Intrusion (31 page)

Lucian’s eyes sparkled. He removed his chef’s apron and scoured his hands.

“It might work,” he said. “Timing will be critical, of course.
Chernikova
is safe at CYBER-MED. It’s too risky for anyone to attack him there. They are cautious, these murderers.
Intelligent.
But the time right before or after the soiree … he is most vulnerable then.”

Candy’s foot
twitched,
a sure sign of angst. “Oh, I don’t know, Betts. Maybe we should just back off and let
Francie
take over. What if Tony Torres goes after us? He looks really tough. Mean, too.”

“Don’t worry. I will protect you.” Lucian’s smile could melt an iceberg. “But you raise a good point. We will need reinforcements.
At least two.”

“
Francie
might help us,” I agreed, “and we can trust Rand.”

“Huh,” Candy hooted. “Some help he’d be. He can’t move fast enough to do us any good. Plus, he’d probably spill his guts to the Cougar if she got him alone. What about
Arun
? He’s plenty strong.” Her dreamy smile said she spoke from experience.

Arun
was still a suspect in my book. He had a money motive that wouldn’t quit and the skill to manipulate medical data. Coward that I am, I couldn’t hurt Candy by stating the obvious. Lucian saved me.

“No, ma petite,” he said gently. “From now on, everyone at CYBER-MED must be suspect, even
Arun
and Rand.” He flashed a bemused grin at both of us. “Do either of you have protection?”

What is it about Frenchmen? Is sex always on their minds?

Candy and I exchanged puzzled looks. Condoms seemed an unlikely topic before dinner. Lucian watched us until it dawned on him.

“Oh! I mean guns, knives, that kind of protection. I would never ask a lady anything so personal.”

“Damn,” Candy said, “just when this conversation was starting to sizzle. Oh, well.” She grabbed an apron off the door peg and started rinsing the dishes. “To answer your question, Dr. Sand, I have only my charm and some pepper spray to protect me. No rough stuff, I’m afraid. Betts is a different matter. Kai taught her how to shoot.”

“Really?”
Lucian raised his brows. “Good to know.”

“I have a
Glock
at home,” I admitted, “my husband’s. It’s legal, properly registered and all, but it’s not even loaded.”

Lucian’s silence frightened me more than words. I didn’t need a gun. No one would try to kill me.

That’s what Tommy thought, too.
A strong, virile man.
Someone murdered him
without much trouble.

Lucian put his arms around me. “I’m not trying to frighten you. I worry about you.
Ms.
Ott
, too.
These people have taken many lives. Two more would not faze them.” His eyes were stormy now, almost grey. “Perhaps you should stay here.
Both of you.
Della, too.
Just for a while.”

It was tempting.
Easy to do.
That’s why I said no. I would take care of myself and deal with any problems. Besides, I had Della, the winged avenger, on my side. Who could ask for more?

“I can’t stay,” I told him. “I want to, but I can’t. Not now.”

He nodded. “When this is over, then we will talk, Elisa.” He bent down and brushed his lips across my cheek. “We have much to say.”

“
Yoo
hoo
,” Candy said. “Remember me, the other partner in this scheme? Before you lovebirds start cooing, let’s get something straight. Do we all agree that we’re going to trap that perky cougar and her henchman?”

Lucian and I both nodded. Even Della had her ears on alert. We spent the next hour planning our strategy.

Twenty-Seven

I phoned
Meg Cahill bright and early the next day. The good doctor was obviously not a morning person. Her voice had more growl than grovel in it. After hearing my proposal she responded with forced cheer.

“How delightful of you, Elisabeth.
Unfortunately, the Secretary’s time is so limited.”

“Great news.
I spoke with Cap Coleman last night. My late husband was his squash partner, you know. Anyway, we reconnected at the
Joslin
party, and I called him. He was thrilled. Thought it was a great opportunity for Harvard Medical. I agreed to donate the proceeds to their stroke prevention program. Anyhow, he arranged the whole thing. Terrific, isn’t it?”

Her response was barely audible. “That’s such short notice, and we’re so busy here. I’m not sure we can handle the arrangements.”

“Don’t you
worry.
My partner is one of the premier event planners in Boston. Candy will handle everything.”

“Ah, yes. Ms.
Ott
.”

“She’s been feeling guilty, you know. After all, she is a partner in CYBER-MED, and she’s been so hands off.”

Meg kept her cool. “I’ll just leave everything to you.”

~

Candy was a whirlwind, a freak of nature. She commandeered troops, buttonholed workmen and sweet-talked bureaucrats, bending them all to her will.

The CYBER-MED Social soon became the hot ticket for Boston’s elite. Candy even arranged for a gaggle of supermodels to appear, courtesy of Tatiana Lake. Everyone was ecstatic except Meg Cahill. Her unsmiling lips had the cold tightness of the Maginot Line. Only Carter Cahill dared to engage his wife in anything other than routine matters. He substituted bluster for business acumen, trailing after Candy and asking inane questions that she ignored.

The four of us had reconnoitered at Lucian’s home for several evenings, planning every detail. Our cabal included
Francie
Cohen, who had somehow convinced Sergeant Andrews that her participation was good community relations. We excluded everyone from CYBER-MED, even Rand. There was no trust, no room for error until our mission ended.

Candy reviewed the social arrangements; Lucian talked security; I handled logistics. The goal was to lure Meg and her partner into acting while safeguarding our famous patient. Lucian’s plan was simple but elegant. On the day of the party he would reprogram the Secretary’s insulin pump to a different frequency known only to him. Lucian would personally monitor
Chernikova’s
vital signs until the danger was over. He could do so from CYBER-MED or an adjoining facility.
Francie’s
role was to shadow Tony Torres and limit his contact with Meg as much as possible. Candy and I were the public face of the event. She promised to entice
Chernikova
into staying by her side all night. I had no doubt that she was up to that task. We’d probably have to scrape him off her like bubble gum.

