“No! Why? Why?” Courtney screamed, and he shot her two more times and then chuckled.
“Now we’re good. We’ll take care of her car, that way Duvou isn’t waiting so long,” Javier said. He and Brock started heading out when suddenly the place illuminated with lights and FBI agents entered with guns drawn. Javier and Brock began to run and fire their weapons. Conan grabbed Precious by her arm and dragged her from the room, but she fought him off, got free, and kicked away his gun. He roared and grabbed her again, but she countered his move, grabbed his gun off the ground, pointed, and fired.
“Precious!” She heard her name, turned, and saw Benson. He wore an FBI jacket. He ran to her. She was crying, shaking, and holding the gun. He took it from her hands and pulled her into his arms.
“It’s over,” he told her and she sobbed.
Chapter 1
Agent Benson Hurd handed over the cup of coffee to Precious. She was scared, tired, and on edge. This was the third attempt on her life in the last six weeks.
“We don’t have much of a choice. I can’t protect you here. Not knowing who is working for Duvou and who we can trust, I think this is the only option right now as we hunt him down,” he told her.
She ran her fingers through her hair. She was so beautiful and strong. The past six weeks were hell. She shot and killed Duvou’s main guard Conan, watched her sister get murdered, and then found out he was an agent working undercover in the area trying to find out who was providing financial support to a known terrorist organization. She was now the hunted because they found her too late at that apartment complex and the main guy they were after left with the thumb drive. He could tell that she was pissed and un-trusting still, even of him.
“I have a plan.”
She snorted.
“No, I’m serious. It will be between you, me, and someone from the military, a close friend that I trust. He’ll be the only one besides one of his brothers that will know who you are and get you set up in a place.”
“Who are they and where? How do you know I’ll be safe?” she asked him.
“Darius Law is a trooper. He has five brothers, one named Caspian who owns and operates a dojo and boxing school. Their other four brothers are involved with a woman along with Darius and Caspian and live in a nice private estate. They’re close to the beach in South Carolina and have a lot of friends. I spoke with him a few times, preparing him for the possibility. He has a friend in real estate, and you can live in your own place. You can probably even get a job off the books because of their connections. Then I can work closer with the team to find Duvou and smoke him out.”
She stared at him with those sad blue eyes. She didn’t trust him, and it killed him inside. She closed up so much because he lied to her and hid his identity. He couldn’t tell her he was an agent for the FBI. She even screamed at him and asked why the hell he kissed her and was that part of his act to gain her trust for her to tell him what she knew. It hurt. He did care about her. She was a good person. He even got charges dropped against her for the shit she did on the computer. She uncovered a few additional names of people they didn’t know were part of this operation.
“Please, Precious. Trust me on this. It’s the only option I have right now.”
“How long will I have to be there?”
“As long as it takes. I bet you’ll even like the town and the people. It’s quiet there and really beautiful all year round.”
“I’ll need to transfer money.”
“Your expenses will be covered. You’ll need to use cash. The house you’ll be renting will be paid by an account we set up. If you need extra money, I have a temporary account I can use through the bureau.”
“No. I don’t trust it. I can do the transfer to a different account and then set up a debit card.”
“How the heck—” He shook his head. “I think you should consider a job with the government when this is said and done.”
“I think not,” she said, and he just stared at her. She was a different woman. Her bright smile was long gone. Her carefree attitude and trusting ways a thing of the past. He hurt her. She nearly died and watched her sister die. She killed someone, and people wanted her dead. She wasn’t going to trust anyone. He had to make sure that Darius and Caspian understood that.
* * * *
“So who is this that’s renting the place?” Cavanaugh Mather asked Caspian Law.
“A friend of mine from up north. She’s new to the area and needs a place to rent while she looks for work and gets used to the area,” Caspian replied. He and Cavanaugh, as well as his two brothers Magnum and Carlyle who owned Carlyle’s Restaurant and Bar, were good friends. They’d known one another for years. In fact, Caspian and Magnum served in the military together.
Caspian looked around the house and had been sold on it based on the fact it was on the same street as Cavanaugh and his brother’s estate. It was actually on their property and more like a cottage, with exceptional views of the waterway and marinas, but it was a rental.
“Gianna know about this?” he asked Caspian.
Caspian chuckled. “Actually, yes, she does, and she knows that this woman is a friend of a good friend of mine. If you guys could keep an eye on things, that would help. She’s very private, so you won’t need to actually knock on her door or anything.”
Cavanaugh looked at him funny. “What’s going on?” he asked.
Caspian narrowed his eyes at him. “What do you mean?”
“Something is up. I can fucking tell. We’ve known one another for far too long. What the fuck gives?”
He looked away a moment and then back at his close friend.
“I need you to respect her privacy, and not ask me any questions. She won’t be any trouble.”
“This sounds like a situation.”
“It won’t be.”
“Okay, but remember, we’re a hell of a lot better when we’re on our game and informed. Civilian life has softened us a bit.”
Caspian chuckled and gave Cavanaugh’s belly a smack.
“Yeah, I noticed. Maybe you need to do more than one class a week.”
“Fuck you. My abs are super tight.”
