Love and Let Die (42 page)

Yeah, Ian could just bet what that would cost Charlie. The man had stepped up to her, almost touching her. Luckily her husband was here to back her sweet ass up.

He put his arm around his girl as his brother eased behind the man, shoving his SIG in the fucker’s back.

The driver’s eyes widened, but he didn’t scream. “I view the girl as I would a sister. I was only trying to make sure she was safe. So many bad elements around here, you know.”

Yeah, Ian wasn’t buying that, but he was impressed with the man’s calm demeanor. It looked like the king trained his employees properly. “Look, buddy, here’s what’s going to go down. You’re going to float us out to your king, and we’re going to have a nice long talk with him about the fact that his freaking intelligence department is full of idiots.”

The man shook his head. “I do not know what you are talking about, sir. I work for a Hollywood star. Very big star. Sleeps with many women. Likely has many diseases. You do not want to go there. Very bad. That boat is a floating venereal disease.”

Ian nearly rolled his eyes. “Look, I know that’s not George Clooney out there, so let’s drop the BS. That’s the king of Loa Mali and there are CIA operatives and MI6 agents watching him from the fort. If he wants to find out why, you’ll have to take us all there. I like to tell heads of state how fucked they are in person.”

“You’re a bloody bastard, Taggart.” Damon Knight was not impressed with his maneuver, that was for sure. His voice had turned rough and angry in Ian’s ear. “If you fuck this up, our deal’s off. Do you understand me?”

Ian pulled his earpiece out. He didn’t need to hear from the peanut gallery. He shoved it into his pocket though he really wanted to toss it away. He might need the damn thing later. “Yep, they’re pissed as shit at me right now, but I think your king and I can come to some solution without having to involve those busybodies.”

Sean winced a little. He couldn’t pull his earphone out yet. It looked like he was getting the brunt of their frustration. “They’re on their way, brother. Or at least they’re going to try to get down here before we can leave.”

“See, if we don’t head out now, your poor king’s party is going to be swarming with nosy assholes. Does he really want that? We’re kind of the good guys here.” He nodded to Sean who shoved the SIG back in his pocket and let the guy go. “See, that was just to get your attention. Let your boss know that we’ll surrender our weapons when we get to the boat. We just want to talk. He’s in danger from several fronts. If he talks to us, it can be a quiet chat. If he waits for them, well, the government gets involved and that can be a shit storm.”

There was a crackle as the radio in the boat came to life. “Bring them, Taral. You might want to hurry. I am watching the fort and they are certainly right about the level of activity up there. And, Taral, don’t leave the woman behind. I am so looking forward to meeting her.”

The king of Loa Mali would find out that Ian could pull off royal balls just as fast as he could common ones. He helped Charlie into the boat and hopped in after her. Sean and Taral shoved the boat back into the surf. Sean leapt in and Taral hauled himself up with a practiced hand. Now that he had his boss’s permission, it seemed he was all smiles.

“Welcome on board. My king wishes to see you. Thank you so much for coming with us and for not shooting me in the kidneys. I have heard this is very painful."

He turned on the motor and started to ease the boat around.

Sean pulled his earpiece out and pocketed it. “Brother, Ten was just explaining all the ways he’s going to roast your ass. He seems to be very creative when it comes to hot pokers. You should watch your backside. I don’t think he intends to use any lubricant, if you know what I mean. He’s also pissed about the monkeys. According to Simon, they’re as sexually aggressive as Ten himself.”

Charlie smiled slightly. “It sounds like they have as much discrimination as Ten, too.”

Ian turned back, looking at the beach. It was still calm and peaceful. Once Damon and the others realized there was no way to stop him, they would slow down and try to keep their eyes on the ship. He didn’t give a shit that the Agency would be pissed. This was his op. His wife was at risk, his people, and he wouldn’t let Ten or anyone else tell him how to handle it. He needed this man to trust him, and he wouldn’t get that by lying. He had one shot and one shot only at getting King Kash on his side.

Charlie was standing at the front of the boat, her hair whipping behind her. He moved in. Since he’d realized that he was being a stubborn prick, he wanted to touch her all the time, wanted to be close. He didn’t fight the urge. Not anymore. She was his. If she didn’t like the fact that his hands were always on her, then she shouldn’t have chosen him.

