was a woman.”
“And why was that?”
“Why? Because I knew you would explode. Gareth, you are one of the most hard-headed mortals I’ve ever met.”
“Mortals? Don’t you mean humans, old friend?”
Kira watched in amazement as Gareth put Malachi on the spot.
“Of course I meant humans, Gareth. What else could I mean?”
“Probably nothing at all”—the president leaned back in his cream-colored desk chair—“unless you want to tell me why you omitted pertinent details of your life.”
Malachi’s mouth opened and closed, as did his eyes, a couple of times. Kira leaned forward, holding her breath for what would happen next.
“What details? We have been friends since high school. You know all you need to know about me, Gareth.”
Gareth’s form jutted forward, his fist slammed on the desk, and his words exploded like gunfire as he spoke. “What about the fact that my oldest friend, not to mention the head of this nation’s Secret Service, is a fang-toting vampire?”
Her breath escaped at the same time Malachi stumbled back to sit in the chair next to Kira’s.
“Maybe I should wait out in the hall.” She injected.
“Why? I’m sure you already knew about Malachi’s unique nature. Didn’t you, Agent Jackson?”
Kira g
lanced at Malachi. His slight nod forced words from her mouth. “Yes, I did, sir.”
“Well then, since we all know what is going on, let’s chat for a bit, shall we?” Gareth's question was couched more like a command. His expression was not the least bit reassuring.
“How and when did you find out?”
“Let’s just say I caught you sucking neck when we double-dated one night. The glimpse of fangs was enough to convince me, even if the red eyes hadn’t put the exclamation point on what you were. Didn’t really matter to me, you were my friend. However, at the moment, I’m just a bit pissed, so if you don’t mind, I will address the breach of confidence you issued when you omitted that portion of your life in just a bit, Malachi. For now, I want to know what you know about who is sending these threats.”
Malachi cleared his throat. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather get the inquisition over with first?”
“No, I’d rather see you sweat, if you can, old friend.”
“We’ll do it your way, Mr. President.” Malachi’s words seemed to be pulled from between clenched teeth. “There’s nothing more to report than what I told you earlier. The first threats were called in from different phone booths. By the time our agents got to the addresses, the suspect was long gone, of course.”
Malachi’s jaw twitched with the aggravation she knew he had to feel at not being able to find the man responsible.
“Today’s threat initiated right here in the White House. We found a disposable cell phone in one of the living quarters’ closets. No prints on it.” His body slumped forward. “That’s it. I have no other information, Gareth. Lord, I wish I did.”
“Thank you. I know you hate to give me all the details, but my friend—and yes, you still are—remember I am a former Ranger. I have been in undercover ops, and I’m not a pansy ass. If you would get the stick out of your butt and get rid of the pigheaded idea you have to keep me in the dark to protect me, then I might be able to help catch the guy.”
The reverberating refusal Kira expected to hear from Malachi didn’t happen. Surely he wasn’t going to let Gareth take part in the investigation?
Smith, Faith V. - Presidential Heat [Vampire Government Protectors] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 2
