Playing For Keeps (Montana Men) (30 page)

“You are so not funny.” She eyed his firm backside with
appreciation. Wow. The back part looked as delicious as the front parts. “don’t
get your stitches wet.”

“Dress,” he tossed over his shoulder, “and stop eyeing my
ass.”

“I wasn’t
—
”

“You were.” He laughed, then his expression turned
serious. “We have a long drive ahead of us, so dress warm.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

To murder character is as truly a crime as
to murder the body—the tongue of the slanderer is brother to the dagger of the
assassin.

~Tryon Edwards

Washington D.C.

February 17, Tuesday

Five hours after the assassination…

Senator
Hamilton Ross jerked the ties on his brown and gold striped robe a little
tighter and reached for a bottle of his finest. Sloshing the rich colored
brandy in the glass, he downed it in one swallow, then turned to face his best
operative, Kane Masters. “You’re sure she didn’t return to the Ambassador?”

Kane
held the ice pack to his aching skull and glared. Deep inside he detested the
man for varied reasons and most of them revolved around Jayla. “Don’t second
guess me, Senator. Of course I doubled back and checked. The place was crawling
with Feds, including that CIA bitch, Samantha Rivers, but Jayla wasn’t there.”

Hamilton
rattled the ice in his glass, contemplating. “Tell me you at least took the
film from the recorders and destroyed it.”

Kane
shook his head, then winced. “No, I didn’t get the fucking film, but there’s
nothing on it to link it to me.”

“You’re
sure?”

“Yes. I was out of sight. The only thing the Feds will see
is Molly getting her brains splattered and Jayla’s reaction to the kill shot.”

The
senator snickered. “I would have loved to see Jayla’s face.”

“No,
you wouldn’t. She was positively stunned.”

“Stunned at the first lady’s death or by the fact she
recognized you behind the mask?”

“Both.”

“This
is your mess, clean it up.”

Kane
nodded. “I know, but she’s
your
daughter. I didn’t know how far you wanted me to take things.”

“Stepdaughter,”
the senator snapped. “And take it as far as necessary. I finished with her a
long time ago. I’m sure you recall exactly when it happened.”

Kane
grimaced and tossed the ice pack aside. “Yeah. I do. You have any idea where
she’d go?”

Hamilton
lifted a brow. “Don’t you know anything about her?”

“I
wasn’t interested in her thoughts or anything she had to say.”

The
senator’s lips twitched. “Right.” He hesitated, then snapping his fingers,
grinned. “Oh hell, of course, the little bitch would be crazy enough to flee
there.”

Kane
frowned. “Where?”

“To
that damn Montana cowboy she’s always had an itch for.”

“Cowboy?”
Kane curled his upper lip with distaste. “I didn’t know she knew any cowboys.”

“Ooh,
believe me she’s had the hots for him since she was fifteen years old.”

Kane
rubbed a hand down his face and sighed. “What the hell are you talking about?
What cowboy?”

Hamilton
grinned. “The man she sent to prison for raping her.”

“I
didn’t know she sent a man to prison for raping her.”

The
senator snorted. “You really
didn’t
bother getting to know her, did you? He didn’t rape her.”

Kane
frowned. “Who did?”

Arching a brow, Hamilton poured another glass of brandy.
“Why the hell didn’t you shoot her when you had the fucking opportunity?”

He
shrugged. “She has something I want.”

“What?”
Hamilton swirled the brandy in the bottom of the glass.

“It
isn’t important. What’s important is that I find her and shut her up.” Kane
picked up his gun and wiped the barrel with an oily rag. “Where is she?”

Hamilton
looked bored with the conversation. “She’d go to Wild Remington. The stupid
bitch will tell him everything. Hell, if we get real lucky, he’ll kill her for
us and our hands will be clean.”

“And
if he doesn’t?”

“Make
sure you kill both of them.”

Kane
nodded. “Where in Montana?”

“A
little town called Rimrock. Not much there, but I understand the sheriff is a
dangerous bastard. Don’t cross his path.”

Stuffing
the gun in the shoulder holster, Kane turned to go.

“Kane?”

“Yeah?”
He looked over his shoulder and waited.

“Make
certain nothing leads back to me. Shut her up, permanently. If you can’t do the
job, tell me, and I’ll send someone who can. I will not have that bitch ruining
my career or my life.”

