Protecting Ainsley

by Jen Talty

  Wolf: Follow your commander’s orders. I know that’s a tough call for you sometimes, but in this case, screw your gut or what you think is right. Just follow orders, got it?

  Keanu: Loud and clear.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping to ease the pounding between his ears. He failed to tell Wolf that he wasn’t sure he’d bring her in until he knew more, which meant going rogue, putting him in the same boat as the woman who had betrayed her country.

  “Wake up, sweetheart.” He ran his fingers through her long, thick hair. Last week, he loved losing himself in her body. At one point, he thought about telling her that he’d lied about his profession and maybe they could carry their affair past vacation.

  Then she dropped the bomb about her problems, and shortly after, the CIA pulled him aside and dragged him into this mess, forcing him to go back and bring her back to the States.

  She stretched, blinking, then her eyes widened when she caught his gaze. “Where are we?”

  “Home, baby,” he said. He kissed her temple. “Follow along. We don’t want to draw negative attention to ourselves,” he whispered.

  “Oh,” she said, looking puzzled. She rose and scooted out in front of him.

  “I know. I’m not ready to face reality, either.” He patted her bottom, and then snagged the bag stuffed full of clothes and basic necessities they’d bought. “Vacations are never long enough.” He smiled at an older woman as he let her go first.

  “You’ve got yourself a real gentleman,” the woman said.

  Ainsley turned. “Oh, yeah.”

  “I’ll remind you of that next time I leave my dirty underwear on the floor.”

  The older woman laughed. “That will never change.”

  Keanu took Ainsley’s hand and squeezed. He wanted to hurt her, make her pay for betraying her country. For lying to him.

  So why did this little voice in the back of his head keep telling him to give her a chance to tell her story before turning her in? Why would he put his job on the line for her?

  “You’re cutting off the circulation,” she whispered.

  “Oh well.” He released her hand and hailed a cab. Once he’d given the cabbie the address of a cheesy motel in the outskirts of Columbus, Georgia, the reality of the situation caught up to him.

  Nick was dead. Colorado’s wounds could be fatal, and Keanu had no idea what happened to the rest of his team. His commander had yet to get back to him on what to do, but the smart thing would be to drag her ass to any Naval base and let them deal with her, only he couldn’t do that.

  “Thanks, man.” He tossed some bills at the cab driver. “Let’s go.” He helped her toward the dilapidated motel. He’d never had allergies before, but the odor from the green mildew and mold growing on the bottom of the waterless pool tickled the inside of his nose.

  Keanu pushed back the main door. It scraped against the floor, and the hinges rattled. He held Ainsley close, partly because he had no idea what he might be walking into. His job was still to bring her in, alive.

  “Nice place,” she whispered, rubbing her eyes. “The stench will kill you.”

  “You can say that again.” He rested his hand on her shoulder and guided her to the desk. The brownish carpet looked as though it might have been yellow at one point, especially since the rest of the accent colors were yellow and orange. “I guess we ring the bell.”

  “I heard ya,” a man’s voice echoed from another room. “Hold your horses.” The man coughed, and it sounded like he’d hacked up half a lung. “Sign the roster,” he shouted.

  Keanu grabbed a pen. “Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Sampson.” Then he leaned down and whispered in Ainsley’s ear, “Tina.” It was the first name that popped into his head. “We’ll just be staying the night. How much?”

  A wrinkled old man without any teeth hobbled behind the counter. “Forty cash, more credit card.”

  Keanu pulled out two twenties and tossed them on the counter. “How about the room on the end?”

  “No problem, Mr.…” The old man turned to the register. “Sampson.” He handed Keanu a key. “Check out by ten.”

  Keanu nodded and placed his hand on Ainsley’s back. She tensed immediately but didn’t fight him as they made their way past the squeaky door. His pulse pounded against his wrist, demanding to be heard as if his body was telling him to calm the fuck down. Large raindrops fell from the sky, slapping harshly on the damaged overhang.

