The Guardian (A Wounded Warrior Novel)

by Anna del Mar

  “See?” Matthias fisted his hands at his sides. “This is the part I don’t like.”

  I kept my focus on Rem. “How do we set up a trap?”

  “We need Lamba and his buyers connected by an irrefutable chain of evidence.”

  And I wanted world peace. “What are the chances of that?”

  “Not very high,” he said, “unless…”

  It hit me, clear as daylight. “Unless we make poachers and buyers come together in one single, momentous transaction.”

  “Exactly.”

  “How do we do that?”

  “Three days ago, we confiscated a huge load of ivory on the border with Kenya, not forty miles north of the reserve. It was carnage, but it wasn’t Kumbuyo’s doing. Kenyan troops interrupted the killings and caught the perpetrators. Nobody knows about it yet and that presents us with a unique opportunity. You could break the story, cover the massacre, and explain it to your viewers.”

  I hesitated, but I had to admit, breaking the story appealed to me. “Go on.”

  “You can report on the story and inform the public that the confiscated ivory is being kept in a secure location, where it will be burned, along with confiscated tusks from other raids. You won’t say where the massacre occurred, but the story will plant enough clues, visual and otherwise, so that Kumbuyo will figure out where the ivory is stored.”

  “You want to dare Kumbuyo to come back for the ivory?”

  “Exactly,” Rem said. “The tonnage alone should prick his interests. If he knows where it is, he’ll come after it.”

  It could work. “How do we follow the poachers from there?”

  “We plant trackers in the ivory tusks and burn a trail in their tails so they have to rush to deliver their load before they get caught. That’s how we bring sellers and buyers together. With a bit of luck, we can get all the big players activated and on record. But we’ve got to nail the execution. And we have to do it now, before the rainy season, when it will become impossible to go after the poachers. If the rains come, we’re shit out of luck.”

  It was a short time table. We were already in October, and the rains usually took over in November.

  “We can do this some other way,” Matthias said. “Jade doesn’t have to be involved.”

  “Jade brings credibility to the table,” Rem said. “Her record authenticates the story and she already has Lamba’s attention, not to mention Africa’s. Nobody who’s been watching her reports will think this is a trap. I’m telling you, Matthias. I know you don’t want to hear it, but this is the perfect setup. We’ve been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this. It’s also the ideal laboratory to test those prototypes you’ve developed.”

  My stare fell on Matthias. “What prototypes?”

  “It’s nothing, really.” His eyes shifted to his feet.

  “Come clean.”

  He shot me a surly glare. “Doctor Valdez and I have developed some new technology that could be hidden inside an ivory tusk without raising suspicion. But it’s not perfected yet. We have yet to test its range and endurance.”

  Talk about the perfect setup. And it all hinged on me.

  “I don’t want you involved with this,” Matthias said.

  “If Rem’s intelligence is right, I’m already involved.”

  Bullseye. Matthias’s face scrunched up in total disgust.

  “Will you at least consider the idea?” Rem said.

  “No,” I said. “There’s no need for further consideration. I’ll do it.”

  “Jade!”

  “My decision, remember?” I ignored the anger flaming in Matthias’s eyes and trudged on. “How soon can you set it up?”

  “It’s gonna take some doing,” Rem said. “I’ll need to coordinate with all of the team’s elements, including the Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities. Cutting through red tape around here is an art form and with so many countries and jurisdictions at play, it’s not going to be easy. But I’ll get it done. A week maybe? Five days if I can move it along faster?”

  “Can we wait that long?”

  “Excellent question,” Rem said. “The massacre was extensive and the carnage will be visible for weeks and months to come, if that’s what you’re asking. An elephant carcass is considered ‘fresh’ for two-to-three weeks after death, so we have time. I’ve got assets protecting the crime scene. You’ll get your pictures.”

  I gulped. This good news was also terrible news.

  “We’ve got a deal.” Rem stuck out his hand and I shook it. “I’ll be in touch as soon as everything is ready. Now let me walk the two of you to your hotel.”

