“Well, hello,” he said, propping a shoulder against the wall and running his gaze from the tips of my stilettos all the way up my body.
“Hello, yourself.”
“This is a pleasant surprise,” he said. He set down the duffle bag in his hand at his feet and unbuttoned the single button on his suit jacket before taking it off and draping it across the back of a chair. He loosened the tie at his neck, but didn’t make any other moves.
“What fun is business if there’s no pleasure in it,” I said.
Holy crap. I didn’t even recognize the voice that was coming from my mouth. It’s like I had multiple personalities or something, and I didn’t find that as disturbing as I should have. I was like a super spy. And apparently I was good, because Mr. Noname’s nostrils flared and he picked the briefcase up and came towards me.
“That’s a lovely sentiment,” he said. “I agree. I’d much prefer to get the business out of the way so we can get to the pleasure.”
“Surely you’re not going to leave me in the dark.” He quirked a brow in question and I said, “Your name. What should I call you? Or are we going to be passing strangers for the next twelve hours?”
He smiled, showing a slash of white teeth and a slightly crooked incisor that was charming in its appeal.
“Robert Duncan,” he said, setting the bag on the coffee table. “And you’re Ms. Gonzales, I presume?”
“I am.” I moved slowly, putting my feet on the floor with deliberation as I stood up and let him get a full view of me.
“Very nice,” he said appreciatively. “It seems I’m going to owe Natalie a favor since she’s obviously sent me her best.”
My mouth tilted up at the corner in what I hoped passed for a smile. “Why don’t you bring your burden to the table,” I said, gesturing to the heavy antique table.
I followed him to the table because there was no way in hell I was going to let him walk behind me. My underwear was drafty to say the least, and my corset was loosening more and more by the minute since Savage hadn’t had time to secure the strings.
Robert set the bag on the table and unzipped it. I kept my mouth firmly closed and a look of impassivity on my face as he pushed it toward me. Just another day at the office, Addison. Two million dollars in cash. No big deal.
“Why don’t you call down for champagne while I make sure everything is good here,” I told him. “I think you’ll be surprised by what they bring you.”
He smiled and took my hand, laying a soft kiss to my fingers. I resisted the urge to wipe it off once he walked to the phone and turned my attention instead to the fat stacks of cash bundled together with rubber bands.
I counted the money and then put everything back inside, zipping it closed.
“They’ll be here in a few minutes,” he said, returning.
“Excellent. Why don’t you set this in the hallway? My employer would like an act of good faith.”
“Two million dollars is a lot of faith when I’m left with nothing to show for it.”
I took a step closer and whispered, “You’ve got me.”
His eyes darkened and he took the bag and set it outside the door. Damn, I was good. I had a fleeting thought that I probably shouldn’t get too excited. Things hardly ever went right when I was involved, and there was still a lot of room for catastrophe.
I had a moment of panic when Robert came back into the room, and he was pulling his tie from beneath his collar and working at the buttons at his cuffs. He probably though he was an expert at the whole seduction thing, but I felt like I was more like a specimen under a microscope when he looked at me rather than an actual person, and it was starting to creep me out. The fact that he was so attractive only made the feeling stronger.
“How about some music?” he asked.
“I’d love some music.” I said a quick prayer, hoping he wouldn’t ask me to dance. My moves pretty much were limited to the running man and the sprinkler.
He turned on the stereo and classical music—something soft and dreamy—filled the air. A knock at the door sounded a few seconds later.
“Ah, that will be our champagne. And other things, I presume?”
I nodded and he went to answer the door. I limped back over to the couch and kicked my shoes off just as all hell broke loose. A deluge of gunshots echoed through the room. Furniture splintered and glass shattered under the hail of bullets. I saw Robert stumble backwards into the room, his white shirt soaked with red, and I jumped behind the couch just as a piece of flying glass hit me in the leg.
There were harshly ordered commands and I peeped around the couch in time to see three men open fire on Robert at point blank range. He crumpled to the floor, and I slapped my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming.
More shouts came from the hallway and the three men turned around and opened fire. That’s when Savage grabbed me from behind and rolled me to the nearest closet. He got me to my feet and pressed me into the wall, protecting me with his body as the fight outside seemed to go on forever. I had no idea what had just happened, and even worse, I didn’t know if that was the cops that had drawn the gunmen’s fire at the end. My worry for Nick ratcheted up a few notches and I felt the tears gathering in my eyes.
“Everything will be all right,” he assured me. “We’ve got plenty of backup.”
I let out a sigh of relief at that reminder, but that didn’t take away the worry for Nick. My eyes were wide and my pulse was pounding under my skin. I found myself almost hypnotized by the blackness of his eyes, and it was then I realized I was wrapped around him tighter than a blanket. It had been pure reflex to grab on as tight as I could and not let go. My fingers were cramped and digging into his shoulders and my leg was around his waist as I tried to crawl up his body.
