“It's okay, I'll handle it.” Caroline squared her shoulders and opened the door. “Yes, father?”
Senator Tom Cotter strode into the room, his regal presence preceding him and his tailored black tuxedo.
Kate glanced past his shoulder and spied Ethan's empty post, leaving her to wonder if he’d changed his mind and ran for the hills.
Celine pretended to inspect the wedding gown and stayed close to Caroline.
Senator Cotter put his hands on Caroline's arms. “I just wanted to make sure you realize how much this means to me. This marriage will mean great things for us both.”
Caroline's already straight shoulders stiffened. “Of course.”
“This union will ensure that you're taken care of for the rest of your life. The general is a good man.”
“Yes, I know.”
How could the senator miss the hurt in Caroline's voice?
“You're not planning to do anything out of the ordinary, are you?” He pushed further and Kate bit her lip to keep from telling him to get out.
Caroline jerked from her father's grip. “When have I ever done anything less than what you expected?”
Senator Cotter's shoulders deflated a little, his face paling. “Caroline, please, I'm just trying to look out for you–”
“And you, father. You're trying to look out for yourself. Believe me, you've raised me in this world and I know exactly what's happening. Don't worry, your precious daughter will be perfect for you just like always.”
Caroline choked on the last words and Kate couldn't stand it a minute longer. “Sir, we'll make sure Caroline is exactly where she needs to be.”
He suddenly looked his age, lines forming around his mouth to match his gray hair and Kate steeled herself against the sympathy rising under that look. The senator reached for Caroline, but she gave him her back, leaving him to curl his hand into a fist at his side.
“Thank you, Kate. Keep her safe.”
As soon as her father left the room, Caroline exploded. “I can't believe you sided with him!”
Kate shook her head. “I didn't side with him. I said I'll make sure to get you where you need to be, which is in a limousine headed back to the airport. You're not about to sacrifice yourself for your father's career.”
The idea struck a nerve a little too close to home for Kate to ignore. If her mother had gotten her way, Kate would've sacrificed her hopes and dreams for Georgia's picture perfect lifestyle.
Celine gave a fist pump. “Yes!”
“Keep it down. We don't want anyone getting wind of our plans.”
They converged together in a tight circle in the center of the room. Kate spoke first. “After what went down tonight, I can guarantee you none of them will have the balls to come in this room before the ceremony. That gives us a full hour before anyone even begins to suspect you're missing.”
“But the reporters are here. My dad will be a laughing stock. I don't know.”
“Do you really care if he suffers a little bit of embarrassment for trying to force you into a marriage you don't want?”
“I've never done anything so rash.”
“Then it's time you lived a little,” Kate said.
Chapter 18
“Caroline, one day you'll be a mother, is that the legacy you want to leave your children?” Celine's quiet question shook Kate to her core. She’d never allowed herself to indulge in thoughts of a long term relationship, let alone marriage and children, but she couldn’t help imagining little black haired boys with light blue eyes running around the house.
Caroline's features hardened. “No, I don't. Let's get changed. I'll call Liam, my limo driver. We're friends. He'll come pick us up.”
“Not here. Have him meet us outside the west gate. We'll have to sneak out.”
The next few minutes flew by in a flurry as they yanked on their clothes and stuffed belongings into small bags.
“I'm ready. Once we get on the airplane, I'm taking us all on a one-way flight to Cabo.” Caroline slung a dark pink bag over her matching pink pullover.
“We can talk about vacations when we make it out of here. Keep quiet and follow me.” Kate went to the pair of French doors standing slightly ajar at the far end of the bedroom. A faint summer breeze drifted through and a crescent moon hung low over the tree line. But she didn't study the scenery. She was too busy searching for the roving patrol Ethan’s team had set up to pass by Caroline's bedroom every fifteen minutes.
She caught a movement and ducked back. “Okay, as soon as the guard clears the corner of the plantation, I want you to run straight for that wall and wait for me behind the bushes.”
