by Misty Evans
Kaiser swore; Ryker kept going. “My wife… she's been mugged. I have to go.”
“Mugged?” Enya and Kaiser said at the same time, complete surprise on both their faces.
Ryker stopped at the door and pointed a finger at his host. “Oui, and it happened here in your hotel.”
He didn't wait for a response and took off running.
Get to her.
The lights in the hall flickered, emergency lighting kicking in. Who had done it? Beatrice and Parker still didn't know, and he had to be the first to ask Mia when she came to.
Please don't let her be hurt, really hurt.
He should've stayed with her, never gone to that damn poker party. He’d known better than to trust Kaiser.
But the man had truly seemed surprised, so maybe he wasn't behind it. Could it be a random mugging?
The bright exit sign gleamed at the end of the hallway above the stairwell door. He was a few steps from it when he heard Enya. “I'll call security.”
“A doctor too,” he yelled back as he blasted through the door.
Kaiser was heading the opposite direction, toward the elevators. Enya trailed after him still looking over her shoulder at Ryker as if questioning why he was heading to the stairwell. “Send them to our room!” Ryker yelled.
Mia lay in the shadows on the bare concrete on the other side of the heavy door, nearly causing him to jam it into her back in his haste. As it slowly closed behind him, he dropped to his knees beside her.
Gently rolling her onto her back, everything inside him reacted. She was limp as a noodle and an ugly, large lump pushed up behind her left ear.
Goddamnit. I never should've left her alone.
Because this is what happened. He tried to protect them—the women who counted on him—yet somehow, he always managed to screw it up.
Removing his earbud from his pants pocket, he stuck it in and tapped it, turning it on. His voice was ragged as he reported in, anger roaring through him. “Package retrieved.”
Parker began relaying instructions, but all he heard was a buzzing noise. Anger heated his veins, even as his fingers found a strong, steady pulse in Mia's neck. Sitting on the cold concrete, he pulled her into his lap and hugged her close.
“I'm here,” he whispered in her ear, softly brushing back a strand of hair from her lips. So beautiful, so smart. A giant pain in his ass in some ways, and yet she’d breathed life into him again. “I'm going to take care of you.”
Chapter Eight
Survive the rescue operation
* * *
Someone was hammering right next to Mia's head and it was so overpowering in her ears, it made her pulse throb and her stomach revolt. She was flying through the air—no, her body was being jolted, thudthudthud.
“Hang in there,” a soft, low voice said. “We’re almost there, JoJo.”
Cobwebs filled her brain. She just wanted the hammering to stop, the jolting making it even worse. What happened? Where am I?
And who was the man speaking to her, calling her… JoJo?
She cracked an eyelid open, then shut it quickly at the bright overhead light. The jolting slowed—was she being carried?—and she heard a door opening, closing.
A familiar scent tickled her nose, outdoorsy, pine needles, Earl Grey tea.
She couldn't quite place it but her body relaxed and she curled into the warmth on her left side. Her cheek lay on soft silk; strong arms cradled her. She was definitely being carried, and she had to admit, it felt damn good.
Safe.
The cobwebs didn’t want to clear, the heavy weight of her bones calling her back toward sleep. Her fingers found more silk fabric, curling in and holding on.
“Stop… hammering,” she whispered.
“Shh,” the voice murmured, the man's chest rumbling under her fingers. “I've got you.”
She wanted to stay wrapped in these solid, warm arms forever, but something niggled at her brain. The scented pine, the deep voice…
Everything came crashing back, making her head hurt even more. “Ry—Gaspard?” She could barely form the word as she forced her eyes open.
There he was, his face tilting down, those beautiful eyes locking with hers.
“What happened?” she managed to get out.
His brow furrowed and he frowned. “You don't remember?”
The canned lighting overhead made her squint as he carried her down a hallway. She tried to shake her head but the very movement sent spikes of pain through her skull. “No.”
They must’ve arrived at the room. He hugged her tighter, shifting her weight. She heard the beep of the key card unlock the door and then he was carrying her across the threshold.
Inside, he went straight to the bed, lowering her gently and propping a pillow under her throbbing head.
There was no hammering going on except inside her skull. Flickering images came back to her. “Two men…black masks. I fought them.”
“That you did.”
The bed dipped with his weight as he sat next to her. Lips tight, he scanned the left side of her head. “You were attacked in the stairwell on the second floor landing. You called me, remember? Told me where to find you.” He nodded at her and winked, although there was nothing lighthearted about his face or words. Play along.
“Oh…right. Yes, I remember.”
He must've realized from the look on her face that she had no idea what he was talking about. He leaned down close to her ear, his breath hot on her neck, as he whispered, “We don't know who attacked you, but Kaiser is aware of the incident and we need to have our stories straight before security and his doctor arrive.”
Two fingers raked back her hair and gently probed at a sore spot.
“Ow!” She turned her head away, racked again with intense pain. The cobwebs subsided, thanks to the pain he was inflicting on her.
His eyes were dark with anger. Was he pissed at her?
Maybe he had reason to be. “They took my… clutch.”
