by Dawn Ryder
On a personal note though, she didn’t particularly care for the way he knew Dunn Bateson might be a soft spot for her.
And it was definitely only a “maybe.”
“I can’t think of any problem with a case connected to Dunn; we don’t have a personal connection.” She was lying. But that also went along with Shadow Ops teams. They worked the cases with the worst scum on the face of the planet, which translated into doing what had to be done in order to get results.
Lying wasn’t the worst she’d done in order to gather evidence.
Kagan made a soft sound on the other end of the line. “Miranda Delacroix Ryland was shot. She’s looking like she’s going to pull through. I need eyes on Dunn. Close proximity. I want to make certain he doesn’t do anything rash while I run down the leads on who hired the hitman.”
Thais felt the edges of the phone digging into her hand because she’d tightened her grip on it.
“Any problem with the assignment, Sinclair?” Kagan pressed her when she didn’t answer him quickly.
“None.” She killed the call. Kagan wouldn’t necessarily be fooled into thinking she was at ease with her orders, but at least she wouldn’t have to talk about it.
Kagan knew she couldn’t shield herself completely from Dunn. Thais sat still for a moment, making certain she thought the assignment through. Dunn had helped them in the past. He wasn’t a loose cannon. But the truth was, her team didn’t know all that much about the reclusive Scotsman. There was one important thing about working under Kagan’s command. It was vitally important to question everything. Rarely were things straightforward on the cases they worked, and the moment she relaxed too much was just about when things would turn ugly.
So she’d shadow Dunn and keep her eyes open. Kagan might not always clue her in to all the details of his decision-making process, but her section leader never wasted his time, either.
Thais stood and went to shower. Her phone chimed with an incoming file. It would include her assignment and details on how to find Dunn. He was a recluse and had tons of money, but the part Thais focused on was that Miranda was his birth mother, a fact Dunn seemed to hold in high esteem. He had few soft spots, Miranda being the only one Thais really knew about.
Finished with her shower, Thais stepped out and grabbed one of the luxury towels set out for her use. She didn’t care for how eager she was to look over the details of her mission.
When it came to Dunn, she needed to cultivate more control. Failure to do so would be devastating because Dunn was the alpha she’d compared the man by the poolside to. Dunn was ruthless and untamed and he embraced those traits. In short, he was exactly the sort of man she needed to remain poised around.
If she failed, he’d make a feast of her before moving on to his next kill.
* * *
“You really … shouldn’t be here…” Miranda was weak. Her voice was thin and her face as white as the sheet pulled up to her shoulders.
Dunn focused on the way her eyes sparkled though. The glitter gave her away because she only looked at her daughter, her grandchild, and him like that. Her family had forced her to give him up, but the happiness in her eyes told him she’d been sincere when she said she loved him.
“You’re my mother,” he said softly. “Family is more important than anything. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
“But … what if someone realizes…,” she muttered, the pain medication starting to take her back into slumber. “It might hurt your interests.”
“It wasn’t my family who decided you weren’t good enough to be their daughter-in-law.”
Dunn regretted his words instantly. Miranda drew in a harsh breath, stiffening and then winching as pain went through her from her wound.
He felt like shit.
“I didn’t mean that, the way it sounded,” he said, his brogue surfacing as he battled a surge of regret. “I know ye gave me to me father for my good. Ye made the right choice.”
Miranda clasped his hand, her grip tight as she fought the pull of the drugs. “My father would have ruined your grandfather. It was a different world back then. Your family was so deeply involved in exporting goods into the US. My father … he would have … crushed…”
“Don’t fret.” Dunn rubbed his hand over the back of hers. “I do understand. Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
Miranda relaxed, tears escaping from her eyes as she blinked. “I was so young and it wasn’t your fault … all I could give you was the protection of obeying my family…”
“And my life.” Dunn spoke softly but Miranda was floating off, her eyelids closing as she sunk down into sleep. “I know they wanted you to have an abortion. I know you ran away, hiding long enough to keep them from pressuring you into breaking.”
Miranda lifted her eyelids and sent him a look full of determination. “You were conceived in love … the only love of my life … It would have killed your father if I’d failed to safeguard you…”
Miranda drifted off into slumber, a happy grin on her lips. She had strength. A solid core of it that her soft manners hid so very effectively. The thing was, he didn’t get the feeling she meant to dull her edges, and that fact just made him love her all the more.
His mother was a lady. A genuine, genteel woman of class and distinction. Her father hadn’t realized that morality was the most important part of being a lady and that the manners weren’t just for show.
Too many people didn’t realize what a gift it was to be drawing breath.
Dunn did.
Was it due to his father calling his attention to it for as long as he could remember? Dunn didn’t know, and frankly he fucking didn’t care. Let the masses of the world spend their time in angry railing against what they didn’t have as far as worldly possessions went. And let them say he was a rich man’s son who didn’t understand what it was like to struggle.
He’d turn on them and let them know how foolish he thought they were for not valuing being able to hug their mothers or present them with a grade-school holiday present made of macaroni and food coloring.
