by Desiree Holt
Troy nipped her shoulder. “I love watching you come. You’re just so responsive. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of making love with you.”
Languidly, she let her head drop back against the bath pillow, smiling. “I certainly hope not.”
“Feeling better?”
“If I felt any better, it would be illegal. I think you should prescribe this treatment every time I do a healing.”
His laugh was soft, rolling over her like a caress. “I can get on board with that.”
She frowned. “But you didn’t—”
“This wasn’t about me. And don’t you worry. You’ll have plenty of time to make it up to me. I promise.” He lifted her from the tub and stood her on the bath mat, reaching down to let the water out. “Let’s get you dried off and see what we want to do for dinner. I vote for pizza.”
“Sounds good to me.” She was boneless as he wrapped a towel around her and carried her back into the bedroom. “Also, I need about an hour to check my emails and pay some attention to the job that actually pays me.”
“Later,” he told her and winked. “Maybe much later.”
* * * * *
Kurt Olberman chewed on the end of his ever-present cigar, swiveled his chair and looked out through the big picture window at the grounds of his estate. It was a view he never tired of seeing. The vastness of the property, the quality of the security, the furnishings and other additions to the property were constant reminders of his extreme wealth and the power he controlled.
Now he looked forward to controlling even more. And to accumulating more wealth than he had ever been able to imagine. Turning back to his desk, he clicked on an icon on his computer screen and opened the file Reid McFadden had sent. He had already watched it several times, but he never tired of seeing it. Here was an opportunity that didn’t come along too often—the chance to sell a rare commodity for any price he set.
The trick would be in convincing the woman to use her gift as he wished once he had her under his control. Well, no matter. If she refused he’d simply get rid of her and look for another one. Only he’d heard so much about this one, how extensive her gift was, he didn’t want to settle for second best.
Picking up his cell phone, he punched the speed dial for McFadden.
The man answered at once. “I’m here, boss. You’ve got the proof you wanted. She’s the real deal.”
“Are you sure that Hauser woman will follow your orders?” he asked. “It would throw a hell of a monkey wrench into things if she got greedy and tried to transfer all the money at once. The bank would insist on recording it for the IRS, they’d come in asking a lot of questions and this whole operation would be fucked.”
“So where do we go from here?”
“You need to bring her here, of course. But taking her won’t be as easy as I’d hoped,” Olberman said. “At least not based on your reports. They are accurate, right?”
“Completely.”
“And you’re sure Troy Arsenault is still with her?”
“Glued to her like a barnacle.”
“Any regular visitors I should know about?” Olberman asked.
“Two couples that they both know. They don’t show up too often, but I‘ll check them out the next time. If I can get pictures of them I’ll send them off to you.”
“That situation will need to be scouted very carefully, Reid. And you can’t afford to raise any suspicions.”
“I know,” McFadden assured him. “This isn’t my first rodeo, remember?”
Olberman grunted. “It’s possible that now the media’s lost interest in her, for the time being, and her stalker’s been dealt with, she may be at home by herself now and then. We don’t know how long this Arsenault is staying, but in case she’s there alone at any time, I’ve arranged for some equipment to help you. I promise you she’s now got a state-of-the-art security system you’ll have to bypass. I’ve reached out to a local contact for this.”
“Okay. I’ll notify the front desk I’m expecting a delivery.”
“All right. Here’s what I want you to do next. First of all, you need to scout out the situation with her in great detail. But do it carefully. You can’t afford to raise suspicion.”
Reid snorted. “Those two things almost cancel each other out.”
“Not if you do this right. You and Bonner rent a couple more cars at different agencies and alternate using them. And mix it up. A van, an SUV, you know.”
He could almost see Reid frowning. “Why do that?”
“Because now that the media has dispersed, any strange car in the neighborhood will stick out like a sore thumb if it’s seen too many times. Right?”
“Yeah.” Olberman heard the grudging tone in the answer. “Okay. Then what?”
“You need to track a pattern. If Arsenault is still staying there, it’s important to learn when they leave the house. If they do it together. How often. Don’t troll the area on any regular schedule. I wouldn’t put it past Arsenault to still be keeping a lookout for strangers, even though the media and the mob it drags along have moved on to something else.”
“We could even pull into a driveway down the block or the street now and then,” McFadden suggested. “Knock on the door and ask directions to some nearby street. Throw them off the track. Obviously, we can’t just hang out until she comes outside alone and snatch her.”
“I’m glad you see that.” He paused a moment, studying the cigar in his hand. “I’m leaving a lot of the decision on this up to you, Reid. You’re my eyes and ears on site, so I have to rely on you.”
“I won’t let you down.”
“Good, good. All right, check in tonight and let me know how it’s going.”
Olberman disconnected the call. He had his own work to do for this little project. The first thing he’d do was get an in-depth report on The Phoenix Agency and Troy Arsenault in particular. His earlier reports on the woman hadn’t indicated any relationship that would include a man staying with her. Everything told him she was a loner, not even that close to her family. When the first report came in about Arsenault, he’d assumed the man was staying with her as protection against the most recent mob and media uprising.
