Lethal Peril_Military Romantic Suspense

by Emily Jane Trent

  Wyatt guided her to the bedroom and slowly undressed her. He admired her nakedness, stroking her bare skin with his fingertips. Then he impatiently removed his clothes and lifted her onto the bed. He made love to her again and again, insatiable, ceaseless in his desire for her.

  Beth’s titillation spiraled out of control, and she climaxed in his arms. As if she was dying of thirst in the desert, she craved him even more each time he attempted to satisfy her. Then he plunged deep, filling her and stretching her, until she cried out with pleasure.

  Wyatt exploded inside her, groaning with release, and holding her tight. Beth was dizzy with joy, humming with warmth, and melting into Wyatt as though they were one. When he collapsed beside her and pulled her into his arms, she kissed his lips. Then, looking into his gleaming brown eyes, she whispered, “I love you.”

  And it was true. Whether she could be with him, even another day, she wanted him to know. So she’d opened her heart to him without regret.

  A sensual smile crossed Wyatt’s lips, but he didn’t reply. He looked at her, emotion welling in his expression, yet he didn’t voice what he thought of her vow of love. And that was fine with Beth; he didn’t have to. She knew he cared, and understood that it was complicated.

  Beth had told him, and that was enough—for now.

  *****

  The next morning, Wyatt was up early. Beth slipped out of the empty bed and quickly dressed. This was an important day. She went out to the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee, then sat across from Wyatt.

  “I got a text from Travis. The jet left on schedule and Hunter will get transportation to the hotel. We can meet him there in about forty-five minutes.”

  Beth downed her coffee. “We need to go, then. It’s best if you’re there when he arrives.”

  “Hunter could handle it.”

  “Yes, but I’m thinking of Kyle. I want him in the right frame of mind, knowing that he’s not alone,” Beth said. “Besides, he’s concerned for my welfare. It will be good for him to see that I’m fine.”

  The hotel wasn’t too far, and they had plenty of time, but Beth wanted to arrive early. It would give her a chance to speak to Kyle before his bodyguard arrived.

  Kyle opened the door, looking rested but slightly nervous. Beth gave him a hug. “I decided to be with you when Hunter gets here, and see if he meets with my approval.”

  Wyatt patted her brother on the back. “I wouldn’t be concerned about today’s events. I’m expecting all to go smoothly.”

  Before Kyle could share any concerns he had, there was a knock at the door. Wyatt opened it to let his teammate in. “Hey, Hunter.” He patted his friend’s shoulder, then looked at Kyle. “This is Hunter Davis, your bodyguard.”

  Hunter was taller than Wyatt, and just as buff. His jacket did little to hide his musculature. He had thick blondish hair and striking blue eyes. He shook Kyle’s hand and nodded. “At your service, sir.”

  Wyatt motioned toward her. “And this is Beth Foster.”

  The former SEAL was polite. He smiled at her, then leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “My pleasure, Beth.”

  Beth supposed he was a man of few words; she knew the type. And no credentials were needed. Travis screened thoroughly, and hired ex-SEALs exclusively. Wyatt had told her much about the team, giving her the utmost confidence.

  “The attorney is going to meet us at the care facility to take charge of the situation,” Kyle said. “I assume that Stealth brought you up to date on the circumstances. So if you’re ready, we can get going. The sooner we get a new doctor on the case, the sooner our father will get off the damaging drugs.”

  Beth was glad to see her brother take charge. If Hunter had jet lag, it didn’t show. He appeared fit, alert, and prepared for duty.

  “We should be on our way, then,” Hunter said, and held up a hand as his way of saying goodbye.

  Kyle gave his sister one more hug and smiled at Wyatt, then left with his new protector by his side.

  “It will be fine,” Wyatt said, as if sensing her anxiety.

  “I’m sure it will, but you can’t blame me for worrying. My uncle has proven to be unpredictable, and I don’t want to be caught off guard.”

  Wyatt escorted her back to the lobby, then outside. Beth was under no delusion. Shortly, her uncle would know about the change of physician, and would be livid. Too damn bad; he shouldn’t have done such a terrible thing to start with.

