Bare Witness (2 page)

“That you live up to the Baron name?” Nigel asked.

“Yes.”

“You’re doing a fine job. Relax a little and things will go smoother.”

“I can’t screw this up.”

“Why not?” Nigel asked. There was so much he didn’t know about the Baron family, but to be honest, he felt like he knew the important stuff. Anything that applied to running the company was enough for him.

“My father was a huge disappointment, and was actually fired from the company. My branch of the family, well, Grandfather was ready to disown us all until I started working here.”

And Derrick did a fine job in finance, where he was a highly trained accountant. But when he was asked to step outside of the world of numbers and into the executive management role for which he was also paid, he struggled.

“You and I will have our daily check-in,” Nigel assured Derrick.

Derrick nodded.

Nigel clapped his hand on the other man’s shoulder, showing him support. His earlier anger disappeared as he realized that what Derrick needed was someone who just believed in him, instead of constantly reminding him of the past, as Nigel was certain that Conrad Baron did whenever he talked to his grandson.

There was a knock on his door. “We good, Derrick?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Nigel walked Derrick to the office door and opened it for him to leave. He looked distracted already as he walked down the hall. He almost walked into a small dark-haired woman who was standing in the doorway that led to the executive hallway right next to his vacant secretary’s desk. She was vigilant in her stance, her eyes scanning the room. There was an aura of danger around her that was at odds with her fragile exterior.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Carter. I’m Justine O’Neill, from Liberty Investigations,” she said, striding forward and offering her hand.

This was his bodyguard? He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but given the reputation of Liberty Investigations, he imagined he’d have a big hulking ex-football player, not this…damn, if she didn’t remind him of the fairies Piper was constantly coloring and leaving in his briefcase.

But a warrior fairy, he thought, struggling not to grin at her.

He shook her hand, automatically lightening his normal handshake, but her grip was firm and hard. She pumped their hands up and down and started to draw away before he was ready to let her. He realized she’d had him at a disadvantage since she walked into the room. She was forceful and in charge—and clearly used to that.

And she was managing him.

He didn’t let go of her hand and she didn’t tug on it, but simply looked up at him. He saw the keen intelligence in her eyes, and the wisdom there as well. She knew he was holding on to make a point, and he thought she might be amused by his actions.

He dropped her hand. He wasn’t here for her amusement. Nor was she here for his. He needed the very best in the business to protect his family, and he wouldn’t settle for anything less.

“Let’s go in my office and we can discuss your employment.”

He hoped the reminder that she worked for him would put a dent in what he came to realize was her pride. She held herself stiff and tall. She was out of place in these executive offices, wearing a pair of black skintight jeans and a T-shirt that looked like it would fit his eight-year-old daughter.

Her midnight-black hair was cut close to her head and her features were fey. Bloody hell, he needed to stop thinking of her as some kind of sexy fairy sent to him for carnal pleasure. She was a bodyguard, and the last time he checked, sexual harassment was still illegal and frowned upon in the circles in which he ran.

“Yes, I’m interested in discussing this with you.”

Her eyes were a bright electric blue and there was a steely intelligence in them. At once, Nigel felt a tingle of desire. Intelligence was such a turn-on for him, and he knew from that one look there was more to this woman than her exterior revealed.

He led the way back into his office. He was proud of the large corner office with the bank of windows on two sides. He’d worked hard to get where he was today, and had come a long way from the kid he’d been.

He never denied his past because it had shaped him into who he was and he knew without that street-punk kid he’d been, he wouldn’t be the executive he was today.

“Have a seat.”

She perched on the edge of one of the big leather guest chairs that sat like sentinels in front of the large walnut desk he’d personally selected. Nigel propped one hip on the edge of his desk, instead of retreating behind it.

“I’m waiting for my daughter and her nanny to arrive, and then we can leave for the airport. Did Sam tell you Piper would be accompanying me?”

“Yes. And I’d like to ask you to reconsider. The Amazon Basin sounds like an exciting adventure at any age, but it is a very dangerous place.”

“Ah, but that’s why I hired you,” Nigel said.

“Indeed. I know Sam has probably already explained this, but you are a very high-profile executive, and going into a dangerous situation like this is—

“
Idiotic.
That’s the word Sam used. But as I told him, without this facility opening, we’re not going to make our fourth-quarter revenues. And I’m not about to let that happen.” But in the end, Nigel knew he had to go to Peru; there was no one else who could do what needed to be done.

His executives were scared since Paul Masters had been taken, beaten, and left for dead in the jungle. It was just the man’s good fortune that he’d left on his satellite phone, so they could track his signal.

“There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need, but not for man’s greed,” Justine said.

