by Kells, India
Ignoring them, she tried to focus instead on what her friend was saying when one started making his move and she sighed.
“Anything wrong?” Immediately, Gabrielle sounded on high alert.
“Nah, about to be pestered by an annoying male.”
Gabrielle’s voice returned with a smile. “Need backup?”
“Nothing I haven’t seen before.”
“Well, with that ass, you gotta attract a few of them too.”
The man sat beside her before Isabel could say anything about her friend’s awful sense of humor. Starting at the far edge of the bench, he quickly slithered in her direction, making his intention clear.
“Mind if I sit here?”
“It’s a public bench. There’s plenty of space, there’s no need to sit in my lap.”
Gabrielle chuckled, but Isabel wasn’t finding it funny. Beauty could be a tool and a weapon, but it was mostly a curse. And despite her warning, he wasn’t giving her any space.
“Can I offer you a drink?”
“I’m on the phone.” Isabel pointed at her phone, as if the man didn’t have eyes to see.
And if he couldn’t get any dumber, he put his hand on her knee and started sliding it up her thigh.
“I’ll call you back.” She heard Gabrielle say something, but ignored it to focus instead on the locust beside her. “Remove your hand. It’s my last warning.”
The way he dismissed her rejection made her sick to her stomach. So often she’d had men do exactly that, taking her for granted, her body theirs for the taking.
“I think you need a man to handle you, darling. To show you how to submit. I think you crave it.”
Before he could react, she threw a backhand punch on his nose. That had the advantage of having him remove his hand from her thigh. The disadvantage was that his nose sprayed blood that stained her blouse.
“Damn it!” Ignoring the whining man, she stood and noticed a couple of drops on her skirt as well. Resigned that it was a bad day, and debating between going home to change or heading to the office, she saw another stranger approaching.
“Are you all right, Miss Osborne?”
The use of her name confirmed that he wasn’t a random bystander offering his help.
“I’m fine.” Behind her, the man from the bench cursed. “No need for your assistance, unless you know how to magically remove blood stains from fabric.”
“I’m sure Mr. Finch will gladly cover the expenses.”
Keeping a straight face required a little more than usual this time. “Pardon me?”
When the man in the suit straightened, it was obvious he was some sort of bodyguard or security agent. “Mr. Finch wants his association with you to succeed, and knows that your agreeing to work with him comes with potential risks.”
“I haven’t signed the contract yet.”
“Nonetheless, you have been seen with him, and that increases the risk. That’s why I am here.”
That situation was getting more complicated by the minute, and might come into conflict with their own little operation. “Mr. Finch is generous, but I can take care of myself. As you can see.”
Walking past him, Isabel took out her phone to dial Gabrielle. “Did you hear that?”
Her broach was most probably still on.
“Yeah, loud and clear. Don’t turn around, but your new bodyguard is following you. Far enough back for you not to see him.”
“Been there long?”
“Since the restaurant. You have to lose him.”
“May I remind you that I can barely walk in these heels?”
“Don’t run, it would be too suspicious. Let’s have you make a detour so I can pick you up at another corner.”
Isabel thought about ditching her shoes after all when someone called out to her. “Hey babe! What a coincidence! I was going to your office to ask you to lunch.”
The man who’d said those words must have been delusional, because she had never seen him in her life. Or had she? The tall man walking in her direction with a limp and a cane, along with a scraggly dog on a leash, looked familiar. With thick brown hair and a beard with hints of ginger in it, it was the eyes that gave him away. The flecks of silver that glittered as he smiled settled her heart somehow. She remembered the guys at the pub talking about one of their brothers being injured. A cop if she remembered correctly. What was his name again?
Before she could gather her thoughts, the man engulfed her in his arms and kissed her.
Surprise made her stiff, until she realized that the kiss was quite prim, and his hands stayed on her back. It was the show that made it look more than it was.
When he swung her back upright again, she clung to him until she regained her balance. “Hey, honey!” Out of breath, Isabel jogged her memory some more for his name, so an endearment was more logical.
A handsome man he was, but he didn’t feel as wild as Kai. She could sense that he had a goal, something that always moved him forward whereas Kai instead went with the flow. “I’m Liam Harker. I’m a cop but I’m currently on leave and I’m one of Finch’s infamous sons. But I think you already know that.” He all but murmured the words in her ear before giving her a peck on the cheek. “Chewy fancies a hot dog, and I would like a coffee. What about you?”
Looking down at the shaggy mutt sitting by his side, his eyes partly hidden by a mop of fur, she smiled and crouched down. “Apt name, you look like Chewbacca.”
Liam laughed. “Yeah, that was the idea, but the fact that he’s chewed everything in my apartment, the nickname also applies.”
She made the dog’s day by rubbing him behind his floppy ears. It was all it took for him to plop on his back, begging for a belly rub. All males were the same, even in the animal world. Smiling, she indulged him and the dog wiggled in delight.
“You’ve made his day. He’s goofy, but he’s a good dog. Come.”
He offered her his hand and kept it in his as they started walking around the corner. As if on cue, a hot dog cart appeared. Liam gave her Chewy’s leash and led her to a small bench in the shade, before going back to order. Only then did she realize she was still holding her phone in her hand, and Gabrielle hadn’t disconnected.
