by Serena James
He kept tapping his foot. “Yep. Just think of me as sticking to you like superglue.”
“Great.” But she smiled. “Well as long as you are here make yourself useful and get me some towels sorted out and see what toiletries they’ve got. Come on jump to it.”
He stood up and started doing as he was told. He grinned at her as she pulled her hair out the band that tethered it in a ponytail. “Is this how it is going to be with you now? Giving me orders?”
She started undoing her jacket. “Yep. Get used to it. Think of me as your new CO.”
He raised his eyebrows. He would have laughed but then she was a woman and she probably meant it. They would discuss that later. He continued doing the task he’d been given, making sure she had everything she needed and was there anything else she wanted him to do.
He gave her the towels and turned his back as she undressed. He was tempted to turn around. Face his fear, prevent her from shielding him from it. But he didn’t want to cause her any distress. Then he saw the mirror. He couldn’t help it. He had to know. He angled himself so he could see. Rage streaked up inside him like a flamethrower. She was bruised from head to foot and there were cuts to her breasts. He remembered how she’d been made to believe they were going to mutilate her. For a couple of moments he couldn’t breathe. He wanted to rip the world apart.
She was struggling to undress. Every movement caused her pain that showed on her face. He realised now how much she had been hiding her true discomfort from him. He wanted to help her. He folded his arms to prevent himself from turning and reaching out to her. But when the plane lurched with a small pocket of air turbulence he saw her waver. She reached out and gripped the wall frustrated and defeated, worn out. He decided to turn around. She protested, crying out with horror, rushing to grab her fallen towel. He picked it up and wrapped it around her carefully.
“Dominic, please, you promised.”
He held her to him carefully. “Shhh, you don’t have to hide from me. You were struggling and you needed my help.”
“You looked in the mirror, didn’t you?”
“I’m sorry. I had to see... I didn’t want you having the burden of believing you were doing me a favour by trying to shield me from what they did to you. Remember...”
“Yes, I know. We face this together. Okay. Can I shower now?” she asked impatiently.
He made sure the water was warm and there was nothing she could slip on. He helped her get in to the small cubicle and sat down again. He rubbed his face and sat forward resting his arms on his legs trying to bat down his anger at the way she had been beaten and brutally violated. If he ever got his hands on the men who had done those things to her, that Srisai, he would rip him into small parts. He was going to make sure Rebecca’s father paid for what he’d done to her.
It was while he was sitting that he remembered the package that Anna had sent with him when they left London. He had forgotten to take it to the hospital in his haste to get there. He thought it might cheer her up, he had a feeling it contained clothes. She would appreciate a change. He cracked open the door and got Stuart to fetch it.
When he turned back she was out of the shower with a towel wrapped tightly around her. She looked tired and in pain but fresher and she seemed more than grateful for that. He guided her back to the seat and gestured to the large package he had balanced on the washbasin and unit.
“It’s from Anna...” he paused. “Your mother.”
She said nothing and he decided not to push it. He continued, “I think it might be clothes.”
“Really?”
“That’s got your interest! Want me to open it for you?”
She sounded sceptical, “Okay. If they are, she probably wants me to make sure I look good for the media when I get off the plane.”
He started opening the package. “Or maybe they are a present from a mother to her daughter to help raise her spirits after the ordeal she has been through.”
Again she said nothing. He couldn’t help but whistle with surprise when he saw what was inside. He muttered under his breath, “No expense spared there either.”
“What is it?”
There was a collection of bags from various designer stores, Prada, Christian Dior, Jimmy Choo... He handed them to her one by one. He could hear lots of oohs and aahs as she opened them. It was a pleasure and a relief to see her happy.
“She’s thought of everything. A suit, underwear, make-up, even a winter coat. She obviously didn’t trust Michael to bring me everything I needed. All my favourite designers as well. They’re gorgeous.”
He turned around and folded his arms and gave her a grin. “Hardly what she would send her employee.”
Rebecca threw him an impatient look. She was sitting knee deep in open bags. Tissue paper frothed all around her.
“Maybe so. What are you angling for?”
“You didn’t see how cut up she was about what happened to you. She really cares.”
“She rejected me. She probably wanted to abort me.”
“Look at it this way. She didn’t do that. She chose to give birth to you despite the situation. She might have given you up but she did so to people she trusted. She did it to keep you safe. That took sacrifice. She is still trying to protect you now. I just think you shouldn’t be too hard on her.”
She was silent but he could tell by the frown on her face that she was thinking about what he’d said.
He told her, “You get yourself ready. I am going to get on the phone to Allbright and tell him what is going on and that you have your memory back.” She gave him a blank look. “He was the Embassy guy who turned out to be an operative from MI5. He was harassing you in your hospital bed when I arrived, remember? Well, he came back to check on you a couple of times when you were sedated. Turns out he’s both senior and quite reasonable when you know how to deal with him. He had to go back to London. I said I would keep him informed. Then I am going to get a shower and a shave.”