  Matthias snarled. “I don’t think so. You’ve done enough damage for one night. When this is over, you and I? We’re done.”

  “I’m going to forget you said that.” Rem snapped two fingers in the air. “In fact I just did. You know this is the right tactical decision.”

  “Shut up, Rem. Go away.”

  “Fine, if that’s how you want it.” Rem lifted his palms in the air as if in surrender. “But keep your eye out for troublemakers along the way.”

  “Troublemakers welcomed,” Matthias muttered. “I could pound a few twerps tonight.”

  He shot Rem another hard glare and grabbed my hand. Dragging me along, he stalked down the beach at a double pace. I could feel his rage swarming his logic like a swell pushing against the seawall. He was making a huge effort to control his temper.

  “Matthias?” I said after a little while. “Could you please, um, slow down?”

  “Oh.” He decelerated into a walk. “Sorry.”

  “One other thing.” My gaze shifted to his hand, squeezing mine. “Wouldn’t PDA between us, I mean, beyond just sharing a dance, compromise your mission here?”

  I was talking about Mei, of course. I wondered if Matthias would risk his access to her if she thought he was interested in anyone other than her. The dance floor had been a dark, crowded space, which is probably why he’d deemed it safe to kiss me. But the beach was wide open. Which was really a shame, because after everything that had happened tonight and despite the anger beaming from Matthias, the thought of strolling this beautiful beach hand in hand with him appealed to the rogue in me.

  With a resigned sigh, Matthias let go of my hand.

  “Look,” I said. “I know you don’t want me to do this but…”

  “No buts, Jade.” His eyes roamed the sky, the ocean, my face. “These fuckers don’t mess around. If they smell a trap, they’ll come after you with all they’ve got. There’s no universe where I’m going to be fine with this. Period.”

  “But—”

  “I get you’re qualified,” he said. “I get you’d do a good job. Hell, if I were Rem, you’d be my first choice too. But I can’t go along with a situation that’ll put you in danger. You’re asking too much of me. I just…can’t.”

  Where could I start unraveling a statement like that? Coming from Matthias, it was a lot of words, said with a lot of feeling behind them. But I was a grown up and I had responsibilities, to conservation, to the global community.

  “You do understand that this is my decision, right?”

  “I get that, too, intellectually.” He tapped his temple with a brawny finger. “You’re one of the most competent people I know. But I don’t like it, babe. I hate it. I wish you’d trust me enough to let me decide for you, ’cause then the deciding would be over and done entirely for your benefit.”

  When he spoke like that, I almost wanted to let him decide for me.

  Heads, up, Jade. Keep the brain going.

  “The thing is…” I hesitated then forged on. “I don’t need an alpha to whip me into shape. I don’t need surges of testosterone telling me what I can or can’t do. I wouldn’t last, Matthias. I’m not that type. I just…couldn’t live like that.”

  “Hell, Jade.” Matthias’s jaw tightened. “I’m talking about keeping you from getting hurt, not about being an asshole or dominating your life.”

  “I
can’t imagine hanging out with someone who didn’t think of me as an equal.”

  “An equal?” Matthias scoffed. “Let’s face it, Jade, you’re not my equal, you’re my better at every turn.”

  I searched his eyes. Did he really believe that?

  “You’re a reach, babe, I get that, but I don’t seem to have the option of not reaching for you.”

  Oh, my God. Why did he have to say stuff like that, stuff that melted my heart and turned on the heat full blast?

  “I mean, really,” he said. “Can you blame me for wanting you safe?”

  “No,” I said, “because I want you safe too. I know that Lamba has put a price on your head. I think the best way of making you and everybody else at the reserve safe is to take Lamba out. Which means I’ll do anything in my power to help catch him. I’d be cool working this mission if I knew you’d be watching my back. And I’d very much like to watch your six, if you’ll let me.”

  There. I’d said it. Why I was doing this and how much I cared for him. In my own, unique Jade way.

  He swept me into his arms and hugged me tightly against his chest.

  “Matthias?” I murmured against his neck. “PDA?”

