by james
nursing her after he’d rescued her from that hell of apartment. They hadn’t gone to his
apartment on the same floor. Instead he’d taken her a house, and then when she’d been
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 197
better, they’d moved quite often until settling in Italy.
Nikko. God, her brain wasn’t working.
“I’ll be right back,” she told Darya and hurried from the room into her and Ian’s.
There she grabbed her mobile she’d plugged in last night so it would charge.
She started to punch his number, but Becky came huffing up the stairs. “Mrs. K
said to give the poor dear a teaspoon of this and in a few hours give her this other one.”
She held up two bottles of children’s versions of pain and fever relief. “And we’re to take
her temperature every half an hour to make certain it’s going down and Mrs. K said she’d
be calling to check up things.”
Rori took the bottles and thermometer from Becky and said, “Thank you, Becky.”
“Go give her the medicine. I’m going to put some chicken stock on for soup so
perhaps she might eat something tonight.”
“I hope she will.”
With that she turned and walked back into Darya’s room. The girl hadn’t moved.
Rori looked from one bottle to the other. Which one did she give first? Did it matter?
Setting her phone down, she jogged out of the room and down the staircase, catching up
with Becky in the hallway.
“Which do I give her first? You didn’t bloody say.”
Becky shook her head and muttered something. “Doesn’t matter. Pink or purple,
you choose.”
That’s it? She hurried back upstairs and measured out some of the pink bubble
gum flavored fever reducer. Picking the girl up, she coaxed her to drink it all down.
Darya licked her lips, and lay back, staring at her picture.
She looked so lost.
Rori took the wet, cool cloth and wiped Darya’s face. “He’ll be back.”
Darya stared at the photo until her eyes slid closed.
Rori reached over on the nightstand, stood and walked to the window ledge.
Hitting the preprogrammed number, she waited for the phone on the other end to ring.
“It’s about damn time you called. What the hell is going on?”
“Hello to you as well, Nikko.”
“Cara,” his voice warned. She caught the worry in it.
“How do you take care of a sick kid?”
For a minute he was silent and then he chuckled. “Oh the things I miss!”
“Nikko, it’s not bloody funny! She’s sick, has a fever and I haven’t heard from
Ian--have no bleeding clue where he is and she’s running a fever. I gave her some bubble
gum fever reducer medicine.” She rattled off, biting on her thumb nail.
“Cara, calm down.”
She took a deep breath and watched the girl sleep on the bed.
“You haven’t been sleeping,” he commented.
“How do you know?”
“I know you. You ramble when you’re tired. Why no sleep?”
She sighed. “Ian’s been gone tying up some loose ends. Darya hasn’t eaten or
slept really since he’s been gone. Not a bite in two days and nightmares every night.” She
ran a hand over her hair.
“It’ll be fine. You were sick when you first came to live with me.”
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 198
“What did you do?”
“Took care of you, same as you will do for little Darya.”
Rori thought about how Nikko had a way of cutting through every thing else. She
sighed. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing anymore, Nikko,” she admitted.
“How so, cara?”
She sat on the window and thought about it. “This … this job is all fucked to
hell.”
He laughed.
“I don’t find anything amusing.”
“You know, I am as proud as any parent can be of their child. But do you know
what I have always wanted, always prayed for you?”
“You pray?”
“I’ve returned to the flock. My priest is constantly giving me penances.”
“Did you tell him what you’ve done?
“I don’t have that much time, cara I’d be saying Hail Mary’s until I passed onto
the next world. It’s better to give it to him in small doses.”
She laughed, trying to picture it.
“You.”
“You,” he answered.
“I miss you, Nikko.”
“I know, cara. “ He sighed. “I want you to find happiness … peace.…” He
waited. “Does Mr. Kinnciad bring out those things.”
She stared out over the sunlit dead grasses and bare trees. “Ian makes me feel.
Period.”
“Then that is a good thing. Now tell me, what loose ends must he tie up?”
“I can’t talk about it.”
Silence, then. “Perhaps you’d be interested to know that the streets are alive with
talk of Mr. Petrolov and his guard dying in an explosion in Amsterdam.”
She hadn’t known, damn the man. “That was the plan.”
He humphed. “Cara, the man for you, is not an average man. One you are a very
strong woman, you need someone who can meet you. And you obviously have feelings
for the girl.”
She took a deep breath. “I think I did something stupid, Nikko.”
“You never do anything stupid.”
“I did this time. I signed my name to a marriage document.”
“What?”
“The marriage to Kinncaid … it’s um … real.”
She expected silence, expected disappointment even anger. What she didn’t
expect was laughter. “You, cara, have bought such joy to my life. Enjoy yours. As I said,
you’ve never been stupid and you’ve read documents before.”
