A Silverhill Christmas

by Carol Ericson

  “I had a lot of friends in the international party set.” Tori shoveled a spoonful of ice drenched in sweet syrup into her mouth to get rid of the sour taste as she remembered those days of languid pleasure in Glazkova.

  “How long were you married?” Rio jabbed his spoon into the dome of red ice, scattering ice chips onto the pavement.

  “Two years, two months, and twelve days. Or at least that’s how long we stayed together. The actual divorce came a little later.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “How many hours?”

  “Umm, about nine.” She slurped some grape-flavored ice onto her tongue.

  “Did the excitement wear off or just the opposite? Did the fun and games get too hot to handle?”

  “You’re right. This shaved ice is the best.” He must’ve been smoking some Maui wowi on that hillside if he thought she’d cough up the dirt on Alexi for nothing in return. Besides, she had only old dirt on Alexi. If he wanted fresh dirt he’d have to pay.

  He laughed. “You’re sharp, Princess Tori.”

  “That’s ex-Princess Tori to you, McClintock. I can’t tell you anything about Alexi’s current operation, so you might as well find another lookout post.”

  He gripped her wrist so suddenly, she dropped her spoon.

  “Then what are you doing here? Do you miss the high life? Are you making a ploy to get back into Alexi’s bed? Because let me tell you, sweetheart, you have plenty of competition. He has scads of scantily clad beautiful women roaming all over that compound.”

  She snorted. “Is that why you’re keeping such a close watch on his house?”

  She tried to jerk away from him, but the strong fingers cinched tighter around her wrist. “Cut the crap, Tori. Why are you here? What kind of revenge do you want on Alexi?”

  Flexing her fingers, she watched a couple and their two children emerge from the T-shirt shop across the street. Time to ’fess up. She didn’t want Rio to think she was stalking Alexi so she could jump in the sack with him. That notion seemed to really bother him.

  Two men rounded the corner. Rio had loosened his grip on her wrist, but now it tightened. Still talking, the men got into a black Hummer parked at the curb.

  Rio tossed his cup into the trashcan next to the bench and pulled Tori to her feet. He dragged her into the doorway of a souvenir shop, closed for the night.

  The Hummer’s engine roared to life and Rio placed a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. Weaving one hand through her hair, he pulled her close and planted a hard kiss on her mouth. As the big car rolled past them in the street, Rio shifted his body against hers, as if to protect her from the occupants of the car, and deepened the kiss.

  Her heart, which had started pounding at the appearance of the two men, now raced. She clung to Rio’s shoulders to keep from sliding to the ground, and he hitched an arm around her waist as if he knew she needed his sup port.

  As the sound of the car’s engine died out, Tori sagged against Rio’s body, his hard muscles still primed for action. He relinquished her lips and released the hand cupping the back of her head, but stroked his fingers through her tangled curls.

  Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead against his chest.

  He kissed the top of her head and mumbled hoarsely, “I don’t think they saw you. Probably thought we were another honeymooning couple.”

  She leaned back in his arms, looking into his face. Deep lines creased his handsome features. Oh, yeah. The protective streak that ran through the McClintock men hadn’t bypassed Rio.

  “Did you recognize them? We didn’t see their faces on the hillside.”

  “Don’t forget, I’ve been watching the compound for weeks. I’ve seen those two patrolling the grounds.”

  “D-do you think they were looking for us?” Despite her determination to face Alexi and bring him down, she shivered. She hadn’t been able to let go in a long time, but here in this man’s arms she allowed herself to crumble just a little.

  Rio ran a hand down her back. “I don’t think they know what they’re looking for, probably not a couple kissing on the sidewalk.”

  “Quick thinking, McClintock.” Her lips ached to feel the pressure of his sweet, cherry-flavored kiss again, but they didn’t have any more excuses to engage in another lip-lock.

  Tugging her out of their cozy alcove, he said, “Let’s get you back to your hotel, and then you’re checking out and getting on the first flight back to…wherever it is you came from.”

