Protecting
the Enemy
Christy Newton
Copyright© 2014 Christy Newton
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1500965983
ISBN-10: 1500965987
Cover designed by DoElle Designs
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, or locales in this novel are either a product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.
For Mike, my light in the darkness.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank God for giving me the courage to continue my passion even when it may not be the easiest choice. A special thanks to: Danielle Doolittle, Leslie Trimble, Tanya Vought, Beth Edwards, Andrea Huseman, Crystal Holloway, and members of Christy’s Crew.
PRAISE FOR CHRISTY NEWTON BOOKS
“Newton['s] . . . knack for developing a strong hero and heroine whose love story, with its mild romantic scenes, quickly immerses the reader.” —Library Journal
“A sweet and emotionally heartwarming read.” —Harlequin Junkie
“Intrigue, suspense, mystery, fast paced action, love, deceit, acceptance and more!” —The Book Obsessed Momma Review
“The author takes you on a journey of love and losses and all you can do is hold on for the ride. It is a very emotional book that has you really feeling for these characters as you follow along in the chapters of their lives.” —Books and Beyond Fifty Shades Review
“Newton weaves a quick story with lots of excitement and action.” —Michelle Frost, IndianapolisPublic Library Librarian
Chapter 1
She stared not at the flat screen, which was a never ending stream of game shows and soaps, but at the peach colored wall slightly scuffed from hospital equipment ramming into it at one time or another. Only when her eyes blurred did she blink. Her heart was beating, pumping life through her, but still, it was as though she were dead inside. She was no one. Just a woman without a name or long-term memories who, come to find out, didn’t care for gelatin… but the cookies they gave her on Fridays were the highlight of her week. Her likes and dislikes were becoming apparent, but the important bits were locked up tight somewhere deep in her subconscious.
According to her brain, her past was only three weeks long. Every time she’d tried to remember, the only thing she saw was darkness. The doctor called her condition Repressed Memory Syndrome, brought on by a traumatic experience. She’d been in an explosion caused by an arsonist, at least that’s what the nurses had told her. Day after day she sat and stared at her surroundings until she felt separated from her body as if she were outside of herself looking in.
And what a pitiful sight is was.
With a heavy sigh, she turned her head toward the door as a middle-aged man with an easy smile and striking blue eyes walked into the room. He didn’t have a chart in his hands. No stethoscope hung from his neck. A spark of hope awakened her from what had been a continuous void from the day she opened her eyes. She’d never had a visitor.
Maybe he was her father or an older brother. Had someone come to claim her? To give her a glimpse of who she once was? She held her breath.
The man dressed in a navy blue suit walked closer to the bed. “Hi. I’m here to take you home.”
As she exhaled, her icy fingers started to tingle. She rubbed them over the thick, white sheet covering her legs. “Who are you?”
“I’m Brandon Voss,” he stated as a fact, not an explanation.
Her face warmed—embarrassed not because she didn’t know this man, but because she was sure he could see her body tremble beneath the thin gown. “Do I… did I know you?”
He placed a bag down on the end of the bed. “No, but I know you. You will do great things. You’ll be someone very important to a lot of people. You’re not Jane Doe anymore—you are now Julianna Fox.” He motioned to the bag. “Get dressed and meet me in the hall in five minutes.” He stood tall and very sure of himself, which reassured her. Without waiting for her to answer, he left the small room, closing the door behind him.
Should she leave the hospital with this stranger? Her eyes moved from the vinyl covered chair to the empty windowsill. Not even a single flower, any cards or balloons to wish her well and make her feel loved or missed. The doctor had released her thirty minutes ago, but here she sat. Without any money or a name, where would she go?
Her eyes darted toward the hall. Brandon Voss had given her a name. Without further contemplation, she reached for the bag of clothes. After untying the cotton gown, she removed the stylish, classy clothes. She pulled on the skinny jeans, then the red off-the-shoulder top over her head which happened to fit just right. Wearing only hospital attire for three weeks, the different fabrics were odd sensations on her skin. After slipping her feet into crimson heels she stepped into the hall to start living again, ready or not.
***
Six months later.
With her face void of emotion as she listened to his instructions, Julianna stood in front of the man she knew as Boss. Light brown hair and hazel eyes were her only clue to the identity of the man behind the neoprene, black mask. The first time she met Boss, the plain mask that covered his entire face had kind of freaked her out. He’d explained the mask was necessary for his own protection.
As a member of ETE 7 or Erasing The Enemy, a classified operation not even the CIA was aware of, she knew what was expected of her. They eliminated concentrated threats that the CIA couldn’t or wouldn’t. ETE 7 was her only priority. After Brandon had signed her out of Mercy hospital, he’d turned her over to Boss. ETE 7 was her family.
He pushed a photo to the edge of the folding table. “You understand your assignment?”
“Yes.” As effortless as picking up her dry cleaning bill, she took the picture of her next mark from the temporary desk Boss sat behind. She turned the photo and read the name Reid Castleton written on the back. “Consider it taken care of.”