  By now, Uncle Martin must know that she’d visited her father. Wyatt had kept her under the radar for a few days, but that reprieve had ended. It was time to fight back, and hiding was out of the question.

  But food wasn’t. If Beth expected Wyatt to measure up to his duty, she’d have to feed him. “How does breakfast sound?”

  “I saw a café that wasn’t too far to walk to. Shall we try it?”

  Wyatt took her hand and strolled beside her. It was good to be outdoors, and the brisk air was invigorating. “I think my troubles have just begun,” she said. “Up until now, my uncle only suspected that I might use information I have against him, yet that was enough to prompt his attacks.”

  Beth looked up at Wyatt, and he lifted her hand to kiss it. “He won’t have to wonder now, will he?”

  “No, he won’t. Uncle Martin will be incensed when he learns about my interference.”

  “He should be bloody terrified,” Wyatt said. “Unless he’s more of an idiot than I thought, he’ll realize the jig is up.”

  Beth rather liked the idea of her uncle being terrified. It would be satisfying to turn the tables on him, and let him know how it felt for once. Further discussion was cut off when Wyatt squeezed her hand. “Try not to react, but we’re being followed.”

  *****

  Getting rid of surveillance without escalating it into a heated chase could be achieved by making the pursuer believe that he’d lost his target, and not the other way around. As long as the guy thought he’d lost through negligence, rather than by design, he would give up the chase.

  Beth followed Wyatt’s lead, acting as natural as she could, even though she was probably unsettled by the new development. A bookstore was half a block up, so Wyatt ducked in there with her. The high shelves provided cover, but the guy followed them in.

  Casually scanning books, flipping through pages, and pretending to chat, Wyatt moved around the store. Each time he disappeared with Beth was a chance to lose the guy. It was noteworthy that the man wore beige clothing, had short brown hair, sported a popular brand of jogging shoes, and was overall fairly average—all so he’d blend in.

  The tail would have been difficult to spot, especially since he had been walking down the sidewalk in a group of other pedestrians. But Wyatt’s perception was acute. He’d noticed the guy glancing their way when he assumed the look would go unnoticed.

  And the fact that he’d followed them into the store confirmed the surveillance activity. Wyatt caught sight of the man a few times, and, when he wasn’t able to easily shake him, guided Beth outside again. A coffee shop was two blocks down, across the street.

  “Where to?” Beth said, in a remarkably calm voice.

  “I could use a jolt of caffeine,” Wyatt said, and headed that direction.

  The shop was busy, but the line moved fast. Wyatt ordered an espresso for each of them, and took a seat so he could see out the window. Across the street, the guy in beige waited at a bus stop. He appeared no different than the other passengers waiting for transportation.

  Except that the man frequently glanced at the coffee shop. It was an amateur mistake. Any pro wouldn’t need to keep looking, but would see his targets in his peripheral vision, and not miss when they emerged. After less than ten minutes, it was advantageous to move on.

  When the guy was distracted, Wyatt led Beth out of the shop, and turned the corner toward a large mall. If the man noticed and followed, he might not be able to keep them in sight among the crowds. Most surveillance losses happened at starts and stops, so it was best to keep movi
ng from place to place.

  Inside the mall, Wyatt stood behind a kiosk with his arm around Beth, reading the headlines of a newspaper on the rack. He spotted the pursuer when he entered the mall and strolled down the center aisle. Maybe the guy hadn’t seen them yet.

  Wyatt led Beth into a hobby shop, and perused the goods. From the back of the store, he glanced toward the front but saw no sign of the man in beige. “Time to get going,” he said, and took Beth’s hand. Without looking back, Wyatt strode out of the mall, down the street, and around the corner.

  A bus was just loading at the stop, so he hopped on with Beth in tow. Taking seats in the rear, Wyatt scrunched down, and Beth followed suit. The door closed and the tail wasn’t on the bus. The driver went down the street, made two turns, then headed toward the next stop.

  It seemed that public transportation had done the trick. Wyatt leaned over and whispered in Beth’s ear, “We’re clear.”

