True Deceptions (True Lies)

by Veronica Forand

  She nodded. “Promise me you’ll retire as soon as we get home. Junior and I need you.”

  He kissed her perfect lips and tried to imagine life without death threats and backstabbing traitors. “Soon, angel. I have a few loose ends to tie up.”

  Two weeks later, Simon had nothing finished. At least his wounds had improved. He could stand on his leg, although the cast was still there, and he needed crutches. His chest wound, however, was healing more slowly. The constant effort to inhale made him crazy. And to make matters worse, the doctor forbade him from flying until his lungs gained strength. He was stuck in Korea in the hospital for a few more weeks. No privacy, no decent food, and Cassie’s unwillingness to get naked for him increased his determination to get the hell out of there.

  She sat on the corner of his bed and faced him. “The minute they give you the okay, we’re on a plane back to England. I promise.”

  “I’d rather be in a North Korean prison than in this little room.”

  “You’d piss off the guards and be dead in a week.” Dane sauntered into the room, placing a dish of kimchi and large slices of tuna on a side table. His yawn escaped, despite his attempt to cover it with a devil-may-care smile. He’d flown back and forth from Seoul to San Francisco twice since Simon had been hospitalized. Simon suspected he visited partly to keep tabs on his competition, and partly because Dane felt the same bond of brotherhood with Simon as he did with him.

  “Mind if I have some dinner with you?” He hugged Cassie and slapped Simon on his good shoulder.

  “Only if you have what I’m looking for,” Simon replied.

  “I’ve found out some very useful information. My British sources have confirmed that Tucker directed the team to take Cassie and leave her in North Korea.”

  “I want him dead,” Simon said with an eerie calm while helping himself to Dane’s tuna.

  “The only question is quick and effective, or long and drawn out for maximum pain.” Dane seemed to consider both options.

  Simon preferred long and painful.

  Cassie frowned. She still held tight to her pacifist beliefs, despite her ability to take down armies single handedly. “Maybe he could suffer from an almost fatal accident, then live out his life in disgrace. Or we could talk to the authorities? They’ll arrest him. We have three witnesses.”

  Dane and Simon glanced at each other, disappointed in her statement.

  “He is the authorities, angel. You and I are poor witnesses, considering we don’t exist, and Dane couldn’t testify against someone in a rival agency.”

  “And that leads to my other news.” Dane grinned. “Do you know some internal affairs guy named Keller Petch?”

  “Keller Petch? Never heard of him.” Simon glanced over at Cassie who shrugged.

  “Funny how my sources are better than yours.”

  “Get to the point, O’Brien.”

  “He was the MI6 go-to guy for eliminating rogue agents. A few hotshots had found his name and tried to hire his services. Tucker, the only bureaucrat caught in the sting, had sent two or three analysts to their deaths, because they’d come close to fingering him in a number of rackets. Regrettably for Tucker, Petch simply moved the people to safe houses while gathering evidence to convict him.”

  Cassie stood up. “So they have him?”

  “No. He disappeared. There are a lot of people searching for him right now, so Simon and I may never get to murder him as planned.” Dane looked as disappointed as Simon felt.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Time passed as though in a vacuum. One month after being rescued from North Korea, Cassie transferred Simon to a large suite at a hotel close to the hospital. The move away from the hourly monitoring lessened Simon’s constant anger and agitation. He spoke on the phone with Dane every day, and she made plans for their return to England.

  When the thrill of their new surroundings got old, they took short field trips to enjoy the summer weather and the lush parks in the area. One particularly beautiful morning, Simon escorted Cassie to the lobby of the hotel and slipped her into a limousine, but didn’t get in himself. Instead, he left her with Dane, newly arrived from a ten-day business trip.

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  “No. I’ll catch up to you.” Simon struck the side of the car to tell the driver to move.

  Would Simon send her away without him? “What’s going on?” She looked over at Dane.

  “It’s a surprise.” He waved to Simon, standing at the hotel valet stand with a devious smirk on his face.

