Chapter Five
The next five days passed slowly for Devon, mostly doing boring surveillance of Antonio and his goons. With the camera angles he’d installed and the security cameras for the resort all feeding into his phone and computer, he was free to roam the property. He didn’t dare get too far away in case something happened. Not much did. Besides leaving a few times to check out the airport and different spots in the mountains and the valley, the bodyguards spent their time watching disgusting shows. Antonio focused on tapping away on his computer, they all ate a lot of room service, and the bodyguards looked as bored as Devon felt watching them.
A few times, Antonio took a phone call, and after he hung up, he would berate his men in Italian. Chris’s translation tool was good, but Antonio didn’t share any helpful information. Would it be too much to ask for names and meeting dates? It seemed they were all waiting for something that wasn’t coming. Join the club.
Iris ate dinner in the resort’s restaurant with Antonio two more times, and Devon hated every minute of it. Luckily, she didn’t spend much more time with him than that, and from the camera angles Devon had access to, she appeared busy and happy.
Devon spent the most time away from his room in the early morning. He’d lift weights in the resort’s gym and go on hikes or runs through the many forest trails. It was beautiful in the morning and there was little risk of his quarry doing anything. His phone would beep at him if Antonio or his men left the room, but in the five days he’d monitored them, Antonio had started working on his computer around nine or ten and his bodyguards had slept until noon or later. Sadly if Interpol had gotten any fabulous insight from the computer files he’d sent to them they hadn’t shared it with Devon.
His favorite part of the day was late in the evening, when he would follow Iris home. His assignments usually settled in for the night and watched movies or played poker, so he had little worry that they would leave the penthouse, and he always skimmed back through any footage he missed in case there was a significant conversation. Nothing yet.
He hadn’t confronted Iris since that first night, but he didn’t conceal himself, and she knew he was there. The first few nights, she’d given him irritated looks, but lately the looks seemed more inviting. Had she forgiven him for scaring her? He shouldn’t have grabbed her like that and wished he could rewind and undo his rash move. He’d wanted to make a point that she needed to be smart and vigilant to protect herself, that anyone could easily grab her as she walked home alone at night, but it had been a stupid move on his part. He’d love to have a conversation with her without it turning into a battle. Yet if she didn’t value her own safety, a battle might be his only choice to open her eyes.
He stopped below the porch like he had the other nights, waiting for her to turn to him so he could smile or laugh when she stuck her tongue out or simply glared at him. A movement around the side of the wraparound porch tore his gaze from Iris. A woman tottered along the wooden planks, and he relaxed when he recognized Grams.
“Grams.” Iris’s voice held a note of panic as she looked from him to her grandmother. “I’ll be right in.”
“And who is this?” Grams walked up to the railing, leaning over it and peering at him. “A handsome one, eh? You two playing Rapunzel and Flynn? She can let her hair down from the balcony, and you can climb on up.”
Devon smiled. She was a quirky lady. He liked her immediately.
“Grams.” Iris rolled her eyes. “We’re not playing anything. Chris has been following me home the past five nights to keep me … safe.”
“Safe?” Grams’s eyebrows rose, and her blue eyes filled with humor. “Safe. That’s a good one.” She lowered her voice. “You’re not really naïve enough to believe that’s why he’s following you, are you?”
Devon felt his neck heat up. True, he liked following Iris, but he was intent on keeping her safe, especially as she appeared to have no fears regarding her own safety. Her grandmother seemed to live in a fantasy world as well, thinking this valley was immune to crime and ugliness.
“Grams,” Iris said sharply.
Grams lifted her shoulders. “I’m just saying. There’s a lot of reasons a hot young man follows a beautiful girl home, and I don’t think safety is what he’s got in mind.” She clucked her tongue and looked him over as Iris gave him an apologetic grimace. “Well, you coming in or not?”
Devon put his hand to his chest. “I’d be honored to come in,” he said.
“Good. High time we got to know each other. Come on. I’ve got cookies.”
Devon chuckled and jogged up the stairs. Grams walked slowly to the back door. Devon eased in close to Iris as they followed, and he asked quietly, “Are you okay with me coming in?”
Iris stared up at him, those aqua-green eyes filled with uncertainty but also with interest. “You try telling Grams no.”
“I wouldn’t dare.” He winked, but he wished she’d said that she wanted him around.
“I heard that,” Grams called out.
Devon and Iris shared a smile, and he liked being in cahoots with her. He hurried ahead to catch the door Grams opened and held it while Grams and Iris walked in, the latter giving him a look that made his stomach heat up. Maybe she was more interested in him than she was letting on.
They walked through a dimly lit mudroom and laundry room and into a huge, two-story living area. The kitchen, dining, and living rooms were all open with wooden beams to support the upper story and a balcony that must’ve led to bedrooms. The wall overlooking the lake was two stories of glass, and he could see lights twinkling in cabins across the lake and the moon glittering in the lake’s surface.
“Can I come back during the day and see the view out these windows?” he asked without thinking.
Grams smiled. “You, my boy, are welcome back anytime.”
“Grams,” Iris said in an undertone. “You don’t even know him.”
