Contingencies, page 23
“Wow,” he said.
“Wow, yourself. There is nothing like a man in Armani. Need help?”
“Um, yeah, I can never get these damn things tied right.” He continued to gawk. “They should all be clip-on.”
“I hope you didn’t ask for one,” she scolded. “You know, you can’t do that in Paris.” She put her clutch down and moved closer to him.
“No, I didn’t,” he protested. “I hate these things.”
“Ah, yes, the Adrian Reilly definition of a tuxedo is what?” Dani put up her hand. “Wait, I know this – a black straight jacket.” She laughed as she reached for his tie. “Okay, I may be wearing obscenely expensive five inch heels but you need to sit.”
Reilly sat on the narrow antique table beneath the mirror as Dani stood gently between his knees. He could barely think as his blood pumped faster and harder trying to break free of his body. Her heavenly scent of gardenias and jasmine filled him with thoughts of her wrapped in his arms, in the sheets of his bed, of easing his undeniable ache by discovering every part of her. He had to dig so unbelievably deep to come back to his senses.
“What was in that dossier, anyway?” he asked.
Dani blushed as she carefully folded the cloth and Reilly breathed in her essence, her beauty, and the warmth of her body in his hands. All he needed to do to satisfy his last sense was move his mouth two inches closer and tilt his head slightly. “You have an unfair advantage, you know,” he said. “There is no dossier on you. So what don’t I know?”
Dani gingerly held the cloth between her fingers, avoiding his eyes. She could feel them on her and knew she would succumb to their depth. The gentle touch of his fingertips on her hips sparked a flame with a match-to-flint immediacy and consumed her before she could fight it. She steadied herself and focused on her task. “After what we’ve been through?” she asked. “You know just about everything. I’m not complicated, just a mess.”
A knock at the door interrupted the building passion between them and Reilly answered in full irritation. James stepped in to announce that the car was ready.
“We’ll be down in a minute,” he said without taking his eyes from Dani. He continued after James retreated. “You smell great. Gardenias, right? Favorite flower?”
Dani gazed up and drowned in a sea of blue. He looked so handsome and smelled so unbelievably warm and masculine and wanting, as if that had a scent. At the moment, she was sure it did. She was done with the tie but did not remove her hands from his chest. She could feel his heat through the cotton, the cut and curve of muscle and could fully imagine how he would feel against her skin. Her fingers shook like the wings on the million butterflies in her stomach.
“Tulips are my favorite,” she said.
He pulled her a little closer. “They don’t have much of a fragrance do they?”
All concentration left her as those same butterflies fanned the thickening blood to her head and places south of her stomach. “Not much,” she said after finding her voice, “but they’re simple and elegant. Nothing’s more beautiful than Amsterdam in the spring.”
“Not from where I am standing,” he said then leaned in and gently kissed her lips. When Dani responded, he cupped his hand gently under her cheek and ran his thumb over her cheekbone. “When this is over, I’d like to know more.”
Dani’s vocal cords vanished on Reilly’s mouth. There were no words to describe or way to process the soaring heat brought by his touch. How’d he do that? This gorgeous, dangerous man dressed in designer clothing was tenderly caressing her face with a hand that in hours might be killing a madman with ultimate precision. His light, simple kiss left her weak and aching and arguing with herself.
He doesn’t do relationships. You’re leaving in the morning to keep him safe. You owe him that for keeping you alive.
He turned her inside out. Her knees betrayed her as if her bones had disappeared but her heart demanded more. A minute ago she was in control, ready to do her job tonight and start her new life tomorrow. He couldn’t know how much he meant to her.
Leave before he does.
She wanted to imagine all of him but had nothing to offer except more bad luck. A bang at the door broke the moment.
“Time to go to work,” Dani whispered then stepped back from Reilly’s embrace. She grabbed her clutch and watched him secure a Beretta in his waistband. Liquid ice suddenly replaced the fiery passion when he straightened his shoulders and stretched his neck. She said a silent prayer as they walked to the door.