Vivian had procured a basic report on Phoenix, but they didn’t appear at first glance to be anything more than your average ex-military security agency. Now he’d have to rethink the entire situation and dig deeper. If they turned out to be more complex, he’d have to rethink the entire situation. And probably have to send in a special team to grab the woman. Reid was good, but stealth and subtlety weren’t in his vocabulary and Bonner was just good for scut work.
He pressed the button on his intercom. Vivian answered him at once.
“Yes, Mr. Olberman?”
“Could you please come in here for a few minutes? I have a chore for you that’s going to require a lot of detail work.”
“Of course. Right away.”
Olberman sat back in his chair, his master plan already swirling through his brain. On his cell phone, he had a list of outrageously wealthy sheikhs, kings and global executives who had someone in their family in great need of a healer. All other forms of medicine had failed. When Olberman had contacted them, they eagerly agreed to pay any price if this woman could accomplish a miracle.
Olberman smiled. There was nothing he couldn’t accomplish. This would be one more feather in his very large cap.
* * * * *
Lauren leaned back in the kitchen chair and licked a dab of pizza sauce from her lip. When Faith had called to see how she was and ask if it was okay if they came by and brought pizza, she wasn’t sure if she really wanted the company. But thanks to Troy and his magical ministrations, she felt much better than she usually did. Besides, he told her, the Romeos asked to tag along. There was some agency business they all needed to review and this seemed to be the best way to do it.
Now she looked around the table and a pleasant feeling of warmth blossomed at the presence of friends. Yes, friends.
She had known Faith for what seemed forever, and Mark had simply accepted her as part of Faith’s life. But now she also had Dan and Mia.
And Troy.
Wonderful, amazing, incredible, sexy, caring Troy. The relationship she’d been so sure she’d never find had just dropped in her lap and totally enriched her life.
“So what’s the update?” Troy asked Dan. “You talked to Mike and Rick?”
The other man nodded. “Kelly’s training four security dogs for corporate bigwigs and Rick’s checking their security systems.” He scrolled through the tablet in front of him for his notes. “Two of them have business in Venezuela, one in Argentina and one in Greece. With the current instability in those countries, our clients want to be sure they are well protected.”
“The dogs will go with them?” Lauren was curious about that.
Dan nodded. “They’re trained to sniff out bombs and arms and to attack on command. Some of these countries may look warm and welcoming but beneath the surface it’s a different story.”
Mark leaned forward in his chair. “What about Mike?”
Dan continued scrolling through his notes. “He and Kat are in Canada. Kidnapping of a high-profile oil exec’s daughter. With Kat’s remote viewing skill, they’ve narrowed the place where she’d been hidden to a five-square-mile area. Now they’re working on pinpointing the exact spot and scoping out the situation.”
“Does he need help?” Mark asked.
Dan shook his head. “Not yet, but he’s asked for us to be on standby. I also called Ed and told him to be ready if and when we needed him.”
“Ed is Dan’s brother,” Troy explained to Lauren. “The two of them are the agency flyboys. When Kat’s sister and her boss were kidnapped in Mexico, Kat used her remote viewing to pinpoint where they were, and Ed flew us to the spot in a stealth helicopter.”
“Were you able to get them out safely?” Lauren wanted to know.
Dan gave her a lopsided grin. “We always do.”
It was interesting for her to let the conversation flow around her and pick out bits and pieces of it. She certainly had more than a nodding acquaintance with the local police, especially in the form of Sergeant Frank Hurley. But what Phoenix did reached a level of sophistication far beyond anything she had knowledge of. She was still amazed at how quickly they’d identified her stalker, at the security they’d set up for her and the speed with which it was accomplished.
She stole a glance at Troy. There was something so solid, so secure about him. For the first time in years, despite the chaos her life had been in recently, she felt safe. Settled. And cared for.
Her reverie was interrupted by Dan’s next words.
“So, Troy? What do you recommend? Leave someone here? More than one someone?”
Leave someone? Here?
Lauren cleared her throat. “Excuse me. Did I hear you say—“
Troy interrupted her, his hand closing over hers. “That’s not gonna fly, guys. I’m staying. Period.”
Mia and Faith smiled as Dan and Mark exchanged looks.
“So,” Dan said at last. “It’s like that?”
Troy nodded. “It’s just like that.”
Lauren frowned. “I must have taken a short mental vacation here. Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”
Troy lifted her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Dan just got another text from Mike in Canada. We’re pulling together the team for a full-out assault.”
“We have the location of the kidnap victim,” Mark added, “and a reading of the scene and surrounding area. Time to go in and get the victim out. In one piece.”
“And Troy says he’s not going,” she guessed.
“They don’t need me.” He lifted his hand and tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. “With Ed, they’ll have five people. Rick’s the sniper, so he’s key. I’m just the medic who patches people up.”
“That’s not true.” She tried to bat his hand away. “You’re a SEAL and I know what kind of skill set that means. I’m not stupid. And my crisis here has passed, so there’s no need for you to hang around when you’re needed elsewhere.”