  “Not quite what you’re used to, honey.”

  “You’d be surprised at some of the places I’ve been.” She shrugged his arm off her shoulders. “I lived in conditions worse than this in Mexico. Hell, I slept in the streets for a week.”

  “You were really in Mexico all that time?”

  “Andrew left me with a few hundred dollars and the jewelry on my body. He took my ID and took my credit cards.”

  “Which were used in Paris a few weeks before I found you.”

  She stopped in front of the hotel room door. “And do you have a record of me getting from Paris back to Mexico where you found me?”

  “No.” And that right there is why he couldn’t turn her over just yet.

  “Exactly. Now I’m getting wet,” she said.

  It took him four strides to reach the door. He wrestled with the key before it finally slid in. The door rattled but didn’t move. Keanu shoved it with his shoulder but not too hard for fear the door would fall off. “You could have used an alias.”

  “Then I wouldn’t have needed you to get me back in the States.”

  “You could have found another mark.” He stepped in behind her and swallowed. His mouth tasted like a combination of trash left in the hot sun for weeks and an algae-filled pool. This was about as bad as it got. The swamp would be a nicer place to spend the night. Hell, behind enemy lines might be a tad bit more accommodating than this.

  The dust bunnies were more like dust dinosaurs. The stained green curtains hung haphazardly in the window. The matching bedspread didn’t look any better. He was sure the maid must have missed this room. “It’s better than nothing.” He shrugged.

  “Mind if I use the facilities?”

  “After me,” he said.

  “Hey, what happened to that gentleman that I’m supposedly married to?”

  “I am being a gentleman. You never know when a critter might jump up from the toilet bowl and bite your ass.”

  “Ha, ha. You’re probably just looking to see if there is a window I could crawl out of.”

  “You’re a smart woman. Normally, I’d admire that.” The thin door to the bathroom had a gaping hole in it. He peered in. “I’d rather use the woods.”

  “I don’t care; I’ve got to go. Mind?” She tapped her finger on his back.

  He checked the tiny window. Satisfied she wouldn’t be climbing through the small opening, he said, “Be my guest.”

  “I might try a shower.” She stuck her head back out. “Mind tossing me the bag?”

  He opened it up and held it out in front of her. “Take what you need.”

  She pursed her lips. “Fine.” She dug into the duffle and found what she needed and shut the door. “Damn it.”

  “What’s the matter?” He clasped the handle, ready to drop the door.

  “Nothing,” she said. “I’ll be out in a little while.”

  He heard the water turn on, then the whole room shook. “Whoa, everything okay in there?”

  “Just noisy,” she shouted.

  His hip vibrated.

  He glanced at the text message on his cell from an unknown caller.

  Watch your back and stay low and alive.

  He sat down on the edge of the lumpy bed. It sank at least half a foot. If he decided to text back, they, whoever they were, could get a read on his location. He turned his gaze to the clock. One in the morning. He needed a few hours to think before he did anything.

  He’d heard about her father’s death, but no one briefed him about her sister. He wondered what other infor
mation had been left out when he’d been ordered to bring her in. He’d never questioned his orders. Never would. It was always for the greater good, even when the methods were questionable.

  The pipes stopped knocking. He scooted himself back on the most uncomfortable bed he’d ever been on, propped up the pillow, and sneezed.

  “You need an antihistamine,” Ainsley said when she stepped from the bathroom. “I think I have some in my purse.” She adjusted her oversized sweat things that hung low on her hips, revealing her soft, tight stomach.

  “I don’t have allergies.” He crossed his ankles and clasped his hands behind his head and admired the sexy woman standing at the foot of the bed.

  Her long dark hair hung wet and glistening over her tanned skin. She wore a camisole thing, or at least that’s what his sisters called them. She bent over, straight-legged, hiking up her butt as she rummaged through her purse. “You got a little congested when we stayed in…” She stood. “You have allergies.” She tossed him a pill bottle. “Take one.”

