VIP Protector

by Patricia Rosemoor

  “Leroy might be able to place Johnny,” Blade mused. “Don't worry, I'll tell him to keep a low profile on this.”

  Stella nodded. “And I'll see what our macabre chef was up to, plus try to get a handle on Wheeler's and Churchill's whereabouts.”

  Knowing alibis could be just that, Lynn held her own council while deciding to go ahead with plans of her own.

  ***

  Hours later, Blade still cursed the fact that not only had he been caught off-guard, but that he'd been taken down by an amateur with a bottle of spray cleaner. The club hadn't opened yet, and he and Lynn sat at a table in the employees’ lounge, waiting for the other members of Team Undercover to join them for an update.

  Lynn looked like hell. Not that she wasn't still beautiful, no doubt about it. But he'd come to know her body English, her every expression. And before him sat a woman on edge, one who'd been through the wringer.

  And it was all his fault.

  “I can't believe I let the bastard get to you.”

  “Enough apologizing already,” she returned.

  “But I left you and...”

  “And nature was calling me. You couldn't have held my hand in the ladies' room.”

  “But I should have been guarding the door.”

  “There was another door,” she reminded him as Cass entered the lounge. “Or I should have gone with you. We can play this blame game as long as you like, but it isn't going to change the outcome. The crux of the matter is that I'm all right. It's time to get on with things.”

  Suspicion tickled the back of his neck. “What things?”

  Lynn didn't answer, merely looked to the doorway as Gideon entered, followed by Logan.

  Though the team members already knew about the latest attack, Lynn gave them all the gory details. And made Blade want to kick himself to kingdom-come all over again.

  “Looks like you need to stick to your new identity until we get a break,” Gideon said.

  “Too bad you can't remember the details of the original situation.” Cass sat and met Lynn's gaze as if she were trying to mesmerize her. “You really ought to consider jogging that memory.”

  Blade wondered what Cass was getting at, especially when, as if she were stricken with a case of nerves, Lynn quickly looked away from the other woman.

  Did Cass know something he didn't?

  Trying not to let it worry him, Blade told Logan, “We hoped to record Churchill and Johnny this afternoon, but no such luck.”

  “Too bad. At least I got results on the other two back from the lab.”

  Lynn visibly perked up. “And?”

  “And we can eliminate one of the suspects.”

  “Timothy Cooper,” Blade guessed.

  “Actually, Roger Wheeler.”

  “What?” Lynn gasped. “Are you sure?”

  Though Blade hadn't seen the bastard's face, they'd made physical contact. From the man's wiliness and strength, he would have gone with the younger, more street savvy cop than a businessman.

  Then, again, Johnny was street smart and tough as they came... although how the hell would he have known where to find Lynn that morning?

  “No room for doubt?” Blade asked.

  “Not if you believe voice analysis has basis in fact,” Logan said. “The speech patterns, the breathing... well, they indicate Wheeler to be improbable, while Cooper is labeled neutral due to lack of sufficient material.”

  “I was so sure,” Lynn murmured. “Everything fit. I mean, Wheeler was right there, in my face. He threatened me less than an hour before it happened!”

  “As did Churchill,” Blade reminded her.

  “Right.”

  She didn't sound any more convinced than he was, Blade realized.

  Churchill could have done it. Stella had checked him out. He'd had business at the Daley Center that morning. But the man couldn't come up with anyone to corroborate where he'd been at the time of the attack. He'd had an important meeting a half hour following, and according to Churchill's colleagues, he'd shown up on time.

  Could he have played it so close to the vest? Blade wondered.

  “Maybe we need to put tails on the three remaining suspects,” Gideon said. “24/7?” Blade asked.

  “That's probably the only way.”

  “No!” Lynn slammed down her cup of coffee and sloshed some on her hand. “What good would that do unless I gave the creep another shot at Evelyn Cross. I don't think so. I want to play this my way.”

  Knowing what she meant by that, Blade felt his gut knot. He glared at Lynn, but she refused to meet his gaze. Color heightened her cheeks and that wounded, trapped expression had left her features. Which was good, he guessed. She was ready to fight back.

  Suddenly he realized that Gideon, Logan and Cass were all staring at the two of them... waiting...

  And then Gideon broke the tension by clearing his throat. “What would your way be, Lynn?”

  “Since we couldn't record all the suspects' voices, I figured that if I sent out some VIP tickets for the Maria Savage concert tomorrow night, it might give me the opportunity to get up close and personal. I could wear a wire while serving drinks.”

  Back to that again. He knew it!

  Blade's voice went tight when he asked, “You're talking about Churchill, right?”

  “Uh-huh. And Cooper.”

  But he could hear the addendum in her tone. And she still refused to look at him.

  “Leave Johnny alone,” he ordered, his voice low and far more calm than he was feeling.

  Lynn tightened her jaw at his warning and didn't answer one way or another. No one in the room said a thing, and he could almost hear the others' thoughts. It might be the only way. And the team would all be there to back her up.

  That didn't mean he had to like it, of course. Or give her his approval.

  Blade knew Lynn well enough to be convinced she would do what she wanted anyway.

