Courting Danger

by Kimberly Dean

  She glanced at the flags hanging overhead as they walked down the Hall of States to the Grand Foyer. ‘What event are we attending?’ she asked.

  ‘Don’t get your hopes up. We’re only pretending to go to the theatre.’

  ‘Good to know.’ She smiled as an attendant gave her a programme, but Darien directed her towards a spot along the wall to talk and wait.

  And, she assumed, do surveillance.

  She looked down the expansive hallway. How was he ever supposed to find someone in here? The Grand Foyer ran past the Eisenhower Theater, the Opera House and the Concert Hall, all full-size performance centres in their own right. Large mirrors provided an optical illusion that made the hall even wider. Add all the people moving about, and it was an ever-changing seascape.

  He must have some indication that whoever he was looking for had tickets to the play. Rielle flipped through the pages of her programme and feigned interest.

  ‘Did you know that if you laid the Washington Monument flat in this hallway, it would have an additional seventy-five feet to spare?’

  She looked at him. ‘We’re allowed to talk?’

  He gave an affectionate tug on her braid. ‘We’d look odd if we didn’t – and you’re already standing out enough as it is.’

  Rielle’s eyes widened. ‘Why? What am I doing wrong?’

  ‘You’re too damn beautiful.’ He shook his head, but his gaze followed someone walking behind her. He discounted them quickly and resumed his interested tour down her body. ‘That dress is distracting.’

  She smoothed the material over her hips. ‘There’s nothing wrong with this dress.’

  It was a white cocktail dress with cap sleeves. It hit her just above the knee, so it wasn’t too revealing. She’d even worn it to work a time or two.

  His cheek brushed against hers as he leaned in to whisper. ‘There’s nothing wrong with the body underneath it either.’

  She blushed. ‘You look nice too.’

  She smoothed his blue tie. It brought out the colour of his eyes. The man looked good in everything, especially a well-fitted suit. He was like a chameleon as he blended in from one situation to the next.

  She supposed he had to be for his job.

  He slid an arm around her waist and turned her to face down the hallway. ‘The chandeliers and the wall sconces take over eight thousand light bulbs.’

  She knew he wasn’t looking at the light fixtures, but she nodded accordingly. ‘Aren’t you a walking encyclopaedia?’

  He held up the program. ‘It says so right here.’

  She smiled, and, for the first time since they entered the building, it didn’t feel forced. Funny how acting natural was such hard work. They kept up the idle chitchat, and she joined in the people-watching. She didn’t know who he was looking for, but she made a game of trying to find Mike. He had to be here somewhere. Darien had chewed him out for being too visible. He must have taken it to heart, because she didn’t see his blond head.

  Darien glanced at his watch. It was still a while until the show started. ‘Let’s take a lap around the river terrace.’

  His hand settled on the small of her back as he accompanied her to the door. Outside, a fountain bubbled and trees shaded the windows. The sun was low on the horizon, but not blinding yet. A few boats were still out on the water, close to the Roosevelt Bridge. The roof terrace was known as a prime spot to catch sunsets. Many attendees were enjoying the spring evening outside as they waited for the performances to begin.

  Darien’s gaze swept the crowd more quickly than hers could. ‘Maybe not. Let’s go back inside.’

  He stopped when his phone rang. ‘It’s Detective Morgan.’

  Rielle snapped to attention. Had he gotten the search warrant? Had he found Eddie? She moved closer so she could hear too.

  ‘Get rid of that computer,’ the detective said. ‘Shut it down, put it in a box and bring it to the lab. That email had a virus attached. Hamilton may have taken over control of the camera and microphones.’

  Rielle flinched.

  ‘Shit,’ Darien cursed. He raked a hand through his hair. ‘When did we talk about coming here? Before or after you got that email?’

  Rielle tried to think. Had Eddie really been spying on them? Had he been in the apartment with them? Oh, God. Had he seen them kiss? Had he seen her in her sexy lingerie? That had been private.

  It had been for Darien.

  ‘Rielle.’

