KissedByASEAL (11 page)

“I thought we’d have fake names.”

He smiled. “Did you want a fake name?”

“Yeah, kind of.” She lifted shoulder.

He shook his head at her. “Remember what I said, stick as close to the truth as possible. It makes things much easier.”

“But it’s not nearly as fun.” She pouted, making him have to drag his gaze off those lips he’d like to kiss the pout right off.

“I looked up the resort online. There will be plenty of fun for you to have. Believe me.” Maybe enough he might be able to forget about the fun he wouldn’t be having with Darci in their room.

“Okay.” She continued to look unhappy about her lack of an alias.

Not unhappy enough he gave in and let her choose one though. The last thing Chris needed was for her to forget her fake name and raise suspicion that they weren’t who they said they were.

The client would definitely not be happy if his wife and daughter found out he’d brought in security against their wishes. And if the client wasn’t happy, Jon and Zane wouldn’t be happy either.

Darci would live without an intriguing alias. Just having to pretend she was his girlfriend was more than enough intrigue for him.

They’d barely gotten settled in the dim cool interior of the car when they were pulling into the resort. He kept his eyes on the grounds out the window, noting there seemed to be a manned guardhouse at the entrance, though the gates remained open.

Chances were this weekend would be uneventful and he’d be getting paid to do not much more than keep his eyes open.

Given his partner in this assignment, that would be a good thing.

Darci leaned over him to get a look at the passing amenities out his window. “This place is gorgeous.”

“It should be for what it cost.” He’d seen the nightly rate online. Good thing the client was footing this bill.

Still, Chris couldn’t argue her point. The breathtaking view of the water. The beachfront restaurant. The outdoor pool. Even he had to admit, though he’d never want to pay the price to stay here, it wasn’t bad.

In fact, it was by far the best location he’d ever been assigned to. He’d traveled the world during his military career. He’d been dazzled by the snow in the mountains of Afghanistan, and the color of the seas in the Mediterranean, but this place was just as Darci described—gorgeous.

The absence of sandstorms and incoming RPGs didn’t hurt his appreciation any either.

By the time the car stopped and the driver had opened the door, Darci was nearly bouncing in the backseat to get out. At least she’d forgotten the flight. Hopefully, she wouldn’t remember until Sunday that they still had to make the return trip.

Another man in a resort uniform was there to meet them as Chris slipped on his sunglasses and stepped out of the car and into the sunlight. “Welcome, Mr. Cassidy. Ms. Mann. I hope you had a pleasant flight.”

Chris controlled the twitch of his lips as Darci shot him a sideways glance. He wasn’t sure whether it was over the fact the employee had reminded her of the flight down or that she didn’t have a fake name. Either way, she was adorable.

He responded for them both. “Yes. Thank you.”

The driver had already moved to the back of the car and their two bags were being loaded onto a luggage cart by a third employee. When the young boy, barely old enough to need to shave, reached for the bag on Chris’s shoulder, he shook his head. “No, thanks. I got this one.”

No one argued with his request. He couldn’t be sure if he was the first guest to want to carry their own bag, but he was fairly certain he was the first one whose bag was filled with weapons, ammo and communication devices. Just one other reason why he hadn’t even considered flying commercial.

They followed the luggage cart all the way to their room door, not that he could call it a room when it was more like the microcosm of an island paradise, put into a single space.

He took in the private, landscaped patio just one step outside the wall of glass windows and doors. He also didn’t miss the lone bed. It was huge but yes, there was only one. The bed filled half the space, while a sitting area with a sofa, two chairs and a table filled the other.

Hopefully that sofa opened up into a bed. He yanked his attention from that thought and wandered to the bathroom. It was bigger than his living room back home.

Through the open window that let in a warm breeze, the tub had its own killer view of sparkling water and rustling palm trees.

The sound of crashing waves was interrupted by Darci saying, “Wow.”

“You ain’t kidding.” He was in paradise with a beautiful woman in a room with a bed big enough for some pretty acrobatic sex and a tub made for two, and he was here for work.

Yup, that was about par for the course as far as Chris’s luck went.

Sighing, he turned to her. “I should call our host and go get this meeting over with. I think there’s some sort of a welcome party for the wedding guests tonight and the wedding is Saturday, but besides that, I have no idea what’s going on the rest of the time.”

“Will you be long?”

“I don’t think so. You hungry?” They’d been in the air for fives hours with only one short stop to refuel. Now that she didn’t look about to vomit, she probably was getting hungry.

She lifted one shoulder. “A little.”

“Why don’t you bust into that fruit basket I saw in the living room and relax? After I get back with the schedule, we’ll figure out the food situation.”

“Okay. I saw a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. Am I allowed to open it?”

He laughed at her hesitation. “Sure. Go for it. Pop that baby open.”

Looking like a kid contemplating doing something she shouldn’t, she chewed on her lip for a second before saying, “Okay. I will.”

“Good. Enjoy. Just don’t guzzle it all on an empty stomach.” He wouldn’t be indulging in the champagne himself, but he didn’t see any reason why she couldn’t have some to relax.

Chris figured Darci was more of a liability nervous than she would be tipsy. Drunks at a wedding party were commonplace. Guests shaking with fear were not.

