“But–“
Arel’s hand sliced through the air. “Non! I am done.” Then he spoke over his shoulder in French to one of the guards before speaking to the judge again. “You will go with Fredrick. He will remind you why I don’t like secrets.”
The judge went cold, fear shooting through him at the speed of burning fuel. “Please, no. I won’t ever-“
Arel cut him off. “No, you won’t.” He spoke to the guard in English this time. “Take him.”
Two guards grabbed his arms as he struggled. The soft sound of a gun being cocked made him still. The judge looked up.
Arel pointed a small gun at him. “I suggest you walk calmly from the room, perhaps even smile a bit. It would be a pity to dirty my carpet.”
With more courage than he felt, the judge said, “You’re bluffing. The guests will hear the shot.”
“Ah, but that’s where you are wrong. A silencer makes this gun the perfect choice, non?”
Marco walked from the shadows of the room and stood next to his brother. Arel stayed focused on the judge as he spoke again to the guards. “Take him away. If he makes even one wrong move, kill him.”
One of the guards drove a fist into the judge’s stomach making him bend at the waist and grab his middle. They wouldn’t kill him, he told himself. They needed him. Slowly, he straightened only to find himself spun around toward the exit door.
The guard, who he knew only as Rodriquez bent toward him, forcing a wave of horrid, sour breath against his cheek. “You heard the man. Smile.” He laughed, evil and tauntingly low. “Or else.”
Marco looked at his brother as the door shut, leaving them alone. “He’s trouble.”
“He has been useful,” Arel said walking to the cigar box and offering one to Marco.
Marco waved it away. “He needs to be dealt with.”
Arel said, “We need him.”
“Like a hole in the head, brother,” Marco insisted. “He lied. That spells trouble.”
Arel lit his cigar and took a long draw. Blowing out the smoke, his expression became resigned. “If you are so certain he’s trouble, get rid of him.”
Marco started to speak.
“Non,” Arel said harshly, changing his mind. “Only after I have the journal, and ensure we don’t need him. Then, and only then, are you to dispose of him.”
“Brother–“
Arel scowled at Marco. “Enough of this,” he said sourly. “Don’t you cross me, Marco.“
Marco’s voice was low, his expression resolved. “I have never crossed you nor will I now.”
Arel was quiet for a minute as if he was deciding whether or not he believed Marco. Abruptly, he smiled. “Good,” he said. “Call Dragonfly and set up a test for Monsieur Walker. If he’s trying to bust us, Dragonfly will find out. Tell him to come here, tonight.”
Marco pulled out his cell phone and made the call. When Marco was done, he joined his brother, sitting down in the chair the judge had occupied. “He’ll be here in two hours.”
Arel picked up the cigar box and held it open for Marco. “Smoke with me, and tell me about this woman you have been using so effectively, the one who told you about the journal. Shall we dispose of her as well?”
***
As much as Luke wanted to get the hell out of Dodge, if they left too soon, Arel would be suspicious. So he forced himself to mingle with the guests, thankful for Julie’s ability to talk to people, and proud of her for how smooth she was under pressure. What was the most shocking, with guards at the door, was how many of the guests seemed oblivious to the true career of their host, thinking him some type of investor they all used for brokering deals. Impatiently, Luke waited to make his exit until Arel and the judge returned, certain they would. It was nearly an hour before Arel returned without the judge.
Then and only then, and when he knew that Arel was watching them, did Luke pull Julie close and kiss her, and then head for the hallway. He led her down the hallway and into a corner near the kitchen entrance and leaned against the wall, pulling her soft curves against his body, and wrapping his arms around her.
He nuzzled her ear, skimming his hand across the soft curve of her neck. “What are you doing, Luke?” she demanded in a husky whisper, her hands pressed against his chest.
He kissed the soft spot under her ear. “They expect us to disappear and make use of an empty room. Wrap your arms around my neck and act like you’re into it.”
“I don’t like this kind of audience,” she objected.
“Me either, baby,” he promised, kissing her neck. “But you still smell like heaven and I won’t find it hard to be convincingly into you.” He laced his fingers into her hair and pulled her mouth to his. “Try to do the same.” His mouth closed over hers and she whimpered into his mouth.
“Hey,” a guard said. “Rooms are upstairs.”
Luke glanced up at him and drew Julie’s hand in his. “Just warming up.” He tugged Julie forward, confident anyone who missed them would be told they were getting the nasty on.
Luke glanced over his shoulder, making sure they weren’t being watched, and bypassed the stairs, following the rich, spiced scent of cigars he’d smelled when he’d been near Arel. It ended at a closed door he shoved open and prayed the room beyond was empty. They entered an office, where a low burning fire was giving its last breath in a massive white hearth, giving an orange glow to the room. Silently, he was thankful for the light it expelled.
His eyes scanned the room, resting on a large desk set against one wall. Pulling Julie behind him, determined to keep her near, he moved across the room, his eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light. Once they were behind the desk, Luke settled his hands on Julie’s waist and set her on top, making sure they had a cover if they were interrupted.