When he wrapped his arms around her, she immediately leaned back, her body fitting into his.

“Ian, do you think he’s watching?” She had to raise her voice to combat the sounds of the speedboat as it hit the waves, bringing them closer and closer to the yacht.

Nelson. She wanted to know if Nelson was watching her, probably getting ready to jack off at the sight of her. God, he was going to kill the fucker for making her feel self-conscious. She should always feel safe, always secure knowing that her husband would take care of her. He cuddled her close. God, how had he lived without this feeling? “Don’t worry about it. I’m going to handle him.”

He would have to because he knew damn well Nelson was watching. Now he knew they were here. It would force his hand, and Ian had to be ready. Nelson would come at him and he would come hard. The minute he could, he was going to make sure Charlie was someplace safe. They would talk to the king and then he would hide her away with Sean.

Then he could be the bait.

Her hands came up, covering his, holding him close. “I know you will, Master.”

This time she was trusting him with her life, with her sister’s life. With everything that was important to her. She wasn’t running away from him or trying to control things. She’d trusted him, the way he would trust her when it came to the Russian mob. She was smart and her instincts were good. He would lean on her, but he so needed her to lean on him.

He put his mouth right by her ear. “Do you know how much I love you?”

It was so easy to say now. He loved her with everything he had.

He felt her smile against his cheek. “As much as I love you. God, Ian, I love you so much.”

“And you look ungodly hot in that suit.” He squeezed her tight as the boat pulled up to the yacht.

A group of well-armed security men were waiting above on the lower deck as Taral expertly parked the speedboat. It was tiny compared to the massive yacht. He had the faintest moment of worry in his brain, but Sean was at his back. Sean knew what to do. He turned back to his brother and a long look passed between them. He kissed the top of his wife’s head.

Sean nodded, obviously understanding that Charlie came first. Her life was more important than Ian’s. Sean slapped his brother in a show of affection. They had learned a lot. The brotherly bond they shared now included their wives and children and those precious beings came before everything else.

“Surrender your weapons!” a large guard with a semiautomatic weapon ordered in heavily accented English.

Ian moved Charlie behind him. If they were going to have a heavy finger on the trigger, they would have to go through him, but he doubted they would open fire.

He would never have put his wife in the man’s way if he thought for a second Kamdar would hurt her. No, the king of Loa Mali had a thing for women. All of them. He’d enacted laws against domestic violence that would make the West look misogynistic. He encouraged the women of his country to go to college, to seek high-level jobs.

The king had a reputation as a lover, not a fighter. He routinely ditched his security detail in favor of chasing after a woman.

Ian handed up his SIG, but didn’t bother to mention the knives he had on his body or the small pistol he’d hidden in his boot. He wasn’t going to give up everything.

Sean handed his primary weapon up as well, but then his brother was deadly with knives and he had them all over his person.

“Let the woman come up now,” the guard said.

He shook his head. He couldn’t let Charlie up until he was sure he would be on that boat with her. No way. No how. “I come up first.”

The big guy frowned down at him. “I said hand up the female.”

“Stand down, Kaj.” A softer voice called out. “He’s protecting his lady. It’s a good thing. It makes me believe he’s here for the reasons he’s stated. I’ve found spies don’t tend to care much about their partners. Come. Come.”

The king of Loa Mali pushed his way to the front of the small crowd. There was no way to mistake him. He dominated the other men, though he kept his voice quiet. That man was a Dom and a confident one. He might not be trained, might not even really know what he was, but Ian did. He met Ian’s eyes and a long look passed between them.

“She will be safe. You have safe passage. Please come on board. I wish to hear why the Americans and Brits are so interested in me.”

Ian stepped forward first, allowing himself to be pulled on board. He immediately turned and put his hand down for his wife, hauling her up and back into his arms. He stepped back, keeping her close as Sean climbed on board.

Charlie remained behind him, her hands clasping his waist, letting him know she was there.