“Ms. Fox, you’ve never disappointed me.” The way he said it was different this time, more like a threat than a compliment.
With a quick nod, she turned to walk out of the empty, dimly lit warehouse, not far from the inner harbor. Her three-inch heels clicked and clacked over the concrete floor as she headed toward the exit. Every time she met with Boss, their meeting was in a different place, but always inside some abandoned building. Kind of creepy, but she was a woman who dealt with some of the creepiest people for a living. After the job was completed, she’d have a long uneventful break and then she’d get a text with the next location to meet him.
Without a backward glance, she walked outside to her red Jaguar convertible, a gift from ETE 7. Gravel grinded beneath her open-toed Jimmy Choo’s. The sun made its descent behind the beautiful Baltimore skyline leaving a yellow halo around the peaks of the buildings. She’d come to like the city and felt a strong sense of duty to protect it and the people who lived there. Before opening her car door, Julianna drew in a breath of cool air.
This was her first mission since she’d transferred from New Jersey. There was a lot of downtime in between jobs, so she was more than ready for the cocktail party where she’d find her target. She’d been molded by the best and spent the last six months proving herself. The training had come easy to her. Sometimes she felt as though deep inside, she was meant to become the woman ETE 7 had made her into.
***
Reid Castleton surveyed the large room. Evening gowns and suits surrounded him. People he didn’t know or care to know. There was only one reason he had crashed this cocktail party. Excitement built inside his chest as he looked for her. He’d wa
ited so long for this moment, but never dreamed it would come to this. Would she recognize him? The job would be hard, but not impossible. He could put things aside for the greater good. After all, everything was about the greater good.
His mouth was dry. He tried to swallow. She wasn’t the same woman she’d been when she disappeared. He had to remember that. Regardless of the rules, he took a glass of champagne and downed it hoping it would numb at least some of what he was feeling. Tonight he wasn’t comfortable in his own skin, let alone the tight Gucci jacket.
A beautiful brunette approached him. He turned away from her to look out the window at the evening sky.
“Lovely party. Are you here alone?” The seduction in her voice told him that he could leave with her on his arm tonight if he so chose.
“No. I’m not.” Reid didn’t even glance her way. He kept is gaze straight ahead. Normally he wouldn’t have been so rude, but tonight things were different. The sound of the woman’s heels told him she’d given up and walked away. His hands shook, so he shoved them into his pockets.
Maybe his date wouldn’t show. A part of him, the part he had to keep hidden, hoped she wouldn’t.
***
The party was well underway when Julianna arrived. She stayed in the back of the room next to a bookcase where she’d have the best view of the guests. With steady manicured fingers, she twisted the tube and re-applied the ruby red to her pursed lips. She rubbed her lips together as she tucked the compact and lipstick back into her petite beaded purse.
As trained, Julianna didn’t hesitate to use her beauty to distract her marks and take them out, clueless as to what hit them until their last breath. Her gun was a last resort, one she hadn’t had to use… yet. Bullets made things too messy and erasing the enemy in a tidy fashion was her specialty, what she’d been taught to do. She’d use her signature, poison cocktail. Simple, effective and untraceable. The fact that medical examiners couldn’t decipher the drug from natural causes was an additional benefit.
With confidence, she glanced across the crowded room at her mark. He hadn’t yet turned his head to face her, but what she’d seen so far was a man wearing a black tailored suit which showed off his assets. She tilted her head a bit to admire him. Nice and… unexpected. A man had never captured her attention this way before. His dark brown hair was the color of gourmet coffee and probably just as rich.
The blurry headshot she’d been given was no comparison to how handsome he was in person. When he turned toward her, even from afar, his chiseled face matched his amazing body. What a shame—most of her assignments hadn’t been so gorgeous. The poor guy would never know what hit him.
Her first assignment she’d felt sadness and remorse. The regret had even caused reoccurring nightmares which made her question if she was cut out for this kind of raw justice, but Boss quickly reminded her that marks were enemies and enemies had to be erased to protect the greater good. Once she’d convinced herself she was on the right side, she was able to sleep terror free again.
The low-cut black dress clung to her thighs as Julianna worked her curvaceous hips across the grand room. The aroma of champagne and caviar grew stronger as she walked past the waiters carrying round trays. She grabbed a glass of bubbly and dropped in a few drops of certain death with no one the wiser. Smiling at a chatty couple to her right, she nonchalantly swirled the liquids together in the flute. She stood next to him now, so close Julianna could smell his sandalwood cologne.
Earthy and clean and somehow familiar.
Julianna lightly touched his elbow and he turned around to face her. His warm brown eyes met her gray-blues and she was taken away to another place, another time when those same eyes looked into hers and she could feel herself smiling, happy inside. Her nerve endings sparked to life as a vivid image played in her mind. His naked, hot body glided with hers.
With a gasp, the wine glass slipped through her fingers and crashed to the marble floor beneath her feet. The sound bringing the party to a halt. Everyone in the room turned to look at Julianna and the wet, crushed shards of glass that surrounded her. Embarrassed she’d been caught off guard, her lips parted.