“Gab?”
“Well, the day still brings us surprises. While you were being swept away by Liam, I got Archer on the line. Out of all the brothers, Liam is one of the ones that Finch has never officially acknowledged. Also, he has never met him in person, making him a good choice to act as your shadow. Especially since he’s on leave from the police.”
“He’s wounded.”
“Don’t be fooled, he’s a dangerous man, always has been. With his cane and his dog, people won’t give him a second glance, which works in our favor. Your tail has increased his distance. He’s on the phone, probably reporting to his boss.”
“Another ball to juggle.” At the word ball, Chewy’s ears perked and he placed his head on her lap.
“One I’m happy not to have to juggle is Kai. That is for Archer to take care of.” Before she could tell her that Kai had no claim on her, Liam was on his way back and Gabrielle quickly finished their conversation. “I’m gonna check where your tail is going. Don’t be a naughty girl.”
Isabel growled as Gabrielle cut the connection. Liam came with a small cardboard box containing a few hot dogs and two cups of coffee.
He sat down with a relieved sigh, putting his cane by his side.
Immediately Chewy switched allegiance and put his head on his knee. “Hot dog ?”
As if she would be able to eat after everything that had happened this morning. “No, thanks. But I’ll accept the coffee. Please tell me it’s spiked.”
Liam laughed and dropped a hot dog for Chewy. “I wish, but Lazarus would have my hide for that.”
Isabel took a sip and smiled. “I’ve only just met Lazarus, but personally, I would be more frightened of Gabrielle.”
The man snorted as he took a big bite. The coffee was better than she
expected and with the city moving all around them, it was the perfect remedy to put everything into perspective and place her ideas in order.
Playing on two fronts, one with Finch, one with the brothers, was tricky. Especially since politics were now added to the mix, the situation had escalated to the cut-throat level.
Isabel watched Liam feeding more tidbits of sausages to his avid dog and smiled.
“You are quite silent, Isabel.”
She didn’t realize she was so obvious. “Gabrielle was on the phone and I guess you knew I was being followed by Finch’s assigned bodyguard. She said the man is gone now, well, more specifically since you magically appeared. So, are you now planning on following me around playing my boyfriend?”
Wiping his hands, he took a sip of his coffee and leaned back. Liam Harker may appear relaxed, but she had noticed how he scanned the waves of people around them. “Your face is familiar.”
Like many times before, Isabel’s heart dropped at the words. Even if she had deeply hidden her past, even if she had prepared for the eventually of it surfacing, it shook her and she tried to deflect. “You from Chicago?”
“Born and raised.”
Isabel smiled. “Maybe we crossed paths one time or another.”
Liam nodded, but didn’t seem convinced. “Yeah, must be it. So, what’s next on the list?”
Crisis averted for the moment. Tension slid off her shoulders and she winked at him. “What about clothes shopping?”
Chapter Eight
“Where is he?” Liam had been dispatched to keep an eye on Isabel, but it had been hours now and the sun had been set for a while. He was supposed to come back to base once she was back at her apartment with Gabrielle.
Lazarus, still working on his computer, shrugged. “Isabel has the brooch on her, if you want to find her, follow the red dot and leave me alone.”
Both of them had been circling the question over the previous hours. There was no need yet to deploy a huge safety net that would be visible from miles away. A dead giveaway that they didn’t need if they wanted Finch to fall.
“Damn it, Kai! Can you just sit? You’re making me dizzy.”
“How can you stay so calm?”
Lazarus sighed and pushed away from his computer. “Because there is nothing we can do at the moment. Isabel is not in immediate danger and there isn’t anything that implies Finch will make any kind of move on her. With the brooch, Gabrielle, and now Liam, she has all the protection she needs.”
Kai snarled. “Liam? He still needs a cane! What kind of protection can he provide?”
“Is someone talking about me?” Liam slid inside the room like a shadow, limping in complete silence and with such a smile, it annoyed Kai even more. “I love being the center of attention, but if you don’t mind, I’ll just sit for a while.”
Chewy on his heels was a tad less secretive when he shook himself, yawned, and twisted himself into a tight ball by the sofa. Liam sat down and rubbed his eyes before looking at his two brothers. “Damn, that woman is a workaholic. I’ve been by her side the entire day and she never takes a break. Her phone constantly rings, and if it’s not the phone, people are coming in and out of her office nonstop.”
Lazarus brought a cup of coffee to Liam. “No surprise there, it’s been years since she started her business, but it only seriously picked up over the last two years. It literally soared.”
At his comment, Kai’s ears pricked up. “Why is that?”
His older brother shrugged. “I don’t have all the details, but Gabrielle told me that she had an influx of money that helped her pay for her head office and hire a few key people. It made all the difference.”
“Where did the money come from?”
This time, Lazarus turned to him and frowned. “Is it really important? Everything she does is legit as per Gabrielle and I trust her.”
His tone may have closed the subject, but Kai filed it in his memory for later digging and turned to Liam. “No other calls from Finch? No other contact from the bodyguard?”