  “For me?”

  “From Simon.”

  The two men appeared too happy. She didn’t trust either one of them.

  High rises and huge apartment complexes created an urban view out her window for the first thirty minutes. Soon, however, they were traveling along a smaller road and up a mountain. The car stopped in front of what looked like a temple surrounded by an emerald forest. It was something out of a fairytale.

  “We’re going to a temple?” she asked.

  “This is the Pavilion of the Three Purities. Pure water, mountains, and humanity.”

  “And Simon couldn’t join us?”

  A huge grin spread across Dane’s face, but he didn’t answer her. He jumped out and instead of opening her door, trotted to the back and grabbed a large bag from the trunk. The driver helped Cassie out.

  Dane, the bag hanging over his arm, clutched Cassie’s hand and pulled her up the stairs.

  A man dressed with a long white satin robe with a red scarf flowing over his shoulders stood at the entrance and greeted them.

  Dane bowed to the man and then shook his hand. “Minister Jeong. Nice meeting you finally.”

  “Welcome Mr. O’Brian. This must be the bride. Congratulations, Ms. Watson.”

  “Bride?” What the heck were they up to?

  She shot a look back at Dane. Why did he know her other alias and not Sunny Smith?

  “Relax, Cassie. It’s all good.” Dane placed his arm around her. “Surprise. You’re getting married.”

  “Today?”

  “Right now. Hurry up and get dressed.” He handed her the bag and pushed her into a small room to the right of the lobby of the main building.

  She shut the door and stood in shock for a moment and then began to laugh. Simon wanted to marry her here in South Korea. The control freak usurped the choice of the time, place, and the style of the gown. It didn’t matter. For the chance to keep him in her life, she’d marry him anywhere, even if that meant letting him take complete control of her wedding day.

  Inside the bag was a flowing gown in white silk organza with cap sleeves. She pulled it out. Simon had even purchased nylons and white heels to match. No veil? Maybe he wasn’t as perfect as he liked to tell her.

  She opened her purse and brushed her hair, leaving it long and unadorned. After fixing her makeup, she dressed in the outfit he’d chosen for her. It fit perfectly, as expected, including some extra room for Junior’s growing little body.

  Dane knocked on the door before opening it and paused when he saw her. “Damn, Simon’s one lucky bastard.”

  “Thanks.” She turned her back toward him and pointed at the zipper caught halfway up her spine. “Could you finish zipping me up?”

  “With pleasure.” He pulled it up and placed his hands on each shoulder. “I hope you don’t mind if I’m the only witness.”

  “You’re a perfect witness.” She did like Dane around, but wished Henry and Alex had been able to visit them as well. But no one could know where they were, not even Simon’s family.

  Dane kissed her on the back of her head and turned her around. “I don’t have much in the way of family, but I count Simon as my closest friend in the world. And now you. No matter what happens in the future, I’ll always have your back. Always.”

  “I hope I never need anyone to watch my back in the future. I’d like to become a boring soccer mom with a desk job.” She clasped his hands. “You should find someone to help
you settle down as well.”

  He pulled back in mock horror. “How about helping me find a wild and willing woman in every city I land instead?”

  “You don’t need any help with that.”

  “I’m losing my touch. I couldn’t steal a certain blonde beauty away from a brute of an Englishman.” With a wink, he led her to the door.

  He handed her a bouquet of white roses and Tiffany blue hydrangeas tied with white ribbons, and linked his arm in hers. They turned outside to a garden and a beautiful spot overlooking miles of scenery. The bright sun and the hundreds of white flowers decorating the area created a magical quality of space and air. The pure white dress billowed out from her waist and flowed several feet behind her. She wore three-inch heels, which lifted her to an inch taller than Dane. She wouldn’t be taller than the groom, however.

  Simon stood in a tuxedo, waiting for her. A glossy black cane with a brass handle leaned on a chair beside him. He’d cleaned up beautifully. Demanding, difficult, yet totally decadent. His grin dressed up his face with the confidence of a man who never lost.

