Tumbleweed (22 page)

“That sounds like something Joey would tell me.”

“Then Joey must be pretty smart.”

At that, Lani smiled for the first time, and Alex caught a glimpse of the beauty hidden beneath dirt and fear.

“Come on. I don't think we have much farther to go.” Alex returned the smile.

They moved on, both refreshed from the brief exchange. The silence between them was a pleasant one as each allowed her mind to wander.

The vegetation thinned; Alex hoped that meant they were approaching the palace. She knew she should be devising a plan, but nothing too terribly clever was coming to mind. She wondered which would be worse: leaving the girl unattended in the jungle while she scoped things out, or taking the risk of moving into the open together.

Alex's stomach growled; Lani smiled and nodded as if to say she could empathize. The sun sank into the distance, sending a palette of orange, pink and purple out as one last goodbye.

“Lani!” a male voice called from a distance. The pain etched into it gave Alex pause. Shouting for the princess didn't seem like the official way to handle this sort of thing. Wouldn't there be a situation room and a staff—some sort of coordinated effort?

The voice called again. Lani brightened and took off in a run before Alex could regain the presence of mind to caution her.

Alex broke into a run as well, trying to catch Lani before she burst straight into a trap. After the day she'd had, sprinting seemed especially brutal. Her legs trembled with exhaustion but obeyed the adrenaline coursing through them. She hadn't brought the kid this far to lose her now.

The man stopped in mid-call when he caught Lani out of the corner of his eye. He covered the ground between them quickly, scooping her up with one arm and tucking her to his side
protectively as he swung a gun up, pointing it squarely at Alex as she skidded to a halt. Alex stilled, her stomach a solid knot as the cool metal of his 9mm Sig Sauer pressed firmly against her forehead.

Everything had been jumbled—from the moment Alex noticed the pretty sunset to this one—but now things seemed oddly focused. Frozen somehow.

“Why are you chasing Aolani?” His voice was low with a guttural quality that made the blood pounding through Alex's veins run cold. Even scarier, she recognized this man. Storm clouds rolled over his blue-green eyes as he recognized her, too.

“I wasn't chasing her.”

“Put me down.” Lani began to squirm in his arms.

“You could have fooled me. I knew you were unreasonable, but kidnapping a princess to keep your hooks in a mountain… wow. I have to admit I hadn't thought you'd go that far,” he said, completely unaffected by Lani's wiggling protests. His attention was squarely on Alex.

She wanted to recoil from the hatred that rolled off him in waves. Instead she straightened her shoulders. “You have no idea what you're talking about, stupid grunt.”

“That's original, and insulting the man with a gun to your head—not smart.”

“Would you like me to be more original, you imbecilic ass? I will gladly oblige. I was only using little words to avoid injuring your miniscule brain.”

“Lady…” His jaw twitched and his head cocked to the side. She could almost see the wheels turning in his mind as he debated his options.

For a split second, Alex was certain he was going to pull the trigger.

“Stop it!” Lani screamed, the sheer frustration of the sound causing them both to pause and turn to her. “Stop it, both of you. And put me down, Joey.”

“This is Joey?” Alex's eyebrows shot up, and she pointed to the man who still held a gun to her head. She was pleased to note the pressure had lessened. “You're not at all what I pictured.”

“What the hell does that mean?” his attention swung back to her, the pressure from the gun returning.

“She made you sound pleasant. And I thought your name was Daniel Martin.”

“It is. Joey's a nickname.”

“Because it's short for Daniel?” Sarcasm dripped from her voice.

“Alex saved me,” Lani interrupted before they could go for the throat again.

“Excuse me?”

“She saved my life and the car exploded and we had to walk home and you shouldn't be pointing a gun at her.”

He lowered the gun, still eyeing Alex warily. “Is that true?”

Alex shrugged. “They were really big dudes chasing a kid. It didn't seem like fair odds.”

“So you mean to tell me you didn't even realize who she was?”

“You're still holding me,” Lani reminded him.

“Sorry.” He gently set her down.

