by Kells, India
The pain on her face, coupled with her jaw tensed in determination, made something in him want to protect her and not in a brotherly way. Watching her through the binoculars, he could see the vulnerability on her face, but it was the sight of Pickford’s hands on her that made him see red.
Every part of him wanted to tear the man’s fucking hands off for daring to touch a hair on her head. Locking down his anger, he watched as the door closed, and the driver got in.
“Follow him.” Kingsley ran a hand through his hair as Malco pulled into traffic two cars behind them.
“We got a plan yet?” Malco cast him a sidelong look.
“Apart from smashing Raymond Rutherford’s lying pussy face into the concrete? No, not yet, but give me a second.” Kingsley racked his brain for the best play. They had no idea what Rutherford was playing at involving them, but he would find out. Rutherford had taken them for fools, and he took that personally. “Just follow them for now and see where they go.”
Kingsley pulled out his phone and had Caitlin put the team on alert and notify Shane and Emme that they probably weren’t getting paid for this job.
Malco stopped the car as the Lincoln pulled up outside West City Bank. He watched as Raymond stepped out, followed by Troy and Sydney. He was being cautious now and trying to look solicitous toward her instead of the aggression they had seen earlier.
Sydney looked around, trying to make it seem like she was taking it all in, but he knew she was looking for a way out.
“I need you to go in the front and keep an eye on them. I don’t want Rutherford to know we’re on to him, and he’s seen me. I’m going to see if I can get in through the staff entrance.” Kingsley pulled on a baseball cap to offer him some cover.
“Roger that.”
Malco and Kingsley slipped microscopic comms in their ears, exiting the car and walking across the road before splitting up. He watched Malco go inside the bank as he moved down the alleyway at the side trying to find a way inside.
* * *
As she walked into the bank, Sydney discreetly looked around. Troy led her toward the smiling woman at the information desk. The woman seemed to be in her mid-forties with blond hair and a curvy figure on her five-foot frame.
“Hello, how may I help you?” The woman’s name badge read Anne, and she smiled at them in greeting. Sydney felt Raymond put his hand on her lower back in warning as he smiled what she knew some women saw as a devastatingly handsome smile.
“Good morning, Anne,” he greeted smoothly making the woman blush. “My niece has a safety deposit box here and would like to access it.”
Anne smiled. “Of course, please come this way, and we can get that arranged.” She turned and led them toward a bank of double doors that gave way to a larger reception area with more desks.
After seating them and asking if they wanted coffee, Anne began to take Sydney’s details, her fingers skimming the keyboard.
Anne looked up at them, her face open and friendly. “Can I get your name again?”
It took a second for Sydney to realize that she was speaking to her. “Sydney—Sydney Rutherford,” she replied as she continued to look around and then she saw it. An idea formed. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was all she had. “I’m sorry is there a restroom I can use?”
“Really, Sydney, surely that can wait?” Raymond squeezed her knee painfully below the table, while on the surface, he seemed patient.
Anne looked back and forth, clearly sensing the tension, her skin mottling on her chest.
“I’m sorry, uncle, but no. It’s that time of the month, you know.” Sydney turned her eyes to Anne in a conspiratorial way.
A look of female understanding crossed the woman’s face, and she nodded. “Of course. Through that door and to the right, you should see the signs. I’ll get your information ready while you’re gone.”
“Thank you,” Sydney said, standing quickly and moving toward the door, Troy on her heels. She stopped and turned to him and in a loud voice, said, “I’m only going to the ladies, you don’t have to follow me.”
As people looked at them, Troy stopped, and she saw his lips curl and his hands clench. She didn’t take the time to enjoy her small victory. She had to get out of there and fast. They wouldn’t wait for long.
Following the signs, she pushed through the door marked ‘Ladies’ and almost cried in relief at the sight of a window, but then felt tears prick her eyes when she saw the locks. Of course, there were locks. It was a goddamn bank.
Peeking out, she looked around for a way out and saw the staff exit. If she used it without swiping an ID card, the alarms would go off, and they would be on to her, but what other option did she have? Sydney sighed and then thrust back her shoulders, knowing she had to run. Walking to the exit, she was about to push it open when it opened from the outside, and alarms began to screech.
She gasped and stepped back as a tall—he had to be at least 6’5”—well-built hunk of a man with a ball cap on his beautiful head looked at her, his hands on his hips. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown and held surprise at seeing her. “Sydney Rutherford?”
Sydney felt panic wrap itself around her windpipe as she stepped away from him, frustrated tears hitting the back of her throat at being caught. This guy must be new because if he had been part of Raymond’s security before she would have remembered.
Not willing to give up, she braced to run when his arm came around her waist and he pulled her outside, his hand covering her mouth. She felt his hard body at her back, his firm grip around her waist and his gentle but solid grip over her mouth and went still. His mouth at her ear tickled, and for a brief second, she froze, but not in fear as she would have expected. She froze in awareness of the sexy, bearded man who held her before her survival instinct kicked in and she started to struggle against his hold, panic gripping her.
