Bare Facts (3 page)

She tapped him on the arm. “Alonzo? Is there a security matter that I need to be made aware of?”

He hit the mute button and shook his head. “I’m talking to my girl.”

“Hang up the phone right now.”

“I don’t work for you.”

“No, but you do work for Mr. Williams. His security is your number one priority.”

He patted his shoulder holster. “I’ve got my eye on the hall and my gun. We’re good.”

“I’m not going to ask you again.”

She didn’t back down and neither did Alonzo, who simply glared at her. But after a minute he told his girl he’d call her later.

“Now we need to discuss security for getting Mr. Williams from the hotel to the airport.”

“His car has bulletproof windows and I’ll be at his side the entire time,” Alonzo said. He flexed his muscles under the custom-made suit. “Trust me—no one gets through me.”

“A bullet could.”

“Not many snipers gunning for Mr. Williams.”

“Perhaps in the past. What have you done to upgrade security measures since the attack on his domestic staff?”

“Why do you care, pretty girl?”

She let the “pretty girl” comment pass. “Because I was hired to be his bodyguard, which tells me someone thought you needed reinforcements.”

Alonzo bristled and then ran down the security measures he’d put in place. They were extensive, and aside from the conversation with his girlfriend, she had to say he seemed to be very competent.

“I’d like to make sure that the kitchen and cargo elevator are secure. We’ll take him down that way,” Charity said.

“Why? All the incidents have taken place in Seattle.”

She shook her head. She’d expected better from this man who was the head of Daniel’s security. “Precisely. Whoever is threatening him will expect our guard to be lax here.”

“Granted. I’ll check the kitchen and back hallway,” Alonzo said.

“Good. Call me when the area is secure,” she said, giving him her cell number.

Alonzo walked away and Charity remained hyper-alert watching the hallway. A few minutes later, Tobias emerged from the room. He gave her the kind of flirty smile she was used to. She returned it but declined his invitation for drinks later.

She got a text-message from Sam informing her she was off the job once they reached the airport. She had mixed feelings about the ending of the assignment. There had been something about Daniel…but that wasn’t what she should be focused on. And she refused to regret that their one brief kiss would be all there would ever be between them.

C
harity kept Ralph Waldo Emerson’s admonition in the front of her mind as Daniel emerged from his suite. But it was hard. Beyond the façade of the businessman in control of his environment, she saw the signs of strain. Stress no doubt worsened by having your life threatened.

“Where’s Alonzo?”

“I sent him downstairs to secure the area.”

“Didn’t Sam tell you that I don’t need you anymore?” he asked, striding down the hall toward the guest elevators.

“We’ll part company once you’re on the jet. We’re not going down through the lobby.”

“Why not?”

“Because someone has threatened your life.”

He paused. “I hired you because I want to set myself up as bait. Didn’t Sam tell you that?”

“You fired me so you can do that once I’m gone.”

He shook his head.

“Daniel—”

“I thought you’d never say my name.”

She shook her head. “You have to have a plan before you act like bait. Otherwise…you’ll end up dead.”

He didn’t say anything else—they were too exposed in the hallway. She kept alert, watching the rooms, trying to see around the curve to their left and watching the elevators.

“We can talk about your plan in the car. Even though you no longer require a bodyguard, we can help you design—”

“I’m sick of waiting. It puts all the power in the hands of my blackmailer.”

She took his arm and drew him down the hall to the maintenance hallway. It was empty and she felt slightly less exposed here.

“I can understand that. Who is the blackmailer?”

“Someone from my past.”

“Do you have the name?” she asked.

“It could be any number of people,” he said.

She sensed he wasn’t telling the truth, but it was his life and she wasn’t going to be on the job in a few hours. “Honesty could be the key to staying alive.”

“I’m thirty-eight, Charity. I think I know a thing or two about staying alive.”

“Maybe in the corporate world.”

“In any world,” he said.

She wondered what he meant by that but tried to stay focused on the job and not on personal stuff. And that type of question would definitely be personal.

“What does the blackmailer want?”

