by Leslie North
Then the device buzzed and a text appeared onscreen.
Be Careful.
From none other than Coran Williams himself.
The message was time-stamped just a few hours earlier, but the fact remained. She’d lied. She’d received this message and not said a word about it to him, her sworn protector.
“Spencer?” Toni called, her voice weak and soft.
Torn between anger and hurt and the undercurrent of awareness that always fizzed whenever she was around, he returned to Toni’s side, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and stroking her hair away from her face. “Hey. You okay?”
“I think so.” She frowned, holding her head. “How about you?”
“I’m good.” Liar. At that moment, he was about as far from good as a man could get.
A knock sounded on the door and Spencer collected his requested items from the butler before taking a seat beside Toni again. He opened a bottle of cold water then helped Toni sit up and take a drink before swallowing the rest himself.
“Are you injured?” he asked, setting the empty bottle aside and picking up the first aid kit. “If so, I’ve had basic EMT training.”
She felt her arms and legs then stretched. “Nope. I’m still in one piece.”
For a crazy second, he wished his hands were on her body, brushing over those lush curves, before he caught himself. Now, more than ever, Spencer needed to concentrate on his mission, keep his head clear and his directives foremost in his mind—locate Coran Williams, discover more about the SHEEPSKIN network, help Kyle destroy Arrieta.
Not necessarily in that order.
Slowly, Toni slid her legs over the side of the mattress and he placed a steadying hand on her arm as she swayed slightly then he quickly let her go, scowling down at the toes of his black combat boots. “How do you know Miles Arrieta?”
“I don’t, really. He and my father did business together. I only met him a few times at company functions. I had no idea he might show up here today or pull something like that.” She shuddered and hugged her arms tighter around herself. “Why?”
“What did Arrieta want with you, Toni? What did he ask you? The more information you can give me, the better my team will be able to track him and find out his real purpose in being here.” Each word he said cut like a razor in his throat, but he forced them out just the same. “Are you involved with Arrieta? Is your father? Because if he is—” He couldn’t make himself say the rest, that if she was involved with a terrorist or harbored a father who was, then there was no way they could have any kind of a future together. Not that they would have one anyway, necessarily, but still…
“I saw what you did downstairs,” she whispered, her voice quivering, continuing on as if she hadn’t heard him. “The way you handled those men—doesn’t it bother you?” Tears slipped down her cheeks. Shock. She was probably in shock.
“I wouldn’t be very good at my job if it did,” he said. “I don’t kill innocents. Ever. I only take out the people who deserve it.”
“And who decides who deserves it?” Toni shook her head, swiping at her cheeks. “I realize you probably saved my life, but all the violence and death and for what?”
“For safety, for security, for freedom.”
“There has to be a better way.”
“I agree. And as soon as someone finds it, I’ll be the first in line to sign up. Until then, liberty has a price.”
“You sound just like my father,” Toni said, her voice bitter. She gave a sad little laugh and rubbed her hands over her face. There was dirt on her cheek and scabs on both her knees and all Spencer wanted to do at that moment was hold her close and protect her from every bad thing in the world. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear that.” She glanced at him over her shoulder and gave a watery smile. “I know what you do is important, Spencer. I just never expected it to hit so close to home, that’s all. I need some time to adjust.”
“Toni, I found the—”
Another knock sounded on the door, cutting him off. Spencer frowned. He wasn’t expecting anyone else tonight. “Yes?”
“There are some men here to see you, sir,” Ayaan said. “And the banquet room manager called, Ms. Williams. They want to know if you’ll be back down to continue the dress rehearsal.”
Toni took a deep breath then shook her head. “Please extend my apologies to the manager and tell him something unexpected has come up. I’ll call him later to reschedule for early tomorrow morning.
“Very good, ma’am.” Ayaan bowed then closed the door behind him.
Spencer stood and typed in a quick text to Kyle on his phone, hitting send before looking at her again.
