“If I say no at this point I’ll look like a bastard. I know my sister’s beautiful, and if I didn’t know what you do to women I’d be fine with it. But knowing what you like to do, even with her telling me you’re her...type. That’s gonna be rough, Tyler.”
“I can get my own place so Viv and I won’t be around each other. I don’t want to do anything to hurt our friendship.”
Mac’s cell phone went off and he stepped away to talk. When he returned, his voice and body language were all business, though no one would’ve noticed except the agents who’d worked with him.
“I know you came here to get away, but you may’ve just walked into something.” Mac ran has hand through his hair as he scanned their surroundings, and Tyler’s instincts came to life as he recognized his friend had gone on full alert.
“Four years ago, I came up against twins on one of my missions, man and woman.” Mac had fully shifted into work mode, his voice devoid of emotion. “I killed the woman and took the man into custody. We handed him over to his government and he’s been in a prison in Kazakhstan since. Last year he managed to find out my real name. He called me from prison, told me he’d kill my sister as payback when he got out. I flagged him, so I’d be notified if he came through customs on his passport. He entered the country via Miami International Airport twenty minutes ago.”
Tyler looked at his watch to start the clock ticking. The soonest he could be here was forty minutes, but since he’d have to rent a car it would probably be more like an hour. “Description?”
“Black hair, dark eyes, thin, hundred and fifty-five pounds last I checked, five foot ten. Nose is just a hair crooked where it’s been broken. Small scar above his left eyebrow.”
“He won’t know I’m here. I’ll take your sister and dad to a hotel, get them settled in under my name, and come back to help deal with him.”
“I’d rather you stay with them so they’re guarded. Also, he may know you’re here, so nothing in your name, either. I can handle this guy, but time’s going to be short to get all of dad’s equipment and meds packed. Let’s go.”
As they sprinted back, Tyler thought about the best way to protect Mac’s family. They’d need a hotel suite with two beds in the bedroom, and Tyler could sleep in the living area. So much for getting away from Viv, now it looked like he was protecting her.
As they reached the house Mac said, “You explain to Viv and Dad while I gather Dad’s stuff. Have Viv get started packing her things as soon as you can, and then she’ll need to make sure I’ve remembered everything Dad will need. Especially his medicines and therapy stuff.”
Evan and Viv were both on the porch, and Mac went in while Tyler tried to explain the situation as gently as possible while still getting across the urgency. Viv listened in silence and then stood and entered the house without saying anything. Tyler reluctantly had to give Viv more likability points for not panicking, and for doing what needed to be done with no silly questions or arguments.
Tyler told Evan he was going in to pack a few things as well, and suggested everyone come inside so they could lock the doors, just in case.
Twenty-five minutes later Tyler was driving Vivian and her dad in the truck, with all of their luggage in the back under a hard flat locking cover. Instead of a hotel they’d be staying at a rental house in a gated community. The house was bigger than a suite, had a garage to hide the truck, and was available for the next four nights. Mac had used a secure VOIP connection to call the rental company, and the owner was Evan’s friend, which allowed them to bypass a paper trail. It’d be impossible for anyone to find them unless Mac or Tyler screwed up and led them there. And four nights was plenty; if the situation wasn’t resolved soon he’d get Viv and her dad out of town anyway, so it was probably more time than they needed.
Tyler had been responsible for protecting civilians before and he delivered his spiel as he drove. “I’m in charge. If I tell you to stay inside, you stay inside. If I tell you to stay out of a particular room, you stay out. Until we get there I won’t know specifically what those kinds of rules will be, but for now I know for sure there’ll be no internet surfing, and definitely no checking email or Facebook, just in case this guy’s watching your online activity to see where you’re accessing the net. Viv, if you want to use your laptop I’ll need to disable the Wi-Fi. Also, I’ve already turned off all of our cellphones and placed them in a signal-blocking faraday bag.”
He paused to give Viv a chance to protest, and when she didn’t he continued. “We’ll stop at the grocery store on the way. If there’s a place in the same strip mall with pay-as-you-go phones I’ll get three, but you are not to use them — or the rental house phone — to call home or any of your friends.” He looked at Mac’s dad. “We’ll get a motorized cart for you at the grocery store, and we’ll all stay together. I’ll throw food in for meals; if there’s anything you want for snacks or comfort food, get it as we go by because we won’t be backtracking down any aisles.”
He looked at Viv. “I don’t suppose you’ve been wanting to try a new hair color?”
“Not especially.”
“We’ll buy something to use in case we need to alter your appearance. I don’t think it’s necessary at this time, but I’d like to have it handy. Your hair’s pretty light, so we’ll make it dark brown or black if we need to do something.”
“Dark brown, not black. I have a dark wig I can wear if needed.”
Tyler gave her a double-take but decided to not ask about the wig in front of her dad. Probably something an old Dom had wanted her in.
* * * *
Viv couldn’t believe what her body was doing in response to Tyler barking out orders and commands. She should be afraid for her life, and instead was just turned on.
As they went down the cosmetic aisle, Tyler insisted on a box of dark brown hair color even though she told him again she had a wig. She knew he was wondering why she’d brought it, but didn’t answer his unspoken question.
