Killer Secrets (49 page)

"Alloran is old money as well, royal blood on both the
French and English sides. Some kind of distant

cousin of a cousin to the Queen of England." Her frown
deepened. "I would have never considered him.

What sort of parameters did Macey base his list on?"

"I didn't have time to find out," he said,
grimacing. "The cells are secured but I don't want to take any

chances. I disconnected before there was a chance of a
trace."

She nodded in understanding before glancing at the balcony
door. "I need to go to the villa, talk to him

and Tehya as well. I've socialized with these men, known
them for most of my life actually. My father

was on friendly terms with Lorraine, and had done business
with the other two. I may be able to help

narrow the search."

It made sense, but he'd be damned if he wanted her out of
his sight.

"Have Daniel drive over and pick you up, let's make it
look good." If she were seen slipping to the villa

she had leased, it could be viewed suspiciously, and lead
Sorrell straight to Tehya.

"I'll call him." She nodded, her gaze sharpening.
"What will you be doing?"

"Attempting not to strangle Diego," he grunted.
"He's like a damned spoiled-ass brat. How the hell he

managed to hold a cartel of this size together confounds me
at times."

"You demanded control to return, and you're not
playing nice with him as far as he's concerned. He's

picking at you, trying to get your attention." And his
affection. Ian heard it in her voice though she was

wise enough not to put it into words.

He shrugged as though the observation made no difference.

"Get over there and see what else you can figure out,"
he told her. "And watch your ass."

He strode over to her then, one hand cupping her face,
lifting her chin as the other wrapped around her

waist and pulled her to his harder, aroused body.

"I'll be careful." That breathless quality in her
voice tightened his balls. Damn her, she affected him like

nothing or no one else ever had.

Her hand slid up his arms, gripped his biceps. Sharp little
nails pricked into his flesh and reminded him of

the scratches on his back that she had placed there the
night before.

"Make sure you're more than careful." He lowered
his lips to hers, took a stinging kiss, and pulled back

before the need rocketing his mind could get out of
control. "Signal my cell when you get there."

Then she reached up with one hand, her fingers touching his
cheek, then his lips. "You be careful."

He grinned. She could make him feel lighter, he liked that.
When she looked at him, soft and sensual like

that, something inside him loosened, the tension that had
been destroying him lightened.

"I'll send Deke with you and Daniel," he decided
as the warmth in her gaze sank into his soul, heating

him, reminding him of everything he had to lose if he lost
Kira. "I want you protected, Kira, let me do

that."

He could see the protest in her expression and he didn't
want to fight her over it. He didn't want to have

to force her to allow him to keep his mind clear right now.

She shook her head, but her smile was accepting.
"Fine, I'll take Deke with me. But we're going to

discuss this attitude of yours later."

"You can chew my ass to hell and back later," he
promised, stepping back from her. "I'll question Muriel

and see what I can find out there."

He should have just killed him, he had meant to, knew it
was the best route to take. Holding him meant

giving him a chance to escape and possibly learning where
Tehya was hidden.

"Hey." He caught her as she moved to pulled back
from him, his mind and his heart struggling, a part of

him aching to whisper the words, another part holding back.

"I promise to be careful." She lifted to him,
touched her lips to his, and stared into his eyes. "I love you,

Ian."

One kiss. Just one kiss, and he could let her go. Deep,
hungry, a kiss that dragged a moan from her

throat and had him fighting to keep from throwing her to
the bed and hearing her screams again.

"Go." He pushed her away from him, dragging his
hands through his hair and glaring at her. Damn her, he

had no good sense when she was around. "And hurry
back."

That perky little ponytail bobbed as she moved quickly away
from him, the long strands of hair falling

from the crown of her head to the middle of her shoulder
blades and tempting him to tear it down and

spear his fingers through the soft, thick mass.

She glanced back at him as she reached the doorway, paused,
and gave him a saucy wink before light

laughter left her lips when he started for her again.

She escaped. Just in time. One more second and he would
have said to hell with Sorrell and thrown her

to the floor to bury the aching length of his cock deep
inside that tight, soft velvet pussy. Damn her. Damn

him. Because she overrode his control and reminded him,
each second, of exactly what he could lose if

this op managed to go to hell.

Twenty-seven

THE CALL CAME LATE THATafternoon.

His voice was heavily accented, that of a man who rarely
used English, and it was clipped with anger.

He agreed to the meet on the condition that they would see
the birthmark only, and not his face. He

demanded that Ascarti be allowed to accompany him, as well
as one bodyguard, and that his daughter

be present during the negotiations.

Ian laughed. "I think not. The point between these
negotiations is that we each get what we want, my

friend." He leaned back in his chair and narrowed his
eyes as Diego smiled in satisfaction at the sound of

Sorrell's voice on the conference call. "I'll have
your identity and you'll have the girl. An even trade.

Negotiations aren't worth shit if both parties aren't
required to lay insurance on the table."