“Well, I like what I see.” Grams gave her an imperious look, then asked, “Chips and homemade salsa, or homemade cookies?”
“Both, please,” Devon begged before he could stop himself.
Grams chuckled. “See why I like him?” she asked Iris. “Sit, sit.” She gestured to both of them.
Devon walked with Iris around the large island and pulled out a padded barstool for her before sinking into one himself. He leaned forward and watched as Grams pulled out a jar of salsa and a bag of chips, pouring the salsa into the bowl and gesturing for him to dig in. Devon didn’t need to be asked twice. He scooped up a generous amount of salsa on the chip and popped it in his mouth, savoring the salty crispness of the chip and the blend of tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, and lime in the salsa. You couldn’t beat a home-canned salsa. This one was a little spicier than his mom’s, but he liked it.
“Delicious,” he proclaimed before reaching for another chip.
Grams grinned as she pulled out a Tupperware of homemade chocolate chip cookies. “Milk?” she asked.
“Oh yes, please.”
Chuckling, she went for a glass and rummaged through the fridge for the milk. “Are they not feeding you good enough up at that lodge?”
Iris stiffened beside him.
“Oh no, the food is delicious,” Devon reassured them both. “You just can’t beat homemade salsa and cookies.” He picked up his glass of milk and saluted them. “With milk.”
“You act like a little boy going to grandma’s house,” Iris said.
He felt like a little boy going to grandma’s house. Of his grandparents, only his Granny Sue was still living. He missed her. She and Grams would get along famously. He grinned at Iris and held up a cookie to her lips. “Take a bite. You know you want to.”
Iris bit the cookie in half. “I’ll never turn down Grams’s cookies.”
He ate the other half. “Amazing,” he agreed.
“You’d never know she can’t turn down a cookie by that shape,” Grams said, pumping her eyebrows.
“Iris’s shape’s mo
re delicious than your cookies,” Devon agreed; then he froze with a cookie to his lips as he realized what he’d said. “I mean …”
Grams laughed heartily, and Iris was blushing but smiling. “It’s okay. I started it.” Grams leaned into the counter but didn’t sit.
“Would you like to sit down?” Devon asked. “We could move this late-night eating party to the table.”
Grams shook her head. “I don’t sit well. Tell me all about you, young man.”
Devon ate another chip loaded with salsa and said, “Nothing too exciting. Grew up in the Bay Area. I’m a security specialist, so I travel quite a bit for work. No wife, no children.”
“No home base?” Grams asked, and Iris shifted beside him.
He glanced at Iris and shook his head. “Not really. I go see my parents and siblings when I can, and I enjoy living in different locations.”
“You’re here for work?” Grams asked.
“No. This is actually vacation. I found pictures of the lodge and lake online and wanted to spend some time decompressing here. Unless you need me to update your security system?” He didn’t need to inform them that he’d already infiltrated it and it was sadly lacking.
Grams laughed as Iris stiffened. “No, sir. No need for much security up here. We’ve got cameras in case somebody sues us for slipping on a newly waxed floor or flipping off the high dive and hitting their head on the platform, but this valley is as safe as your mama’s arms.” Grams shot a look at Iris that Devon couldn’t decipher. “Only once in a while do we get a tourist who needs their butt kicked.”
Devon hated that slime Antonio even more for bringing his filth to this picturesque and quaint spot. He was grateful that Antonio had been on Interpol’s radar and that they’d hired Devon. What if Antonio had hurt Iris or Grams and Devon hadn’t been here? He shuddered and lied to Grams, “I’m glad to hear that, ma’am.”
“What branch of the military did you serve in?”
Devon had a bite of cookie in his mouth and was savoring the mixture of brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and semisweet chocolate. He swallowed hard and fast, and the delicious cookie got stuck in his throat. Grabbing his milk glass, he washed it all down before admitting, “The Army.”
She nodded. “They put you through school?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“They open your eyes to the world?”
He shrugged. His job had done that more than the military had. “Them and my work, ma’am.”
“They make you a man?”
“Them and my father, ma’am.” Though his father had taught him how to be a man with love and by great example of treating others with respect and kindness, especially his mom and sisters.
“My Burt served in the Navy.” Grams gestured to a picture on the coffee table, one that depicted a craggy man. “He was right proud of his service every day, and I was proud to be married to him. Good man.” Her eyes glossed over for a second.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he murmured.
“Thank you, son. He was ready to go to heaven. Parkinson’s. It stank at the end.” She clapped her hands together. “Well, now, back to you—no wife, no children. You have a girlfriend, or do you leave one in every port?”
Devon smiled at the Navy reference and couldn’t resist saying as he glanced at the beauty seated quietly by his side, “Maybe not every port.”
Iris’s eyes widened and she asked, “Does that mean what I think it means?”
“Yes, but I was only teasing.” He smiled and studied her, his body warming at the thought of dating such a woman. “If I could date you, I would dump all the women in other ports.”
Grams hooted happily. “I knew I liked you.”