“We're both exhausted.” Alex took control of the conversation. “Maybe we should be sure Lani is cleaned up and fed. I'll tell you what I know on our way if you could please return me to my job site after Lani is tended to.”

Alex could tell he wanted with every fiber of his being to disagree simply because she was the one who'd made the suggestion. But even he couldn't argue with the logic of her statement, so he gave a slight nod and turned to lead the way.

Alex was so relieved to be led to a car she almost wept. Her legs felt like gelatin as she sank into the plush leather seat. She'd insisted that Lani sit in the front, content to go unnoticed in the back and not at all shy about openly staring at the pair.

Daniel obviously doted on his ward. Alex failed to see why she reciprocated the affection. There was nothing particularly endearing about his rigid stance, nothing remarkable about his features. Except possibly his eyes—when they weren't roiling with storms of anger directed at Alex, they were quite lovely. Like when he looked at
Lani. Then they were as bright and pretty as the ocean surrounding this little island.

Lani was busy recounting the story that had led them all to this point. Alex let the words float about her, not really paying much attention. She might have offered to fill him in, but Lani seemed to be doing well enough on her own. The conversation didn't need her input, and she didn't trust her filter to be fully functional at the moment anyway.

“So do you often put strange girls in your trunk?” He glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

“Daily.”

“That's helpful.”

“What did you expect when you asked the question that way?”

“Fine.” His jaw twitched, and she knew she'd irritated him. He ran a hand over his thick, sun-drenched hair in a gesture Alex assumed was yet another tell of frustration. That made her happy. “Why did you help her? I'm struggling to believe this is all a coincidence.”

“Believe what you want. I was putting gas in my car and minding my own business when a bunch of black sedans zipped by. A couple of minutes later, I saw a black sedan chasing Lani. No, I don't typically put strange girls in my trunk, but this seemed like a good time to start.”

“Alex shielded me with her body when we hid in the jungle. And again when the car exploded. Stop being so mean to her, Joey.”

It sounded more like a little sister reprimanding an older brother than royalty talking to a guard. Alex couldn't help being mildly curious about their relationship. She also couldn't help being amused at the expression on Daniel's face. It was obvious he was trying to reconcile his intense dislike of her with the knowledge that she'd saved someone very dear to him.

“Don't get so attached. She wouldn't have been so valiant if she'd known who you are.”

Alex sighed, “Are you always such a ray of sunshine?”

“Yes.” His face had that stubborn expression on it again. Alex wondered if it was permanent. “Alex, please join us for dinner
before you go. Let us feed you; it's the least we can do.” Lani ignored her surly guardian. There was something in her tone that sounded very adult and authoritarian. The years of training were evident in the girl's decree, and Alex found herself nodding in acquiescence before she could even think about it. Daniel grunted his disapproval, and Alex wondered when she'd ever disliked a person more than this one.

Chapter Three

THERE WAS A FLURRY
of activity when they entered the palace. Daniel was gone without a word the moment they arrived. Alex couldn't say she was sorry for that.

A crying woman whisked Lani into a frantic embrace before stepping back, slightly embarrassed. Lani gave the woman a smile of thanks and reassurance, leaving Alex to wonder if this was the maid who'd helped the girl escape earlier that day.

“Could I borrow a phone to check in with my colleagues?” Alex doubted they even noticed her absence yet; she was prone to getting engrossed at the jobsite and forgetting to check in. Still, calling them seemed the responsible thing to do.

“Of course.” Lani motioned, and a servant materialized with a phone.

For the first time in a year, her call was answered by the machine and not an eager grad student.

“That's odd—no answer.” Alex frowned and handed the cordless back to the servant, a young man with wide, dark eyes and burnt bronze skin. He bowed slightly and dematerialized as efficiently as he had appeared.

“Come with me, Alex.” Lani distracted Alex from her musing. “We'll want to bathe before dinner.”

She followed Lani, not quite sure what to expect but eager for a chance to rid herself of the day's grime. Still, she was unprepared for the ornate square tub that more closely resembled a swimming pool. Flower petals floated on the surface of the water, enticing in their brilliant beauty.

“I do hope the guest bath suits your needs. Someone will bring you fresh clothing.”

