"You okay?" Zane squeezed her hand as he asked. His warmth and reassurance radiated through her.
"I am." She squeezed his hand back.
"Is he?"
Jewell gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "He has feelings for me that I don't have for him. I didn't know what to say, so I just told him the truth."
"And that was?"
"That he didn't have a chance with me. Hadn't for a long time now."
"You don't say?"
"Yeah. Some big ol' gorilla my brothers assigned me kinda wormed his way into my affections." She looked down to try to hide the smile that spread across her face.
"Gorilla huh?"
"Hmmm? Yeah, massive beast. Blond hair, brown eyes. Health nut."
"Health nut? How do you survive?" He stopped at the cipher lock to her section and placed his thumb on the keypad.
"I know, right?" She watched him enter his code and walked in as he opened the door. They climbed the stairs to her office. Once inside Zane wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. She sighed into the sweet feel of his lips against hers. He drew away and waited until she opened her eyes.
"I love you." His eyes skittered across her face like he was memorizing it.
"I know you do." She lifted to her tip toes, grabbed his cheeks and gave him a kiss that set him back on his heels. "That is going to have to hold you until we get home. We have Plan B to flesh out and," she looked at the digital display to her right, "thirty-eight minutes to do it in. Grab your chair."
Chapter Nineteen
"I don't like this." Jacob's words greeted them as Zane opened the doors to Jason's office.
"Noted." Jason fired back.
"I take it y'all are talking about Plan B." Jewell sauntered across the office.
"It is ridiculous to put a target on yourself." Jacob sat down next to Tori. His wife put a hand on his thigh. He dropped his hand onto hers, and they locked fingers. Jewell had wondered what it would be like to have that type of connection. Now she knew.
"I agree. That's why we've modified the plan." Zane sat down at the conference table.
"How?" Jason, Jared, and Jacob asked in unison.
"Vista doesn't know who at Guardian stopped him. We made that leap, and the logic is faulty. We need to make him believe I am the reason he failed, not Jewell. We researched my operational orders. Because it was a family matter, the only thing the transfer indicated was I was to be placed at the helm of C3."
Every eye swept from him to Jewell. "Can you do that?" Jason directed his question toward his sister.
"Yes, I can. We went through all the transcripts of the conversations I've had with him. I never made an admission as to who I was, obviously. We can leave a trail, one that only Vista could find, and draw him to Zane."
"Which would also lure him out of his hole so Jewell and her team can track him while Vista is tracking me," Zane explained the twist to her brothers.
"So you're out there as the bait in the trap, and Jewell is the one here, working to catch Vista?" Tori pointed from Zane to Jewell. "And you're okay with that?" She extended her finger to Jewell.
Jewell nodded. She and Zane had a long conversation about this plan. If it were only her to worry about, she'd have demanded to be the bait for the trap, but if there was even the slightest possibility that she was pregnant, she couldn't risk it. Neither she nor Zane was willing to jeopardize the life of their unborn child… if, in fact, she was pregnant. The pregnancy test in her purse was still unused. Quite frankly she was too scared to know the truth—afraid she would be pregnant and also unbelievably, that she might not be. She changed her mind about one hundred times a day on whether not she was thrilled or terrified. Anyway, Zane knew how to take care of himself, and he'd assured her that he'd be careful and that he had a couple aces in the hole. Not the 100% guarantee that she wanted, but she knew his background. He'd survived in hostile territory performing missions so complex she couldn't conceive of the difficulty he'd encountered. If he said he would be safe, she'd trust him.
Jason leaned forward and tugged off his glasses. He rubbed his eyes and made a groaning sound that brought back memories of her dad. "I don't want to put either of you in jeopardy. Zane, you'll be followed."
"No, sir. I won't need you to do that, and this guy is smart. We know what he looked like when his DMV picture was taken, but that was when he was eighteen. He's had ten years to change his appearance. Plus he's lost his brother and put an advertisement out for a specialist on the Dark Net."