  “It's time to get to work,” Gideon said, breaking the tension. Except for you, Lynn. Come on into the office and we'll take care of getting those tickets. They can be messengered out in the morning.”

  Blade watched her go without looking back at him. This plan of hers wasn't good and now she was shutting him out. He couldn't let that happen. The only way he could protect her was if he was with her and she was open with him.

  He worried about it all night, and later, when he got the return call from Leroy, his worry intensified.

  No one could swear to Johnny Rincon's whereabouts that morning.

  ***

  Though the street was deserted when they left the club after hours, Blade kept his gaze moving, as if looking for any sign of danger, as if he expected her abductor to jump out of a doorway. His raised instincts sent a shiver through Lynn. Not that she expected any trouble here... at least not yet... though tomorrow night might be a different story. She was certain that Blade was simply being doubly cautious after what had happened to her that morning.

  Still, she was unexpectedly spooked as they walked down a mostly deserted Milwaukee Avenue and found herself checking out every doorway, every parked car. The wind suddenly kicked up and a paper flew at her, making her start. The rumble of the rapid transit train on the nearby elevated tracks competed with the beat of her heart.

  Blade didn't comment, but obviously sensing her emotions, he placed a hand in the middle of her back. Oddly enough, that light touch made her feel better.

  “How are the feet?” he asked, as if trying to keep her mind off what was really bothering her.

  “Better, Mr. Folk Medicine,” she said, sounding less frazzled than she was feeling. “They hurt, but at least I'm not limping tonight.”

  “It's never too late to wear something more sensible.”

  “Or nothing at all,” she murmured, unsure of whether she meant shoes or something more provocative.

  Lynn guessed Blade was wondering the same, because she sensed him go taut at the suggestion. Which in turn sparked something inside h
er that made her less tired and more inclined to move closer to him, and not for the sole purpose of feeling safe.

  A sense of want... of need... multiplied in her as it seemed to do at odd moments with him.

  How could one man affect her so strongly?

  They reached the Jeep all too soon. Blade helped her inside, his hand on her elbow jump-starting her pulse.

  And after he slid into the driver's seat and started the engine, he said, “I'm surprised you had the energy to work at all after what happened this morning.”

  “I'm not going to stop living,” Lynn protested. “Well, in a way, I suppose I have. I've stopped living my life. Which isn't all bad,” she admitted. “I get to see how someone else lives.” What she meant was she got to be near him. “I just wish it could be more... I don't know... fun... spontaneous.”

  “That can be arranged.”

  “Right.”

  “Really.” Blade made a U-turn and headed east.

  “What? Where are we going?”

  “Someplace we can be spontaneous.”

  “You're not the type.”

  “What type am I?”

  “Serious. Quiet. Focused.”

  “Boring?”

  “I didn't say that.”

  “Maybe I read your mind.”

  “Then you read wrong. Besides, Cass is the mind reader, right?”

  “So she says.”

  “Do you believe her?”

  “I believe certain people have gifts that other people don't understand.”

  Why couldn't Cass just read her mind and tell her the details of what had happened when she'd been abducted? Lynn wondered. That would simplify everything. Why the need for hypnosis?

  Then again, she'd been the one to bring it up in the first place. Cass merely had been reminding her of that with the comment about jogging her memory.

  Why didn't she? What was she waiting for?

  Definitely a control issue... the way she'd learned to live her life, Lynn supposed. The control issues didn't end with personal relationships. But she was certain she could trust Cass even as she trusted Blade.

  If nothing else worked...

  But her heart beat a little faster just thinking about it.

  Suddenly she looked up and realized they were about as far east as they could get. Lake Shore Drive loomed overhead. Even in the middle of the night, cars zoomed along in either direction.

  “We're taking a joy ride?”

  “Not exactly.”

  As they shot under the Drive, she realized only one option remained. “The beach?”

  “Why not?” he asked, driving straight into the parking lot, since the gates were up.

  A stroll along the beach conjured all kinds of romantic thoughts. Better thoughts than she'd had all day. She and Blade alone under a full moon…

  North Avenue Beach was a testament to the good life. At a local health club's outdoor venue there right next to the lake, patrons could work out on equipment or use free weights, while breathing in fresh air and a fabulous view of the downtown Chicago skyline. The new public building provided the usual changing and restrooms but in an unusual edifice in the shape of an ocean liner. Lynn had whiled away more than one afternoon or evening eating and drinking at the rooftop restaurant.

  All now, of course, was deserted. Chicago parks and beaches had officially closed hours before.

  Even so, they left the vehicle, took off their shoes and walked down to the water's edge. The tide rolled in over their bare feet, making Lynn jump away from the foamy cold.

  “The water will make you feel better,” Blade promised.

  “I suppose I'll have to believe you.”

  “Suppose?”

  “Well, you were right about the tea and the salve, Mr. Folk Medicine. But what exactly is the sand and water supposed to do for me?”

  “Center you. Make you one with nature.”

  She laughed. “I'm not a nature girl. I've never been camping in my life. Give me a fine hotel and a comfortable bed any day.”