  “How do I know it’s not poison?”

  “You don’t.” She plopped down on the chair in front of the desk. “Only, you are my only hope at proving I’m not a traitor.”

  “Sweetheart, I’m bringing you in, so forget about me helping you.” He looked at the bottle, read the directions, and figured they were safe. Besides, he couldn’t take the congestion much longer. He popped one.

  “Would you like some water?”

  “Nope.”

  “You didn’t talk like that when we were—”

  “Doing it?” he finished for her.

  “I suppose this is the real you.”

  “Yep. Now let’s get to business. Tell me how you got the information for Operation Stonewall from your father and to Isis.”

  “I did no such thing.” She glared at him.

  “I don’t believe you. But let’s go back to your sister. Why do you think someone killed her?”

  “Because it was supposed to be me on that scuba dive.” Water formed in her eyes. “I hadn’t been feeling well, so she took my place. Because there was a long waiting list, and we’re identical twins, she just pretended to be me.” Her voice cracked.

  It was obvious she blamed herself for her sister’s death. But was it simply sisterly guilt? Or guilt over her own traitorous actions? Of course, he still didn’t understand how her sister fit into the stolen information, but he’d put it all together, if he was given enough time.

  “When did you let everyone know it wasn’t you that died?” Keanu studied every facet of her features. He tried to ignore what he knew of the woman he’d been having sex with and see only the possible terrorist.

  “Right after they pulled her from the water.”

  “Was it ruled an accident?” He strained his brain for any information he might have seen on her sister, but nothing registered.

  She nodded. “Somehow she’d strayed from the rest of the group.” Ainsley shifted on the seat.

  “Bed’s probably not much better.” Keanu moved over. “But there’s plenty of room.”

  “I think I’ll stay right here.”

  He shrugged. “Let’s circle back to your sister later. I want to know about your father.” Two deaths in one family, both ruled accidents. Interesting. “I met him once,” he added.

  Her eyes widened. “When?”

  “Three months before he died.”

  She narrowed her stare and lowered her chin. “You did know who I was.”

  “No, I didn’t. Not until I was handed orders to bring you in. Let’s say I’m still not over the shock of that one. Now back to the old man,” he said.

  “Where did you meet him?” she asked.

  “After a medal ceremony for a soldier whom my team helped.”

  She practically leaped to the bed. It sagged even more. “So, it was a social situation. Did you see him drinking?” Her blue eyes sparkled in the dim light.

  Keanu rubbed his jaw. Not something he ever thought about. He wasn’t much of a drinker himself and only noticed when others let their booze get the better of them. Captain Emerson seemed well-put-together that night. The ultimate professional and soldier. Keanu remembered the man had inspired him. “I don’t think so.”

  “The papers said he’d been drinking heavily. That he got into an argument with someone about me, then drove off. He wouldn’t do that.”

  Keanu trusted his ability to detect liars. His instincts told him that thus far, Ainsley wasn’t lying about what she believed to be the truth. But his body also reminded him of hot, sweaty nights, clouding his usually crystal-clear instincts. “Honestly, I’d drink if my daughter was accused of terrorism and the rumor mills implied that I’d helped her.”

  “You don’t get it, do you?” she asked.

  “Enlighten me.”

  She propped herself up on her knees and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Ever hear of a guy named JB Gould?”

  Keanu glanced to the ceiling. The name struck a chord, but he couldn’t place it. He knew he’d seen it in print, but he couldn’t remember where or what the circumstances were. He sniffed, but amazingly, the pill she’d given him seemed to be working.

  “He was my sister’s boyfriend when she died. He worked for Andrew as his top consultant to the military.”

  “And?” Now he knew why the name sounded familiar. JB was Andrew’s right-hand man. JB had spent eight years in the military, until he’d received an honorable discharge, with questionable circumstances.

  “Janet, my sister, told me that she thought JB was doing something illegal. That he’d been acting weird and secretive.”