“My leg hurts,” I whispered. “I think it got cut by the glass.”
“We’ll get it checked out,” he said against my ear, his lips barely moving. “Relax. And be ready to move on my say so. Someone else is in the room.”
He pushed me harder into the wall, his body shielding mine, as he brought the gun in his hand up and pointed it at the closet door. I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, and I took comfort in the way he put his free arm around me. I fit against him easily—too easily—and it was something I’d have to think of later. Preferably when I had clothes on.
I heard the crunch of glass as footsteps made their way across the room. Then there was nothing but silence, and I knew whoever was out there stood just on the other side of the closet door. Savage and I both held our breaths as the knob jiggled once before it turned.
Light flooded the closet and I squenched my eyes closed against the glare, not having any desire to actually see my death up close and personal. I waited for the sound of gunfire and for hot metal to rip through my skin, but there was nothing but tense silence.
I cracked my eyes open one at a time and immediately wished I’d left them closed. Nick stood in the doorway, his weapon pointed steadily at Savage as his glacier blue eyes met mine. He was alive. I felt the breath leave my body on a sigh of relief, and then realized he wasn’t as excited to see me as I was to see him. His gaze was glued to our compromising position, and if looks could kill I’d be six feet under.
“It’s not what it looks like,” I croaked out. “I swear.”
“Gee, doesn’t that sound familiar.” His voice was harsh, and the lines of his mouth were pinched. “Just remember that payback’s a bitch, sweetheart. Too bad I don’t have a tranquilizer gun.”
I pushed Savage away and felt lightheaded all of a sudden from the adrenaline rush. He steadied me and I stumbled out of the closet, gulping in deep breaths of air just as I heard Nick say my name with some alarm. I couldn’t seem to get my bearings. My head was fuzzy, and it was like everyone was talking to me from underwater. And my leg felt like it was on fire. I listed to the side and remember Nick’s arms coming around me just as the lights went out and I fainted.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Thursday
“Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty,” Nick said.
That sounded so familiar I almost smiled, but it hurt too bad so I stuck with grimacing. I cracked my eyes open one at a time stared at Nick. I must have fallen asleep after the doctor had come to see me. I’d been admitted to the hospital overnight for observation, but I was ready to get out of there. I was dressed and just waiting for my release papers so I could go home and suffer in the privacy of my own house.
“The nurse brought the bullet they took out of your leg by. It’s in a jar there on the table. The doctor thought you might like a souvenir.”
I grimaced and didn’t bother looking at the bullet. The pain was all the proof I needed.
“So fill me in,” I said. “Who were those men?”
“Russian loyalists. Natalie Evans was picked up and charged with murder and collusion, and the FBI is investigating the possibility of espionage. She killed Sasha Malakov.
“We were right about her funding her homeland by selling off the stolen gems. She doesn’t like the current party that’s in control and she thought if she sent the opposition enough money, then they could take control. She’s been using her influence in politics for years to siphon American money into their hands. And this isn’t the first time she’s used priceless gems as a way to get quick cash for her cause.”
Nick messed with one of the flower arrangements that was sitting on my bedside table, and I wondered briefly when it had arrived.
“It turns out things didn’t go how Natalie planned. She had her own spy with his own agenda working under her at Sirin, and he was the one who orchestrated the shooting in the hotel room and killed Amanda Whitfield. He planned to take the cash for himself and send the Tear of Ivan back to Russia where it belonged because he believes their heritage shouldn’t be sold to the highest bidder. We were able to confiscate the money and the gems, and the gunmen are being held without bail. Natalie was very forthcoming with information once she realized no attorney in the world could get her out of prison without some kind of deal.”
“So she’ll get off anyway?” I asked.
“Not necessarily. It turns out she was funding the old communist party, and the current government wasn’t too happy to find that out. They’ll be more than happy to take care of her if we’ll hand her and the Tear of Ivan over. And to make the loss up to Christian DeLuce, they’ll be sending over some other museum quality goods as an act of good faith.”
“So everything worked out in the end, huh?” I said.
He stared at me somberly and I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“I’ve changed my mind about thinking it’s a good idea for you to get your P.I. license. This isn’t a profession meant for a woman like you,” he said. “You’re not hard enough for the job, and you’re going to get yourself killed if you keep putting yourself in the middle of these situations. I can’t deal with that hanging over us all the time. I need you to be safe. To live a normal life. There are other teaching jobs out there you could apply for.”
I smiled sadly and broke eye contact as the urge to cry seemed to come out of nowhere. I cleared my throat and licked my dry lips once before deciding what to say.
