Target: A Military Romance (Unwanted Soldiers Book 1)

by Aden Lowe

  As we walked, taking the alleys and backstreets again, it occurred to me I hadn't told Trick of my plans to break up with Jared. Should I? It really had nothing to do with him, after all. Well, except if he hadn't awakened me to a realization that I should expect more from life, I would never have even pursued the line of thought all the way through.

  "Trick? There's something I wanted to talk to you about." Oh, God. My pulse went through the roof.

  "Sure, what's up?" He spoke like a guy firmly in the friend-zone, like Poppy, but his fingers wrapped around mine felt like anything but friends.

  "Uh, do you think they'll catch whoever killed Poppy?" I was such a coward.

  He sighed. "I wish I could say yes. But the truth is, most police departments are so overworked and underfunded, without a clear suspect from the beginning, the chances are pretty slim." He slid his arm around my shoulders and continued walking. "You know I'm sorry, right? Poppy seemed like a good guy."

  "He was the best. I wish I could go to his funeral, but I'm sure his family will bring him back to Boston." I smiled at a sudden memory. "I met Poppy the day I moved in. I dropped a potted plant down the stairs and woke him up. When he came out of his apartment, I thought I was dead."

  Trick chuckled a little. "I can imagine."

  "By the end of the day, we were friends." Tears pricked at my eyelids again. "Oh, God, Trick, why would anyone hurt Poppy? Even if he did interrupt someone, they didn't have to kill him."

  "Yeah, I know." He slid his hand down my arm, and back up, in a gesture he probably meant to be comforting, but only resulted in shockwaves of desire racing through me. "Hey, have you ever been to Texas?"

  Startled, I glanced up at him. "No, why?"

  "Austin, right?"

  "Yes. At least one of the fundraisers is there."

  "I have some friends near Austin. If you're up to it one morning, I'll take you out to see a real working ranch operation." The intensity of his blue eyes struck me once more. "I'd almost pay money to see you on a horse."

  "A horse? You're kidding? They're huge! I'm not getting near a horse! My friend in high school had one. It stepped on me!" And just like that, he took my mind off everything except being with him in the early morning quiet. "You ride horses?"

  His chuckle rumbled, a warm sound. "Not well. But if you're ever stranded on a runaway horse, I might be able to save you." We came into the alley behind my building. "Look, if we run into anyone, let me do the talking. I'd rather no one knew where you stayed last night. I'd hate to piss your boyfriend off again."

  "I'm breaking up with him." The words just sort of flew out of my mouth before I could stop them.

  He looked down at me again, but didn't stop walking. "Good. He doesn't deserve you. When are you going to do it?"

  "That's what I wanted to talk to Poppy about. I think I should wait until we get back from Texas. I mean, I don't want to cost him the nomination, or anything." Even to my own ears, it sounded like a weak excuse for waiting.

  Trick's mouth tightened a little, but he just nodded. "If that's what you think is best." He clearly considered the subject closed as we reached the front of my building and we started up the stairs.

  No trace remained in the stairwell of anything unusual taking place last night. I didn't know what I expected, but maybe at least crime scene tape. But there was nothing. Poppy's door stood closed, like a stark, silent reminder. Everything about his death was just…gone. I supposed I would have to give the spare key to whoever moved in next.

  Inside my apartment, Trick checked everything quickly, and apparently found nothing wrong. "I'll be right outside if you need anything."

  More than a little hurt, I went to make drinkable coffee, surprised to find it wasn't even seven a.m. yet. What had I said or done to turn Trick around so quickly? He'd gone from being my friend to just business so quickly it seemed someone flipped a switch. I replayed the conversation, trying to discern how I might have offended him.

  Pouring my own coffee triggered the memory of the terrible sludge at Trick's motel. He hadn't had coffee yet either. Quickly, I poured a second cup. Would he reject the offer?

  I unlocked the door and found myself face to face with Trick. For a moment, the words wouldn't come, and I just stared dumbly at him. "Would, um, would you like coffee? It's ready." I stepped aside to let him in.