King Kash Kamdar stepped toward him. He was a large man, roughly six foot four with a well-defined body and a face that most women would die for. His skin was a golden caramel and perfectly white teeth shone from his smile. “Welcome, Mr…?”

“Taggart. Ian Taggart.”

“Mr. Taggart, you’ve brought a beautiful woman with you. I don’t suppose that she is for me? Perhaps the Agency has changed their tactics and actually figured out that I respond much better to the fairer sex?”

Ian wasn’t surprised that the king had dealt with the Agency before. They really were nosy busybodies. “She’s my wife. She goes where I go. If you want to understand what’s happening, you have to make sure she never leaves my sight.”

The king reached forward, grasping her hand and bringing it to his lips in a gallant kiss. “Mrs. Taggart, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Your husband is an interesting man. McKay-Taggart is a private security firm, known for its ex-Special Forces employees.”

So Kamdar did have some smart people working for him. “Facial recognition?”

He shrugged. “I leave that to the intelligent men. I find them deeply annoying. They are sarcastic and unruly. I often think I should let the sharks take them, but they provide good service, do you know what I mean?”

He did. Adam was a pain in his ass, but he got the job done. “They also work quickly.”

“Yes, but then I take it seriously when someone shoves a gun in my employee’s back. I knew your name within moments. I merely wanted to see if you would lie to me. You’ll have to forgive me. Taral’s family has worked for mine for many years. I take all my employees’ safety very seriously. It’s why I have them watched when they leave the boat. The world can be a dangerous place. Please follow me. There is a luncheon laid out on the deck. You can see all my pretty ladies.” He held out a hand gesturing them to move toward the stairs that led to the upper deck. “You are his brother? Sean?”

Sean nodded. “Yes. I’m just along to watch my brother’s back, Your Highness. I’m not in the business anymore.”

“You both have exemplary service records,” the king said. “But I suspect Mr. Taggart has spent some time with the Agency. Well, my obnoxious computer guru suspects this. When did the world turn upside down? Now we are all held hostage by the geeks.”

A thin young man with studious glasses frowned at the king and spoke in rapid-fire Hindi, his entire body spouting sarcasm. He switched to English, which he spoke with a near-perfect British accent. “If my king paid as much attention to security as he does female body parts, we would all be much safer. We should run checks on everyone twice a year. We should check their accounts, see where they are going, who they are meeting with.”

The king shook his head. This was obviously a familiar argument. “I am not spying on my employees, Chapal. We have been over this.”

The young man with glasses threw his hands up in the air and walked off, muttering in Hindi again. Yep, it was good to know Adam had a clone on every continent.

The king rolled his eyes. “He is also my cousin. I am not allowed to execute him. My mother would kill me. Sometimes I long for the old days when a man had his harem and absolute power.”

Unfortunately, Ian was going to have to go with Chapal on this one. The king was being naïve.

Ian reached the upper deck and took a quick inventory. The damn boat was bigger than his house. The king steered them toward the aft of the ship where there was a large outdoor living space complete with couches and chaise lounges. There was a huge buffet to the side that looked to have been recently laid out. Fruit and vibrant greens were on display along with the lovely smell of a curry.

Three beautiful women lay out on the deck, sunning themselves. They all giggled as the king walked by. Two of them weren’t wearing anything but bikini bottoms. The third was a gorgeous Asian woman wearing a sleek one piece, her pitch black hair in a bun. He caught a glimpse of her face, but turned before she could see his.

Damn.
He hoped his wife was still all about forgiveness for his past transgressions. He kind of hoped he didn’t have to play that card.

The king gestured them to sit as the yacht began moving again. The boat was so big, Ian barely felt the movement. A tuxedoed servant brought four crystal glasses and a bottle of what appeared to be dark liquor.

“Is that what I think it is?” Sean asked, a little smile on his face.

The king poured liquor into the glasses. “Old Monk. The best rum in the world.” He took a long sniff. “It’s made in India. They do not advertise. I’m surprised you know it. You must have traveled extensively.”

Sean waited until the king had taken a long drink before sampling. Ian was glad his brother wasn’t completely out of practice. “I have a couple of line cooks I work with. They bring bottles back with them when they go home. We can’t get this in Texas.”