Kincade's Rose (Megalodon Team) (3 page)

“I don’t know.  I went to school for
business, but I love to paint.  So I doubled and got an art degree as well. 
But the family doesn’t think that will pay the bills so I have to find a good
job.  I suppose I could always work for Father, but I don’t want to. My whole
life I have been the baby.  The one who needs ‘looking after’ since I can’t
make good decisions according to them, but I take care of them all when it
comes down to it.  I just want to do something for me, that I love.”

Tyson recalled the passion that flared in
her eyes when she’d mentioned painting.  “Then paint.  Just do it.”

“Maybe.”  She shrugged one shoulder. “What
about you?  Your family?”

“Well, I am a middle child.  I have an
older brother and a younger sister.  I am thirty-five and my parents are also
still living.  My mom is a hospital administrator and my father owns a propane
business.  My oldest brother and I don’t get along very well.  He works for the
post office as does my younger sister; she’s a gem.  You would love her.  I
don’t get home to see her much, though.  I don’t see eye to eye with my father,
either; he wants me to be home with the rest of the family.”

If Jayde could see this was a source of
tension for him, she didn’t pursue it further and he was grateful.  However,
the light chiming of a phone reached them.  “Excuse me; that’s my cell phone.” 
She opened her purse and flipped her phone open.  “Hello?”  She rolled her
eyes, an action that brought another smile to Tyson’s face.  “I’m fine.  I’m in
the middle of dinner.  No, Sam, it is at my hotel so I am perfectly safe.  I’m
fine.  Goodnight, Sam.”  She hung up her phone.

“Brother one, two, or three?” he asked as
she brought another grin to his face with her annoyed expression.  Amazed at
the amount of times he had smiled since he met her, Tyson didn’t want to let
her walk out of his life.  Even during the three years he’d been with Carrie he
hadn’t smiled this much or this freely.

“Second oldest, which means the other two
along with my sisters and parents will be calling soon, so I should go.  Thank
you very much for a wonderful evening, Tyson Kincade.” Jayde gathered her purse
and opened it, bringing out her wallet.

He didn’t want the evening to end, but he’d
never pressured a woman to share his time, so he waved for the bill.  Jayde
began to protest him paying for her portion until he gave her a silencing look.

As they walked through the dining area to
the lobby she said, “You didn’t have to pay for my dinner.”

Thunder rumbled as a storm rolled into the
area, similar to how the dread of leaving her rolled into him.  “A date is a
date.  Now, I am walking you to your door.”

“Of course.”  She led the way to the
elevator and they got on with other guests and went up to the fifth floor where
she motioned they should get off.

Tyson walked beside her down the hall until
she stopped at her door.  Room 5627.  “Your key?”  He waited for her to give
him her card key and opened the door for her.

Jayde walked into her room, but Tyson
remained in the doorway.  “Again, thank you for dinner,” she said as he watched
her intently with his hazel eyes.

“You’re welcome, Jayde.”

She licked her lips nervously.  “Goodnight,
Tyson.”

“Jayde?”  His seductive voice caressed her.

“Yes?”  She set her purse down and faced
him again as she stood by the door.

“I am claiming number two,” he warned,
seconds before kissing her.

Like the first time they kissed, her world
spun out of control.  His touch electrified her body.  As his tongue stroked
hers, she felt a reckless desire deep within her soul for this man. Jayde
kissed him even harder.  For a moment she wondered what it would be like to
have a man like him in her life, to come home to everyday.
  Perfect, it
would be perfect.

He broke it off, his own breathing fast and
hard.  One hand trailed down her face.  “Goodnight.  Dream of me.”  Then he was
gone.  She’d blinked and he was gone, like he hadn’t been there at all.  If not
for her swollen lips, she would have sworn it had all been a dream.

Still trembling, Jayde shut the door and
locked it.  Never had a man affected her like that.  Jesus, why did he have to
be such a gentleman?

Before she could dwell too much on that,
her phone rang again and for the next three hours she spoke to—was lectured
by—her family as they called to make sure she was still breathing and to let
her know they thought what she was doing was stupid and childish.  Then she
finally made it into the shower, letting the pounding spray ease away her
tension for the man she’d just met this very day.

