by Kyanna Skye
When they got to the room, he took a chair and put it just outside the door. “You can close it,” he told her. “But I will be here on the other side. No one will get to you.”
“What about you?” she asked.
“I will sleep later,” he said. The little rest he had gotten would keep him awake at least until morning, longer if need be.
“Thank you,” she said. And then she did something which surprised him. She hugged him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. For a moment he was wrapped in the sweet scent of her perfume and the softness of her wavy hair. He swallowed over a lump in his throat, suddenly feeling warm even though a prickly chill raised the hairs on his arms. “For saving my life today,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
And then she closed the door. Pulling his chair against the wall, Jesse sat down. A smile pressed against his lips.
***
“Kiefer, baby, wake up. It’s your phone.”
Kiefer turned over. He was lying in bed and Shari was standing over him with his cell phone in her hand. “I’m sorry whoever it was woke you up, baby,” he muttered. “Just ignore them, come back to bed.”
“Sorry, I don’t think that’s advisable,” she tapped him on the shoulder and shoved the phone at him. “It sounds like an emergency.”
The last five words she spoke snapped him to attention. “This is Lawrence,” he said into the phone.
“McConnell,” a cold voice came over the line. “I need you to come down to the station right away.”
“What’s happened?” he demanded. “I’ve heard nothing about the Princess tonight.”
“It’s not about her,” McConnell cut him off. “I can’t tell you what I’ve got going on the phone but since your people are involved you’ll want to know before this hits the news.”
McConnell hung up before Kiefer could ask any further questions. Within five minutes he was dressed and out the door. In fifteen he was standing inside the precinct, waiting for the detective friend to join him.
Kiefer had kicked around some theories on the drive over to the police station. Maybe the shooter had given some important information which would break the case. Maybe there had been a lead which McConnell wanted to entrust him with before it became public knowledge. Whatever information the detective might have, Kiefer realized it was nothing good. The detective looked ashen, his hair mused.
“What’s going on?” Kiefer demanded as McConnell ushered him into a conference room. He closed the door before responding.
“Our shooter is dead.”
“What? How?”
“The body is being rushed for an autopsy right now. It was a suicide. He was found in the cell unresponsive, frothing at the mouth. The officer tried to clear his passageways and get him breathing but it was no use. We’re trying to keep a lid on this thing until we know what’s going on but the clock is ticking on it. His lawyer is here and she’s freaking out. Since our perp is dead I want to question her about what she may know about whoever the hell hired her. I want you to sit in on it.”
“This is not good,” Kiefer said. “You don’t think someone got to him in here?”
“I can’t rule it out,” McConnell replied. “Even though I’d like to. I’m thinking he might have already had the poison on him, even took it before we got him into custody.”
“Which means this was a suicide mission for him,” Kiefer completed his thought. “Whoever is in charge is a big enough player to buy people.”
Chapter Four
At three that morning, Jesse called into the office. He knew something was up the moment Alec answered the phone instead of David.
“Hey, glad you called because I was just about to call you.”
“And…?” Jesse said. He was in the kitchen, making a pot of coffee. He’d looked in on Amira a few minutes before and she was sleeping soundly.
“Well, first of all, the guy who tried to kill Amira is dead,” Alec told him. Jesse listened while Alec filled him in on what they knew. It wasn’t much. The word from Kiefer was to stay put for the time being, but be prepared to move at any moment. You know it’s really up to your discretion. We’ll support whatever you want to do, and this is one of those cases that’s changing every two minutes.”
“I don’t guess this is information you want me to share with her?”
“That’s your call,” Alec said. “And to be honest. If you want to move earlier just let us know, we’ll get you out of there. I have been on the phone with her father for the last hour trying to calm him down, and of course get any information out of him that I can. According to her old man, no one has any reason to want to harm his daughter, other than to piss him off. He gave me some names but so far David hasn’t found anything of interest. Kiefer is trying to have the police hold off on going to the press with this information. I don’t know how successful he’ll be. Worst case scenario, there’s some leaks in the department and the story comes out on the morning news.”
“What about her fiancé?” Jesse asked. “How’s he handling the shooting?”
“He’s in Europe. I can’t seem to reach him but Amira’s dad said he called and checked in with him yesterday. He claims he tried calling her and didn’t get an answer. Didn’t know about the shooting at the time, but was just worried that he couldn’t reach her. Apparently, he’s used to checking in with her at a certain time most days. Her father said he was very upset to hear what happened.”
“Probably true,” Jesse replied. “I have her phone and the battery.” He thought to mention what Amira had told him about not being serious about Omar but thought better of it. That wasn’t information which would help his partners. Technically, she had told him that in confidence. Not to mention, he couldn’t be sure yet that it was true. A man who called every day to check up on a woman seemed par for the course for a romantic relationship. What bothered him was that he wasn’t sure why she wouldn’t be honest about it.
“How’s she doing?” Kiefer asked.