“I
can do it, but I can’t be in two places at once. Contact Zaden. See if he can
get some intel on where the agent and that red-haired woman headed, and tell
him I’ll save Jayla for him if he takes them out of the picture.”

Hamilton
scowled, his snowy brows beetling together. “What agent?”

“I
don’t know. You’ll have to contact our informant and retrieve the information.
Find out the woman’s name and if she has family. Get the name of the agent. I
want to know who we’re up against.”

Hamilton took a puff off the cigar and released the smoke
into the air. “You really gonna give Jayla to Zaden?”

“You did say you’re finished with her?” Kane arched a brow
and waited.

“Yeah.” Ross rolled his cigar between thumb and forefinger
thoughtfully. “Yeah. She’s old news.”

Kane shrugged. “Zaden’s wanted to do her for a long time,
and I’m not talking about fucking her. He thinks she’s a distraction.”

“She is. You let her sink her claws in you.”

“She let me put my dick in her. I’d say we’re even. When
I’m finished with her, Zaden can have her.” Kane grinned. “He’s like a buzzard.
He’ll take care of the leftovers.”

*
* * *

Secret Service Headquarters

Washington, D.C.

February 17, Tuesday

Nineteen hours after the assassination…

Sam
paused in the doorway of Conference Room Number Three at the Secret Service
headquarters and looked around for a friendly familiar face. She figured most
of the agents in the low-rise building chose not to be her friend deliberately,
or they’d have Nailer to deal with, and Nailer was anything but pleasant at all
times.

No
love lost, most of the agents were cocky jerks anyway.

Across
the room near the coffee maker, she caught the eye of Agent Rydge Scott. He was
the exception. She’d give anything to get him on her team. He nodded and added
a packet of sugar to his cup as she and Travis approached him. “I thought you
were on guard duty to the president?” she said quietly so her voice wouldn’t
carry across the room. She wasn’t particularly hiding what she said, but
neither was she in the mood to share with all the cocked ears intent on
listening in.

Rydge nodded and stirred the coffee with a swizzle stick.
“I was, until the dumb fuck decided to hide out in the bunker with four guards
stationed outside the sealed door.”

“Good
God,” Travis said. “He’s in the shelter?”

“Yep.”

Sam
eyed the agent and did her best to keep a straight face. “Alone?”

Rydge
took a sip of the coffee, then lowered the cup. “I plead the fifth.”

“He’s
got the actress with him?” she asked incredulously.

“Make
that two actresses and you win the blue ribbon,” Rydge replied, clenching his
jaw. “The man is either a complete idiot or the biggest fool in history.”

“Both,”
Sam said with Travis.

Rydge
laughed and agreed.

“He’s
got to come out and give a press statement,” Travis injected.

“He won’t,” Rydge said. “Not until he’s assured the
assassin wasn’t after him. The reason I’m here to study the film.”

“Yeah.”
Sam poured herself a cup and handed one to Travis. “Us, too, however, I think
there’s little doubt the assassin got exactly who he intended. It’d be
difficult to say the least for anyone to mistake Molly for John.”

Rydge
shrugged. “Still, the Spanish ambassador was killed, too. It’s possible someone
thought he was John.”

“I don’t think so,” Sam argued. “I think the killer got
exactly who he intended, both times.”

“We’ll see,” Rydge said. “They’re starting the tape.”

“Rydge, is Sam here trying to recruit you to her team?”
Nailer Tompkins, Rydge’s superior, walked up and cut into their conversation.

“Not yet,” Sam said sweetly, “although I was just about to
make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

Rydge grinned and sipped his coffee. Travis choked on a swallow
of the strong brew.

Nailer’s face turned red. “Where were you and your men
when the first lady was gunned down?”

“Where were you and yours?” Sam retorted.

“It was your job to look after her,” Nailer said,
accusation in his voice.

Sam held up a hand in protest. “No, my men and I were
there to see Molly remained safe at the dinner party, and escort her to her
room when she was ready to leave. We did. Our job was finished once she left
the dinner party and entered her room. So I ask again, where were you and your
men when she left the White House?”

Nailer squirmed uncomfortably. “She took the damn
emergency exit.”

“The tunnel?” Travis asked.

“Yes,” Nailer replied.