“It's fantastic. You don't have to go to that kind of trouble.” Alex hoped she didn't look too incredulous. At one time, she'd been used to luxury. What she'd known then paled in comparison to the room sprawling in front of her now.

“It's no trouble. I want to do something nice for you.” Lani seemed to blush as tears threatened to spill. “I don't know what would have happened if not for you.”

“How old are you?” Alex blurted before she could catch herself.

“Thirteen in July.” Lani stood a little taller, her regal neck arching as she stood in the pose assumed by every pre-teen in the world trying to convince someone of their maturity.

“You act older than most of my grad students,” Alex answered truthfully, putting the girl at ease again. “And you don't owe me anything. I'm glad I was able to help.”

The corner of Lani's lip curled up in the hint of a smile before the princess turned to go. Alex watched her glide out of the room. She had an impish grace that was quite a charming combination. If the princess sprouted wings and announced she was actually a woodland pixie, Alex wouldn't have been entirely surprised. A bit worried about her own sanity, maybe, but not surprised.

With that thought, Alex double-checked that she was alone before peeling off her clothes, leaving them in a filthy heap on the floor as she slid into the warm water. Tropical scents clung to her nostrils; the water wrapped her in its silky embrace. Whatever oils had been added to the bath, they were divine. Alex didn't even try to resist the urge to close her eyes and slip beneath the water. She hadn't realized a bath could feel luxurious. She usually didn't have the attention span for anything other than a quick shower.

Alex didn't want to leave that feeling just yet. She remained submersed, her eyes closed and her lips just breaking the surface. Water lapped at her skin where it broke the barrier between water and air. The aches of her adventure melted away, followed by the worries cluttering her mind.

When the water sloshed across her face, it took her completely by surprise. She came up sputtering before she realized she was no
longer alone in the tub. With a squeak, she gulped in some air and ducked under the surface as his expletive reached her ears.

The water she'd swallowed in the initial chaos still tickled the back of her throat, forcing her to reemerge when the cough it caused couldn't be subdued.

“What are you doing in here?” Daniel Martin demanded.

“Taking a bath!” She scooped up an armful of flower petals in a vain attempt to cover herself. “Why aren't you off trying to catch the bad guys?”

“I debriefed my team,” he retorted defensively. “I have exactly three minutes to clean up before my next meeting, and then it's dinnertime. Why am I explaining myself to you?”

He'd be beautiful if he weren't such an ass
. The thought skittered through Alex's mind before she could help it, and its mere presence infuriated her even more than his.

“I'm sorry my being here has inconvenienced you so much.” She took a deep breath that was more ragged than she'd have liked. “If you'll kindly turn around, I'll leave you to your bath. Lord knows you need it.”

She couldn't help that last little jab. His jaw twitched and she was pleased to know she'd succeeded in once again irritating him.

“Don't bother.” He took a breath and sank under the water, reemerging to shake off like a wet dog. “My three minutes are up. This'll have to be good enough.”

“One can only hope.”

“You can keep watching if you really want; I'm getting out now.”

“Cretin,” Alex accused, covering her eyes with one hand. She might have peeked a little, but not much and only out of scientific curiosity. At least that's what she told herself when she was alone again. It certainly wasn't because the droplets of water on his bare chest had been at all appealing. That would be completely ridiculous.

The water settled long before she did. Her mind raced with explanations for her body's pesky reaction to an even more infuriating man. Her peaceful bath had been ruined. The flower
petals and oils held no oasis for her now, so she rose from the tub and wrapped herself in a white towel that was softer than any she'd ever felt.

Alex padded across the marble floor to the door she'd entered originally, peeking back through tentatively. The promised clothes had yet to arrive; Alex hoped they were in the massive bedroom she'd passed through on the way in. The thought of crawling into her muddy work clothes held little appeal.

She was relieved to find the door to that room securely closed and a stack of clothes folded neatly on the massive bed. The white of the clothing stood in stark contrast to the persimmon-colored bedding. Alex slid into the gauzy dress, not caring why they had clothing her size on hand. She barely had enough items in her wardrobe to clothe herself, let alone strangers.