Authors: Diane Taylor
Putting a hand on his chest, Carmen smiled up at him. “Tomorrow, we start getting you used to being integrated with my team.” The thump of his heart through his black t-shirt seemed to caress her hand with each beat.
Leaning down, his lips almost brushed hers before she stepped out of range. “What?”
Carmen blushed slightly, “I’d best keep calling you The Rogue because if I don’t, I’m going to break my own rules.”
“Which are?” A wicked gleam lightened his eyes.
“Never get emotionally involved with the client, never let it cloud your judgment of any situation, and never ever mix business with pleasure.” She smiled apologetically to him. “And you, my dear Rogue
,
are sending my imagination into places it has no right to dive into.”
Sean bowed regally to her, then looked off in the corner. “Khan,” At a huffing noise, “get over here. You need to recognize her and not eat her the next time she shows up.”
A rumbling grumble followed the massive form moving into the firelight. Carmen looked him over then knelt and held out her hand. After the attack by the snow leopard, she’d been determined not to allow herself to be debilitated by fear. To defeat it, she’d gone out of her way to visit wild animal parks, zoos, and other places to conquer her fear. So the sight of a regal tiger approaching her caused only a slight twitch. “He’s beautiful. How did you manage to get this handsome cat past government policies?”
Sean, AKA The Rogue shrugged. “His mother
had been killed by poachers in India. My best friend and I were doing research for one of my newest illusions and were being escorted by the rangers when we accidentally stumbled across the camp. The army had already arrested and transported the poachers off to the local jail and packed up the evidence into crates for transport in large trucks. It seems they missed the small cub, hiding in the bushes, watching everything. With no one to watch out for him, he would have died.” He paused, “One of our rangers was going to do a mercy killing, but I talked him out of it.”
Carmen ran her hand through the thick fur and scratched his ears. She was pleased when the great cat leaned into her fingers, moving closer, she worked her hands over the white coat, feeling its texture. “And the legality of him being here?”
“A few payoffs, an inspection by a vet, and the good graces of all parties combined. I took him in and we sort of made an agreement. I provide him with all the meat and chew toys he wants and he keeps me safe and helps with the illusions I create.”
“Sounds like you two have a great bond. Almost in sync with each other.” She let Khan get a good sniff of her, then stood up. “Okay kids, time for me to get very annoying.”
Both of them stared at her. “What?”
She gave them both a stern look. “We’re going to get busy and figure out the best road to take with you both. If my team hasn’t got your list of performance dates, times of arrival, the whole party package yet, you’d best call your manager and tell him to give them what they need. Next, you’re going to have someone get out here and repair the wall in the back of your property. It’s how I got in, by the way. Third, I take my work seriously as you probably have noticed. It means you don’t question me, you don’t argue, you go along with the program because it’s for your own safety. If it isn’t an emergency I’ll let you know why something is being done, otherwise please, just do what we ask.”
“You think I’m going to just hand over my life to you because of a few threatening notes and a sabotaged illusion.” Anger laced Sean’s voice as he stared at her.
Carmen gave him the look his comment deserved. “Yes, and before you start arguing, I’m calling Ian over at The Red Aurochs to have my stuff delivered here. My job is to keep you safe, remember? You threw down this little gauntlet, now you have to deal with having it thrown back in your face. Before you get too indignant, let’s get out of this dreary room and back into the afternoon sun so I don’t feel like I’m in a cave with no hope of escape.”
An hour later, she was standing on top of the wall, staring down at an angry human and an even angrier tiger. “If I had wanted to kill you, there are more than enough ways to get in here.” Carmen scooped up some snow from the two foot wide ledge and packed it into a snowball. “One of them would be as easy as this.” she lobbed it at Sean before taking off at a run.
A shout of suprise told her she’d hit the mark and Carmen stopped to look... and almost fell off the wall laughing at the melting snow plastered on Sean’s mask. Controlling her amusement, she tilted her head. “If it had been a grenade, there wouldn’t have been enough of you or Khan to put in a shoebox.”
“You’ve made your point about the wall.” Sean wiped the slush off his face. “What else?”
Looking at the mansion from her vantage point. Carmen sighed and lept to the ground into a snowbank. What she didn’t expect was landing and sinking up to her chest in deep snow. The shock of cold and the feel of it dripping into her clothes forced a yip of startlement from her. Struggling only made her sink deeper into the snow. “And here I thought my dignity was intact.” she muttered to the air around her.
Khan bounded over and whuffed in her face before rubbing his cheek against hers. Seconds later, he bounded out of the way of a snowball aimed at her head. “Oh you two have had it now.”
Soon enough, white spheres of snow were flying in both directions. Khan, having no hands, ran interference for Sean, and got more than his fair share of snowballs aimed at him. Laughing, Carmen kicked a shower of show in Khan’s direction, then tackled him into the snowbank which she’d dug herself out of. Not easy to do when the animal is over two hundred pounds, but Carmen managed it.
“
Tag! You’re it.” She shouted, then ran straight at Sean.
With a roar of offended feline pride, Khan shook himself free of the snow and gave chase. So intent on Carmen, he didn’t notice Sean was the target until she dove to one side. With no time to stop his charge, Khan ran into Sean with enough force to send them rolling across the courtyard, coming to a stop only when they hit the wall to the mansion. The resulting collision illicited a groan from the human and a rumbling moan from the tiger.
