The Protector

by Gennita Low

  Vivi frowned, glancing around. She didn’t see any second man. “Is Hawk here?”

  It was Jazz’s turn to frown. “I’m beginning to think you have a thing for him,” he said, sitting down. “Isn’t it enough you talked to him all morning?”

  “We were discussing strategy,” Vivi said, then stopped. Why the hell did she have to explain anything to him? “Why are you here anyway? How did you know I was here?”

  He gave her that wicked smile that seemed to always affect her heart rate. “Chouchou, I figure since you couldn’t do dinner with me, I’ll have you for any meal.”

  Jazz didn’t know why he followed Vivi. Okay, so he had a reason, but he didn’t understand the urgency behind it. He just needed to be alone with her for a while, wanted her away from the boys, without any talk about the field operation or questions about her part in it. He especially wanted her away from Hawk, and here she was bringing Hawk’s name up as soon as he had sat down. “Quit looking around for Hawk. I followed you alone.”

  Vivi frowned. “I didn’t see you.”

  “That’s the point, chouchou,” Jazz replied.

  “Damn, I must be losing focus,” Vivi muttered. “First him, now you…”

  “First him, who?” Jazz hated to sound suspicious. He looked around too. “Don’t tell me Hawk has been sneaking up on you.”

  “Hawk?” Vivi’s frown deepened. “Why would he need to follow me? I just talked to him earlier today. You were there, remember?”

  The waiter showed up at that moment with the food and Jazz wondered at Vivi’s sigh as she checked the dishes.

  “What’s the matter? Is the order wrong?” It looked and smelled delicious enough. He had taken a liking to eating the local food. “Vivi?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” she said, waving the waiter away. “My girlfriend just knows what to order, that’s all.”

  Jazz looked at the steamy plate of food. “It’s some kind of fish dish,” he said.

  “Uh-huh.”

  Well, at least they weren’t talking about Hawk anymore. He smiled. “You don’t like fish?” He took a bite. “This is quite good, even though it looks weird with its head still on. Really spicy. Don’t you like spicy food?”

  Vivi’s mouth opened and closed, appearing to change her mind about her answer. She shrugged. “Yes, I do.” She picked up her fork and began poking at the entree. “I love fish.”

  “It’s already dead, you know,” Jazz pointed out dryly after watching her fiercely attack the thing for a few moments.

  “Yes, it is, isn’t it? Poor stupid fish, all alone, swimming there, and then whoosh, it’s suddenly curry.”

  Jazz smiled, amused at himself for even enjoying the sight of Vivi cutting up a dead fish. She was such a contradiction. All professional this morning, conducting a meeting with all the strategic techno-babble shooting out of that sexy mouth like bullets from a well-oiled weapon. Yet here she was, pouty and a bit mad. His film noir heroine was back, with all her secrets. And he had a sudden urge to kiss her, to see how she would respond.

  She looked up sharply. “You’re laughing at me,” she accused.

  “I’m laughing at the poor fish,” Jazz said.

  “Why? It’s dead.”

  “Precisely. It couldn’t be any deader.”

  She gave an impatient sigh. “Why were you following me?”

  Jazz always believed in telling a lady the truth. “Because I wanted to get to know you better. You’re always talking to Hawk.”

  She stared at him. “But we were just discussing the operation.”

  “I know that but I have to tell you, I don’t like the way he looks at you.” For the first time in his long friendship with Hawk, he felt jealous and possessive. “So Hawk can update me on strategy. Let’s talk about you. About us.”

  She poked at the fish again, this time concentrating on the fish head. “There is no us. We don’t even know each other.” Her voice was low.

  “That’s easily remedied. Here we are, alone, and we can talk about ourselves.” Just like the music, there were unknown layers to Vivi that called to him, challenging him to dig deeper. “No more talk about military or strategy, just simple things, Vivi. How about it?”

  A small smile appeared on her lips. “You think it’s that simple? Talk about us and nothing will intrude? There is always reality intruding, soldier. We can have our moment, then you’ll be gone and I’ll still be here.”