Nobody had it all, and money didn’t make a man rich.
It was the one solid truth in his life.
He placed Miranda’s hand down on the side of her bed before leaving the room. The security men outside the door watched him, pissing him off because it had taken a call to a friend to get his name on the entrance list of approved visitors.
Sure, he was happy to know his mother’s safety was being seen to, and yet he needed permission to visit.
Special agent Vitus Hale was leaning against the wall. The ex-SEAL gave every appearance of looking relaxed.
Dunn knew it was only camouflage.
Vitus was positioned to see both sides of the hallway and Miranda’s door. Leaning on the wall was a ruse, one employed to make it seem like he was at ease. Dunn knew differently. A man like Vitus never completely let his guard down. He was a warrior, plain and simple, even if there were plenty of people who felt that word was outdated.
“Where are you headed?” Vitus asked, straightening away from the wall.
Dunn offered him a raised eyebrow. “If you have to ask, you’ve misjudged me.”
Vitus fell into step beside him. “We have a team on this case, Dunn.”
Dunn turned his head for a split second, long enough to shoot Vitus a hard look.
“You really need to let us find the shooter,” Vitus continued in spite of the warning.
An elevator opened and Dunn stepped into it, turning around to face Vitus. “I like you, Hale. Don’t screw that up by telling me to leave a family matter in the hands of strangers.”
Vitus had stopped outside the elevator, clearly unwilling to leave his post. Dunn watched him as the elevator doors slid shut.
Dunn did like Vitus. Liked him even more because the man wasn’t in the elevator trying to talk Dunn out of his choices.
No, Vitus was wise enough to understand there would be no changing Dunn’s mind.
> Blood was blood.
And whoever had put a hit out on his mother was going to learn exactly how big a mistake they’d made.
No, he didn’t have a badge. What he did have was connections in the global community. Carl Davis had better hope his hands were clean because Dunn would call on every single one of his resources to bring the man down if Carl had put the hit on Miranda.
Team? Dunn strode out of the elevator, his personal security man, Kent, falling into step beside him. He had his own team, and Kent headed it up.
“Who did you get?”
Kent offered Dunn a small tablet as they cleared the hospital doors and Kent opened a door of a waiting SUV that was illegally stopped in front of the entrance.
The driver was pulling away before the private security guard managed to make it across the expanse of the parking lot to take issue with them. Dunn swept his fingertip across the screen of the tablet, taking note of each man Kent had assembled into a team.
Vitus Hale would approve, Dunn decided as he finished. The Shadow Ops teams had the best resources but not always the best funding. In the private sector, Dunn held the advantage of being able to contract above the going rate.
Another thing to thank his mother for.
The empire his grandfather had built was thriving after three generations of Batesons working toward the goal of making the company a global force. A fact Miranda had traded her happiness for.
“You were conceived in love … the only love of my life…”
The fruit of her sacrifice was in his bank accounts and at his disposal. The team Vitus talked about being on the case only had one true concern.
They’d better stay the hell out of Dunn’s way.
* * *
Carl Davis was pacing.
The carpet in his penthouse suite showed the tracks he was wearing into it. Eric Geyer, his head of security, took in the signs of his boss’s agitation before opening his mouth.
“Pullman says the hospital is a no go. Miranda’s personal security has it locked down, and her son-in-law, Vitus Hale, is on site as well. Which likely means—”
“The fucking Shadow Ops are there, too,” Carl hissed as he stopped and pointed at Eric. “I told you to get a man who could do the job! If Miranda were dead, that bastard Kagan would know not to fuck with me. Now? Every man with a Shadow Ops badge thinks he can get away with messing with my business.”
“Don’t panic, keep your head down, and there is no way for anyone to trace this back to you. Tyler made the mistake of getting too personal with the Shadow Ops teams,” Eric advised his boss. “It was a stroke of luck that Miranda survived. Any man with Kagan’s teams knows it was a windfall. Everyone runs short on luck at some point.”
Carl let out a dry chuckle as he lifted one hand into the air. “Are you saying I should be happy to know Kagan and his teams are now crawling all over this event, looking for evidence that might just lead them back to me?”
“My job is to make sure there is no trail,” Eric said, defending himself. “I’m advising you not to engage them. There is nothing to be gained and a lot to lose if they decide to take a personal interest in you.”
Carl grunted and moved over to the bar. He wrapped his fingers around a whiskey glass but didn’t lift it to his lips. Instead he turned and looked at Eric. “Better hope not. I go down, you go down.”
“The only place you’re going to is the White House,” Eric replied with complete confidence. “You wanted Kagan to feel vulnerable and he does. Miranda might have survived, but it was a stroke of luck. And the people in Washington now know you’ll do what needs doing, and they might not be so lucky if they cross you. All in all, you’ve accomplished a great deal even if she did survive.”
Carl nodded, taking a sip from his whiskey as he mulled over what Eric had said. “Fair enough. Senator McFarlan was minding his tone a whole hell of a lot better yesterday.”
“You’re leading and we’re in the home stretch,” Eric said. “Just keep your smile in place and leave the enforcement to me.”