  ‘After,’ she said. ‘It was after.’

  He caught her hand. ‘Back inside. Now.’

  ‘Maybe he wasn’t watching. He can’t be everywhere all the time. He didn’t know when I’d be opening that email.’

  ‘Too many ifs,’ Darien said as he opened the door for her.

  They joined the rest of the people in the massive hallway. The large crowd had direction now, with clumps of people migrating to their chosen events. Darien looked at his watch again. It was getting close to curtain time. Instead of putting his back against the wall, this time he put himself between her and the crowd. It couldn’t make his job easy.

  He was trying to protect her again.

  Rielle collected herself. ‘I don’t see him,’ she said.

  She slowly ticked off the people before her one by one. With lines naturally forming, it was easier to monitor them. She looked over the old and young dressed in everything from formal wear and beaded gowns to business wear and even a few jeans. Her brain began catching details: one woman’s massive diamond ring, the mud spray on a man’s dress pants and an older woman’s annoying cackle. He’d taught her to watch for the tiny things.

  ‘That’s it,’ Darien said, making a decision. ‘Let’s go.’

  ‘Go?’ She fell into step with him as they started down the Grand Foyer, weaving through the crowd as they swam like salmons upstream. ‘But you have to be here.’

  ‘I was here. Now we’re leaving.’

  Rielle held back. She didn’t want her problems to endanger his job. ‘What’s he going to do here other than make a scene?’

  Darien got in her face. ‘Does he have a gun?’

  She swallowed her air. ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘But you don’t know. Right. We’re leaving.’ He pulled her up snug against him as he cut his way through the crowd. ‘The mission is a bust, anyway.’

  They burst into an eddy area where the crowd parted as they went to their different venues. Darien hit a speed dial button on his phone and directed her towards the Hall of States where they’d entered.

  Rielle caught his wrist. ‘Wait. There!’

  His head swivelled, and his eyes narrowed. ‘Where?’

  She began tugging him along. ‘Heading towards the other end of the building.’

  His attention honed in, but he held her back when her pace nearly broke into a run. ‘I don’t see him.’

  ‘Not Eddie. It’s her, the dark-haired woman.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘The one with Resting Bitch Face. The woman you’re supposed to be here to watch…I think.’ Rielle wrapped her hand around his. The crowd around the Opera House was busy, and he had to follow behind her to make it through without getting stopped. ‘Up ahead. Look for the big bag.’

  ‘Damn, you’re right.’ Darien’s hand clenched around hers. He moved up to her side and caught her by the waist. A different kind of alertness overcame him. ‘I got her. Stop staring at her. She’ll feel it.’

  Rielle admired the sconces on the walls. It was clear that the woman wasn’t going to the theatre. Instead, she was heading towards the concert hall at the south end.

  He was on his phone again. ‘I’ve got her. She’s at the south end of the building. Repeat, south.’

  His pace changed. It somehow became more casual but just as quick as he kept the woman in view. Rielle tried to follow suit. She let her strides loosen yet lengthen.

  ‘That’s it, baby,’ he murmured.

  ‘Where’s she going?’ she asked.

  ‘I don�
�t know.’

  ‘Why’s she here?’

  He didn’t answer. Rielle knew better than to ask again, but her confusion grew when the woman got on the elevator. Was she not here for a performance? They followed her up to the terrace level using the stairs. Darien went two at a time. It was difficult for Rielle to keep up in her heels, but she didn’t want to lose the woman either. The mystery was solved when they spotted her going into the one of the Center’s restaurants.

  Darien straightened his tie. ‘Feel like a drink?’

  Rielle nodded and took his arm again.

  The Roof Terrace Restaurant was an intimate setting that looked out over the river. Kennedy Center patrons were finishing their three-course meals or enjoying pre-performance cocktails. Rielle immediately spotted the dark-haired woman taking a seat at a table near the window. When the woman stiffened and looked over her shoulder, Rielle quickly studied her shoes.

  The hostess seated them at a table on the opposite side of the room. Darien pulled out a chair for her and took the one to her left. Rielle couldn’t see anything because of the direction her chair faced, but Darien could.

