by Kyanna Skye
***
It had been four years since Catherine Vale’s death and Jesse tried not to think about it. There were so many promises he had made to himself in the wake of her passing. Jesse told himself he would never fall in love with another woman on the job. He wouldn’t allow himself to become entangled with a celebrity, or any other person with a public life. Once a certain level of fame was attained, people would always be unwitting targets for people who wanted to abuse them in some way; especially by ex-lovers and former friends.
And he had failed all those vows to himself by falling for Amira.
Lying in bed with her, he couldn’t deny that he was developing real feelings for her. In some ways, she had a similar personality to Catherine. Amira was self-contained and very independent. She didn’t have the same hardness to her personality. The Princess hadn’t been denied material things in life; she yearned for freedom from her title and the ability to have more control over her own life.
Catherine had grown up poor and she had fought for what she had, down to her very last days. As obstinate and determined as Catherine was, there was a single quality she possessed which he wished Amira had. The actress was brutally honest. Jesse had his disagreements with her but he was always privy to what went on in her mind.
Amira slept on her side, breathing softly, her bare back to him. There were things she wasn’t telling him, and the fact that Kiefer had the same feeling only verified Jesse’s gut instinct. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but he was going to have to find a way to get her to come clean. His biggest fear was that something could happen to her while she was with him because he was unaware or unprepared for an external threat he didn’t know about.
He reached over and stroked her back. She turned to face him, and slowly opened her eyes.
“What, darling?” she whispered. She blinked, her brown eyes wide but unfocused. She pouted slightly, which made him only want to kiss her.
“Nothing,” he said. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
He extended his arms to her, and she responded, drawing close and wrapping her arm around his waist. She snuggled against his chest. Nothing felt better than being warm and satiated while he had her in his arms. The questions which had been bothering him for a while would have to wait, for just a little longer.
***
Later, Amira climbed out of the shower. She wrapped herself up in a towel and walked back out into the bedroom. When she came out, Jesse was wearing his pants, shirtless, sitting on the edge of the bed. Something about the way he looked at her caused her to stop in her tracks.
When he spoke, his voice was calm and level but there was a seriousness in his tone. “Amira. I need to know about you and Omar.”
Mention of her fiancé’s name made her go cold. “Why?”
“I’m not the kind of man who cares about a woman’s past. We’ve all got things and people we would rather forget. I understand that. But this is about knowing as much as I can to protect you. I didn’t push before because I knew it was a sensitive subject. Things have changed between us. But you know that we’re basically scratching for any clues we can get.”
“It was really not much of anything,” Amira said.
“Okay, so let me make that determination. You told me a little bit about your relationship with him, tell me the rest,” he met her eyes. “I won’t judge you. I hope you know that.”
Amira sighed and sat down beside him. “Where do you want me to begin?”
“How did you meet him?”
“It was at a conference in Saudi Arabia. The royalty there invited a lot of people from the surrounding regions: royalty, government officials, anyone who had any involvement or ideas about politics. I was aware of him, and though we knew people who were acquainted with us both, I had never met him in person. Somehow we ended up seated together at a banquet. Can you believe someone took a picture of us? I don’t even know how they got it in there, it was a high profile event and everyone had to check their phones at the door. Anyway. One image of the two of us talking over a meal, smiling at each other over some incidental joke, was enough to get the public buzzing about how we looked as a couple. For people who are so strict about dating and such,” Amira smiled. “People from my country are very quick to connect anyone to each other romantically.”
“Figures,” Jesse said. “I think that’s pretty much the case everywhere.”
“After the conference was over Omar and I kept in touch, and we talked about how funny it was that these rumors were spreading. And he subtly suggested, that if I wasn’t seeing anyone, it wouldn’t be a horrible idea for us to get together and see of maybe we could push to get positive initiatives done for both our countries. I was just becoming known for my work to uplift young women and girls. He was interested in charity work which addressed education and clean water for people in third world countries. We started talking about what we could do to combine our endeavors.”
Amira paused. “We traveled together. And yes we went out. There was work along the way too. It was an odd way to build a relationship I suppose, but we just went along with it. But you know, I didn’t see myself falling so easily into an affair with him. Maybe because I knew our parents—on both sides—were ecstatic about our friendship. I thought of him as a nice man; attractive, and he seemed moderate in his beliefs, which is also important to me. But I also knew that there were a lot of things I wanted to do in life before I was ready to marry. Certainly, before I made a decision to tie myself and my family to another monarchy. That would have implications far greater than just for the two of us. It could benefit both our countries but only as long as we all are cooperating with each other.”
“Balance of power,” Jesse said.