“Not super tight. You’re shaking when you chuckle. Maybe it’s the beer at your brother’s place?”
“Says the man who downed half a keg last weekend.” They laughed.
Caspian reached his hand out for Cavanaugh to shake. “I appreciate this. She’ll be here tomorrow with Darius and me.”
“All right, let me know if you need anything else. Oh, and she can just leave a check or cash or whatever in an envelope in the mailbox.”
“She’ll forward through an online account.”
Cavanaugh squinted at him, and Caspian held his gaze.
“Okay,” he said and then Caspian headed out.
* * * *
“What did you tell Gianna?” Darius asked Caspian as they waited for the bus to arrive.
“I told her that this was business. That we’d be late for dinner.” Darius felt concerned. There was a fear that bringing this woman here was a risk, but after what their friend Benson explained, her life hadn’t been easy from the start, and her recent experiences were pretty traumatic. He wondered how stable she was, what she looked like, and if she would fit in around town, no questions asked.
“I’m concerned, too. I won’t put Gianna or any of the other women in danger. Cavanaugh knows something is up anyway. He’s suspicious,” Caspian told Darius.
“Of course he is. The man is paranoid, and you can’t blame him. People try to scam him all the time. In business, in his personal life. You remember that chick Carla? She was a fraud. Pretended to be some damsel in distress, all the while she had a boyfriend, a kid, and was trying to trap him with a false pregnancy,” Darius said as they continued to wait.
“It nearly fucking worked.”
“Not on Magnum and Carlyle’s watch. They didn’t like or trust Carla from the start,” Darius said.
“There’s the number 9 bus. She’ll be on that.”
“Benson said she’ll be wearing a disguise. Red hair, black bandana around her neck, blue jeans, and black shirt, construction boots,” Caspian stated.
They caught sight of her immediately once the bus stopped and the people poured from it. She waited for her bags and they approached.
“O’Connell?” Caspian said her name and she eyed them over.
“I.D.?” she said, or rather snapped. Darius pulled out his identification, as did his brother. She looked at them and then nodded. She placed her bags down.
“Thank you for your assistance in this,” she said and reached her hand out to shake theirs. Darius shook her hand first. She had a firm handshake. She didn’t remove the sunglasses that only covered her eyes. The red hair looked pretty good.
“You can lose the disguise once we head to town.”
“Good. It’s itchy and I can hardly see right with these sunglasses,” she said. Caspian took one of her bags, but she carried the other. They got her things into the trunk and then opened the passenger door for her to get inside.
“How was the bus ride?” Caspian asked her.
“Long, but uneventful, so that was fine,” she said. Darius could see her wiping her palms on her jeans. She was nervous, scared, and it bothered him. If she didn’t transition well, he might discuss introducing her to Gianna. That all depended upon the level of danger Precious could be in this far from Connecticut.
“Did Benson give you the low down on the location of the house and the surrounding area?”
“Yes. He mentioned that I’d have a jeep or something to get around town, but it will take a little time.”
“Yeah, he’s working on that. Shouldn’t take long.”
“Good. I’ll feel better if I can drive around and get my bearings, figure out escape routes, things like that. He mentioned additional money, as well, so when you get a chance I would like to set up locations, so if I need to leave in a hurry I can do a snag and grab along the way,” she stated. Darius felt his gut clench. She sounded like some soldier on a mission.
“Precious, you’re going to be safe here. This is a decent-size town. Not so small that everyone notices the new girl. Even if they did, we know many of them, and we aren’t going to just drop you off at this house and say call us if you need anything. We plan on introducing you to some key people if need be,” Darius told her.
“I don’t need a babysitter. I assumed Benson explained the circumstances to both of you because he expressed his trust in the two of you. However, it’s been a hell of a couple of months for me. Relaxing, settling into this town, not being on guard is not going to happen,” she told them.
“It will come with time. Benson is going to keep us abreast of any updates. We’ll pass them along to you. If you look in that bag on the seat you’ll find burner phones and one regular cell phone. That cell phone remains on you for our communication. It’s under my name and my account. If you’re looking to venture out, look for work, find a place to work out or have a craving for a certain food, just text me and I will direct you,” Darius told her.
“You don’t need to do that. I’m very independent, and I like exploring on my own and figuring things out. I won’t take any chances. Believe me, I’m going to fit right in,” she said, but Darius wondered. He hadn’t really gotten a good look at her in this disguise.
He pulled along a side road and up a long street that led to the large cottage on the hill overlooking the ocean and the street that led to the estate.
“Holy God, that is gorgeous,” she whispered.
“Benson hooked you up. It’s private, peaceful, and right up the road good friends of ours own an estate as well as this cottage. There are three brothers, but they have different schedules. You’ll see a few cars passing by, so don’t panic. I wrote a list of the makes of their vehicles and license plates. The landlord, Cavanaugh, won’t bother you. Benson is sending the rent through an online account.”
“Yes, he explained it to me,” she said.
He parked the car in the driveway and when they got out, the warm ocean air hit them. He walked around to the trunk to grab her things with Caspian as she took the bag he left with her in the back seat. When he looked back at her, she had her face tilted up toward the breeze.
