Protecting the Enemy

by Christy Newton

  She popped a couple more ibuprofen and swallowed them down with the bottle of water Reid had gotten her. He was sitting on the end of the bed cleaning their guns and sorting out the other assassins’ belongings. He was acting different and almost irritated with her. She twisted the lid back onto the tube of ointment and gazed at him. “What are you going to do with their stuff?”

  Reid kept his eyes on what he was doing. “I’m keeping it for insurance. You never know if we may need to plant these someplace to keep the heat off us. We’ve been careful, but I’m not parting with these until I know we are one hundred and ten percent safe.”

  “Good idea.” She paused. “Are you okay?”

  He looked up at her. “Yeah, why?”

  Things between them were awkward. “I don’t know… you’ve not spoken much since we got here and you barely touched me last night.

  “You’re in pain. You need to heal. I’m letting you heal,” he mumbled.

  “I like being close to you. I’m sore, but not fragile.”

  He pressed his lips together. “Noted.”

  Tears stung her eyes. When did she become such a crybaby? “I’m taking a nap.” She rolled over away from him.

  ***

  Reid stared at the wall. It had been an uneventful few days since they left Weasel’s place. After that day, he’d distanced himself from Julianna. He hadn’t given her more than a peck on the lips for three straight days. He wouldn’t let his guard down again, not for a second. She was upset with him, but now he was in mission mode. He couldn’t take any more chances.

  Until the last two members of ETE 7 were erased, he couldn’t allow himself the pleasure of Julianna. They clouded each other’s judgment. When he thought about what he could have lost, he couldn’t bear it. Not when he’d spent the last six months after the explosion looking for her. Every hospital, he’d searched with a glimmer of hope and then every morgue with a shadow of dread. It had been an emotional roller coaster from hell that he didn’t want to ever go through again.

  Julianna paced the small motel room. “We need to stop hiding and lure them to us.”

  She was right. They were only dragging things out. “I’ll go spend the day at the Inner Harbor and close out my bank account. If Boss is watching, that will alert him to my location.”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  He wouldn’t let her out in the open with two psychopaths on the loose. “No, I’ll take you to Noah’s church. You’ll be safer there.”

  “I’m not taking orders from you. We’re in this together.”

  He wouldn’t take chances where she was concerned again. “I’ll handle it.”

  She looked at him for a few minutes as if searching for any trace of the man she’d made love to not that long ago. “We’re safer together remember? Isn’t that what you told me when this all started?”

  “We are, but only if we don’t let our emotions cause us to make errors.” When this was over, he’d take her in his arms and apologize over and over again for his coldness. But not until then. They both had to stay focused. Emotions were causing them to make mistakes. Mistakes that could cost him more than he was prepared to pay.

  She glared and walked past him. “Don’t you think it’s a little late for that?”

  ***

  The sky was a clear blue proving that the city streets would stay crowded. It was a risky move, but one that had to be made. Julianna and Reid took turns depleting their bank accounts. She only had ten grand to her name—if not for expensive clothes and shoes, she’d have much more. Somehow her extravagant purchases weren’t important anymore.

  Julianna stayed outside of the bank with Reid’s Glock tucked into her jeans, the metal uncomfortable against her bare back. She missed the old days when mixing cocktails was her go-to weapon. When this was over, she never wanted to shoot a gun again. Actually when this was over, she had no idea what she would do.

  Reid was a hard man to figure out. One day he acted like he couldn’t get enough of her, the next he couldn’t get far enough away. She hated to admit that he’d hurt her feelings. Maybe he was losing interest in her.

  Reid exited the bank. “Let’s go. Keep your eyes peeled. I’ll take the right side, you take the left. They most likely won’t try to take us out in public, but if they follow us we’ll be ready.”