  A quick smile flashed across his face. "Thanks. I would." He came in and locked the door again.

  I gestured for him to sit at the table and handed him his mug. "I'm sorry for earlier."

  His startled eyes met mine. "For what? You didn't do anything wrong."

  "Oh. Well. I just assumed I must have offended you." It seemed stupid now.

  "Look, Lauren, I won't lie to you. I'm elated you've decided to break up with him. But I'm worried you'll change your mind. You'll tell yourself it isn't that bad, you can handle it." He shrugged. "So, yeah, I got a little pissy. I'm sorry."

  My door rattled. "Miss Johnson? Time to get up!" Tabitha's voice shredded my nerves.

  Trick stood. "I've got it." With a quick wink, he strode to the door and opened it. "Good morning, Tabitha, isn't it? I'm Mike. Glad to meet you."

  Tabitha practically pushed him over in her rush to get inside, then paused to glare at him. "Aren't you supposed to be outside?"

  "Well, yes, normally, but Miss Johnson heard something and asked me to come inside and check. The threat against her has her a bit unnerved." He turned to me and lifted his mug in salute. "I'll be right outside if you need anything, Miss Johnson." The traitor left me alone with Tabitha with nothing more than a wicked smile that threatened to melt my bones.

  Chapter fourteen

  I got the fuck out of that apartment as fast as I could go. That Tabitha chick looked like a real ball buster, and the less I had to do with her, the better. Part of me felt just a little guilty for leaving Lauren to deal with her, but I consoled myself with the thought of the calls I needed to make.

  First I called Flag. "Wake up, motherfucker. Time to get your ass to work."

  "Fuck you."

  I hung up before he could say anything else. My next call went to McKinley. "Just letting you know the client is safe in her apartment. She's with the Senator's assistant right now."

  "Good deal. I hope you're ready to travel. I just got word the Senator is leaving for Austin this morning, and the client is going with."

  "I'm ready."

  McKinley groaned. "Thank God. I don't think I could take one more man flaking out on me today. As it is, I have no idea how I'm going to find enough guys to cover your client."

  I grinned. Rufus had been busy. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. I'm up for doubles if you need."

  "Good to know, man. I'll try and get someone over there to relieve you in the next hour, so you can grab your bag."

  I laughed a little. "No offense, but last time you had someone relieve me, a killer got way too close to the client. I'll stop off on the way to the Senator's and grab my stuff. It won't take a minute."

  "It'd be great if you could do that. You sure she won't mind?"

  "Yeah, she's cool." I wrapped the call up and texted Flag to get my stuff thrown back in the bag so I could just stop off and pick it up.

  Only a few minutes passed before Lauren's door opened, and the Tabitha chick nearly ran me over. She stopped and looked at me like something she scraped off the bottom of her shoe. "Once you drop Miss Johnson off at the Senator's building this morning, your services will no longer be required."

  I grinned and stepped into her space. "All due respect, ma'am, but my boss will tell me when my services are no longer required. And when he does, I might show up at some event with the opposition. That would be a hell of a note, huh?"

  The glare she sent me threatened all sorts of bodily harm, but she paled a little, too. "I'll remind you of the confidentiality agreement you signed."

  I leaned down by her hear and lowered my voice. "The agreement I signed is in regards to Miss Johnson. Not
the Senator."

  She spun away from me in fury, and her sensible pumps made way too much noise as she stomped down the stairs.

  Lauren's muffled laughter from behind her door brought a smile to my face. Maybe I should have kept a low profile with Richardson and that woman, but by this point, annoying the piss out of him had become vastly entertaining. No doubt, Tabitha would break her neck getting back to him to report my veiled threat.

  The drive to the Senator's, including the brief stop for my bag, went by too quickly. This annoying need to keep Lauren to myself kept hitting me. It went directly back to the threat against her, first from Richardson, and then from whoever killed Poppy. McKinley's detective buddy hadn't found anything related to Lauren with that, but my gut said it had everything to do with her. Someone killed Poppy to hurt her.