  “I don’t give a shit at the moment.” He planted a kiss on the top of my head before he let go. Then he flashed his sexy smirk. “Man, you’re good, babe, you’re really good. You say stuff like that to a guy like me and my body armor snaps off. But…”

  “But what?”

  “I can’t trust my heart on this.” His chest inflated and deflated with his deep breath. “I’ve got to think about it some more. I’ve got to consider it from a tactical perspective.”

  That’s what I got for falling for a SEAL.

  The beach delivered us to our hotel the back way. We climbed the short flight of stairs, cleared hotel security, and ambled onto the expansive pool area. The palm trees swayed in the tropical breeze. Several hotel guests lounged about enjoying fruity drinks and music from a lively quartet.

  Matthias pulled out a chair for me and went to get us some drinks. I dropped my sandals on the ground, shook off the sand from my feet and sat down, taking in the beauty of the stars and the white lights that ignited the hotel’s landscape. I tried to process everything I’d learned tonight. Matthias returned, set a flute of champagne on the table, and took the chair across from me. He raised his tumbler in the air.

  “Salud.” I clinked my flute against his glass and took a sip of my champagne. He drew a deep draft and drained half of his drink before his gaze returned to my face.

  “Look,” I said. “I know you’re mad at me. But you know what’s at stake here. If you were in my position, you’d do the same exact thing. In fact, on the day you agreed to become Pacha Ziwa’s game warden you made the same choice. So get over it, Matthias. You can’t have different standards for me.”

  “Easier said than done.” He shook the tumbler in his hand, making the ice cubes chink against the glass. “This conversation is making the acid roil in my gut. Big time. Damn Rem. You were never supposed to meet him. You were never supposed to figure out the rest either. I didn’t bring you to Zanzibar for this.”

  “No?” I queried him with my eyes. “Then why did you bring me to Zanzibar?”

  “One can always count on Jade to ask the right question.” He stared at the dark liquid swirling in his glass. “My primary goal in bringing you to Zanzibar was selfish, self-serving, and as it turned out, reckless.”

  “Oh?”

  He met my eyes. “I brought you here to seduce you.”

  My breath caught in my throat.

  “The question is, after everything you’ve learned, after all the junk you weren’t supposed to know…” His gaze flowed over my face, down my cheeks and over my lips as he kissed me with his eyes. “Are you gonna let me?”

  22

  Matthias

  The look of sheer panic on Jade’s face ripped out my guts. I had just spooked the hell out of her. She was on fear overload and obviously running through every goddamn scenario that had us ending in disaster. My fingers tightened around the tumbler. She was giving all the signs of having zero faith in us, in me. I ground my teeth, leaned back in my chair and reminded myself that I needed to be patient because Jade’s early life conditioned her most primal reactions.

  Patient, yes, but I wasn’t backing down. I was gonna get this done.

  “So now you’ve got all the facts you need,” I said. “You know everything about me.”

  “Not everything.” Her eyes shifted uneasily between her glass and I.

  “You’ve got the highlights,” I said. “Who am I, what I do. So I need you to make up your mind, ’cause I’m done, Jade. I’m not playing games anymore.”

  Jade’s shoulders tensed. Her fingers tightened around her flute. Her pulse flickered violently at the base of her neck. I was gonna guess she hadn’t been this frightened when she’d faced Kumbuyo. Nowhere to go but onward.

  I set my drink aside, braced my elbows on my knees and leaned forward. “Here’s the deal. You wanna go for Rem’s plan? Okay. We go for it. But I’m in charge of safety and security. Your safety and security. I call the shots, when, how, where, and with who. It’s the only way I can see to do this.”

  Her gaze scoured my face. “Keep talking.”

  “This could be hard,” I said. “I know how much you hated it when you were confined to the station. It could happen again. You’d have to put up with whatever security procedures I deem necessary. The station is the only place in Africa where I can guarantee your safety. And if I can’t, you’ve got to be prepared to leave African on short notice.”

  Her throat rippled with a swallow. “Do you really think all of that is necessary?”