  Jazz frowned. “You make it sound so final. It doesn’t have to be permanent. I can come back to see you.”

  “Oh, isn’t that the most familiar line around these parts?”

  The fish head was mangled to pieces by now. Jazz reached over and took her hand in his. Her gaze finally met his, her hazel eyes searching. “Is that what you’re afraid of?” he asked quietly. “Are you putting me in the shoes of some past lover who left you?”

  She didn’t deny it. And it pissed him off. Instead she tried to pull her hand away, but he held on.

  “You don’t know me,” she insisted. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Chouchou, that’s what people who are attracted to one another do—get to know each other.”

  “You just want to get me into bed.”

  Jazz dropped her hand. There was a defiant gleam in her eyes, challenging him. He wasn’t getting through. He had lived with women all his life, had thought himself familiar with all the jumbled logic and female moodiness, but he couldn’t get through to this one. It was frustrating. Every time he thought he had climbed over one wall, he found another barrier.

  He pushed back his seat and stood up. Her unflinching gaze followed him as he took the few steps closer to her.

  “Yes I do,” he told her, “but you have to want it too, Vivi.”

  She didn’t turn her face away when he kissed her. He took his time, uncaring that there were people around. Her lips were soft and willing, even though the owner seemed unmovable as a brick house. He lifted his head and watched her slowly open her eyes. Satisfaction bubbled on top of his frustration. She wasn’t as unmoved as she wanted him to believe.

  “Not every soldier leaves his girl behind, sweetheart,” he said. “Please thank your friend for buying lunch. I’ll see you later.”

  Vivi watched as Jazz stalked off. Her lips were burning and it wasn’t from the curry dish. Her heart was still thumping loud and fast from the kiss. The man played havoc on her senses. She felt confused and disappointed, two very unfamiliar feelings.

  Her cell rang and she answered absentmindedly. “Vivi here.”

  “Oh my, is that how you deal with macho testosterone?”

  Vivi sighed. She should have known T. was still around somewhere. “You know, life was actually very predictable a few days ago. I get up, sometimes there is a raid or two, I do some paperwork, and then I have some free time to pursue other interesting projects.” Like looking for her past, she thought. “Why didn’t you tell me he was here? Did you plan all that?”

  “Now, now, darling, would I plan something so delicious?”

  “You stumbled and created a scene to catch his attention.”

  “I did it twice, if you want to be specific.”

  Vivi paused. “Okay, before you left you were hinting about getting two people’s attention. Who’s the other man?”

  “Excellent.” T. laughed. “Unlike your Jazz, who was considering whether to surprise you, the other one was just watching. I wanted to test his reaction.”

  Vivi ignored the comment about Jazz. “Who was it? Our mysterious man?” She was still a bit peeved that two men had been able to follow her without her knowing. She knew T. would bring this up sooner or later, so she might as well do it first. “I didn’t even see him.”

  “They are both very good, but it’s the other one who is intriguing.”

  “Where is he?” She wanted to spot him.

  “He doesn’t want to introduce himself yet, I guess. He wants to know who you’re contacting to show th
e package. Now he knows.”

  Vivi frowned. “Is that good or bad?” She wasn’t afraid she had led danger to T. T. could take care of herself. However, the more she was learning about this mysterious man, the more she didn’t like the way he could compromise her position. “What are we going to do?”

  “For now, nothing. He’ll contact you when he’s ready. He’s got what he wanted. Now it’s a waiting game.”

  “I don’t understand. What he said he wanted was his freedom.”

  “Yes, darling, but he wasn’t sure how or who he was dealing with, except that you’re the one who could give it to him.”

  “And does he know that now?” Vivi leaned back in her chair and waved to the waiter to collect the dishes. She wasn’t hungry anyway.

  “Oh, he knows, darling. I made sure he knows.”

  “Tell me.” Vivi opened her purse to get some change for the tip. “I want to know more if he really can help me find Sia-Sia.”

  There was a slight pause. “One operation at a time. You take care of your job and I’ll have some answers for you soon.”

