Sweet Seduction Shield

by Nicola Claire

  I wasn't sure if I hadn't just signed Daisy's death warrant. I had to believe we were in a better place now than before - with Roan actually behind bars already - to survive the fall-out. But I wasn't sure. And the lightness of finally setting the ball in motion as I had planned all those years ago, was offset by the dread of what Pandora's box type darkness I'd opened us up to.

  I sucked in a deep breath, failed to still my rapidly beating pulse and followed the women out of the front door to the Birdcage, sure that I'd never set foot inside its walls ever again. Even socially, this beautiful old building was off limits for me. I couldn't come back here and not feel the sense of foreboding that I was feeling right now.

  "Well, that went better than expected," Abi said under her breath as we crossed the street to Nick's SUV.

  "Yeah, I love it when a plan comes together, cookie," Eva added.

  Abi swung around with a beaming smile over her lips and no doubt a comeback on her tongue and stilled. Her face fell, her brow furrowed, and instantly Nick and Ben were flanking us and herding us to the unlocked car doors.

  "What's going on?" I asked, only to be shoved inside the rear of the vehicle, Ryan jumping in behind me, as Kelly, Ben and Abi took up the middle seats, and Nick and Eva slipped into the front.

  The vehicle was started before the doors were fully closed, and Nick was driving before seatbelts had been secured. The squeal of tyres on tarseal sounding out in our wake, the gritty smell of burnt rubber wafting in through the air filters.

  Ryan reached over and secured my seatbelt, and only then attended to his own. But I barely noticed as Ben had a gun out on one side of the car and Abi had one out on the other. Kelly simply slunk down in her centre seat, keeping her head low and out of sight.

  "What's going on?" I asked again, but Nick had pressed a button on the dash and a phone dial tone blared out of the speakers.

  "What's up, boss?" came Eric's voice over the line. "You're in a hurry."

  "What do you know about Simon Andrews being in Auckland right now?" Nick demanded, the occupants of the SUV silent, but the atmosphere decidedly thick right then.

  Who the hell was Simon Andrews? It wasn't a name I knew associated with Roan McLaren. It wasn't one from inside the ledger either, which I noticed with a flick of my eyes, was sitting beside Ryan's feet on the floor of the rear foot well.

  Eric whistled, but didn't say anything immediately. The sound of fingers tapping away on a keyboard could be heard instead.

  "Released on bail one week ago." Eric sucked in a breath of air. "Evidence was compromised at Wellington Central Police Station. He's been commanded to stay in the capital until his trial, which is still scheduled despite Wellington's cock up."

  "Fuck," Ben muttered, twisting his head to look at Abi. She looked pale, her hands gripping the gun she held in a white knuckled embrace. Her eyes held Ben's, an angry determination evident there. "He's not here for you, Red," Ben said with a shake of his head. "Or me," he added, when she opened her mouth to argue his point.

  They both simultaneously turned to look at me.

  "I don't even know who he is," I said, stunned at the expressions of worry on their faces.

  I turned to look at Ryan, but he had a phone to his ear and couldn't talk as it had just been answered.

  "Harvey, Simon Andrews is in Auckland. Put a warrant out for his arrest, he's breaching the terms of his bail. Last known location is the Birdcage on Franklin Road."

  "Will someone tell me who this guy is and why he's a concern?" I demanded. As if I didn't have enough to be dealing with right now.

  "Former Detective Constable Simon Andrews was on the taskforce that brought Roan McLaren down," Eric supplied from over the speakers.

  "He took to me with a baseball bat," Ben helpfully supplied.

  "And hauled me by my hair into a McLaren safe-house," Abi added.

  "And was arrested for both of those assaults and his involvement in Roan McLaren's criminal business," Ryan added, having stowed his cellphone away.

  I stared at each one of them in turn.

  "So, you're telling me he's a bent former cop on McLaren's payroll with not a lot to lose now that he's about to be prosecuted for criminal behaviour and connections?"

  They all nodded.

  "And he was at the Birdcage right now?"

  "Yes," Abi said.

  "Did he see us?" I demanded.