He rose from the bed, disappearing from her sight. She heard water running in the bathroom, and soon he was back with a wet washcloth and the ice bucket. “What was in there that someone might've wanted?”
He placed a few pieces in the center of the washcloth, folding up the ends to form an ice bag. It felt wonderful as he held it against the injury, and she released a sigh through her nose. Did he know about the brush pass? Had someone seen Hathor take hers and exchange it?
“I have no idea.” Which was true, but had there been something in that clutch someone believed was valuable? Parker had been surprisingly silent and Mia touched her ear, searching for her comm unit.
Crap, it was gone.
She motioned to it and he shook his head. She didn't know if that meant her bud was missing or he’d taken it. She hoped for the latter.
“Thank God you were able to call me before you passed out,” Ryker said, conveying with his eyes that she should go along with the lie. “Honestly, you don't need to take the stairs—your figure is amazing, and if you wanted a workout, you could've gone to the gym”—he gave her a crooked grin—“or waited for me.”
So they were going with that story—that she had wanted exercise? She rolled her eyes, but the action hurt and she groaned softly, shifting her head to press against the ice bag. Ryker’s hand skimmed her arm. “I will find out who did this and make them pay.”
The look in his eyes said the threat was no act. He was more than pissed, both at her stupidity and the men who’d jumped her.
“I will,” she insisted, channeling the attitude of a black-market arms dealer. “All I need you to do is figure out who they are and if they're still in this hotel.”
Further conversation was interrupted when two of Kaiser’s security, along with the hotel doctor, arrived. Ryker spoke to them outside the open door while the doctor checked her over.
The man was short and bald, his dark skin gleaming in the light from the lamp. No eye contact, and he didn't ask questions. Made
her wonder if he’d patched Kaiser up a few times after his illegal enterprises and knew better than to inquire about where injuries came from.
As he monitored her pulse and checked her blood pressure, she listened in on Ryker giving the bare facts of her story to the security guards. Her head continued to throb, especially with the doctor poking at it, but she went over and over what Ryker said in her mind, memorizing it.
A few minutes later, he declared she might have a small concussion, but seemed otherwise fine. It was up to them whether or not to go to the local hospital, where they would keep her overnight for observation.
Ryker thanked the man. One of the security guards pressed hard to be allowed to talk to Mia, but she had the distinct impression Ryker was trying to keep them away from her. She staggered off the bed, calling his name. “I'm going to be sick,” she said and shuffled as fast as she could, her head reeling, into the bathroom.
She slammed the door behind her, nearly sliding down to the floor her legs were so weak. It was no stretch to make gagging noises as if she were throwing up, just in case they could hear.
After a minute, she pulled herself up to the vanity, grimacing at her reflection. The lump wasn't that big, but it hurt like hell. She washed her face in the basin, sat on the edge of the tub and slowly peeled off her clothes. For a second, she simply sat there, willing her head to stop spinning, as she stared at her nightgown across the room on the hook behind the door. Her vision blurred and it looked like there were three of them.
Breathing slowly and evenly, she closed her eyes for a moment, then rose carefully and crept along the wall, keeping her hands on it for balance.
She stopped when she could reach out and brush her fingers against the gown. She tried to lift it from the hook but her stomach was doing somersaults, and she had the feeling she might not make it to the toilet if she did throw up for real.
Closing her eyes again and doing more deep breathing, she told herself all she had to do was put it on then she could lay down. Once the nausea subsided, she cracked an eye open and focused on the gown. One inch at a time, she closed in until her fingers fisted the material, but then the door flew open, making Mia yelp.
Pain exploded in her head again, Ryker catching her as she lost her balance.
“Shit,” he said under his breath.
She was naked in his arms as he lowered her to the cold tile floor, but at that moment, she couldn’t have cared less. “I just… need a moment.”
His hands were gentle, his voice soothing. “Maybe we should go to the hospital.”
“No, I'll be fine in a minute. Give me my gown, please.”
He snagged it and helped her into a sitting position. His warm hands managed to slide it on her without any trouble, and once covered, she forced yourself to meet his eyes. “I need water and aspirin. Asap.”
He stood, and before she could protest, scooped her in his arms and carried her into the main room, setting her on the bed once more. To her dismay, Karl Kaiser stood inside the door.
At least the security guards were gone. Ryker tucked the comforter around her so she was completely covered. She closed her eyes and pretended she wanted to sleep, as Ryker made his way to the kitchenette and took out a bottle of water from the fridge.
“I am so sorry, JoAn,” Kaiser said from his spot near the door. “I have my best people looking for video footage to try and identify your attackers.”
She gave a brief nod, all but ignoring him.
“I hate to badger you, but my men said your purse was stolen. Nothing else. Seems as if that may have been their goal. Was there something of importance in it?”
The same question.
She wished she knew the answer. She didn’t respond other than to shrug a shoulder.
“One of your gun prototypes, perhaps?” He went on. “Could they have wanted to get their hands on it?”
He was persistent. She sent a tired look his way. “Why would I need to carry a weapon inside your casino?” As if finding the irony in that statement, she snorted. “Oh, wait, maybe because there are criminals running around who attack women in stairwells.”