Arrieta just tried to snatch Toni.
Got her to safety.
In Hotel Suite Now.
“I alerted my team about what happened downstairs,” he said. “And I’m assuming it’s local law enforcement who’s here now. Meaning they’ll have questions for both of us.”
“Great.” Toni ran a shaky hand through her tousled hair then checked her appearance in the full length mirror beside her closet. “Any way you can stall them for a few minutes while I freshen up?”
“Sure thing.” He gave her a long, last look before leaving. Talking to the police right now was the last the thing he wanted to do, but if he stayed in that room much longer, he wasn’t sure he could keep his hands to himself.
He walked out into the sitting room only to find it wasn’t the cops at all.
It was his team.
“Christ on a cracker, man.” Gage said from the middle of the foyer, gawking. “Live like a king much?”
“No kidding.” Scotty shook his head and gave Spencer a what-the-hell look. “How come he gets to stay here while we hide out in Motel Hell?”
“Because Spencer is lead operative on this mission,” Kyle said, watching them all from the corner of the room and holding up his phone, where Spencer’s latest text glowed bright on the screen. “At least for now.”
“Good thing we decided to show up, eh dude? Given that the terrorists decided to crash your little party.” Gage grabbed a handful of grapes from a platter of fresh fruit Ayaan had set on an ottoman then stretched out his long form on the gold divan. “Would’ve showed up sooner if we’d known how pimped out you were.”
Spencer exhaled loud and sank into one of the sitting room’s overstuffed arm chairs, this one upholstered in deep purple. Seemed every square inch of the place was festooned in some jewel-toned shade.
“Got that right.” Scotty picked up a golden candelabra from a side table and squinted at the bottom. “You have any idea how much this place runs a night?”
“No.” He wasn’t footing the bill, so he figured it was none of his business.
“Try twenty-two thousand dollars.” Kyle pushed away from the corner. “Thankfully, it’s being funded by Sheik Saaed and not the American taxpayers.”
Spencer gritted his teeth in annoyance and studied his fingernails. “Anyone interested in discussing the kidnapping Arrieta attempted on my target? Considering that’s why we’re here?”
“You’ve confirmed Arrieta’s involvement?” Kyle leaned against the wall opposite Spencer’s chair.
“Yes. I was there, remember?”
“Any idea how he knows Miss Williams?”
“She said he did some business with her father a few years ago.”
“That fits in pretty neatly with what we found then, hey Kyle?” Gage said around a mouthful of food.
“Yeah?” Spencer glanced up at his team leader, scowling. “And what’s that?”
“We have reason to believe Coran’s more deeply involved with the SHEEPSKIN network than we first realized,” Kyle said.
“How?”
“From the codes Hayley’s deciphered on the e-readers so far, the files could only be used for one purpose—to act as some kind of message system, to infect these cells then alert interested parties to their whereabouts.”
“Wait. You mean the S
HEEPSKIN network is actually designed to destroy the terrorists?”
“Seems that way,” Gage said, after popping another grape into his mouth. “Even if they do go about it in their own sick and twisted way.”
Scotty sank down into the other armchair next to the divan. “And if Coran’s publishing company has direct oversight of which books go on which e-readers, then—”
“Then Coran Williams could be the mastermind behind it all,” Kyle finished. “He could be SHEEPSKIN.”
Spencer dropped his head back against the chair and stared at the mosaic ceiling above. “Wow. I guess that does make sense. I mean he’s got the resources and the connections through his media companies to reach all corners of the world. What’s his motive though?”
“His political views have taken a decided turn toward the patriotic over the past couple of years. Everything from rallies to fundraisers to national conventions. He’s turned into a real martyr when it comes to his causes of late. Practically bleeds red, white, and blue these days,” Kyle says. “Wouldn’t take much to push a man like that over the edge.”
“Huh.” Spencer closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Maybe that’s why he’s gone into hiding too. Maybe he’s gone underground to focus on his network priorities. Coordinating bombing of school buildings isn’t exactly something you want out in the open, right?”