Tyson left her room and headed back to his
own hotel.  He’d always prided himself on being cool, calm, and collected. 
Five seconds around Ms. Jayde Porter, however, and he was a randy school boy. 
Not even the rain could douse the fire her kiss had ignited within him.

He took a shower, but when he came out of
the steaming bathroom wearing nothing except his boxers, there was company in
his room: the two men he’d seen in the restaurant and two more he recognized
from surveillance photos his counterterrorism team had taken.  They had him at
a disadvantage, for three of them were holding guns on him.

“What do you want?” Tyson asked as he
carefully moved to where his clothes were laid out.

“Why are you here?”  The one without the
gun asked.

“Vacation,” he said easily.

“Don’t lie.  Go on, get dressed.”

“What do you want?” Tyson asked again.

“Answers.  And we will get them.  Get
dressed.”

Torture
.  Slowly he put on his jeans
and clean black tee shirt.  He sat down on a chair to put on his boots.  Damn,
he’d really stepped into it this time.  No SEAL Team Seventeen, The Megalodon
Team for backup.  No counterterrorism team for support.  He was on his own.  Or
was he?

The image of a sweet, sexy woman named
Jayde Porter came to his mind along with the words the sangoma he’d met once in
a remote village in Botswana.  The old man had given him a pair of rings—rings
Tyson still had no idea where or how he’d acquired them for they were solid
titanium. The old man had also said, “Keep them with you and the woman you are
meant to be with will find you.  The rings will save you and bind the two of
you together for all eternity.” Tyson knew it was just an old myth; but still,
the idea forming in his head had potential, especially combined with the vision
of Jayde Porter.

Tyson had already been with Carrie so he
hadn’t even shown them to her since he’d found her prior to receiving the
rings.  He’d kept them on a chain that he wore around his neck. The one time
Carrie had asked about them, he’d shrugged it off telling her they were just
silver bands. A SEAL thing. She’d bought it.

“Let’s go.”  The gunmen gestured for him to
precede them out of the room and down the hall.  “No tricks.”

Tyson wouldn’t risk innocent people’s lives
so he walked easily so not to give them a reason to get jumpy.  They shoved
him, none to gently, in the back of a rain-soaked Mercedes with darkened
windows and drove.

After a while the car pulled into a police
station.  His captors roughly dragged him down a hall and some stairs to slam
him into a wall before they shoved him into an interrogation room.  At least
that was what he believed it to be.  Then all of them left him alone for two
hours with nothing to do but sit uncomfortably chained and sweaty in the hot
box.  He knew there was a cut on his head from hitting the wall for he could
feel the blood.

When the door finally opened, the only
unarmed man from earlier entered.  He had small black eyes, yellowed teeth, and
a pock-marked face.  “What are you doing here?”

Tyson barely blinked.  “I told you
already.  I’m on vacation.”

“Why do you insist on lying to us?  Do you
know what jails are like here?”

“I’ve done nothing wrong.” 
Not yet
anyway
.  And he did know what the jails were like here.

“We know who you are.”

“Good, then you know I am here on
vacation.”

The man swore and walked out.  Tyson
swallowed slowly.  It was obvious they wanted him to break from the thought of
possibly going to a foreign prison.  It was also apparent that the pock-faced
man wanted to hit him.

After the man left, Tyson heard a motor
start and knew that they turned up the heat even higher.  He’d survived worse
than this.  He didn’t think they would resort to actual torture for a while at
least; it seemed they wanted him to give in.

Another hour passed before that ugly man
returned.  “Do you really want to continue this?  Just tell us what we want to
know.”

“I am here on vacation,” the SEAL insisted.

The man slapped his hands down on the lone
desk in the room.  “No one with your history comes here alone.”

“I never said I was alone.” Tyson paused,
hoping he wasn’t about to get Jayde in trouble; but for now, she seemed to be
his only chance out of this.  “I just said I was here on vacation.”  He didn’t
even acknowledge what they said about his history.

For the first time, the man looked
panicked, as if maybe he had the wrong guy.  But then he recovered.  “Who are
you here with?”

“My wife,” Tyson said.

