Fatal Wild Child (18 page)

Her heart tried to startle. Alarm tried to filter through her. But her biorhythms were too powerful.

She slept.

Chapter Thirteen

The fourth time Seth's cell phone rang with her father's private phone number inside five minutes, Gabrielle sighed and picked up the phone and answered it. "It's me, Dad. And if you say a word I'll hang up. Why didn't you just leave a message like normal people do?"

"Why didn't Seth just answer the phone like normal people do?"

Gabrielle felt Seth's hand on her ankle and caught her breath. "He
was
in the shower." His hand slid up her leg, pushing the sheet aside, caressing her skin, turning her limbs to liquid.

Her father hesitated. "From the emphasis in your words, I gather he's no longer in the shower?"

She smiled happily, unable to do anything else, and held out the phone. "My father," she told Seth.

"I heard," he said, taking the phone and sitting on the bed. He wore a towel around his hips and nothing else. His hair was wet. It reminded her a little of the day they had met, when he had fished her from the river.

"Cameron, you're either up early or you had a restless night," Seth said into the phone.

Gabrielle tuned out the electronic gabble of her father's voice and watched the play of muscles under Seth's flesh and simply enjoyed the morning light. She wished vaguely she had her camera here but was too contented to move and get it.

Seth was frowning as he listened. "I could, yes," he said at last. He sounded wildly reluctant.

Gabrielle stirred herself and sat up, shamelessly trying to hear what her father was saying, now. Seth had his head turned away from her, so all she could see was his back and the red scar.

"Twenty minutes," Seth finally said and disconnected. He dropped the phoned onto the mattress and looked at it.

"My father just talked you into doing something in twenty minutes time that you don't want to do," Gabrielle guessed.

"Breakfast with him." Seth looked at her. "Alone."

She wrapped the sheet around herself, considering. "He has a proposal. He wants to talk business and he doesn't want me there, spoiling things, because he knows I know how his mind works."

Seth nodded. "That much, I figured," he said grimly. "Your father is a hard man to say 'no' to in the short term."

"It's just breakfast."

Seth grinned. "I wanted you for breakfast."

She could feel her cheeks heating. "I'll just have to be brunch and your post-mortem meeting."

Seth pushed the phone around the bed with his finger. "I'll have to leave Tyler or Sam here," he said softly. "Do you have a preference, Gabrielle?" He lifted his head to look at her.

The reminder of her status as a target made her stomach clench, but she drew in a breath and let it pass. "Either, Seth. Whatever works."

He nodded and leaned over to brush his lips against her cheek. "Thank you."

* * * * *

While Ellie cleaned and played with her cameras and waited for breakfast to arrive from the main building, Sam settled at the table with the latest
Cosmopolitan
and her Mauser at her hip. Seth was relatively happy. Sam was a crack shot—rumor had it she was better than Seth with small arms, and he held the troop record.

Seth, meantime, reported to Cameron Sherborne's big chalet for breakfast. He was a touch uneasy. Cameron had been more insistent than persuasive, which seemed out of character.

Was this going to come down to a "what are your intentions" interview? Did fathers still do that these days? Even multi-billionaire movie-empire fathers of fabulous successful, famous movie star daughters?

Besides, Cameron Sherborne had made moves to find about him twelve hours after Seth had come within ten meters of his daughter, so the whole point was moot. If Cameron didn't know by now every inch of Seth's life then he was slipping.

Still, the urge to go back to Gabrielle was strong. Seth grimaced at his own cowardice and hastened his stride. He'd faced Al-Qaeda guerrillas with more calm than a single man over a breakfast table.

Cameron Sherborne was emerging from his office just as Seth stepped into the chalet. Cameron took his coat. "Breakfast was just laid out for us. I hope you like it hearty, Seth. Although I suspect you need the calories this morning. This way." Cameron took him into the small sitting room, which was set up with a table and laid with covered plates.

Seth was still scrambling to deal with Cameron's oblique reference to his relationship with Gabrielle, but the aroma of the dishes immediately set his stomach rumbling and he sat at Cameron's urging.

For a few minutes, both of them ate in silence, appreciating the food. The Jasper Park Lodge had a well earned reputation for its fine dining. Even breakfast was a treat.

Cameron paused to pour coffee for them both. "There are two people, apparently friends of yours, a man and a woman. Do I need to be concerned about their presence here?"

Straight to the point. Seth shook his head. "No. I can vouch for them both."

"
Are
they friends of yours?" Cameron asked.

"In a manner of speaking."

Cameron's eyes narrowed, but he let the point drop. Seth had the feeling it was a temporary reprieve only. Cameron stirred his coffee and drank. Put the cup down.

"It's Christmas day in four day's time," Cameron said. "Will you be joining your family in Kinuso?"

He mispronounced it, as most non-locals did. But still, hearing Cameron Sherborne calmly state it was unnerving. It confirmed that he had done more research beyond Seth's service record. Seth picked up his coffee cup and gripped it. "It's Kin-oo-so," he amended.

"My apologies," Cameron said easily, and waited.

"No, I probably won't be going home for Christmas, this year," Seth replied, and made himself stop speaking. Two could play the waiting game. He picked up his coffee cup again and drank and let the silence grow.

Cameron smiled. He'd recognized what Seth was doing. He gave a casual shrug with his shoulders. "As Ronny has declined the family jet and as you're qualified for jets, why don't you use it? Take Gabrielle and your friends home for the holidays. I had Darlene look up the runway at Kinuso." This time he pronounced it correctly. "It's short by fifteen feet for our plane, but I have a feeling you can handle that."

 
Seth put down his cup. Slowly. There was a wealth of unspoken assumptions in Cameron's statement. He stared at the man as Cameron picked up his knife and fork and began to eat again, with an unconcerned expression. Cameron Sherborne knew damned well what sort of a bomb he'd just dropped on the table.