“At least until after the election,” Carl replied. “It’s going to be a pleasure to shut down the Shadow Ops teams the moment I have the power to do so. I’m going to toss Kagan and his agents out and enjoy knowing the wolves are eating them and everyone they love.”
Eric didn’t blink an eye over the cold-bloodedness coming out of his boss’s mouth. Life was a competition sport and politics had always been a bloody one. Eric knew what he’d signed up for and now was no time to grow a conscience. He’d chosen his side, so now he was all in because Kagan and his Shadow Ops agents wouldn’t think twice about cutting him down.
Miranda Delacroix was no innocent, either. Or at least she was trying to get into the power game, so she needed to learn the rules of the game. She’d turned evidence in on Carl to Kagan and it had been Eric’s job to make sure she understood the price for that action.
Eric made his way into a room he knew was secure so he could pull a burner phone from his pocket. He punched in the redial and waited.
Pullman picked it up, but true to the hitman’s nature, Pullman didn’t say anything.
“When possible, we want you to complete the assignment,” Eric said. “Your fee will be paid.”
“It will be tricky,” Pullman responded. “And it’s gonna take time to set it up. I expect double pay for the risk.”
“Understood.”
Eric killed the call. A burner phone might be a better option for keeping conversations private, but cell towers could be hacked. Keeping things short was the key. Not that there was anything much else to talk about. Pullman would do his job and Eric would enjoy delivering the news to Carl when the task his boss had given him was completed.
* * *
It was an assignment.
Thais Sinclair refused to allow herself to ponder the subject of her case. No, Dunn Bateson was just another package she was keeping tabs on. The hotel was everything she expected a man with the sort of money Dunn was rumored to have would stay at. Polished marble floors and an ultra-high ceiling that seemed to suck up the noise from conversations, giving the illusion of privacy.
The elevator bank had a desk man making sure no one went past him unless they had a key. Thais flashed hers, moving past the guy without a single acknowledgment for the grin he sent her.
She had a job to do.
No, you just prefer Dunn …
She wouldn’t allow herself to think about him beyond the terms of her job.
“I pride myself on not losing my temper very often.”
Thais stiffened. Just a small response to the way Dunn Bateson appeared from behind a pillar. She turned and hated the way a tingle went down her nape.
Dunn had black hair and a pair of green eyes that tended to draw her attention. Beneath his Royal Mile suit, he was toned and fit in a way the civilian male so often wasn’t. Thais saw that type of muscle among the ranks of the agents she worked among and often in the criminal element she was investigating.
“Today though,” Dunn continued as he moved closer, “I might just make an exception and forget to control myself.”
She liked the sound of that far too much.
Dunn wore his hair longer than most businessmen, and there was a definite way he moved that made it plain he was less than civilized. In short, he was ruthless and hands-on. Two traits she had a very hard time resisting.
He stopped just a pace from her, looking down into her eyes. The urge to retreat was strong, and she quelled it through sheer determination. He let out a soft grunt.
“Not even going to try and tell me some story about you being here for a reason other than me?” he demanded softly.
She shifted, a riot of responses running though her system. “I didn’t judge you to be the sort of man who enjoyed having his ass kissed.”
She gained a sort of male half-amused response from him.
“In your case, I might make an exception,” he said.
An elevator chi
med behind them, and the gleaming doors slid open. Dunn reached down and closed his fingers around her wrist.
The touch caught her off guard, sending far too much awareness through her. Thais lifted her arm and dropped it on the other side of his wrist to break the hold. He turned and contemplated her. Another tingle went down her spine because the gleam in his eyes told her he was considering reaching for her again.
And looking forward to what sort of fight she’d give him.
She should have taken up the offer from the guy at the pool. Sexual tension was distracting her.
“Since you’re following me, Thais, I thought we’d just cut to the business,” Dunn suggested.
There was a strong edge of distaste in his voice. Thais felt her eyes narrowing. Dunn caught her wrist again while she was deciding what to say. He tugged her toward the open doors of the elevator and she followed because he was her target.
At least that was as far as she managed to get along the lines of logical thinking.
Dunn pushed his room keycard into the elevator slot for the penthouse floor and the doors slid shut immediately.
Time tended to slow down in moments when she was focused. Frustration nipped at her as she felt her senses sharpening. Thais didn’t need to be more aware of Dunn. Arousal was a finicky bitch, one she didn’t need any interaction with when she was working an assignment.
Not that her body was interested in logical reasoning.
What she was interested in, well, it wouldn’t be happening with Dunn. She’d made that choice just after her first encounter with the reclusive Scot. He might be something she had interest in, but the very same qualities she was drawn to made her realize she could never allow him to be too close or she’d risk losing herself to his persona.
Self-preservation … something Thais took very seriously.
The doors chimed again as they reached the floor. Dunn strode out into the hallway without a glance back at her. At last it was her turn to enjoy knowing he was making assumptions about her. He slid his key into a door and pushed it in while she inserted her own key into the door of the suite next to his. She slipped inside, just taking enough time to watch the surprise flicker in his eyes.
