The van door opened and Darrogh and Savis jumped in before slamming the rear door closed. Darrogh sat beside her while Savis went to a computer that was mounted on a shelf behind the driver’s seat. Neither man looked at her or spoke. As if on silent command, both Kerm and Breanon seemed to tense and tighten their hold on their weapons.
The vehicle jerked forward.
“Is everything all right?”
“There was a bullet in the tire.” Darrogh’s voice was matter of fact. “It was meant as a warning.”
Tamsin’s heart started to beat at a furious rate. “How can you be certain?”
“We would be dead otherwise. They need you alive until your father submits to their demands.” Darrogh’s tone was dry. “We have to get you to safety.”
“If I start running, I’ll never stop.” Tamsin pushed away her fear. “You can’t submit to people like this.”
“Protecting yourself so that you can fight another day is not giving in. Retreat is an honorable and often successful strategy.” Darrogh’s voice remained calm. “These people will not stop until they have carried out their threat. They have no concern for human life and they consider you disposable.”
“We should go to the police and tell them.” Tamsin clasped her hands together to prevent them from shaking. She had never seen Darrogh so serious before and it scared her. “If they’re as bad as you say, then they shouldn’t be walking around free.”
Darrogh’s jaw clenched. “They do not answer to anyone.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Tamsin muttered. “Everyone has to be accountable or there would be chaos.”
“Exactly.” Darrogh gave her an intense stare.
His eyes were cold with determination and knowledge.
A shiver of fear raced up her spine.
What wasn’t he telling her? She needed answers. First, her father tells her that some organization is demanding he hand over his bank or she’ll be killed. Then Darrogh is insisting that there is no way to combat these people.
“I didn’t say that.” Darrogh leaned close to her. “We can fight, but not in London.”
Tamsin’s eyes narrowed. “You read my thoughts again.”
Darrogh nodded. “We will talk about this once you are safe.”
Tamsin crossed her arms and leaned back against the side panel of the van. “I intend to know about everything that is happening.”
“As you wish.”
There was silence until they reached her house. The van pulled up to the curb and everyone except Firbin, jumped out and surrounded her. If she hadn’t just been shot at, she would have thought it was ridiculous. When she had the answers to her questions, then she would decide what needed to be done.
Darrogh used her key to unlock her door and then waited with her outside until the rest of the team had cleared the apartment. Only then, was she allowed to enter her home.
“Are there any listening devices?”
“None.” Savis stated in a matter of fact tone. “Ardal has been informed of the current situation. He will be in contact with further instructions.”
Darrogh nodded and then turned to her. “You may relax now.”
“I’m going to lock myself in my bedroom and take a nap.” Tamsin turned to Darrogh and poked her finger into his chest. “After that, you and I are going to have a serious discussion.”
A fission of heat raced up her arm.
The breath caught in her throat.
She’d never experienced attraction like this before. It was raw and primal. She fought the urge to fling herself into his arms and beg him to hold her forever. As soon as the thought had crossed her mind, she was appalled with herself. He was her bodyguard. She might trust him with her life, but never with her heart.
She swallowed and backed away.
Darrogh’s gaze never left her face. She could have sworn she’d felt his thoughts brush across her mind. A calm acceptance of what had just passed between them. It was impossible. It had to be her imagination brought on by her throbbing headache, and the aftereffects of the drug that Saxby had given her. There was no other explanation.
“You should rest.” Darrogh’s voice was hoarse.
Tamsin nodded and turned to go to her room when the phone rang.
She sighed and picked up the receiver. “Hello.”
“Tamsin, we need to talk.”
It was Winchester Nethercott.
Darrogh looked at her and she shook her head. After everything that had happened in the last day, she couldn’t face her ex-fiancé right now. The truth was that there would never be a good time to face him.
“We have nothing to discuss.” Tamsin went to hang the phone up when Winchester’s voice stopped her.
“Your father told me everything that is happening. I can help.”
Tamsin hesitated.
She didn’t trust Winchester, but she couldn’t afford to refuse help right now. Men were threatening her father’s bank and her life. If Winchester had a way to deal with this threat, then she needed to listen to him.
“How?”
“I can’t discuss it over the phone. Meet me at the Café Organic on Kensington High Street. I’ll tell you then.”
Tamsin was familiar with the café. It was a risk leaving the house, yet could she pass up the chance that Winchester might be able to help? She couldn’t bear to see her father upset anymore over her safety. If she could stop this crazy takeover and threats, then she had to try.
She glanced down at her watch. “I’ll meet you there in one hour.”
“Great. You won’t regret it.” Winchester hung up.
“Where are you going?”
“My ex-fiancé says that he has a way to help me.” Tamsin put the receiver down. “He wants to meet me.”
Darrogh shook his head. “We need to guard you and the best place to do that is here.”
“I have to see him.” Tamsin’s voice rose. “I need to hear what he has to say. He and my father might have hatched this plan about threatening letters and corporate takeovers between them. All of it might be nonsense.”