When they arrived in the lobby, James was waiting. He grabbed Dani’s arm when Reilly left her side to secure the car. She had no patience for his whining tonight. “What is your problem?”
“What are you doing with him?” he whispered with menace. “Can’t you see what he really is? Night after night, I watch men like him move in with swagger and self-serving attitudes on beautiful women only to toss them like used rags in the morning. Apparently, you are stupid enough to fall for empty words and overplayed charm.”
Dani was rigid and her eyes were cold and hard. “You listen to me, James. This is none of your business. You and I are friends but you’ve crossed the line. I won’t discuss this with you further.”
James let go of her arm, disturbed by her change and watched as she quickly joined Reilly who slipped his hand around the small of her back. With his jaw set and his fist clenched, his self-esteem bottomed out and merged into a simmering anger.
Chapter 32
The Trianon Palace Versailles was a stunning setting for grand events in the city of its namesake. A magnificent design, its pure white façade with elegant floor to ceiling windows was wrapped within sweeping stone staircases and rolling lawns where lush gardens with carved statues added all the beauty that nature and expert craftsmen could offer. Inside, the finest Italian marble floors reflected pure light from sparkling crystal chandeliers. Velvet-upholstered seating enhanced its opulence along with the finest French linen on exquisitely appointed table settings. Each supported a large cut crystal vase overfilled with seasonal flowers, tiny white lights, and trailing green vines.
The formal invitation came with special instructions. Dani would add support to the agents in charge of the interior lower level where guests were greeted before being shown to the main ballroom. Reilly was added to the cadre of Commander Charon’s men in charge of surveying the grounds.
They moved in and out with ease. Nothing out of the ordinary had been reported and as a precaution, guards were shifted every ten minutes to keep a vigilant presence. After several hours, Reilly returned inside to find Dani in deep discussion with Michél’s immediate supervisor, Colonel Cheval. She introduced both men and Reilly reported that the perimeter was secure.
The Colonel was pleased that it concurred with the reports given to him by the other agencies. An attack of any kind on any of the attendees would be considered a hostile attempt on their respective countries. Reilly’s last concern lay with the security of the kitchen and serving staff but the Colonel assured him that the department had successfully vetted each person. Every man and woman came up clean.
“Now, take a short break,” the Colonel insisted. “Please, enjoy the food and music. And Reilly, be sure to say hello to Mr. Singh. I know he is looking forward to seeing you again. We can pick up again in, say, twenty minutes?”
Reilly offered Dani his arm and spoke quietly when she slipped hers through it. He ignored the sensation and concentrated only on the mission. “Everything okay in here?”
“Seems to be,” she said as they approached the main ballroom with a multitude of guests. “There were no problems at the entrance and my liaison verified those that I didn’t know from the information we had back at the hotel.”
“Let me introduce you to Sandy and his wife. Maybe he can get us into the kitchen. It’s really bugging me that I couldn’t get past the food prep restrictions. Apparently, I’m not kosher.”
Dani laughed. “No, but you are very handsome in that tux.”
“Come on, no one looks bad in Armani,” he smirked as they took their place on the receiving line.
Sandeep Singh quickly rushed off the guests in front of him when he noticed Reilly. A small, thin man with wavy black hair and even blacker eyes, he greeted his friend with a hug belying his size and a smile that seemed to encompass his entire body. “Adrian Reilly, it’s so good to see you again, my friend.”
Reilly returned the gesture and greeted Sandeep’s wife Kiran who was very pregnant with their first child. “Let me introduce you to Daniella St. Sauveur.”
Sandeep shook her hand and introduced her to his wife. Dani gave a greeting of blessings to her and her child in Hindi. Both men were awed.
“Where did you find her?” Sandeep whispered, as the women spoke about the impending birth.
“She found me,” Reilly said.
Sandeep gripped Reilly’s arm. “Go, dance with your lady. We can catch up later.”
“Actually, we’re working and I’d like to know if you can get us in the kitchen. I’m not satisfied that it’s as secure as it should be.”
