by Eve Langlais
“What’s the problem? Did you not find Merry?”
“I found her, all right.” Carla jerked her head. “Except she doesn’t know she’s Merry on account she lost her memory.”
“I just heard.” A piece of intel that might have been useful beforehand, and yet, apparently, someone tried to cover it up. The lack of a police report was particularly damning. Why cover it up?
“Because she doesn’t know who I am, not even her name, she’s refusing to come with me.”
Glancing past Carla, Tanya noted Merry pacing by the bed, wearing a nightgown with a robe loosely belted over it.
“Merry, you have to come with us. We can’t leave you here.”
That brought a crease to Merry’s brow. “I can’t just leave. It’s the middle of the night, and I don’t know you. Either of you.” Her arms wrapped around her torso, and Tanya could see the trepidation tensing her body.
She truly appeared afraid. “I swear to you, Meredith, you know us. Me. I’m Tanya, a—” she started to say, only to have Merry interrupt.
“No, you’re not, because she’s…” Merry turned a grimace on Carla. “Dammit. You lied to me. Tanya isn’t your real name.”
“Just testing,” Carla said with an unapologetic shrug.
“We don’t have time for this. We have to go. Mr. Laurentian is about to get some company.”
“Who? Are they armed?” Carla asked, her expression brightening.
“Don’t know. Audrey lost the link.” Usually, Tanya was the one manning the tech part of the missions, but given Audrey’s recent condition, she’d been pulled from field duty.
“Armed? Who the hell are you guys?” Merry gasped.
“Again, I’m Tanya.” She pointed to herself.
“If you’re Tanya, then who is she?” Merry pointed.
“Carla. The bride who is about to go loco if we don’t get out of here and fix this.” Carla was losing patience.
It wasn’t helping the situation.
Merry hugged herself tighter, shrugging her shoulders inward. “You can’t fix this. I really can’t remember you, or anything.”
“Which is scary, I’m sure. But you can’t stay here,” Tanya said softly.
“I have nowhere else to go.”
“Of course, you do,” Carla exploded. “You have a home. Two, actually, given you bought that condo in Florida for the winter months. Not to mention you came with like six suitcases, which are still sitting in your suite. I knew there was something wrong when your collection of makeup and shit was still in your bathroom.”
Along with all her identification and her specials toys—not the vibrating kind. Her lipstick that acted as a transmitter. The pen that could emit acid to burn through a lock. The necklace and pendant that could act as a garrote and one-time-use Taser.
“Am I really that vain?” Merry asked with a wrinkle of her nose.
“You are awesome. And we’ll tell you all about yourself once we’re out of here.”
“But, Hugo…” Meredith chewed her lower lip, and it struck Tanya in that instant that she looked soft. Womanly. A different version of the Merry they knew that brimmed with confidence and sexuality. A woman who used and discarded men.
Was this how she could have been if she’d not been so sorely used and abused?
Moving towards her, Tanya clasped her hands. “Look at me.”
It took a moment.
“I realize this might seem rather frightening, but you have to believe me when I say you don’t belong here.”
“No, you are the ones who shouldn’t be here. What are you doing meddling?” Mother exclaimed as she barged into the room with an entourage at her back. She arrived with a seething Hugo, the less-than-amused butler slash right-hand man, and Louisa and Portia.
Mother looked pissed.
“Merry needed us,” Carla stated.
“No, she didn’t,” Mother snapped. “I told you specifically to stay away from Laurentian.”
“You did.” Carla didn’t even disagree.
“And you ignored me?” Mother said with an arched brow that never boded well during their training camp.
“We had to when Merry didn’t reply to the hand signal.” Carla was matter-of-fact.
Tanya hopped in to help. “I agree, we had to. Or have we suddenly changed the rules?” The most basic one being: leave no mother or child behind.
Mother’s lips pursed. “Thing is, she couldn’t respond because she doesn’t remember it.”
The implication proved explosive. “Hold on a second, you knew she lost her memory!” Carla was shocked.
“How could you?” Tanya squeaked. Poor Merry’s eyes were so wide. She said not a word, just appeared to soak in the argument.
Mother finally looked chagrinned. “To be honest, at first, I thought she was using an amnesia ploy as a way to get close to her target.”
All eyes went to Hugo, who had a deadly glint in his eyes.
The words emerged tight and clipped from his lips. “Get close so she could kill me, you mean.”
At that, Mother laughed. “Oh no, not kill. On the contrary, we were hired to keep you alive.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Ariel, who apparently had the real name of Meredith, was feeling more confused by the second. First, she had been awoken by a stranger who claimed to know her and thought she faked losing her memories. Gave her a false name, too. Then the real Tanya appeared, followed by even more people, shoving their way inside her room. That lady Marie from the club, Gerome, two more strangers, and Hugo.
An angry Hugo. The tautness of his body spread from head to toe. His gaze did not meet hers. But she couldn’t help but stare at him.
Did he understand as little as she did about the situation? She’d tried to follow it, but there was talk of people being armed, then some kind of wild accusation that she would actually lie to get close to Hugo. But that wasn’t the most shocking thing. Something else jumped out at her from that information overload.