“The bullet was real.” Darrogh’s voice was solemn.
“It might not have been for me.” Tamsin shook off her feeling of dread. “If Winchester can help, then I want to meet with him.”
Darrogh frowned. It was several seconds before he answered. “We will go with you.”
“You can stay outside the café while I talk to Winchester.”
“No.” Darrogh crossed his arms. “Your protection is my responsibility. Either I sit with you or you will stay here.”
Tamsin thought about arguing, but it would be senseless. Darrogh wasn’t going to relent. She bit her lower lip and considered her options. She could lose them along the way. She glanced up to see Darrogh staring at her with an intense expression on his face. A shiver went down her spine. She didn’t know how he did it, but he knew what she was thinking.
Heat flooded her cheeks as shame and chagrin filled her. She’d almost died last night because she’d tried to escape their protection. She was lucky that they’d found her before she’d been injured. She refused to believe that there were threats on her life. She couldn’t ignore it though.
“You can come.”
“A wise decision.”
“You would have followed me anyway.” Tamsin rolled her eyes. “I’m not a fool. I know I took a crazy risk last night. Is it so wrong to want privacy and independence?”
“You will have that once we have taken care of the Albirsion Corporation.”
Tamsin sighed. “Corporations like Albirsion run the world. There is very little that can be done about them.”
“You would give up?”
“I think we should be realistic about what we can accomplish. Some things are bigger than us.”
“A Hunter does not stop until he has succeeded.” Darrogh turned to go into the lounge. “I will advise the team of your excursion.”
Thirty minutes later, Tamsin found herself sitti
ng in the rear of the van. Her car had been repaired and was following them. They stopped in front of the Café Organic. Breanon and Kerm left the vehicle first. Darrogh waited with her for several minutes before helping her out.
“Was that necessary?” Tamsin didn’t hide her irritation. The cloak and dagger stuff was making her tense.
“The men are in position and can provide protection in case something goes wrong.”
“Winchester might be a poor excuse for a human being, but he isn’t stupid.” Tamsin’s tone was dry. “If he’s been talking with my father, he knows that I have protection.”
“Most humans underestimate a Hunter’s abilities.”
Darrogh’s expression was impassive and Tamsin shook her head. He kept referring to Earth and humans as if he were separate from it. She wanted to ask him to explain, but this wasn’t the time. She spotted Winchester across the small café. Blonde with grey eyes, he used his good looks and charm to get what he wanted and it looked as if he intended to do the same today. He was waiting beside a table, a chair pulled out and a wide grin on his handsome face.
Winchester Nethercott stood there as if he expected her to welcome him with open arms. He had betrayed her a week before their wedding in the worse possible way. She’d sworn never to speak to him again, and yet here she was meeting him at a café to discuss options. She was the one who should have her head examined.
He winked at her. “You took your time.”
He bent to hug her. Darrogh put his hand out and stopped him.
Winchester frowned. “Who the hell are you?”
Darrogh pushed Winchester back a couple of steps. “You can speak with Tamsin from a distance and you may not touch her. If you cannot follow the rules, we leave.”
“Is this the new boyfriend?”
“No.” Tamsin and Darrogh answered at the same time.
“Obviously a sore point.” Winchester shrugged and plopped down on the metal chair. “I need to speak to you in private.”
“I stay.”
Darrogh pulled out a chair for her and waited until she was seated before sitting himself. He crossed his arms and leaned back from the table. He was a forbidding sight and his message was clear. He was not going to let Winchester get away with anything. Tamsin felt the tension leave her body. With Darrogh and the rest of his team close, she had nothing to fear. Winchester was a liar and a cheat, but he had never physically threatened her before. It was comforting to know that she was protected if he tried anything.
“Tell me what you have to say.” Tamsin bit the words out. “I don’t want to be here longer than necessary.”
“Still sore about Liz?” Winchester shrugged. “It was just a hook up. It didn’t mean anything. Besides, you and I weren’t legally wed yet.”
“What is a hook up?” Darrogh asked.
Tamsin’s cheeks heated. “I found them in bed together.”
Darrogh’s expression hardened. “He has no honor.”
“Nobody asked your opinion.” Winchester shifted his position on the chair, the metal squeaking with each move. “I’d prefer you to leave so I can talk to Tamsin.”
“I will not leave her alone with a dishonest man.”
Darrogh leaned closer. His presence was menacing and Tamsin had to stop herself from laughing at the expression on Winchester’s face. For the first time in his life, someone was standing up to him. His charm and looks were not going to help him.
Winchester hesitated a second and then looked at her. “Your father has told me about the threats he’s been receiving. I think we should go ahead with the marriage.”
“I know you don’t care about my safety, so what is this really about?”
“It’s a good business move.” Winchester lowered his voice. “I miss you.”
“You think that if you marry me and I die, you’ll get everything.” Tamsin’s voice hardened. “Do you take me for a fool?”
“I know you’re still angry, but I’m trying to help.” Winchester sounded sincere. “Your father thinks that if we merge the banks we’ll be strong enough to prevent a takeover.”