“Our records don’t show you having a wife.”

“How is that my fault?”  His gaze held the
other man’s without fear.

“Who is she?”

“How do I know you won’t hurt her?” Tyson
asked.
Just so you know, I will kill you if you harm one hair on her head.
He had to forcibly relax his body so he didn’t give himself away.

“We won’t.  Tell us who she is.”

“I will go with you to see her.  I won’t
send you alone.” 
I’m not that stupid
.

“Deal.  Then when she says she isn’t your
wife, you go to prison.”  The man seemed positively gleeful.

Tyson nodded as they took him back outside
where his hot body eagerly absorbed the cool rain that still fell.  They put
him back in the vehicle and headed to the hotel where Jayde was staying.  Tyson
hoped he was right to put his faith in her.

Tyson and three others left the car.  On
the fifth floor, they got out and Tyson led the way to door 5627 where one of
the men knocked, as the others kept Tyson away from the opening.  He hoped this
wouldn’t be a mistake.

“

Jayde had just gotten out of the shower. 
The clock read five till one.  She was exhausted, just wanting to climb into
bed, but her mind wouldn’t slow down.  As she wandered around the suite in the
thick robe provided by the hotel, she heard a knock on her door.  She froze
with fear, then her body flushed hot as she realized it could be Tyson.

The knock came again.  “Who is it?” she
asked as she walked closer.

“
Policía
,” a grating voice said.

Police?
  Her black brows furrowed in
thought.  “Just a second.”  She opened the door a crack, the chain still
latched.  “Is something wrong, sir?”

“
Sí
.  Can you open the door,
please?”

“Do you have some identification?”  Jayde
waited until he showed her a badge.  “What is this about?”

“Please,” he said.  “Open the door.  It is
about your husband.”

My husband?
  “Just a second.”  She
shut the door, took a deep breath, then removed the chain and swung the door
open to admit three strangers and Tyson.

Tyson looked exhausted.  He still looked
wonderful, but he looked dog-tired. Then she noticed the blood that they had
tried to wipe away.  Her dark eyes narrowed, “What is going on here, officer?”

“It’s
Capitán
,
Capitán
Alvarez.”

“Fine,” she snapped.  “What’s going on,
Captain?”

“Hey, honey,” Tyson interjected wearily.

Jayde gave him a small, tense smile as she
gripped her robe tighter about her body to try and conceal the trembling. 
“Captain?”

“This man,” he pointed to Tyson, “claims
that you are married.  We believe he is a spy.  Do you have anything to say? 
And please, don’t worry, we can protect you.”

Jayde couldn’t help it, she choked.  “A
spy?”

“Yes.”

“Can I ask why or how you came to that
conclusion?”  Her eyes narrowed as she witnessed the look of sick perversion on
his face.

“His history.”

Jayde looked at Tyson, who hadn’t taken his
eyes off her since he’d been shoved into the room.  In his eyes she read the
same thing she’d seen earlier, ‘I will protect you.’  So she did the only thing
she knew she could do.  Lie.  “He is telling the truth.  He is my husband.” 
She was proud that her words were delivered in a clear, strong voice.

The captain narrowed his eyes at her
declaration.  “Please, we can protect you.  Tell the truth.”

“I am.  This man is my husband.”  Jayde
walked over to stand next to Tyson placing her smaller body in front of his as
if to protect him.

“Forgive me but why then are you in
separate hotels?”  He seemed smug.

Jayde didn’t miss a beat.  “Well, that’s
easy.  We are recreating our first meeting.  It was so romantic.” She sighed
dreamily before continuing.  “I was sitting at a table along the beach and then
right there before my eyes he stood.  I got up to leave and ran right into
him.  I guess you could say it was love at first sight.  I mean it wasn’t here,
but I like to travel.  It’s just a little harmless role-playing.  We check into
hotels under separate names; I use my maiden name; and then we meet all over
again.  Keeps the spark alive.”

Tyson was amazed.  Not knowing what to
expect, he hadn’t begun to hope for this kind of help from her.  Despite the
seriousness of the whole situation, he found himself smiling at her gumption.

The captain scowled even more.  “Then why
didn’t he just say that three and a half hours ago?” he ground out in his
grating voice.

