As Patrick drove away, Luke turned to look back at the house, unable to see Tim on the phone with an angry expression on his face.
Chapter 7
Lin Wang sat at the opulent dinner in the Chinese Embassy, her sharp eyes assessing everyone. Her dark, sleek bob was unadorned, swinging above her shoulders. Dressed in a modest evening gown of emerald green, she pretended to hang onto every word spoken by the boring man sitting next to her while attempting to scan the room.
Her eyes landed on Dr. Jian Cheung and her lips pinched together involuntarily. His eyes met hers and, much to her chagrin, he walked through the crowd toward her. Turning in her seat to face her table partner more fully, she hoped the doctor would ignore her, but her luck was not holding.
“Agent Wang, how nice to see you again,” Dr. Cheung’s voice purred from behind as she felt his fingertips slide across her shoulders. Sucking in a quick breath, she twisted around and gifted him with a tight smile.
“Doctor,” she greeted in return, her voice barely a growl.
Just then the Chinese Ambassador’s secretary, Yeng Chow stepped into view, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Dr. Cheung and hustling over.
“Dr. Cheung,” he said breathlessly in Chinese, “I’ve been looking for you.”
Jian turned slowly, his smile never wavering, although Lin caught the irritation glistening in his eyes. “And now you have found me.”
“The Ambassador has someone he wants you to meet,” Yeng said, his eyes dropping to Lin’s perceptive gaze.
“Anything I can assist with?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow, speaking in Chinese as well.
“No, no, my dear,” Jian replied smoothly, his fingers digging ever so slightly into her shoulder. He turned and followed Yeng out of the room, Lin’s eyes staying on them until they were out of sight.
“Hey, Agent Wang, you okay?”
Jumping, she turned to see her fellow FBI agent standing nearby. “Yes, I’m fine. Just trying to keep an eye on security as well as be a guest,” she said, her voice brooking no doubt. She eyed the other agent as they nodded and moved away.
Sucking in a deep breath, she sometimes hated being Chinese-American in the Bureau. Her gaze landed on the door Dr. Cheung had left through and her lips curved into a small smile. And then again…it gives me the perfect opportunity to blend in to keep an eye on things.
*
Charlie woke suddenly, unable to discern the sound that had jarred her from her sleep. With the fall chill penetrating the nights in the camper, she was already dressed in a long-sleeve black t-shirt and black leggings. Stealing noiselessly from the bed, she went to the security monitor screen mounted on the wall that showed her the images from the outside cameras.
Damn! One person slipped around the side of the camper toward her Vespa while another person stood at the end of the gravel campsite leading to the main road circling the campground. Biting her lip, she sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, clearing her mind.
Watching the person in the back bend over her Vespa, she opened the specially oiled door without making a sound. Moving in the shadows, she slipped up behind the man, glad he was not overly large. With a quick karate move, she dropped him to the ground before he was aware of her presence. Slipping to the other side of the van, she waited until the lookout turned and approached her vehicle. Coming up behind him, she executed the same maneuver and dropped him as well. Staring down at the two men, she looked around in guilt. What now? What do I do with them now? Suddenly, she sprinted back inside her camper and rummaged through her toolbox. Grabbing the duct tape, she slipped back outside, holding her breath until she saw the two men still lying on the ground.
Bending down, she secured one man’s hands behind his back with the tape and, with difficulty, dragged his body under a tree. Thank goodness a wind is blowing through the trees creating a noise camouflage. Within a couple of minutes, she had both unconscious men secured. Heart pounding, she stood for a moment, uncertain of what to do next. If they found me…others will come.
Checking her Vespa, she ascertained they had not placed a bug or monitoring device on it. Letting out her breath, she sighed audibly. Good, they were only snooping. She knew she should not have stayed in the campground for longer than a week or two at the most, but it had been so pleasant to not move, she allowed herself the luxury of staying in one place. How the hell did they find me? Maybe they’re just random thieves and not from…Well, it doesn’t matter.