He led the way to the living room and watched her pick apart the goodies in their gift basket while he pulled the phone out of his pocket.

Hitting the number he’d programmed into his phone back home, he dialed Howard Collins, the man who was paying the bill for the champagne Darci was about to break into.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Collins. This is Chris Cassidy from Guardian Angel Protection Services.”

“Mr. Cassidy. Good to hear from you. Are you here?”

“I am. We just arrived. I’m in the room. Can we meet to discuss the security for the weekend?”

“Yes, I’d like to get that taken care of as soon as possible.”

“I understand.” Chris felt the same.

“My wife and daughter are getting massages at the moment, so I’m available now, if you are.”

“Now would be perfect. Where should I meet you?”

“How about the indoor bar by the restaurant? The outdoor bar by the pool is too damn hot for my taste.”

After having been deployed during the summer to Djibouti, Chris couldn’t imagine that poolside during February in Florida could be all that hot, but he wasn’t going to argue. “Fine. I’ll head right over and meet you there.”

Chris had just disconnected the call when he heard the pop of the champagne bottle. He glanced up and saw Darci pouring herself a bubbling glass full and smiled.

An all expenses paid weekend at a luxury waterfront resort. Mission meetings held in the bar. Babysitting drunk rich folks. Even if he wouldn’t have the scenery of a beautiful woman sipping champagne on any other assignments, if future jobs turned out to be anything nearly this sweet, working for GAPS was going to be damn nice.

CHAPTER 10

“Mr. Collins?” Chris extended his hand to the man seated at a small table in the air conditioned bar. He’d recognized him from the picture he’d found online easily enough during his research to prepare for this job.

“Yes. Mr. Cassidy, nice to meet you.” The man stood and shook Chris’s hand. “Please, sit.”

“Thanks. You can feel free to call me Chris, unless being more formal suits our cover story.”

The older man smiled. “I think it might.”

“And who am I supposed to be to you again?”

“I’d told my wife you were a business associate. Though you’re a little younger than I expected.”

Chris raised a brow at the man’s inadvertent compliment. “I’m forty.”

“Are you? I thought maybe early thirties.”

“No, sir. Just turned forty.”

“Huh. I knew you’d be in good condition, you having been a SEAL, but I guess I expected your line of work to age you, not make you look younger.”

Chris lifted a shoulder. “It must be all that exercise and fresh air we get in the Navy.”

If you could call running up a goat path in the border provinces chasing insurgents
exercise
and
fresh air
.

“Must be.” Mr. Collins nodded.

“So I’m still not clear what line of work I’m supposed to be in as your business associate. And forgive me, but I’m not sure I can pull off convincing your wife or your guests that I’m the owner of some multi-billion dollar corporation.”

Even DEVGRU’s training could only get him so far.

“I’ve already thought of that. I’ve got an old fraternity brother of mine, Richard Dean. He owns a major construction company I’m currently doing business with. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it this weekend. All of that is true. Here’s the cover story. I’m going to say he sent you, one of his protégés, in his place last minute when he realized he couldn’t make it.”

A construction company owner’s protégé. That Chris might be able to pull off.

“Sounds good. Just give me the name of the company and the location and we’re good.” Chris reached into his back pocket and pulled out the small all-weather notebook and pencil he took with him everywhere.

“Already written down for you. They even have an office in your area.” Mr. Collins slid a piece of paper across the table to him just as a waiter approached.

“Perfect.” Having a civilian in charge of this thing had given Chris more grief than he’d admitted, but it seemed the man had a good head on his shoulders. Things might work out all right.

“I’ll have a scotch on the rocks. Something to drink, Mr. Cassidy?” Mr. Collins asked.

“Cranberry juice and soda with a lime.” When the waiter had left, Chris decided he should explain. “I don’t drink when I’m working, but that might raise suspicions. I figure this will look like a drink to anyone watching. I’ll set it up with the waiter ahead of time during the reception and tell him to keep them coming without my having to ask.”

“Good idea.” Mr. Collins looked impressed. Chris had been pretty impressed with his plan himself. “But you’re not technically working right now, are you? There’s nothing happening until the welcome party tonight.”

Chris shook his head. “As far as I’m concerned, from the moment I stepped onto this property until the time I fly out of here Sunday, I’m on the job.”

Mr. Collins nodded. “I like how you think, Mr. Cassidy.”

“Thank you, sir. Can we review the schedule of events for the wedding guests? I’m not clear on tomorrow’s activities.”

“Of course. Let’s do that now.” Mr. Collins leaned back so the waiter could set down cocktail napkins and the two glasses, and then they got down to business.

~ * ~

Half an hour later, once the meeting was over, Chris felt a little better. Now that he had the schedule, he could make a plan. He said goodbye to his boss and headed back to the room with his notebook, filled with notes on the weekend’s agenda, in his back pocket.

His gun bag, which he hadn’t been about to let out of his site until there was a place to secure it, was still in his hand. He’d taken it to the meeting with him but he’d have to investigate and see if there was a safe in the room large enough to stash the contents.

His knife and his Kimber in the holster strapped around his calf over his sock wasn’t leaving his body, but the extra ammo, his Glock 23, and the suppressor could go in a room safe.