  Dane handed her over to Simon after helping himself to an innocent kiss on her lips. Simon’s grin never faltered. He pulled her to his side and placed her flowers on his chair.

  “I hope you’re ready for this, because I couldn’t wait to marry you.” He brushed his lips over her ear. His warm breath and the feathery caress shot shivers down her back.

  “Patience is the most important quality for a field agent,” she whispered back.

  “I’ve waited for you my whole life, that’s long enough.”

  Clasping their hands together, the minister asked them to recite the vows they’d written to each other.

  Written vows? She hadn’t written anything.

  Simon reached into his pocket, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to her. “I took the liberty of writing something for you to read.”

  “You wrote my vows?” She didn’t mean to squeak, but seriously? He better not have written anything about obeying, because he already got his way more often than not.

  He grasped her hands again. Those beautiful blue eyes of his deepened, and his face became stoic and firm. “I, Simon Dunn, promise to love you forever and be your protector. I give you all my worldly possessions, my future, and my heart. I will forfeit my life for yours without hesitation.”

  Cassie stood tongue-tied for a second, trying to understand exactly what he’d committed to her. Pretty much everything. She didn’t want him to die for her. She’d already lived through that hell. She wanted him safe at home playing with a dozen children. Her mouth opened to protest, but he shook his head to stop her from speaking.

  “There’s more.” He brought her fingers to his mouth and kissed them. As he lowered her hands, that adorable grin emerged. “I promise to help raise our children and to support you in every way I can. I promise to agree with you whenever your thoughts and opinions line up logically with my mine. And I promise to cook vegan as often as possible as long as it doesn’t weaken my strength or the health of our children.”

  She burst out laughing.

  The minister, his eyebrows raised, didn’t seem to approve of the addendum, but nodded toward Cassie. “Go ahead.”

  She let go of Simon’s hands and glanced down at the paper he’d given her. It was best not to see what he wrote before she read it, in order to remain calm. Her hands shook as she began. Two simple sentences:

  “I, Cassie Watson, promise to love you forever. I promise to never risk my life for yours, because our children need their mother.”

  She stopped and looked at him. His expression, dead serious, caused tears to flow in her eyes.

  Her head fell forward into his shoulder, and she remained there, trembling in his arms, until the minister said something about being husband and wife.

  “I can’t promise that,” she mumbled.

  “You just did.”

  He lifted her head and kissed his bride with a fierce possessiveness he rarely showed in public. He took everything he could as he deepened the kiss. Simon would always try to control every aspect of them as a couple. Cassie, however, held an equal amount of control in their relationship, because she held his heart.

  And then she heard the gunshot.

  Simon forced Cassie to the ground and shielded her body, while trying to free his gun from the holster. The minister collapsed behind them, and Dane dove behind a large stone.

  “Stay,” Simon ordered Cassie. “Do not leave this spot.”

  Her face had paled, and her lips pursed tight together. He forced himself to leave her side, his chest hurting from the pressure on the wound and the fear of leaving his wife without protection.

  He followed the shadow of a man around the back of a small teahouse. When the shooter turned, Simon saw the deadly intent in Tucker’s pretty boy features. He’d come to finish the job, to eradicate all evidence of his poorly implemented plan. They pointed their weapons at each other, neither backing down.

  Dane ran around the corner into the middle of the standoff.

  Simon yelled, “Duck!”

  The window behind Dane shattered as he hit the ground. He was covered in glass, but not bloody. Tucker turned and retreated through a gate and toward the woods.

  “You okay?” Simon called out to Dane, who carefully brushed off the glass debris.

  “Pissed off,” he yelled.

  They continued their pursuit to the end of a garden path. Tucker was pulling himself over a tall stone wall. Dane stopped running, aimed his gun, and fired. He hit Tucker high on his thigh. A shot to slow him down, but not kill him. A strangled yell echoed across the garden. Simon continued toward him. Tucker flipped himself and his injured leg over the wall and tried to escape, leaving blood on the stone. Despite his wound, he was moving faster than Simon.