  ‘Unbelievable,’ he said under his breath. He quickly began to text information out to his people.

  Rielle smoothed the braid that fell forward over her shoulder. Inside her chest, her heart was pounding. She hadn’t been fully aware of what was happening around her during the White House reception. Now that she knew, the tension was palpable. ‘What’s she doing?’

  It was impossible not to be curious when she was right in the middle of things.

  ‘She’s meeting with someone.’ He held up his phone. ‘Pretend I’m taking your picture.’

  Rielle smiled, but to her it was obvious where his camera was pointing. He was snapping shots of the woman and her guest. She leaned in when he set the phone on the table and paged through the shots.

  ‘Who is it?’

  ‘Someone who hasn’t been seen in the past four years, but he made a mistake tonight.’

  She caught a glimpse of a man who looked like a librarian or an art curator, with wire-rimmed glasses, a receding hairline and a crisp red bowtie. Darien was swiftly sending the photograph along, but he turned casual when the waiter came up to take their order.

  ‘Just drinks?’ the man asked.

  Rielle’s sweet tooth was gnawing. She would have preferred to see the dessert menu, but a drink might settle her nerves. She ordered a white wine, and Darien ordered the same.

  She waited until the waiter was beyond hearing range. ‘Is he a bad guy?’ she whispered.

  ‘Very bad,’ Darien murmured. He rubbed her shoulder and gave her a private wink. ‘Baby, you did good.’

  ‘It was the godawful bag,’ she confessed.

  His gaze darkened when it went back to the terrace-side table, and he lifted his phone again for another snap.

  ‘What’s happening now?’

  ‘She just gave him some documents from the godawful bag.’

  Rielle eyes rounded. Documents? Blueprints? National secrets? Names? Formulae? ‘Why aren’t you arresting them – or doing whatever it is that you do?’

  The corner of Darien’s mouth twitched. ‘Patience.’

  A blond head at the reception podium caught her attention. It was the elusive Mike. She blew out a breath, and the knot in her chest eased. Darien had been waiting for backup. It relieved her more than she could say. She wanted to help, but she was out of her league here.

  Soon after their drinks arrived, she noticed another familiar face from the White House reception. The woman who had been Mike’s date was at the bar – the one who could handle herself. Rielle took a sip of her white wine. All the wealthy diners in the place had no concept of the drama brewing around them, but she could feel it. The air was snapping in anticipation.

  The lions were circling.

  She hugged her chair. ‘Tell me what to do. I don’t want to get in your way.’

  ‘You’re fine,’ Darien murmured. ‘We don’t want to take them down here. It’s too public and too busy. We’ll wait until they’re outside.’

  ‘Shit,’ he said almost immediately. ‘She’s spooked.’

  He jumped to his feet and squeezed her shoulder. ‘Stay here.’

  Rielle froze.

  Behind her she heard movement. Diners’ conversations stopped and then rose abruptly. Could she look? She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself or to Darien.

  Movement caught the corner of her eye, and she saw the dark-haired woman racing for the door. The blonde from the White House dinner and another woman followed her. Was that another of Darien’s associates? Which side was she on?

  Rielle didn’t see Darien, and she panicked. Turning in her chair, she searched for him. She saw the bad guy with the bowtie barrel out the door to the roof terrace that circled the entire second floor of the Kennedy Center. Darien and Mike raced after him, but they were out of sight before she could see what happened.

  Oh, God. What was going on? The windows didn’t wrap around the entire south side of the restaurant. Had they caught him? She didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

  Dining in the restaurant had come to a halt. People were standing and others were pressed against the window, trying to see more. The woman who’d been seated next to the dark-haired woman was mopping up a drink from her dress. Rielle bit her lip. She could see why Darien had wanted to wait until things were quieter before moving in. The place looked like a cyclone had gone through.

  It was still whirling inside her chest. She could barely catch her breath.

  What should she do? She stared at the windows, begging someone to appear. She wanted to go out that door after them, but Darien had told her to stay.