“Excuse me.” She rushed from the crowded area. Her strappy heels slapped against the tiled floor as she fled to the powder room. What was that? A cry escaped her red lips. She turned on the faucet and dabbed cold water onto the back of her neck. Slowing her breathing, she looked up into the mirror. Did she know him? It didn’t matter now, she’d blown it. Boss’ gruff voice echoed in her ears to never let feelings get in the way of the assignment. It had been one of the first things she was taught.
A sudden knock at the door made her jump. She grabbed the small, embroidered white towel from the hook to dry her hands. The knock came again and she glanced over to the window. She had to get out of there. Without a second thought, she slipped off her shoes and climbed out the window onto the back patio. The brisk autumn air stung her bare arms and legs. Julianna slid into her heels before the cold concrete numbed her feet. Evening bag clutched under her arm, she fled to her car.
***
Reid knocked again. With a frustrated huff, he removed a pick from his pocket and opened the door. Just as he’d thought, he found the room empty and the window still open a crack. He ran outside in time to see a red Jaguar pulling out from the driveway. Without hesitation, he jumped into his own black Jag to follow his mark.
When he’d looked into Julianna’s slate-blue eyes he could have sworn that he saw a spark of recognition. She had the most gorgeous eyes he’d even seen. How he missed gazing into those eyes, getting lost in their intense blue depths. Boss could have lied. He’d told Reid that she was dangerous, that she remembered nothing. That she was in bed with the enemy.
As he’d feared it would, his heart had sped up at the sight of her. Her golden blonde hair as soft as spun silk was the only thing covering the bare shoulders he’d kissed more times than he could count. The tight dress hugged her delectable body in all the right places. Places he’d been to, many times before. He missed the feel of her naked skin, the solidness of her in his arms. Right away he’d noticed she still favored the color red, the bright shade on her plump lips was a daring contrast to her the hint of pink blush dusted on her high cheekbones. She was even more beautiful than he’d remembered. Six months tended to fade memories, especially in his line of work.
He thought that he could do it, put aside his personal feelings and get the assignment done. Reid let out a breath he just realized he’d been holding in. How was he going to kill Jewels?
Once, she’d been everything to him. Once.
With a sigh, he turned the corner and eased to a stop. The Jaguar pulled into a parking garage of a high-rise luxury apartment building.
After the warehouse explosion, caused by some freak arsonist, he’d tried to find her. He searched every hospital, every morgue in Maryland without giving up hope. Until one day… he did. The day he’d been informed that Julianna had turned into a traitor.
He was a trained assassin, no time for emotions.
Breathing deeply through his nose, he eased into the garage. His Jag scaled the ramp to the top floor. Even in the sparsely lit area, he could see her car parked in between two vans. She could run, but she couldn’t hide from him or her fate.
***
Still flustered, Julianna rode the elevator up to her apartment. She’d blown it. Boss wouldn’t be happy. And he didn’t believe in second chances. She couldn’t let down the man that had believed in her. Her only family… the only one she remembered. Her hand lifted to her forehead. Her brain felt as though it was trying to push out of her skull. She peered out of the shiny doors to her place down the carpeted hallway. The coast was clear. As she walked, the mark’s face found its way into her mind. His strong square jaw and defined cheek bones seemed familiar as if she’d traced her fingers over his features in a dream.
Or another lifetime.
She swallowed and tried to slow her steadily racing heart. If s
he didn’t pull it together fast, things would be bad for her. The man was dangerous, a threat.
Julianna opened her door and closed it behind her. After locking the deadbolt, she removed her heels and padded barefoot through the foyer. She walked past the sunken living room and into the master bedroom. The glow of the crystal Schenbok lamp greeted her with its warm reassurance. Her home was furnished with the best. ETE 7 had made sure of it. Julianna placed her purse on the four-poster bed.
Head still thumping, she removed her gold chain and put it inside the nightstand. She ran a finger over the smooth metal. The day she’d been drawn into the jewelry store and had seen the necklace, she’d known she had to have it. For some reason she felt safer wearing the gold chain. Like a good luck charm. The reason she wore it for every assignment, though it hadn’t brought her luck this time. She sighed and closed the drawer.
Her legs were a bit sticky from the champagne that had splashed up on them. It should’ve been easy. The man had caught her off guard. But why? A hot shower is what she needed to get clean and clear her head. Figure out a new plan. Now that she’d been made, things were more complicated.
Julianna went into the bathroom and unzipped her evening gown. The thin fabric fell to her feet. With one hand pressed to her throbbing head, she turned on the faucet and let steam build up in the room. She stepped into the jetted tub and pulled the sheer curtain closed. The hot water surged against her skin allowing her shoulders to relax. She washed her hair, massaging her scalp with her fingertips. The suds streamed down her body to her toes. After a few minutes, the headache diminished.
When the hot water was depleted, she turned off the faucet and rung out her long hair. She grabbed a towel to wrap around her head and another to cover her body. After a deep breath, she wiped the fog from the mirror. Her refection made her frown. The face in the glass looked lost, something she was never supposed to feel again.
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