So she had. “I just wasn’t thinking,” she tried.
He tsked. “No, this time you were finally thinking with your heart and not with
that keen intelligence. Fate moves us in ways we should go if we’re too stubborn to go
there ourselves.”
“Nikko, you’re starting to annoy me.”
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 199
“Denial is a terrible thing. Now what are you going to do about Mr. Kinncaid?”
She shook her head. “I have no idea.”
“He’s keeping the girl?”
“Oh, yes.”
“I like this man. If he hurts you, I’d have to kill him, but I think I like him. He
makes you feel, truly feel and that is much. Plus, he didn’t have to take the child, but he
did. That’s a good man.”
“He reminds me of you, I think.” She rubbed her forehead and watched Darya
shift to her back, still asleep.
“That is lovely. But love him for who he is, not because he reminds you of
someone. I must go, cara. Take care and call me.”
“I will.”
“Oh, by the way, your two fish, Frank and Henry or whatever their names were --”
“Frank and Fred.”
“Yes, well, they are no more.”
“It’s sad, Nikko, when you’ve reached the point to kill fish.”
He said something not very flattering. “Ti Amour, cara.” And he hung up.
She realized he’d never answered her on where he was.
* * * *
8:04 p.m.
Quinlan said good bye to his mother and father and promised to be home
tomorrow night for a family dinner. He set the vase of flowers on the shelf in the hosp
ital
and looked again at the newest little Kinnciad. Another girl. Seemed like there were girls
everywhere. Miss Anna Marie was seven pounds and thirteen ounces and twenty inches
long.
Everyone else oohed and ahhed over her and though she was cute, he supposed,
she looked like all babies looked to him. He’d already bought in a big pink chenille
elephant and Gavin had only shaken his head. Ryan had been talking ninety miles and
hour. He’d just missed Aiden who was returning home where Jesslyn was with the twins.
He had no idea Ian had even left until his mother mentioned it and he was stupid
enough to comment on his lack of knowledge. “If you’d come home more, interact more
with your family than with the hotel guests you might know what’s going on.”
For a moment, he’d thought she’d meant something all together different. Then he
shook his head and placated her by saying, “I’ll come out to dinner tomorrow.”
“And cancel at the last moment”“ She patted his hand.
“No, I won’t.” He would try not to.
“You know, Marylin Pladdock’s daughter is staying with them for a bit. You
remember the Pladdocks.”
A shudder danced down his spine. “Mother I have to go. If a date is required, I
will find my own, thank you.”
“At the hotel?”
Shaking his head, he slapped Gavin on the back again. Kissed Taylor’s cheek.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Quinlan.”
“Isn’t she just the coolest, Uncle Quin?” Ryan asked him.
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 200
“That she is, Ryan.”
“Anne Marie,” Ryan stood smiling beside his dad.
Jock was busy taking pictures with the digital camera. It was time for him to go.
“Tomorrow night.”
“Yes, Mom.”
He hurried from the hotel room before anyone else could grab him and left.
Once in his car, he breathed a sigh of relief and drove to the hotel.
A date. God, why couldn’t mom just leave well enough alone.
Back at the hotel, he walked to his office, checked his messages. No messages
from Alla.
His stomach grumbled and he figured he’d go eat.
In the restaurant things were going smoothly for a Friday evening. The place was
packed, people waited to be seated, but it was normal with no snags.
He glanced at the bar and saw her at once.
She sat again, dressed in a dark suit of plum, still sexy as hell, the dark ‘v’
showing off something lacy and black. She stared at him, her slanted eyes promising
delights that haunted him, her lips curved seductively in that come-and-get-me smile.
And why did he want to?
He remembered the feel of her on him, against him, under him. Her tight muscles,
her beautiful breasts. The way she moved tight as steel and fluid as water.
Hell. He sighed and shoved his hand through his hair. He’d been in meetings most
of the day, spent the evening at the hospital and had planned to eat, and later work out on
his treadmill.
Then again.…
An image of her riding him, those lips of hers curved and demanding, her muscles
squeezing, squeezing. Quinlan closed his eyes and shook his head. What the hell was
with him? Women were nice, he enjoyed a good lay as well as the next guy, but this….
This was like a craving. A hum under his skin that itched to the surface.
She arched one brow.
Some inner voice said he should just turn around and walk away….
He walked towards her and figured why not enjoyed that which was offered.
When he was even to her, he said, “You’re back.”
Her eyes ran the length of him, her nail raked down his tie and he felt it tug
straight to his groin.
He narrowed his gaze at her. “Staying the night?”
She licked her lips, grazing her teeth over the plump bottom lip. “Depends.”