She heard him swear before he whispered in her ear. “For fuck’s sake, woman, keep still and listen. My name is Kingsley Knight, but my friends call me King. I’m here to help you. We believe your uncle is behind your kidnapping and has been holding you against your will.”
She went still at his as his words filtered through her brain. Was he here to help?
“I don’t have time to explain. Raymond’s head of security just left the building and my man can only cause so much of a distraction before we blow our cover. I’m going to remove my hand. You need to keep quiet and follow me unless you want to get caught. Are we clear? Nod if you understand.”
Sydney nodded.
The man removed his hand from her mouth but kept hold of her wrist. “Follow me.”
He pulled her to the edge of the alleyway. Shielding her body with his own, he looked out. She managed to look under his armpit and saw Troy in an altercation with a dark-haired man covered in tattoos who seemed seriously pissed off. Troy had his back to her, and she felt the man in front of her grip her hand tightly, warmth enveloping her at his touch.
“Let’s go,” he said, and it was only then she grasped his British accent and her heart beat harder at the realization someone was on her side for once. It felt strange to have a stranger put his life on the line for her. Warmth flooded her belly, and she tightened her hold on his hand. Opening the door to an SUV, he boosted her in and moved to the driver’s seat before speeding away without a backward glance.
Chapter Six
As soon as they pulled away from the curb, Kingsley grabbed his phone and dialed Malco’s number. “We’re clear. And you?”
“Staying to keep an eye on them. I’m outside, but I saw that moron running around the building with Rutherford. He seemed pissed as hell so I would keep going if I were you. Is Sydney okay?”
A quick glimpse at the passenger seat told him she was for now, but he knew the adrenaline rush would crash and she could go into shock. “Yeah. Call Cleo and tell her to put Alliance on lockdown. I doubt Rutherford knows we’re involved, but better to be safe than sorry. And if he’s still in the dark, I want t
o make sure we use it to our advantage and get some information.”
“You’re taking her to Alliance?”
Kingsley’s first instinct was to take her to his place, but it was clear while she trusted him for now, Sydney wouldn’t continue to without reassurance and serious explanations. He could only rely on her survival mode for so long before her cautious side kicked in. “Yeah, we’re heading there.”
“Good. I’ll take a couple of the guys to help me, but we’ll keep out of sight for now. Also, I’ll send someone to where she was being held to make sure he’s not holding anyone else. I think she’s the only victim, but you never know. If I get more information, you’ll be the first one I call.”
Ending the call, Kingsley pocketed his phone and saw she hadn’t missed a single word he’d said or looked away from him the entire time. Serious but ready to bolt, it was clear her trust was wearing thin and a quick look at her grip on the door confirmed she was prepared to run.
“That was Malco, the man you saw dealing with one of your kidnappers. He’s keeping an eye on them and will forward me information. I’m taking you to the Alliance Agency. You’ll be safe there.”
“Who are you?” Her voice was tinged with suspicion, and he couldn’t blame her.
“As I said, my name is Kingsley Knight. I work for the Alliance Agency. We’re a new company specializing in missing person cases. Your uncle came to us saying you had been kidnapped. When we started digging, some of the information he’d given us didn’t make sense. My team found inconsistencies, and we decided to follow him. That led us directly to you. We saw you being dragged into the car and then inside the bank and had to act quickly.”
Kingsley watched as Sydney swallowed hard. It was apparent she was struggling to hang onto her control and courage. “Why should I believe you aren’t working for him? You’ve just admitted my uncle hired you.”
Kingsley nodded. “I understand your concern. You can tell me to stop the car right now, and I’ll let you out. I can also drop you at a police station if you prefer. But I would rather take you to our headquarters. We have a state-of-the-art security system and everyone that works there has a police or military background. I suspect even Cleo has one.”
It was subtle, but she relaxed a little. “Cleo?”
“Yeah, our badass office manager. I haven’t known her for long, but she can strike fear into the hearts of the most hardened agents.” He chuckled. “Or maybe it’s because she takes care of payroll and no one wants to get on her bad side.”
As he expected, the little joke helped lower her guard and relaxed her, if only for a few moments. He found himself wanting to see the smile that threatened the edges of her lips. He had to convince her to come with him to Alliance. Kingsley didn’t know if he had it in him to leave her alone on the street corner, even if it was what she wanted. He sensed in his bones danger still lurked. And most of all, he wanted the fear that colored her gaze to be gone, and for that, he knew the mission wasn’t yet finished.
“It’s your company? The one Raymond hired?”
Keeping a warm smile, he shook his head. “No. I don’t want that sort of responsibility. I like doing my job, not being buried in paperwork day in, day out. I met the owners on a mission and offered my services. They are good people. Emme and Shane started Alliance Agency and relocated here to Miami.”
“You’re not American.”
“No, I’m not, although I work with many of them. I’m from the UK and was in the service there. Then, I relocated here. Florida is quite a change from England’s rainy weather. A perk of the job I guess, although Americans can’t make anything close to a decent cup of tea,” he said with a grin.
Her laughter was tentative, but the sound squeezed something in his chest. “You’re just saying that because it’s such a cliché for someone from England to drink tea all the time.”
