Bare Facts (5 page)

“If they are so serious, why isn’t he dead?” Charity asked out loud.

“I don’t know,” Anna said. “Maybe they just want him scared.”

“Could be, or maybe his blackmailer is toying with him?” Justine suggested.

“I’m betting on the latter,” Charity said. “Daniel plans to set himself up as bait.”

“We’re off the case after he gets on that plane,” Justine said.

“I want to talk to Sam again, see if he can get us back on the case. Anna, did you find anything in your databases that Daniel won’t have access to?”

“What are you thinking?” Justine asked.

“I want to prove to him that he needs us.”

“We don’t prove ourselves to anyone, Charity, and you know that. If he wants to play his game, then let him.”

She couldn’t let it go. She knew that Justine was right, but a part of her…just felt like she needed to stay with Daniel or he would die. And she didn’t want to see him killed because of his own stubbornness.

“I’m going to call Sam.”

“So be it. I’m going to get Mr. Williams to look at Anna’s sketch and see if we can’t get some more information out of him.”

“Sam might say no,” Charity said, realizing that Justine was already acting like they were going to get the go-ahead from Sam to stay on the case.

“Yeah, right. He never says no if we are determined to stay on a case,” Anna said.

Charity left her friends and stepped outside the office. She speed-dialed Sam’s secured number. Anna was right about Sam. He always backed them up, even when prudence said he shouldn’t. But this wasn’t a case of bad judgment.

“Yes, Charity?”

“I want to stay on the Williams job. I know he’s dead set against working with a woman bodyguard, but I think he needs us.”

“Actually, he’s not. I just got a text message from him that he’s changed his mind.” As always, there were no noises in the background to betray where he was.

“Why?”

“He didn’t say.”

“Can you talk to him?”

“I intend to as soon as I’m finished in a meeting.”

She wondered what Sam’s real life was like. She knew that their team was just one of half a dozen he had in different locations all over the world.

“He’s hiding something about his past,” she said. “I’m not sure it’s relevant to what’s going on now, but it might be. He said that the blackmailer wants him to do something illegal. Why would they ask him?”

“I’m not sure that matters, Charity.”

“It does to me,” she said.

“Why is this important to you?”

She thought about it for a moment. Didn’t want to lie to her boss or to herself. “It just is.”

Sam said nothing, and in the silence she realized she was going to have to give him something more than those brief words.

“I have this feeling in my gut that I can save his life, but I can’t unless I have all the information on him.” she said.

“Very well. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Did Anna find anything in our databases on the assassin?”

“No, but you know how determined she is. If that woman is in any database in the world, Anna will find her.”

“Yes, I know. I think that might work in our favor with Mr. Williams.”

She hung up with Sam and went back into the office. She met Daniel’s gaze across the room and something passed between them. She looked away first, uncomfortable as she realized that she wanted to stay on the job with Daniel for more than business.

C
harity was very aware that John Dewey wasn’t infallible. She’d reached more than one goal to find a dead end. But with Daniel’s acquiescence, she felt like it was a starting point.

“So you’re going to Seattle with me.”

“Yes, I am. Why’d you change your mind?”

“After seeing you in action I knew you could do the job,” he said.

But the words felt like a lie. Like there was something more to his reason for changing his mind. She hadn’t questioned it before because it had been what she’d wanted, but now she did.

They were in the Rolls, headed toward the executive airport. His attention had been on the passing cars and scenery. But she knew that he was still going over the attempt on his life.

She put her hand on his leg. “But you’d already seen me in action and hadn’t changed your mind.”

He put his hand over hers and turned toward her. There was fire in his silvery gaze and she felt…too much. Not at all what she’d expected, and she knew that was why she’d asked Sam to try again. She liked the unexpectedness of being with Daniel.

“I can’t explain it further than that. Sam mentioned you’d called him as well. Were you going to ask him to talk to me again?”

She had never been tentative in her life. And she wasn’t about to start now, but it would be so nice just to disappear into herself for a few moments. “Yes, I was.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want to see you go.”

“Personally?”

She made a noncommittal noise. She knew that she wanted him but it was more than lust. She also had that tingling in her gut that said she could save his life. She’d been saving lives for so long that she knew better than to ignore it.

“Come on, Charity, tell me your secrets,” he said.

“Will you tell me yours?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe’s not good enough.”

“Then give me something to work with,” he said.

“What?”

“Cop to what you’re feeling,” he said. He angled his body on the seat so he was facing her.

“I’m intrigued by you,” she said, against her better judgment. Oh, who was she kidding? When it came to Daniel, she had no judgment. He made her react on every level.

He gave her a half-smile, running his misshapen index finger down the side of her face. He traced the line of her jaw and then feathered his thumb over her lips. She parted them and was tempted to bite him. Just to remind him she was still in charge.

