Sweet Revenge (10 page)

Glad that his jacket hid the unwanted reaction, Dylan stepped away from her. Pointing to the yard, he said, “Supposed to get up into the low fifties today. The snow’s still deep in some areas, but I cleared a path to the easiest course yesterday.” He glanced down at her clothing again. “You’re not going to be able to do much in that getup, though.”

Her eyes went wide. “So I’m going to run it today?”

“We’re going to run it together.”

“Oh.”

The little gasping breath she made with that one word almost did him in. Furious at himself, he turned and stomped down the steps. “Try to keep up.”

Not waiting to see if she followed, Dylan went to the side of the house and started down the trail to the small obstacle course. The property had three courses. This one was so easy, a child could finish it within minutes. He had considered showing her only the most difficult course, in the hopes that she’d realize that this kind of training was too rough for her. That had been only a brief consideration. Not only did he intend to honor his commitment to train her; he knew Jamie well enough to understand that she wouldn’t have backed down no matter how difficult the course.

With the weather on a warming trend through next week, his plan was to run this course each morning. Tomorrow afternoon, they’d go to a more difficult course and walk through it together. The last course would have to wait a few weeks. It would take her that long to perfect the first two.

He heard her shallow breaths behind him and was pleased that she’d been able to keep up. The daily runs on the treadmill had increased her fitness. He stopped at the entrance to the course. Now it was time to see if she had the physical strength to go along with her improved stamina.

She came to a stop beside him. “So how fast do I need to be able to do this course?”

“As fast as you can.”

“Why is it that every time I think I’ve made progress with you, you take a step back?”

Surprised at the confrontation, he looked down at her. “Progress with me? I thought you were the one who was supposed to be clocking progress. Not me.”

“You’re right, but would it kill you to stop being nasty?”

“What did I do that was nasty?”

Jamie rolled her eyes, not even dignifying his question with the smart-ass answer that trembled on her lips. She had mistakenly believed they’d crossed some sort of invisible bridge with their earlier conversation. Now he was back to the gruff one-sentence answers. She had to get over the need for him to like her. It was obviously not going to happen.

“How long does it take for you to run this course?”

“My best time was forty-three seconds.”

She gulped. “Forty-three seconds?”

At his nod, Jamie felt a quick moment of panic as she took in the obstacle course once more. What had appeared to be a small child’s playground with some fun diversions now looked more ominous. She had expected an answer of maybe four minutes. Forty-three seconds was insane.

“That’s my time, Jamie. Not yours. That’s why I said ‘as fast as you can.’ You’re not competing with anyone but yourself.”

She blew out a sigh. He was right. Odd, but she never considered herself argumentative or even that competitive. Every time Dylan said something, though, she took it as a challenge. The comment he’d made her first day here was right. She was expending a lot of useless energy. Dylan was who he was. He wasn’t going to turn into Prince Charming. And that wasn’t why she was here, anyway. She was here to learn.

“You’re right.”

She saw a flicker of surprise before his expression went back to the blank one she was used to. And why shouldn’t he be surprised? She hadn’t exactly been the most agreeable of students. Jamie made a silent vow to change that. From now on, she’d be the epitome of agreeability.

“So, let’s get started,” she said. “What do I need to do?”

“Watch me.” With those words, Dylan pulled off his jacket and dropped it onto a wooden bench. Dressed in a thin navy blue T-shirt and a ragged pair of navy sweatpants, he looked powerful, determined, and competent.

Wide-eyed and suddenly breathless, Jamie watched as he took a running start and jumped over a wooden hurdle. Then, with seeming effortless ease, he grabbed the high bar and swung himself over, landing on the other side of a small sand trap. His expression one of intense focus, he ran through a row of tires and then leaped up to a low wall and climbed over it. And without stopping, he turned and ran toward her.

Her heart pounding hard and her mouth desert dry, she watched him come closer. There was something beautiful about Dylan. Not effeminate and not pretty, but the grace and incredible strength in his body was magnificent to watch.

“You ready to try it?”

She nodded and walked with him toward the first hurdle. Why did her body suddenly feel like an ox’s? Never had she been more aware of her limbs and lack of grace.

“Hey, it’s fun. Enjoy yourself. There’s no time limit today. Just a chance to try it out a few times and see how it feels.”