Kate watched until the guard disappeared and then gestured Celine and Caroline across the yard. Kate stepped into the doorframe and paused. This would be career suicide. Even with the irrational feelings flowing freely through her body she recognized that fact. But she also realized she couldn't live with herself if she was a part of anything that forced Caroline into an unwanted marriage for political gain. She’d left her home town for that very reason – to avoid capitulating to her mother’s wishes of the perfect marriage. She wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing she’d allowed the same fate to fall on Caroline.
Kate took a deep breath and took off in a crouched run, her feet flying over the thick green grass. She didn't stop until she was hidden in the bushes, the only sounds in the night were their soft pants as they fought to catch their breath.
“This is the most exciting thing I've ever done,” Caroline whispered.
“Me too. I've never evaded a high-tech security team and a US Senator,” Celine said.
“Hush, or our adventure will be over before it begins.” Kate moved forward cautiously, making sure to hug the wall and stay in the dark shadows of the tall evergreen bushes. A hidden wrought iron gate stood about ten feet ahead, guarded by another pair of roving guards. They just had to make it through that gate undetected and they would all be free.
At least for now.
A limb snapped and Kate threw her arm back, pinning the other two girls to the fence.
One of the guards stopped in front of the gate and lit a cigarette, the smell of smoke a disgusting blur on the fresh fragrant night air. “Can you believe this place?” he said to his partner. “I tell you what, when my daughter gets married one day, she's getting a couple of grand for the wedding – that's it. Cotter spent more on his little princess’s wedding than most of us see in a lifetime.”
The other guard joined him by the gate, standing watch beside his friend. “That's the kind of shit you get to do when you rub elbows with the elite. Hell, Cotter's got more connections at the Pentagon than the president.”
“Especially now he's marrying his daughter off to the general in line to take over as commander of JSOC. I'm just glad I got out of the military when I did.”
JSOC, or Joint Special Operations Command, was the head of the Special Forces and oversaw all black, gray and white ops ran by the Teams. The guards continued completely oblivious to the three women standing not even 3 feet away.
“I don't like it,” the second guard said. “There shouldn't be that close a tie between the man holding the purse strings and the man commanding Special Forces. Feels like some bad shit is fixing to go down.”
The first guard tossed his cigarette down and squished it beneath the heel of his boot. “Not my problem. I did my time, and I'm content to sit back and take these cake jobs for easy money. Besides, did you see the chest on the bride? I almost feel sorry for the general.”
Caroline sucked in a deep breath and Kate slapped a hand over Caroline’s mouth just in time to muffle her outraged shriek.
The men moved on, oblivious, their soft chuckles dying off as the distance between them grew.
Another full minute passed before Kate let go of Caroline's mouth. “Come on.”
“Not until I get those jerks’ names.”
Kate rolled her eyes and tested the lock on the gate. “You really thi
nk your dad's going to fire them if you run back up there and tell him, 'Oh, by the way, I overheard their conversation when I was trying to escape your arranged marriage.' I don't think so.”
“I think your chest looks just fine,” Celine said.
Kate eased the gate open, did a quick check of the nearby perimeter and spotted a black limo parked a hundred feet down the road. “Come on, your driver came through.”
Kate stayed in the lead, sizing up the tall, lanky blond who climbed out of the driver side door at their approach. She didn't remember this guy on the security roster.
Kate shoved Caroline behind her. “Who are you?”
“Don't worry, that's Liam. He's been my driver for the past year.”
“Ms. Caroline, I came as quick as I could.” Liam shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted from foot to foot.
“Thank you, Liam. I'd like to leave right now if that's okay.”
Liam blushed bright red, ducked his head and opened the door. “Yes, ma'am. Of course.”
Once they were seated inside, he shut the door without another word, and cranked up the limo and drove off.
The divider glass was already up between the front and back cab, and Kate let out a relieved chuckle. “You almost gave us away.”