“Worried, but she’s a trooper. Not sure how she’ll take this latest turn of events, once she knows.”
“I don’t envy you. Though there were a few moments when I was talking with her dad I was willing to trade.”
Jesse chuckled. “Well, no one said this gig was easy.”
“Got that right,” Alec replied. Jesse could imagine the dry grin on his face. “Anyway. Call us if you need anything. David’s running leads, and he’ll call you as soon as he gets something.”
“Alright, I’ll talk to you later,” Jesse said. He pressed end and paused for a moment. He turned to find Amira standing in the doorway behind him.
“Jesse, what’s going on?”
***
Amira knew something was wrong the moment he looked at her. His face was immobile but there was a flash of emotion in his eyes, quickly hidden.
“Want some coffee?” he asked. “You might actually need something stronger.”
“Just tell me.”
“The man who tried to kill you yesterday is dead.”
She blinked. “Wait. What?”
“They don’t know for sure yet, but they think he ingested poison. They’ve gone over camera footage of him in the cell, and they think whatever it was he took was slow acting. Probably took it before he ever got to the station. They’ll know more in a few hours after the autopsy is complete.”
Amira bit her lip. “We’re dealing with someone on a suicide mission then.”
“It’s a theory,” Jesse said. “We don’t know that for sure.”
Amira walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. “My parents are being kept up to date?”
“Yes.”
“What’s our next step then?”
“I prefer to lay low until tonight.”
“Why can’t we leave now?” she said, looking towards the windows. “It’s not going to be daylight for another couple of hours.”
“No one followed us here, Amira. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
&nb
sp; She shook her head. “It just reminds me of how my uncle was killed. All the best security couldn’t protect him when it came down to it, no matter how many there were. He’d made statements about a local cleric and how he thought he was abusing the people who supported him. I mean, just things he probably shouldn’t have said in public. The kind of talk a lot of people were having in the privacy of their homes. It was enough for someone to think that they were going to settle the score in his blood.”
“Nothing bad is going to happen to you while you’re with me,” Jesse said. “I promise you that. I have handled worse. Why don’t you tell me about what happened with your uncle?”
“I don’t know very much, I was a kid at the time,” Amira replied. “About seven years old. What I really remember was the fallout. My father grieved so much for him; we all did, really. Those kinds of losses stick with you, and in this case, it was so unnecessary. What I learned from it was that some people don’t stop until they get what they want.” She stood up. “I appreciate all you’ve done so far.”
“Okay, now you’re worrying me,” Jesse said.
“I’m just going back to bed,” she told him. “Wake me up when it’s time to leave.” She shrugged.
“I hope you’re not giving up,” he told her. “We still have too much to do. This fight is just starting.”
“Not giving up. But if I’m going to be hunted, I’m not going to just sit here too afraid to move.”
***
Jesse made a quick call to David. Despite the earliness of the hour, he sent an email with all the up to date information on the case in his email; along with a second document detailing the assassination of Tarik Sabine, Amira’s uncle. It hadn’t occurred to him there might be some connection between whoever was after Amira and a crime so old…but he decided it was worth looking into. A suspect was caught and prosecuted in that case. Apparently, it was someone working alone. He’d waited for Tarik to return from a walk on his estate. He’d been waiting with a gun. He shot the man down in his own yard but was caught by servants who worked on the estate. It wasn’t the same kind of crime at all. Amira’s attack was very public and brazen. Tarik’s killing was almost intimate. The assailant was believed to work for an organization which had interests in seeing the royal family compromised, but no accomplices were found.
Amira was the heir apparent. It was something to think about.
The house was too quiet. He’d wanted to give her a few minutes alone, but some instinct made him get up and go to her door. He knocked. There was stirring within the room, and then she came to the door.
“Yes?” she said.
In the low light, without her makeup on, she looked younger. Maybe her vulnerability had something to do with the fact that she was upset; either way, he reminded himself that she was his client and he shouldn’t be staring at her. With her full lips parted, wide brown eyes focused on him and her chin tilted upwards, it was damn hard to do. He found her distractingly beautiful.
“I have an idea,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”
***
Alec’s property stretched for several acres. There were no neighbors to speak of within a mile, which was one of the reasons he bought it in the first place. Trees lined the back end of the property along the fence line, giving them privacy from anyone who wanted to look too closely. There was a calculated risk in being outside with Amira but Jesse felt she needed to get out of the house.
By the time they reached their destination the sun was already up. Amira was dressed in leggings and a t-shirt. With her hair pulled back into one loose braid, she lifted the gun and focused on the target in front of her: a glass bottle perched on the top of a box.
“Is it really a good idea to handle firearms this time of the morning?” she asked.
Jesse, who was standing behind her, took a look at her posture. “Here,” he said, placing a hand on her waist. “Relax your lower back. Stand with your legs planted...” he paused as she readjusted her stance. “Yes, like that. There’s kickback on a gun like this. When was the last time you shot a gun?”