But she didn’t feel like she was in charge as he tipped her head back and leaned forward. She felt like she was under his spell. Very few men could get around her so easily…why was she letting him do this to her?

She put her hand on his face, felt the warmth of his body. He moved his lips on hers and she tunneled her fingers into his hair, holding him still.

She thrust her tongue deep into his mouth and tasted everything that was Daniel. The warm masculinity and raw power, and she wanted more of it. She wanted this man that she sensed could be her equal on every level.

On every level
.

She pulled back, knowing that she had things deep inside that she’d never shared with anyone. Things that didn’t fit with her super-model looks or her near-genius IQ.

“What?”

“That was…”

“Perfect. The flight to Seattle will give us time to get to know one another better.”

“Not intimately.”

He shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

“Don’t, Daniel.”

“Don’t what?”

“Treat me like arm candy. I think I’ve already proven to you that I’m more than that.”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and dropped his hands from her.

“You have.”

The silence spread between them as the miles flew past and they continued down the highway.

“You can’t be more than a bodyguard to me.”

“Why not?”

“Because my enemy is looking for weaknesses.”

“I’m not a weakness. I’m one tough cookie.”

“But still a cookie,” he said, almost under his breath.

“I didn’t mean it that way. I’ve held my own under extreme circumstances.”

“You’ve never faced an enemy like this one before.”

“Tell me what we’re facing.”

“I told you—someone from my past.”

He was hiding something from her. What?

“Tell me more. You can trust me.”

“It’s not you that I don’t trust, Charity.”

“Who, then?”

“Everyone. I learned the hard way to rely only on myself.”

“I’m self-reliant, too,” she said. “But really good to have at your side.”

“I’ve hired you to guard my back.”

“You are so stubborn.”

He just shrugged. His cell phone rang and he took the call. She realized she was watching him and listening to the deep cadence of his voice when he arched one eyebrow at her. God, she wasn’t falling for him…

She palmed her BlackBerry from her pocket and sent a quick message to Anna, asking for an update on Daniel’s background.

She got an immediate response that said—
still searching
. Still searching through his past. She had a suspicion they weren’t going to find anything relevant. Daniel had the look of a man who knew how to keep his secrets hidden. She was going to have to get him to talk, and she was oddly reluctant to use her femininity to do it. She felt like they’d moved beyond that kind of manipulation.

She was about to put the BlackBerry away when a message popped up from Justine telling her to delay getting to the airport. She wanted more time to go over the plane.

“Henry, don’t go directly to the airport,” she said.

“Why not?” Daniel asked. “Stay on course, Henry.”

“Yes, sir,” Henry said.

“They aren’t finished vetting the plane. Daniel, it’s not safe until we know what we are dealing with there.”

“What do you suggest? Ride around the city?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Of course not. Do you mind if we stop by my place so I can pack a bag for the trip to Seattle?”

He arched one eyebrow at her. “I don’t mind. Give Henry your address.”

She leaned forward, giving the chauffeur the information he needed. Bringing Daniel to her private space might not be the best idea, but she knew her house was secure and she could protect him there from any threat.

Daniel was surprised when the Rolls stopped in front of a gated house just outside of the metro D.C. area. Charity leaned out the window and keyed a code that opened the gate. Henry pulled through and Charity asked him to wait until the gate closed before continuing up the drive.

She was cautious and alert until the gates closed and they started up the driveway. Her house was large—too large for one person, but he was getting the impression that security was important to her. Maybe he could convince her to stay at her home until the threat from Sekijima passed. Then she’d be out of harm’s way and he wouldn’t have to take her to Seattle with him.

“Henry, you can wait in the portico around the side there. There’s a gas pump if we need to refuel as well as a kitchen area if you’re hungry.”

Daniel exited the car. “How long will we be?”

“I’m not sure. I have to wait for Justine to give us the all-clear.”

“I’m not used to just sitting around,” he said.

“We can use this time to talk about a strategy,” she said as Henry pulled away. She led the way up the stone stairs to her front door.

She keyed in a code and the door unlocked with an audible click. Daniel reached for the knob and held the door open for her. She smiled her thanks and entered the house.

She paused in the doorway as if reluctant to let him in. But then she walked inside and he followed her.

The foyer was exquisitely crafted with art glass. Not Tiffany but maybe Chihuly. The floor was a mosaic design that felt Japanese to him, a circular design of a man and a woman wrapped around each other in yin/yang pose. Around them were different elements—earth, fire, water, air.

Above them in the three-story-tall atrium was a huge glass installation that mirrored the colors on the floor. Especially when they stepped into the foyer and she opened a walnut panel door concealed in the wall.

“This is my command center,” she said.