Caroline placed a pale hand on her chest. “Did you hear what they said? How could you expect me not to react?”
“I can expect you not to react because we were sneaking out of one of the most highly secured social events I've ever seen.”
“Looks like lover boy thought of everything.” Celine lifted a fresh uncorked bottle of champagne. “I think someone has a crush on Caroline.”
This time Caroline blushed. “Don't say that. Liam is sweet and thoughtful.”
“And you like him.” Celine finished the sentence for her. She poured a glass for each of the girls, forcing Kate to take one. “I know what you just did for her is a really big deal for your career. You need this, believe me. Enjoy it.”
Caroline raised her glass. “A toast to me, for standing up to my father for the first time in my life.”
The glasses clinked together. Celine and Caroline downed theirs in one gulp while Kate took a cautious sip. Fruity crisp flavors exploded in her mouth. “This is delicious.”
“It's Cristal.”
Kate took another sip, and another, and by the time she finished, her nose tingled and her toes felt warm. Kate yawned and stretched, a drowsy languor making her arms heavy. She sensed the limo slowing, and then it stopped.
Their door was ripped open and a man who was not Liam ducked inside. “Why are there three? There should only be the blonde.” He had a thick accent, something middle eastern.
Kate tried to demand he identify himself, but her lips wouldn't cooperate. Her vision blurred and then refocused on Caroline and Celine passed out in their seats. She fought the clawing darkness to stay awake.
Liam ducked past the first man and pulled Caroline out of the limo. “They each saw me, so we have to take them all. I don't care what you do with the other two—sell them, ransom them, kill them. You know what Mr. J said. No witnesses.”
Chapter 19
Ethan grabbed the sink and stared at his haggard expression in the mirror. He’d nearly screwed up royally. Seeing her in that dress, feeling the shackles close tight around him, and then the flash of pain and betrayal in Kate's eyes was enough to take him to his knees.
These last couple of weeks of sparring and fighting and the hottest damn sex he'd ever experienced crashed in around him. Ethan turned on the cold water full blast and splashed his face. Now he’d have to wait all night to take her in his arms.
She surprised him, constantly keeping him on his toes. She learned faster than most men he trained, her natural ability for self-defense rising to the point she'd taken him down a few times. And their nights, God their nights had been filled with heat and fire and passion and... Fuck, what was he doing in this damn bathroom staring at himself in the mirror?
He needed to get back to his post and do his job. He could make love to Kate later. After the mission.
Ethan shut the water off and dried his face. He rushed from the bathroom in time to see the door slam behind a pale and shaken Senator Cotter.
“Senator, is everything okay?”
The older gentleman slowly shook his head, his lips twisted into a wry smile that didn't reach his eyes. “One day, when you have daughters, you'll understand.”
“One day, sir, if I have a daughter, I'm keeping her as far away from the male species as possible.”
Aaron spoke up from his post on the other side of the door, “Amen to that, brother.”
Cotter shook his head and shoved his hands into his pocket. “I thought the same thing too, boys. Keep up the good work and make sure you bring my daughter down on time safe and sound.”
The senator slapped Ethan on the shoulder and strode past them, calling over his shoulder, “You might want to make sure they have some peace and quiet for the next few minutes. They were all in a tizzy when I left.”
Both men answered with a confirmation and the senator left, leaving Ethan to stare at the thick antique white wood blocking him from the woman he loved.
Jesus. Love. He’d never even thought the word before.
Ethan's hands fisted at his sides and it took every ounce of willpower not to barge into the room right this minute and demand to see her.
“Don't do it,” Aaron said, reading Ethan’s mood. “Give them a little time to settle down. Take it from the guy with four sisters. I got to hear part of the Senator’s conversation with his daughter, trust me, you don’t want to go in there until she’s had some time to calm down first.”
