Protecting Lulu (Global Protection Agency) (37 page)

E.J.
said, “Any final instructions?”

“Don’t
screw up. I want him alive and unharmed.”

“That’ll
cost extra,” E.J. teased.

E.J.
called Gideon and Dante. After a few minutes Noah heard them clatter down the
stairs. They walked into the living room handing E.J. and Noah their coats.

“You
want me to call John?” Harrison asked.

“I’ll
do it after we find him.” Noah shrugged into his coat.

As
Noah walked out, E.J., Gideon, and Dante trailed him.

The
Escalade was parked at the curb. Gideon drove. The city was alive at night with
bright lights and almost as much traffic as during the day. Times Square
bustled with energy. Noah had always liked Times Squares. When he’d first come
to New York and couldn’t sleep at night, he’d walk around the Square watching
the tourists and the hucksters. He’d learned every inch of the city by walking
it.

Dante
pulled into the parking garage.

“He’s
in 1730,” E.J. said.

They
took the glass elevator up to the 17
^th
floor and emerged from the
elevator banks to the open center of the hotel. Sound drifted up from the
lobby. As they walked down the hall, Noah glanced over the railings and down
the center at all the people walking around. According the monitor in the
elevator, a realtors’ convention was in town and from the noise they were
having a good time.

At
1730, E.J. and Gideon flanked one side of the door, Noah and Dante had the
other. They held their guns tight against them to not arouse any suspicion,
should someone step into the hallway. Noah rapped on the door.

“Who’s
there,” came a distant voice.

“Room
service,” Noah said. Anyone who stayed in a hotel on someone else’s dime always
used room service.

The
door started to open, the man on the other side saying, “That was fast,” before
he fell silent staring at Noah’s gun, Benny slowly backed up, panic on his
face, his hands slowly rising.

“Hello,
Benny,” Noah said. “You’re a hard man to find.”

Benny
stared at the gun, his face pale, his lips working, “You’ve got the wrong man.”

E.J.
chuckled. “Not original, Benny.”

Benny
held his hands out. “Take me in.”

“Sit
down,” Noah said quietly. “I have some questions.”

Benny
sat on the edge of the bed and watched them all, no emotion in his eyes.

“You
tried to kill Lulu Bennington and I want to know why,” Noah asked.

Benny
said nothing for a moment. He studied them before opening his mouth. “My name
is Benjamin McCall. My driver’s license number is--”

“We
already know who you are,” Noah said quietly fighting for patience. He was a
trained Ranger even if he didn’t make the cut. “We want to know why Lulu
Bennington.”

“My
name is Benjamin McCall.”

“Give
me a minute alone with him, Noah.” Gideon cracked his knuckles.

Noah
shook his head. “I don’t want any marks on him. The cops will wonder why.”

“I’ll
be careful.”

Noah
turned a speculative eye on Benny. “Benny, I want answers.”

Benny
said nothing. He simply stared unfocused at Noah, his lips pressed firmly
together.

Noah
had been trained in a dozen interrogation techniques, but they all took time
and he didn’t have time right now. He could feel things coming to a close.

“Who
hired you, Benny?”

No
answer. Benny relaxed as he realized they weren’t going to hurt him. A look of
confidence returned to his eyes and he gave Noah a challenging glance. Noah
sighed. Benny knew Noah couldn’t do much of anything.

Reluctantly,
Noah reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. John was on speed dial.
Noah pressed the phone to his ear. John answered on the first ring.

“I
have Benny McCall in custody,” Noah said quietly. “Come get him.”

Noah
returned to Lulu’s home trying to keep his disappointment under control. He
really hadn’t expected Benny to give up his employer, but he had hoped that
having Gideon, Dante and E.J. would intimidate him enough that he would just
start talking. Benny’s training as a Ranger had been thorough.

E.J.
went to the kitchen with Gideon to get something to eat. Dante went back to his
room. Noah stopped in the living room to tell Harrison he could head home.

“Nothing?”
Harrison said.

“Nothing,”
Noah said. “Not one word out of him except his name and driver’s license
number. John picked him and took him to the station. I doubt John will get
anything out of him either.”

“Where’s
Lulu?” Noah asked.

“I
told her what was going on. She stayed with me for a bit and when you called to
tell me you were on your way back, she said she was too tired to think straight
and went to bed about a half hour ago.” Harrison packed away his laptop and
picked up his coat. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” He left, the front door
opening with a swirl of cold air blowing down the hall and into the living
room.

Noah
ran a hand through his hair. He’d wanted to bring Lulu back the information
they both wanted, but since Benny refused to cooperate, he didn’t have anything
to tell her.

He
opened the door to his bedroom and stopped. Lulu sat on his bed wearing nothing
but her birthday suit and the shoes he’d bought her. Her legs were crossed and
her hands demurely in her lap. She smiled at him and patted the bed beside her.

“I
thought you might like to help me break in these shoes,” she said with a coy
look at him.

“Lulu,
we talked about this.”

She
shifted back and reclined on her elbow. She patted the bed beside her. “Yes, we
did. But you caught Benny so this will be your last night here.”

“We
caught Benny, but he’s simply the muscle. Someone is pulling his strings and
he’s not telling us who.”

“Why
would you think someone hired him?”

She
looked so delectable sitting on his bed. He loved the look of her full breasts
and the tantalizing curve of her hip. He remembered the way her legs felt
wrapped around him. He shuddered and stepped back to put more distance between
them.

“He
doesn’t have a stalker personality. He doesn’t have any feelings for you.”