“Hold on a second, did you say someone is trying to kill Hugo?” To her, that seemed the most important question to ask.
“Many someones more than likely, given the payout,” Carla stated.
She blinked in her direction. “Payout? I don’t understand.” This all seemed so crazy and far-fetched, yet no one in the room seemed fazed by it at all.
Marie, no longer wearing the vivid red dress of earlier, appeared less angry than when she arrived but still quite stern, except when she looked at Ariel. She reached for Ariel’s hands, her grip firm and drawing her gaze.
“No need to be frightened. This memory-loss thing is surely temporary. You’ll be yourself in no time.”
“And who is that, exactly?”
“We’ll tell you later.”
Ariel pulled her hands free. “How about right now? Because I don’t even know if I want to go anywhere with you. You all sound like you’re crazy killers or something.”
“Not for this job. We were security detail for this one,” Carla stated. “Actually, you were. Which reminds me, given we were all here, why the heck didn’t you recruit any of us to help her?” Said to Marie.
“Merry didn’t want anyone distracted from the wedding.” Marie shrugged. “She wanted it to be perfect.” A glance at Carla had her looking bashful.
“Here’s the thing I don’t understand about your bullshit story,” Hugo snapped. “I never hired your agency to protect me. Not to mention, I didn’t even know about the hit on my life until after I met your spy.” The last word was spat in Ariel’s direction.
It took a bit more will than expected not to flinch at the vehemence. It would serve no purpose to claim that she didn’t know anything. It would seem this Meredith, this Merry, could be an accomplished liar.
“I am not a spy,” Ariel couldn’t help but exclaim. “I don’t know these people. I have no idea what they’re talking about.”
“Drop the fucking act.”
“We’ll explain everything onc
e we get out of here.” The one called Tanya, the real one, grabbed her hand and squeezed it in comfort.
“You’ll explain why first,” Hugo demanded.
Marie answered. “A mutual friend asked a favor.”
“What friend would—? Doesn’t matter.” He swore and rubbed his face. Then he glared at Gerome. “Did you know about all this?”
“It was only after the party that the connection was made.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me that our guest was a spy?” Hugo never once looked at her.
Ariel’s heart shrank. So much for the intimacy of earlier.
“She wasn’t here to hurt you.” Gerome shifted.
“You were never even supposed to know we were involved,” Marie interjected.
“Kind of hard to ignore once she took over my guest bedroom.” The look he sent her way shriveled her.
“Which wasn’t supposed to happen. Obviously, her injury and memory loss couldn’t be predicted.”
“And it’s just a coincidence that she ended up on my beach?” He snorted. “I’m not stupid. I am also done with this clusterfuck of people in my house. It is four in the morning. I want some sleep.”
“Which is our cue to leave,” Carla stated.
“Wait.” It was Ariel/Merry who saw a problem. “If someone is trying to kill Hugo, and you were hired to protect him, shouldn’t someone stay here to do that?”
Marie glanced at Hugo.
He said nothing, but the expression said it all.
“I think Mr. Laurentian would prefer to arrange his own security.”
When Hugo spoke, it was to make a flat demand. “I’ll expect a full accounting of what you have discovered thus far so that I can continue the search into the person funding my ten-million-dollar demise. You will also send me the bill rather than this…friend.”
“No charge.” Marie waved a hand. “But I will extend an apology for disrupting you. I’ll have a chat with my daughters about their disobedience and rash decision-making.”
The women all winced, whereas Merry felt confused. Was this Marie their boss or parent? Eyeing her, neither seemed quite right. Only one word came to mind: friend.
“Under the circumstances, I think it best if I abstain from attending the wedding.” He glanced at Carla. “I’ll figure out some apology for Philip.”
The reminder brought a scowl to Carla. “Don’t you even think of pulling that on me a few days before the wedding. If Philip invited you, then it’s because he values you. And I’ll be damned if you don’t show up because one of your friends hired us and then shit happened. Get it under control!” Carla snapped before stalking out.
The woman closest to the door gasped, whereas Tanya offered, “She’s under a lot of stress.”
“Meaning you’d better show up, or she’ll shoot you for free,” stated a woman with a trim figure and her hair pulled back in a tight bun.
For some reason, Ariel/Merry suddenly saw the same woman, but in a leotard, leaping across a stage then spinning to kick someone in the face.
She blinked, and it was gone. The lithe woman left with the other one whose name she’d never gotten, leaving only Tanya and Marie. As for Gerome, he followed them. That must mean that he didn’t consider those that remained a threat.
Idiot.
Another stray thought blinked through, and it meant she missed part of the conversation and caught it at—
“…get your security to confer with ours to avoid an incident.”
“I won’t bring any to the wedding itself. Just expect Gerome to be around somewhere on the resort grounds. After all, there will be more agents at this wedding than I could ever think of hiring.”
It made Meredith wonder who Carla was marrying. Was it like a Mr. and Mrs. Smith thing? Spy marrying spy?
