Carlos moved his hand to cover hers.
She glanced at her hand, then at him.
“It’ll be okay,” he whispered. “I won’t leave your side.”
She smiled and nodded. “I can do this.”
There was the strength he’d glimpsed in her. He hoped it would be enough to keep them from being caught.
Inside the castle walls Carlos saw what Gabrielle had been trying to tell him. The gardens within view were so perfectly sculpted he wondered if the gardeners were engineers as well as artists. When the limo driver parked, Carlos stepped out and circled the car on cobblestones to open Gabrielle’s door before the driver could. He got another miffed sound for that.
Carlos offered a sinister smile at the little bastard, who shrank back with a frown.
At the top of stone steps was a pair of arched oak doors with heavy black hinges and a family crest with birds scrolled on the weathered surface. When the left door swung open, a fiftyish man with a dour face and thick lips too rosy for a guy appeared. His charcoal-gray suit was no more inviting than the stern set of his graying caterpillar eyebrows. He waited patiently while Gabrielle and Carlos climbed the steps.
“Welcome, Mademoiselle Saxe,” he said to her, then turned to Carlos. “You must be her security.” The slur came through in his words.
Carlos said nothing since he was the only person accompanying Gabrielle and the statement was meant to lower him to the level of hired help. Did this bunch really think their snubbing would cut him? He wanted to laugh.
“Please follow me.” Their guide inclined his head and walked away with them right behind.
The hall they entered had arched ceilings over twenty feet high that were painted in trompe l’oeil, basically a bunch of butt-naked baby angels pointing at each other. Their guide wound his way through more arched walkways with elaborately carved borders gold-leafed in what was likely real gold. The place could be a museum for all the intricate craftsmanship that had gone into every piece of structure and painted surface. Chandeliers so delicately designed they reminded him of lace glass hung in every open space.
They followed the guide up blue-gray marble steps of a sweeping staircase with gold-and-black rails of vines twisted around spear-shaped vertical braces. At the upper landing, which sprawled in a semicircle with halls off each side, plush handwoven rugs with scenes of ancient France covered the floors.
More impressive was the narrow cut Carlos had detected within the arched entrance to each area they had passed through. Had to be where this school hid their security-screening device since no one had asked him to empty his pockets or her purse.
He had no gun, but living on the streets alone as a teen had taught him how to find a weapon anywhere in any place.
A man in his late twenties with well-behaved short brown hair sat at a mahogany desk in the center of the area they’d reached. Priceless tapestries covered the walls on each side of him. He was facing a computer monitor until they neared, then he looked up and rose to his feet. He fixed a practiced smile on his clean-shaven face and dismissed their guide with a nod before he spoke.
“Mademoiselle Saxe. How nice to meet you. I’m Pierre Prudhomme.” He smiled at her.
Gabrielle angled her head in polite acknowledgment. “Monsieur.”
“One moment.” Pierre lifted a phone receiver, spoke too softly to be heard, then hung up and ushered Gabrielle toward a door several steps away. After two taps, he opened the door and stepped back and faced her.
“Monsieur LaCrosse is expecting you and has been informed of your preference for English.”
Gabrielle’s posture stiffened, to the point Carlos began to wonder if she could handle the pressure sitting on her shoulders. When she entered, he stepped inside, then stood out of the way, playing the role of bodyguard with his feet apart and hands behind his back. He left the dark shades in place.
No point in spoiling their image of hired security.
LaCrosse stood behind a dark-mahogany desk with intricate inlaid designs and birds carved into the corners. The piece had to be over two hundred years old and would dwarf a smaller man. But LaCrosse was close to six feet six and wore a tree-bark-brown suit that evened out the angles on his bony frame. Thinning hair cut in short layers matched his suit color. For all the blandness of his scholarly image, green eyes sharp as a cat’s took in everything with precision.
Carlos could see how this man’s size alone would terrify a young girl, but Gabrielle was now an adult.
Still, he regretted putting her in this spot.
