Waves of Change (World Above Water, Book 1) (16 page)

“It means I want to come.”

Daniel felt like his eyes would bulge out of his head, and he swallowed hard into his throat. “Beautiful … that’s … that’s amazing. I think I have to bend you over the dresser now.”

Alicia laughed and kissed him again.
“I’ve been practicing. Later I’ll show you what else I’ve learned.”

“Is it later yet?”

She smiled and took Daniel’s hand. She attempted to lead him to the door, but he stood rooted to the spot.

“Uh-uh.”

She tilted her head, and a quizzical expression took over her face.

Daniel pulled her to him and began to devour her mouth. His hands were everywhere, and in little time, Alicia was moaning around his tongue. It was then he decided to break the kiss. “Now we can go.”

Clearly frustrated, Alicia pinched his arm before rolling her eyes.

“Hey, I’m not going to be the only one to suffer!”

“You are so close to being assaulted!”
She slipped her hand in his and released a long sigh.

Chuckling, they both headed down the stairs together in time to let Daniel’s brothers in.

* * * *

The day of Alicia’s and Daniel’s wedding ceremony came, and over two hundred guests witnessed the couple take their vows. Daniel was stunned to find King Philip and members of the royal court in attendance. When their eyes met, the king nodded his approval and smiled. He also acknowledged Chris with a smile.

Everyone gathered at the reception, and Alicia’s friends and family marveled at the intricate ice sculptures and fountains at the venue. The crowd took their seats and turned their attention to the dais when Chris stepped up to the microphone.

He cleared his throat and took in a deep breath through his nose. He watched Daniel from the corner of his eye before he gave him a wink and began to speak. “I know Daniel is dreading this moment, so I’ll milk it as long as I can.”

Murmurs of laughter passed through the gathering, and Daniel shook his head. “
Enki
deliver us.” He spoke the words in a low voice, and when Alicia squeezed his hand, he smiled.

“He’s afraid because I am his oldest and most handsome friend. I know every single embarrassing detail of his life. And now I have a microphone and your undivided attention.”

Daniel’s parents laughed the loudest at his remark, and Daniel felt the heat of his embarrassment rise to his face and ears.

Chris seemed to enjoy amusing the audience, and he tapped his index finger against his chin while he spoke. “Where to start, where to start? How about we start at the beginning? I was there the day Daniel first saw Alicia. I remember the look on his face. He looked like he’d seen the future, and it turns out he was right. I hope you’re recording this. You’ll never hear me say he’s right again.”

Chris turned to face the couple and smiled as he continued. “I’ve never seen him happier in my life. Somehow, this woman came into his world and turned all the good things on and made the bad things seem insignificant. Daniel is a good man, and I’m proud to be his best friend. With Alicia, he is a better man, and I am honored to know them. I’d like to call you sister, Alicia, and I’d like to thank you for giving me a better friend.” He reached out and lifted a glass from the table. “Here’s to many years of love, health, and happiness.”

Everyone raised their glasses and chanted, “Hear hear!” Daniel stood and pulled his friend into a hug. “Thank you, Chris. I mean it.”

“Anytime. I love you guys.” Chris walked to Alicia, and when she stood to embrace him, he dipped her low and pretended to kiss her, to the crowd’s delight. After he stood her back up, he returned to the microphone. “Did I forget to mention we share everything? I’ll send postcards from the honeymoon!”

As soon as Chris spoke the words, Alicia shook her head and Daniel covered his face with his hand.
I love him, but now I have to kill him.

Chapter 15

Everything was perfect for the two months following the wedding. Daniel and Alicia traveled the world and returned to settle into a normal routine two weeks before Alicia’s leave was up.

“Chris and Scott are going to be keeping an eye on you today. I have a mission.”. It was hard for Alicia to get used to the idea that she’d have bodyguards, but after they talked about it, they agreed it was important. Even she admitted she felt a bit safer knowing people with the ability to manipulate water were around her just in case.

“All right.” Alicia yawned and sat up on her elbows. “Be careful, okay?” She tried to force herself out of bed.