  Before they got into the crowd, they ducked to the side of a building and Julianna gave Reid his gun back. They walked along the brick pavers on the edge of the crowd. Julianna scanned the sea of people for Boss or anyone that looked like they could be concealing a weapon. The noisy chaos of laughing and talking filled her ears. She looked over the boats on the still water. They walked around in the open for an hour. Being out in the open on high alert had them both on edge.

  “They’ve had plenty of time to make us.”

  Julianna nodded and followed Reid back to the city streets. Her heart was racing as they ducked into an alley and hid behind a dumpster. A couple of minutes passed, then a heavy man dressed in a suit headed their direction.

  She grabbed Reid’s arm. “That’s the man who grabbed me and put me into his trunk.”

  Before the man reached the dumpster he stopped. “I know you two are back there. If you toss me your weapons, no one has to get hurt.”

  “That’s bull shit and you know it. We aren’t tossing anything,” Reid called out.

  The man laughed and took a step closer, his gun drawn. “Yeah, I guess it is. But you’re surrounded, so you might as well surrender.”

  Reid shook his head and leaned against the dumpster.

  Julianna looked down the alley behind them and then above their heads. “He’s lying.”

  He looked into her eyes. “On three.”

  She nodded, adrenaline surging through her.

  Reid and Julianna both jumped out, guns firing. The man in the suit went down with a thud, but not before Reid caught a bullet with his arm.

  Her mouth fell open. “You’re bleeding!”

  “I’m okay, it’s only a flesh wound.” He handed her the cloth. “Get his wallet and gun.”

  ***

  Julianna got them a new hotel room on the opposite end of town. She snuck Reid in through the back as to not draw attention to the blood seeping through his shirt.

  Once inside, Reid removed the first aid kit. “Just a scratch.”

  His wound was more than a scratch. She opened the small bottle of alcohol and poured it over his arm. His face turned red, but he didn’t make a sound. She dabbed some ointment over the injury, then wrapped gauze around his arm. As long as the wound didn’t get infected, he’d be fine. The cut on her head had been worse, but she still didn’t like to see him bleed.

  “Thanks, Jewels.” He put his shirt back on. “Well, that just leaves Boss.”

  She frowned. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.”

  “He has no one to hide behind now. We’re close.”

  She couldn’t wait to face the man behind the mask. “Go ahead and rest. I’m not tired.”

  He nodded. “Wake me up in four hours, so you can get some sleep too.”

  “Okay.” Life on the run sucked. Sleep only came when she was too exhausted to fight it. And sometimes she had nightmares about the men she’d killed. Something she hadn’t done in a long time. What she wouldn’t give to be back home and crawl into her own cozy bed, with her smooth, luxurious sheets. She missed painting her nails and wearing lipstick. She even missed the boredom she had often experienced waiting for her next assignment. A nice quiet game of Jenga sounded good right about now.

  ***

  Julianna stood watch while Reid took a shower. She paced the room overcome with desire thinking about him naked and wet. When the faucet shut off, she walked into the bathroom where Reid was drying his face. He’d shaved. How she wanted to reach out and touch his face to see if it felt as smooth as it looked. Instead, she shoved her hands into her pockets. “We need to spy on Senator Grant.”

  “I know
Grant’s our only connection left to Boss, but we have to be careful.” He raked his fingers through his dark, wet hair. Since they’d depleted their bank accounts, they’d splurged on things like razors, body wash, shaving cream and makeup for Julianna. Even backpacks to carry everything when it was time to move again. Reid dabbed on his signature sandalwood cologne. The scent made desire pool between her thighs. She couldn’t take it any longer. Need took over as she removed her hands from their pockets and boldly stripped out of her clothes in front of him.

  He swallowed as his eyes traveled up and down her body. “What are you doing?”

  “What do you think?” She stepped up to him pressing her exposed breasts against his shirt. He grew hard in an instant, telling her she would get what she’d wanted. Her teeth grazed his ear and she whispered, “I need you. Now.”