Luke bent down and flipped his heel open, removing the extra mic he had inside and sliding it under the desktop. He’d barely attached it, when when the door jerked open behind Julie.
Luke moved instinctively, stepping towards her, pushing her legs apart as he insinuated his body between her thighs. “Wrap your legs around my waist,” he whispered.
Even as she did as he said, he buried one hand in her hair, the other around her neck, and covered her mouth with his.
The door squeaked.
Footsteps echoed.
Luke broke the kiss without releasing Julie. He looked over her shoulder into Michael’s suspicious eyes. “Buzz off,” Luke ordered.
“You can’t do this in here,” he said sharply.
Luke’s laugh mocked him. “If she’s willing, I assure you I can.”
Julie let her legs fall from his waist, but he didn’t release her. Instead, he bent down and nipped at her lips.
“Hey!” Michael exclaimed insolently. “I told you no!”
Luke gave him a go to hell look. “Arel told me I could grab a room, man. Back off!”
“Upstairs. Not here. You must leave, now.”
Luke scowled at the man, and then looked down at Julie. “Let’s go, darlin.” He moved his hands to her waist and lifted her off the desk.
Pulling her under his arm, he said, “We’re out of here. Where do we go to get a ride?”
Michael’s eyes narrowed as he studied Luke curiously. “There are rooms upstairs.”
“Yeah, well,” he said, sliding his hand around Julie’s waist, “she’s the only hospitality I need the rest of tonight and I don’t want to miss the last ferry off Fantasy Island here because I forget the time.”
Michael considered them a moment, and said, “Follow me.” He unhooked a walkie-talkie from his belt and called for a car.
A few minutes later he and Julie were seated in the back seat of the same car they had arrived in. Luke was certain, compliments of Blake, the car now had a tracking device attached to its belly. If the car took a turn away from the ferry, he’d have men to back him up. He didn’t try to play the game of seducing Julie in the car this time. She seemed to relax next to him, as if she felt like
it was over. What she didn’t know, and he did, was that if they were going to be taken out, it would be now.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Luke didn’t breathe again until he and Julie were out of the car at the ferry station. He took her hand and led her to the main building. He could feel relief shifting inside him, turning into something darker that had been beneath the surface since the moment he’d found Julie on the ferry.
“What happened back there with Arel?” she asked the instant they were inside the building. “I felt so in the dark while we were there and it was killing me not to be able to ask.”
“He’s going to give me a chance to prove myself.”
“When? How?”
“I’ll get a message like I did for the party.” He didn’t say anything else, fighting the rising storm inside him. She could have died. She shouldn’t have even been here to be at risk.
He glanced at the schedule board for the boats and then the clock and by pure luck they had a few minutes to make the next ferry. He wanted the hell off of this stinking island and he didn’t ever want to return, but would probably have to.
“Let’s go.” He pulled her along with him.
“Luke?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? You could have been killed back there.”
“But I wasn’t.”
“And Jesse better thank the good Lord above for that.”
“It’s not his fault, Luke. He’s a great guy. I used that against him and I hated doing it, but I had to do this.”
He ground his teeth, biting back some choice words about Jesse. “This isn’t the time or the place,” he said, and made sure she couldn’t argue, he ducked a shoulder between bodies and inched them into the center of the herd boarding the boat.
Finally, they cleared the ramp and were on the boat, the cold wind gusting around them, and people spread out all directions, trying to find their perfect travel location. Luke made a beeline for the warmer cabins.
Julie grabbed his arm, halting their progress. “Luke–”
“Not here,” he said, still holding her hand. “Not now, when I’m this close to the edge. You won’t like what I have to say.”
She inhaled, pink spreading over her cheeks, her hair lifting off her neck in the wind. “Don’t blame Jesse for this. I tricked him.”
“Yeah well, he’s supposed to be better than that,” he said. “If he’s smart he’s already headed to the unemployment line.”
“This is insane. You’re blaming him for something I did.”
“I’m making him take responsibility for something that could have gotten you killed, and if you think Royce would feel differently if this was Lauren, you’re wrong.”
“If you wouldn’t have tried to make this decision for me, and ran off playing super hero, determined to get yourself killed then I wouldn’t have done this at all. I did the right thing, and I was trying to save innocent lives. And you. I was trying to save you.”
“I don’t need you to save me.”
“I don’t need you to save me either.”
“Yeah, well tough. You don’t get to make that decision.” A flash of that female guard searching her ripped through him. “I told you. If I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you to some cave to protect you, I’ll do it.” He knew he was being dominant, even an ass, but the things that could have gone wrong back there were eating him alive.
“You have no right to do that. This is my life and my choice.”
He felt those words like a knife shredding his heart. “Right. Your life, and my role is just bodyguard and good time buddy. I guess we’re moving up. I used to only be the good time buddy.”
She sucked in air and shook her head. “No. That’s not true. You took what I said wrong.”
His cell phone buzzed with a text. “Blake is on the boat. He wants us to come to him in case we’re being watched.”