  She didn’t figure Rio would send her packing before he tried to interrogate her further about Alexi’s business deals, habits and friends. She planted her bare feet on the sidewalk. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m not leaving until I get what I came here for.”

  “If the guy divorced you, he’s not going to be too happy to see you again, especially if he figures out you have revenge on your mind. An unhappy Mad Prince Alexi is a dangerous Mad Prince Alexi. You of all people should know that.”

  “I do know that, but it doesn’t change a thing. I have to carry out my plan.”

  Rio stuffed his hands in the pockets of his new shorts. “What exactly is your plan?”

  Tori scooped in a deep breath. “I’m moving into Alexi’s compound.”

  “Are you crazy?” Rio’s fists bulged in his pockets. “What makes you think he’ll let you in there?”

  Lifting her chin, she squared her shoulders. “Oh, he’ll let me in.”

  “Then what? You’re going to try some revenge scheme? You’ll be putting yourself in extreme danger. It’s worse than it was two years ago. Back then he was moving drugs and dabbling in arms. Now he’s a full-scale arms dealer, working with the most lethal terrorist groups in the world.”

  “That’s why it’s more vital than ever that I move into the compound.”

  He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “Why? Why is it so important for you to do this?”

  She caught her bottom lip between her teeth as tears flooded her eyes. “My son’s in there.”

  Chapter Three

  Tori’s words twisted a knife in his gut, and his grip on her shoulders melted into a caress. As her bottom lip trembled, he pulled her back into his arms, where she’d felt so right before.

  His contact hadn’t told him about a child, and Rio hadn’t seen any evidence of one at the compound, although he hadn’t been able to spy on the south wing as it lay on the other side of the property. All of the guests and the parties congregated in the rooms and terraces on the north and northwest ends of the compound, which placed them right in his line of fire.

  Even a poor excuse for a father like Alexi would want to keep his son away from that crowd.

  Tori sniffled against his chest and Rio stroked her wild curls. How had a woman like this, bright and feisty as all hell, gotten mixed up with a lunatic like Prince Alexi?

  And what idiot at the CIA had told Alexi’s ex-wife about the operation against him?

  Tori stepped back, wiping the back of her hand across her cheek. “That’s why I have to get into that compound. I haven’t been allowed to see my boy in almost two years.”

  From what he knew about Alexi, that didn’t surprise Rio. An arrogant, possessive man like Alexi wouldn’t readily relinquish custody of his son.

  “What makes you think he’s going to let you see him now?”

  Lifting her shoulders, she said, “He’s in the U.S. now. I could cause some legal trouble for him if he tries to keep me away from Max. Alexi doesn’t like attention like that.”

  The lights up and down the street began to blink off as the shops closed for business. Rio laced his fingers through Tori’s. “Let’s finish this discussion in my car.”

  Rio had parked his rental on a side street behind a truck. After he tossed his backpack into the trunk and settled behind the wheel, he turned to Tori.

  “Where has your son been all this time— Glazkova?”

  She nodded. “And if you think the security is tight at his spread here in Maui, you should see it at his
palace in Glazkova.”

  “Can’t you visit your son there?” Rio cranked on the engine and pulled onto the darkened main street. He figured the Hummer would be heading back to Alexi’s property, and Tori’s hotel lay in the other direction.

  Rolling down her window, Tori snorted. “I’m persona non grata in Glazkova. I’m not even allowed to step foot in the country or I’ll get tossed into prison. There’s a war rant for my arrest.”

  Rio’s brows shot up. “For what?”

  “Adultery.”

  “What?”

  “Adultery is a crime punishable by at least two years of hard labor in a lovely Glazkova prison, but of course it was a trumped-up charge. Even if I’d wanted to cheat on Alexi, he made sure I’d never have an opportunity to do so.”

  Rio’s jaw tightened at the hardships this woman had endured at the hands of that criminal. “Why did he put you through all that?”

  “Because I wanted a divorce. I wanted to take my son, Max, and go home.” She rubbed her hands together as if a sudden chill had grabbed her on this sultry, tropical night.