“Two of my ships to import cargo.”

“What kind of cargo?” she asked, leading him down the hall to the freight elevator. She keyed Alonzo’s number into her BlackBerry. “Just a minute.”

“MacAfee.”

“It’s Charity—is the kitchen secure?”

“Yes.”

“We’re coming down.”

She turned back to Daniel. He was watching her in a very masculine way that she knew had nothing to do with the job at hand. It was a man-woman kind of stare that she should have been used to, but the intensity in Daniel was different from the way other men looked at her.

“So what kind of cargo?” she asked.

“The illegal kind.”

He was being elusive and she guessed if she’d been approached to do something illegal she’d do the same. But it made her wonder. “Why you?”

“I told you it has something to do with my past. Why are we going down the back way?”

“So that anyone who knows you are leaving today won’t realize you’ve left.”

“That makes sense, but won’t my enemies be watching all entrances?”

Did he think she was incompetent? “Of course they will be. But the kitchen area has fewer people than a lobby full of guests and staff. Alonzo’s already cleared the area and we’ll walk straight out to your car.”

“You’ve thought of everything,” he said. “But my enemies will, too.”

He did think she couldn’t handle the job. “I assure you, Daniel, I’m on top of this.”

“I believe you,” he said.

But she wondered if he really did. “Was your driver hired from the same company as the pilot for your private jet?”

“Yes, why?”

“No reason. Anna is running a check on the company and so far hasn’t come up with any red flags.”

“Who’s Anna?”

“The computer expert on the team. She’s in charge of technology and information.”

“How many are on your team?”

“There are three of us.”

“All women?”

“Yes, why? Does that bother you?” she asked. Sam didn’t say much but she knew some of their clients thought that an all-female team couldn’t handle the jobs they took on. The fact that those clients were soon proved wrong always made Charity feel good.

“No. It’s every man’s fantasy to have a gorgeous woman guarding his body.”

“Stop it, Daniel.”

“Stop what?”

“The sexist flirting.”

“Why? We’re not working together.”

“It’s insulting, that’s why. We are working together until I get you safely to the jet.”

“This is a walk-in-the-park assignment for you.”

She shook her head. “Assumptions like that lead to mistakes.”

“And you don’t make mistakes.”

“I’m human so of course I’m not perfect, but I do try to plan for any eventuality.”

The freight elevator doors closed and she depressed the down button. The floor of the elevator was dirty. It had doors that opened on either side, and she focused on positioning herself for a clear view at either entrance.

She didn’t like the setup because she wasn’t confident about Alonzo or his abilities. She wanted Justine and Anna close by so she knew they had her back like they always did. But instead she had to use backup that had been…

Daniel’s cologne smelled so good, she thought. Then cursed. What the hell was she thinking? She had to keep her mind on the job. Getting him out of this building and onto his jet. Afterwards she could dwell on how delicious he smelled.

“Have you planned for this?” Daniel asked, stepping closer to her and lowering his head.

She sidestepped out of his way. “Not now, Daniel.”

“Yes, now,” he said. “As soon as I get on that plane we’ll never see each other again. And so far you’re the only good thing to come out of this blackmail mess.”

She smiled up at him. “You do have a certain charm.”

He lowered his head again. Determined to prove to himself that she wasn’t any different from the other beautiful women he’d been involved with over the course of his life. To prove to himself that he’d just imagined that spark of something different.

Her skin was like porcelain—exquisite, even in the harsh light of the maintenance elevator. Her lips were a deep red and he realized she’d taken time to reapply her lipstick. What bodyguard thought of doing that?

She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and stepped to the side. “But not enough. If we weren’t working together…”

“I think I already took care of that.”

“Yes, you did. Next time you’re in D.C., call me.”

“Charity,” he said, running his hand down the center of her back. She shivered and turned her head to the side so all he could see was the fall of her blond hair.

“Don’t.”

She stepped away from him and took two deep breaths, and the vivacious woman he’d seen just a second ago was gone. She was all icy Amazon now, the walls firmly in place as they reached the lowest floor.