The Mahatma Gandhi quote was one he’d heard many times before. He arched one eyebrow at her. If it were only greed, he’d agree with her, but he wasn’t motivated by money. Winning was what drove him.

“Avarice, the spur of industry,” he said, just to see if the intelligence in her eyes was equal to what he believed it to be. He’d never been greedy, and if Baron Industries had been run by greed before he’d taken over, Nigel had made sure they weren’t now.

“David Hume may have had a point, but that’s hardly the case here.”

Again he bit back a smile. He liked that she was smart. Yes, smart was a big turn-on for him. He liked pretty women as much as the next guy, but the women in his life needed to be able to talk to him as well.

“It’s exactly the case,” he said. “The Amazon Basin is a poverty-stricken area. Those people—

“Have existed for centuries without the help of Baron Industries,” she said. “And that’s why I think you should leave your daughter at home. There is a lot of danger inherent in the jungle. Bugs, plants, animals…”

“True enough, but that’s neither here nor there. You are here as our bodyguard, and I’m going to trust you to keep Piper safe.”

She crossed her arms over her T-shirt-clad chest, and he couldn’t help but notice the way her petite arms framed her breasts. She cocked her head to one side and he knew better than to say she didn’t look the part.

But to be honest, when he thought of bodyguard, he pictured Michael Clarke Duncan or maybe Arnold in his old Mr. Universe days.

“Will she—listen, can I be honest?”

He doubted this woman ever wasn’t honest. “Sure.”

“I don’t deal well with kids. I don’t have a lot of patience when it comes to repeating myself. So it’s nothing against your kid, but will she listen to an order? I mean it, in a life-and-death situation there isn’t time to be nice or try to appease someone’s hurt feelings.”

Any doubts that Nigel had about Justine disappeared; she had the heart of a lion. The kind of person he wanted guarding Piper. He suspected his daughter was going to take one look at Justine and become her shadow.

“Yes, she will.”

“Okay, that’s fine. What about the nanny? Do you trust her?”

“Why?”

“Because you are a target, Nigel. That means your daughter will be as well.”

“I don’t believe I gave you leave to call me Nigel,” he said, mainly to see if she reacted. There was something about this woman with her bright eyes and petite warrior’s body that made him want to push her until she did something. She was so buttoned-up, despite her casual clothing, that he wanted to see her react.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m going to be living in your back pocket. I think we should be able to address each other informally.”

“I do, as well.”

“Fine. Call me Justine,” she said.

He nodded his head. “You may call me Nigel.”

“I’m going to call you ‘pain in the ass.’”

Nigel did laugh then. She was going to be a lot of fun to have around. He liked her and thought she’d be just right for the trip to the Amazon Basin. He didn’t know if it was wise to bring her along since he was attracted to her, but he wasn’t a lad of eighteen anymore, and he could control his lust.

Except when she tipped her head to the side as he continued to scrutinize her—he wondered if he was in control. Because there was something in her eyes as she stared at him, measuring the man he was, no doubt, that made him want to scoop her out of that chair and show her that he was man enough for her.

J
ustine didn’t trust any man aside from Sam. And even with him, it was an iffy proposition. So she didn’t really believe Nigel could be the man he appeared to be. She paced his office while he was in a meeting with two other executives, preparing the men for his absence.

She totally understood that he had a business to run and that meant there were details to be taken care of, but she hated being brushed aside and treated like she was nothing more than a nuisance.

She’d been in contact with Anna and Charity, and they were already en route to Peru, and the capital city Lima, where Nigel would be arriving in the morning. They were in the same time zone in D.C. as in Lima. It was only distance that would take the time.

Piper’s nanny, Constance Wareham, had been thoroughly vetted by Anna, and Justine was as confident as she could be that the woman was loyal to the girl. In fact, Constance had been with Piper Carter since the girl was two years old.

Justine didn’t think that reflected well on the parents, but then who was she to criticize anyone on their parenting skills? It was just that she’d always thought people who had kids should raise them.

Her BlackBerry vibrated, and she pulled the cell phone from her pocket and scanned the incoming message. Sam had more information on the group who’d kidnapped Paul Masters. Justine took a moment’s pause as she read the report. This was the type of group her team was trained to go up against. She often wondered who exactly Sam worked for. The trio knew precious little about the man except that he paid well and on time. And he always had their back.

The group that had taken Masters were mercenaries with no real allegiance to the Amazon Basin or the people there. She opened the messenger function on her BlackBerry and pinged Anna.

Justine suspected that Charity probably felt the same way she did—the three of them should go after the mercenary team and keep Nigel and his daughter in the United States for the time being.

Justine pocketed her BlackBerry and found that Nigel’s meeting was wrapping up. The other men left and he stood and stretched.