She did her best to keep her voice calm and reasonable, even as her stomach clenched with the tiniest spasms of fear. The media was gone, the mob had disappeared and her stalker was dealt with. What did she still have to be afraid of?
“I’m not leaving,” Troy said in a voice that left no room to doubt his meaning. “I’ve had this damn itchy feeling along the back of my neck since we went to the hospital today, and it won’t go away.”
Dan studied him. “Well, in an agency that certainly believes in psychic gifts of any kind—and even has a de facto psi department—I’m not about to discount that. You think there’s still some danger out there?”
Troy shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but I get the feeling something’s wrong. Something we haven’t even dealt with yet.”
“Another threat of some kind?” Mia asked.
“Another something, that’s for sure. And it revolves around Lauren. So I’m not leaving. I also want to leave the cameras up around the house. No one can see them, and every time a car goes down the street it trips the beam to take a picture. I’d say better safe than sorry.”
Mark nodded his approval. “I’d do the same thing. No problem.”
Lauren looked at him. “But there’s absolutely nothing else going on in my life right now. Except you.” She blushed when she realized how that might sound. “I mean—”
“It’s okay.” Faith grinned. “We understand.”
Understand what?
“What I do know,” Troy continued, as if no one else had spoken, “is I’m not comfortable leaving someone else here with Lauren.” He draped his arm possessively across the back of her chair, long fingers squeezing her shoulder.
Lauren caught a look passing between the two women again.
“What?” she asked. “What am I missing here?”
Faith laughed. “Nothing, Lauren. It’s just this thing all the Phoenix men seem to have. When they meet the woman with whom they have a special connection, they get all macho and protective.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Special connection?”
She looked at Troy, surprised to see a dull flush creeping up his face. “What? What’s that all about? What do they mean by that?” Little butterflies of anticipation danced in her stomach. She wasn’t even sure herself about the situation. Was what she and Troy felt just something that had blossomed in the ramped-up atmosphere of danger? Everything had happened so fast. Now the situation was resolved, would this somehow fade away despite his previous intimations?
He kissed her temple, a very proprietary kiss, she noted.
“We’ll discuss it later. Meanwhile, let’s get back to business.” He looked at his two partners. “But unless you can’t do this without me, I need to stay here. Not someone else, although we have great people we tap when we need them. But me. Just me. Anyone got a problem with that?”
Both men shook their heads.
“I trust your instincts,” Dan told him. “We’ll leave things the way they are.”
They went back to work on the rescue plan, using their tablets and cell phones, coordinating what they now tagged Operation Wild Goose, for the Canadian geese that nested near where the victim was being held. Lauren was captivated with the process, even more so as both Faith and Mia gave their input.
“I’m listing the key components of this,” Mia broke in one time. “If I can wipe everything from my mind when we get home maybe I can see something that will help.”
It was blatantly obvious that the women had become a very integral part of the agency.
Faith grinned when she caught Lauren’s fascination. “What we said before is true. All the wives use their psychic abilities as best they can for any given situation. Not all contracts require them, but sometimes like now they can become integral to the event.”
Mark looked across the table at Fa
ith. “Can you keep your mind clear for the next seventy-two hours?”
She nodded. “No problem. I’m not behind on my deadlines, so I’ll be ready if you need me.”
Lauren knew Faith and Mark shared a telepathic communication. She was aware that when Mark was a prisoner of terrorists in the Peruvian jungle, it was not only his ability to communicate with Faith that kept him sane, but also led to his rescue. This was the first time she’d ever seen them deliberately put it in play.
“So does that mean,” she asked slowly, “that if the guys get into a situation where normal communication methods can’t be used, you and Mark provide the link?”
Faith nodded. “It’s really helped a couple of times when electronic communications were blocked for one reason or another.”
Mark read a text message on his screen and punched in an answer. “Rick’s all set. I told him we didn’t need Kelly and Xena this time though.”
“Okay then.” Dan nodded his agreement, tapped a message onto his cell phone and hit the Send key. “Ed’s on his way. We’re wheels-up in two hours, boys and girls. Let’s go home and pack our goody bags.”
When they left Lauren cleaned up the dishes while Troy triple-locked the front door and checked all of the security settings. When he came back into the kitchen, she pointed to a chair at the table.
“You. Sit there.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Getting a little bossy, are we?”
“If I have to.”
She leaned against the counter, arms folded over her chest. “I have a question.”
He grinned. “And I’ll be happy to answer it, sugar. Ask away.”
“What did you mean before about a ‘special connection’? What did everyone else mean?”
His face sobered. He patted his knee, indicating she should sit there.
“I’m not answering until I have you in my lap,” he insisted.
Lauren eased her way over and perched tentatively on one thigh. Troy’s strong arms came around her to hold her close to his body.
“It’s been kind of a ‘thing’ in the agency with each of us. Mark and Faith already knew each other, but for the rest of us, the women we’ve met and fallen hard for had a psychic gift, one that we’re convinced made the relationships stronger. In their hearts, Dan and Mike and Rick knew almost at once they’d met the woman for them. I was the odd man out. Until now.”