"Babysitting," Sully pushed his hand through his hair. "I'm not a babysitter. Get somebody local. I just got home."
"The Director, or shall I say, former Director, is on the fast track to become president and having her on the side of the Navy is more important than your aversion to women. I expect you there yesterday; understand?"
Saints and Sinners 52
"Yesterday" to the Admiral meant urgency, as in not tomorrow, but today. The Admiral had told him he had sent a car to take him to the airport, and that he would have a car picking him up at the other end to take him to Miss James’ house. Sully didn't have a say in the matter; he was going whether he wanted to or not.
Sully pulled his gun box from the safe, unlocked it and secured his weapon. "That's just great," he mumbled. Six months to retirement was going to be a painful six months if they expected him to watch Miss James for the duration. They could have gotten anybody to watch her; CIA, local police, the secret service, anybody except for him yet the Admiral had been sure to see to it that he received the duty. He was sure Miss James hadn't asked for him. He was sure she wanted to see him about as much as she would want a rectal exam. He was sure of that because his aversion to watching her had been just as strong.
He barely had time to pack a bag before the driver pulled up outside. He said his goodbyes before getting in the car. The driver, a young kid who was probably no more than two years into service, pulled away from the house slowly. "I'll switch places with you kid," Sully stated dryly.
"Can't do that, Captain. The Admiral told me to make sure you got on that plane. Duty, Sir."
"Duty," he mumbled. He knew all about duty. Duty had nearly gotten him killed on more than one occasion. Duty had kept him away from home. Never once had he complained…until now.
Capri Montgomery 53
53
"Your ticket is in the glove compartment."
Sully opened the compartment and found one, one-way, ticket to Portland, Maine. One-way was a clear indication that he didn't have a definitive return date. The thought of going AWOL had occurred to him, but his service record meant a lot to him, he wouldn't risk it. Briefly he thought things couldn't be as bad as he was expecting them to be, and then he remembered Miss James, the woman who didn't fully understand the meaning of being quiet. He would have to keep his distance. She would be on her own turf; he was sure she would have plenty to do to keep her busy other than talk with him. At least he hoped she would have plenty to keep her busy. He wasn't a religious man, but this was one time he considered opening up to God and asking for an assist on keeping Miss James out of conversation mode. He would have, but he wasn't sure God listened to sinners.
By the time he arrived at Miss James' place he was tired, angrier than he was when he received the phone call and not in the mood for chit chat. She had a nice home, artfully designed and structurally sound. The raised build assured the living quarters would stay dry in event of minor flood. If they had flood waters over one story then all bets were off. There was too much glass, entire rooms made with windows that assured him he was going to have to keep the blinds down or risk somebody shooting her from afar. He liked the design, but would have added more privacy if it were his home.
Saints and Sinners 54
He knocked hard on the door, and repeated the same knock when he received no immediate answer.
"Hold your water!"
He heard the lock turn and the door knob twist. When she looked into his face he could see the irritation. He was right, she hadn't asked for him.
"Oh," she said flippantly. "It's you." She walked away from the door, leaving it open. He assumed that was his invitation to enter and so he did.
"I didn't ask for this assignment."
"I'm sure you didn't. Much like me, you weren't given a choice."
"Look—"
"Just try not to shoot me this time."
"You're not going to let that go are you?"
"Not until you apologize."
She seemed to add a high pitch tone when she dragged out the word apologize, as if she were singing the word. One more annoying habit to add to the growing list.
"You want me to apologize for saving your life?"
"No. I want you to apologize for shooting me. Although I'm not holding my breath." She rounded the corner quickly. "The spare bedroom is down the hall, to your left." She disappeared into a room off to his right.
She was edgy; he hadn't seen that side of her before. Of course he hadn't seen many sides of her at all. He had seen her being held at knife Capri Montgomery 55
55
point and somehow she seemed more fearful of him than her abductor. He had seen her show strength walking through the jungle with no shoes on, tired, exhausted even. He had seen her stubborn side, and unfortunately he had experienced her annoying habit of talking incessantly. Now he could add edgy to the list.
He followed behind her. They had a few rules to establish all of which solidified his position as protector. The only way for things to run smoothly was for her to listen to him without question.
"We should get a few things straight."
"Fresh linens are on the bed. I don't have time for television so I don't have cable. I'm afraid you won't get munch on the television in your room, but I do have DVDs and plenty of books should you get bored."
He shrugged. He wasn't there on vacation; he had no need for television outside of the news.
"Well then if you don't mind," she pointed to the panoramic canvas covered in splotches of blue and gold and a large unfinished area in the center. He wasn’t an artist, but he was sure they made easels for a reason.
Maybe she should have invested in one so she didn’t have to use the table.
"There are some rules—"
"You're in charge of my protection. But, as I explained to my mother, I'm in charge of my life. Clear?"
"As long as your life doesn't get in the way of my protection—"
"I'm sure you'll find a way to work with it."