She watched him, wondering what it was about this man that fascinated her. She liked the low cadence of his voice. It was only her own rigid self-control that had kept her concentration on staying vigilant, and not on listening to him.

But he tempted her to think of something other than the job, and so few men ever had. Okay, no man really had.

“Is everything okay?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You’re staring at me.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t realized she’d been staring. “I’m trying to think of the right argument to use to convince you not to go.”

“We already had that discussion. There isn’t anything you can say.”

“Nigel—

“I’ve made up my mind.”

“And your word is law?” she asked.

“Of course not. I just know my own mind. And I’m not too worried about anything happening once we get to the Baron Industries compound.”

“I would worry…that’s where your manager was kidnapped.”

“He was kidnapped in the local village,” Nigel said, going around his desk.

“That is located adjacent to the Baron compound. Why was he there?”

“No special reason,” Nigel said, glancing at his cell phone. “My daughter is downstairs in the limo. Let’s go.”

Justine waited while he gathered his briefcase, then followed him out of the office. She knew that Nigel wasn’t telling her something about the manager’s kidnapping. She pulled the BlackBerry out again and pinged Sam.

Justine pocketed her BlackBerry as they got to the elevator. She scanned the hallway and realized she’d just been distracted when she should have been paying attention to their surroundings. She entered the elevator before Nigel and stood in front of him once they were both in the car.

“I don’t think I’m going to be attacked in my own building.”

“Someone really doesn’t want you to open that factory, Nigel. Seems to me, getting to you here would make the most sense.”

“You have a point. But access to this building is very tightly controlled.”

“I know. I checked out your system before I came here.”

“What else did you do?” he asked.

She glanced over her shoulder. “Read the mission specs and your background information.”

“What did it say about me?”

“Usual stuff. That you graduated at the top of your class and have been on the fast track to the executive office.”

“That’s it?”

“It also mentioned your marriage and the death of your wife.”

He closed his eyes and looked away. He didn’t say anything else on the rest of the ride down, but Justine wondered if that was why he was reluctant to leave his daughter behind in the States. She recalled from the info sheet Sam had provided that Nigel’s wife Christine had been killed in a drunk-driving accident while he’d been on a business trip.

It was a crisp fall day as they stepped out of the office building, but Nigel’s mind was stuck in the summer two years earlier, when he’d gotten the call that Christine had been in an accident. No one else had known they’d been talking about divorcing or that their marriage had been over. But he had.

He’d rushed to her side, arriving minutes after she passed away. Piper had been in the waiting area with Constance. That day had been one of the worst of his life. Wracked with guilt, he’d made a vow to himself that he’d never leave Piper alone. Never take the chance that something could happen to his daughter while he was gone.

Justine scanned the area while Marcus, his driver, opened the door to the back of the limo. Piper jumped out as Nigel approached and he braced himself for her. She launched her little body in the air and he caught her, hugging her close. She was talking a mile a minute about school and her day when she noticed Justine.

“Who is that lady?”

“Justine O’Neill. She works with me.”

He set Piper on her feet and she slipped her hand in his. “Justine, this is my daughter Piper.”

“Hello, Justine,” Piper said.

“Hi, kid. Nigel, we need to get in the car.”

Nigel nudged Piper toward the car and climbed in after his daughter. Justine got in the front seat with Marcus.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“What does Justine do?”

“She’s a bodyguard.”

Piper nodded and then pulled out her sketch pad. His daughter spent a lot of time drawing and sketching. And Constance wasn’t just her nanny, but also her teacher. Since Nigel refused to be separated from Piper, Constance had to be able to travel with him.

“Is there anything I need to know about?” he asked Constance.

“We’re still on track with her schooling, and I shipped everything we’ll need to continue her lessons to the Baron compound in Peru. I would like to arrange a trip into the jungle.”

“That will have to wait for the time being.”

“Yes, sir.”

Nigel wished there were some way he could make this trip safer for Piper. Hiring a bodyguard…the best company in the business was all he could think of. He needed the plant open and operating, but he also needed to go down there to finish the job Paul Masters had been unable to complete.

He pulled out his laptop and sent two messages to his staff in Peru.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Piper.”

“What color eyes does Justine have?”

“Blue. Why?”

“She looks like a fairy,” Piper said, nibbling on her lower lip as her pencil moved over the paper. He leaned over to glance at the drawing.

He shouldn’t still be amazed at his daughter’s talent for capturing people and landscapes on paper, but he always was. She was awesomely talented, this tiny daughter of his.

“Very good, Piper.”

“I think her nose is wrong. May I open the partition and look at her?”