Ethan blew out a long sigh and leaned his head against the door, the aching silence that greeted him a reminder that he could have lost her. “I don't know if I can wait.”
Aaron checked his watch. “The senator said you should wait. He must have experienced the full brunt of it, otherwise he wouldn't have run out of there like a scared rabbit.”
* * *
TEN minutes later Ethan knocked gently on the door. “Kate?”
No answer. He waited a full thirty seconds before knocking again. “Come on, Kate, I need to talk to you.”
“I think she's more than a little pissed,” Aaron said.
Ethan pressed his ear to the door. He didn't hear a sound, and the unnatural silence put a choke hold of fear on his chest. He rapped hard on the door. “Kate, open up!”
No answer.
Ethan and Aaron drew their weapons at the same time. Muscles tense, Ethan tried the handle, found it unlocked and pushed inside, Aaron sweeping in right beside him, both with their pistols ready.
“Shit.” Ethan ran to the bathroom, knowing it would be empty before he opened the door.
“Command, the little bird flew the coop. Need all available team members to the nest.”
Ethan stormed back into the bedroom and the white gown laid out on the bed stopped him in his tracks. An image of Kate and her broken gaze flashed in his mind.
“I don't see any signs of distress.” Aaron finished sweeping the room.
Everything looked orderly, like they just packed up and left. A gentle breeze blew through the open curtains and Ethan pressed the mic on his shoulder, his common sense rejecting the damning evidence. “Team Alpha, report.”
The radio crackled in his ear. “All quiet.”
“Team beta, report.”
“It's quiet out here too.”
Ethan pushed the curtains wide and stared into the darkness, his near perfect vision zeroing in on the west gate, which was wide open. His mouth went dry. “They left. Look through there,” Ethan said to Aaron and then pushed the button for the communications mic in his ear. “I need a vehicle, now.”
Five minutes later, Ethan and Aaron sped down the highway in a rented sedan as the rest of the team convoy scrambled to catch up.
“How do you know they headed to the airport?” A
aron asked from the passenger seat.
“Because the senator had a GPS device planted in Caroline’s necklace.” A fact Cotter had informed Ethan of as he ran through the foyer to get to his vehicle.
Ethan punched the gas pedal to the floor, driving at a breakneck speed down the near abandoned highway.
Ethan made a hard right, put the vehicle in a controlled skid around a wide curve and then sped back up on the straightaway.
“Man, Senator Cotter really screwed the pooch,” Aaron said.
The bright lights of the runway appeared in the distance and Ethan stomped on the gas. “Right now I don't really give a flying fuck who's to blame. I just want to get Kate and Caroline and Celine back safely.”
Ethan squalled tires onto the tarmac, his headlights flashing on two forms too big to be the small females they were tracking. “That's not the girls.”
“That's Caroline's private jet.” Aaron ripped his pistol from his holster.
Ethan screeched to a stop, lunged out of the vehicle, gun drawn, and took aim at the lead man scurrying from the limo to the airplane. “Stop right there!”
The dark-haired man turned and Ethan's heart stopped when he saw Kate unconscious in his arms.
The second man fired off a shot and Ethan ducked behind the door. He pressed the comm button. “We need back up now! We got two suspects boarding the plane. One of them has Kate.”
Aaron took aim at the second man and fired off two shots. The suspect dropped to the ground, unmoving.
The first suspect continued running toward the jet and Ethan took aim, but held off from firing. If he missed, he might hit Kate. “Cover me.”
Ethan took off in a full out sprint, completely uncovered and vulnerable and uncaring. He'd rather die than let anything happen to Kate.
He ran past the man on the ground, his attention focused solely on the plane.
“Ethan, watch out!”
A shot cracked through the air and Ethan heard a bullet whiz right past his ear. Another shot fired off, ending in a dull thud. Ethan spun, his weapon trained on the now dead man on the ground. He nodded his thanks to Aaron for having his back and then took off running after Kate, Aaron pounding behind him.
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