  “You don't have to camp to be one with nature,” Blade argued. “Have you ever stood in awe of a beautiful sunrise?”

  “A few times,” she admitted.

  “Appreciated a beautiful landscape?”

  “Of course.”

  “Stopped and let a breeze play over you on a hot summer day?”

  “Many times.”

  “Then you have your own appreciation for nature. I'm just suggesting you dig a little deeper.”

  He held out his hand.

  How could she resist?

  As they continued walking north, she dug her toes into the wet sand and let her troubles go for the moment. “I've never known anyone like you before.”

  “Is that good or bad?”

  “Yes.”

  “I'm half bad?” Blade asked, his low tone sending her pulse thrumming.

  “Only in the best way,” Lynn insisted. “You make me feel things I never wanted to feel.”

  He stopped and so did she.

  “Tell me,” he whispered softly, turning her toward him.

  The moon silvered his features making him seem more handsome than ever. Her gaze strayed from his inky dark eyes down his full-bridged nose to his sculpted lips... and remained there.

  “Dependent,” she admitted.

  “I'm sorry.”

  “I'm not.” She met his gaze once more. “I didn't mean it that way. It's hard to explain. It's not the way my mom is with my dad. Not the way my sister Dani was with her ex-husband Nathan, either. It's a good kind of dependence. Like I can trust you and you won't let me down. Like we have a bond that makes us—”

  “What?”

  “I don't know,” she admitted.

  She wanted to know, wanted to be able to express what she was feeling. Wanted to be able to tell Blade how very important he'd become to her in so short a time.

  How she cared for him... maybe even loved him.

  Dear God, did she? Could it be?

  Love?

  Her heartbeat thundered through her ears from a new kind of fear.

  And, as if he could hear... could understand exactly how confused and anxious and astounded she felt... he dipped his head and brushed his lips against hers.

  She swayed toward him and locked her lips onto his and clutched at his shoulders, fearing that if she let go, she might fall.

  Or he might pull away.

  He wrapped his arms around her and instantly she felt better. Secure. More complete.

  He would never let her fall, she thought, would never let her go.

  Would never disappoint her.

  He deepened the kiss and she let her head fall back so that he was bending over her, surrounding her with himself. And everywhere he touched her, she burned for him. Burned for more. He was like a fever in her blood. She couldn't get enough of him, though she tried.

  Her flesh quivered where he touched her, chest against her breasts, hands splayed against her back. And her middle, oh, how her middle heated from the inside out, like the core of a fire.

  The lake rolled in and splashed them with icy fingers and heat turned to steam and they jumped apart.

  “I told you the water would make you feel better,” Blade said, laughing.

  Lynn laughed with him. “Not the water. You.” She'd never met a man who was so nurturing before. “You make me feel so safe.”

  Blade groaned and held her tighter. “I want you to be safe. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. You believe that, don't you?”

  He sounded desperate to convince her. And she was desperate to believe him.

  “Yes,” she murmured. “Yes.”

  “That's why...” He lightly rubbed his lips against hers. “...I don't want you messing with Johnny Rincon.”

  “I have to—”

  “No, you don't. If Churchill and Cooper don't pan out, we'll find another way to figure out if Johnny was responsible without involving you directly. I promise I won't let him get away
with it if he was the one. Trust me.”

  “I do trust you.”

  “Then don't open yourself up to him. Whether or not he's your stalker, he's too dangerous.”

  She sensed his urgency. And she trusted him to make things right for her. “All right,” she finally agreed, “I won't send the tickets to him.”

  Blade kissed her, long and deep, as if in reward.

  At least that's the way she saw it after he too-abruptly ended the kiss and her head began to clear as they made their way back to the Jeep.

  A reward for her doing what he'd wanted.

  A frisson of unease crawled down Lynn's spine as she realized she'd just allowed herself to be manipulated by a man.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lynn knew but for that realization she might have slept with Blade the night before. Instead, she'd kept to her own quarters and her own bed for the first time since moving in with him.

  Unfortunately, she'd slept in fits and starts and had wakened before dawn with her emotions as fragmented as her memories.

  The cold light of day brought with it a dose of good sense, however. Sleeping with Blade under any circumstances would have been a big mistake. They were nothing alike, had nothing in common.

  Once this was all over...

  She ignored the haunting despair the thought conjured as she entered the shop to messenger the concert tickets to Churchill and Cooper. The package addressed to Johnny Rincon taunted her, and part of her wanted to defy Blade for the way he had tricked her. But of course he was right. He always was. She would throw them away.

  Her transaction was interrupted several times by phone calls, but at last the thing was done. She returned to the Jeep where Blade sat parked by the curb.

  A realistic woman, she didn't live in fantasies. Opposites might attract, but two people this opposite made a romance novel, not a real-life relationship.

  She tried to remember that as they arrived at his gym and began sparring, as each movement brought them into contact so deliciously painful that she suddenly called a halt to her lesson in self-defense.

  “I can't do this,” she told him.

  “Are you hurt?”

  She noted the concern in Blade's voice and the worried way he was looking at her. “No, I'm fine... just... distracted.”