Daniel looked at her sleepy face and sat down on the mattress next to her. “Need more time off?”

“I don’t think so, but another two hours of sleep would be heaven right now.”

“I’ll take the blame. I just couldn’t help myself last night.”

Alicia smiled and stroked his cheek. “You can never help yourself!”

“You haven’t complained.” Even with her sleepy eyes and half smile, she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him. He smiled as he looked down at her, and he leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose.

“We’re not talking about me here.”

“Fine, fine. What punishment do you have for me, beautiful?”

“I’m too tired to think of a suitable punishment.”

Daniel brushed the hair from her forehead and placed his hand on her skin. “You feel really warm. I think you’re coming down with something.” He frowned as he moved his hand from one cheek to the other, and then to her neck.
I don’t like this.

“I’m probably coming down with the ‘I don’t feel like going back to work anytime soon’ virus.”

“Seriously. You’re warm. Maybe you should stay in bed today.”

“I’ll take my temperature when I stop by the office. If it’s too high, I’ll bring work home.” She pulled the covers just a little higher and turned to lie on her side.

“Umm, Dr. Winters, how about I take your temperature now, and if it’s too high, I’ll bring your work here for you?”

“Okay. I’m too tired to put up a fight worthy of you.”

Daniel chuckled and went into the bathroom to retrieve the digital thermometer. When he returned, he placed it under her tongue and waited until it beeped. “102.1. How long have you had this fever? What’s going on, beautiful?”

“I don’t know. You’ve been with me the entire time. Maybe I picked something up at the airport.”

“I’m going to call Gladys. Chris will go in and get your things. Tell me what you need, and I’ll let him know. I’ll get you some breakfast while I’m on the phone with her.” The need to protect his wife was strong, and Daniel approached the situation just as he would a mission in an effort to remain calm and in control.

“I’m not hungry. I just want to sleep.”

“Alicia, you have to eat something. You haven’t had an appetite for the last week. Maybe you were starting to get sick then.”

“I’m just tired. I can eat something when I wake up.”

“Promise me you will.” He tilted his head so his face was in front of her drooping eyes, and he rubbed his thumb over her cheekbone. “I’m going to check with Chris to make sure.”

“I’m sure Chris will all but shove it down my throat if you tell him.”

“Yeah, that’s a good point. I’ll tell him now.”

Alicia sighed and snuggled back into the covers. He sat still next to her and watched as her breathing slowed.
She’s been tired a lot too. I’d better pick up some cold medicine on the way back.

Daniel called Gladys and asked for any case files Alicia might need. He explained her fever and indicated Chris would stop by to pick up whatever was needed for Alicia to catch up on some work from home.

Gladys sounded disappointed, but she assured him she’d take care of what he asked for.

His next call was to Chris to tell him of the change of plans and that Alicia was feeling under the weather. Chris hurried to the hospital to pick up the files and arrived as Daniel was ready to leave.

“Keep an eye on her, Chris.”

“Always.”

* * * *

Seething. That was the word that best described Grant as he slammed his fist onto the surface of his desk. “I’m not going to wait any longer. We make our move next week. If we can get her alone we will; if we can’t, casualties will be necessary.” He spoke to his underlings without looking at them. Instead, he focused on the water he manipulated into various shapes above his desk.

“Yes, sir!”

The men left to prepare, and Grant got up and paced back and forth.
Where has she been all this time?
There was no explanation for why his agents weren’t able to retrieve Alicia from the hospital, and he hadn’t seen or heard from them since they went on the assignment.
They must have been careless and allowed those
Pa lel
dogs to capture them. But I’ve sent additional agents, and they haven’t even seen her there.

He stared at the papers strewn across his desk and hissed out a breath. The disorder in his office was a visual reminder of how annoyed he truly was.
Nothing is as it should be. Why do you elude me? How is this even possible?
He leaned back in his chair and released a long sigh. “I have pulled the memories from every agent. I have even watched her house myself. How could a human just disappear?
Tai ikamu
!” He pounded the desk with his fist, the water of his body rippling with frustration.