Buckling into the driver’s seat, she started the engine and pulled out of the campsite slowly, glancing into the side-view mirror, seeing the two slumbering intruders still reclined under the tree. With a grimace, she drove out of the campground, hesitating for a moment as to her next destination.
Time to do it, she vowed. Time to let someone else in!
*
Luke’s eyes jerked open from a sound sleep, instantly on alert. None of his security alarms were signaling, but something woke him up. Tossing the covers back, he sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, ears alert, waiting to see if he could discern anything. Nothing.
With over ten thousand dollars worth of computer equipment and programs, he was not willing to go back to sleep without checking first. Slipping a pair of sweatpants over his long legs, he grabbed his gun from his nightstand and stepped into the hall. Hearing nothing, he walked stealthily toward the living room in the front of the house.
Rounding the corner at the end of the hall, he jerked in surprise. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminated the outline of a woman standing in his living room. He kept his gun pointed at the intruder as he flipped the wall switch that turned on the lamp by the sofa, bathing them both in a soft glow. Luke’s gaze traveled from the top of her head to her shoes and back again, landing on her eyes.
Long, rich brunette hair, braided and falling across one shoulder. Light brown…no…hazel eyes met and held his stare. At about five feet seven inches, her slim body belied a muscular strength underneath the tight, black t-shirt. Black leggings hugged her athletic frame and tucked into black tennis shoes.
As his gaze lifted to her face once more, he was struck by her beauty. Simple. Unadorned. Beauty. Then his mind came unglued as realization slammed into him. Fuck me! Charlotte Trivett!
She remained statue still except for her gaze, which dropped to the gun in his hand. “I’d appreciate it if you would lower your weapon.” Her smooth voice shook with a slight tremor as her chest heaved with each breath.
Keeping his weapon trained on her, he replied, “And I’d appreciate it if you would tell me how the hell you got through my security and into my house.”
Her tongue darted out, wetting her bottom lip, as she nodded slowly. “I notice you didn’t ask who I was or what I was doing here.”
“I’ve been staring at your picture for the past few days, from elementary school to your last driver’s license. I must say the DMV photograph doesn’t do you justice.” He noticed the corners of her mouth lift ever so slightly.
Deciding to plunge in completely, she blurted, “I need help.”
Watching the fear flash through her eyes, he lowered his weapon, but did not lay it down. Not yet. I want answers and I damn well better get them. “You’re a hard person to find, Charlotte,” he admitted.
“I know. I wanted to be.”
“And yet…” he peered at her closely, his mind slowly churning through the possibilities. “You knew I was looking. You found out who I am. Where I live.” As his gaze roved over her face, he noticed the slight dimple in her chin. Dimple. I’ve seen that before…
Another realization slammed into him and he rocked back on his heels. “You were the woman in the bar. With black hair.” She did not need to respond, as he saw her pull her lips in, pressing them thin. Another thought jolted through him, causing him to lean forward slightly as he raked his eyes over her frame. “Holy shit. You’re the woman from the diner.” Tossing his gun onto the dining room table behind him,
he whirled back around and growled, “Jesus, what the hell is your game?”
She took a step toward him then halted at the set of his jaw. Taking a shaky breath, she said, “No game. I promise. No game.”
Letting out his breath, he ran his hand through his hair then crossed his arms over his muscular chest. Standing with his legs apart as he continued to stare her down, “You got any more surprise confessions before you tell me how you got in here?”
Her head jerked back, caught between a shake and a nod. Sucking in her lips again, she attempted an innocent look, but knew she failed when she saw the grimace on his face. “Can we at least sit down?” she asked, suddenly exhausted.
Her pale face beckoned to him and, immediately contrite, Luke apologized. “I’m sorry. I know you’ve been through something. Something that’s made you run. Something that’s made you go into hiding.”