Putting on the mantle of determination she had adopted to get through tough times, Jamie took a deep breath and began running.

seven

Canary Islands

The sun blazed down on Stanford as he walked along the beach. The heat should have warmed him, but his insides felt cold and empty. Almost a month had gone by without him leaving his home. To others, this might look like paradise. As a man who thrived on staying active, he felt imprisoned.

He had known that scaling back on his marketing business would eat into his profits; he just hadn’t realized that it would also eat into his soul. Stanford not only truly enjoyed his chosen trade, he was an expert. He had a sterling reputation in the flesh-trading market, and because of one poor choice, he was paying a high price.

“Are you troubled, Stan?”

With a small frown of confusion plastered on his face, he glanced down at Sarah, his wife of twenty-four years. “What makes you think I’m troubled?”

Still as lovely as the day he’d married her, Sarah smiled up at him. “I know when you have something on your mind. Are you so eager to end your vacation with us and return to Madrid?”

Yet another reason for him to be angry. His beloved wife was worried. For years, he had protected his entire family from the necessary nastiness of the world. Stanford was an old-fashioned family man. As the head of the household, he treasured and cosseted his loved ones. They had no real knowledge of how he made his wealth … and they didn’t need to know. Though Sarah probably suspected, they of course never discussed anything so mundane or crude as business.

It rankled him that when he’d made the decision to bring a family member into the business, allowing him to see his future legacy, the plan had failed miserably. Now Lancelot was in a far-off land, away from his loved ones. Away from his family, who missed him desperately.

Still, he couldn’t let on that anything bothered him. He had pledged to her when they’d first married that Sarah would know only happiness. And he had done everything in his power to keep that promise.

“There’s nothing on my mind other than making sure our daughter chooses the right man to marry.”

She gasped and jerked to a stop. “But Giselle is only seventeen. You promised to give her time to grow up before she has to decide upon a mate.”

He heard the fear in her voice and fought his irritation. Had he not done everything to ensure Sarah’s happiness? To have her question him indicated that, even after all this time, she still didn’t trust him. Stanford worked hard to keep from revealing his frustration. “I’m not saying she has to marry immediately. However, she’s at an age where young men should be catching her eye and she, theirs. She has no prospects here.”

A slender hand grabbed his arm. “You’re not thinking of sending her away, are you?”

He patted his wife’s hand. “Of course not. That’s never going to happen. She will always be here with you. However, there are no young men on the island. Giselle needs more than just exposure to young men—they have to be the right kind.”

Her mouth tightened, and Stanford wondered if she thought to argue with him. Then, after several seconds of silence, she drew in a long, resigned breath and asked, “What do you propose, then?”

“I have invited a young man here to stay with us. He should be arriving shortly.”

“But you can’t force Giselle to fall in love.”

“Did I say anything about force?”

When she took a small, subtle step away from him, Stanford realized he’d allowed his anger to show. He took a calming breath. “Of course we can’t force her to fall in love, but we can give her the opportunity to see the kind of man we would like to have join the family.”

Her expression still wary, she said, “Tell me about him.”

“He’s a young man Lance introduced me to several months back. An enterprising young fellow who wants to work for me. When I told him that I don’t hire people just because they are friends of my children, he assured me that he would like to start at the very bottom, learning as much as he can.”

“And did you hire him?”

“I was going to. Before I could, he announced that he was leaving for the U.S. Apparently, he obtained a scholarship for his last two years of college.”

“But how did you persuade him to come here if he’s in school?”

“It wasn’t difficult at all. I made the invitation, thinking he’d refuse. Instead, he indicated that he’d rather learn business with me than go off to a foreign country and study dry statistics and data.” Stanford chuckled at the memory of the boy’s eagerness. “That young man might well run the company someday.”

“But what about Lance?”

“There will always be a place for Lancelot.” Remembering with fondness some of the explicit conversations he and his son had shared while discussing the flesh trade, Stanford already knew where his son’s talents lay. “My companies need diverse leaders. I already see many of my own characteristics in our son.”

She was quiet for so long, he thought the discussion was over. They walked in silence for several more minutes, and then she said, “And you promise to allow Giselle to fall in love on her own?”

“Of course I will. This is merely an opportunity for her to meet the right kind. If there’s no spark there, I won’t encourage it further.”

Her mouth trembled into a weak smile. “So when does this young man arrive, and what is his name?”

“He’ll be here the day after tomorrow, and his name is Raphael Sanchez.”