  "Yeah, he saw us all right," Ben offered.

  "Was he armed?" I asked.

  "Not obviously, but you can guarantee he's got himself a piece," Nick supplied from the front of the car.

  Shit! How did he know we were at the Birdcage? Was it just a coincidence or something else? And if it wasn't a coincidence, then what else did he know? Where Ben and Abi's home was? That Daisy and I were staying there?

  "Daisy," I said aloud.

  "Is fine," Eric answered immediately. "Adam's aware of our new player, and Koki and Brook are on site as extra security. It's still the safest place to be."

  "But for how much longer?" I asked, lifting my eyes to hold Nick's in the rear view mirror. "He's just seen us all together, he'll put two and two together. ASI is compromised, he'll be able to track you all down and figure out where we're hidden."

  No one said a word, but varying looks of disquiet crossed their faces.

  "I don't like this," I announced, and Ryan's hand quietly slipped into mine, offering a consoling squeeze of his fingers.

  "Marie's right," he announced.

  "What do you suggest?" Nick asked, sounding pissed off and put out and generally pretty ropeable about now.

  Ryan paused, looking thoughtful, then said, his voice weighty and slightly rough due to some emotion, "I'll take her and Daisy to my Mother's place." Which didn't make any sense to me. If this Andrews guy could work out all of ASI's bolt holes, then he could surely work out Ryan's.

  And wasn't Ryan's mum dead? Stone had made him swear on his mother's grave.

  "If you think you can handle it, Pierce," Nick said, voice solemn, "then we'll make it happen. No one but those present in this vehicle, and Eric, will know."

  I flicked my gaze about the car, the women were all looking at the floor not making eye contact, Nick was staring steely-eyed out the front window and Ben just sighed. I turned slowly to look at Ryan at my side, noticing the pale sheen of perspiration coating his forehead.

  And knew that Ryan had just opened his own Pandora's box and was staring down a bleak, dark black hole at the face of his haunted past.

  Chapter 21

  The Answer Was Simple

  "Are you sure you want to do this tonight?" Nick asked as we entered the back door to Ben and Abi's house.

  "The sooner we're gone the better," Ryan replied immediately.

  "OK, e hoa," Ben murmured as he walked his big baulk past the two men. "Come with me and we'll find you some clothes."

  Clothes? The men all left the kitchen, leaving me alone with the women.

  "Why does he need clothes?" I asked no one in particular.

  "Because he won't have any at his mother's," Abi said, walking across the room to the large pantry and pulling out an ice-box from beneath the shelves. "I'll pack you guys some food, Ryan won't want to stop at the supermarket on the way."

  OK, this was just getting a little bizarre.

  "Why not?" I asked, stepping out of her way as she reached for the fridge.

  Abi sighed, it sounded heavy with compassion and pain.

  "Ryan's mother's house is north of the city at Gulf Harbour. It'll take you a while to drive there and knowing Pierce, he'll not want to show up on any security camera footage at shops along the way."

  "I get the feeling I'm missing something here," I pointed out, just as Gen walked in the room minus Daisy.

  "Your girl's sound asleep, but I gather you'll be waking her up soon?" she asked.

  "Apparently so," I murmured, moving towards the door to the rest of the house. "And apparently we're going on a camping trip to the
back of beyond."

  "Oh," Gen remarked, not sounding the least bit surprised. "I went on a camping trip once," she added, but I didn't hear the rest of her story as I'd walked too far away. There was more, I was sure of it. Once Gen got started talking she rarely stopped.

  Daisy was curled in a little adorable ball under the covers of her bed breathing deeply. I stood there for too long looking down at her peaceful face and wondering just what the hell I was getting my daughter into.

  Well, Marie. You started this, it was all of your doing. My shoulders slumped and I turned to pack her clothes ready for our 'trip' to the other side of Auckland. No one disturbed me, and by the time I had my clothes packed as well, I'd still not been bothered. Whatever was happening in the rest of the house was keeping everyone occupied. I walked back into Daisy's room and sat down in the chair beside her bed, and waited.