“Putrid thing is, for a guy like Coran, he probably thinks what he’s done is okay. I’m sure he justifies it under acceptable losses.” Scotty shook his head. “Man, can you imagine having that guy for your dad?”
“No,” Spencer said, gazing across the room at his buddy, a fleeting image of the text he’d found on Toni’s phone flickering through his mind. He hadn’t had a chance to ask her about it yet, but he would. She might still be talking to her father, but he refused to believe she’d take part in his heinous activities, no matter how noble the end goal. “I doubt Toni’s got any idea though.”
“Any idea about what?” she said, coming into the room with her hand extended toward Kyle. “Hello, I’m Toni Williams. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Chapter 9
“Kyle Matthews,” the tall, black-haired man said. His grip was firm and confident, though a hint of wariness lurked in his hazel eyes. Based on the fine lines around his eyes, he was a few years older than the rest of the guys and Toni guessed he must be Spencer’s esteemed team leader.
“Nice to meet you.” She gave a weak smile and did her best to control the tremor in her hands, then turned her attention to the other two men nearby. The first one stood and introduced himself as Gage. She made a mental note to remember him by his missing right earlobe. In her line of work, Toni met so many people and having clues to their identity always helped. He was a few inches taller than Spencer and bulkier, muscle-wise.
“And I’m Scotty Devonshire,” the second man said, flashed her a dazzling smile and a coy wink. “I’m sure Spencer has told you all about me.” Spencer hadn’t, actually, but from the top of this guy’s buzz-cut blond hair to the tips of his black combat boots, he was every inch the debonair flirt. “Hope my best bud here is treating you well.”
Toni glanced sideways at Spencer only to find him frowning darkly. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was jealous. But that would be ridiculous, right? Sure, they’d had sex at the oasis, but she never dared to hope for more beyond that point—and he wouldn’t offer, would he? She cleared her throat and smoothed a hand down the front of the clean, pink T-shirt and jeans she’d changed into. “Yes. Spencer’s been quite helpful since he hired on as my bodyguard.”
Gage snorted and resumed his seat on the divan. “That’d be a first then.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he’s enjoying this job,” Scotty said, chuckling as he took a seat back in his armchair. “You know, guarding your body.”
Beside her, Spencer snarled. “Watch it.”
“What?” Scotty raised a blond brow, his expression amused.
“You heard me.” Spencer stared across the space at his friend, giving him the equivalent of a visual “fuck you”.
“You think I’m scared of you, bro?” Scotty glared. “We can settle this outside, right here, right now.”
“Anytime.” Spencer stood, practically bristling with testosterone. “Bring it.”
“That’s enough!” Toni snapped, clutching at Spencer’s arm. “I’ve had enough confrontation today to last me a lifetime!” Her voice went high-pitched and wobbly. “Please, sit down.”
“Best take the lady’s advice, gentlemen,” Kyle said, his flat tone at odds with the growling men ready to tear each other limb from limb. He never once yelled, but the underlying threat of death and destruction in his voice was still unmistakable. “Now.”
Grumbling, both men took their seats again while Gage shook his head and grinned. “You’ll have to excuse them, Ms. Williams. Especially Scotty. First time away from his new girlfriend.”
“Oh. Well, that can be hard.” She nodded and keeping her hand on Spencer to keep him calm, and because it made her feel better just to touch him. “And please, all of of you. Call me Toni.”
Kyle narrowed his gaze on her. “How well do you know Miles Arrieta?”
“Not well.” Nervous now under the team’s direct scrutiny, Toni tucked her hair behind her ear. “As I told Spencer earlier, he’s done some business with my father and I met him at a couple of the Williams Publishing galas.”
“And where is your father?” Kyle asked.
“I have no idea.”
“That seems weird,” Scotty said. “I mean, he’s your father and you run this foundation with his blessing, yeah?”