Liam shook his head. “Nope, none she told me about. Isabel said that she had sent the contract to her attorney for analysis and that she had contacted Finch’s attorney for clarifications, no more than that. I wouldn’t be surprised if our dear father didn’t call tomorrow. He’s not the type of person to be patient.”
“And I’ll be there to relay the information when he calls. One thing I did find strange though…”
Kai turned to his brother. “What?”
“Me coming to her office caused quite a stir with her team. It wasn’t that obvious, but I could tell that it wasn’t a common occurrence. One of her assistants was by my side when I went to grab Isabel a coffee, and she told me she was happy to see that Isabel was dating again. Since she started working for her, it was the first time in years she’d seen her boss with a man.”
Lazarus frowned. “That’s a private matter. It doesn’t concern us. We need her help and digging into her life is not going to help take Finch down. Let’s call it a night. I’ll stay at the comm, but you two go get some sleep and we’ll reconvene tomorrow before Isabel leaves for work.”
Kai nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. The more information he got about Isabel, the more it made him wonder if they weren’t trusting the wrong woman. Isabel had agreed to help too quickly, hid too many facts and seemed way too calm with this volatile situation.
When he left his brothers and went out the door, Kai still believed that Finch was the priority, but there was no way he was going to be stabbed in the back by the same woman again.
* * *
Kai had linked Isabel’s GPS data to his phone, and the red dot blinked steadily as it was supposed to, indicating the apartment as her position. It was ten at night and no lights appeared to be on, and that was strange. Liam had delivered Isabel to Gabrielle before going to HQ. There was no way Gabrielle was already in bed, the woman barely slept.
He could go to the apartment and take a look for himself, but that would trigger too many alarms. Instead, he started to play with his phone. It wasn’t his most powerful tool, but at least it allowed him to attempt something.
According to Lazarus, all of their cars had been linked to unique detectors that wouldn’t be obvious to anyone but them. This was a way of having an eye on their vehicles without the risk of being surprised by the bad guys.
If Lazarus were looking, he would probably see him, but Kai didn’t care. There would always be time later for explanations. It took several minutes, but he finally located the GPS system. One car was Aleksei’s and another Archer’s, all others were unmoving. The sole one on the road was Gabrielle’s.
No way would Gabrielle have left Isabel alone in her apartment, so they were evidently together. Following his target, Kai put the car in drive.
The ride took about fifteen minutes. While he was driving, Gabrielle’s car switched from stationary to moving before stopping again a few miles away.
When Kai reached the final destination, he saw the two women standing in line inside a small pizza shop. What were they doing in the middle of nowhere at this hour?
Debating between staying out of sight or barging in on them, Kai found himself walking before he had even made a decision.
The pizzeria had a steady stream of customers going in an out, which offered him enough coverage so they only saw him at the last minute. Gabrielle’s back stiffened, but she didn’t say a word as he made his way inside. Her back to him, Isabel jumped as he spoke.
“This is your definition of keeping her safe?” The disguised accusation was for Gabrielle, while his eyes were on Isabel. Both women were dressed in casual jeans and blouses. Isabel’s was made of thin blue gauze that flowed around her like a dream. Her long blond hair was in a ponytail. The look, making memories surge to the surface, angering him even more.
Isabel decided to ignore him, taking another bite of pizza while Gabrielle shrugged. “Hey Kai, nice to see you. I would invite you to grab a slice w
ith us, but whatever crawled up your ass would make it painful to sit at all.”
The snort that came from Isabel made him even more snarly. “You are in charge of her safety.”
“Indeed. And may I ask why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be working with Oz and Liam, or even catching some sleep?”
Was she insane taunting him like that?
Opening his mouth to answer, Gabrielle beat him to it. “We can do as we fucking please, Mr. Jones, but as you so gallantly appeared, you can accompany Isabel back home while I go catch some z’s and kiss my husband and son.”
Isabel obviously didn’t like Gabrielle’s last statement either. “Wait! You were the one to bring me back home.”
Pushing herself up, Gabrielle dusted crumbs from her top. “Yeah, but I won’t say no to an unexpected opportunity. Kai will play guard dog tonight. See you tomorrow.”
And like that, the blond operative was gone. Kai’s heart dropped at the unexpected turn of events. Isabel still didn’t look at him, munching at what was left of her pie.
Towering over her, Kai clung to his hatred and resentment with everything he had, his words cold as ice. “Are you done? I’ll drive you to your place.”
Without a word, she took her paper plate and threw it in the trash can by the door before turning to him. “Thanks for your offer, but I’ll take a cab. You don’t want me in your car, you don’t want to be here. You’re pissed off and I’m not stupid or in danger enough to follow you. Good night.”
Not once during her entire tirade had she even looked at him. When she left, Kai knew he had to follow her, but he was stuck in place. He hated himself for caring about her while she didn’t give him a second glance. It was like Hawaii all over again, the helplessness invading his heart when he’d realized she had disappeared, followed by an emerging rage.
Kai ran outside, and saw Isabel walking around the corner. His body sprinted forward and as he reached her, he pulled her into an alley, plastering her against the brick wall. Despite the sudden darkness, he could still see her face.