“You’ll love the view from the back deck and the upstairs,” Caspian said to her and then handed her the keys to the place.
Once they were inside, she exhaled and pulled off her sunglasses. As they walked with her to the back porch that had a staircase to a patio below and then a walkway to the beach, she pulled off the red wig and the bandana and shook her hair from the band it was tied up in. When she turned toward them, Darius was momentarily stunned. She was drop-dead gorgeous. Bold blue eyes, angelic face, full lips, and long brown hair to her mid back. Son of a bitch. She wasn’t going to blend in. She was going to stand out. He must have been giving her a mean look because her lips parted and she narrowed her eyes at him.
“What?” she snapped.
He looked at Caspian, who looked just as stunned.
“You are not going to blend in, honey. Jesus, Benson could have told us,” Caspian said and ran his fingers through his hair and looked at Darius.
“I know. This could call for changes as she settles in.”
“You think?” Caspian said, and they talked between one another until they heard Precious’s voice.
“Hello? What the hell are the two of you rambling on about?”
Darius looked at her and then Caspian spoke.
“You’re gorgeous. You are not going to blend in. Guys are going to be sniffing around, and it may not be wise to get involved with anyone. It could lead to problems,” Caspian stated.
“Listen, I appreciate the compliment, at least if it was a compliment. I can handle myself, and I won’t be getting involved with anyone. Plus, I could keep the wig going if you think it will work.”
“No, it looks fake. We’ll figure it out as we go along. It’s going to make us a bit more protective though.”
She snorted. “Darius, Caspian, I assume Benson told you about my training and capabilities, especially when push comes to shove?”
“He explained, and we have our concerns with that, too. You didn’t have the opportunity for any type of counseling, any help in dealing with potential post-traumatic stress, and you’ve been on the run, in hiding for several weeks. It’s got ingredients for disaster written all over it,” Darius said.
“I won’t lie and say I’ve been in worse—I haven’t—but I’ve had to struggle, to fight this crazy quicksand life for quite some time. I’m not quitting now. The only person I have to live for, to fight for, is me. Everyone else I’ve trusted or believed in failed me. No offense, but I don’t need your constant protection. I have to move on at this point. I have to hope that Benson can find the men hunting me. So thank you for everything. I’m sure I won’t need any assistance, but if I do, I will use the cell phone.”
She turned around and faced the water. Darius looked at Caspian.
“Walk us out so you can lock up,” Caspian said.
* * * *
Precious followed the two very good looking, big men through the living room and to the front door of the place she would temporarily call home. As they walked outside with her, a car came up the road, a Range Rover in black. She stepped back and Caspian touched her hand.
“It’s the landlord, your neighbor. Remember that all the cars and license plates are listed on the sheet we gave you in the bag.” She nodded, her chest tightened, and she watched Darius walk to the Range Rover as it stopped when Darius gave a wave. “Stay here and meet Cavanaugh, then you’ll know who he is if you see him and you won’t panic,” he told her. She gulped and then played with the red wig she still held in her hand. She squeezed it tight, her nerves and fears raw still. She would need to work on that, especially because she wanted to get a job and start trying to live a normal life, or at a minimum pretend
to live one.
As the man, Cavanaugh, got out of the Range Rover, her heart hammered. He was as tall as Darius. Maybe six-foot-three, very short dark black hair, scruff along his upper lip, cheeks, and chin. He wore black dress pants and a white button-down shirt that was open at the top, revealing some tanned skin. She could tell he was muscular and fit, and when his gaze landed on her as Darius spoke to him, she felt butterflies in her stomach. He was GQ sexy.
“Precious, this is Cavanaugh Mather. He is the landlord and the owner of the estate up the road.”
Cavanaugh’s eyes widened and then narrowed at her as they swept over her body. She knew the type. The man had women throw themselves at him. Well, she wasn’t like that at all.
She acted unaffected by him despite her hardened nipples. She held the wig tight in one hand and reached her hand out to shake his.
“Nice to meet you, Cavanaugh. This is a beautiful cottage. I’m sure I’m going to love it here,” she said and then noticed Darius squint like he read through her false attitude.
Cavanaugh didn’t speak until Caspian cleared his throat.
“If you need anything, let me know. There shouldn’t be any problems. I checked everything out before your arrival to make sure,” he told her.
“Thank you,” she said and then looked at Caspian and Darius.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you guys soon. Thanks for the ride from the bus station.”
“You bet. I’m sure you’re going to love it here,” Caspian said.
She nodded, then glanced at Cavanaugh, who couldn’t seem to stop staring at her. She said goodbye and headed into the cottage and locked the door.
She looked around the place. It was a total upscale beach cottage, a resort in a lot of ways, and she should have known that Benson would find her the best accommodations. He felt guilty for not exposing the truth about who he really was. She couldn’t help but feel betrayed by him, but he did make things up to her by remaining by her side and stopping the attempts on her life. Now he set her up here, in this town in South Carolina, where good-looking men resided. She wasn’t going to let her guard down for anyone, but holy crap was Cavanaugh hot.
Love at Carlyle's [Love on the Rocks 8: Special Edition] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4