“I guess this fight doesn’t help our cover either. You were right. This isn’t the place for this.” Without another word, she turned and started walking. The conversation was over. Maybe they were over.
***
Ten minutes later, Luke stood on one side of the cabin with Blake, while Julie stood on the other, staring out of the sealed window.
Blake listened while Luke filled him in on the night’s events before he glanced at Julie, “I thought I was the one so good at pissing off women. You’re the cool, calm, diplomat that never gets rattled.”
Luke massaged the ball of tension in his neck. “I guess you’re rubbing off on me, because I’m excelling at pissing her off.”
“Love hurts so good.”
That got Luke’s attention. “Who said anything about love?”
“You didn’t have to. It’s been the white elephant in the room for months every time you two cross paths. I’m just glad you both finally decided to stop avoiding it so we all can.”
“And now it’s like a head-on collision on a crash and burn mission.”
“Three words. Make up sex.”
“Three words. Too pissed off. I’m trying to save her life and she’s trying to get killed.” But it was more than that. So much more. Blake studied him for several long moments.
“You do know she was trying to save yours too, right?”
“It’s not about her willingness to put her life on the line. I get what she did. I get that she cares about other people getting hurt because of her.”
“But you don’t think she cares about you?”
“It’s not about caring.” It was about how he’d felt when she told him he had no right to protect her, and not even really about the words spoken in anger. He got that she was pissed. He got that he was being overbearing and couldn’t seem to help himself. But those words she’d shouted had hit a nerve and underlined his concern that she simply couldn’t let him into her life.
Luke’s cell rang and he pulled it from his belt and frowned at Royce’s number, before answering with, “Why are you calling me from your honeymoon?” he asked, his eyes locking with Blake’s in question. Blake shook his head, telling Luke he hadn’t called him.
“What the hell is going on there?” Royce asked.
“Not a damn thing you should be concerned about. Go make love to your wife and leave me the hell alone.”
“No go, brother. I’m halfway home already in an airport. Jesse called me and yes, he told me everything, and yes, he’s packing his things. I didn’t want him to until we could all talk, but he’s insisting.”
“You won’t hear me argue his departure,” Luke said. “And as for what’s happening, since you’re already on our way home, I’ll be damn happy to have you here. Blake and I need backup we trust.”
“Oh hell,” he grumbled. “Just a second.” Luke heard him talking to Lauren before he returned. “Our flight was cancelled. We won’t be there until tomorrow around noon. Don’t go getting killed on me or I’ll dig you up and make your afterlife hell.” He hung up.
“He’s coming home,” Blake said before Luke could say anything.
“He is and as much as I hate interrupting him, we need him.”
The ferry sounded a warning as they approached the dock. “I’ve already told Murphy I’d update him when we get to land. We don’t need anyone from the task force anywhere near our place unless it’s absolutely necessary. We’ll be watched.”
Julie headed their way and Blake pushed off the wall. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds on your own.” He sauntered forward and Julie stepped to Luke’s side and held up his keys. “I stole your truck. It’s in the parking lot.”
He pocketed the keys. “We’ll take a cab. I’d hate to spoil a night of surviving danger to get blown up in my own truck.”
“I don’t really want to get blown up in your truck either. I guess that’s one thing we still agree on.”
“Let’s get off the boat,” he said instead of what he really wanted to say, which was that they agreed on a lot of things, but he just wasn’t sure t
hey agreed on where they were going together. When she’d told him she needed him, he’d thought they did. Now, he wasn’t so sure.
***
Julie slid into the cab and Luke joined her. Any relief she felt over escaping for the night alive was replaced with turmoil over Luke and Jesse.
He slid in beside her. “Jesse called Royce and he and Lauren are already in an airport on the way back.”
“Oh no,” she said, reaching for her purse to pull out her phone. “I have to stop them.”
“Too late,” he said. “They’re stranded at their first stop. Their flight was cancelled. They’ll be in tomorrow.”
Julie felt the crush of reality. She’d dragged Luke into this mess. Destroyed Jesse’s career and now her best friend’s honeymoon. And there was nothing she could do to fix it.
By the time they’d completed the ride in complete silence, Julie wanted to burst through the cab door when they stopped. She needed to think. She needed to do something to make everything right. Escape was impossible. She was at Luke’s apartment, and standing outside his door while he unlocked it, she tried to figure out what to say or do.
He shoved open the door and let her enter before coming in and going straight to the kitchen. She stood there, trying to decide what to do. Never before in her life had a man made her feel the way Luke did.
She followed him, still without a plan. He was leaning against the counter doing absolutely nothing. She leaned on the doorframe. “I don’t know what to say.”
“And therein lies the problem. I know exactly what I want to say, and where I want this to go. You don’t.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then tell me.”
His expression was stony, his words cold. She told herself it was because she’d hurt him. Told herself to get past it, but he didn’t seem receptive. In fact, he seemed like he’d already made up his mind that he was done. “I hate that I pulled you into this.”
“Wrong answer,” he said, and pushed off the counter to open the fridge. He grabbed a beer and twisted the top. “I’ll be downstairs in the offices if you need me.”