She hadn’t packed it to use as a disguise; she’d thrown it in her bag with the idea of putting it on and doing her face up as Katrina, to see if Tyler recognized her. She’d hoped when she mentioned the wig he’d suddenly realize who she was, but…he didn’t.
They loaded up on groceries and snacks, and Tyler paid cash. They bought three pay-as-you-go phones in a shop beside the grocery store, again using cash for the phones and extra minutes. Tyler explained how he’d call Mac and would talk about going to a game over the weekend — nothing they’d be doing, but something casual instead of “This is the number to call if you need us.”
He asked them to be quiet as he hit send, and when she heard him say “David, it’s James,” her heart soared. James was the name he used when he wasn’t being Tyler!
They all got back in the truck and she realized her dad was really tired. She’d need to get him into the rental house and down for a nap as quick as possible.
Even though she was worried about her dad, when Tyler handed her the directions and said, “Please tell me when to turn, and tell me well ahead of time, not as we’re going by the road,” Viv couldn’t resist saying, “Yes, Sir.”
Tyler swung his head around to look at her in surprise, and she grinned back with a twinkle in her eye.
She was almost sure it was him now. The trip through the grocery store reminded her Tyler was a gourmet cook, as James had been. Plus, she now knew he used the name James as an alter-ego, not to mention the fact he was a Dom, and he had the same build. The only question was… how to find out for sure, and how to tell him.
* * * *
Tyler couldn’t believe his dick was responding to her “Yes, Sir” with such intensity. He needed to be watching for people following them, needed to be concentrating on details, not trying to figure out how to keep Viv and her dad from seeing his hard-on.
The air was warm and humid, and he focused on the way it felt going down his windpipe, how his lungs felt as they filled, and finally managed to center hims
elf.
He made a mental note of the cars around them, and asked Viv how far until their next turn. They’d mapped the route through a few residential areas first, so he could be sure they weren’t followed. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he finally backed into the garage of the rental house.
He helped Evan out of the truck and up to the master bedroom before taking a quick walk-through of the house and instructing everyone where they’d be sleeping. To cut down on possible arguments, he took the time to explain why he chose each room assignment.
Viv got her dad settled, and Evan was asleep before they’d brought the luggage up. He draped a tarp over the truck, just in case someone looked in the garage, and met Viv in the kitchen to help her put the groceries away. As they worked, he gave basic instructions of what to do and what not to do, as well as what kind of activity she should bring to his attention. Tyler was impressed with the questions she asked; she had a good head on her shoulders, and she wasn’t panicking.
“You know, a lot of women would be pretty freaked to know an international bad guy had come to town to kill them.”
“I figure between you and my brother, I’m safe. Sure, I’m a little freaked, but it won’t really help the situation to lose focus, so I’ll do what needs to be done. Right now it seems it’s your job to watch over us and it’s my job to take care of dad. But, there’s something I want to talk to you about, once you get everything settled and have some time.”
Tyler didn’t want to go there, and sounded as gruff as he could manage as he said, “No, there’s nothing we need to talk about.” He softened his voice to add, “On my run with Mac this morning I offered to leave so I could put some distance between you and me. My friendship with your brother is important.”
Tyler saw her make a quick decision, and wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.
“Okay, let me tell you where I was living three years ago. Let me tell you about three days that happened three years ago, and then I’ll drop it if you tell me to. Deal?”
“How long is this story going to last?”
“I can tell it in ten minutes if pressed to keep it brief, though I could also take a whole day and still miss details. It’s a pretty intense story.”
He hoped she stuck with the short version, but said, “Let me put some electronic stuff at a few doors and windows and I’ll be back.”
Tyler grabbed a bag and put movement sensors on all of the doors as well as the vulnerable windows. The sensors would trigger a vibrating, coin-sized monitor in his pocket if anyone attempted to gain entry. He wouldn’t know which door or window, but would at least be alerted something was up. This wasn’t the best, but it was all he had with him so it would have to do.
He really didn’t want to go back and listen to Viv’s story, but if that’s what it took to make her back off, it was a small price to pay. So, he returned to the kitchen, told her she wasn’t to open a door or window without letting him know beforehand, and sat down at the kitchen table. “Okay. I’m listening.”
“I debated on whether to show you or tell you. It seems a better idea to tell you, though I was tempted to show you. Anyway,” she took a deep breath, “three years ago I had a deal with the University of New Hampshire. I was a professor, with full research privileges, while I worked towards my most recent PhD.”
He thought she looked nervous for a split second, before she took a fortifying breath and plowed ahead. “Once I’d taken the job I realized it meant I couldn’t just go to a BDSM club and play, because the risk of running into students was too great. My old club had given me a good enough reference to get me a membership at a pretty exclusive one in New Hampshire, but I needed to find a way to go without harming my career.”
Her eyes watched as she talked, as if watching for his reaction to her story. He had a sick feeling he knew where she was headed — he’d been in New Hampshire three years ago, but he stayed quiet as she continued. “So, I created a disguise: a short dark-brown wig, and my eyes made up in a very feline way. It worked; no one who knew me in real life ever recognized me.”