  Wyatt opted to stay on the bus for a ways, just to be sure. Then, holding tightly to Beth’s hand, he caught a different line and rode it back to Central Park. He strode down the path between the trees, heading for a group of people on roller blades. There was a banner that read: Dance Skaters’ Association.

  “We lost the tail,” Wyatt said, “so you can relax. But it’s smart to stick to crowds for now.” The skaters swarmed around, which suited him fine. He found a vacant bench and sat down with Beth to watch the activity.

  Wyatt’s phone vibrated, and he pulled it out of his pocket. “It’s Cooper,” he said. The nearby crowd laughed and twirled around on skates. No one was close enough to overhear, so he hit speaker, letting Beth listen to the conversation.

  “Coop, I’m here with Beth.”

  “Well, I’ve been digging, and it’s interesting that the boat rental wasn’t a one-time thing. Martin hired another one,” Cooper said. “And the boat company doesn’t look clean either, but that’s another story. It doesn’t affect your situation.”

  “Yeah, sounds like Martin has a real operation going,” Wyatt said.

  “What I find alarming is the accounts. Without giving too much detail over the phone, Martin is draining money from Foster. He’s disguising it, but not that well. Anyone who looks closely could spot it. I’m documenting what I find for you, Beth. The evidence will strengthen your position.”

  “I need all of that I can get, and I’m glad you’re monitoring his spending habits,” Beth said. “I’ll use whatever you find.”

  “Sure, just let me know when you need the stuff and I’ll encrypt it then email. For now, I’ll continue tallying his criminal activity for you,” Coop said. “Are you keeping her safe, Mercer?”

  Wyatt laughed. “That sounds easier than it is, but I’m staying on it.”

  When the call ended, Beth looked up at him. “My uncle’s willful destruction has to stop. If he keeps up this pace, I’m afraid that Foster International will go under. The company has been in my family for generations. I can’t let that happen.”

  “By stealing funds he’s hanging himself. That’s serious stuff.” Wyatt took her hand. “Let’s walk a bit.”

  The skaters glided by, and a few joggers passed. Wyatt’s life wasn’t like that—normal, even carefree. He preferred the challenge that danger provided. But for Beth, it was different; she wasn’t used to it. He needed to put an end to her uncle’s antics, and soon.

  “It’s good that Coop has evidence for us,” Beth said. “But I have to make sure that it’s sufficient, that the case is credible. It has to be airtight; I don’t want my uncle to weasel out of it. Your sister has offered to help, though.”

  “She can provide a legal viewpoint and recommend how to proceed,” Wyatt said, and pulled out his phone. “I’ll let her know that we’re on our way over.”

  *****

  Wyatt hadn’t been to his sister’s law office before. The marble lobby had an enormous polished reception desk in front of frosted glass, etched with the name of the firm. It wasn’t Jessica’s name, so he didn’t care too much. Maybe someday she’d have her own business.

  When she did, Wyatt would suggest bulletproof glass over frosted decorative panes. There were too many unhappy clients, and stories about visits to the guilty lawyers. It didn’t hurt to be cautious.

  Jessica came out to greet them. She was dressed in an expensive skirt and jacket; Wyatt could tell by the cut and the quality of the material. His sister had definitely come up in the world.

  Wyatt gave her a hug, then Beth did the same.

  “Come on back,” Jessica said. “We can use the conference room. We’ll have more elbow room in there.”

  Formalities were put aside; this was a family matter. Beth had known his sister for so long that the two women might as well be family. “What’s the latest?” Jessica said, then glanced at the frosted glass wall that blocked the view into the hallway. “It’s soundproof; it just doesn’t look like it.”

  “So much has happened that I hardly know where to start,” Beth said, then proceeded to bring Jessica up to date. She recounted all that had transpired since the wedding, and got raised eyebrows when she revealed what had been done to her father. “And Cooper, the computer tech at Stealth, just called with new info.”

  After Beth finished telling her all the details, Jessica smiled. “I think I can help you out here. It sounds like your uncle is robbing the company blind.” She rocked in the chair. “You probably want to know how to best go after Martin. The FBI’s white-collar division handles embezzlement and other such crimes. With what you’ve told me, they’d be all over it, if they knew.”