“Mademoiselle Saxe, how nice to see you again.” LaCrosse stepped forward, took her hand, and pecked a polite kiss on the back of her fingers before releasing her. “I trust you traveled well?”
“Yes, merci.”
The hesitance in her submissive tone worried Carlos. If she failed this first test, they were screwed.
“Please, have a seat,” LaCrosse said to her. “I appreciate your coming to help us with this problem. I understand you’ve lived somewhat reclusively for a long time.”
“I’m happy to help my school,” she said with plenty of sincerity. “That’s why I continue the IT chat boards for your students.” She shrugged out of her coat, draping it over her lap when she sat.
“Yes, yes. We’re quite grateful for your assistance.” LaCrosse leaned back in a high-back leather chair. “Our IT department is eager to observe as you institute the new system.”
Gabrielle sat silently for a moment, then said, “I’ll instruct them after I’ve completed my work.”
Carlos was glad for the dark shades or LaCrosse might have caught his surprise, too, at her curt tone.
“You only have four days,” LaCrosse pointed out.
“I see no problem,” Gabrielle answered with less edge.
“Surely, you’ll need assistance while making the repairs and changes,” LaCrosse countered congenially, but his annoyance at being rebuffed showed.
Having others nosing around would complicate things, but Carlos would figure out how to cover for her.
“If I do, I’ll inform you of such.” Another sharp reply from her that wiped the smile from LaCrosse’s eyes.
Carlos cut his gaze at Gabrielle. If she rebuffed this guy a little too hard, they might get tossed out on their ears. What had happened to her fear of this man?
LaCrosse leaned forward, hands clasped together in front of him. “We prefer that everyone be escorted while visiting here.”
In other words, he would not allow Gabrielle free run of the estate.
Silence piled into the space between them while LaCrosse waited on her to acknowledge his decree, clearly not pleased with her countermanding his rules.
Gabrielle lifted her head, eyes calm and unwavering. “I came in good faith, as an alumni who walked these halls for many years unescorted. I still remember how to traverse the compound without getting lost, so I appreciate the offer of a guide, but respectfully decline.”
Carlos was torn between wanting to tell her “Atta girl” and wishing he was close enough to give her a warning nudge. Didn’t she realize he could keep any escort distracted while she worked? She was obviously making a valiant effort to maneuver an optimum situation, but getting tossed off the property wouldn’t aid their cause.
That’s when the difference in her dawned on Carlos. It was as if the clothes she’d donned beneath her coat were her armor and gave her confidence that came with her position in life.
LaCrosse studied her a moment, deliberating on something, then offered her a smile that looked as though he had a mouthful of tacks. “As you wish.” He stood. “Would you like to get settled in your quarters then take a look at the system?”
“Yes, that sounds fine.” Her voice had returned to that of the demure woman who had entered. She stood as LaCrosse stepped around his desk.
When he reached her, she said, “I’d like to introduce my security companion-”
“That won’t be necessary,” LaCrosse cut her off
. “We have exceptional security and you know our six-month review protocol for allowing anyone on this property. I’ll have the driver drop your man in Carcassonne and pick him up in four days when he takes you to the airport.”
FIFTEEN
GABRIELLE WAS NOT staying here alone.
Carlos had agreed to let her handle LaCrosse when she assured him she understood the man’s personality, but it was time for him to step in. He opened his mouth to tell LaCrosse they would both stay in Carcassonne when Gabrielle pinned LaCrosse with a deadly glare.
“What?” She served that cutting reply with a dose of outrage. “I thought you were in a dire situation. That’s why I dropped everything and came immediately. I do this for you and you insult me?”
LaCrosse’s hard gaze didn’t budge. “Mademoiselle Saxe-,” he started in a clenched-jaw, you-must-understand tone.