Saints and Sinners 56
He understood; she had no intention of surrendering her wishes for the illusion of safety. He mumbled several curses under his breath.
Judging from the slight upward curve of her lips he was sure she had heard some of those curses.
"If you're hungry, there's food in the refrigerator. I'm a semi-vegan so if there's something you want that isn't in there we'll need to go into town for it."
"I'll make due." He left her to her painting as he unloaded his small bag into the drawers of the red mahogany dresser. The king size sleigh bed sat against the rear wall; the mattress covered with Champaign colored, satin linens. "Better than the Ritz," he mumbled.
"I'll have to take your word for it; I've never stayed there."
He looked up to find her watching him. "Miss James—”
"Alaina."
He started to protest until she said, "I insist." He preferred Miss James, but he could easily adjust to at least one of her wishes.
"I wanted to let you know you have great views; just raise the blinds. Oh and sorry about the sheets. I only have silk and satin."
"Slippery."
"But warm." She smiled at him. "I should give you your space,"
she turned to leave.
"I'm curious about something," he waited for her to turn around before continuing. "When is the last time you slept?"
"I slept last night."
Capri Montgomery 57
57
"For more than two hours;" he clarified.
"Three weeks ago."
"That's what I thought. You need to sleep. Lack of sleep leads to mistakes." In his line of work mistakes led to death.
"And there I was thinking you were just concerned about me." She looked him over. He noticed her eyes traveling the length of his body.
"You screw up and it puts us both in danger."
She smiled and shook her head in disbelief. "I have a deadline,"
she walked away; leav
ing him alone with his thoughts.
Alaina scraped her stainless steel painter’s knife in the almond colored paint mixture. Out of all the possible guardians they could have sent, they just had to send Sully Masterson. Was the Navy short on men desperate for work? A local police officer would have sufficed, but her mother had to have her way. "What kind of mother would I be if I didn't ensure adequate protection?" Her mother had a way of making herself seem like the hero. "The kind of mother you've been my entire life,"
Alaina had retorted. Liz's run for president didn't erase years of neglect, and years of neglect didn't justify stupidity either. Alaina had no desire to land in another hostage situation; she would take whatever help they gave her—within reason.
She wondered how long this protection detail would last. For her sake, and Sully's, she hoped he wouldn't be needed long. She felt sorry for him. He obviously hated having to watch over her, yet he had no choice.
Saints and Sinners 58
She couldn't handle a job like that, one where each day brought misery. Of course she was also aware that he probably enjoyed his other days at work—the ones that didn't involve her. She hadn't done anything to warrant his hostility, at least not that she could think of anyway. She doubted it was because of the brownness of her skin because Sully didn't seem prejudice, but then again she didn't know the man.
She worked into the early hours of the morning before finishing one painting and prepping another canvas. She stretched long, trying to work out a few of the kinks in her body without touching any part and risking being covered in paint. She looked down at her t-shirt and realized she was already covered in paint. "Oh well," she sighed. "I guess you are officially my painting shirt now." She washed her hands and carefully removed all the paint before sliding her t-shirt off and tossing it into the little yellow bin. She was braless; any other time that wouldn’t have bothered her. She remembered Sully was just down the hall, but figuring he was probably asleep she didn't see a need to worry.
Alaina crept over to the door and looked down the hall. His light was still on. He was either still up or slept with the lights on. She wasn't sure which. She didn't have much choice because while paint on her clothes was a hazard of her profession, unwanted paint all over her house was not.
She flipped the light switch to off and tiptoed out the room. The hall was dimly lit from the light from Sully's room, but it didn't matter, she knew her house backwards and had no problem making it to her room in Capri Montgomery 59
59
the dark. When she cleared the corner she felt her heartbeat settle. She obviously had been worried that he was indeed still awake and would catch her sneaking down the hall.
"Sleeps with the light on," she said as she slid a tank top over her head.
"No. I was just waiting for you to decide to turn in."
She turned slowly. "You didn't need to wait on me to sleep before—"
"I thought we agreed that you need to sleep."
"I'm getting ready to go now. And I didn't agree to anything." She hadn't, she was sure of that. "You didn't see...that is..."
"I've seen naked women before, no big deal. But if it makes you feel better I caught a glimpse of your bare back and decided to go back in my room until I saw your light go on up here."
His admission made her feel a little better at least. "A gentleman,"
she remarked. "Very noble of you." There was no sarcasm in her tone. She truly meant every word, and given that he didn't try to cut her head off she presumed he knew she meant it honestly.
"Get some sleep," he admonished.
"Yes, Captain." She smirked. "I'll turn off the light once you're back down stairs."
"You can turn it off now."
Saints and Sinners 60
She climbed into bed. "Suit yourself;" she hit the light switch by her bed. She heard him walk out of the room and then a loud thud followed by a sharp "ouch." She giggled.
"I heard that," he grumbled.