  I escorted Lauren to the table and held her chair for her, despite the daggers glared my way from both the Senator and Tabitha. Once she was seated, I just smiled at both of them, and moved a short distance away. But not before I spotted the bruises on the back of Richardson's hand from the pressure I applied to his fist yesterday. Satisfaction settled deep in my gut. If I had my way, I would give him far more than that.

  The breakfast thing went peacefully, although several times I noticed Richardson clench his fists. At least he kept it to himself. Tabitha, however, kept giving Lauren nasty looks from her little corner of the patio. Jealousy? The possibility bore looking into. A jealous woman could be as dangerous as any political rival, or criminal.

  The housekeeper interrupted them gently, letting the Senator know the car waited out front. He gave the order, and everyone moved fairly quickly to the waiting limo. I hurried and took the front seat with the driver, leaving Richardson's security man followed in a second car. If I played by the rules, I would be in the second car, since Richardson was the primary client. Good thing I liked breaking rules.

  The private jet held way too many people for my liking. In addition to Richardson's top campaign staff, his own security, the rest of Lauren's security, several reporters also came along for the ride. Too damn many people to watch and make sure no one got close to Lauren, especially when all the reporters wanted an exclusive with her. They wanted whatever they could get—scandal, or a romance for the ages. Either would increase their ratings. Thankfully, Lauren declined, so I didn't have to listen to her extoll the Senator's virtues for some human interest story.

  At least Flag and X-Man made it onto her detail. A last-minute text from McKinley informed me it would just be the three of us on Lauren for the trip. Rufus manufactured resumes for them that included private work for several high profile celebrities, so McKinley hired them. The shortage of agents, also partially created by Rufus, gave him no choice but to put them on Lauren's detail, or risk sub-contracting with another firm for more men. Either way, his reputation went on the line, but the work histories Rufus made up must have been impressive enough to take the risk.

  Although one of the men on the Senator's crew officially held the supervisor title for the trip, McKinley put me in charge of Lauren's detail. We were given the itinerary for the first day, and informed that the details would become available as needed. I wondered who else had those details in advance. Tabitha Wilkins, for sure. Probably McKinley. People at the venues.

  There were far too many possible leaks and threats. And I didn't have the information I needed to prepare. Fortunately, we only had to deal with personal security. The Senator's supporters bankrolled an Austin firm to handle locations, travel, and events. Of course, I didn't trust them either.

  The quick meeting broke up, with most of the McKinley people settling in to rest while they could. I took the opportunity for a quick word with Flag and X-Man about Tabitha's brother. "Everything okay with our guest?"

  Flag grinned. "Of course. Ransom and Heller are sitting on him."

  "Any word yet on what went wrong back there with the neighbor?" X-Man stayed serious, without the wiseass comments I expected. Usually the new guy in a crew had something to prove.

  The question about Poppy's murder put me on edge. "Not yet. Can't help but feel like I'm missing something big there. Just keep your eyes and ears open."

  They both nodded, and Flag took up a position in the main cabin to watch over Lauren, while X-Man and I rested. I hadn't exactly had a restful night, so a little downtime was welcome. Except when I closed my eyes, the only thing that came was the image of Lauren's beauty spread across my bed.

  Last night turned into an extreme form of torture. Her movements and sounds made the nature of her dreams very clear. And now, the reminder had my dick springing to attention all over again. I ended up spending the remainder of the flight thinking of every unappealing thing I'd ever seen, in an attempt to control my raging hard-on.

  Once we landed, I was too busy to worry about it. The move from the airport to the hotel experienced several minor incidents. The armored vehicle intended to transport Richardson and Lauren refused to start at the airport after idling on the tarmac until the engine died. Impatient and nasty tempered from the heat, Richardson refused to wait until a replacement arrived. Instead, they took a regular limo, over the objections of just about everyone.