“It’s Mademoiselle Tynte Saxe.” The razor edge she delivered that on was meant to cut a man off at the knees. “The Tynte family who have donated to this institution for almost two decades, building an entire wing for the IT department, re-creating the historic design of this structure right down to hand-cut stones. I’ve had two attempts on my life in the past ten years. I do not travel without personal security and took a risk just to make this trip. I assure you your background checks are nothing compared to my family’s vetting process for my protection. Your security is much appreciated, but nothing will give me the comfort of being away from the safety of my home except my bodyguard, Mr. Delgado, to whom I expect to have the same welcome extended if you want my help. If not, I can arrange for accommodations in Carcassonne for both of us and catch a flight home tomorrow.”
Sweat beaded along the smooth skin on LaCrosse’s forehead.
Damn. Carlos stared at Gabrielle through new eyes. She was terrified and he knew it, but she’d given that speech with all the passion of a queen tossing a gauntlet at the feet of her worst enemy.
“Mademoiselle Sax-Tynte Saxe, I beg your pardon. I meant no insult.” LaCrosse swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple convulsing. His pale skin turned a greenish cast.
A verbal kick in the nuts did that to a man.
“Oh, well.” Gabrielle turned to Carlos, her voice firm. “To use your favorite line, let’s go.” She stepped toward the door and Carlos moved ahead of her to reach for the knob.
“Wait, please.” LaCrosse cleared his throat. “Allow me to make a phone call.” He reached over and dialed the phone with decisive punches to each key, but his hand trembled. When someone on the other end answered, he covered his mouth and whispered tersely, shaking his head as if the other person could see him, then sighing right before he hung up.
“We can accommodate Mr. Delgado as well.” He’d agreed with polite grace, but he wasn’t particularly happy. Someone had him by the short hairs and was braiding them.
Carlos waited for Gabrielle to make the next move. This was her show and she’d been running it like a pro. He couldn’t find the words to describe the respect he had for her at the moment.
That was one gutsy female.
She sighed dramatically and turned to face LaCrosse. “If you’re sure. I wouldn’t want to insult you either.”
“You’re positive you can get us back running in four days?”
“Perhaps sooner if things go well, but four days are the most I’ll need,” she assured him.
Carlos moved to the side again, guard position stance.
LaCrosse strode to the door and opened it to his assistant. “Pierre, please show Mademoiselle Saxe and her security companion to their accommodations.”
A moment of surprise flickered on Pierre’s face before he stood, a polite mask slapped over his pale features. “Of course. Please follow me.”
Gabrielle forced her breathing not to escalate, but her blood pressure was another matter as she walked behind Pierre. Her rapidly thumping heartbeat should be loud enough to echo against the stone-and-mortar walls of the hallway and betray her false confidence. She clutched the coat in her arms to keep her hands from shaking. That whole threat to leave had been a bluff, but Carlos would not stay without her and she couldn’t ruin this chance to win her freedom.
She had four days to complete her work on the computer system, then find a way to elude Carlos. The thought of leaving him knocked a massive hole in her confidence.
Could she survive without him right now?
What would he do if she did try and he caught her?
Pierre paused at a door, punching a code into a panel to unlock it, then turned to her. “This will be your quarters.”
Gabrielle entered, her eyes trying to take it all in at once. This was the first time she’d ever set foot in the inner sanctum where senior staff and dignitaries stayed. The sort of suite her family would normally stay in when they traveled, but she hadn’t in a long time. The ceiling soared to twelve feet. A gilt, eight-foot-wide wall-console table along the left end of the room had a Sarrancolin marble top and matching carved mirror that would overpower an average sitting room.
Gabrielle had crossed to the beveled-glass window and turned in time to see Pierre start to step forward, then pause.
Carlos lowered a dark-shade-covered gaze at Pierre.
Powerful in every respect and with a confidence Gabrielle found enviable, Carlos just stood there, pulsing with intimidation.
Pierre gulped and lifted his hand in a motion for Carlos to enter next, then followed. He cleared his throat, but his voice was a notch high. “We didn’t know which bag was yours, Mademoiselle, so both were delivered here.”