Amira nodded gravely. “It seems like a lot of responsibility to hang on the heads to two people and their relationship. A year ago he asked me to marry him and gave me a ring. I told him I would think about it. When I tried to give the ring back, he told me to keep it. And he requested that I not make a statement to the press about a breakup. I assumed he was going to have his people handle it, make it look as good for himself as possible. But he didn’t do that. All of this time later, neither one of us has said anything about it. And though the initial gossip about us died down, people still think we’re a couple.”
“Are you expected to defer to him regarding a breakup?”
“It wouldn’t be thought of as proper for me to say anything about it. And if anyone would be blamed for a relationship not working out, it would be me,” she said. “There’s no use in me saying anything about it.”
“Damn, well, that’s a different way of looking at things,” Jesse said. “So you didn’t feel like you were ready to settle down and he was pushing things faster than you could get comfortable with. What’s the relationship with him like now?”
“There’s not much of one but we’re cordial. He gets in touch whenever there’s a state dinner he needs a date for. He’ll send people my way if he believes they can be helpful to one of my causes and vice versa.”
“He has no reason as far as you know to push things forward?” Jesse asked. “No need to threaten you in any way?”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Anything else you want to know?” she asked. There was an edge to her voice. It had gone better than he thought, even though he knew it was uncomfortable for her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I am glad you told me that.”
“How long do you think we’ll be here?” she asked.
“We won’t move again, at least not until the guys get things together on their end. So we can be comfortable for the night at least.”
“Do you think the plan will work?”
“It has to,” Jesse said.
Chapter Eight
“See, Alec. There really are benefits to being with an international jewel thief other than the obvious,” Erika said with an arch smile.
“Well I’ll be damned,” David said. He and Alec stood shoulder to sho
ulder, watching Erika as she strutted into their office.
“Ex-jewel thief,” Alec said. “Let’s not get it twisted.” These days Erika was back in college and working an apprenticeship in special effects at a nearby film studio. Neither Erika nor Alec mentioned her shady past very often, but in front of Alec’s colleagues, she didn’t mind. After all, they made it their business to track her down and help her when she was at her lowest.
“And current mistress of disguises,” she replied. “Do I make a good Princess Amira?”
It had been Alec’s idea to utilize Erika’s help. They had been dating for almost a year, but when they first met, she was trying to leave the criminal life behind her. One of her skills was her seemingly natural ability to be a chameleon. A change of hairstyle, a little makeup, and she could take on a new identity. Erika winked at Alec.
She really did look like Amira Sabine. They were the same height and of similar build, something he had noticed right away. She had done wonders with makeup, a wig, and bronzer to deepen her skin tone.
David chuckled. “You guys are actually the same type,” he said. “You know, with all the pomp and circumstance I would never have guessed it but I see it now.”
“There’s only so many facial types,” Erika said. “And if you know what to tweak you can definitely imitate someone else’s look. You guys never had to impersonate anyone during missions in the old days?”
“Not really,” Alec said. “It was pretty much engaged a target, kill, repeats. When it wasn’t that, we were using aliases but we were never disguised as anybody else if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah. How long will the operation take?” Erika asked.
“Not long. We’re going to leave on the hour. Are you comfortable?”
“I am,” Erika said. “I wonder how Amira feels though.”
***
Amira, dressed in high heels and a black suit, stepped carefully into the limousine and pulled nervously at her skirt. Jesse slipped in beside her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Don’t be nervous,” he said. “I will be with you.”
“I just wish this wasn’t even necessary,” Amira replied. “What I’d really like is to go back to normal. It would be great not to fear for my safety in public all the time,” she bit her lip. She didn’t even want to admit that lately, the only time she did feel secure was when they were together. While she appreciated how he protected her, she hated that her freedom had been stripped from her. The person who was having her stalked was successful in one way. They’d managed in making her overly suspicious and self-conscious over the smallest thing.
Worse than that was the fact she hadn’t been totally honest with Jesse. She felt awful about it but she was sure that she would only put him in further danger if he knew. Her protection was his job. She was certain he would do whatever he had to ensure her safety. But he was also her lover now and that only added more complications. She looked at him and smiled. He was watching the road ahead, his profile shaded inside the dark interior of the car. She wanted to run her hands down his face, feel the soft curve of his lips and the shape of his chin against her palm. Butterflies moved in her stomach. What she really wanted was to kiss him. Placing a hand flat on his chest, she did.
It was such a quick moment, and she was pleased that he didn’t turn away. Pulling her into his arms, he gave her a long, deep kiss. “I’ll let you get away with that,” Jesse said. “But you know you’re distracting me.”
They hadn’t bothered to power up the divider between them and the driver, and even though his back was turned, Amira could tell the man was smiling.
“Stress relief,” Amira whispered.
“Feel better?” Jesse asked.
“Much,” she replied.
“Sorry,” Jesse apologized to the driver.
“Not at all,” the driver chuckled. “I’ve been married twenty-two years. Sometimes this job reaffirms my belief in romance.
