Covert Affairs

by Rhonda Laurel

  “I think I’ll pick up some takeout from a restaurant and tackle that wallpaper in one of the spare rooms.”

  “That sounds awful. If I weren’t going to my husband’s family’s house in Jersey I’d have you come over to my place.”

  “I know you would.”

  “Hey.” Gilda snapper her fingers. “Didn’t you say Mrs. Reed invited you to Thanksgiving dinner?”

  “She did, bless her heart, but I think going solo is best for me this year. It will give me a chance to get over my holiday fatigue, which starts around Halloween.”

  She was happy at the Reed matriarch’s offer to come to dinner until she’d thought about it longer. What if Trevor came home for Thanksgiving? He was usually MIA, but ever since his sister Charisma married and had a child, he’d been coming to town more often.

  “I know what you mean,” Gilda said. “If only they’d prescribe antidepressants for anxiety caused by Christmas decorations in September in most retail stores.”

  “Don’t forget Halloween costumes in August.” Theresa giggled and turned to go back into her office.

  “I’ll let you know if we get anymore deliveries today. What was it you were expecting?”

  She played with her sleeve. “I ordered the T-shirts for the seniors cruise. I thought they’d be here by now. I’m meeting with the group in a few days to give them the final itineraries and I thought it would be nice to hand them out.”

  “I can call and see what—”

  “No. It’s not necessary.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve been checking for updates on the delivery site, and they say they’re still en route. I was hoping they’d surprise me with an early delivery.”

  “Oh.” Gilda handed her a piece of paper. “You got a message when you were out to lunch from some guy named Lawrence. He said he was calling to confirm your date tomorrow. He sounded cute. Is he a good prospect?”

  “He seems nice.” And eager. He’d left her a message on her cell phone too.

  “Maybe he’s the one?” Gilda winked. “But then again, you’re pretty picky.”

  “‘Discerning’ is a more sophisticated word.” Truth was, she was tired of giving her number to presumably nice guys who turned out to be losers and who drunk-dialed her occasionally asking for a second chance. Thank goodness for the call block feature on cell phones. “Don’t forget I’m leaving at four for my seminar at Reed Bradley this evening.” She turned to head back toward her office.

  “And I’ll let you know if you get anything from Fantasy Locales Travel,” Gilda shouted after her. “I think whoever sends you those packages has a crush on you.”

  She slowed down. Gilda knew her too well. “Thanks.”

  She’d wondered herself how the person sending those packages seemed to know what she liked. It was as if they already knew the questions she’d want answered and put everything in a concise presentation that excited her imagination. She’d be deeply disappointed if there were no more of the mysterious packages coming.

  Theresa went back to her office and reviewed the itinerary on the screen. This would be her first time out with a seniors group, and she wanted to make sure they had fun. They were a feisty group. A few of the women reminded her of her abuela. They’d already told her they didn’t want seven days napping on the high seas. If she didn’t find something entertaining for them to do, the cruise ship might be facing an elderly mutiny.

  Funny how she was always planning someone else’s grand voyage while she remained chained to a desk, daydreaming about a life of adventure. Maybe it was time she thought about sending herself on a dream vacation. Catching rays by the pool and sipping on an exotic cocktail at a luxury, all-inclusive spa sounded like heaven.

  It had been a while since she’d taken some time to decompress. Because this was not how she’d imagined her life years ago. Well, she did imagine the successful business and the house, but these achievements also included a certain man she couldn’t stop thinking about. Trevor had been ingrained in her mind for so many years, and every time it felt like her heart was ready to heal, he’d pop back into town. It wasn’t fair that he kept doing that to her. It wasn’t fair that she was still in love with him.

  She went back to working on the things on her desk. She welcomed anything that would distract her from thinking about Trevor and whether he’d blow into town for the holidays and break her heart all over again.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Trevor looked out the window as the jet made the final descent for the private airport in Texas and prepared for landing. Shannon, who hadn’t left his side even when they were patching up his bullet wound, was sitting next to him and watching too. She’d been through a harrowing ordeal, but she was a brave young lady. It would take some time and counseling, but he was sure she’d be fine.