"By the way, the advertisement was removed. I thought maybe we could use the contact information. My guys are working on trying to get through the firewall to gain access to the site, but it is top tier encryption. It could take weeks if not longer."
Zane nodded and picked up where she left off. "So it is evident we don't know what mental state all this shit has put Vista in. If he can't get to me, he could react in a completely different way and attack innocent lives. One way or another, this kid is going to come after the people he thinks murdered his brother and ruined his life. I'll take every precaution, but a team would tip this guy off."
"Fuck me." Jacob's comment echoed Jewell's concerns.
Zane shrugged and added, "Besides, if I'm worried about a team I'm not going to be able to do what I do best."
"And that is?" Jared threw the question at Zane.
"Turn the tables and hunt."
Jacob leaned back and crossed his arms. "That just might work."
Zane blew a huff of air out of his lungs and looked at Jason. "It's worked many, many times before."
"What happens if he tries to take you out?"
Jared's question earned the same reaction as Jacob's statement seconds before, but with a little more disdain. "I take him out."
"I won't sanction an operation without just cause." Jason looked directly at Zane and Jewell knew he was saying something not many others understood.
"You won't have to. If he comes after me, it will be self-defense."
"Until you go on the offensive."
"I won't kill him unless I have clearance or he is breaking the tenants of personal security operations."
"What are the tenants of operations?" Jewell asked, because it seemed like she was the only one not following the conversation.
"I will only use deadly force to prevent a loss of life." Zane swung his eyes to hers when he answered.
"Your life is included, right?" She looked around the table at her brothers and sister-in-law.
"He has the right to defend himself," Jason acknowledged.
"Then what is the problem?" She and Zane had worked through the plan, but they needed to refine the timing and devise the trail they would use to lead Carter to Zane.
"All right. Run me through the details." Jason leaned forward and put his glasses back on. "Let's figure out a way to get this son of a bitch and put all of this shit behind us once and for all."
Chapter Twenty
Zane leaned forward and watched Jewell's fingers fly over the keyboard. "And that would be a door that only the best on the Dark Net will be able to find and open." She scrolled through the lines of what appeared to be gibberish before she pushed her keyboard forward and stood to arch her back. Zane stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders squeezing her muscles gently.
"How do you know he'll look at this information?"
"If he lost his background on us, the information that is bartered on the Dark Net about Guardian would be his starting point. You can find these caches on just about every company, or person if they are high profile. He'd need to verify the source, who is actually pretty damn accurate. Unfortunately for the source, he also has a back door to the system with an easy lock to pick. I erased my footprint and backdated the timestamp of the information I included in the cache. Unless Lufkey suspected the guy was setting him up, he'd have no reason to look for a
ny recent changes to the information, but I wasn't going to take any chances."
"Then we're done for the day." He caught her weight as she sagged back against him.
"Hopefully Vista is still rebuilding and he'll re-acquire his background information on Guardian."
"That's when he'll see the breadcrumbs?"
"No, not crumbs, plural. Crumb. One piece that is slightly out of place."
"You didn't bury it too deep did you?" Zane used his thumbs to roll the delicate muscles of her neck. He was rewarded with a sensual moan that sent most of the blood in his body straight to his cock.
"I had to bury it. If I didn't, it would send a ton of red flags up, and he'd know it was bait."
"So now we just wait?" Zane pressed a kiss to her ear as he spoke.
"Hmmm… yeah, since we couldn't find a digital trail and Jared's people are out hunting a ghost, we have no alternative."
"Good. Then let's go."
"Where?"
"I have a place, not the one I registered on the tournament paperwork. I want to be able to make love to you and then fall asleep for at least eight hours. We both need to sleep."
"Why can't we do that at my apartment? Are you concerned that someone may follow us?" Jewell turned in his arms. Her gray-green eyes peeked up at him through her thick lashes.