Iris studied him as if trying to discern his intentions. Devon wasn’t certain about those intentions himself. He was interested in her, he liked her, but he was on a job here, and it wasn’t a safe, happy, easy job. If he put her in danger, he’d never forgive himself. At the same time, he could claim that he was protecting her from Antonio if he talked her into dating him.
She must not have liked what she saw in his eyes, or maybe it scared her, because she turned away and murmured, “I’ve got an early morning.” Standing, she gave Grams a kiss on the cheek and Devon a quick wave, then trudged up the stairs.
Grams waited until her door closed before leaning across the table and clasping Devon’s hand between her soft, warm fingers. “You keep flirting with and teasing her. She’ll fall prey to those blue eyes. I know I would.”
“Thank you, ma’am, but how do you know you can trust me?” Trust was a tricky thing in his line of work. He usually focused on trusting no one.
“First of all, it’s Grams, not ma’am. Second of all, I have the gift of discernment, and I know a good egg when I see one.” She patted his hand and took the milk to the fridge.
Devon ate another cookie to hide his consternation. If she truly had a gift of discernment, she’d know he was hiding something. When she walked back to face him, he caught a glint in her eyes—greenish-blue eyes very similar to her granddaughter’s—that said she knew more than he wanted her to know, but she still trusted him. All of it put more pressure on him than he was ready for. Sure, he wanted to be around Iris more, but he couldn’t compromise her or his job. If Grams had any clue what his purpose was here, she’d be cussing him, not feeding him cookies.
Chapter Six
Iris was still confused when she woke the next morning and slid into running shorts and a tank top. Chris had said he wanted to date her, but instead of furthering the flirtations, she’d run away. Was it the mixed signals he gave with his eyes, or was she afraid of finding the right man for her? Even if Chris was that man, he was only here for a short time, and it sounded like his work took him around the world, or at least around the country. A man like that would never be content to settle down in Mystical Lake, managing a resort and taking hikes for entertainment.
She mulled over these thoughts as she blindly ran through the forest trails, not even soaking in the view of green trees, mossy rocks, and bubbling springs around her. Dang Chris for stirring her up and making her miss out on the beauty of her home.
Footsteps came crashing through the trail behind her. Iris would normally either continue on her run or turn around and greet the fellow runner or hiker, see if they wanted to run together and chat for a stretch. Not this time. When Chris had grabbed her the other night, it’d brought back those unwanted feelings of being a scared sixteen-year-old, and his warnings rang in her head. She found her heart thumping faster as she increased her pace, wanting to outdistance the person following her and not risk dealing with someone with untoward intentions. It ticked her off that Chris could scare her and make her run away like a wuss, but run she did.
She left the main trail and angled east on an overgrown one-track, back toward the lake and hopefully the safety of a nearby cabin. She heard the steps still coming behind her, and fear traced along her spine like an icy stranger. The person was definitely following her. Why else would they leave the wide, well-maintained trail and go along this unkempt path?
Bursting out of the trees, she surveyed her surroundings quickly. Uncle Jay and Catalina’s cabin would be a short distance north. Upping her pace again, she dodged off the single-track and toward the lake. She thought she heard the person behind her calling to her, but she could hardly hear over her own loud footfalls and the pounding of her heart in her ears.
She reached the glistening, peaceful lake and could see Uncle Jay’s dock fifty yards away. The best news was that Uncle Jay was sitting in a camp chair, fishing from the dock in the peace of the early morning. She had no oxygen to yell; she just kept running until she pounded along the wooden dock and toward the safety her uncle represented.
He was in the process of reeling in his line, but he turned in surprise. “Iris? You okay?”
She stopped at the end of the dock next to him, put her hands on her knees, and gasped for air. “Someone … chasing … me,
” she managed to get out.
Uncle Jay stood and dropped the fishing pole, his brow furrowing and his lips pinching together until they disappeared. They all knew about what she’d gone through the day of her mom’s funeral, the day her dad had left. Grams was proud of her for putting it behind her, but Uncle Jay had appointed himself as her protector since her brothers and Cruz had left the valley, and he didn’t take kindly to anyone looking the wrong way at her or Cat. It was as if he had to make up for his only brother giving up on Iris and the rest of the family.
“Who?” He turned as the loud footfalls she’d been running from approached. “Hey!” Uncle Jay roared at the intruder.
Iris watched as the person who’d been following her came into view, and her jaw dropped. Chris. He looked incredible in a fitted T-shirt and knee-length shorts. He was hardly out of breath as he approached the dock and held up his hands. “It’s okay. I’m a friend of Iris’s.”
“She said you were chasing her; she looked terrified.” Uncle Jay stepped in front of her and protectively pushed her back.
Iris’s left foot slipped off the dock. She tottered and reached for Uncle Jay but only caught the sleeve of his shirt as her right foot slid as well. She flailed and splashed into the cold lake.
“Iris!” She heard the yell from Chris as the water closed over her head.
She popped back up out of the water, not quite able to touch the bottom, beating her arms and kicking her legs to stay afloat. She was an all right swimmer but she felt disoriented and chilled clear through. She was alone and without a safety net, just like she had been when her mom died and her dad left her.
Only Her Undercover Spy Page 4