He leaned down to kiss her. She reached up to him and put her arms around his neck and held him to her for a moment. She kissed him once more and then informed him that she was going to get dressed and start working again. It was time the world knew what the hell was going on.
“Maybe you can speak to your mother,” he suggested quietly.
“Maybe.”
“Okay, you are going to have to at some point. I’ll see you later. Be careful I will just be outside the door. Shout if you need me and don’t lock the door.”
“All right. All right. Go.”
* * * * *
Kane picked up one of the air phones and rang Allbright and told him the whole damn story.
Allbright was cautious, “Philip Traynor, the PM is involved?”
“Yes, afraid so.” Kane paused considering Allbright’s tone. “You don’t sound surprised?”
“I’m not. We have been closely monitoring some of his associates for a while. But nobody thought of this. He is putting the UK at severe risk. Are you anticipating any further trouble?”
“Possibly. He isn’t going to give up easily on getting Rebecca and she needs to expose him or Somwan is going to take out her wrath on London in a couple of days time.”
“That might be difficult. He is the PM after all. It may destabilize the government and the country if she does that. Can you hold her off until I can talk to her? There are a lot of terror groups that will take advantage in a situation like this one, not just Somwan and the BLA. Traynor is going to have to be dealt with behind closed doors. Tell Rebecca I need to speak to her urgently.”
“I am sure they will try and snatch her at the airport.”
“Do what you have to, to make sure you get her out of there safely. We’ve got the majority of our operatives out in the field working on finding Somwan’s cells I need you to protect Rebecca until we can round everyone up and call Somwan’s dogs off. You have clearance to use the firearms you obtained in North Bundhara. Get her to that safe house you told me ab
out. I’ll get the police to raid The Marsworth and The Weber Grey.”
“Okay. Quayle is bound to be back in London by now. He will most likely be preparing to carry out the operation on Traynor’s daughter.”
“We’ll pick him up. It’s a damn shame we haven’t got that laptop. We only have Rebecca’s account of all of this to rely on. It’s vital she is kept alive if we are going to bring Traynor down.”
Kane jumped on his words, “I don’t need to be told that. Don’t talk about her as if she is some sort of commodity, she is far more than that to me.”
There was a pause and then more humour in Allbright’s voice. “Yes, I got that impression. Do what you have to do, if you need any assistance just call. Get Rebecca to ring me.”
The plane shuddered suddenly with another small pocket of turbulence. Kane instinctively reached for the wall by the bathroom to support him. Funny, he hadn’t thought about his fear of flying until now. He closed his eyes for a brief second wishing he hadn’t remembered his phobia. Ever since that helicopter on that training exercise in the Royal Marines had to make a crash landing in the snow he had never been the same. He felt every nerve fibre in his body begin to tingle with anxiety.
Marcus Allbright was talking loudly down the phone at him, “Kane, are you still there?”
Kane felt the plane move again and then level flat calm. He breathed a sigh of relief.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I will get Rebecca to ring you.”
“She needs to keep Traynor’s name out of it for the moment and not mention anything about the bombs.”
“She isn’t stupid Allbright. She never spouts without hard evidence.”
“Make sure that she doesn’t.”
Kane prickled. He hated dealing with government spooks. But he had to keep Marcus on side to protect Rebecca. He refrained from making the rebuke that echoed in his mind out loud. Fuck off.
“By the way, Anna Harker has been rushed into hospital. She is in a coma and isn’t expected to last long.”
“Damn it. Rebecca is going to want to see her.”
Kane heard Allbright issue one of his blank statements that wasn’t meant to be questioned, “She can’t.”
“You really are a heartless bastard, aren’t you, Allbright?” Kane was determined, “I am going to take her to see her mother before she dies.”
“No, It’s too dangerous. There is too much riding on...”
“I’m taking her.”
“I’ll have you stopped and I will take Rebecca off your hands.”
Kane sneered at his threat. “Try it.” He turned the phone off.
He tapped the phone against his hand pondering his next move and how he was going to tell Rebecca about Anna when the bathroom door was flung open.
Rebecca beamed at him. “I’ve remembered. I remembered.” She reached up and kissed him. “I love you Captain Caveman.” He stared at her surprised and then found himself looking her up and down appreciatively. He only faintly heard her say, “You mustn’t check your e-mail very often.”
She was dressed in another black suit, this time with a skirt. High black leather boots covered her legs. She’d put her hair up again but it was coiled into a bun at the back. Her make-up was light and natural. He’d never seen her in heavy make-up and he was glad she wasn’t starting to wear it now to cover the fading bruising around her eye and cheek. She looked beautiful, alluring. He wanted to tell her that she was turning him on in that outfit. He opened his mouth and then snapped it shut quickly, suddenly horrified that he had even thought of her that way after...
He couldn’t even say it in his head. Couldn’t say the word, raped. His excitement drained. He felt like some kind of monster. For a moment he aligned himself with Srisai and the others. A string of images of her ordeal tortured his mind. He stared at her horrified as his mind interchanged one of the imagined faces of her attackers with his own as it contemplated whether or not he could be capable of committing the same act. He rubbed his face hoping somehow it would erase the image and the contemplation.