"No. I trust you when you tell me that Vista couldn't have identified you. Until he takes our bait, we are relatively safe. But, I've called in a few favors and made arrangements. We won't need to worry."
"But I don't understand. After the text, we packed up, but then you decided it was okay to return to my apartment when Lufkey was supposedly blown up. Why are we moving now?"
"I want a night with you in a place that I know is secure. No worries about alarm systems, no need to get up in the middle of the night to prowl around the apartment, just a night of us, alone."
Zane had arranged for their security. He'd also made a call to her brother Joseph. Zane wasn't asking for permission, rather informing the man of his plans. He was calling it a professional courtesy. Besides, if what he'd heard about Fury was correct, the man needed to be at home with his wife, who was due to deliver soon, not here watching over his sister. Not that Zane had seen him, but he understood the man and knew his loyalties would be torn in two directions.
Jewell dropped her head against his chest. "Okay, I get it. Food, sex, and sleep. That sounds amazing."
"I take it you're hungry?" Zane laughed as her stomach rumbled at almost the same instant he asked.
"Yeah, I could eat." She snuggled under his chin and ran her hands up his chest. Zane held her. The simple act filled him with peace and contentment. For most of his adult life, he'd believed that any type of connection with another person would be impossible to obtain. The conscious act of ending that portion of his career during his psych eval had been the stepping stone to reaching normalcy. Well at least as normal as he could achieve.
Her stomach growled again forcing him to move away. "Come on. We'll pick up something on the way. What are you in the mood for?" He asked while he retrieved his jacket and she removed her purse from her desk drawer.
"Prawns in red curry sauce." Her answer surprised him, he would have bet on pizza.
"Really? Not the usual?"
"No, you like Thai food, and I had pizza yesterday." She logged out of her system and turned off the monitors before she spun and smiled up at him. He couldn't resist smiling back. Seeing her happy made him feel ten feet tall and bulletproof. Two years ago he wouldn't have believed he'd be in a position to enjoy his life. Hell, he'd have bet he'd be dead by now.
"Alright. There is a place about two blocks from the apartment. Let's go." Jewel headed out in front of him and called back to him as she almost ran down the steps, "I want extra rice and a massive iced tea! I love Thai iced tea."
Zane shook his head and followed her down the stairs. There was no doubt, but he'd bet she loved the heavy dose of cream and sugar in the tea most.
Zane carried the takeout bags in his left hand and asked Jewell to open the apartment so he could keep his right hand free. Although he knew he had backup coming, he didn't know when Thanatos and Anubis would arrive.
Mrs. Henshaw's door opened a crack pulling her security chain tight. "Oh, Zane!" Her voice carried across the hall. Jewell glanced at him, her eyebrows raised in question.
Zane cast a quick glance up and down the hall before he smiled at his neighbor. "Hi, Mrs. Henshaw. How have you been?"
The door closed and the chain could be heard as it slid through the block and then dropped against the door jamb. Jewell opened the door and handed Zane his keys back.
"Oh! You have a friend with you!" Mrs. Henshaw shuffled out of her apartment and extended her hand. "I'm Agnes Henshaw."
Jewell took the frail hand in hers. "It is so nice to meet you, Mrs. Henshaw. My name is Jewell."
"What a beautiful name." Mrs. Henshaw's face split into a wide smile. "Zane, she is absolutely lovely. I'm so glad you have found a lady friend."
"So am I." He put a free arm around Jewell and kissed her temple. "We were just going to have some dinner, Thai food. Would you like to join us?"
"Oh mercy, no. Even if I could tolerate such spicy food, I don't want to interfere with the evening you have planned. I just wanted to tell you that there was a man here earlier. He said his name was Thad or Thaddeus? He said to tell you that he'd arrived in town with his brother and that they'd see you later."
Thanatos. The Greek god of death and one of the few assassins that Zane had worked with in person. The man was lethal, silent and the most talented garrote killer Zane had ever seen. His brother, or rather brother in arms, Anubis, was given his code name because he was the guardian of the underworld who specialized in killing with poison but was just as deadly with his hands. Hell, tonight Zane could sleep with the apartment door wide open without any concerns.