  Half an hour later Ryan walked in.

  He glanced down at the packed bags and then flicked concerned eyes over Daisy's sleeping form.

  "We've got to go," he whispered. "Do you want to wake her and I'll carry her out to the car."

  "Is your car back here?" I asked, aware he'd met us at the Birdcage and then travelled back here in Nick's SUV.

  "Got a loaner from Nick, GPS enabled should we need him to find us, but for now its cut off from ASI control."

  I sat stunned, playing those words over inside my head.

  "What do you think is going to happen?" I had to ask, a heavy pressure inside my chest and throat.

  Ryan took the two steps necessary to bring him beside my chair and then crouched down, reaching out to hold both my hands in his larger ones. His thumbs started rubbing soothing semi-circles across the back of them.

  "I read the ledger," he whispered and my hands jerked in his. He held them tighter making escape impossible.

  "That's what you've been doing all this time," I murmured, looking across the room and anywhere but at him. I didn't want to see what expression of abhorrence graced his face. I wasn't ready for him to be so disgusted he turned away.

  "Marie," he said, voice louder than before. "Look at me."

  My eyes reluctantly came back to his, my breath stalled somewhere inside my chest. My throat was dry and remarkably I felt the stirrings of ice encase me. He came up on to his knees and before I could react brushed his lips across mine, melting everything.

  "You are not him," he whispered, hot breath against my mouth. "We're going to make this all better. I'm going to protect you and Daisy, but you need to be prepared." His beard tickled against my upper lip, he was still so close when he spoke. "There will be fallout when those outlined in the book along with him become aware of the ticking time bomb McLaren held. When they realise the Police now hold it. This is big," he said, pulling back to look in my eyes. "You understand, babe? This is going to change the face of organised crime in New Zealand, tear it asunder. And all because of you."

  "Do you see why I couldn't hand it over before?" I asked, my world, once again, imploding all around me.

  "Yeah, but you didn't have me in your corner then. Now you do."

  I searched his face for a reason to believe, for a glimpse of the promise I'd seen in him the first day I met him in my office at work. It wasn't hard to see. It was written all over his handsome façade. He'd lay down his life for me and Daisy, he'd throw away his world as he knew it to keep us safe. He meant every word. He would do everything in his power to keep us alive and well. I just had to believe that it would be enough.

  "OK," I whispered back, receiving the barest hint of a smile at the edges of those kissable lips. My eyes darted down, taking in the curve of his fuller lower lip, the dense goatee that framed them. The sensation of it tickling my skin when he kissed me made me wonder what those whiskers felt like on other parts of my body.

  A smile curved my lips at the thought.

  "There she is," Ryan murmured. "My strong, brave tiger."

  My gaze lifted to his eyes, seeing the spark of desire glinting in amongst the golden brown hue.

  "Come on, wake up our girl, we've really got to go," he instructed, making my heart swell with the pronoun choice he'd used to describe Daisy.

  She barely woke when I roused her, only enough to know 'deetetiv Pierce' was carrying her out of the room. In the kitchen we met Abi and Ben, leaning against the bench, Ben's arm draped over the petite woman's shoulder, waiting no doubt for us to arrive.

  "You're all set," Ben announced, voice gruff but pitched low so as not to disturb Daisy. "Food, clothes and untraceable cellphone in the car. Nick said you only need to call and we'll be there."

  "Thanks," Ryan murmured. "Does he have the list yet?"

  Ben's face hardened, a shutter falling down over his features.

  "He'll get it to you when he does, e hoa."

  "Fair enough," Ryan said with a nod of his head, and then glanced down at me. I was carrying both Daisy's and my bags, but I really wanted my hands free.

  Strangely to hug the blonde woman standing before me. I'd never spontaneously offered hugs to anyone but Daisy before. Oh, and in a way Pierce. But the desire to hug Abi and thank her for all her help and support was so great, I actually took a tentative step forward.

  Ben made a grunting sound and reached for the bags in my hands, relieving me of my burden. Then spun on his heel and left through the back door to the house, out onto the deck. Pierce followed with Daisy clutched securely in his arms. As soon as we were alone Abi breached the gap and wrapped her arms around me, holding me close, an embrace shared between friends.