He followed her inside. One wall was lined with monitors, another wall with a floor-to-ceiling cabinet, and the last wall with computers. Not just one but three. There was a Liberty Investigations logo dancing on one of the screens, a picture of Charity and Justine and Anna on another screen, and a samurai on the last one.

“Is this where you plot to take over the world?” he asked, half joking.

“I could. But I prefer to use my powers for good and not evil.”

She said it in jest but he knew that she was solidly on the law-abiding side. That was what made his attraction to her so impossible. He knew that nothing could come of it. Nothing other than a red-hot affair. Besides, his life was in danger and someone was trying to kill him. Not exactly the time to be thinking of getting involved with any woman.

But then, sensible had never been one of the qualities he aspired to. She went to the computer with the Liberty Investigations logo and sat down, her long fingers moving over the keyboard. He didn’t read over her shoulder, but looked around the room. He opened the door to the cabinet and noticed that it was lined with weapons. Not just handguns but assault rifles and grenades. Fighting swords, aikido sticks, knives…every possible weapon known to man.

“Very impressive arsenal you have here.”

“Thanks. I like to be prepared for anything. I still can’t believe I let that assassin slip by me.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. Most people wouldn’t risk getting hit by a bus.”

She shrugged. She finished typing and turned to him. “Okay, so what are we up against? Sam said you wanted to set yourself up as bait—how do plan to do that?”

He didn’t want to talk strategy with her. He wanted to see her house and uncover the secrets she held so close to her chest.

But she gave him a steely-eyed look and he knew she wasn’t going to back down. He had no idea how much to tell her. His gut instinct was to keep her completely out of it. Like Charity, he intended to set up the situation in a way where he could control all the variables. And the only way to do that was to keep everyone off guard. To keep them dependent on him.

“I’m going to return to my home, dismiss my remaining staff, turn off my security system, arm myself, and wait.”

She nodded. “Make your enemy come to you. Anna, Justine, and I can provide security at your place.”

She turned back to the computer and opened up a file which showed an aerial view of his house on one of the San Juan Islands. “Are you thinking of this place or your high-rise apartment in Seattle?”

“The San Juan home,” he said. “I don’t want to risk anyone else’s life. And I want to be away from the city where I can control who is on the property.”

“Perfect. I think we have a schematic of the property somewhere…”

He leaned over her shoulder, looking at the screen. “There are two ways onto the island…the first is here at the boat dock and the second is the airfield.”

“Do you have an alarm system set up to alert the main house when anyone lands or docks?”

“Of course. We can’t use too many motion sensors because of the wildlife on the island.”

“We can set up something when we get out there. I think I’m going to need the entire team to set this up. We should plan on taking a few days to get the island the way we want it.”

“I’m not sure my enemy is going to just sit and wait for me to prepare for him.”

“Of course he isn’t. So we’ll have to distract him.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Something big and splashy. How confident are you that your enemy—who is it, by the way?”

“I’d rather not say.”

“That’s not an option. I need to know what we’re dealing with here.”

“I’m not giving up his name. I could be wrong,” he said, turning away so she wouldn’t see the lie in his eyes.

“I doubt you’re wrong. I can’t really help you unless I know all the facts,” she said. She got up from the computer. They’d had clients before who didn’t do a full disclosure. To be fair, the way their agency was set up they usually worked with clients who were hiding something. Or who had done something illegal, and couldn’t go to a government agency.

“Until I know for sure, I’ll keep it to myself.”

“I feel silly calling him your enemy.”

“It’s not too late to change your mind and stay here in D.C. In fact, now that I’ve seen your home I think it would be wise for you to stay here.”

“Yes, it is too late. I’m not hiding out while you go set yourself up.”

“Why not?”

“For one thing, I gave my word. And Liberty Investigations never quits until the job is complete.”

“Your word is your bond?” he asked.

There was a tone in his voice that she couldn’t place. “Yes, it is.”

“I like that about you.”

She arched one eyebrow at him, knowing she should just let this drop but unable to resist a little flirting. A little chance to see if she could get the upper hand with him the way he had with her when he’d kissed her in his car.

“What else do you like?”

“About you?”

“Yes.”

“That you’re tougher than you look.”

It was exactly the right thing to say. She didn’t know if he’d stumbled onto that secret of hers or if he was being genuine, and she didn’t care. For once she was going to just go with the flow. She wasn’t going to analyze it.

“But not tough enough to know the name of your blackmailer?”

“Let it go.”

“I can’t. I’m stubborn when it comes to things like that.”

He walked around the command center, pacing like a caged animal. She realized she was pushing him and she didn’t have any idea how he’d react.

“I can’t stand this…waiting.”

She glanced at her watch and then went back to the computer. She text-messaged Justine to get an estimate of when the plane would be ready. Justine’s response was two hours.

“Did you mean what you said earlier about sparring with me?”

“I always mean what I say.”

She rolled her eyes. “Come with me.”