Deadly Adventure (Hardy Brothers Security Book 19) (5 page)

“Ugh, you’re kind of gross, dude,” Jesse said. “You get a sappy look all over your face whenever you look at her.”

“I can’t help myself,” James said. “She makes me smile.”

“Yes, you’re definitely a goner,” Jesse said. “Let’s get her checked out of here and I’ll drive you guys to the Roman Baths. I know you want to see those, too. Then we can have lunch over there.”

James was intrigued by the idea. “I have to admit I’m not thrilled with riding the bus. Let me ask my wife if it’s okay.”

“And if it’s not?”

“Then we’ll ride the bus,” James replied simply. “Marriage is about making decisions together. She has an opinion … and it counts.”

“Just … weird,” Jesse said, shaking his head as he offered James a mischievous smile. “Ask her. I’m dying to hear how she lays down the law.”

“You might be surprised,” James said. “Women can be completely rational if you give them the chance to do the right thing.”

“Yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“
O
kay
, I was wrong,” Jesse conceded three hours later, smirking as Mandy leaned over from a high walkway perch to take photos of one of the cavernous bath areas below. “I just never realized there was such a thing as a reasonable woman.”

“Oh, she’s not always reasonable,” James said, chuckling at the surprised look on Jesse’s face. “In fact, she’s downright ornery sometimes. She’s reasonable on stuff like this, though. She didn’t like the bus ride either.”

“How come?”

“It was cramped and hot.”

“I thought everything with you two was hot,” Jesse teased, earning a snide look from James.

“You joke, but everything that woman touches is definitely hot,” James said. “She wears these pencil skirts with garters to work. I have a tough time concentrating every day while she’s away from me.”

“I’m surprised she works given how well you must be doing,” Jesse said. “What does she do?”

“She’s a clerk at the county courthouse.”

“Criminal or family?”

“Criminal,” James replied, scowling. “I’m sure family court is tough, too, but I hate her working in the criminal justice system.”

“So make her quit.”

The simplicity of Jesse’s answer caused James to guffaw. “Make her quit? You know absolutely nothing about women, man. If I tried to make her quit she would dig her heels in and pick a fight until I stopped.”

“So? Withhold your love until she does what you want.”

“That’s not how a marriage works,” James scoffed. “Besides, I tried forcing her to quit and she wouldn’t talk to me afterward. I didn’t like it.”

“Oh, because you’re a big, fluffy bunny where she’s concerned, aren’t you?” Jesse cooed, clearly enjoying himself.

“I’m more like a domesticated shark,” James clarified. “But, yes. I don’t like it when she’s angry.”

“How often does that happen?”

“Not often,” James answered. He understood Jesse’s curiosity regarding his relationship with his wife. It took a bit of time to absorb if you were only acquainted with the old James. “We’ve had some big fights, though.”

“Did you ever think about divorcing her?”

“Not for one second,” James replied. “I married for life. She’s it for me.”

“Okay,” Jesse said, holding his hands up. “I get it. She’s the love of your life. I’m not casting aspersions on your relationship.”

“That’s good,” James said. “It wouldn’t go over well if you tried.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Jesse said dryly, narrowing his eyes as he watched James scan the room. “What are you looking for?”

“A bathroom,” James replied. “Do you see one?”

“There are facilities up one floor,” Jesse replied. “I saw them when we were coming down the stairs.”

“Okay, I’ll collect Mandy and make her go back up,” James said, moving in his wife’s direction.

“Why do that?” Jesse asked. “Go to the bathroom. She’ll be fine.”

“I wasn’t joking about her being a trouble magnet,” James said. “If I leave her something horrible is bound to happen.”

“Then I’ll watch her,” Jesse said. “I’m perfectly capable of keeping her safe for five minutes. I have the same training as you do, after all.”

James didn’t look convinced. “I … .”

Jesse’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “Seriously? How co-dependent are you two?”

“Very,” James replied, not missing a beat. “I don’t like leaving her alone in a strange place. That last time I did that she was drugged and almost died.”

“See, now I can’t decide if you’re telling the truth or making things up.”

“I’m telling the truth,” James said. “She has this uncanny ability to find trouble. Or, to be more precise, trouble has an uncanny ability to find her. Either way, I don’t want to risk it.”

“She’s happy with her camera,” Jessie pointed out, gesturing with his hand. “You could’ve already gone and been back by now and she wouldn’t even have noticed. I swear I won’t take my eyes off her while you’re gone.”

James sighed as he tugged a restless hand through his hair. “Watch her. I mean it.”