“Sounds good. Come along, ladies.” Marie left the room, but Tanya hesitated, waiting on Merry.
“If I could have a moment with Hugo, please.”
“We have nothing to say,” he growled. But at least he remained, his face a dark mask. Furious. No sign of the soft and gentle lover of before.
“Yell if you need anything,” Tanya stated, leaving the room.
Merry waited a moment before starting with a hesitant, “I’m—”
“Don’t you dare give me some fake apology.”
“I had no idea.”
He snorted. “I highly doubt that. Maybe you’ve got them fooled, but I’m not playing your game.”
“It’s not a game.”
“You’re right, it’s not. What you are is a lie. And I want you gone.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hugo could see he’d hurt her. The words practically slapped her with their viciousness and did nothing to ease his pride. His anger at being duped.
And still she played. Pretended the innocence, the lack of memory.
Did she take him for a fool?
“Was the sex part of your mission to get close to me?”
“My what?”
“You know, the one to cozy up and murder me.”
“You heard them. My mission was to protect.”
“As if they’d admit anything else.” He sneered. He didn’t understand why the betrayal stung so badly. He barely knew the woman. Had expected perfidy from the beginning. It would have been nice to be wrong for once.
“Forget them. I’m not going to kill you.”
“As if you’d admit it out loud.”
“Why are you being like this?”
“Being what? Normal? How else should I react now that I know you’ve been using me?”
“Use you for what? You’re being irrational. I have no idea what’s going on. I can’t even tell if those women are telling the truth.”
“Oh, they are. They’re exactly who they say they are.”
“A protection agency of women for hire?” The laughter sounded almost bitter. “Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds? I wish I was that exciting. The tanned one also told me I’m some kind of interior designer.”
A pity that wasn’t the real her. As a man who bought and sold properties after flipping them, a partner with those skills would have been a perfect match. “Which is your cover, obviously.”
“Paint splotches and fabrics swathes are a far cry from murdering people. I don’t think I could do it.” She put a hand on her stomach and looked pale.
He didn’t fall for it. “It’s time you left.”
“It doesn’t feel right leaving like this.”
“How else should it feel? We both knew this situation was never permanent, even before the lies.”
“I don’t even know where I’m supposed to go.”
“I’m sure your friends can show you the room at the resort where they’ve been staying.” Each word tasted bitter in his mouth.
“Will I see you again?”
“I said I’d be at the wedding.” Unless he could find a polite way to extricate himself without setting off the bride.
“I mean before that. Once we’ve both had a chance to sleep and stuff.”
“Why? There’s nothing left to say, or—” His gaze flicked to her frame, and he purposely made his disdain drip as he said, “Do.”
Color in her cheeks had her exclaiming, “Then I guess this is goodbye.”
“And good riddance,” he muttered.
“Now you’re just being plain mean.” She whirled away from him, tears hinting in her eyes and thick, choked words.
How dare she cry?
A part of him wanted to chase after her as she left. He’d been cruel. In his pain, he’d lashed out. It seemed unfair that he now suffered guilt and wanted to apologize.
Gerome found him in his office, a glass of scotch in hand, leaning back in his chair, replaying the footage of his home being overrun.
He pointed to the screen. “They are damned good.”
“Not that good. They set off my alarm.” Gerome shook his wristwatch.
“They were in my office before you kn
ew, though. Had they been actual killers, you’d be looking for another job.”
The big man harrumphed and scowled. “If you’d let me hire more people like I asked…”
“Then I’d have them constantly underfoot. I was perfectly fine.”
“You don’t look fine,” Gerome stated. “For what it’s worth, she really did lose her memory. Her friends were incredibly concerned about her after they saw her at the club.”
“Even if the amnesia is real, it doesn’t change who she is.”
“I didn’t take you for a snob.”
“It has nothing to do with snobbery. Just plain facts. She is not who she claimed to be. And given the problem, is best off with her friends. Not here.”
Not with him.
Once Gerome left, grumbling something about a stronger firewall, Hugo kept replaying the videos. Especially the one of her confronting the other woman with a pillow.
The confusion on her face.
The shock.
He even watched himself being cold to her. Saw once more how she shrank with each cruel word.
Finally, he watched the camera at the gate where she glanced back in the direction of the house before she got into a car.
The vehicle left the property, and he watched long past the taillights disappeared, long enough that he saw someone step into the space in front of the gate.
What the fuck?
He leaned forward and stared. Rewound and stared some more.
Someone definitely stood outside the gate and then started to climb it.
Rather than call Gerome, he opened his desk drawer and armed himself. Then he took the golf cart to the gates, the bottle of solvent on the seat beside him.
When he arrived, the climber dangled, the early morning sun catching them in its rays.
Exiting the cart, Hugo took his time sauntering over.
He glanced up at the person and smiled. “Allo. Are you lost?”
A dark gaze met his, and the person struggled. Cursing.
“I wouldn’t bother. You’ll just get caught worse. Now, be a good garcon and stop wiggling, will you? I’m going to get you down, and then you and I will have a chat.”
Only that chat never happened because who should happen along at that early hour, but the superintendent himself.