Following his outstretched arm, she walked over to the sofa and sat in the corner, curling her legs up under her. Staring at him, she waited, wondering what he was going to do. She did not have to wait long. He stepped over to re-alarm his house then stalked into the living room and stared at her for a moment before glancing around. Finally deciding to sit on the other end of the sofa, he twisted his body so that he was facing her.
Charlie realized she was seeing Luke up close for the first time…really seeing him. Not trying to keep her face away from his to hide her identity, but able to unabashedly stare at him. And just as she knew she would…she liked what she saw. His jaw was dark with stubble. His body was muscular and his arms bulged where they had been crossed. He looked like the runner he was. And the karate expert. I’ve learned all I can about him in the past months, but never allowed myself to think that we would actually meet. His dark, almost black, hair was trimmed neatly, but long enough that when he ran his hands through it, it would stand up on end. She longed to do just that. The realization hit her that she had not really touched another human in months. Not since being on the run.
As her gaze moved back to his face, she blushed as she saw that he was watching her appraise him. Dropping her gaze, suddenly unsure of herself, she wondered if she had made a mistake in coming to him.
“Charlotte,” he said softly, drawing her eyes back to his. “Look, we got off on the wrong foot. I was startled, but to be honest, if you were able to get in, then I need to re-look at my security.” Still facing her, he relaxed against the back of the sofa. “Let’s begin again.” He grinned as she lifted an eyebrow in confusion.
“Hello, I’m Luke. Luke Costas.”
Unable to hold back her shy smile, she replied, “I’m Charlotte Trivett. You already know that, but what you don’t know…is that I go by the nickname my grandfather gave to me…Charlie.”
She watched Luke’s face during the millisecond it took for her confession to hit him. He jerked back, a gasp escaping from his lips. His mouth opened and closed, fishlike, before slamming tightly. Jumping up from the sofa, he paced to the other side of the room, staring wordlessly at the mantle before whirling around to pin her with a hard gaze.
“Charlie.” His voice was only a whisper in the room, full of disbelief.
“Luke, I’m sorry. I know this is a shock, but I promised—”
“Promised?” he interrupted.
“Yes,” she replied, curtly. “I promised I would let you know when I needed help. And this is me letting you know.” She battled back the sting of tears that threatened the back of her eyes. “But you promised too.” Swallowing deeply, she said, “You promised you would help me. Anytime.”
Dropping his chin to his chest, Luke sighed. Long and hard. Lifting his eyes back to her, he saw the trickle of a single tear sliding down her cheek. Nodding slowly, he said, “You’re right, Charlie. I did. This all just caught me by surprise.”
Patting the sofa next to her, she begged, “Please come back. Please sit down and give me a chance to explain.”
Walking the few steps over, he returned to the sofa, settling in once more. Holding her gaze, he said, “Okay. Tell me what the hell is going on. I know you as Charlie, someone who’s been helping me for months, and as Charlotte, someone intrinsically involved in a case I’m investigating. Why the masquerade at the bar and the diner?”
Offering a little shrug, she said, “I needed to see you. To know if you were real.”
“Real?” he asked, surprise leaking into his voice.
“Luke, you asked if I had any other confessions.” Seeing distrust mask his face, she quickly continued. “Yes, I donned wigs to try to get close to you without anyone knowing who I was. Just like you said you’d been looking for me, well, others have too. But the truth of the matter is that you and I have become friends…well, online friends, for months, and I need you to trust that person.”
“I want to, but…I don’t even know what to call you,” he admitted.
“Charlie. I go by Charlie. It was my granddad’s nickname for me. In school, I didn’t have a lot of friends, so Charlotte was what everyone knew me as. And in college, I never changed that. But ever since I needed to hide my identity, Charlie…well, it just fits.”
“Okay, Charlie.” Staring at the way she had her arms wrapped around her knees, he recognized the guarded posture. “Why don’t you tell me what kind of trouble you’re in? We’ll start with that and then make our way to how the hell you got here.” Before she could begin, he added, “But I’ll warn you that you’ll have to repeat all of this tomorrow with the rest of the men I work with.”