Jesse saluted. “I’ll protect her with my life.”

“You’d better,” James muttered. “If something happens on your watch you’re not going to like the outcome.”

M
ANDY
studied
the colorful water and lifted her nose to inhale the heady scent. The aroma was a mixture of history, salt, and closed-in spaces. She liked it.

“Isn’t this amazing?” the man next to her asked. “Centuries ago people came to this very place to utilize the healing properties of the water … and it worked.”

Mandy didn’t particularly consider herself a history buff, but she liked odd historical tidbits. “It’s definitely cool,” she said. “I would hate to fall down there, though. It looks as if that crack goes on forever.” She pointed to a gaping crevice in the floor of the room. “It’s probably good they have it closed off so we can’t walk right over to it.”

“I think they’re probably overreacting,” the man said. “It still looks cool from a distance.”

“Definitely.”

Mandy moved farther down the stone pathway, her eyes locking on the ancient walls and their odd texture patterns. She snapped a quick photo and almost jumped out of her skin when she realized the man was back at her side. He was so close he risked invading her personal space.

“Um … do you need to get around me?” Mandy asked, shuffling closer to the rock wall. “There’s room over there.”

“Oh, no. I’m fine.” The man’s smile was friendly, but the expression didn’t make it all the way to his eyes.

“Well, I’m not,” Mandy said, glancing over her shoulder and finding the spot Jesse and James shared only moments ago empty. “I feel a little crowded. Can you move back a little bit?”

“Sure.” The man nodded his head but otherwise remained still.

Mandy licked her lips as her heartbeat ratcheted up a notch. “Can you move now?”

“Uh-huh.” The man never moved his gaze from Mandy’s face.

“Okay, I’ve had about enough of this,” Mandy said, taking a step away from the pesky stranger. “I’m going to go and leave this part of the pathway to you. How does that sound?”

“Incredibly boring,” the man said, taking a step forward and erasing the distance between them again.

“Seriously?” Mandy didn’t enjoy being petulant, but she couldn’t help herself. James was going to have a fit if this turned into a thing. “I’m here on vacation. I don’t know what your deal is, but I’m not in the mood to mess around. Can you please just … move along?”

Mandy made small shooing motions with her hands. She realized a split-second too late that it was a mistake because the man used her movement as an opportunity to step forward and grab the strap of her purse.

“Hey!”

“Shut up,” the man hissed, attempting to cover Mandy’s mouth with his hand. “I will snap your neck if you’re not careful.”

Mandy shifted her head as she fought to move away from the man. He could have her purse. There was nothing more than some cash and traveler’s checks inside. Her passport was back at the hotel and she could buy a new purse. Unfortunately for her, the purse strap was lodged around her neck and she couldn’t remove it without making herself vulnerable.

“Stop that,” Mandy ordered.

“Shut up.” The man grabbed Mandy’s arm and twisted it, causing her to cry out as he shoved her toward the railing. The gap between bars was big enough to toss her over the side and into the crevice she’d been commenting about a few moments before. “Give me your purse!”

“I can’t unless you let me go,” Mandy said. “I … .”

She didn’t get a chance to finish because a figure moved in from her left and grabbed the back of the man’s neck. Mandy was convinced it was James until she saw the furious face swimming into view. It was Jesse.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Jesse hissed.

“Let me go!” The man wrenched himself away from Jesse, releasing Mandy’s purse in the process. His gaze busily bounced between the duo before he turned in the other direction and hurried toward the adjacent room.

“Should I go after him?” Jesse asked, genuinely confused.

“Probably not,” Mandy answered. “He was just a purse snatcher. He didn’t get anything.”

“He could’ve hurt you.”

“He could’ve, but he didn’t,” Mandy said, brushing her hair away from her face. “I just … James is going to be ticked.”

“Why? It wasn’t your fault.”

“Just … wait for it.”

“
T
HAT’S IT
,”
James said an hour later, shaking his head as he prodded Mandy into a restaurant booth. “I’m officially tying you to me for the rest of our lives. I think it’s my only option.”

“I considered chasing him, but then I figured you probably wouldn’t want Mandy left alone,” Jesse offered, settling across the table. “I didn’t know which was the better option.”

“You did the right thing,” James said, rubbing his thumb over Mandy’s cheek before lowering it to the red spot on her neck. “That purse strap must’ve hurt when he was trying to yank it off you.”

“It didn’t feel good,” Mandy said dryly, reaching for a menu. “I’m pretty sure I’ll survive, though. I’ve been through worse.”