“A few years ago,” she admitted. I took a couple of classes but it wasn’t my thing.”
“You like hurting people up close?” Jesse grinned. “With your fighting skills, I mean.”
“Maybe,” she said. “Shooting doesn’t feel like a sport to me.”
“Relax here, just a little,” Jesse said, touching her right shoulder. “Most of the time when you have to actually use a gun, it’s under less than ideal circumstances. You’ll have to pull your weapon when you’re already tired or scared, so you need to do it enough that it becomes second nature. You have to be ready to pull the trigger.”
She nodded.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes.”
She missed with the first shot, but she hit her target the second time.
“Who taught you to shoot?” she asked. “Or was that something you didn’t learn until the military.”
“My dad,” he said. “When I was about fourteen. He was old school. And he was former military, and a hunter besides. I was already a crack shot long before I was a recruit.”
Amira smiled at him. “Good to know.”
“I’m not bragging,” he said.
“You sure, Jesse?”
“Well. It’s not bragging when it’s true.”
She chuckled at that, maybe the first laugh he’d heard from her in the time they’d spent together.
Amira practiced for half an hour longer and they started the long walk back to the house. Her mood seemed much lighter. It was almost possible to forget the danger they were in. Almost. Jesse kept scanning the landscape, trying to imagine where anyone might have a chance to observe them from. There weren’t really any good spots to spy down onto the property other than the foothills near the back, or the front of the house which would leave anyone surveilling visible from the road. He was working on the beginnings of a theory about who might be after Amira. But he wasn’t ready to tell anyone, nothing he was willing to commit to.
“You don’t talk about yourself,” Amira said suddenly. “But you know all about me.”
“It’s my job to know everything I can about you.”
“Yes. But it’s mildly disconcerting.”
“I’m fairly open,” he said. “Except for certain things I’ve promised not to talk about.”
“That makes it all the more interesting,” Amira narrowed her eyes at him.
“What do you want to know?” he asked.
“Where are you from?”
“Maryland, originally. But I grew up in California. Most of my family is still back east.”
“You’re not married. Why?”
He grinned. “There’s a loaded question. The short answer would be that retired special-forces officers probably don’t make the best romantic partners.”
“How would you know that?” Amira pressed. “You have a string of broken relationships?”
“Not so much broken as incomplete,” he said. Jesse could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, which made him even more uncomfortable. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had the power to make him blush.
“Interesting way of phrasing it,” she said.
He shrugged. “It’s correct.”
“You told me a little about how you came to do this job,” Amira said. “Will you always want to do this? Put yourself in danger for other people?”
“Maybe,” he said. “I’m happy with it at the moment, Princess.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “I notice you like to call me that.”
“Not every young woman gets that title,” he teased. “You’re the first I have ever met.”
“You like to use it in a specific way. When you want to put professional distance between us.”
Jesse had been doing exactly that. He had hoped she wouldn’t pick up on it. “Okay,” he said.
“You’re not the first one to do that,” she said, looking away from him
and concentrating on the path back up to the house. “You might as well know I don’t appreciate it.”
“I’m sorry, Amira,” Jesse said. “Really.”
She gave him a tight smile.
“Omar?” Jesse asked.
He didn’t know what made him ask that question but it slipped past his lips before he thought about it. Amira had a wounded look in her eyes. And then she shook her head. “No. From him, it’s an insult. That’s different.”
“I guess I just don’t understand about the two of you,” he said. “And in some ways, it’s not my business to know unless he wanted to hurt you.”
“Other than doing what he can to please his own family, he has no idea what he wants,” she sniped. “If it were up to me I wouldn’t have anything to do with him—but that’s the past. I haven’t publicly separated from him, but we will over time, so it won’t be a shock to our countrymen on either side.”
Opinionated woman, Jesse thought with a smile. A man who couldn’t be decisive had no chance with her. He wondered what other men she had met, who hadn’t stoked the fire in her soul.
They reached the house, and Jesse saw a sadness come over Amira’s face. She felt like a prisoner, he could see that much in her expression.
“I promise, we’ll move again tonight,” he promised as they went inside.
He hadn’t bothered to open any of the draperies, and the house was mostly dark. He locked the door, keyed in the security code. Amira was waiting for him at the end of the hallway.
Jesse expected her to move, but she didn’t. When he walked up to her, she put her hands on his arms, caressing him.
They stood staring at each other for a long moment, close enough to feel each other’s warmth. Amira moved her hands, placing them on his chest. He bent to kiss her just as she reached for him.
Chapter Five
Amira wrapped her arms around him. Jesse moved her across the edge of the hallway and into the living room, holding her as he did. He might have guided her to the couch but really she felt herself sort of fall onto it. They were separated for only a moment until she was in his arms again. He showered her with kisses: cheeks, neck, taking his time about it, all before returning his mouth to hers. She stole a quick breath and felt him take it with the passion of his kiss. Her hands went to his hair, running her hands over the softness of it. The moment he parted from her, she was stunned.