  His mouth found hers. His kisses were ruthless like he could swallow her whole. She unzipped his jeans with her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. His pants dropped and he propelled into her wet desire, his strength pushing her against the bathroom wall. She screamed out in pure pleasure. Fast and intense, they moved together creating so much heat they both worked up a sweat.

  When he released his grip on her, they both slid down to the floor.

  Reid spoke first. “I feel like a jerk for taking you that way.”

  Still lightheaded, she looked up at him. “Why? I wanted you to.”

  “That was great sex, but you deserve more, Jewels. You deserve to be made love to.”

  She tilted her chin upward. “Then make love to me.”

  He leaned his head back on the wall and looked up to the ceiling. “Not until this is over. We have to stay focused.”

  “Right, so no sweet sex until we kill Boss and definitely no falling in love,” she teased trying to lighten the mood.

  “I never stopped loving you, Jewels.”

  An ache burned deep inside her chest. She wanted to remember. Not just slivers of her past, but every happy moment she’d with Reid. It was so unfair. She liked him a lot. Maybe even loved him, but she wasn’t sure if it was because of him or the fact that he was all she had now.

  “Hey, I know that look. It’s okay if you don’t remember everything.” His fingers lifted her chin. “When this is over, we can make new memories.”

  Chapter 10

  Reid and Julianna sat parked in the current borrowed car, down the street from the Grant residence. They had to leave the windows cracked despite the cool temperature— the former owner must have smoked like a chimney. Julianna watched and waited while sipping the last of her gas station coffee. If only they could just ask the man about Boss. “You know, I was thinking… what if Boss had done something for the senator only once, then he never spoke to him again?”

  Reid kept his eyes fixed forward. “You don’t keep hidden phone numbers of people you’re never going to call again.”

  She tapped her foot. “It feels like we’ve been sitting here all day.”

  Reid laughed. “It’s been an hour. You’re not good at surveillance are you?”

  She frowned and peered out the window. “I don’t like to sit in parked cars. I feel trapped.”

  “You want to feel trapped? Spend a few months in a jail cell. That’s trapped.”

  “It could have something to do with the fact that I was thrown into a trunk… wait, you’ve been in jail?”

  “Yeah, when I was sixteen. That car I stole… I got caught. And you escaped from that trunk easily.”

  “Is that the only time you’ve been behind bars?”

  “Yep and I’ll never go back.” He’d rather die than not be free.

  A town car pulled out of the senator’s driveway. Reid started the car. “He’s on the move. Let’s hope it’s to lead us to the real enemy.”

  Grant pulled into the parking lot of a government office building.

  Julianna sighed. “I highly doubt he would meet Boss here.”

  “Me either. But we don’t know for sure what Boss’ face looks like.”

  “I do. If he’s Brandon Voss.”

  Too bad the senator didn’t know that Boss was killing people. If he thought Grant could stop Boss, he’d have talked to him by now. No, Boss was someone that they’d have to deal with on their own. If they could just find the man of the shadows.

  ***

  “Don’t be disappointed. We knew it was a long shot.” Reid massaged Julianna’s shoulders as they sat on the bed inside the hotel room.

  Her life was full of disappointments. Being a Jane Doe, being let down by a man she trusted, losing great memories of Reid. “I know, but we wasted an entire day. Senator Grant seems legit to me.”

  “Let’s eat dinner and we’ll drive back over tonight. Maybe we can spy on him better if we can get a good look through his windows.”

  Julianna laughed. “Sounds like a great way to spend the evening.”

  He gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Come on, let’s go eat some spaghetti. You still like spaghetti don’t you?”

  “Yes.” She frowned. “Too bad we can’t just stay in and order room service.” Eating dinner in bed sounded wonderful.

  “It’s still too risky. Boss did teach you how to poison people. If he found us, it wouldn’t take much for him to slip something into our food.”

  She sighed and stood up. “True. Better safe than dead.”