“Not now, Pip. She’ll be on the plane with us and you can study her then.” He wanted Justine to concentrate on her job—keeping Piper safe—and not be distracted by his daughter’s sketching or questions.

Piper nodded. Nigel watched her make notes in the margin, the way she always did about colors.

He patted his jacket to make sure he had the papers he needed. He didn’t like the way everything had unraveled with Paul Masters. He and Paul had worked together for years now, and Paul was his right-hand man. And the closest thing Nigel had to a best friend.

Now the man was in a hospital room in Lima, in a coma, because of this job. No job was worth a man’s life, Nigel thought. Yet at the same time, he knew he was going to open that factory in the Amazon Basin, if for no other reason than because of what had been done to Paul.

Constance was talking quietly with Piper, and Nigel looked out the window, watching the D.C. scenery pass by. He liked the States, but there were times when he longed to be back home in the U.K.

But not today, he thought. He wouldn’t have met Justine O’Neill if he’d been in Britain. And there was something about her that wouldn’t leave him be.

He’d resisted the urge to kiss her earlier. Until his daughter was safely on the plane and all the details he’d had to take care of with his executives were handled, he couldn’t allow himself to be distracted.

But she was there in the corner of his mind. He liked that smart mouth of hers. It was much softer than the words that left it would indicate, and he wanted to feel those full lush lips under his. He wanted to touch that curvy petite body of hers and find out just how tough Justine O’Neill really was.

Would she keep her guard up in a man’s arms? Or would she soften against him? He had the feeling that once a man unlocked the passion inside Justine, things would get very hot, very fast.

“Nigel?”

He blinked, realizing the partition was down and Justine was leaning through it to speak to him, her bangs falling forward.

“Yes?”

“We’re at the airport and I’d like you all to stay in the car while I vet the plane.”

“That’s not necessary,” Nigel said.

“It is to me. And you hired me to handle security…”

He nodded, distracted by the firmness in her voice and by how much that turned him on.

Justine went over the plane as she’d been trained to do. She learned her technique from Anna, who’d been trained by MI-5. She was a bit restless and edgy and wished she could say it was entirely due to the job. But that was only part of it.

The pilot was someone that had been working for Nigel for more than eight years. Anna had run a background check on the man, and they’d decided he was safe enough.

Justine ran down the stairs, back to the tarmac where Nigel’s bulletproof Rolls sat, keeping the occupants safe from whatever threat might be waiting for them.

Justine thought about Nigel’s little girl and it was painful to see her. The relationship between father and daughter was clearly a close one, and a part of Justine remembered her own father.

In her mind, her childhood had always been defined by Franklin Baron and the way he’d forced her to grow up. For the first time, she actually remembered her early childhood and the way her father had treated both her and her sister.

Marcus got out of the Rolls as Justine approached. She waited at the side of the car, sunglasses on to block the glare, and her Beretta held loosely in her right hand. She scanned the area around the tarmac and watched as Nigel hustled his daughter and her nanny toward the plane.

His vigilance told her two things. He was aware of the threat to his family, and he took it seriously. She wondered what the hell he wasn’t telling them.

She rubbed the back of her neck as she climbed the stairs and entered the plane. It was a luxury jet with thick carpeting on the floor and two desks set up on either side of the plane. There was a large leather couch on the right and four captain’s chairs on the left. In the back was a bathroom with tub and shower, and a bedroom.

The walls in the bedroom had given Justine pause. The pictures on the wall were all very realistic and beautifully drawn. Yet they weren’t works of art. They had been done on a simple sketchbook pad and then colored with pencils, chalk, or watercolors.

Justine secured the cabin door and then went up front to let the pilot know they were ready to go. He nodded and started the engines. When she returned to the main cabin, she took a seat on the long couch. Nigel, Piper, and her nanny all sat in the captain’s chairs.

“Justine, this is Constance Wareham. Constance, this is Justine O’Neill,” Nigel said. “Constance will apprise you of any changes to Piper’s schedule.”

“Very well. I’ll need it the night before so I can make sure that anywhere you go is secure.”

“I already do that for Mr. Carter.”

Justine nodded. “I’ll need your schedule as well, Constance.”

“Of course. I really want your focus to be on Piper,” Nigel said. “Once she’s safe, you can shift your responsibility to guarding me.”

Justine frowned at him, but said nothing as the plane taxied and took off. Once they reached their cruising altitude, Piper took off her seat belt and moved to the bench next to Justine. She had a backpack with her.

“Can I sketch you?”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “You have an interesting face.”

“I do?”

“Yes, you do. I drew this from memory, but something isn’t right about your features.” Piper drew a leather-bound sketchbook from her backpack and handed it to Justine.