  T. rang off. Vivi put away her cell, smiling absently at the waiter’s thanks as he cleared the table. She hated depending on other people in this matter. It was private, nothing to do with the agency, and she was thankful T. had never questioned the logic behind her quest. There was no easy way to explain about a long-ago promise to a friend.

  She trusted T. to handle whatever was necessary to help her. At the same time, she knew T. would somehow do it in a way to persuade her to leave this place and post. And deep in her heart, she knew she would have to, sooner or later. The sights and sounds of so many lost souls were too familiar and painful, and if she couldn’t find Sia-Sia, what was the point of staying?

  But friendships in those lonesome days were made to last forever. They were blood-bonded, and Vivi felt she owed it to her friend to find out what had happened to her.

  “I can’t take being alone with these nuns. I’ll never make it through that window. I hate the dark. I hate heights. You promise to come for me, Vivi, okay?

  Vivi walked out of the restaurant, automatically shielding her eyes from the glaring sun. A school bus stopped close by and schoolgirls jumped out, some chatting, some holding hands. They moved in a group, passing Vivi, as they headed home.

  Vivi watched after them for a long moment, then crossed the street. And leaning against her car was Jazz, arms folded, waiting for her.

  “A secret weapon? That sounds intriguing.”

  “Ah, you don’t know half of it, Yeekoh,” Stefan said, his speech slightly slurred. “Every important agency above and below the equator has been after this thing.”

  “And you’re telling me you have it.” Yeekoh’s voice was disbelieving. He gave a slight, imperceptible nod, and the servant girl appeared to refill Stefan’s cup. “How did you do it?”

  “I didn’t say I have it.” Stefan smiled, leaning forward confidentially. “I’m a middleman. I don’t handle goods till the right time. Then I exchange for both parties, know what I mean?”

  Yeekoh and Alissa exchanged a look. “I see,” he said, scraping his chin with his knife. “Tell me more about this weapon.”

  Stefan looked up from his slumped position, drumming his fingers as if he were considering telling everything. He drank the rest of his wine with slow, deliberate care. Yeekoh watched his every move, waiting for him to make up his mind.

  He had to be careful how he phrased his answer here. A refusal would be taken as an insult. Too much information would make him sound too eager, asking for suspicion. “All I can say is that it comes from a top dealer. Mad Max, ever heard of him?”

  Everyone in the illegal arms dealing trade knew Maximillian Shoggi, nicknamed Mad Max. He was the darling of the elite and a well-known figure in the gray world of politics. The most sophisticated traders went to his parties; the lowliest of the food chain wished to sell to him. By giving Yeekoh the name, Stefan knew the man could find out what was in the market through his own sources. It was a business compromise, subtle enough to ensure trust and at the same time, he honored their new “friendship” with some insider news.

  Yeekoh nodded slowly, satisfaction seeping into his eyes. “You’re tired, my new brother. Let Alissa take care of you. Tomorrow I’ll take the shipment of pills off your hands, and we’ll be business partners.” He stood up and stretched. “Lis, I’m going to test a few of these pink pills tonight. Let me have a pick from your fresh batch.”

  Alissa lifted an eyebrow. “Just one?”

  Yeekoh laughed. “Maybe two. I’m in a celebrative mood.” He glanced at Stefan. “Our new brother is a little drunk. You’ll have to make sure he remembers our business tomorrow.”

  “Oh, I never forget business,” Stefan assured, then gave Alissa a leer. “Or pleasure.”

  The men laughed, and Yeekoh leaned forward to shake hands. Alissa clapped her hands and another servant girl showed up.

  “Take Yee-siew downstairs to our special room. No one is to disturb me tonight.”

  “Yes, madam.”

  “I’ll talk to you soon, Yeekohkoh.”

  There was a short pause after Alissa’s brother disappeared through the door. “Let’s go into my private rooms,” she invited, walking over and taking him by the hand. “You did well, Stefan. Yeekohkoh likes you.”

  “I’m glad,” Stefan said as they entered her room. The air was permeated with scented candles.