“Isn’t that the truth,” James muttered. “Still, why didn’t you give him your purse? We talked about this before.”

“Because he had a grip on it and I couldn’t pull it over my head,” Mandy replied, working hard to tamp down her irritation. “I was more than willing to let him take it. I couldn’t find a way to do it without opening myself up to him.”

“Oh.” James pressed his lips together. “Well, given that information, I’m sorry for saying that.”

Mandy rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You’re lame with apologies sometimes. You know that, right?”

“I’m not going to apologize for worrying about you, baby,” James said. “I will apologize for jumping on you, though.”

“That’s not what you said last night when you were playing Tarzan after all those beers.”

James’ cheeks colored as he risked a glance in Jesse’s direction. “It’s not like it sounds.”

“Hey, whatever you two do in the privacy of your own bedroom is completely your business,” Jesse said. “I’m just curious why this guy would go after Mandy on a narrow walkway like that when he knew people were around.”

“She probably looked like an easy mark,” James said, slinging an arm over his wife’s diminutive shoulders. “She’s tiny but tough. People always underestimate her.”

“Oh, that’s possibly the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Mandy said.

“I’ll say way sweeter things when we’re in the tub tonight,” James promised. “Make sure you eat a big lunch. You’re going to need the fuel.”

“You guys are a trip,” Jesse said. “How did you know she would be attacked, though?”

“I played the odds,” James said, resting his forehead against Mandy’s temple. “She’s been stalked, almost blown up, chased by drug lords, kidnapped, almost eaten by alligators, drugged and left for dead, shot at, and a few other things that overlap in my head.”

Jesse’s mouth dropped open. “No way.”

“I’m afraid so,” James said, pressing a soft kiss to Mandy’s cheek before straightening in his seat. “I wasn’t exaggerating or being a worrywart when I said she was a trouble magnet.”

“I guess not,” Jesse said, shaking his head. “That’s just … unbelievable. Aren’t you worried every second of every day?”

James shrugged. “It’s more like I’m worried every other second.”

“Funny,” Mandy said, elbowing him in the ribs as she studied her menu. “They have that bangers and mash thing again. I think I want to try it.”

“Yeah, the food here is not what I expected,” James said. “What is bangers and mash?”

“It’s sausage and mashed potatoes.”

James furrowed his brow. “Together? That’s just weird.”

“You put eggs on top of your pancakes,” Mandy pointed out.

“Eww, gross,” Jesse said, winking at Mandy.

“That is a normal breakfast,” James argued.

“That’s gross.”

“You dip pickles in tomato juice,” James countered. “You don’t think that’s weird?”

“Nope,” Mandy replied. “They go together well.”

“Uh-huh.” James was unconvinced. “What about when you mix pickled beets with cottage cheese?”

“That is also delicious,” Mandy sniffed.

“Whatever,” James said. “I’m going with a simple hamburger. Are you sure you want to try the sausage and potatoes thing, baby?”

“I might try the spotted dick,” Mandy replied, grinning as James shot her a look.

“Oh, you’re making that up,” James said, frowning as Mandy showed him an entry on the menu. “You don’t even like pudding.”

“I know, but at least I can say I tried it.”

“Why not try the Stargazy Pie?” James suggested. “You just came from a magic place. That sounds like a magic dish.”

Jesse shook his head in warning. “She doesn’t want that.”

“Why not?”

“Is she okay with fish heads staring back at her while she’s eating?”

Mandy made a face. “Gross!”

“That really is gross,” James said. “Wow. Okay, um, how about steak and kidney pie?”

“Do you want me to throw up?” Mandy challenged. “I have a weak stomach. You know that.”

“That’s why I suggested the hamburger,” James argued. “You can’t eat any of this. When we get back to London I’ll take you to that Indian restaurant you saw the other night. You were excited to see that place.”

“Yes, because it was in an episode of
America’s Next Top Model
.”

“We’ll still try it,” James said. “For now, after your big adventure, I would prefer it if you got something I know wouldn’t flip your stomach. We’re going to be in Jesse’s car for more than an hour going back.”

“Yeah, I don’t want puke in my car,” Jesse said, his eyes twinkling.

“Fine,” Mandy said. “I want French fries, though.”

“I can live with that,” James said, knitting his eyebrows together when he saw Jesse laughing. “What?”

“I want one of her,” Jesse said. “I want … this.”

“Well, you can’t have her,” James said. “You can find this, though. All you have to do is find an opinionated woman who steals your heart and makes you crazy. It’s not easy, but it’s extremely worth it.”