“So why didn’t you have men stationed at the exit?” Sam
inquired, rubbing salt in the obvious wound.

“It’s an emergency exit,” Nailer snapped. “It wasn’t an
emergency for the first lady to meet that damn Spaniard.”

“Huh,” Sam said. “It must have been to her. You want to
calm down, Nailer? We’re all on the same side here…aren’t we?”

Nailer eyed her, a sneer on his thin lips. “I’m on my
side. It’s the only one that counts. I suggest we all get seated and pay
attention to the film.”

“You go ahead and suggest,” Sam replied, her voice cold
and stiff. “Travis and I will do as we think best.”

*
* * *

Two
hours later, Sam slammed the car door and slapped the dash with the palm of her
hand. “Damn idiot, trying to order us around.” Frustration poured through her,
internal and hot as steam.

Travis
shoved the key in the ignition, but hesitated to start the engine. “That went
well,” he said.

She supposed it was his attempt to inject some humor in
the situation, but he failed miserably. Sam glared at him. “The bastard. Nailer
would have liked nothing better than to drop the entire bomb on our doorstep,
only he couldn’t quite make it stick.”

“He
tried hard enough, but his failure to post guards at the tunnel exit made him
look like the fool he is,” Travis said. “I think you pissed him off with your
remark about stealing Rydge.”

“Ya
think? He was looking for an excuse to be mad at me, so I gave him a good one.”

“You
stood up to him just fine, Sam. I think you might have won Rydge over to us.”

“God,
I hope so. He’s wasted with Nailer.”

“Yeah. We need him. Much as I hate to say it, Duel’s ready
to move on. He wants to stay home more and he’s earned that privilege.
Montana’s in his blood, and too much is happening there. You’re going to lose
him if you don’t cut him some slack.”

She
nodded. “I know.” Sam bit her lower lip. “It’s just that he’s so damn good at
his job. Look how quick he broke up that mess in Reno. It would have taken
another agent five years, he did it in two.”

“He’s
tired, Sam. He’s been to Iraq four times, plus the casino job and now this. I
don’t think he’s been the same since he took that bullet in Iraq. I think he
realized then what a dangerous situation you’d have been in if he’d died.”

“It’s more than that,” she said softly. “He might not
recognize it yet, but Duel’s looking for the right woman to settle down with
and start a family. When he finds her, I doubt he even gives me notice. Oh,
God, Travis, I can’t blame him. I’ve never felt more like walking out on a job
in my entire life.”

“But
you won’t,” Travis replied. “Those two ladies need someone on their side. For
sure, Nailer isn’t going to help them.”

“Of
course not, he has both Flayme and Jayla in his crosshairs. Someone’s going
down for killing Molly. He doesn’t care if that someone is innocent as long as
he can show the public and the president that he has the killer. What a–a…”

“Douche
bag?” Travis supplied.

“That
works.”

“Forget Nailer. You can’t quit, Sam.”

She
frowned. “I know that. I have a daughter to support.”

“I
didn’t mean that. You know I’ll help you with her if you’ll let me.”

“No.
I don’t need or want your help.”

“Good
grief, Sam. She’s my daughter, too.”

“No,
she isn’t. She’s David’s. She has his last name. It’s his name on the birth
certificate.”

Travis
swallowed the ache and bit back a sharp retort. In that moment, he felt as if
his heart had been ripped out by the roots and tossed aside to wither and die
like an unwanted weed. “Why did you do that? It doesn’t make it factual,
doesn’t change her blood. She’s
my
daughter and whether you like it or not, I’m obtaining visitation rights.
You’ve shut me out of her life long enough. I’m suing for joint custody.”

“You
can’t do that.”

“I
think we both know I can. I don’t want to hurt you or Hayley, but I…” His words
trailed away. From the hard look on her face, she didn’t want to hear he loved
her.

“She
doesn’t know you, Travis. All you’re going to do is frighten her.”

“And
whose fault is that? I should have been there,” he argued. “I should have been
there from her birth to now. I should have been a part of her life and you
cheated me out of it, out of the years I would have bonded with my little
girl.” He drew a sharp breath and slowly exhaled. “I don’t think I can ever
forgive you for that.”

“I
don’t want your forgiveness. I want you to stay out of our lives.”

“I
can’t do that. I
won’t
do that.”

“Let’s
go,” she snapped.