Destined for Power (14 page)

Damien followed Feng with a look of amusement until he saw Mallory in bed. “What the hell happened to you?”

“She was poisoned,” Feng told him.

“Poisoned? How? Why? Who are you?” Damien asked all at once.

Mallory gave a weak smile before she told him who Feng was and the full situation with Reid, her father, and the rest of the candidates. “I don’t know who I can trust, except you.”

Mallory saw Reid’s jaw tighten as he looked away briefly.

“Just who are you, Mallory? Isabelle thinks you’re some spook.”

“Isabelle?” Reid asked Damien, not recognizing the name.

“My fiancée. Y’all know her as Agent Hectoria. It’s because of Mallory we went out. When she tried to find some information on Mallory, all she found were classified codes belonging only to the director of the CIA.” Damien held up his hands to stop her from talking. “And don’t give me that crap that I don’t have the clearance to know.”

Mallory smiled at him, and this time Reid omitted a low sound that resembled a snarl. Five minutes later Mallory had filled Damien in and watched as he shook his head in amazement.

“Okay, I think I get the picture. And you’re sure the assassin will shoot from the air duct?”

Mallory shrugged. “As sure as I can be. I mean, it’s what I would do.”

“I’ll station people inside the restrooms and let you cover the air duct from inside. The Secret Service from DC should be covering the mechanical rooms already.”

“The CIA is already in the restrooms remodeling. Or at least pretending to.”

“Damn, I don’t like this. There are too many variables, yet it’s the only way to catch the assassin. Once a contract is out there, it doesn’t go away until either the assassin is killed or the target is.”

A knock on the door had Feng hurrying from the room. “Who are you?”

“I’m from the escort company. Someone called for a sexy doctor?”

Damien’s eyes flew to Mallory’s and she smirked. Feng opened the door and Aiden sauntered in wearing a white button-up shirt, slacks, and a stethoscope hanging around his neck. “So, where is my client? Is this a stripper thing? Should I get naked?”

“You called a prostitute?” Damien asked incredulously.

“No, I called a doctor,” Mallory said as she saw Reid was having a hard time not laughing.

Aiden, or Dr. Starr as he was known when he was at the hospital, paused when he saw Mallory and more specifically, Agent Wallace.

“I am going to have to arrest everyone here,” Damien groaned. “I mean, you have an old man and an escort illegally practicing medicine, not counting the whole prostitute thing.”

“Hey,” Feng challenged as marched up to Damien and poked him in the chest. “I was a doctor for over thirty years in China. Good doctor.”

“Yeah,” Aiden said as he crossed his arms over his muscled chest. “And I am a doctor. I’m only an escort to pay off student loans. Do you have any idea how expensive medical school is? Now, what’s going on?”

Aiden set his bag down on the bed and pulled out some supplies as Mallory and Feng told him about the poison. “I’m going to need some specific medicine. I’ll call Barry to bring it over. Don’t worry; we’ll keep it off the books. By tonight, you’ll feel right as rain.”

“Who’s Barry?” Damien asked as Aiden rattled off a list of supplies over the phone.

“He works with Aiden,” Mallory informed him.

“As an escort or a doctor?”

“Both.”

“I don’t . . . Isabelle will never believe me.” Damien shook his head and collapsed into a chair as they waited for the escort doctor to treat her.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Reid stood by as Dr. Barry and Dr. Aiden injected medicine into the IV bag they hooked up. Mallory’s color was returning, and Damien was calling to order his most trusted agents to meet him at the hotel.

“Okay, Mallory. This last bit of medicine tastes very bad, but I need you to drink it all,” Aiden told her as he handed her a plastic bottle. “It will help your system rebalance itself after the trauma it’s gone through.”

Aiden and Barry stood next to the bed as she took a drink. Reid watched Mallory’s eyes widen, and then she spit the medicine back out. It sprayed Barry and Reid, the red dye from the medicine making it look like the doctors were covered in blood.

“I am so sorry! You weren’t kidding that it tastes bad. I can’t drink this,” Mallory said as she eyed the bottled suspiciously.

Feng pushed the doctors out of the way and pinched her nose. “You drink now, little missy. Close your eyes and envision the most pleasant drink you’ve ever had. Good, now drink.”