  “I sure hope so,” Beth said. “My uncle is a slippery one.”

  “I’ll prepare the case for you,” Jessica said. “I can put all the information into a package, with relevant code violations cited. Presented properly, the job will be that much easier, and I take it you want to nail your uncle soon.”

  “Today would be good,” Wyatt said.

  “I’ll need a day or so, but it will be worth preparing,” Jessica said. “I can deliver the case to the FBI office. Coming from a criminal defense attorney, it will have more impact, and I can follow up with the agency for you.”

  “You’re a gem,” Wyatt said.

  Jessica grinned. “Maybe I should switch from defense to prosecution. It’s invigorating to nail a crook.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Wyatt said. “I appreciate you handling this. Coop can email the evidence so you can get started.” He scrolled on his phone. “I’ll text to let him know what you’re doing, and you can contact him directly if you have further questions.”

  “That will work.” Jessica stood. “Then you better be on your way, so I can get started.”

  In the elevator, Wyatt said to Beth, “I have a feeling that things are coming together.”

  “Maybe, but I have a ways to go before I’m clear of danger. Poking around in Martin’s affairs is like stirring up a hornets’ nest.” Beth leaned against him. “This has to go down before he catches on, or the whole sting will crumble like a house of cards. Once provoked, who knows what he’ll do.”

  Wyatt had worked up an appetite. Breakfast hadn’t happened, and his stomach reminded him. “I’m hungry. How does steak sound?”

  Beth spotted a grill not far from the law office. It was past the noon hour, so the lunch crowd had filtered out. There was a red leather booth open, so Wyatt nabbed it.

  “What will it be?” Wyatt said, looking at the menu. “Steak, steak, or steak?”

  Beth laughed. “I’ll have the skewer; at least it has vegetables with it.”

  The waiter took the orders and was back with the iced teas in a flash. Wyatt watched Beth add sweetener to hers, admiring her wavy hair and dark eyes. His gaze lingered, then his mind wandered to sexier thoughts. He needed to focus.

  “I’m glad that you and your sister are on good terms again,” Beth said.

  With so much hanging in the balance, Wyatt couldn’t believe that was what she cared about.
Women just had a different way of viewing life; that’s all there was to it. “I wasn’t on bad terms with her, just out of touch. But don’t worry your pretty head about it. I adore my sister, and I won’t make that mistake again.”

  Beth smiled, and Wyatt wasn’t sure if it was because he’d called her pretty, or because he’d said that he adored his sister. It was best not to question her good spirits, so he let it be.

  The steak arrived sizzling on his plate, just how he liked it. The meat was juicy and tender. With the baked potato slathered with sour cream, it really hit the spot.

  Beth played around with her meal, carving the chunks of steak into smaller bites, and stirring the vegetables around the plate. She ate some of it, then pushed her plate aside. When she looked over at him, her brown eyes sparkled.

  “What?” Wyatt swiped at his mouth with a napkin. “Did I do something?”

  “I do enjoy watching you eat.”

  Wyatt laughed. Then his phone vibrated; it was Rip. Since he couldn’t take the call in a public place, he texted: Call you right back. “We better take this outside.” He tossed some money on the table, and Beth followed him out.

  There was a concrete bench in a grassy area along the sidewalk. Wyatt took a seat there with Beth beside him. Rip answered on the first ring.

  “I’m here, buddy,” Wyatt said. “And Beth too.”

  Rip said, “The game has changed. Your enemy just upped the ante.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I have some connections to the NYPD through my family,” Rip said, “and the force keeps their ears to the ground.”

  Wyatt frowned. “And their undercover team found out something?”

  “Rumor in the underworld is that a professional assassin has been retained, and the killer has an impeccable track record. He’s got Beth in his sights. I just don’t know when or where the hit is supposed to go down. That’s the sort of detail we aren’t likely to find out in advance.”

  Wyatt glanced over at Beth. She hadn’t said a word, but her expression said it all.

  “You need to be prepared…keep your eyes on Beth. The police are on alert, and will do what they can. But this guy has to surface first.”