Relentless (20 page)

Too bad Rhys wasn't a happily-ever-after kind of guy.

On the lawn afterward, Nev watched Rayne pull his new bride close and whisper something in her ear that made her cheeks turn bright pink. Her big blue eyes swung up to his face, brimming with laughter. Nev could not believe the striking resemblance between Rayne and Luke. It was uncanny.

“Not gonna cry on me, are you?”

Laughing, she leaned against Rhys's shoulder when he came up beside her. “No. I don't do it often, and it was during a wedding after all. You're safe until you take me to another one.”

“Like next year?”

The question startled her, but then she realized he was talking about Ben and Sam's wedding and didn't necessarily mean he thought they'd still be together then. What would she do if they weren't? As practical and mature as she was, she didn't think she could stomach the thought of seeing Rhys under those circumstances without dying a little. “I'll work on it. That's all I can promise.”

He threaded his fingers through hers. “Good enough.”

Ben strolled over. “Let's beat the crowd and get down to the beach before all the parking's gone. Photographer is already on his way down there.”

Rhys glanced down at her feet. “Will you be all right walking in those? We've got a couple hours to kill before the reception.”

“Sure I can walk, if it's not for too long.” He guided her across the lush green grass and parking lot. The sun warmed her skin, making the air unseasonably warm. It felt lovely.

Helping her into the back seat with a firm grip on her hand, he shut the door and went around to the driver's side as Ben got in the front passenger seat.

“Nice day for a wedding, huh?” he asked, light green eyes hidden behind wraparound shades identical to his brother's. They looked more alike today than she'd ever seen them. How come all the men in Luke's circle were so damned good-looking?

“Beautiful,” she agreed. “I wish Sam was here, though.”

“Me too. We're great on the dance floor together.” He tilted his shades down until she could see the pale green of his irises. “You'll stand in for her though, right?”

“Of course I will.” Her eyes went to Rhys's reflection in the rearview mirror, but he didn't say anything.

“He won't be dancing,” Ben said, correctly interpreting her glance. “Maybe you haven't noticed, but he's not really a party kind of guy.”

“No need to be when you're around,” Rhys remarked, pulling out of the lot and onto the quiet road. “You have enough fun for both of us.”

“Yeah, because you're socially retarded.”

Nev bit back a smile, but a pang of sadness hit her. She remembered at the club in Paris how Rhys had stayed off to the side of the dance floor, up against the wall as he kept a watchful eye on her and Sam to guard them from possible threats. At the time she'd thought he was just keeping his distance because he was working and didn't want to become distracted, but now she knew better.

Other than last night with her, Rhys didn't let his guard down around anyone except his family. Something made him hold back from people, and it wasn't just his sense of duty that kept him removed.

After hearing about the twins’ upbringing from Bryn, Nev was positive he'd adopted that tactic deliberately as a way to shield himself. He'd probably developed the defense mechanism as a kid. Someone had hurt him terribly, and she bet it was his birth mother. Her betrayal had taught Rhys at an early age that even the people who were meant to love and protect you couldn't be trusted. It also explained the relationship he had with Ben.

Ben leaned forward to turn up the radio, and the big vehicle pulsed with bass for a few seconds until Rhys shot a hand out and turned the volume down.

“Nev, tell him what prolonged exposure to loud music does to your eardrums.”

“I would imagine it does the same amount of damage as prolonged exposure to gunfire and explosives,” she said.

Ben laughed and punched him in the shoulder. “See? We're fucked either way, pal.”

“Watch your mouth.”

Pulling off his shades, Ben sighed and looked back at her. “Sorry. Good thing I've got the language police here to keep me in line.”

She winked. “No offense taken. I've heard the word before.”

His smile could melt chocolate at a hundred paces. “See why I love her?” he said to Rhys.

“Don't let your manners slip just because she tolerates you for Sam's sake.”

“There's nothing wrong with my manners.” He swiveled to face the windshield and let out a sigh. “Man, this is the best assignment I've ever been on,” he said. “Nice place.”

Nev agreed. White Rock was a beautiful seaside town nestled into the hillside. Its houses spilled down the slope to Marine Drive where the shops and restaurants lay. Even in mid-November the beach was busy on this sunny Saturday. People jogged and walked the brick paved promenade and down the long wooden pier jutting out into the water. She drank in the sights eagerly.