She wasn't exactly trying to hide anything. She offered to leave the light on, but he wanted to be macho and stupid all at the same time. Well, now maybe next time he'd listen to her. He may have walked around her house earlier, but it took awhile to get to know the place intimately, especially to know it well enough to navigate at night. She didn't think he'd have a problem picking up the lay of the land given his profession, but while he learned she would take delight in his few mistakes. At least she would know he was human.
Despite his rugged demeanor she felt something for him, not love, not even lust, but respect. It had to be respect because a small part of her felt sorry for him. He was a pawn in her mother's game just as she had been her entire life. If she truly hated Sully she wouldn't feel sorry for him.
Alaina hadn't slept long. Sully had heard her moving around long before she came downstairs. He waited for a light to come on, but he never saw one, not until a little ball of light barely shined into the dining room.
He carefully navigated his way toward the light only to find Alaina spreading butter and jam on a bagel.
"Good morning," she looked up briefly.
Capri Montgomery 61
61
"You should be sleeping."
"I don't want to sleep," she turned her attention back to the bagel.
She spoke once again, but only to offer him food. He didn't want food; he wanted coffee. She didn’t' drink coffee, but lucky for him she kept a can in the freezer. "It's old," she had said. "I had an after-show party here last year and they all drink coffee..." He wasn't sure who "they" were, but suddenly he was thankful.
He washed the dust off the coffee maker and quickly started a pot.
He watched her pick at her food, but she barely ate any of it. She downed her orange juice, stuck the barely eaten bagel back in the refrigerator and left him standing there. She didn't say a word as she left. Then again, he hadn't bothered to say hello before he criticized her sleeping habits, so maybe he had set the tone this morning. The more he thought about it, the more he realized she was walking on eggshells trying to keep things civil and he had been instigating a war. Maybe he would try not to jump down her throat every waking hour...as long as she didn't do anything stupid he would probably succeed at the task.
When he finished his coffee he didn't have to go in search of Alaina. She was exactly where she had been just a few hours ago...in her painting room. He walked in, as if he had been invited, and studied a few of her pieces. She continued her work as if he weren't there.
He noticed a distinct difference in her work. The pieces sitting off in the corner were darker, as if she were trying to work through recent events. Her attempts at self-therapy didn't seem to be working.
Saints and Sinners 62
“Those are still wet,” she cautioned him. “Oil paint takes a little while to dry.”
"Maybe you should talk to somebody," he said.
"I'm fine," she replied.
He shrugged. It was her choice; he wouldn’t push the issue...unless it started to interfere with his job, then all bets would be off. His phone rung and he excused himself. The caller ID told him this was not the general checking up on him, this was his mother calling. Something was either wrong, or she was ready to give him another piece of her mind for leaving so soon after getting home.
Capri Montgomery 63
63
Chapter Five
“My daughter’s missing.” Sully tucked his gun in the waistband of his pants.
Alaina stood frozen in shock. Sully, had a daughter? “Have you called the police?”
“Teagan’s hiding on our property somewhere, but we have a lot of land and I don’t want her out there when it’s dark.” He checked his watch and she looked at the clock. It was seven in the morning, and while she wasn’t sure where he lived she was sure the time couldn’t have been later than seven.
“Your wife must be going out of her mind with worry right now.”
“I’m not married.”
“Oh,” she didn’t have any other response. She had no right to inquire further and there was no indication he planned to elaborate.
“I’ll never get a flight to Connecticut today, let alone for two.” Saints and Sinners 64
The harshness of his voice told her he was not at all happy about the inconvenience she would cause. She ignored the harsh bite in his tone.
This was important, more important than his distaste for her. “I can take you. The truck won’t make it, but we can take my bike.” She had an extra helmet; she had bought it for Troy while he was still alive, but she hadn’t brought herself to get rid of it after he died.
“It’s a three and a half hour drive.”
“I can get you there in two and a half if I drive fast. Two if I drive really, really fast.”
Her bike was fast and she had no difficulty handling it at its most extreme speed. Of course she didn’t hit the high speeds all the time.
Having the means and opportunity did not in itself justify recklessness.
“I’d prefer to just get there.”
She smiled and shrugged. “Three hours it is then.” She couldn’t promise going slow enough to take three and half, but she’d try to keep it under ninety. “I’ll just grab my bag.”
Alaina tucked her wallet in her back pack along with an extra shirt and pair of underwear. She had no idea how long it would take Sully to find his daughter, but she didn’t want to drive back at night. She could get a room at a nearby hotel and he could spend some time with his daughter; she obviously missed her father.
“I’ll get a room after I drop you off.”
“You’re my responsibility therefore you’ll stick with me. We have a guest room.”
Capri Montgomery 65
65
She could argue, but there wasn’t much time for that. She handed Sully a helmet.
“Boyfriend’s?”
“It was my fiancé’s.” She tossed him her backpack. “I need you to carry the load.” She couldn’t have him hang on to her if she had the backpack between them.
Men-of-Action-Seres-04 -Saints and Sinners Page 5