His slight grin eased her anxiety and she smiled in return. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.
“I understand. I know that you’ve been investigating me, so I won’t repeat all of my past, but I suppose I should start with Eli.”
By the time she finished, the moon was high in the sky and her eyes were drooping. Luke placed a call to Jack, knowing the time of night did not matter. Setting up a meeting for the next day, or, rather, in about six hours, he thought ruefully, he disconnected. Turning back to Charlie, he saw that she had slumped down on the sofa, exhaustion finally claiming her. Repositioning her so that she was lying more comfortably, he twisted to grab a blanket off the chair near the fireplace. Covering her from her feet to her chin, he stood back watching her chest rise and fall in slumber. Dark hair spilled from her braid, some strands curling around her face. Long lashes rested on fatigue circles underneath her eyes.
It hit him that they never got to the part of her story where she explained how she hacked into what he was working on, nor how she had gotten into his house. Unable to hold back the grin, he thought the beauty on his sofa was the most intriguing woman he had ever met and a sudden rush of protectiveness overcame him.
As he thought back over her tale, he knew that finding out what Eli Frederick had wanted to talk to the FBI about was solved. But now…a new mission had begun.
Chapter 8
Charlie sat on the overstuffed sofa in Jack’s living room, having been introduced to the nine men Luke worked with. Hating crowds, she fought the urge to pull her legs up under her to seek a less exposed position. Geez, is every Saint huge? Sucking in a deep breath, her eyes raked over them carefully, finding nothing but trust and intelligence in their expressions. Glancing to her side, where Luke sat protectively, she took in the comforting smile he offered.
The dark-bearded boss began, “Ms. Trivett, Luke’s explained you have quite a story to tell. You need to understand that, while we’re investigating with the FBI, we are a private investigation company. You are under no obligation to tell us anything.”
“Thank you,” she said, her soft voice strong and sure. “But I’m tired of running. Tired of hiding. And tired of trying to figure things out on my own.”
With a nod, Jack leaned back in his chair and said, “Then we’ll let you take it from here to explain your connection to Eli Frederick.”
She had told most of the basic tale to Luke last night but knew she needed to be more forthcoming today. With everything. Wit
h another deep breath, she began, “I met Eli my freshman year in college, when he and two others were sort of the last to get chosen for a group project. So the four of us worked together and, to my surprise, found that we got along.” Her face softened as she thought of those early days.
“Tim Kelly had a natural leadership about him and took over that role. Hai’s English was rough, but he was a hard worker and damn smart. Eli…Eli was actually funny. He had zero people skills and was an acquired taste, for sure. He was brilliant and had no problem letting others know he was so much smarter than them.” She grinned again at the memory. “But with our group, he actually became more human.
“Tim couldn’t wait to join a big company after graduation. Hai had family in California so I wasn’t surprised when he moved there. And Eli? I was stunned when he took a company job and,” she chuckled wryly, “not stunned when he quit six months later to work freelance.” Shrugging as though in apology for him, she added, “He hated being in a cubicle world. I’m sure he thought he was much more intelligent than the others and, oh my God, if he had to work on large, group projects, that would have made him nuts.”
Glancing over to Luke, unable to read his expression, she said, “I know I make him sound terrible. He wasn’t. That was just Eli.”
“Tell us about your continued involvement with him,” Luke prompted.
Nodding, Charlie said, “By the time I graduated, Eli was making a lot of money working freelance. Companies would hire him to write all or part of a program and he could do it in the ease of his own home. He’d bought an old two-story condo in Baltimore, near the waterfront, and since it was an end unit, he had windows overlooking part of the bay. I visited a couple of times. It wasn’t a great place, but it seemed to suit him. Anyway,” she continued, “he sold me on the idea of working freelance also. He said he had a ton of work he could send my way until I got enough clients coming in on my own.”
Discover Love: Saints Protection & Investigations Page 6