Carmen immediately ran over to make sure they were both alright, only to be grabbed by Sean and dragged down into his arms. Khan got his own form of revenge by nibbling on her snow boot. Not enough to puncture, just enough to let her know she’d been ‘tagged’. Laughing, Sean gathered her up in a bear hug
“Surrender, fair maiden, or we’ll continue to hold you prisoner until you do.” Sean purred softly in her ear.
Carmen laughed. “Fair maiden my ass. The only time someone said those two words to me was when I played Juliet to Bobby Moran’s Romeo in third grade.” She snuggled into the warmth while tugging at her foot. “C’mon Khan. Leggo of my foot.”
Khan simply put a massive paw on her foot and crawled over her legs, immobilizing her. Ears forward he yawned and laid his head down and closed his eyes, huffing softly. Sean laughed. “Give in. He’s not going to move until you give in.”
“Okay, Okay I give.” She reached down to scratch Khan behind the ears. “I think we’d best get inside before we all freeze. I can’t believe this place can get so cold.” In reality, Carmen needed to get away from the comforting arms holding her prisoner.
Gods help me. I’m going to have to watch myself around Sean. If I’m not careful, my promise to myself is going to go flying out the window.
A new, but familiar voice called from off to one side. “Ye’d best be keepin’ a handle on the tiger, lad.”
Khan came up with a snarl only to have Sean put a hand on him. “Khan.” Sean, returning to his role as TheRogue, glared at the new arrival. “And who are you?”
Carmen smiled and elbowed Sean as she got to her feet. “Craig O’Halloran, as I live and breathe. How’d you find me?”
Craig brushed his long black hair over his shoulder and stared at Carmen with sparkling green eyes. “Well now, that’d be the trick, aye? Our Lady of Protection, Miss Tarrington, put the call to me, draggin’ ma weary body awa’ from a Bardic challenge. I was winning, lass, until she said ye’d need mah help.” He shifted his balance on the big roan horse he rode so he could look at her better.
“Carmen, who is this person?” Sean came to stand next to her.
Smothering a smile at the slight possesive tone in his voice, Carmen made the introductions. “Craig O’Halloran, meet The Rogue. As a bard of some standing, you would know that name. The growling menace on the other side of him is Khan.” Giving both man and tiger a meaningful look. “Among other things, Craig is a security wizard and one of his speciality is subterfugue.”
Both men nodded to each other and Craig looked at her. “Ye be given me too much credit, lass. Tis an ex-thief I am.” He dropped the accent and hopped off the horse and made a mock bow. “I’m also an employee of the Tarrington Security. When that dear lady calls, one does not refuse when she said Carmen needs help.”
Sean looked at her and Carmen rolled her eyes. “Daria being a mother hen again. But Craig is the best at what he does. Installation and upgrades of home security.” When he opened his mouth, she held up a hand. “He’s the one I would have called in for it anyways. I don’t trust this situation to anyone outside the company.” She turned to Craig, “I take it you’ve been briefed on the situation? Is your team ready to get to work on the mansion and everything?”
“Aye, lass. Just keep that monster off of everyone and ye’ll nae see hide nor hair of us once we get ta work.” The accent was back. Craig glanced at the cat one last time. “Oh, and Ian from the Red Aurochs wants you to call him.”
Carmen nodded. “Will do. Since you’re riding, can you take the one I rode in on back to him? I need to get my stuff sent up.”
Craig nodded. “Aye lass.” He looked between The Roge and her, arching an eyebrow. “Anything else ye need?”
“No.” Carmen gave him a glare as heat stole up her cheeks. “Just get busy.” She turned and stomped her way to the back door before looking over her shoulder to see the two men having a staredown. “Khan? You want to come keep me warm by the fire so you don’t get testosterone poisoning?”
Giving off a sound which reminded her suspiciously enough like laughter, Khan followed her into the house.
Once away from Sean and Craig, she stopped inside the foyer to remove her boots and coat, hanging them where they could drip dry. “What is it with men, Khan? One looks like he wants to rip my clothes off, despite how horrible I look, and ravish me...” Khan gave her a look and Carmen sighed, “Okay Okay, I wouldn’t mind ravishing him as well, but Craig, not to mention my team and Daria have all suddenly banded together to become overprotective ninnies.” She made it through the to the den where the fire still burned and plopped herself down on the bearskin rug to warm up. “I bet Craig is out ther giving him the ‘Hurt my best friend and you will scream in agony for x amount of months before I kill you’ speech.”
“You’re not far wrong, Carmen.” Sean walked into the den clad only in a bathrobe, slippers, and another mask, this one a soft rose color with silver decorations on it. “Basically it sounded like the castration tango.” He smiled. “As if you were his baby sister and I was truly a rogue out to ruin you by taking your virtue.”
Khan moved over to one side of the fireplace, letting Sean drop to the rug next to her and put a tray of snacks in between the two of them. A carafe’ of what smelled like hot chocolate and two mugs also sat in the middle of the food. Carmen laughed and shook her head. “Why is it that all my friends suddenly want to protect me, of all people, from the one person I’m supposed to be protecting?”
Sean poured two mugs and handed her one. “Probably because they take one look at you, see past the tough armor you’ve built for yourself, and actually find the good hearted friend within.” He took a tentative sip from his mug. “Once people see it, they tend to get a little protective. You know what they say, don’t you?”
Carmen took a grape from the selection and smiled, “Friends provide the alibi. Best friends help you hide the body parts.” The crisp, sweet flavor of the grape made her look down at the rest of the tray. “I used to have that t-shirt when I was younger.”