  She felt the air move and heard the chair next to her being pulled back. Relief swam through her, and she turned around.

  ‘Dar–’

  His name died on her lips. He hadn’t come back through another door. He hadn’t suddenly started making noise as he moved.

  Because it wasn’t Darien.

  ‘Hello, Rielle.’

  Darien swept a hand through his hair and straightened his tie before heading back inside from the roof terrace. A feeling of success burned through him. They’d caught the son of a bitch. After all the suffering and damage that ghost had caused, he was finally going to be held responsible for his actions.

  And all because of a godawful handbag.

  He shook his head. Things had spiralled out of control for a bit there, and his unit would have to have a debriefing session to discuss how better to handle things the next time. The good thing was that Mike was taking their man in for questioning and the ‘dark-haired woman’ hadn’t made it out of the building either. After the initial uproar, they’d both been detained and removed from the premises as quickly and as quietly as possible.

  His team had just come too damn close to missing their opportunity.

  They’d thought that the woman would lead them to the man they wanted. They’d been monitoring her for weeks. All intel had pointed to her being their elusive target’s main contact, but details had been sketchy and not 100 per cent correct. They’d suspected she’d be here tonight, but they’d had no idea they’d encounter the main man himself.

  If Rielle hadn’t spotted her…

  He picked up his pace as he strode through the Nations Gallery back to the restaurant. He needed to get back to her. She was probably going crazy worrying where he was.

  He stepped inside the restaurant and frowned. Calm had returned to the upscale eatery. Chairs had been righted and tables had been cleared. Most of the patrons had left, either frightened off by the scene or because their shows were starting. It made it too easy to see who was left, and Rielle wasn’t one of them.

  He stopped the hostess who had seated them. ‘Excuse me, but did you see where my date went?’

  The hostess’s eyes widened when she recognised him. ‘You’re one of the guys who ran after that man. What was that about? W
hat did he do?’

  ‘I’m sure you’ll hear all about it on the news tonight.’ She wouldn’t, but he wasn’t going to answer those kinds of questions. He touched her arm to get her to focus. ‘Where’s the woman who was with me? She was wearing a white dress. She has long brown hair that’s tied in a braid.’

  ‘Oh, the pretty one.’ The hostess turned. ‘She was right there.’

  Warning lights came on inside Darien’s head. Rielle wouldn’t have come after him. She’d asked how she could stay out of their way. Had she made a trip to the restroom?

  They stopped a waiter who was passing by with a tray of dirty dishes.

  ‘Did you see where the woman at that table went?’ Darien demanded. A bad feeling was brewing inside him.

  ‘Yeah, she…’ The man stopped when he saw the look on Darien’s face and took a small step back. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but she left with another man.’

  Darien rounded on the guy, and the dishes on the tray clattered. Another man? The only guy he’d trust with her was Mike, and he knew his partner was occupied. ‘What did he look like? How long ago did they leave?’

  ‘Not long.’ The waiter quickly put the tray down before he could drop it. He held his hands up defensively. ‘Just a few minutes ago. I thought he must be with your group. It was about time for the seven-thirty performances to start.’

  Darien looked at his watch. ‘Tall, short, colour of hair?’

  ‘He was an average-looking guy.’ The waiter looked around for help. ‘Brown hair, glasses. Seemed quiet.’

  Darien’s gut knotted. A lot of men would fit that description, but there was one in particular he didn’t want to find with Rielle. ‘Did you hear them saying anything? Which way did they go?’

  The waiter shrugged helplessly. ‘I wasn’t waiting on your table. I just noticed, because she’s so…’

  Beautiful. Rielle was beautiful. Men were naturally drawn to her, but some just didn’t know when to let go.

  Darien turned on his heel. Too much time had passed already. The knot inside his gut was twisting tighter and tighter, but he pushed it away ruthlessly. He needed to think.

  It was Hamilton. It had to be. Why had she left with him so quietly? He knew she didn’t like the limelight. She was quiet, but she should have screamed and kicked. She should have called for help.