Mallory struggled, but she got it down. She coughed and gagged as she dealt with the aftertaste.

“If you guys want, I have some extra T-shirts in my room. I’ll get them for you. I don’t want you all walking through the hotel looking like you’re covered in blood,” Reid offered.

“Thanks, that would be good since we’re both technically on an early lunch break. We have to head straight to the hospital after this.”

Reid hurried to his room where his door was already in the process of being repaired. He grabbed two shirts and found Shirley staring at the worker hanging the new door. She whistled and the man blushed in embarrassment.

“Shirley, what are you doing here?”

“Came to check on you two. What happened here?”

“I’ll explain inside. Mallory is in her room.”

Shirley shook her head. “Trouble in paradise so soon. Don’t you two muck this up. You’ve been waiting too long to have your chance.”

Reid stopped at the door and stared at her. “Is there anything you don’t know?”

Shirley moved her dentures around her mouth unconsciously as she thought about it. “Nope, I don’t think so. Although, I’ve always wondered how those girls could pierce their hoo-hahs. I don’t know about that, do you?”

Reid blinked. He couldn’t form words so he just shook his head and opened the door for Shirley.

“Oh my lucky stars! And I just cashed my check. I know I have some ones in here someplace,” Shirley cried as she reached for her wallet. “Who’s going to dance first?” she asked as she held up the bills.

Reid stepped into the room and looked up to find Damien standing behind a shirtless set of escort doctors. Barry and Damien blanched, but Aiden just winked.

“What is it with you and dancing naked men?” Damien asked as he took in the spectacle.

“I like to watch their ding-dongs sway back and forth.”

Damien shook his head. “I shouldn’t have asked. I have to go meet my agents. Mallory, feel better, and we’ll be in touch. Shirley, it’s always . . . an experience to see you.”

Shirley winked at him, and Reid decided Damien was a good guy for managing this situation. To say his life was abnormal was a massive understatement. But as he handed the shirts to the doctors, he made up his mind he wouldn’t want it any other way.

* * *

Reid looked at the security tape as he waited for Damien to arrive. His people were now included in the plan for the charity event in two days. If only both he and Mallory could stay alive that long. She was doing better that afternoon. Between all the fluids and antidotes Feng and Aiden pushed on her, she said she had more energy than she did the previous night. She had said it with a wink and in a suggestive tone that had Reid waiting to rush back to her. He might have to toss out an old man, but he would do it if Feng didn’t leave soon.

His head of security opened the door to the secure room, and Damien followed him in. “Is everything settled?” Reid asked as he motioned for his head of security to cue up the tape.

“Yes. How is Mallory?”

“Ready to get out of bed and into trouble. Feng is probably trying to control her with Qigong. Either that or he tied her to the bed.” Reid stopped talking as his mind followed that train of thought.

“She’s remarkable.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Reid snapped, thinking Damien was picturing the same thing he was.

“It means she recovered quickly from her illness. Not that many people would.” Damien snickered then. “Man, you have it bad, don’t you?”

“Real bad . . . or good if you’re in my place.”

“I’ve known Mallory for over a year now, and I’ve never seen her like this. I’m happy for you both. Now, show me what you’ve got.”

Reid shot him a grin and started the video. A person dressed in a waiter’s uniform and wearing heavy padding walked into the frame. He managed to keep his back turned to the cameras at all times. He walked in one side of the room, past the tray waiting to go up, and simply poured something into the orange juice before walking out the kitchen door.

“Nothing. We can’t even ID him,” Damien said, annoyed.

“Ah, wait. Those were from the visible cameras. Now for the hidden cameras.”

The video started again, and it was a clear shot of the face of the assassin.

“Damn it,” Damien cursed.

“Exactly.” Reid stared at someone who looked remarkably like one of the former presidents of the United States. “There is so much padding and prosthesis that I can only tell you the assailant is between five-foot-nine and five-foot-eleven inches in height. If he is wearing lifts, then I could be off on that. However, Mallory believes from her experience with him he’s around five-nine, average weight, but with the padding we have no idea if that’s even close.”

“Smart and that’s bad, really bad. Are you sure Mallory is up for this?”

“If there’s one person I believe in, it’s her.”