  "Thank you," I whispered into her ear.

  "Don't mention it. When this is over, we'll really celebrate."

  "Where is everyone?" I asked, thinking Kelly and Gen were ominously quiet.

  "Pouring the tequila in the lounge." We both started chuckling at that. "Well, at least Kelly is. Gen's pining for ice cream."

  "Have a drink for me," I said as I pulled back and wiped at my teary eyes.

  "Better yet, I'll put a bottle aside and when you're ready we'll share it."

  I nodded. I liked that idea.

  "Take care, Marie. And trust him. You're his world now."

  A huff of surprised breath left me, but Abi held up her hand.

  "See 'em, like 'em, want 'em, take 'em. Remember?"

  I nodded again, a small amused smile gracing my lips.

  "Go on," the other woman encouraged. "Pierce is waiting for you by the car."

  I glanced over my shoulder and looked out onto the driveway by the garage. Sure enough, he cuddled a sleeping Daisy to his chest talking quietly with Ben, the back door of the car open and waiting.

  "Say thanks to everyone else for me?" I asked as I began to walk toward the back door.

  "Sure thing, Tiger," Abi said, humour lacing every word. I rolled my eyes at her being aware of Ryan's nickname for me. I was beginning to think nothing was sacred or taboo with these women. But rather than shock or anger me, it simply made me smile.

  I slipped into the back seat of the car so Ryan could hand me Daisy's sleeping form. He leaned in and buckled us both securely, but with Daisy's hand curled into the warmth of my palm she didn't even stir. His eyes caught mine for a moment before he pulled back out of the rear, shutting the door behind him. A manly handshake and back thump for both men, and then he was in the driver's side and starting the car. This one a black luxury four wheel drive; for a loaner Nick didn't skimp.

  It was several minutes later, after I realised we weren't heading directly to Gulf Harbour but in a round about route that encompassed half of South Auckland and a hell of a lot of West Auckland as well, that I spoke. Ryan had probably remained silent for Daisy's sake, I'd not been talkative because my mind was still reeling at the rapid changes in my life.

  "Where are we going?" I asked, my eyes scanning the scenery outside my window.

  "Just making sure we're not being followed," Ryan answered, voice low; still thinking of a sleeping Daisy.

  I let a
long breath of air out at the reality his answer brought.

  "You think Ben and Abi's place was compromised already?"

  "Yeah. Andrews shouldn't have been aware we were at the Birdcage," he said in way of reply, his eyes darting up to the rear vision mirror to catch mine.

  "Who?" I whispered, unable to finish the question. Who had betrayed us.

  "I don't know, Marie. But Nick is looking into it."

  "The list you mentioned to Ben."

  He frowned, clearly unhappy with the whole situation.

  "I trust Nick implicitly. I'd trust him with my life." Eyes up to the mirror again. "With yours and Daisy's," he added, giving weight to his words. "But there's a leak somewhere. Maybe not necessarily within ASI's immediate structure, but somewhere along the way someone told someone else and they are the ones who've betrayed us."

  Nick wouldn't have liked that thought. I'd only known the man briefly, but I got an incredible sense of loyalty and morality from him. He would not like the idea that the leak had come from within his team. No wonder Ben had shut down on Ryan's query.

  "He's like a disease," I whispered, leaning into Daisy's sleeping form. "He infects everything his name comes in contact with."

  Ryan didn't need to ask who I was talking about, I could see the comprehension in his eyes, reflected in the mirror on the windscreen.

  "He's signed his own death warrant," he said instead.

  "What do you mean?"

  "The ledger. Once word gets out that it incriminates so many powerful people he'll not be long for this world."

  A sick feeling settled in my lower gut, making me gasp in a breath of shaky air. I wasn't sure why Ryan's words surprised me, or shocked me even. I certainly didn't feel any love lost for Roan McLaren, that was for sure. So I should have been rejoicing the fact that even in jail he'd get his comeuppance.