***
Detective Emmett McConnell was at the venue early, eying anyone that even came close to the ballroom where the event was being held. The only thing that had changed was that the Princess was having her speech at a smaller hotel. Santa Monica was a smaller, though still urban town and the hotel they were in had a lower flow of traffic. People who had originally been invited to the event a few weeks ago were quietly notified of the change. The fact that the Princess was continuing with her public tour hadn’t been reported on the news. McConnell was fairly certain the person he was looking for would be aware of Amira’s schedule whether or not it was advertised.
As the room began to fill, Kiefer showed up in an Armani suit and black sunglasses. He gave his friend a nod and a grin and took his place on the opposite end of the room, near the stage.
Sometimes, McConnell regretted his decision to work in public service. That said, he knew the kind of work Kiefer did before he started his firm and didn’t envy it.
The ballroom could easily hold three hundred people, but about half of that number were present. McConnell would have preferred to whittle that number down to twenty, but it would have been too suspicious. Hopefully, their assailant wasn’t spooked by this smaller crowd. It was still a fairly good turnout, considering there was actual violence at the Princess’ last event. Seriously, if this wasn’t his job, he’d have been nowhere near anyone who was attracting killers to her speeches.
He reached into his pocket for a stick of gum, put it in his mouth, and crumpled the foil between his fingertips. It was getting close to time to start. He straightened up, cracked his neck, and waited for the fun to begin.
***
Amira felt a little sick to her stomach as if she were standing on the deck of a ship at sea.
It was an odd sensation, especially since she had traveled on ships and never experienced seasickness. She was standing in front of a crowd, speaking, the same speech she had already done more than a dozen times. She had done so in front of the flickering lights of the press, in front of larger audiences, and to people who were critical of her message.
Of course, none of those things were as frightening as knowing someone in the audience could be out to do her harm.
She found it necessary to take a sip of water now and again, or to clear her throat. Instead of looking at anyone in the crowd she focused on the clock in the back of the room, and sometimes the notes on the podium in front of her. Aware that Jesse and his men were surrounding her, they were not anywhere she could see them; which made her feel comforted yet still afraid as if her protectors might vanish without her knowing it.
It was hard to concentrate, but somehow she managed to do it. Once her speech was over, she took a breathless look around the room. The crowd stood for a standing ovation. Amira placed a hand over her heart, trying to calm the pounding in her chest.
“Princess,” Jesse touched her shoulder and whisked her from the podium.
There was a series of hallways leading out to the service exit, the back area where large shipments were brought into the hotel. The overhead lighting was dim, and Amira’s eyes widened as a woman passed her as she walked to the car that awaited her. Clad in the same black suit and heels, hair perfectly coiffed, the woman could have been her twin.
“Princess,” she said with a respectful nod.
Amira barely had time to speak a word---she found herself nodding back.
The Edgewater men surrounded Amira as she was gently whisked into another black limousine. She was glad that she had kissed Jesse earlier because she didn’t get to before she was carried away from him.
***
Kiefer followed the other limousines in his own car, a black Mercedes. McConnell rode with him, both silent as the other cars merged into traffic. One limo took a left at the light while the other hooked a right and went into another direction. Kiefer went straight, drove a few blocks and then doubled back.
“I hope this works. You know we’re spending a lot of money on the Princess,” McConnell said gruffly. “When really, if you ask
me, it would be so much easier to ship her back home.”
Kiefer laughed. “Thanks for that take on foreign policy. I mean, one could, and then you’d have to worry about her getting home in one piece. Not to mention we risk having other people think our city is less safe than it already is. Not good for tourism, or the next world leaders we’d want to host.”
“I heard that talk from the mayor,” McConnell said. “Would it absolutely kill you to agree with me for once in your life?”
“It wouldn’t but I have to admit it would be less fun,” Kiefer said. “Listen, this may be an odd time to mention in but I wanted to ask you before something else happens and we’re both tied up with other cases. As much help as you’ve given me through the years, I’ve been wondering if there would be any problem with having you work for Edgewater as a consultant.”
McConnell frowned. “Well. It all depends on the case. There are some things I can be of better help with if I remain in the department.”
Kiefer nodded. “I wouldn’t want you to jeopardize the day job. And it wouldn’t have anything to do with ongoing police investigations. I’ve heard about you getting a promotion through the grapevine. But it occurred to me that you had never mentioned it. Is it something you want to pursue, or are they offering it to you in hopes you’ll take it?”
“I wish I knew where you got your sources from,” McConnell said. “It’s more like the later. About five years ago I’d have jumped at a chance to move up. These days I’m thinking about how much time I get to spend with my wife and how much more overtime it would take me to really do the next job up effectively. It already takes more out of me than it should, just dealing with all the commonplace bullshit that comes across my desk.”