“Maybe
he’s a good actor.”

“He
acts like he’s on a mission.”

“How
would you know?”

He
kept telling himself to keep his hands off her, but he inadvertently took a
couple steps toward her before he realized and stopped. “Because I’ve been on a
mission, too.” Stalkers didn’t give their information with such a stoic
response. “Killing you would have been the same as getting a sandwich for him.”

“I
don’t know how to feel about that,” she said with a frown.

He
wanted to cover her up with a blanket, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Maybe
if he just sat down on the very edge of the mattress… He breathed in the scent
of her exotic perfume.

“Consider
yourself lucky. According to his records, Benny was very good at what he did.”

She
crooked her finger. “So come over here and keep me safe.”

The
street in front of the Talbot Museum was lit up with huge spotlights. A red
carpet led from the curb, heat lamps aimed at it to keep the attendees warm. Open
doors led into a large reception area and another set of doors opened into the
banquet room. Floral arrangements lined the reception area.

Orchestra
music filled the banquet room which no longer looked like a natural history exhibit.
The whole room had been transformed into a ballroom. Round tables with place
settings dotted the room around the dance floor. The orchestra was situated on
a platform at the end of the room with a large area open for dancing. A few couples
whirled around the dance floor.

Lulu
smiled at the people still pouring through the door. Wilder stood at the door,
greeting people while Lulu finished the last minute decisions that always
seemed to be needed.

Lulu
caught her reflection in a mirror and stopped for a moment to look herself over
with her critical inner eye. She looked good, she decided. She’d pulled her
hair up into a classic French twist at the back of her neck with a few tendrils
falling artfully down the side of her neck. Her gown fit perfectly and showed
the right amount of cleavage while the pink diamonds sparkled against her
throat, setting off her smooth skin and complementing the pink shoes. A slit
showed her leg almost to the top of her thigh.

Noah
shadowed her every move.

Lulu
smiled at an editor from a rival fashion magazine.

“Lulu,
dahling,” the editor gushed.

“Susie,”
Lulu said sweetly. Lulu air-kissed the woman on both cheeks.

“You
look simply ravishing, Lulu,” Susie said still gushing. “And your gala is going
to be sensational. I just know it.”

Lulu
smiled and moved on.

“She
hates you,” Noah said with a slight frown.

“Of
course, she does. I’m richer, more famous, and I get to eat. From what I saw in
the kitchen earlier, the food is going to be amazing.” Lulu waved at another
fashion editor who simply nodded and went back to paying attention to her date,
a man who looked about twenty years younger. Maybe he was her assistant, but
Lulu knew the woman’s tastes ran to younger men—much younger men.

 Bethany
and Jake entered the room. Bethany looked charming in a silver and white
Marchessa goddess gown, setting off her heart-shaped face and tousled blond
hair.

Jake
looked perfect as always in a severe black tux. Lulu was glad he’d never gone
for the grunge look that too many actors affected at formal events.

Bethany
saw Lulu and rushed over. “It’s so exciting,” she said. “Look at how many
people showed up. I can see this is going to be a smashing success.” Bethany
rattled off her words.

“I
think it will be great,” Lulu said.

“You’re
such a trooper after what happened.” Bethany patted her arm.

“I
couldn’t disappoint people. This is just too important.” Lulu scanned the
tables. “You’re sitting at table five.”

“When
we get a chance, could I have five minutes alone with you? I have some exciting
news,” Bethany said a hint of laughter in her tone.

“Of
course,” Lulu said. “You’ve been such a help, I can’t say thank you enough.”

Bethany
nodded. Jake had stopped to speak to a friend and Bethany turned around, an
impatient look on her face as she caught his eye. He nodded to his friend and
walked over to Bethany.

“Hello
Lulu,” he said politely as Bethany twined her arm around his.

“Hello,
Jake,” Lulu returned.

Bethany’s
mouth tightened. “We’re at table five,” she said. “Let’s sit and you can get me
a drink.” She pulled Jake away toward the tangle of people surrounding the bar.

Noah
put a hand on Lulu’s elbow. “Don’t be alone with him.”

“Who?”
she asked.

“Jake,”
he replied.

“Why?”
she asked curiously.

“I
don’t like him and I don’t want him being alone with you.”

“Don’t
you think you’re being a bit dramatic? I’ve known Jake for years. But if it
eases your mind, I will not be alone with him even though he’s perfectly safe.”
Jake was a kitty cat, Lulu thought. She didn’t really believe he’d be behind
any reason to hurt her.

“Thank
you,” Noah said looking slightly relieved.

“As
much as it pains me, I have to mingle and rob some people,” she said.

Noah
smiled at her. “I think coax, manipulate, or seduce would be better words, but
let’s face it, you just hold out your hand and people give you their wallets.”

“It’s
for a good cause. People like to please me, they can’t help themselves.”

“Yeah,”
he mumbled.

She
slanted a coy glance at him. “You at least try to put up a good fight. I admire
that about you.”

“I
find it’s a lot more fun when you win than it is when I win.”

She
raised her eyebrows. “I try to be a generous winner.”

“You’re
not always going to win.”

She
tilted her head. “Mr. Callahan, that statement implies that you and I have a
future.”

He
leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, “I’m not implying anything.”

She
looked down at her hands, feeling a warm blush steal across her cheeks. She
couldn’t remember the last time a man made her feel giddy. Just the thought of
his promise made her go all warm and fuzzy inside. Yes, she loved him. He made
her tingle with desire and longing. Not even Jake had accomplished that with
her.