“You know, I was engaged to a man once who saw this image of me. He had in his mind from the start exactly the person he wanted me to be, without ever getting to actually know the real me. He needed me to be the wife of a prominent businessman. To not have too many serious thoughts and to be a good hostess or dinner companion when he had clients over. He wanted to me go to my little teaching job so I’d have something to keep me occupied and come home and be a doormat that didn’t interfere in his life or do anything controversial. During that time I turned into this robot of a woman that I didn’t even recognize.”
I found the courage to look him in the eyes, because I wanted him to know that I was nothing but serious about what I was about to say.
“I love you,” I said and would have laughed at the alarm in his eyes if the whole situation hadn’t been so sad. He opened his mouth, but I held up a hand. “No, don’t say anything. I’m telling you I love you, and I’d do almost anything you ever asked of me, but I’ll never let myself become that woman again. Not even for you. If you can’t handle the real me then that’s your shortcoming. Not mine. I need someone who will support me always. Not just when it’s easy.”
Nick stood and braced his hands against the side of the bed, his head hanging down as he gathered his thoughts. He looked up at me and he had his cop face on, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
“The sad thing, Addison, is that I’m pretty sure I love you too. And I’ll be glad to support you through anything else. But you putting your life on the line constantly for no good reason isn’t something I can get behind. I can’t be in a relationship where I’m spending all my time worrying about you. I have enough of that to deal with in my own job.”
“Well, I guess we know where we stand then,” I said, not backing down. I wanted to find the anger that I knew I should be feeling at his ultimatum, but I couldn’t manage to dredge it up. Mostly I just felt heartbroken.
“I guess we do,” he said softly. “You’re supposed to be discharged soon. Can I give you a ride home?”
I laughed a little tearfully but refused to let them fall. “No, I’ll have Kate come get me.”
He nodded once and moved to the door. “See you around,” he said.
I turned my head so I wouldn’t have to watch him walk away.
***
Kate would have come to get me, but she was testifying in court and wasn’t able to leave, so I called Rosemarie and asked if she’d mind. I’d taken another pain pill before we’d left the hospital to take the edge off. Between my leg and Nick, I was content to spend a couple of days in a drug-induced haze until I was back to my old self.
Rosemarie parked her yellow Beetle in front of my house and launched herself out of the driver’s seat to come around and help me out. My crutches were hanging out the window and she pulled them out before opening the door for me. My attention was distracted by a jogger running toward us who looked an awful lot like Savage.
He was wearing black athletic shorts and nothing else, and sweat gleamed on his chest. His hair was damp and his muscles gleamed bronze in the sunlight.
“Sweet mother,” Rosemarie said.
“Amen, sister,” I said.
I turned and put my feet on the pavement, trying to decide the best way to maneuver myself up, when Savage slowed his pace and walked up to us.
“You need some help?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t mind a hand.”
He got me under both arms and pulled me gently to my feet, holding me steady until I could get the crutches where I needed them. I’ll admit my brain was fuzzy, otherwise it wouldn’t have taken me so long to ask the obvious question.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “Don’t you have your own neighborhood to jog in?”
He stepped back to give me some room and grinned. “This is my neighborhood. I live in that house right over there.” He pointed to the little white house that was across the street and over one from mine, and I closed my eyes, wondering why I’d been put on this earth for other people to torture.
“Of course you do,” I said. “I think I need another pain pill.”
I hobbled my way up the sidewalk and ignored his soft laughter.
“See you around, neighbor.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Liliana Hart is the pseudonym for an author of more than a dozen books. She lives in Texas with her husband and cats, and loves to be contacted by readers.
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LINKS TO MY OTHER BOOKS
Dane
Thomas
Riley
Cooper
A MacKenzie Christmas
MacKenzie Box Set (includes the 5 books listed above)
Cade
Shadows and Silk
Secrets and Satin
Sins and Scarlet Lace
The MacKenzie Security Series (includes the 3 books listed above)
Kill Shot
Breath of Fire
Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Sour
Whiskey For Breakfast
Dirty Little Secrets
A Dirty Shame
All About Eve
Paradise Disguised
Catch Me If You Can
Who’s Riding Red?
Goldilocks and the Three Behrs
Strangers in the Night
Naughty or Nice
Read on for a sneak peek of WHISKEY FOR BREAKFAST, available August 27, 2013!
Pre-Order at Amazon!
Prologue
I’m not the kind of person to dwell overmuch on the details, but even I knew I couldn’t talk my way out of my current predicament if I got caught.
I looked both ways down the deserted alleyway to make sure I was alone. A dumpster and crumpled trash that rolled across the cracked pavement like tumbleweeds was my only company. I’d gotten lucky—the moon was only a sliver in the sky and not enough to make me visible to any passersby. I was still new at this whole breaking and entering thing.
Whiskey Sour (Romantic Mystery/Comedy) Book 2 (Addison Holmes Mysteries) Page 21