  As soon as they touched down and the jet taxied into a hangar, it was flanked with black SUVs. Guys in suits and brandishing weapons had secured all the entry points. A minute later, a limousine pulled into the building so fast its tires screeched when it stopped. Another car followed behind it. Shannon shot down the steps as soon as the jet door opened, with him and Rick in tow. She ran into the arms of the man who’d got out of the limousine. It was her dad, Jack Stanton. Shannon had been worried he’d be mad at her for that wild night and sneaking off from her detail. But he knew none of that would matter because he had his daughter back. Trevor had learned to steel himself from displaying too much emotion over the years, but he couldn’t help but get a warm feeling in his heart when Shannon held onto her father like she never wanted to let him go.

  “When’s the last time we saw a happy ending to the things we do?” Rick asked.

  Trevor sighed. “Not often enough.”

  When the people in the car black sedan behind the limousine got out and began walking toward them, he immediately knew who they were. It was Sam Blake, Regency executive and wife of John Blake. He’d met her at Derek and Charisma’s wedding. He didn’t know the guy who was with Sam.

  “Hello there, gorgeous,” Rick said as they came his way.

  “Down, boy. That’s Sam Blake. We’re related. She’s married to the ex-football player John Blake who runs Blake Enterprises. But I don’t know who that is with her.”

  “That’s Rafe Kendrick, an old army buddy who works for Regency.”

  Sam and Rafe walked up to them. “Trevor, so good to see you.” Sam delicately gave him a hug, skipping the formalities. “I heard you were shot. Are you OK?”

  “Just a graze.” He touched his side. “I’ll live.”

  “Thank you for everything you’ve done and on such short notice.”

  “I’m glad I could answer the call,” Trevor replied.

  “This is my partner Rafe Kendrick. He heads the security detail for all things Blake,” Sam said.

  “Good to meet you, Rafe. Thank you for looking after my family.”

  “Same here. I do my best to keep them all safe. We appreciate you stepping up to rescue Shannon. Thanks, Trevor.” Rafe shook his hand, then gave Rick a hug. “Rick, you old scoundrel. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

  “I knew if you and Hunter were trying to reach me, it was a dire situation,” Rick replied.

  “What’s the sit-rep on the kidnappers?” Rafe asked.

  “They eluded local police when they escaped the nightclub raid, but those slimy buggers are still on the move.” Trevor rubbed the back of his neck.

  “So, Rafe. Does that make us even for that thing in Germany?” Rick asked.

  “Uh, no,” Rafe replied. “But it does earn you and Trevor a beer on me. My treat at a watering hole the Blakes frequent called the Bright Star. How about tonight?”

  “We can’t stay. Loose ends and all,” Trevor said. “Loose ends” was more like being raked over the coals by his boss for not listening to orders.

  “You’re not staying?” Sam asked.

  “No, and if you don’t mind, please don’t tell Morgan and Isabelle that I was here. There’s no simple e
xcuse I could give in the world for being in Texas and leaving so quickly. They’d demand I stay for at least a week.”

  “Gotcha.” Sam nodded.

  “I hope you don’t get your ass handed to you for breaking from the plan,” Rafe said.

  Trevor looked at Shannon as she walked toward them with her dad and Hunter Collier. “I’d say it was worth it.”

  As soon as he joined the group, Jack Stanton started in right away by grabbing his hand and saying, “I can’t thank you enough.”

  “We were just happy to help, sir.” Trevor smiled at Shannon, who then ran over and threw her arms around his neck.

  “Thank you, Trevor,” she said in a strained voice. “I’ll never forget what you did for me.”

  “You’re welcome, Shannon.” He winced from the pain in his ribs. “Just promise me that you won’t shake another detail.”