  ***

  Reid stayed a safe distance behind Senator Grant as he weaved in and out of traffic. He pulled his town car down an alley. Very interesting. Reid parked the car a block away from where Grant pulled into. They exited the vehicle and went in the same direction Grant had driven. The area didn’t look like the kind of place a senator would conduct business at and it was the bad side of town, too. Until now, nothing had looked out of the ordinary with the senator.

  “Do you think he could be meeting with Boss?” Julianna asked.

  “I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.”

  She kept Reid’s fast pace toward the entrance. “What other business would a respectable congressman have in this area after 9 p.m.? I doubt he is involved with shadier people than Boss.”

  “You’d be surprised at what politicians are involved in.” Reid opened the metal door to reveal a dimly lit club with the pungent stench of cigars and sweat. Not a huge crowd yet, but from the looks of the pole positioned on the small stage, this was a gentlemen’s club.

  A few waitresses walked around half naked, carrying mixed drinks to tables. There wasn’t any sign of the senator. They took a seat in the corner. Julianna held her nose while Reid scanned the place. A man disappeared into the back with one of the waitresses. The good senator had to be in back.

  Reid stood up. “Stay here. Watch my back.”

  Julianna continued to hold her nose. “Hurry. This place smells nastier than the car.”

  Reid walked over to the bleached blonde carrying an empty tray toward the bar. “How do I get into the back?”

  She set the round tray down and looped her arm with his. “With me, sugar.” The bimbo looked to be in her forties, but she was probably much younger. She had the face of someone with a rough life and the body of someone with too many implants. “I’m Sashia at your service.”

  He wouldn’t touch her for anything. When they got to the rear of the building, a half dozen rooms were on either side of the hall. She opened the door to the second room.

  He removed her arm and pulled out his wallet. “How much?”

  She eyed him from head to toe. “Three hundred.”

  Reid handed her three hundred and fifty. “I just need some information.”

  She eyes widened. “You a cop? ‘Cause I was just going to dance for you. Perfectly legal.”

  He grinned as charmingly as he could. “No. I’m not a cop.”

  She chewed on her lower lip and glanced around. “What kind of information?”

  “A well dressed man in a trench coat, about six-foot came back here a few minutes ago. Where is he?
”

  She crossed her arms. “I don’t recall.”

  Reid pulled out another fifty. “Do you recall now?”

  She took the money and pointed to the room two doors down. “He’s in with Trixie. Should be finished in a few minutes. He’s a fast one, that one.”

  Information he didn’t need. “Thanks. I’ll wait here.”

  “Suit yourself. Don’t mention my name.” She took off, back out to the club area.

  Reid stood behind the door and waited. So, Senator Grant liked prostitutes did he? That data could prove to be useful.

  As Sashia promised, the door opened just a couple minutes later. The man didn’t even notice Reid hidden in the shadows. The SOB had a satisfied smirk on his face. Not for long. Reid let the senator pass him, but he followed close behind. He motioned for Julianna as soon as they entered the main area. She stood up and walked over to them.

  “Senator Grant?” She placed a hand on his arm.

  He jerked his arm away. “No, you have me mistaken with someone else.”

  Reid stepped in front of them. “I don’t think so. Why don’t we go sit down and have a chat.”

  The man’s face went pale. “What do you want?”

  “Brandon Voss.”

  The senator’s mouth fell open. His eyes went to Julianna for a second before darting back to Reid. “I don’t know him.”

  “How was Trixie tonight?” Reid asked.

  He swallowed and glanced toward the exit. “I don’t know where he is.”

  Reid reached over and straightened Senator Grant’s tie. “Does your wife know about your little excursions here?”

  His hands turned into fists. “You have no idea who you are dealing with.”

  “Yes, I think I do. I want Brandon Voss’ location or I’ll leak my new found information to the press.”

  “I don’t have his location.” He removed a checkbook from his jacket pocket. “How much do you want?”