  “Like what?” Keanu hated to admit it, but he was intrigued.

  “At the time, I had no idea. I told Andrew, and he said he’d look into it.” She paused, staring at Keanu. “Andrew said he couldn’t find anything and that I should tell Janet to chill. At first, I believed him. I mean, I did work with his company through my job, and I’d been dating Andrew on and off for a few years. I didn’t think he had any reason to lie to me.”

  “When was that in relation to when your sister died?”

  “A few months.”

  “So, why do you think you were the target and not your sister?” he asked.

  “I started seeing things in the business that didn’t make any sense. I checked out a couple of accounts and found out they were fakes. I told Andrew that I thought JB might be stealing or something. Andrew once again said he’d look into it, and this time he said he found something, but he couldn’t get into the details.”

  “Do you know what he found?”

  “I wish.” She shook her head. “The four of us went on a short vacation. The boys signed us up for scuba diving, but they said only three could go. My sister and flipped for it and she lost, but the next morning, we switched and didn’t tell anyone.”

  “So, wait. You think Andrew or JB killed her?”

  “Or both.”

  “Then why the hell did you stay with him?” he asked.

  “I didn’t believe it at first. It wasn’t until after the rumors started about me, and then my father started circulating that I put it all together. Next thing I knew, Andrew shoved me out of the country, saying it was for my protection. He put me up in a villa outside of Cancun. He cut me off from my father, but right before Dad died, I was able to talk to him. He said he had proof. Two days later, he was dead. Four days later, Andrew showed up. He said he was there to help me. I knew better, but I couldn’t get away. I woke up in an alley in Mexico City. Andrew had beaten me and left me there to die,” she said, practically in one breath. Tears drizzled down her cheeks. “I trusted Andrew. I thought I loved him.”

  Keanu ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted to comfort her and tell her it was all going to be okay, only he wasn’t sure how much of her story he truly believed. He needed more information, and he needed a reason to trust her. “Andrew is a respected businessman. His company always gets the first bid on any military contra
ct.”

  “And my father was a respected captain in the Army. He was set up, and so was I.” She stiffened her back and looked Keanu dead-on. She swiped at the sides of her face. “Andrew used his business dealings with the military and our relationship to sell top-secret information to the enemy, and when I caught wind of what he was doing, he went about making sure it appeared to be me and my father was in on it.”

  “Then why not shout that from the rooftop?” Keanu asked. “Why not go to the embassy and tell them what happened?”

  She shifted her weight and stretched out on the bed. “When I first came to, I was confused, and I had a concussion. I had a broken wrist and a few cracked ribs. A nice family who owned a motel took me in while I recovered from my injuries. I thought maybe Andrew figured I was dead, and I’d be safer staying that way. But when I was cleaning one of the guest rooms, I saw my face plastered on the news as the most wanted woman by the FBI. Luckily, no one recognized me.”

  “Not even the family you stayed with?”

  “I’m not sure, but they never said anything.”

  “You realize this is an outrageous tale, and you have no proof that Andrew was doing anything wrong, or beat you for that matter.”

  “My father had the proof. All we have to do is find it.”

  “We?” Keanu rolled to his side. “There is no we, honey.”

  “Do you believe anything I’ve told you?”

  “I don’t know.” And that was the truth. He glanced at his watch. “Get some rest. As soon as my commander calls, I’m taking you in. You can tell that story to my superiors.”

  Chapter 3

  Keanu jerked awake when his phone vibrated.

  Wolf.

  Thank God.

  “Tell me some good news, man,” Keanu said as he checked his phone for missed calls from his commander.

  Nothing.

  “The only good news I have is it’s not raining,” Wolf said.

  Keanu glanced to the woman sleeping with her hands tucked up under her cheek. He slipped from the bed and quietly stepped outside. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “First, Colorado didn’t make it.”

  “Fuck.” Keanu leaned against the building and squeezed his eyes closed. “That’s my entire team.”