The silence that filled the line was telling. Ian hadn't
allowed the call to be traced, though Macey had the

equipment to do just that within a matter of minutes. But
Sorrell could have the equipment to track the

trace, and for now, they needed a measure of trust.

"I will show you the birthmark upon arrival. My face
will remain shielded until negotiations are

completed. And you will give your woman into the keeping of
my bodyguard until things have been

reasonably settled. My daughter will remain in the keeping
of one of your men. We both have much to

lose, as well as to gain."

He had known it would come to this. He had felt it crawling
in his gut the minute he had known Kira was

on Aruba, that when the final game came to be played, she
would be used to stay his hand.

What Sorrell didn't know was that Kira was no man's weapon.
He had to argue with himself, he had to

force himself to be logical rather than to allow emotion to
influence his decision. The emotion was winning

though.

"Diego will be present. If you need insurance—"

Sorrell's laughter was faintly mocking. "Mr. Fuentes,
as you and I both know, I have had my spies within

your presence. Your relationship with your father is, how
shall we say it, less than loving? He is not

acceptable as insurance, though I do expect he will attend
this meeting. Your woman will place herself on

one side of the room with my man. Your man will hold my
daughter similarly on the other side of the

room. I and Gregor Ascarti will meet with you and your
father after this exchange has been made. This is

nonnegotiable."

She could protect herself, the logical part of his brain
assured him. No one knew who she was, what she

was, or how very capable she was in such situations. Ian
knew. He had seen her on several missions,

read the reports of the men who worked with the Chameleon.
He knew she could do this.

But it was placing her at risk.

"Come, Mr. Fuentes, if I can trust my treasured asset
in your protection, then you can trust yours within

mine." Sorrell chuckled. "Unless you have plans
to do other than negotiate."

"I definitely don't have plans to have my woman stolen
and sold to line your coffers," Ian snorted.

Sorrell laughed at this. "She is too old. She would be
too hard to train effectively, she is safe from such a

fate. Young girls, girls who have not yet known the
corruption of your society, are those I seek. And as

beautiful as your woman is, she is no longer a virgin, nor
does she still retain the flush of her youth. Do

you agree to my demands as I have agreed to yours?"

"Agreed." The fact that he had no choice boiled
in his gut.

Damn her, he had known better than to let her into this.
His weakness. She was a weakness and Sorrell

knew it. If she hadn't been here, in his life, in his bed,
Sorrell would have accepted Diego as insurance,

eliminating the chance that Sorrell would have even a
measure of power over the negotiations.

"Ah, I can hear the anger in your tone."
Satisfaction filled the Frenchman's voice. "Your woman is

important to you. This is good. She is a willful, spoiled
female though my friend. I fear you will not have a

smooth path with this one. It would have been better had
you found a more tractable woman."

"I'll take care of my life, Sorrell, you take care of
yours." Ian fought for a measure of distance, a place to

push back the rage until this was finished. "We meet
at midnight—"

"Your woman will be waiting inside the gates of your
villa. We will then exit the vehicle and proceed

inside. Once again, nonnegotiable. I do not walk into
traps, Mr. Fuentes. She will be alone."

"No deal."

Sorrell was quiet.

"You forget, I have something you want, not the other
way around," Ian reminded him. "I can kill your

daughter as easily as Liss and Muriel were killed. Without
regret. Or, I could contact the DEA. I'm sure

they'll be quite forgiving of several of my crimes for a
chance at your daughter. Perhaps I could get that

nasty little treason charge dropped." He let the
suggestion trail off there.

He could hear the tension across the line then. The waves
of anger pouring from the Frenchman.

"We will arrive at midnight." Sorrell's voice was
clipped, enraged. "I will contact you again before arrival.

And Mr. Fuentes, betray me and more than just your woman
will die. The women of your former friends,

the newborn son Reno Chavez is so proud of, all of them
will die, painfully."

Ian snorted at the threat despite anger pulsing through
him. "Just be here on time, if you don't mind. I do

have other things to take care of once we complete
this."

The call disconnected.

Ian reached over, disconnected the phone on the base, and
then stared at Diego.

The other's man face was creased thoughtfully, his black
eyes gleaming with challenge. Ian could see the

charge Diego was getting from trying to anticipate his
adversary's next move. It was the same charge Ian

felt, that challenge, that sense of not just a physical,
but the mental battle being waged.

"I recognize his voice." Diego tapped at the
chair lightly. "There was some quality to it, perhaps to his

laughter, so superior and arrogant." His frown
deepened. "I have spoken to this man before."

The recording of the conversation would have to be slipped
quickly to Reno and Macey. Kira was still

at the rented villa questioning Tehya. The other girl
needed to hear it as well. Though he knew she knew

his voice, perhaps without the patronizing, falsely loving
tone that he used with her, she could better

pinpoint something about it.

"You had better call your friends and inform them of
this new development." Diego leaned back in his