The door to their left opened and she stepped in front of him. He hated the fact that she was using her body to shield him. He reached for her arm, drew her to a halt.

“We go together.”

“I’m your bodyguard,” she said.

He just held fast and refused to let go. Alonzo was a bodyguard, and Daniel had absolutely no problem letting him do his job. But Charity? Hell, no. He wasn’t letting her be the target instead of him. Not that he thought Sekijima would attack here, though his usual M.O. was to strike quickly and leave no one alive. The fact that Mildred was only in the I.C.U. and not the morgue had made Daniel realize that Sekijima was out for his blood.

She twisted her arm in his grip but he held strong. “This is utterly ridiculous.”

“I agree.”

“I’m still on the job here.”

“What kind of man lets a woman take a bullet for him?” he asked.

“I thought you were convinced there was no threat here.”

“Your diligence changed my mind.”

She drew him out of the pathway in the kitchen. The busboys, dishwashers, and sous chefs all went about their business, each of them working at their own stations. The smell of garlic cooking in olive oil was pungent and evocative.

“Don’t think of me as a woman,” she said.

“Impossible.”

She tilted her head to the side, staring at him. “All my other clients have had no problem letting me do my job. I need you to do that as well, Daniel.”

“I can’t get the feel of you in my arms out of my mind.”

She shook her head. “I can make you forget it.”

“Are you threatening me?” he asked, intrigued.

She shrugged but didn’t relax her vigilance. It was amazing, he thought. Seeing her like this, he understood why she had the reputation she did. He admired her for her professionalism. But Sekijima would see that same determination and spirit and use it to break her.

Did that matter to him? She was little more than a stranger. Yet at the same time she was more than a stranger. More than a beautiful face.

“Answer me.”

“What do you want me to say? You’re a very good-looking man, as I’m sure you know, but to me you are still a client, someone I’m committed to protecting. If I have to use force to do that, then I will.”

“I’m not talking about the superficial—didn’t you feel the attraction between us?”

“If I say no, are you going to try more of your aikido on me?”

“Would it work?”

She cracked a smile. “No. Let’s go to your car to discuss this further. I don’t like stopping here in the open.”

He nodded. She positioned herself in front of him and to the left. But he was left-handed and knew he needed that side clear. He pulled her to his right side.

She raised one eyebrow at him in question.

“I’m left-handed.”

She accepted his explanation and pulled on a pair of dark sunglasses. He did the same. It was the middle of the day and the bright sunlight would momentarily blind them otherwise.

He felt a moment of something that he refused to acknowledge. A moment of teamwork and sharing, a sense of rightness at having this woman by his side in a dangerous situation. But he knew he was a loner.

That he had secrets she’d want to uncover if he let her stay on in her role as a bodyguard. Secrets that he knew would endanger her and lead to her death.

They approached the exit and she stopped one more time. “Don’t try to be the hero here, Daniel. Let me do my job.”

“I’ve never been the hero,” he said, knowing that was more true than he hoped she’d ever know.

“Just stay behind me and let me do my job.”

He nodded because he had the feeling she’d stand there all day until he agreed. But he’d never let anyone take a hit for him, even when he’d been an eighty-pound street punk, getting the crap kicked out of him nightly. It just wasn’t in his nature to let someone else take his place.

Especially not a woman like Charity.

They stepped outside together. She directed them to the left of the alleyway where he saw the Rolls Royce sedan he’d rented. Alonzo stood next to the rear door and his driver was already behind the wheel.

Alonzo had never shown such diligence before, and Daniel suspected that Charity had given him a lecture similar to the one he’d gotten. He admired her work ethic and dedication to the job. Too bad he couldn’t quit admiring her other assets.

But c’est la vie. And his was very complicated right now. Alonzo opened the door as they approached, and from the corner of his eye he saw some movement at the lip of the alley.

Time slowed as he saw Alonzo turn toward the woman walking toward them. A split second later she pulled a handgun from under her raincoat and fired at point-blank range.