  “I promise. I would be dead if it weren’t for you.” Tears ran down her cheeks.

  “Hey.” He wiped her tears away. “You were doing a pretty good job shifting into survival mode before I showed up. Remember, you have great survival instincts. I mean that, and don’t ever forget it.”

  “I promise, I won’t.” She kissed him on the cheek.

  Trevor turned to her father. “Mr. Stanton. You have a very brave daughter. She kept her head and figured out a way to manipulate the situation. If it weren’t for her quick thinking, they never would’ve made contact for a ransom.”

  He kissed his daughter on the cheek. “I would have given up everything I had for you.” He turned back to Trevor. “I’m in your debt. Whatever you want.”

  “That’s awfully generous—” Rick started.

  Trevor interrupted. “We could use a lift.” He motioned to the jet.

  “You got it. Wherever you need to go.”

  “That’s every generous of you,” Rick replied. “Flying commercial is so daunting.”

  “You’re laying it on a bit thick,” Trevor said under his breath so only Rick could hear. “We’ve ridden in cargo planes with no seats.”

  Mr. Stanton seemed pleased to be able to help. “And if you ever need anything at all, or you decide you want to work in the private sector, please let me know. I could use men with your talents. Rafe and Hunter can’t say enough good things about you two.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Trevor, I owe you one.” Hunter shook his hand then turned to Rick. “Rick, now I owe you two.”

  “Actually, it’s three, but who’s counting.” Rick laughed.

  “Shannon, let’s get you checked out by a doctor.” Jack Stanton said to his daughter.

  Jack, Shannon, and Hunter loaded back into the limousine and left. Trevor excused himself while Rick continued to talk to Rafe and Sam. He might not have wanted to alert his family to his whereabouts, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to hear from them. He reached into his pocket and turned on the cell phone he used for communicating with the family. It came alive with the notification sounds of emails, texts, and voicemails. It had to have been two months since he’d last spoken to them.

  Through Charisma and his cousin Trina who traded stories with Theresa whenever they saw her, Trevor had learned that her business continued to do well, she was looking for a house, and she wasn’t in a relationship. Out of all the details they gave him, the dating bit was the most important. She’d been dating but hadn’t been seeing anyone special, which was a feat because she was gorgeous, intelligent, and fun. He practically had to beat Derek’s hockey player buddies off with a stick at Derek and Charisma’s wedding reception.

  He heard a ring, this time it was from his other phone. He’d known that after he’d been patched up, he’d be getting the call about his dereliction of duty and he wasn’t looking forward to it. Had he not had Hugo’s cell phone cloned and had been monitoring it, he never would have found out they had her. The Gregorians were smart enough not to talk about such things on their own cell phones. Hugo wasn’t as careful with discussing sensitive things. He wasn’t in the mood to explain why he’d blown his infiltration op to rescue a young woman who could have been tortured or worse while waiting for the ransom exchange. If the exchange ever happened. The Gregorians were crazy and unpredictable, and he knew their plan could change as quickly as the shifting direction of the wind. He sent the call to voicemail.

  Rafe and Sam waved as they got into the car and left. Rick walked back his way, looking at his cell phone. “Looks like you got the call too.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Rutledge wants us in Virginia ASAP.”

  “Yeah, well I want a trained kangaroo named Mr. Hoppy but I won’t be getting it.”

  Rick raised an eyebrow. “A trained kangaroo?”

  “My niece Alexis loves kangaroos ever since her parents took her to Australia. They got her a stuffed toy, but she wants a real one. Her father was going to get her a real one until my sister put her foot down and said no.” He laughed. “I guess it’s too much to think he’s going to say congratulations for making an impulsive decision to save someone’s life.”

  “Uh, no. But I would love to get a call one day saying thanks for the great work. You saved the girl, staved off an international incident, and kept it out of the media. How’s the flesh wound?”