  Simon’s ankle burned as he ran. Sweat poured from his forehead. He’d tried to build up the strength and flexibility of his leg in the past few weeks, but his muscles cramped in response to the agony of inflaming his injuries. He wasn’t ready for full throttle. His lungs weren’t at top capacity either. The weeks spent convalescing screwed with his daily workouts. He had no energy. Footsteps came up behind him, closing in at a full sprint.

  “Where did he go?” Dane called out.

  “Over the wall.” Simon felt like shit for not being able to catch Tucker, but Dane could reach him, and they needed him alive and speaking.

  “I got it, old man.” Dane passed Simon and climbed the wall like a young recruit. Simon could hear shots fired, a few cries of pain, and then silence. He hobbled to the wall and pulled himself to the top. He’d assumed Dane would kick Tucker’s ass. He’d assumed wrong.

  “Fantastic agent you are.” Tucker said, as he pointed his gun as Dane’s head.

  “You’re still an idiot. You shot me in the arm after three tries.” Dane taunted him. “Your aim sucks. You missed Simon as well and hit the minister in the chapel, you little shit.”

  “And you’ve been unable to handle anything larger than an observational role in covert activities unless Simon is tucked up to your side protecting your ass.”

  Dane’s face hardened. “I’m more than capable of taking you down on my own.”

  Tucker laughed. “Certainly doesn’t look like it.”

  Simon held onto the wall with one arm, watching the men argue. His gun targeted Tucker’s head, but he was unsure if he could hit him at such a distance. If he missed, Dane would be finished.

  “This is for Valeriya.” Tucker stepped closer to Dane.

  “Since when have you been a Russian sympathizer?” Dane asked.

  “She was a student, nothing more. The intelligence was wrong.”

  “Her best friend Marta, disappeared after meeting with U.S. recruiters. The poor woman’s family received one finger at a time. Ironic that Marta’s ex-boyfriend graduated Langley with me. Last I heard, he was in a prison north of St. Petersburg. All your beautiful fiancée’s handiwork. I
did you a favor. She would have had you arrested within weeks if I hadn’t terminated her.”

  Tucker straightened his arm and let out a huff of air. “You’re wrong.”

  Simon tossed a loose stone into the woods behind Tucker. He took the bait, idiot that he was, and turned his head a fraction. His gun moved away from Dane. Simon fired and missed. Tucker’s body, however, flinched back and collapsed to the ground. Dane jumped up and took his gun. Tucker appeared to be breathing, but blood spilled from a knife in his throat. The one Dane always hid near his ankle.

  “Still need work on your aim,” Dane called to Simon. “But thanks for the distraction.”

  “It was payback for helping Cassie in North Korea.” The image of Cassie on the ground in the chapel rushed into his mind, and he turned back up the path. “Take care of Tucker.”

  It took all of his energy and a lifetime of effort to get back inside. He limped down the path, holding himself up by the back of random chairs. Cassie was crouched over the minister. When she turned around, he noticed blood all over her gown. Everything else blurred.

  He fought his pain to get to her side. “What’s wrong? Were you shot?”

  Her hair was damp with sweat, and a streak of blood marred her perfect face. “I’m fine. The minister was shot in the shoulder. I’m trying to minimize his blood loss until the ambulance arrives. Where’s Dane?”

  “He’s keeping vigil with the shooter.” Simon strode two steps closer to her and collapsed to the floor. One hand reached out to touch the blood on her cheek.

  “Are you hurt?” she asked.

  “I’m fine.” And he would be, as long as Cassie was nearby.

  Two hours later, Tucker was dead, and the minister, Simon, and Dane were hospitalized. Simon, stuck in bed again, wrapped an arm around Cassie to keep her next to him, but away from the newly opened wounds in his chest.

  “I can’t believe you brought a gun to our wedding.” Her head rested on his shoulder, her blonde hair drifting across his arm.

  “Aren’t you glad I did?”