Seth laughed. "Now I know why you didn't want Gabrielle sitting here. She'd have buried a fork in your chest about now."

Cameron grinned. "Most likely," he agreed. "I'm actually surprised she didn't add to the scratch on your neck after seeing it yesterday."

Seth reflected on the moment he'd finally had the guts to straighten up and let her see his neck. He'd seen the flat-out panic in her eyes. The sick fear. But somehow, she'd thrown a switch and...ridden it out.

"Your daughter is one classy lady, Cameron," Seth told him.

"I know that," Cameron said easily. "And perhaps one day the rest of the world may get to appreciate that fact, when they aren't being entertained by her endless..." He pursed his lips. "I'm speaking out of turn," he said softly. "Especially to you." He rubbed his temple. "You distracted me. Don't think I didn't notice." With a small smile he tented his fingertips together over his plate. "It's a serious offer, Seth."

"The family jet?" Seth sat back, his appetite gone. "You're suggesting I fly into my brother's ranch, with two friends and a lady friend I met two days before, who just happens to be a film star, and have them stay with my family for Christmas."

"I know Gabrielle means a little more to you than that, Seth, so don't minimize it to score points," Cameron said flatly. "You don't have to pretend you're in love, but don't trivialize it either. I'm not a poet, but I'm not a fool about the human capacity for emotion." His eyes drilled into Seth from across the table.

Seth curled his hand into a fist under the table, as his heart thudded. "You're right," he agreed evenly. "It's more than just a nodding friendship. But my family has never met anyone in my life before. I've always kept things separate, especially the military stuff, and I won't mix them now."

"Why?" Cameron asked simply.

Seth stared at him. "You're really going to insist on an answer?"

"Yes."

Seth expelled an unsteady breath and was startled to realize how tense he was. "Because..." He took a breath. "Because the people they meet may not come back," he said. "I don't want them becoming attached to my friends. Liking them. Then me having to tell them...you know."

"Ahhh...." Cameron breathed. He studied Seth for a moment. "You must be a rather lonely man, Seth O'Connor."

The observation hurt more than Seth thought it would. It didn't just sting. It wounded.

Because it was true.

Cameron put his plate aside and dropped his napkin on the table. "Very well, I won't insist on Kinuso. But there are other places just as enticing. Romantic places that are fabulous at Christmas time. Florence, for instance. It would take several stages in the jet, but no matter. On the other hand, there are commercial flights and if you fly first class and use the Emirate airlines, you can use the private cabins and really understand what pampering means. Or Toronto. The Great Lakes are beautiful this time of year. Anywhere you like, Seth. Shove a pin in the map. Your call."

Seth picked up the glass of orange juice and drank deeply, giving himself time to think. His mind was buzzing. His heart was racing.

What was this all about, really? What was driving Cameron?

He put the glass down, glad to see his hand was steady, and looked at Cameron. "Anywhere, as long as I take Gabrielle with me?" he hazarded.

"Yes," Cameron agreed.

"Sorry, no. I like it right here," Seth said. He wasn't about to tell Cameron his orders were to stay put, because he had older, more permanent orders that insisted on secrecy wherever possible about his role and his status.

A small tick twitched under Cameron's eye. "I will give you five hundred thousand in American dollars in cash, Seth. I have it in a briefcase in my study. Right now. This instance. It's yours. All you have to do is get on that plane with Gabrielle and take her somewhere for a romantic getaway for Christmas. But you have to do it today." Cameron looked him in the eye. "What is so hard about that?" he asked with a reasonably tone.

Seth's whole body tightened up. "You can't buy me, Cameron. We established that two days ago."

"That's just for expenses," Cameron said. He smiled. "And every man has a price, Seth.
Every
man. Yours is higher than most. But you have a price, too."

"What is so damn critical about..." Seth stopped, staring at Cameron. "You
know
." He took a breath, easing his heart with fresh oxygen. "You know Gabrielle is..." He looked around the room and leaned closer, to speak more softly and to catch Cameron's reaction. "You know Gabrielle is in danger."

Cameron's eyes narrowed just a little. It was enough.

Cameron knew.

Seth drew in another unsteady breath. "Goddam it, how long have you known?" he demanded.

"Your two friends," Cameron said. "They're not exactly friends, are they?"

Seth shook his head, his mouth twisting. "I've been on active duty since the night I hauled Gabrielle out of the river and I have a feeling you know why. Are you going to tell me?"

Cameron stroked the tablecloth with his forefinger. "No."

"Because you can't, or because you won't?"

Cameron remained silent.

Seth studied him. "Is someone listening to us now, Cameron?" he asked.

"It's hard to know for certain," Cameron said with a sigh.

Sick dread settled in Seth's stomach. The urge to rush back to Ellie and hold her was overwhelming, but he needed to suck whatever information he could from Cameron first. "Do you know who it is?" he whispered.

Cameron shook his head, his eyes infinity bitter. "You think I haven't tried to find that out? Just get Gabrielle out of town, Seth."

"Why not ask her to leave yourself?"

Cameron gave a laugh, a hollow one. "I learned years ago that Gabrielle is far stronger than me. If I asked her to leave, she'd refuse, and I have no real power to make her leave. None."

"That's where you're wrong," Seth told him. "If you asked, if you
really
asked, she would do it. For you. Ellie has changed her life around in the last three years and she did it for you. To please you."

Cameron stared at him for a moment. Then he smiled. "I take it back, Seth O'Connor. You don't have to fake anything. You love my daughter. I can hear it in your voice when you say her name—especially that variation you have endowed her with."

Seth closed his eyes. Damn.