  He watched Alissa undress. He could tell she was excited; he could see her erect nipples pushing against the thin material of her bra.

  “You’re drunk,” she said, teasing his face with her large breasts, rubbing them against his stubble. “Yeekohkoh likes to drink a lot. It’s good you didn’t pass out. He doesn’t respect anyone who can’t hold his own against him.”

  Stefan smiled slowly. “I’m not too drunk,” he said very softly, reaching with one hand behind her back and unsnapping her bra with practiced ease. It fell away, and he teased one freed nipple with a lazy finger. A hiss escaped her lips as he trailed the finger slowly to the valley between her breasts, then up the other. “I can still take you, Lis.”

  Alissa giggled. “That’s my plan, sweet. You promised, after all. It wasn’t easy getting you a meeting with my brother, so you’d better please me before you go off tonight.”

  He trailed his finger down her torso and drew suggestive circles on her panties. “I plan to. You deserve to be rewarded for the big favor.”

  “Big favor. Hmmm. What a lovely image that brings up.” Her eyes half closed, she undulated against his finger.

  He added another finger, playing with her through the material. He kept his movements slow and easy, dictating her tempo to his will.

  “I’m so addicted to you,” she whispered. “Kiss me, Stefan. You never kiss me.”

  Not answering, Stefan took her by surprise, leaning a shoulder into her bare stomach and standing up in one smooth, swift motion. She squealed at being whirled around.

  “What are you doing? Where are you taking me?”

  “I feel like taking a bath.”

  He strolled into the lavish bathroom with its ornate sunken tub. It was built for more than hygiene care, of course. The place was a whorehouse, and the private rooms of its mistress had all the amenities for sexual pleasure.

  He lowered her into the tub. It was an antique, treasure stolen by the Triad robbers. With its fierce dragon head curling over the huge jewel-inlaid tub, it must have been part of a collection from one of many very wealthy and decadent businessmen who either had been assassinated or had fled the country in the last fifty years. Alissa didn’t resist as he secured one hand, then the other, with the golden chains connected to the dragon claws on each side. She laughed in amusement, jangling the bells on the chains.

  “Men. They always want to play when they are drunk.” She tugged at the chains. “You’re lucky I’m in the mood. I don’t like being tied up.”

  “Only with me,�
�� Stefan mocked as he turned on the water.

  Her breath came out in a whoosh. “Oh yes, only…with…you,” she agreed and watched with wide eyes as he tore her panties off. “Oh yes, Stefan…do it rough tonight.”

  He wasn’t a particularly small man; it was good that the tub was built with more than two in mind. He unhurriedly unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged out of it as the bathtub filled up noisily. All the while Alissa impatiently jangled her chains.

  Her hungry eyes roved over his naked form as he stood beside the tub. “Have I ever told you you’re a beautiful man? That chest…that hard stomach…” She leaned back as he climbed in, still standing over her. When he used the liquid soap on his penis, she sighed. “And such an almost perfect hard cock.”

  “Almost?” He stopped massaging his growing erection.

  “It’s off-centered and curves to the left,” she said. She opened her mouth, tempting him.

  He accepted the invitation, splashing water to wash away the soap before sheathing his erection in her mouth. He proceeded to move his hips leisurely, pushing her head back against the dragon’s chest as he angled deeper. Water lapped back and forth in tiny waves.

  “That’s what a perfect cock looks like, Lis,” he chided, as he watched his penis slide in and out of her willing mouth. “It hits the woman’s spot just right inside. You should know that from your orgasms by now. Don’t you want it?”

  “Oh yes, oh yes.” But he had already moved away. “I want it now.”

  He smiled wickedly. “I want to clean you…but first, you will take a couple of the pills again.” His hand in the water found her unerringly and he pushed his fingers inside. “For me, Lis. You’re exciting when you’re begging, my dear.”

  “No!”

  “No?” He slid his fingers out.

  “But Stefan…” There was a husky plea in her voice. “You have me tied up already.”

  “I’ll make it better than the last time, love, I promise,” he said silkily. “And you’ll get some special jewelry I just bought.”