“No, ma’am. Do you think a bearded badass like me doesn’t drink tea? It’s in my genes and a cure-all for anything. I’m lucky Emme gets a steady supply from back home. Otherwise, a few of us wouldn’t be able to function properly.”
“Why Emme?”
“She’s English as well. She’s the one who convinced me to join her team.”
It may have been wishful thinking, but Kingsley could see her body lean a little more into the seat.
Stopping at a light, he turned to her, determined to make his case. “Sydney, I realize you don’t fully trust me. It’s understandable, sensible even. Your kin kidnapped you. We were hired to get you back, and we did, but there’s no way this is finished, and you know it. You’re still in danger until we make sure your uncle is taken care of.”
The fire was back in her eyes. “You’re right; I don’t trust you. But I’m thankful you helped me get out of there. You don’t know what my uncle is capable of. He has resources and enough money to turn anyone into his personal puppet.”
Something dark swirled inside him. “Not everyone is corruptible, Sydney.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is I’m alone, and I can’t risk being with someone who would turn on me the first chance they get.”
An emotion close to despair and anger threatened to make its way inside him when he touched her hand. “If he has connections, the ability to hire people to get you back and possibly kill you, you need an army of your own.”
She quickly pulled her hand away, her eyes wide with fright. “I don’t have the money to pay for an army.”
Something dark swirled in his stomach, seeing her reaction to his touch. “I’m not asking for money. Just for a chance to help you. I promise if you want to leave at any time, I won’t stop you. You’ll be free to go.”
Despite the honking from behind them, Kingsley couldn’t look away and break the connection. It was Sydney who finally faced forward. As he moved through the intersection, he debated trying again to convince her to give him and Alliance a chance. Damn, he didn’t understand this pressing need to help her, to not let her wander into harm’s way. He was usually so detached; it didn’t make any sense.
“Stop the truck.”
Watching the traffic, Kingsley made his way toward the curb before parking and switching on the hazard lights. Jaw tight, he watched as Sydney looked forward, breathing hard. Just as he was about to say something, anything to try and convince her he only wanted to help, she opened the car door and got out.
Remaining by the open door, Sydney looked around like a deer caught in headlights. Hands in fists, she stood there for a long, agonizing minute until she finally addressed him. “You really can help me?”
All the air seized in his lungs in released in a sigh. “I can. Me and my team. You’re not alone in this.”
She ran her fingers through her blond hair, making the soft strands float gracefully in the wind. Bedraggled, tired, and scared, he could see this woman wasn’t even close to quitting. It was admirable.
“Why? I’m nothing to you. It doesn’t make sense.”
At that, he shrugged. “Call me old-fashioned. I’m not the kind of man to turn my back on a damsel in distress.”
When she blinked and looked at him like he’d lost a few marbles along the way, Kingsley almost felt insulted. But his irritation was quickly replaced by a nagging question. The kidnapping alone wasn’t what caused her reaction; it was embedded way deeper. The way she had pulled away at his touch, combined with the look of panic on her face, had warning bells ringing loudly in his head. What had happened to her to create that kind of fear? To make her suspicious of a sincere offer of help? He hated the thoughts that were running through his head but he couldn’t dismiss them.
He hated her hesitation almost as much as waiting like a sitting duck on the side of the road. He had to fight his inner caveman that urged him to grab her and run. He knew deep down in his gut she had to trust him, to come willingly with him. In a sign of trust and appeasement, he extended his arm to offer his hand.
Sydney looked at it for a long moment, but he didn’t waver. “You pr
omise at any time I’ll be able to walk away?”
At that moment, he felt as if he had won the greatest battle of his life, but he knew he was still on probation. So he smiled when she awkwardly took his extended hand and sat back in his truck and closed the door.
“Can I at least pretend I’m here to protect you? Otherwise, I’ll lose all credibility with my team.”
As she relaxed a bit at his joke, he didn’t wait and swerved back on the road toward Alliance.
* * *
Sydney was still debating if she had made the right decision to stay. Her head told her she was a fool to trust a man who had admitted being hired by Raymond, but her gut told her if she had to choose between running alone or hopping in the truck with him, the bearded stranger was the best bet. And by gut feeling, she didn’t mean the warmth that spread every time he looked at her, or when he touched her. Her reaction to him surprised her almost as much as his sudden appearance at the fire escape door.
Since her childhood violation, arousal and intimacy of any kind had been difficult. Not that she hadn’t forced herself to have a good life that included a boyfriend, but intimacy had been a challenge. It took loads of trust and time, and her body didn’t flare up as she hoped. She had come to terms with the fact that sex was something she didn’t enjoy and was only there for the other person’s pleasure. What was happening now was unexpected, raising many questions and more importantly, was a dangerous distraction. Could she let her guard down with Kingsley Knight? Why was she having such thoughts for a man she had just met? Maybe these sudden lustful thoughts were messing with her brain… a brain she needed more than ever.
When he turned into another street, Sydney automatically made a mental note of it, keeping track of her location. After taking a couple more turns, they finally reached a large compound. When he turned into the entrance, she couldn’t help but grab the door handle.