  The truck carrying the entire party's luggage blew a tire on the freeway, creating a new vulnerability. With the luggage isolated, the risk of someone tampering with it increased exponentially. Personally, I had no intention of trusting the Austin people to thoroughly screen Lauren's belongings. Their handling of things so far left a lot to desire.

  And then at the hotel, a regular patron somehow managed to get checked into one of the rooms in the wing reserved for Richardson's party. Everything ground to a halt to allow the hotel staff time to move the patron, and service the room. The delay left Lauren alone and vulnerable in a standard vehicle with Richardson for longer than necessary.

  Flag elbowed me for the fourth time. "Get a grip, man."

  I forced my hands to be still. He was right, of course. Stuck in a shuttle van with the rest of the McKinley team, I had no way to ensure Lauren's safety, so nerves become a useless waste of energy. Before Poppy's murder, I operated under the assumption that the only actual threat to her came from Richardson. Now, I had to assume someone else intended her harm, and I had no fucking clue who that might be.

  Finally, though, everything worked out. Even though Flag was technically on shift to cover Lauren, I personally escorted her to her suite. My inspection of the place left me wary as fuck. The lock on the balcony door was practically useless, and two entrances from the corridor created an extra weakness. On a positive note, at least she had her own room, instead of sharing with Richardson. Of course, that also made it easier to single her out as a target, too.

  Frustrated by my inability to control every possibility, I probably came off a little intense when I spoke to Lauren. "Remember to keep your eyes open. The Senator might not be the worst threat here." Unwilling to leave anything to chance, I began to check over her luggage where it waited on a rack by the door.

  Eyes still a little puffy from the tears she shed for her friend, she stared up at me with alarm. "What do you mean?"

  I hated to bring it up, but she had to be aware. "Lauren, someone murdered your neighbor and the man supposed to keep you safe. Even though the detective hasn't turned up anything, I feel certain it was no coincidence."

  "Someone's trying to hurt me?" Fear made her voice higher than usual.

  Shit. I needed to calm her down. "I don't know, but we can't ignore the possibility. We'll keep you safe, though. The other two men on your team are experienced and sharp. And they won't look the other way, either."

  "What do you mean, look the other way?"

  "I mean they don't give two shits about the Senator. They'll be focused on you, and leave him to his team." That possibility had worried me more and more as I thought over all the things that could go wrong. Once more, gratitude filled me that I possessed the resources to at least put that factor out of the
way. Fuck, I cared far too much about the outcome of this mission.

  "Do you think something will happen?" Her delicate brows drew into a slight frown as she really considered the idea, maybe for the first time.

  I wished I could put her mind at ease. "I don't know. I hope not, but I know I don't trust anyone in this operation other than those two men." The zipper lock of her garment bag was missing. "Did this bag have a lock like the others?" My pulse sped up a notch.

  "Yes. Why?" She moved closer as if to check.

  I pushed in front of her and quickly forced her to the other room. "Get over there and stay." A quick text brought Flag in, weapon drawn and looking for a threat. I explained. "Lock missing from the garment bag. Possible tampering."

  He nodded and holstered the gun. "You taking her out?"

  I considered various scenarios. If something happened to be in her bag, it was most likely intended to affect only the person opening it. Or it could be a diversion, designed to draw her into the open. "No. Lauren, go in the bathroom and close the door."

  "But—"

  "Now!" I needed her instant obedience, even if the missing lock was nothing. I took her arm and propelled her into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. "Where's X-Man? I want to keep this to just us if possible." The apparent lack of reaction might force whoever meant to harm Lauren to make another move and allow us to bring them down.

  "Agreed. He's in our room, resting so he can take the next shift."

  "Good. Let's get that bag open." I took out my pocket knife, disguised as a keychain. The three-quarter inch blade slid out silently. "I'll cut, you catch."

  Flag nodded agreement and steadied the bag for me.

  Thankful for the razor sharp blade, I slipped the point into the seam at the top left of the bag, and quickly sliced through the stitching to within a couple inches of the bottom. Repeating the cut on the other side, I opened the bag enough for us to see inside without disturbing the zipper.