Gabrielle stepped back through the sitting area, decorated with seventeenth-century furnishings, ignoring for the moment the double doors that opened into what had to be the bedroom.
She hid her giddy feeling and turned a solemn demeanor to Pierre. “This will be acceptable. Merci.”
“Your room is across the hall,” Pierre said to Carlos, and moved toward the suitcases. “Which one is yours?”
Carlos strode over as if to point it out for him, but didn’t. “I stay where she stays. We’ll make this work.”
Pierre’s appalled expression was nothing compared to what Gabrielle was feeling. Didn’t Carlos realize how that would look or what the administration would think?
“But, monsieur, this is not, uh, this is not-” Pierre’s worried gaze ran to her for help.
“Acceptable?” Carlos finished for him. “I’m not concerned with decorum, only her safety. Her reputation will remain intact…or I’ll know who soiled it.”
Clearly not used to dealing with an alpha male, Pierre backed up two steps.
Gabrielle had to help the poor guy or he’d have a seizure. “This is quite all right, Pierre.” She walked over to Carlos and hooked her hand around his thick biceps and said, “I prefer that he stays,” with just enough inflection for anyone to read between the lines that they were intimate.
Her body jumped at the mere idea of being intimate with a man like Carlos.
“If you say so,” Pierre mumbled, confused. He finally regained his composure and gave them the four-digit code to open their door and dismissed himself, backing out.
Carlos chortled, then turned those dark glasses on her.
Gabrielle released his arm and let out the breath that had been strangled by the lump of fear in her throat. “Mon Dieu…”
Carlos covered her mouth and she panicked. What was wrong?
He leaned close to whisper. “Let me engage a bug jammer until I can sweep the room.”
She nodded and waited while he pulled out something that looked like an iPod and pressed several buttons. Her gaze strayed to the double doors open to the bedroom with its poster bed with a black brocade headboard. Gold, burgundy, and black pillows embroidered with alternating colors were piled at the head of the bed covered in black silk. She might have to make a running start to reach that mattress covered in black satin. The only other thing she could see from here was a rosewood chest-on-chest.
Ca
rlos stepped between her and the bedroom view, speaking quietly. “Okay, we can talk. What was that ‘Mon Dieu’ about?”
“LaCrosse was close to a stroke when we left him.” She kept her voice down just to be careful. “This might put him over the edge. I was afraid I said too much.”
Carlos’s smile softened. He removed his glasses and stuck them in his jacket pocket and cupped her face with his hands. “Stop fretting. You did great. Do you always wield your family name like a sledgehammer?”
His compliment stroked a balm across her fears, calming her. “No. I’ve never used my family’s power before, but I remember how my mother would react when anyone tried to push her around. She was amazing so I just tried to act and speak the way I thought she would in my shoes. But I feel a little embarrassed at bullying a man I respect so much.” Her voice trailed off with a fading memory of the woman she’d admired and lost at far too early an age.
Carlos took her hands, rubbing his thumb across the delicate skin. Her heart took off racing again for an entirely new reason.
She was alone with this gorgeous man whose touch was driving her crazy. Gabrielle leaned forward, her body taking the initiative she was terrified to consciously do.
He lowered his head slightly.
Her pulse pounded with anticipation. He was finally going to kiss her. She lifted up on her tiptoes. Her eyes fluttered closed.
Carlos froze when he realized he was an inch from kissing Gabrielle. He’d been so surprised to see her confidence fly out the door behind Pierre after that show of force in LaCrosse’s office. He’d meant to comfort her by holding her cold hands until she relaxed.
She’d been pretending, and doing a damn good job of it.
Her lips were so close he could feel her fast breaths on his neck. She wanted him to kiss her. It was written all over her face, but kissing her was not part of the plan. Peeling her out of that sexy suit sure as hell wasn’t part of the plan, even if she might share more about what she knew.
He’d never use a woman that way.
Whispered Lies Page 20