Madrid

Raphael stared at the cellphone in his hand. He had put off making the call about as long as he could. Very soon he would be at Stanford Reddington’s home. If he didn’t notify Noah now, it would be too late.

Noah would be furious, at first. That was a given. Instead of heading to the States, enjoying the free education he had been offered, he was doing the exact thing he’d been told not to do. He was going to put himself in the midst of Stanford Reddington and his family. And he was going to get the information LCR needed to put the man away.

Disappointing Noah McCall wasn’t something Raphael took lightly. He owed his life to Noah and Last Chance Rescue, and that wasn’t something he planned to forget.

A few months back, he’d been able to infiltrate Reddington’s tight-knit organization by befriending Lancelot Reddington, the man’s slimy offspring. In doing that, Raphael had been able to assist in saving Jamie Kendrick from God only knew what. And though that had felt good, the fact that Reddington and his son hadn’t been prosecuted was unacceptable.

He had seen the dedication of the LCR operatives. They were real-life heroes, and their mission of rescuing victims was one he wholeheartedly embraced. McCall had promised to one day consider Raphael as an LCR operative. He knew Noah McCall was a man of his word, but he also knew that the LCR leader wanted to protect him.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t intended to do what Noah wanted and get his education. Attending university in the States was a dream come true. But when Stanford Reddington had called and asked him if he wanted to come for a visit to his home, Raphael hadn’t been able to resist. This was an opportunity LCR had been waiting for … how could he turn down the offer?

After being treated like he was garbage for most of his life, having so many LCR operatives interested in his future meant everything. Cole Mathison, the LCR operative he’d been held captive with, had invited Raphael to his home. Cole had even asked Raphael to attend his wedding to Keeley. He treated Raphael like family.

And Noah had offered to look for any remaining family Raphael might have. Since his mother was gone and he’d never known who his father was, Raphael had declined the offer. He hadn’t wanted to know if there were others. His mother had turned him against meeting any more of his blood kin.

LCR’s people had been kinder to him than anyone he’d ever known. They’d given him a chance. It was his dream to work for them someday, and he trusted Noah to give him that opportunity. But now he had a chance to repay them for their kindness by helping bring Stanford Reddington to justice. How could he not take advantage of it?

With a sigh, Raphael pressed a speed-dial number and waited for Noah to answer.

“McCall,” Noah said.

“It’s Raphael.”

Last Chance Rescue headquarters
Paris

A grin lifted Noah’s mouth at the sound of the voice of the young man he’d come to admire and love. “You packed and ready to go?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Massachusetts is chilly this time of year, but you’ll enjoy the—”

“Uh … there’s a slight change of plans.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m not going.”

“What do you mean, you’re not going?”

As Raphael began his explanation, Noah got up on his feet. By the time the kid had finished, Noah was pacing the length of his office. “Dammit, I told you to stay out of it.”

“I know, and I was going to, I promise. I didn’t solicit the invitation … he called me. This is too good of a chance to pass up.”

Grimly, Noah had to admit that Raphael was right. Every lead he’d had on Reddington’s home location had dried up. As much as he didn’t want the kid to take this risk, how many lives might be saved if he actually succeeded in helping?

“Has he given you any idea how long he wants you to stay?”

“No. He just said he liked that I had taken the initiative to go after what I wanted. Said if I would come stay with him at his home, he’d give me more education than any university ever could.”

Noah closed his eyes. He could only imagine the kinds of things Reddington wanted to teach an impressionable young man. What would he expect out of Raphael? Would he have to prove his worth in some horrific way?

“I’ll be fine, Noah. I promise. And I’ll find a way to get in touch with you.”

Making a decision he didn’t want to have to make, Noah began to strategize. “Okay, where are you now?”

“At my apartment.”

“Reddington may be having you watched. Can you be at the coffee shop on Murat Street in exactly two hours?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll have a new phone delivered to you. It’ll be too dangerous to carry any bugs, but the phone I’m giving you will have a long-distance GPS device. Once you get it, throw away the phone you have now. Don’t make any calls that can be traced. Samuel, the man who will meet you, will show you how to use it.”

“I know you’re not happy about this, but it’ll work out.”

Since there was nothing more he could do but pray that it did work out, Noah sat down and, in a half hour’s time, gave Raphael a quick lesson in deep cover and, most important, staying alive.