“Is that the Pacific Ocean?” she asked. Looked way too calm, if it was.

“No,” Rhys answered. “Semiahmoo Bay.”

She peered harder out the window at the slate blue masses of land dotting the water in the distance. “What islands are those?”

“The San Juans are to the south. They're American, and the Gulf Islands to the north are Canadian. The border with Blaine is right across the bay,” he said, pointing for her. “And Point Roberts is that way.” He gestured out Ben's window. “It's American, too. Forty-ninth parallel runs right across it.”

From reading her tourist guide, she knew that's what demarked the border between the U.S. and Canada. She gazed out the driver's side where a majestic snow-capped mountain rose in the east. “What's that?”

“Mount Baker. A pyroclastic volcano.”

She nodded. A volcano that erupted with ash, mud and gas, rather than lava. “Like Mount St. Helens?”

“Yeah, but dormant right now.”

Ben faced her and shook his head. “Jesus, the two of you together are something else. A human Google link. One of you should see if you can get a spot on
Jeopardy!
— you'd make millions.”

She took that as a compliment. She loved how knowledgeable Rhys was. “You'd be great to travel with,” she told him.

He met her eyes in the rearview mirror for a moment. “Why's that?”

“Because you'd be the ultimate tour guide.”

“I've traveled with him,” Ben said with a shake of his head. “Trust me, it wasn't that fun.”

She snorted. “To where, some godforsaken hole of a war torn country?”

“Well, some of those. But we've gone to nice places together too. Hawaii, for one. I had a great time, but I'm not so sure about him,” he said, jerking his chin at Rhys.

Rhys shrugged his wide shoulders and pulled into a parking lot. “It was okay.”

Ben looked back at her. “He's the best shot I've seen and he's a walking encyclopedia, I'll give him that, but he never lets himself have any fun.”

“How about we change the subject?” Rhys suggested, parking the truck. He shut off the ignition and climbed out, but Ben was already opening her door and helping her down.

“Thanks,” she said, smiling up at him. She had two of the hottest and most capable men on the planet flanking her, and it made her feel like a celebrity. Despite the fact Rhys seemed unaffected by everything around him, even he couldn't have missed the appreciative looks women gave him when he walked by.

A warm glow lit inside her when he took her hand and laced his fingers through hers in a gesture of possession, because she knew how significant it was. A public display of affection! She caught Ben's approving grin and returned it, feeling on top of the world. Too bad they had hours left until she could get Rhys naked in her hotel room. On the plus side, though, the entire day was shaping up to be a foreplay marathon. By the time she got him alone later on, she'd be so primed one touch from him might send her over the edge. She looked forward to finding out.

Nev breathed in deeply of the cool ocean air, catching the sweet vanilla scent of fresh waffle cones and the smell of deep fried fish and chips. “Mmm, that smells so good... ”

“Want some?” Ben offered.

One look at Rhys's face convinced her he wanted no part of that deep fried gluttony, so she took Ben's arm. “Let's go.”

They all walked across the street to a fish-and-chips place called Moby Dick's where a substantial line of patrons waited to pick up their orders. In her experience the best places to eat were the ones the locals frequented, and this had all the earmarks of a good one.

She hung back with Rhys while Ben ordered their food, and smiled at the people giving them curious looks. “Wedding,” she explained, gesturing to their attire, and received several smiles. Beside her, Rhys loomed large and imposing. He and Ben would make a great good cop-bad cop team.

Ben turned away from the take out window once he'd paid and glanced down as he drew his phone out. The happy expression on his face left no doubt it was Sam on the other end.

Nev withheld a wistful sigh. The man she loved was standing right next to her, but she couldn't tell him. If she did, she risked losing him forever. For God's sake, Rhys had a hard enough time putting his arm around her in public.

After a minute, Ben walked over and held out his phone. “Sam wants to say hello.”

“Hi, hon,” she said when she put the phone to her ear, wandering a few steps away. She could feel Rhys's gaze following her.

“I have to make this quick,” her cousin said without preamble.

Nev stiffened. “What? What's wrong?”

“Don't let them know I'm telling you this, or Ben'll kill me.”