  “Fine.” He sighed. “But I need some downtime. If you talk to Rutledge, tell him I’ll be in contact in a few days.”

  Rick raised an eyebrow. “You’re taking a risk by not coming in from the cold when Rutledge calls.”

  “I know.”

  Rick shrugged, seeming to accept his answer. “I think I may take some vacation time too.”

  The other cell phone rang again, but he wasn’t going to answer. He deserved some downtime before facing the music. He’d taken a bullet after all. He’d almost lost his life. In those moments, he’d thought about the most important things in life. Family. Love. Happiness. Things he’d been putting on the back burner since he started traipsing around the globe for his country in the name of making the world safer. Right now he wasn’t sure if he’d done any good. But Shannon was going home with her father. That was something.

  He’d head to Philadelphia and recharge his batteries. He’d see his family, especially since he’d been missing his niece. Eat some of his grandmother’s cooking and see Theresa. He was going to home to the one woman he loved, and watching her from afar wasn’t going to cut it this time.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Theresa looked out at the sea of faces as she talked about the do’s and don’ts for first time cruisers at her seminar. It was a pretty nice crowd tonight. Reed Bradley Books was always a good source of new clients for her, and coupled with the fall weather, people looked to her for inspiration while planning escapes to warm tropical places. She’d be busy for the foreseeable future.

  “Should I buy the unlimited beverage option when cruising or at a resort?” an audience member asked.

  “If you know you get parched a lot, it’s a good deal. I recommend it if you’re going to have children with you.” She nodded. “Next question.”

  “Should I book an excursion with the cruise ship, or would it be better to venture out on my own?”

  “I find it really depends on the person. If you book with the ship, you’ll go with a group and will have an itinerary designed to get you back to the dock to board on time. If you want to explore on your own, make sure it’s with a reputable company, not just some random guy on the docks with a car. Also, make them aware that you have to get back by a certain time. You will have to go through a screening process to re-board and they may need to inspect packages if you’ve been shopping.” She turned to the woman in the green dress. “Yes?”

  “Where are the best places to meet men? I want a fairytale romance like Morgan Blake.”

  The group laughed.

  “When I’m asked that question, what I always say is that Morgan meeting Seth was more divine timing than me customizing a vacation that led her to her soul mate.”


  “Come on, Theresa, we know you have the inside scoop. My cousin Mia met her boyfriend on a vacation you planned for her.”

  She remembered Mia. She was a sweet lady who’d met a great guy while on a trip to wine country. “Mia was a special circumstance too. Anyone else? I have time for one more question.”

  “Will I need a passport?”

  “It depends on where you travel, but I always advocate for getting a passport. OK, thanks for coming everyone. Don’t forget to pick up the packets before you leave. My top three travel book suggestions are in the folder, and there’s a discount coupon you need to present when you have your meeting with one of my agents.”

  “Can’t we just see you?”

  “I would love to meet with each and every one of you, but sometimes I’ll be on a guided tour or visiting a prospective property. We have a great, well-trained staff.”

  Theresa watched as the crowd receded. She waved when she saw Trina. They were going to dinner afterward.

  “Hey, Trina.” She gave her friend a hug.

  “Excellent travel advice, as usual. I liked what you said about pre-folding small increments of money and putting them in an easy-to-access place in your bag before you leave so you don’t have to take your wallet out all the time. The second I'm on my way to the airport, I feel like I'm handing out dollar bills at an all-male revue until I return home.”

  “Well, it’s certainly a way not to attract too much attention, and never advertise how much money you have on you.” Her Fantasy Locales Travel buddy gave her that tip. “You tip strippers a dollar?”

  “Sometimes I ask for change.” Trina winked.

  Dana walked up to the podium. “I liked her Lone Wolf, Safe Travels segment.”

  “It’s a shame people prey on lone travelers,” Theresa said. “It sounds paranoid or annoying, but it really is better for someone you know to have your itinerary and have check-in times. But traveling with a responsible buddy or a group is always better.”