  “Absolutely,” I said. “I’m willing to do this. I’m willing to support you a hundred percent. But I want something in exchange. Something big. I’ll commit to you, but you’ll also commit to me.”

  Her voice came out in a squeak. “How?”

  “You know how.”

  Her lips pressed tight together and her eyes avoided mine. Shit. I couldn’t abort the mission now.

  “The thing is,” I trudged on with the subtlety of a lowlands gorilla. “I don’t want you to regret anything when you wake up tomorrow.”

  Her brows drew together and her forehead furrowed. “Regret what?”

  “Us.” I motioned between us. “There will be no bolting in the morning, no sudden disappearances, no excuses and no changing your mind.”

  She winced. “That’s a lot of noes to remember.”

  “I mean it, Jade. I’m done waiting around. And this isn’t some fleeting affair. I’m serious about you.”

  The only version of Jade capable of reacting to a statement like that was the most cynical of all. “You’ve known me for all of three weeks.” She flashed a bitter smirk. “What if we suck together? What are you going to do then? Wish you’d kept a parachute handy?”

  “I’m not bailing,” I said. “And neither are you. The way I see it, two people stay together by working out their problems as they come. We’re life compatible. Check. We’ve got chemistry, maybe too much chemistry. Check. The rest we’ll hash out on the way.”

  “Jesus.” She fidgeted with her purse. “How could you know all of that?”

  “I trust my gut.” I leaned back in my chair and kept my eyes on Jade. “You’ve got an important decision to make. You can take me or leave me. But if you say yes, you’re stuck with me, come hell or high water. You ought to know that, now, before you decide.”

  Fear flared in her eyes, but there was something else too, desire that prickled my spine and tugged at my groin. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. Knowing that kept me going.

  “And so that you don’t feel cornered,” I said, reading her mind, “this is what’s going to happen: You’re gonna go up to the room and think about everything I said. There’s a key to another hotel room in the top drawer. If you’re not in our room in twenty minutes when I come
up, we’ll fly back to the reserve tomorrow, no questions asked. We’ll continue working together in whatever capacity you choose and you’ll never have any trouble from me again. That’s a promise.”

  She opened her mouth and closed it. She began to say something, but her voice died in her throat. She downed the rest of her champagne in one gulp.

  “Go ahead, get going.” I jerked my head toward the hotel. “And if per chance you decide you want to say yes, then I have a special request.”

  She questioned me with her eyebrows. “A special request?”

  “If you decide to stay,” I said, “wait for me in the hammock.”

  “Is that all?”

  “No, ma’am, there’s something else.” I threw my dice and laid it all on the line. “Wait for me in the hammock. Naked.”

  Jade

  I’d never faced a choice quite like the one that Matthias had just given me. He didn’t want a hook up. He wanted more, a lot more. There were too many issues outstanding between us, too many reasons why this couldn’t work. And yet as I climbed the stairs to our room, I was totally and completely turned on. Matthias had a sure way of stoking the heat in me. Talk about a reckless all or nothing plan.

  My hands were actually shaking. I could barely manage to insert the key into the hole. I stepped into the room and considered the dresser. I yanked open the top drawer. Sure enough, sitting atop my panties was a fancy key with a different room number. He wasn’t bluffing, but I’d known that all along.

  I slammed the drawer shut, squeezed my temples, and groaned. Matthias was asking a lot from me, from the restless wanderer who didn’t stay put for long, from the cynical child who, having witnessed her mother’s drug-induced demise, didn’t trust life’s gifts. A gift. A temporary reprieve in my luck. That’s what Anita and Joseph Romo had been to me. That’s what Matthias felt like to me. Could I be twice lucky?

  But deep down inside, I didn’t feel like I deserved any gifts or reprieves. Part of me was that fearful, unlovable street kid that stole Little Debbies from the convenience store and sat locked in the closet playing stolen videogames while her heroine-addicted mother serviced her johns. The feral child in me was still stuck in that closet. Anita and Joseph had put up with me, but Matthias? He deserved so much more than defective, skeptical me.