“My father hasn’t given me his blessing, or anything else, since the day I was born.” Angry heat prickled up her cheeks. She wasn’t sure if it was the stress of what had happened earlier or just her pent-up frustrations in general that got the better of her, but she was tired of defending herself. Toni met Kyle’s gaze. “Am I under investigation here or something?”
“No.” Kyle narrowed his gaze. “We’re interested in the whereabouts of your father.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“We have reason to believe your father may be involved in terrorism,” Kyle said, his expression unreadable. “If you know where he is and you don’t share that information, you’d be aiding and abetting a terrorist.”
Having her own concerns about her father’s activities was one thing. Having these men all but confirm her suspicions was like a sucker punch straight to her gut. She inhaled sharply and did her best not to vomit. “He’s my family, my flesh and blood.”
“And that’s what we’re afraid of.”
“Excuse me?”
“Just sit down,” Spencer said, took her hand and pulled her down onto the chair beside him. “I know this is a lot to take in, but we really need to talk to him. That’s all. Just talk. And I saw your text earlier. The one from your dad.”
“What?” She tried to pull her hand free from his, but he held tight. “I don’t understand. You were snooping through my stuff, Spencer? I trusted you.”
“I was just trying to protect you.”
“That’s not protection. That’s a violation.” She blinked back unwanted tears of fury. “How dare you invade my privacy like that. After everything that happened between us at the oasis.”
Kyle zeroed in on the interaction, his gaze darting from Spencer to Toni, then back again. “We have reason to believe that your father may have had some involvement in the village attack yesterday and that he may be heading an organization called SHEEPSKIN.”
Head swimming, she stared at the black marble floor. “The e-readers. You think those files have something to do with all this?
Spencer squeezed her hand, then looked at his team leader. “I told her about the encrypted files Hayley hacked.”
“I see.” Kyle stared at Toni a long moment, as if passing judgment on her worthiness. Finally, he sighed and looked away. “We don’t trust many people
these days, Ms. Williams. For good reason.”
“I know about your suspension,” she said. “And about what happened to your brother. I’m sorry.”
“Too bad your father doesn’t feel the same way,” Kyle said.
Refusing to be intimidated, Toni squared her shoulders and held her head high. “I know what you think of my dad, and after everything you’ve discovered I realize you have no reason to trust me. But you came to my hotel room. You’re sitting in my suite, eating my food.” She looked over at Gage, who froze with a grape halfway to his mouth. “Whether you want to admit it or not, we need each other. You need to find my father and I need to stay safe and out of whatever mess he’s gotten himself involved in. But before I agree to help you, I need some assurance.” She tapped the toe of her fuzzy pink slipper on the floor and mimicked Kyle’s crossed arms and defensive stance. “First, I want your assurance you won’t hurt my father. There’s been enough blood shed. I don’t want any more on my hands.”
A spark of respect flitted through Kyle’s hazel eyes. “Fine. But you should also know I vowed the day my brother died to avenge his death and I intend to keep that promise no matter how much it costs me.”
Her next words clogged in her throat, but she forced them out anyway. “What other proof do you have of my father’s involvement?”
“Besides Nick’s widow writing a book commissioned specifically by your father? A document so hot, it caused a crispy-crazed psycho to blow up your dad’s publishing company and kidnap my girlfriend, Anna?” Gage said.
“Or him bribing an FBI agent to take out my girlfriend, Hayley?” Scotty said.
Toni looked between the two men, wide-eyed and silent.
“It’s complicated.” Kyle scrubbed a hand over the stubble on his jaw. “But our objective has been and will always be the truth, Ms. Williams.”
“Toni.”
The team leader looked at her a long moment, the hint of a smile fracturing his stoic façade. “Toni.”
She nodded. “Okay, then. When I was growing up, my father had this set of rare first editions. He’d collected them for years, stored them away in hermetically sealed vaults for safe keeping. I could have them overnighted here.”