Grant had never had any difficulty with an assignment, and Alicia Lewis was proving to be more than arduous. The image of her was still fresh in his mind as if he’d seen her the day before. That mental picture fueled his anger as he thought about the past months without being able to acquire his latest prize.
I have never failed my king, and I will not start now.

Suspending orbs of water around him, Grant began to think as he stood and paced, allowing the floating spheres to ripple and orbit around him as he moved.
Perhaps I should retrieve her myself. The time for secrecy is over. I will bring her here no matter what.
Using the water, he left new instructions to be notified whenever anyone spotted her and indicated he would be the one to retrieve her. “I’m going to handle this personally; now get to work finding her. Move!”
I will have you soon, Alicia. You will give my king what he wants, and you will give me everything I need and more.

* * * *

When Chris heard Daniel enter the house, he looked up from the television in the living room. “How’d it go?”

“No problems, but I need to be at this address tomorrow to intercept someone the mark was working with.” Daniel shared the location with Chris as he glanced up the stairs in search of any signs of Alicia.

“Really? Who is it?”

“I don’t know, but they’re a key target. This guy had a lot of memories tied to him.” Daniel kicked off his shoes and turned to see what Chris was watching. “You and those martial arts films.”

“Alicia has good taste in these movies. But let’s talk about tomorrow’s mission. I’ll go with you. Scott and Jonathan can keep an eye on Alicia.”

“I’d feel better if you were here while she’s sick. If I have to do this, I don’t want to leave her with anyone else.” It was odd going on missions without Chris, but he’d do whatever was necessary to make sure Alicia was protected.

“How about I go and you stay? I’ll relay whatever I find to you and to the advisor simultaneously.”

“Thanks, Chris.”

“Anytime.”

“How’s she feeling?” Daniel’s gaze was back on the stairs when he didn’t hear any movement in their bedroom.

“The same. She’s still in bed. She slept most of the day.”

“Did you get her to eat something?” He was hopeful, but hearing she’d been in bed all day didn’t please him, and he gripped the small brown paper bag he carried in agitation. He’d picked up some medicine for her in the hope of lowering her fever.

“Under pain, duress, and the threat of death, yeah. She nibbled on some fruit and went back to sleep.”

“I don’t think she has the flu. She hasn’t been coughing or anything like that.”

“Ask one of her coworkers to check her out.” Chris shut off the television and readied himself to leave. He gave Daniel a clap on the shoulder when he passed by him on his way to the kitchen. “She’ll be fine. She’s not the first person to get a cold. Stop freaking yourself out.”

“You’re probably right. She’s never been sick before, though; it’s just weird. Anyway, I’ll try reading her tonight to see what I find, and then I’ll give Gladys a call and try to set something up.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

When he returned from the kitchen, Chris and Daniel went over the details of the mission before Chris left for the evening.

Daniel made his way to the bedroom to check on Alicia and found she was still sleeping. After climbing in bed next to her, he wrapped an arm around her waist. She murmured softly, and then returned to her deep sleep.
I’ll take care of you, beautiful.
He nuzzled into her neck before he closed his eyes and read her water. There was a change in her, and he wrinkled his eyebrows when he picked up on it. Enki
, what is this?

He continued to search her for any injury or illness, but he couldn’t find the source. There was something slightly familiar about what he sensed, but he couldn’t quite place it. He drew out a tiny globe of her water and allowed it to pass through his skin. He focused on her water and tried to identify why the difference seemed so familiar. In a flash, his eyes popped open and he sat up straight. He turned his gaze to Alicia’s sleeping face with a heart that threatened to race out of his chest.
Enki-ak-si lilu!

* * * *

Chris reached the designated location early and waited for the target. After finding him alone, he caught him by surprise and overpowered him. He wasted no time. He probed and broadcasted the man’s memories to both Daniel and the king’s advisor. “You can’t hide the information. Resisting won’t help you.”

Chris was annoyed at the man’s struggles to keep his memories out of reach, but he continued extracting until he reached memories that related to Alicia.
Tai ikamu!