  “So he accused you of adultery? Don’t the Glazkova courts require some proof, or are they wholly under Prince Alexi’s command?”

  “They are, but even so the courts have to at least pretend there’s justice for all, so Alexi made sure they had proof. He paid off or coerced members of his staff to come forward and admit they’d slept with me. By the time Alexi was through with me, everyone thought I’d serviced the entire security force of Glazkova.”

  Rio slanted a glance at Tori, her eyes bright with tears. He’d despised Prince Alexi for spreading misery around the world through drugs and weapons. Now he wanted to kill the man.

  “So he drove you out of Glazkova and kept Max there.”

  “Yeah.” She rubbed her nose. “I had three choices. I could go to a labor camp for two years or more, and probably not be allowed to see Max after. I could stay married to Alexi and live as a prisoner in my own home. Or I could flee the country and leave my son behind.”

  Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands. “I’m a terrible mother. I abandoned my son to save myself. I should’ve never left him behind.”

  Rio ran his hand across her heaving shoulders. “You had to save yourself. You’d be no use to your son otherwise. Given the chance, Alexi will raise that boy in his image.”

  Raising her head, Tori curled her hands into fists. “I know. That’s why I need to get Max out of there and away from his father. Once I learned Alexi was in Hawaii and had Max with him, I saw my best chance in two years.”

  “How did you know he had Max with him?” The Agency hadn’t even known Prince Alexi had a son, or if they did nobody had told Rio.

  “I have a contact on the inside.”

  Rio’s pulse ticked up several notches. Tori had a contact inside Alexi’s compound? He hadn’t been able to manage that since the last mole wound up dead. He could use an insider about now. Maybe Tori would share her guy with him.

  “Who is it? One of the security guys you supposedly slept with?”

  “No, a woman. Max’s nanny.”

  Rio gripped the steering wheel. So much for that idea. He refused to put a woman in danger in his quest to bring down Alexi. “She’s taking a huge risk helping you.”

  Tori shrugged. “She’s a mom.”

  Rio rounded the curve into Lahaina and asked Tori for the name of her hotel. She gave him the name of one of the most luxurious resorts in Maui. Alexi must’ve paid her some big bucks in the divorce settlement, but he didn’t want to judge her. Whatever monetary compensation she’d gotten out of the deal couldn’t make up for what she’d lost.

  Getting out of Glazkova when she did probably saved her life. When things turned sour between arms and drug dealers, the injured party usually went after his enemy…and his enemy’s family. Rio had seen a few families pay the ultimate price.

  The presence of Tori’s son in that household filled Rio with a cold dread and put a serious crimp in his options for bringing down Alexi. He couldn’t tip off Alexi’s enemies about his whereabouts and habits with a child in the house. These gangs were vicious and indiscriminate in their retaliation.

  Rio rolled in front of the hotel and waved off the valet. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

  He cut the engine. “So how do you plan to get your son away from Alexi? Have you hired a good attorney yet?”

  Tori laughed. “That’s just the sort of thing that would prompt Alexi to send Max back to Glazkova, and it wouldn’t work anyway. I’m going to use that as leverage though, promising Alexi that I won’t bring in the U.S. legal system if he allows me to stay at the estate and see Max.”

  “Will just seeing Max be enough for you?” One glance at Tori’s tight jaw and narrowed eyes told him it wouldn’t.

  “Of course not. That’s just my foot in the door.”

  “Then what?” Rio’s heart pounded against his chest like a hammer as he held his breath.

  “I’m going to rescue him…and you’re going to help me.”

  “NO.” RIO POUNDED the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. “I am not putting you or your child in danger with some crazy rescue plan.”

  Maybe she dropped this particular bombshell too soon, but Rio had to know sometime she intended to en list his help. He’d come around once she explained the entire plan to him.

  She could usually get people, especially men, to come around. Of course, she had made that mistake with Alexi.

  She ran her hands through her tangled curls. “Just wait. There’s something in it for you, too.”