“There’s no guarantee that will stop the bank from being seized.”
“I could protect you.” Winchester’s voice took on a coaxing tone. “Together we can fight these people.”
“You are not equipped to fight them.” Darrogh’s voice interrupted. “You cannot help.”
“That’s not true.” Winchester paused for a second. “They’ve contacted me. They’ve assured me that if we marry, they will leave you alone.”
Tamsin blinked. “Why would they care if we were married or not?”
Winchester shrugged. “They like the idea of the banks being one. It fits in with their plans I suppose.”
“What plans?” Tamsin asked.
“They have a vision of a global community where every person on the planet would have a decent life.” Winchester’s voice was full of enthusiasm. “I know how interested you are in solutions for the Third World’s economic freedom. Now’s your chance to get on board with a group that can make that happen.”
“Why the sudden interest in those less fortunate?” Tamsin’s defenses were triggered. “You always thought my plan for creating banks in the poorer countries was crazy.”
“I’ve changed. “Winchester cleared his throat. “Since losing you, I’ve realized what’s important in life.”
“You lie.” Darrogh’s harsh tone broke the spell that Winchester was weaving. For a second Tamsin had almost believed him. “What is the real reason?”
Winchester started to speak, but stopped when the waitress came to their table. They all ordered coffee and once the woman left, Tamsin turned back to Winchester.
“You were about to tell us the truth.”
“Ouch.” Winchester grinned. “You haven’t loss your sharp tongue.”
“I’m waiting.”
Winchester lowered his voice. “This is our opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something big. We’ll be rich if we tie our future to these people.”
“You will be dead if you do.”
Chapter 9
Darrogh’s words were met by silence.
Winchester shook his head. “What do you know about these people? You look like you’ve never left a gym long enough to see the sunshine.”
“I know from experience.”
The waitress came with their coffees.
Darrogh was glad that Tamsin had not dismissed his words as quickly as her ex-fiancé. The man was a fool. She was lucky to have escaped marrying him. It had taken all of his training to stop from throttling Winchester when he had admitted to betraying her in such a casual way.
If a Hunter bonded, it was with only one mate. Even death could not break the bond. Darrogh had scoffed at the idea of such a pair bond even though he had seen some of his unit find mates on this planet. He had refused to believe.
Meeting Tamsin had changed that.
He was connected to her.
He was seldom in the presence of women and now he was with Tamsin all the time. That was the only reasonable explanation for how he felt. To accept that Hunters could pair bond was not an option. Having a mate was forbidden for a Hunter and he still lived by the code that had kept him alive on Cygnus. The best thing he could do was find out who was targeting Tamsin, kill them, and then leave.
“What experience?” Tamsin asked as soon as the waitress left.
“This organization is run by the Albireons. They are a race that will harvest everything they need from a planet and then destroy it.”
Winchester’s mouth dropped open. “Where did you get this guy?”
“My father hired him.”
Winchester shook his head. “These people are businessmen. They only care about a profit.”
“That is true.”
Darrogh could not deny that the Albireons sought revenue. Their business was harvesting the resources and genes from planets so that they could create recombinant species that they c
ould sell as slaves. That was where the real income was in the universal genetic market.
“They wish to use your genes.” Darrogh chose his words carefully. Most humans were unaware that there were non-terrestrial species on Earth.
“They’re interested in genetics?” Tamsin’s voice was doubtful.
“They collect different species’ genomes.”
“And that includes humans.”
Darrogh nodded. “Once they have all that they need, they will take over everything and destroy you.”
“Wow.” Winchester chuckled. “You should write fiction.”
“Why would you think this?” There was a slight tremor in Tamsin’s voice. “Everything points to this being a simple corporate takeover bid.”
“That does not explain the threat on your life.” Darrogh could see the wariness in Tamsin’s eyes and decided to go for the logical approach. “Do corporations threaten to kill if they do not get the businesses they want?”
“Not legitimate ones.” Tamsin frowned. “That makes Albirsion Corporation illegal and corrupt, not killers seeking world domination.”
“I don’t care if they want to control the whole world.” Winchester announced. “This is our chance to get in on the ground floor. These guys are offering us the opportunity to control the world’s banking operations.”
Tamsin looked down at her coffee. “That sounds as if you’ve been in negotiations with them.”
“There’s nothing wrong in listening.” Winchester shrugged. “Once we’re married and our banks are merged, then the world is open to anything we want.”
Darrogh held his breath as he waited for Tamsin’s answer. He shouldn’t care if she chose to marry this man, but he did.
“I don’t want to marry you.” Tamsin looked up. “I don’t care about controlling the world’s banks or working with this corporation.”
“They will take your father’s bank whether he agrees or not.” Winchester tapped his forefinger on the table. “This way you’ll have a say over what they do with the assets.”
“You sound very certain of this.” Darrogh was not fooled by the smooth talk of this man. He was hiding something and he wanted to know what. “When did you speak with these people?”
aHunter4Trust Page 7