Karl gave her a chagrined frown. “I hope you’ll let me make this up to you. Our record is spotless—we’ve never had such a thing happen.”
He didn’t want the cops involved obviously, and if her instincts were right, he truly seemed surprised about the incident.
Not quite sure how to respond, she simply looked away and gently massaged her aching temple. How exactly could he make it up to her? They were already in the honeymoon suite, everything had been comped, and outside of nailing her assailants, she wasn't sure what else he could offer. Unless…
Was he more willing to invest in her business now?
An injured female typically brought out the protective instincts of a male. Her father had always been like that with her mother, offering to do anything if she was sick or had a bad day, in order to make her feel better. Ryker had displayed the same characteristics, but Karl?
She had no idea exactly what form his guilt might take, and the best she could do was play up her injury. “It’s not your fault,” she said wearily, “but I think we might need to… cut our weekend short.”
Ryker fished out pain meds from his suitcase. The consummate spy, he didn't give her a surprised look, but played his part seamlessly. “First thing in the morning, we'll head out. I'll call the airlines tonight and get us booked on a plane to America.”
She took the two tablets and water, letting him help her sit up enough to drink. Keeping her eyelids lowered, she snuck a glance at Karl. He was shifting from foot to foot, hands in his pockets, jiggling his change. “But you'll miss the gala. Stay. I'll put a special security team on you, if you would like, and Gaspard can help me track down the men who did this. We’ve hunted a few criminals before, he and I.” A glance at Ryker as if they were a team. “Please, finish your weekend with us. I don't want you to leave with a bad taste in your mouth.”
No doubt because he wanted to do business with her. She fluttered her eyelashes a bit and looked away again. Ryker watched her, but she let silence reign a moment, as if debating.
“You’ll be my honored guests at the gala,” Karl persisted, “and tomorrow, when you're feeling better, we can discuss business. I’ve been running the numbers, talking to a few of my contacts. One of my friends is very interested and may be a perspective investor in your company. Your 3-D weapons have the potential to be a billion-dollar business in France alone.”
Yep, there it was. He felt bad about her being attacked in his hotel, but bottom line, he was more worried about losing out on a business venture.
“I'll think about it,” was all she said, sliding down into the sheets and putting her back to both men. “Now, please, I need some peace and quiet.”
* * *
Escape and evade
* * *
Kaiser caught them leaving the hotel the next morning. The valet had brought the Mercedes around and Ryker was helping Mia in when Karl came bustling up, Enya in tow.
“Wait, you're leaving?”
Ryker was pleased the man looked worried. Mia had called it, insisting they tease Karl a bit. “What did security footage turn up on our attackers?”
Kaiser brushed his jacket back, setting both hands on his hips. “We had a glitch with our electricity for a few minutes at that time. The cameras in that section were down.”
Ryker took off his sunglasses and narrowed his eyes at the man. “Someone hacked your system?”
Enya shot a glare at Ryker. “It was a simple malfunction, not a hack. The generators kicked in and restored us to full power in all areas in less than a minute.”
He glared back. “Seems pretty convenient your security cameras were out at the very same time my wife was attacked.”
“I've gone through the guest list,” Kaiser said. “No one seems to be a likely candidate for this, but then, I don't know your wife's contacts and acquaintances. Could it be she's attrac
ted the wrong kind of attention because of her business?”
Ryker was almost one hundred percent sure the man in front of him had choreographed the whole situation. He'd assumed JoAn Rimer would carry one of her own 3-D guns with her, and the most likely place was her purse.
Parker had been two steps ahead of the man, placing one in the clutch Hathor had exchanged with Mia, anticipating Kaiser would want to see the real thing. What she hadn't expected was for Mia to be mugged.
Ryker’s mind flashed back to finding her on the floor unconscious. It made his blood boil. His hand fisted, everything in him itching to punch Kaiser in the face. The only reason Karl was so interested in doing business with them now was because he'd seen the real thing and realized the potential.
Bastard. “We’re going for a drive,” Ryker said, “and I have the feeling my pocketbook’s going to take a hit.”
“Sorry.” The man lowered his brows. “I don't understand.”
Mia smiled at Karl through the window as Ryker shut the door. “Happy wife, happy life,” he threw out. “I need to keep her happy, and after last night, she's demanding sightseeing and shopping.”
“So, you're not leaving for America?”
Ryker blew out a deep sigh and looked around, as if he wished they were. “Depends. When we return, I want to see your guest list, see if there's anyone on there who raises a flag with me. I want to see the security footage too.”
“We’ve already gone through it,” Enya argued.
Ryker put his sunglasses on and shook his head in disgust. “We'll talk when I get back.”
With that, he jumped in the car and they took off.
According to Parker, Kaiser had placed a GPS tracker under the back bumper, but no listening devices inside. At least they were free to talk now.
He drove for the beach. He had a million questions for Mia but started with the most important. “How are you feeling? For real?”
She wore a sundress in bright yellow and green, her beautiful shoulders exposed. She shrugged slightly. “Pissed, but fine.”