  “Do you think that’s going to change my mind? I’m here to collect information about Alexi for the CIA, not to stage a rescue operation.”

  Drawing her brows together, she asked, “Aren’t you CIA?”

  He dragged in a ragged breath and blew it out, staring straight ahead. “No. A couple of my buddies from the Marines and I set up our own shop, but the Agency uses us a lot—for activities under the radar, not sanctioned by the U.S. Government.”

  “That’s even better.” She clapped her hands. The U.S. Government hadn’t been much use in her quest to get Max. “D-do you ever assassinate people?”

  Rio’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “You want me to execute your ex-husband? We’re not hired assassins. I’m here to turn over contacts, spy on meetings, se cure a mole….”

  Her heart skipped a few beats and she waved her hand. “I can be your mole.”

  With the veins popping out on his neck and his white-knuckled hands still grasping the steering wheel, Rio looked ready to explode.

  But his words pelted the space between them in a measured staccato. “That. Can’t. Happen.”

  “Sure it can.” She patted the tensed muscles in his thigh. “I’ll approach Alexi and ask him if I can move into the compound to visit Max while he’s here. He’ll let me because I’ll promise not to cause any trouble for him with the authorities in the U.S.”

  With a muscle ticking in his jaw, Rio dropped his gaze to her hand. She snatched it away and continued. “Once I’m in, I’ll keep my eyes and ears open and I can feed information to you. All you need to do in exchange for my services is get Max out of that den of iniquity.”

  “Not only is that a dangerous proposition,” he said as he loosened his grasp on the steering wheel and wiped his palms across his T-shirt, “but it’ll blow my operation sky high.”

  “How do you figure?” Tori thought she could convince Rio by playing on his obvious sympathy for her situation and his naturally protective instincts, which he’d demonstrated in spades tonight. She didn’t count on those protective instincts combining with a hardheaded stubbornness that refused to see the logic of putting herself in harm’s way for a greater good.

  “If I attempt some sort of rescue and meet with failure, Alexi’s going to realize he’s being watched, not to mention, place you in a world of hurt.”

  She flicked her fingers. “Alexi a
lways thinks he’s being watched anyway. And I have confidence that you won’t fail.”

  Leaning toward him, she trailed her fingertips along his corded forearm as the ends of her hair danced on his shoulder. Rio sucked in a sharp breath, and Tori jerked back.

  His dark eyes smoldered as he looked at her, and it wasn’t due to lust as it had been on the beach. “You’re playing me, Tori whateveryourlastnameis. How do I know any of this is true? How do I know if there’s even a child at risk? I’ve never seen him. Maybe you did sleep with half of Alexi’s security force, he banished you from a life of leisure, and now you want to use me to get revenge.”

  As his accusations rained down on her, the blood rushed through her veins hot and furious. Blinded by her anger, she raised her hand to smack his face, but he caught her wrist and they glared at each other over their hands.

  Tori twisted free and staggered from the car. Before she slammed the door, she choked out, “You’re a sorry excuse for a McClintock.”

  She stormed toward the open lobby and tripped across the tiled floors toward the pool and the beach beyond. The smell of the food from a luau, now wrapping up on a lawn bordering the sand, made her stomach grumble, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since the lunch provided on the hiking trip and that shaved ice.

  Her bare feet hit the beach, each step digging a hole into the dry sand as she drove her heel into it, muttering epithets. Tears stung her eyes, blurring the lights from the boats scattered on the water.

  How dare Rio accuse her of manipulating him?

  As she reached the hard-packed sand, she slowed her steps and folded her arms across her stomach. Even though that’s exactly what she’d planned to do.

  She’d expected to run into Ryder watching her ex-husband and twist him around her finger, playing on his Sir Galahad complex. When confronted with Rio, she had made a smooth transition practicing her wiles on him instead.

  Apparently, Rio didn’t suffer from the same complex…or he had a supercharged overdose of it. He didn’t even want her to place herself in danger in the first place. But then he had accused her of lying…of lying about Max.