Tyson could feel her body tense even though
he couldn’t see her eyes.  “I’m sorry,” she drawled.  “Are you saying y’all
have had him in your custody for over three hours?  Did you arrest him?  Did
you read him his rights?”  Not even waiting for the man to answer, she launched
into a tirade.

“So, you violated his rights?!  Do you know
how much trouble you are in?!  You don’t get to do that to an American on a
hunch—much less without letting him call his lawyer!” Jayde even took a step
toward him.

“And I suppose that is you?”  The captain
asked.

“No,
my father
has his own law
firm.  He would be the one to deal with international law.  He is very good at
his job.  And don’t think I didn’t notice the blood on his head, if y’all
injured him…”

The captain blanched.  “I am still not sure
all is as you say it is.”

“And?” she tossed at him, her curvaceous
body trembling with anger at their treatment of the man behind her.

“We will leave you alone, after one
thing.”  Tyson knew the one thing the captain didn’t want was snooping
lawyers.  Nosy Americans were not good for business; his bosses wouldn’t like
that.

“That would be?” Tyson asked.

“You renew your vows here, with one of our
priests, and then just sign another certificate and we will leave you alone.”
Tyson guessed Captain Alvarez expected Jayde to refuse to get married. All they
knew Tyson was he worked alone; so if he really were married, they were making
a big mistake.

“You want us to renew our vows?” Jayde
questioned, Tyson hearing the slight panic in her voice.

“Of course, it will just be a little
thing.”  With a wave, Captain Alvarez sent one of the men off.  “I think it
will just ease my mind a bit.”  He smiled evilly. “Consider it our way of
saying we are sorry for the
misunderstanding.
”

“Sure.  When?”

“Now,” the captain said with a frown,
clearly not liking how easily she agreed.

Tyson heard Jayde inhale sharply.  He
touched her back in silent support.  “Honey, we don’t have to do this if you
don’t want to.”  He offered her a chance to back out, knowing full well that
the certificate would be proof they were legally married.  “I know renewing our
vows under these conditions was not what you had in mind.”

With a gentle, yet forced smile, she turned
to face the man she’d known for less than twenty-four hours.  “What difference
does it make what the situation is?  We are just renewing what has already been
said.”

“Good!” the captain exclaimed.  “The priest
will be here momentarily.”

“Just a minute!” Jayde screeched.  “I am
not, I repeat,
not
doing this in my robe!  So you have to leave so I can
change.”  At his hesitation, she glared at them.

The captain took Tyson with them, “so you
can’t make plans,” he said.  As he was shutting the door Jayde yelled,
“Flowers!  I want flowers also!”

Twenty minutes later, Tyson stood next to
Jayde in front of a Catholic priest reciting her vows in her hotel room,
holding a bouquet of mixed flowers the captain had brought for her.  Tyson
looked down at the woman who’d just saved his bacon.  She wore a knee-length
fuchsia skirt and black silk blouse, no shoes, and her hair still damp around
her shoulders.  Her brown skin was makeup free and he smelled the faint scent
of baby powder.  She’d removed her earrings but the necklace was still in
place.  He heard her muttering under her breath the word “rose.”

The priest asked for her full name and the
captain interrupted, saying he wanted to hear it from the groom.  So Tyson
answered, “Jayde Rose Porter.”  She smiled widely in return. 
Oh, she was
good.
  The captain was looking on her identification card and frowned as he
saw Tyson was correct.

When it was Jayde’s turn to supply his
name, Tyson panicked.  How would she possibly know?  But without missing a beat
she said, “Tyson Randolph Kincade.”

Too soon it was time for the rings.  Tyson
produced two from his pocket, the simple bands made of titanium.  He slid the
ring over her ring finger on her left hand as he said his vows.

“I, Tyson Randolph Kincade, take thee,
Jayde Rose Porter to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this
day forward, for better or worse…” he began with a wry smile, “for richer or
poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish. Forsaking all
others till parted by death.  This is my solemn vow to you.”  By the time he
finished talking, the ring was sitting snugly on her finger. The sangoma’s
words echoed in his ears again as the ring fit her perfectly.