She was frowning at him when he looked back. He made sure his face was blank, trying to disguise his need for her and his thoughts. Her frown seemed to deepen as he watched her study him. He felt hot under the collar, afraid that she would somehow find him out.
She said, “What? You look me up and down and then look at me as though I were a nasty taste in your mouth.”
He tried to recover. Deny it, deny everything!
“I wasn’t looking you up and down.”
She put her hands on her hips and then thought better of it when she grimaced with pain. He took advantage and changed the subject. “Are you all right? Do you want to sit down? Can I get...”
“Stop. I’m fine, answer my question.” Her eyes betrayed her weariness and pain again.
He said calmly, quietly, “I didn’t.”
“Don’t use that voice with me and stop lying. You never lied to me before. I know what it means. You found me attractive for a split second and then you remembered everything they did to me.” Her voice started to rise. She looked flustered, frustrated. “I am right, aren’t I? You think I am dirty, damaged used goods.”
He lost his temper with her. “I hate that damn phrase. I don’t and never will think of you like that and you shouldn’t either. No one is going to think of you that way.” He remembered Boyle and made a mental note to give him another piece of his mind when they got home. He made an effort to lower his voice when he saw her bottom lip tremble despite the way she was glaring him with sharp pointed eyes.
He took hold of her arm and steered her to two seats and confessed before it got out of hand. Her eyes softened as he watched her think about what he’d said. He folded his arms defensively and awaited her reply. She told him gently, “This isn’t just affecting me, is it? We are both going to need help or it is always going to be between us.”
“I will always blame myself. None of that would have happened to you if you hadn’t gone to save my life. I wish you hadn’t.”
He leant forward and rested his arms on his knees. He bent his head. A second later he felt her fingers weaving through his hair in a soothing rhythmic motion. He closed his eyes and warmed to her touch.
She spoke to him in a whisper, “I would do it again to keep you safe.”
He didn’t know what made him say it at that moment but he felt compelled, “I don’t want you to do it anymore.” He felt her fingers come to a rest in his hair. He continued firmly, “I want you to stop putting your life at risk. It’s time. I don’t want to wake up one morning and find out on the news that you’ve been killed and I never even knew where you were. It would finish me this time. If you love me Rebecca and you want to be with me, you will give it up.”
Silence. Her fingers dropped from his hair. He listened to the engine of the plane and thought for a second that he had heard an anomaly in its smooth running. It was his way of shutting out the idea that he might lose her now. But he’d had to say it. It was how he felt and what he needed from her. Maybe it was too much to ask, to expect. To her it would be, but there it was and he had no choice but to try. The silence continued as she sat still beside him. He waited patiently for her rejection.
He heard her fingers tap on the leather of her seat. Then he heard her shift closer to him.
She said, “Okay. I understand what you want and why. But you are asking me to give up my career.”
He felt surprised there was no harsh bitter emotion or anger in her voice. It was a statement, plain and simple. He held his breath and waited. He didn’t dare to look at her. He didn’t want to read her emotions before she spoke again.
“You are asking a lot but I love you and I don’t want to lose you again. I will do it on one condition.”
He looked up at her from the side and raised one eyebrow at her quizzically.
“I want you to give up your work also. I don’t want you putting yourself on the line for some stranger
or it will be me waking up to be told of your death one day. If you want this it has to work both ways.”
He sat up and sighed. He thought about it critically. He said, “But It’s all I know.”
“Yeah well, Journalism is all I know. You can take a back seat. Run the company but no jobs. You shouldn’t need to be out there anyway.”
He thought some more. It was a fair comment.
She continued. “Maybe we could do something together.” She frowned, “I am not sure what but there must be something... Well anyway, if you want me to give up my life and for us to be together, that’s the deal.”
He stared at her. She had that determined stubborn look in her eyes. But there was also fear, fear he would reject her. He felt that aching pull towards her in his heart. He had been having thoughts about his role in his company in that direction anyway and it sounded as if she had maybe been considering her future with ATM. With Anna now so ill he had a feeling that her career was about to change anyway. He was sure Anna would leave her fortune and her business to her only daughter if she died.
He gave a long-suffering sigh. Whatever it takes, remember. Typical woman, typical Rebecca. She had to turn it round and throw an ultimatum back at you.
“Okay, you’ve got yourself a deal Eaton. But I am not sure about working together.”
She giggled, grabbed his arm and pressed her face against it. “We’ll see.”
He gave another sigh and lifted his arm away from her to sweep it around her body and draw her close. She snuggled against him. “You know Dominic, It’s all right to find me attractive, to get turned on by me... especially after what’s happened. It makes me feel desirable. That’s important. Please don’t hide it or feel guilty about it. It’s going to be a long time before I feel confident enough to make love again or my injuries let me. But to know I don’t turn you off is worth its weight in gold. I am relying on you Dominic. I need you to remind me that all men aren’t like Srisai. You are the only one I will trust to do that.”
He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze and kissed her forehead.