* * *

Mallory was pissed off. She was amped up, and Feng was keeping her in bed. Every time she tried to get up, he pushed her down. Energy pumped through her system and she was ready to get to work. She was not accustomed to sitting in bed all day while there was a client to protect. Especially when that client was someone she happened to love.

“Lie still. Let Feng check you.” He took her temperature and checked her vitals. The last IV bag of fluids emptied and he pulled the needle from her arm. “You are good now. Go take a shower. You smell.”

“Thanks, Feng. For everything,” she smirked as she jumped from bed. Her body took a moment to stabilize. She stood and weaved a bit, but then everything went back to normal.

“Anything for little missy. You’ll feel better tomorrow. No strenuous activity tonight.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Mallory asked with a smile.

Feng shook his finger. “No fun! None. Not until tomorrow. When you can stand and not be dizzy, then you will be good. Your body had a shock. Give it time to relax.”

Mallory let out a long-suffering breath. “Fine,” she teased.

“You call Feng if you need anything. I will wait until Reid comes back.”

Mallory walked over to Feng, who was moving to the living room, and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

She hurried back to the bathroom and closed the door. Her energy was back; she felt as if she were slightly drunk. Mallory turned on the hot water and stripped off her clothes. She brushed her teeth and stepped into the steaming shower.

“You know, I like finding you in my shower.” Mallory looked up at Reid, leaning against the door.

“Funny, because I thought you would join me if you liked it so much.”

Reid shook his head and pulled the T-shirt from his body. “Oh no, I got the full lecture from Feng. No fun. Good thing I find it completely unpleasant to help you bathe.”

Mallory moved away from the entrance to the shower as Reid joined her under the water. When he wrapped his arms around her, she rested her head against his chest and listened to the sound of his heart.

“You scared me today,” Reid whispered into her wet hair.

“I’ll tell you a secret. I was a little scared too. The last thought I had was I would never see you again.”

“Never again will we be separated. I hate this whole thing, but I’m going to do whatever you say until this is over. But then, we are going to take a very long vacation together. Just you and me. And we are going to get our lives back, free of any outside interference,” Reid told her before squeezing some shampoo into his hands and working it into her hair.

Mallory turned and leaned her back against his chest as he massaged her head, neck, and shoulders. It was going to be very hard to avoid having any fun tonight. But as she felt the world rocking a bit, she knew she would have to enjoy just spending the evening together.

When Reid finished the massage, she rinsed off. He hurried to get her a towel and a fluffy thick robe. Wrapped in its warmth, she followed him out of the bathroom. She lifted her head and sniffed.

“What’s that smell?”

“Pizza. I picked it up from your favorite place.”

Mallory hurried into the living room as her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t been allowed to eat anything all day. She looked at the box and laughed. It was from the small pizzeria near her parents’ house. She hadn’t eaten there since she lived at home.

“This is perfect.”

Reid flipped off the lights, set the pizza on the coffee table in front of the couch, and took a seat. He patted the cushion next to him and turned on the television. “Date night in. Pizza and a movie. I know. You’re overwhelmed by my romantic side.”

Mallory just smiled and felt her heart flutter. She sat down on the couch, and he wrapped his arm around her. Even though she hadn’t felt it for a long time, she knew exactly what it was—happiness.

* * *

“You failed again!” Black shot his cousin a worried look as Jonak yelled into the phone. “Take care of him! What the hell do you think we are paying you for?" Jonak clutched his hand in anger as their assassin told them Reid Simpson was still alive. “I don’t give a shit. Kill him and that stupid politician by Sunday, or I’ll send someone after you.”

Black muted the phone. “Is that really a good idea to get an assassin pissed off at us?”

Jonak lifted a lip in a snarl before pressing the button on the phone. “By Sunday. Got it?”

“Yes, sir. It will be done. But don’t you ever threaten me again. You forget I know more about you and your dealings with Prince Liam than your fathers know about. You push me enough, and you’ll soon find out if your fathers are capable of filicide.”

Black shot a warning glare to his cousin as the line went dead. “If our fathers discover we are branching out on our own, they’ll kill us.”

“Not if we complete this task and prove to Prince Liam we can handle any assignment he gives us. When the king dies, we will have Liam’s protection. Our fathers won’t be able to touch us.”