Tyler felt as if she’d punched him in the gut. He couldn’t talk. Couldn’t breathe. Could this be Katrina? The little Kitten who’d stolen his heart? His Kitten had green eyes, and Viv’s eyes were a brilliant blue, but there were colored contacts, and now that he looked, she was the same build and... Oh, crap. How had he not recognized her?
When he couldn’t get her out of his mind he’d returned to the club the following summer, but she hadn’t been there. But, if she was a professor maybe she’d been gone for the summer. Why hadn’t he thought of that? He’d tried to be as honest as possible when he said goodbye. He didn’t want to just not show up again; he didn’t want her to keep going to the club looking for him, and he didn’t want her to think she’d imagined what they had together was special. It had been more than special, so very special. He’d owed it to her to let her know before he left, and he was chickenshit for gagging her so she couldn’t talk back, but it was the best he could do. He couldn’t have dealt with questions.
Viv started talking again. “One night I went to the club and this handsome guy sat down at my table. We talked for about forty-five minutes before he asked me to go to one of the public rooms. He said he was from out of town and no one in the room could give him a personal reference, so he wouldn’t ask me to go to a private room. He told me his name was James. I asked if I should call him Master James, but he said not yet; he’d have to earn the title. He told me I could refer to him as Master James, but I should call him Sir since he hadn’t earned my trust yet, and one couldn’t be someone’s Master without their trust.”
Tyler couldn’t listen to the rest of the story. “Katrina, Kitten, Viv...you can stop. I know how the story ends. I need to check on your dad. Give me five minutes, I’ll be back.”
And he left the room. He needed to think, needed to get himself under control. He checked on Evan, saw he was still asleep, and went to his room and sat on the bed. As he was wondering what to do, he realized he had to give it a shot, and he’d have to hope Mac would understand.
Chapter Five
Viv sat in the kitchen and wondered what the fuck that’d meant. He obviously realized who she was; he’d called her Katrina, along with his nickname for her. Hell, almost everyone had come up with Kitten as a nickname. She’d picked Katrina because the obvious nickname went so well with the disguise.
She was tempted to go find him, but he’d said he’d be back, so she sat and waited.
A shadow fell into the room and she looked up to see him standing in the doorway holding a laptop. He walked to the table and set the laptop down before reaching for her. She put her hands in his and he pulled her up and kissed her as only Master James had ever kissed her, that magical mix of gentle and demanding, and he somehow owned her soul all over again. When the kiss was over she realized tears were spilling from her eyes, and her breath hiccupped as her chest clenched into a sob. God, kissing him felt like coming home again.
“Sshh, it’s okay.” He caressed a stray bit of hair away from her cheek. “We’ve found each other again. Did you know I came looking for you the next summer and you weren’t there? I hated leaving you, but I had no choice at the time. I tried to make a clean break, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Wanting you.” He stroked her back and kissed her forehead. “And now I’ve found you and your life’s in danger, and I’m supposed to take care of you, and there’s no way I can concentrate on keeping you alive if we jump right back into this. I’m sorry Viv, but we’re going to have to hold off on exploring this until the situation is safe. Okay?”
“What about David? You’re willing to deal with him? Or are you just putting me off long enough to try to get his blessing first?”
“I’m not putting you off to get his blessing. I’ve thought about you too many times over the past three years. I’ve compared every woman I’ve met since then to you, and not one of them came clos
e. No one makes me feel the way you did. I’ll have to figure out how to deal with your brother. If he hadn’t seen me in action it might not be so bad, but... he has, and he’s not going to like it.”
“What if we tell him about New Hampshire, tell him the relationship was already there before we realized we had him in common?”
Tyler closed his eyes as he thought of all of the times he’d talked about the woman he’d fallen in love with three years ago, and the things they’d done, and how special it’d been, and how she could handle all the pain he gave her and still get off on it. He shook his head as he said, “That’s part of the problem. He knows I fell for someone in New Hampshire. He even knows how I left her, and how unusual it was for me. When he finds out you’re the woman I fell for, he’ll either blow a gasket or walk away and let us have a go at it.” Tyler thought the first more likely, but decided against mentioning it.
“I think we should start with your dad when he wakes up. We’ll tell him we recognized each other yesterday but didn’t say anything until we had a chance to talk. We can say we had a brief fling a few years ago and lost track of each other. That way when he sees us looking at each other and holding hands in the next few days, he’ll realize there’s already something there we’re trying to build on.”
“You know,” she said, “it really is something we have to build on. There’s a chance what we had three years ago won’t translate into real life.”
“Yes, I know,” Tyler sighed. “So for the next few days we’ll try our damnedest to keep the sexual overtones from creeping in. No more calling me Sir, either, you little minx. We’ll talk and get to know each other while I focus on keeping you and your dad alive. When the situation’s over and we can talk to your brother about it, we’ll level with him and hope he doesn’t call me outside to fight him over you. He might, you know.”
Safeword: Rainbow (2013 extended edition) (Safeword Series) Page 6