Della and I spent most nights at Lucian’s house. All kinds of alarm bells sounded in my mind, but I ignored them. My experience with men was so limited that I had no natural defenses. Slowly, ineluctably, I was falling in love with Lucian. I couldn’t stop myself. His tender touches and gentle words made it easy. No more insomnia. Now I longed for sleep so that I could curl up next to him, feeling his arms around me.

If he broke my heart, I would never recover. I was playing in a high stakes game that had no rules. I’m a lousy card-player anyhow. Kai used to peek openly at my hand and wipe me out every time.

Kai … he still visited my dreams, but each time it felt easier, as though he wanted this for me. Another chance at life, a chance to finish the journey we’d started together.

“You are pensive, ma
belle
,” Lucian said, playing with tendrils of my hair. “What concerns you?”

“I just want this thing to end,” I said. “Then Tommy can rest in peace.”

“You are prepared for any outcome?” he asked. “Things may not go according to plan, you know.”

I nodded. “But at least I will have tried. It’s the only way I can live with myself.”

He brushed his lips gently across mine. “Do you believe that some things are meant to be? Kismet, they call it.
Destiny.”

My throat tightened. “I don’t know. Bad things aren’t always inevitable.”

His eyes were azure magnets pulling me into their depths. “Often they are followed by good things. I would not have met you without your friend’s tragedy. So some good came out of that wickedness.”

I buried my face in the soft folds of his sweater, content to hear his perfect heartbeat. “You saved my life, Lucian. No matter what else happens, I’ll always be grateful for that.”

He forced me to look up at him. “Listen to me. I told you early on, Elisa. I love you. As long as you want me, I will never leave your side.”

~

It was almost
time
. In ten minutes the first guests would arrive at CYBER-MED, and our show would start. I shivered, even though my red dress was made of softest cashmere. I’m no glamour girl at the best of times. With today’s high stakes, fussing over my appearance seemed criminally negligent. Candy had another point of view. She invoked every threat, promise and compliment in her power to inveigle me into primping. She won, of course. Her final taunt about Lucian and the chic image of French women stung me into submission. By the time she finished with me, my hair, makeup and accessories all had the Sweet Nothings seal of approval.

If the plan worked, which was a big unknown, Tommy’s death would finally be avenged. It wouldn’t bring him back, couldn’t staunch the pain of losing him. But somewhere, he and Kai were watching, cheering us on. I knew that with every fiber of my being. Retribution is a time-honored tradition, but this wasn’t revenge. Not really. I sought only justice. Thomas Yancey would have scorched the earth if I’d been murdered. I could do no less for him.

Candy was nowhere and everywhere. She flew from room to room, hectoring caterers, nudging workers, and shamelessly fawning over supermodels. Her shimmering aqua silk had a plunging neckline that would pop
Chernikova’s
eyeballs out. No worries about where he’d be lurking, no sir.

My other partner was the poster child for poise. Meg trotted around the office, composed and perky, in a subdued satin suit that hugged her body. If she were anxious, it wasn’t evident. To the contrary, her stride and fixed smile proclaimed that all was well at CYBER-MED. Even her husband’s antics didn’t faze her.

We had police protection, too. Officer Cohen corralled
Arun
, giving him the big-eyed look, absorbing his words like a reef-building sponge. I knew for a fact that around one shapely knee was a holstered Baby
Glock
, the ultimate power accessory.

Lucian held me tight before I left. “Do not fear, Elisa. All will be well.” His palm glided down the length of my dress, skimming the neckline. “So soft and lovely,” he whispered. “Take care today. You are precious to me, you and Candy.” He bit his lip. “If only I were there to protect you.”

“Hey. What can happen in a room full of doctors, dignitaries and security types? I promise to stay near
Francie
and her
Glock
. Besides, you’ve got the most important job, protecting the Secretary of State.”

His caress made me yelp. “We’ve missed something. I know it.
Something obvious.
Dr. Cahill is too composed, too assured. If only I could find the key.”

I stood on tiptoe, pressing my lips to his. “Don’t worry, Lucian. I can handle myself. Candy, too, if I have to.”

“I must
worry,
mon
ange
. I love you.”
 

 
Despite innate caution and lawyerly instincts, those words made my heart quiver. My brave talk of independence was just that, talk. I’d been half-alive since Kai’s death, but things were different now. I had made the transition. Kai was my beloved past, Lucian Sand, my future. I floated into CYBER-MED on a cloud of joy.

“Where is he?” Candy barked. “Where’s Tony Torres?”

 
That brought me down to earth. “How do I know? I just got here, for heaven’s sake. Maybe Tornado had to use the bathroom or something. It happens, you know.”

“Maybe he’s gone after Lucian. Ever think of that, genius?”

Even I wasn’t sure when Lucian was. I knew he was close enough to monitor Richard
Chernikova
and keep him safe. That’s all I cared about. I pointed Candy toward Rand Lindsay. “There. Ask Rand about it. He’ll know.”

Rand encased both of us in a friendly hug. “Wow, you ladies look gorgeous! Let me stand near you. I could use some glamour.”

He’d worn his good blue suit with a starched white shirt. No tie. Ties violate some geek commandment.

“Where’s your buddy?” Candy asked. “Why isn’t he here?”

“Huh? Oh, you mean Tony.
Family emergency.
He’ll be in later.” Rand smiled as he surveyed Candy’s handiwork. “This is amazing. Look at those models, my Lord. Wouldn’t Tommy love this? He’d be all over those ladies.” He looked guiltily at us, putting his hand over his mouth. “Sorry. It’s just that he was so … alive. He even liked those stupid little dogs those girls carry.”