She deliberately relaxed her posture. “Okay. Go ahead.”

“I don't know all the details because I don't have security clearance, but I've managed to access some files.”

Hacked into them, she meant. “Sam— ”

“Just listen. Stay close to the boys, okay?”

The ominous warning made her skin prickle. “I will, but it's not like I have a choice. Rhys is on me like a shadow.”

“Good. Let him do his job.”

Nev's fingers tightened around the phone. Something bad had happened. Sam would never scare her like this otherwise. “Tell me.”

A hard sigh came across the line. “There's chatter out there connecting Tehrazzi with a cell in Vancouver.”

Her stomach rolled at the mention of his name. That's why Luke had brought the boys in. Unfortunately, it didn't come as a complete surprise. She'd known from the outset something important had brought the twins here. She swallowed, fighting to stay calm. “Okay. What else?”

“That's all I know. I just wanted to make sure you keep your eyes open.”

“I will. You better not get your ass fired over this, Sam.”

“Please,” her cousin snorted in an insulted tone. “Like I'd let them find out.”

Nev swiveled her head and met two stares pinning her, one navy and the other icy green. “Uh oh, the Secret Service is giving me the hairy eyeball.”

“I'll let you go, then. Just tell them we talked about my wedding dress, and you can't give anything away.”

“Will do. Love you.”

“Love you too. Be safe.”

Ending the call, Nev walked back and handed Ben his phone, doing her best to not look spooked. A possible link between Tehrazzi and a local cell did not mean there was a plot in the works, she told herself firmly, putting on a smile. “She's pretty excited about her dress.”

“I'll bet,” Rhys said dryly as he slid his shades back on, telling her he didn't believe a word of it. She almost flat out asked him what the situation with the local cell was, but knew damn well he'd never tell her anything. She couldn't betray her cousin by saying anything, and there was nothing more she could do to keep herself safe besides being alert and staying close to the twins. For now, she'd have to lock her anxiety away where it wouldn't show.

Just then, the lady at the takeout window called out their order number. Nev grabbed Ben's hand and towed him over. Despite the lingering tension in her gut, she was still hungry, and eating would help convince Rhys that Sam hadn't said anything she shouldn't have. “Sure you don't want any?” she called to him.

“No thanks.”

“You're so pure,” Ben called over his shoulder.

Together they drenched the fries with vinegar and got little cups full of ketchup and tartar sauce. On the first crispy, salty bite of fish, Nev let out a moan.

“Oh yeah,” Ben agreed, popping part of the piece into his mouth.

Rhys shook his head at them in disgust. “That stuff will kill you.”

Nev laughed. “One piece won't.”

“My heart's stopped once already, thanks. Don't want to tempt fate.”

His wry sense of humor, whenever he let it show, never failed to amuse her. “Oh come on,” she teased. “Have one if you want it. Promise I won't tell.” When he didn't reply, she went right up to him and leaned up so that her mouth was close to his ear. The delicious smell of his cologne drifted up to tease her. “If your heart did stop, I bet I could get it started without a defibrillator this time.”

In response, he lowered his head until his mouth brushed her ear, sending shivers across her skin. “I bet you could too. But if it's going to stop around you again, it'll be because I'm inside you.”

After his brother and Nev polished off their revolting snack, they all walked down the brick-paved promenade past the famous White Rock, and down the length of the wooden pier while the photographer took shots of the wedding party. Boats bobbed in their moorings on one side of it, and on the other a group of children gathered around a crabbing pot to examine the catch just pulled from the water. Their delighted squeals made him smile.

At his side, Nev peered over the end railing at the purple starfish clinging to the rocks below the water line. Whatever Sam had told her didn't seem to have spoiled the day for her, so he left it alone. But Nev knew something was up. He'd seen the way her shoulders had stiffened at something Sam said. His conscience squirmed, but he ignored it. He still couldn't tell her what he knew, and hoped to God he wouldn't have to.

He went back to enjoying the view of the beautiful woman before him. The cool breeze played with the tendrils of hair framing her face. She was so damn pretty like that. Her enthusiasm and natural curiosity about everything around her was almost magical. She wanted to drink in everything she could about what she experienced every single moment, like a sponge.