"Ah, yes, thank you, Mrs. Henshaw. I'd forgotten to tell you they might stop by." Zane opened the door to his apartment and handed Jewell the take out bag. "Would you mind taking this into the kitchen while I escort Mrs. Henshaw back into her apartment?"
"Not at all. It was nice to meet you." Jewell smiled at the older woman and winked at Zane before she ducked into the hallway shutting the door behind her.
"She is lovely, Zane." Mrs. Henshaw took his arm when he proffered it to her.
"I think so, too." Zane walked slowly with the elderly woman before he opened her door for her and waited for her to shuffle through it. "Do you need anything tonight? Can I run to the market for you?"
"Oh dear boy, no. I'm fine. But do stop by for coffee soon if you have time. I got a call from my son. He wants me to move closer to him. It is an assisted living facility, but I'd have my own apartment. I'd like you to take a look at the brochure he sent and tell me what you think."
"I'd be honored, and I'm so happy your son wants you closer." Zane lifted Mrs. Henshaw's bony, heavily veined hand to his lips and kissed it. "But I will miss flirting with you."
"Oh, you! Go put some of that sugar on the beautiful woman across the hall." A vivid blush tinted the older woman's cheeks.
"I will, but only because you keep rebuffing me." Zane started to close the door but stopped and looked back at the old woman. "Make sure you lock up after me."
"I always do. Now go pay attention to your lady friend." Mrs. Henshaw made a slow shooing motion with her crippled, arthritic hands. Zane winked at her and closed the door. He waited until he heard the deadbolt engage and the chain lock into its carrier before he crossed the hall.
He opened his door and strode down the short hall into the kitchen. His eyes swept the tiny kitchen, living room and bedroom. The door to the bathroom stood open, but he didn't see her anywhere.
"Jewell!" Zane may or may not have yelled her name.
"Oh my God! What!" She popped u
p from the other side of the bar that separated the kitchen from the dining room.
"What are you doing down there?"
"I spilled some of the sauce from the curry, and I didn't want it to stain the carpet." She held up a wet kitchen towel as evidence. "Why did you yell?"
Zane chuckled as he threw his keys on the counter top. "Because I didn't see you."
She blinked several times as if trying to compute how that would cause him to yell. "Oh, I see. I'm sorry?"
"Nothing to be sorry about." Zane grabbed the plates and handed them to Jewell along with several spoons for serving dinner.
"Did you get double vegetables?" She held a spoon over the large plastic container gazing at the food inside.
"Yep." He laughed when she scrunched her nose. He opened a container of rice and put two scoops on her plate and three on his. She ladled pawns and red curry over her rice using the majority of the sauce on hers and then ladled the rest, which included most of the vegetables, onto his plate. He watched as she picked out the few carrots that escaped into her curry and deposited them with his food. He picked out the chunks of mushrooms and gave them to her. Jewell handed him a napkin as he handed her a set of chopsticks. He opened her straw and pushed it through the top of the plastic cover of her drink, and she gathered the paper to put back in the bag.
Jewell leaned forward and grabbed the largest prawn he had on his plate with her chopsticks. "You know, we've kinda got this down to a routine." She made a circular motion indicating the dinner dance they just completed. The prawn still dangled from the tip of her sticks, and a huge drop of red curry pooled toward the end of the shrimp. Zane focused on the tip of the prawn waiting for the curry to drop to the counter. Jewell carefully drew the prawn to her mouth and stuck out her tongue licking the tip.
Zane swallowed hard and pushed his stare from her tongue to her eyes. She lifted one arched brow and slowly sucked the prawn into her mouth before she pulled it out partially and sucked it back in.
"Oh, fuck." Zane's cock filled as he watched her mimic fellatio on the prawn.
Jewell (The Kings of Guardian Book 8) Page 15