He leaned closer, smelled that enchanting swirl of floral and something he could
never put his finger on. His hand on the small of her back, he whispered against her ear.
“On what?”
Her lashes swept up as she stared at him. “You.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him, her husky laughter floating out
and tightening around his control as surely as her fist on his dick.
“I just so happen to have a room.”
“I remember.”
Tonight, so would he.
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 201
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 202
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
8:55 p.m.
Ian sat, the D.C. night glittering beyond the window of his boss’s office. The
Capitol building shone white, beckoning.
And this was it.
“I can’t believe you’re actually leaving,” Pete said yet again.
Ian turned from his study of the nightlife and looked across to the man he’d met
so many years ago after he successfully completed a mission in the 75th. This man had
found him and recruited him. His life was never the same.
“You regret it?” Pete asked, lighting a cigar.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “You could offer me a departing
cigar.” He opened his eyes. “Like a celebration.”
“Or a death.” Pete didn’t offer him the humidor. “Besides, you’ve quit. And if you
slid now, you’d have to start all over again.”
Ian shook his head. “You always were a hard ass.”
Those hard lips flashed into a rare smile or what could only pass as a smile on
Pete Jones.
“If you ever need a job.…” Pete left it open.
Ian shook his head. “No thank you. I’ve had enough of shadows and games to last
me way past this lifetime.” He wanted to pace or tap his foot. He did neither.
Pete nodded and blew out a plume of smoke. “Well, you’ll be delighted to know
that the remains of Dimitri Petrolov, his guard, Jean Tabeier, and another guard,
belonging to local club owner were all identified.”
“And?”
Pete shrugged. “The remains were cremated tonight.”
Ian grunted. It was over … almost.
He scratched the side of his mouth with his index finger. “Guess I need to turn my
gun in.”
Pete raised a brow. “What gun?”
Ian waited a moment, then smiled. “Only one last loose end to tie up.”
“Two,” Pete corrected and leaned up, his maroon leather chair squeaking. He
pursed his lips, tapped the desk and leaned back again. “About to become one.”
“Really? Care to expound on that Pete?”
Something shifted his hazel eyes and he huffed a breath out. “Don’t ever get
married.”
Ian frowned, wondering what the hell that had to do with anything. Pete had been
married now for … well, several years to his second wife. Quiet woman who worked in
an accounting firm.
“Pete, I want a name,” he said, returning to the topic. “I want to know who blew
my cover.”
Pete stood and walked to the window, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, the
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 203
shirt sleeves rolled up. “You’ll get one, when I know for certain. Until then, you’ll wait.
You’ll be notified if I find out anything for certain.” He glanced at Ian and those eyes
were as hard as he’d ever see
n. “I don’t take the fact your cover, and others, was blown
way the hell open, any more lightly than you do. And probably a hell of a lot more serious
than even you would imagine. It’s not just you we’re learning. There were others, are
others.…” He rubbed his forehead. “Christ.” Without looking at Ian, he said, “Go home
to your family, Ian Kinncaid. Your work here is done.”
Ian stood, slapped Pete on the back. “Why do I feel like you left off the ‘until we
need you’ bit?”
Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the office. The secretary wasn’t
at her normal post.
An armed guard nodded to him and let him out the door. It shut and locked behind
him.
John leaned against the wall by a bank of elevators, two carryon bags at his feet.
They walked through the lobby, across the Defense Intelligence Agency’s seal and out
into the cold November night.
John waited as Ian flagged down a cab. As they stepped off the curb, John slapped
him on the shoulder. “Feels different, doesn’t it?” He grinned. “Ready to really get to
work now partner?”
* * * *
10:34 pm
Ian Kinncaid shut the cab door. John climbed out the other side.
“I’m so bloody jet lagged,” John complained.
“Could have stayed in London.”
He raised a brow. “And missed all this? What do you take me for?”
Ian shoved some bills at the cabby and grabbed his bag. The paper on the cheap
convenience store flowers crinkled in his hand. He’d made the cabby stop and bought two
bundles. He looked at them. One was rather a sad case of mums and lilies. The other
colored daisies. Looking at his friend, as they walked up the lighted walkway, he said,
“Johnno, be honest. You just can’t stand not being part of whatever shit I have going on.”
“Oh, that’s most definitely it.”
They walked up the steps and Ian unlocked the door.
“You could ask your parents for a key instead of picking the bloody locks.”
“Where,” he asked, “is the fun in that?”
They’d left Amsterdam at ten a.m. and arrived in D.C. at six pm. local time. The
next two hours were meetings with Pete. The leak issue still bothered him on more levels
than one.
Pete hadn’t really answered him. Which was odd. He thought back over the
conversation and wished he wasn’t so damn tired. He’d asked about the leak, and Pete