“Do not worry, my friend,” Sandeep said waiving his hand. “I have personal security there, as do many of the guests here. While we are all on friendly terms, the military in our respective countries do not trust each other. So, go, enjoy yourself with your lovely date. We can talk later about the new project I have for you.”
Dani slipped her arm through Reilly’s and he reluctantly agreed. While he would enjoy a few private minutes with her, security was his first priority. They couldn’t fail tonight. Not after all who had been lost and coming so far but he found himself torn between wanting her and the job he had to do.
As they moved toward the dance floor, he surveyed the room working every angle for possible attack. It was packed with people in all forms of dress; some in their country’s traditional garb, others in elegant attire for the occasion. It was an historic gathering of top political players celebrating the year’s progress and posturing for either their re-election or potential new backers. While the promises made by those in attendance were coming to fruition, numerous conversations centered on the problems still facing the world’s poorest inhabitants. Faces smiled while hands were shaken and future projects were discussed. The room was loud with voices trying their best to drown out the orchestra. They squeezed into a spot and fell in step with the music.
With her hand in his, Dani slowly let down her guard as they moved in time with the waltz. Each step was one closer to her desire and the question: was she brave enough to take another? Time seemed to slow as she sought the answer until the muscles in Reilly’s neck tensed at the crescendo. She pulled back to see him glaring at something behind her.
“What is it? Is he here?” she asked. The bottom of her stomach fell when Reilly tightened his grip around her waist. The smooth voice prickled her neck with fear.
“May I cut in?”
Reilly did not let go.
“You are not going to cause a scene now, are you Adrian?” Viktor asked, condescendingly drawing out Reilly’s name.
Dani squeezed Reilly’s hand as he reluctantly released her. “I’ll get us some champagne,” he apologized.
Viktor sneered. “Good boy.”
Dani was rooted in place as Viktor placed his arm around her waist. When she tried to pull her hand away, he tightened it like a vice and wrenched her in to finish the dance. “Why are you here?” she seethed.
“Unlike you and Ranger Reilly, I am working. You see my dove, dressed like that, you are too much of a distraction. You are actually putting Reilly and this entire mission in danger.”
Dani squeezed her eyes to push away the black scourge from her nightmare. She wouldn’t permit Viktor to play head games again. Not anymore. She had survived a special hell created because of him. Instead of caving in to his taunt, she let her anger fly.
“You really are an arrogant jerk,” she said keeping her voice low not to cause a scene. “You think you know me and what I need or want.”
“I do Daniella. Come back to Russia with me. We’ll do it your way. I finally understand.”
“You don’t understand anything. It’s always been about what you want and now you want what you’ll never have.”
“You would rather stay with that miserable excuse for a soldier than return with me? Where do you think you can go now? With him? He’ll toss you to the side when he’s done. You have no home except with me. Dmitri loves you. I love you. You belong with us.”
Dani was repulsed. Reilly was a better man than Viktor would ever be and she was tired of jealous men telling her otherwise. “I don’t belong to anyone, especially not you or Dmitri. Did you forget you’re engaged to his daughter? Did you know that she tried to kill me? Does Dmitri?”
“Dmitri is devastated. He has released me from my obligation to Irina and no longer has the strength or desire to run Trinity. Irina has disappeared and the organization is now mine. You are the only daughter he has left. He needs you. I need you.”
“You don’t need anyone Viktor and I certainly don’t need you. Go run Trinity. It’s the only thing you ever truly wanted.”
“Run it with me, Daniella. We can be the partners you wanted us to be.”
Dani wanted to scream. Instead, her whispered words were venomous and her quiet glare, deadly. “I’d never be your partner. You are nothing to me.”
Viktor squeezed her hand and closed her in. They were the only couple not moving with the music. “You will come back with me.”
His menacing demand might have frightened her once but she was stronger now because of the man Viktor hated more than any other. It gave her a confidence she didn’t think she possessed. While her outward demeanor was cool, inside she was boiling. “Or what? You’ll drag me like the Neanderthal you are? You’re still a bully, just like the day we met. I wasn’t intimidated then and I’m certainly not now. Are you going to break my hand this time?”
Viktor released his grip. “You’ve picked the wrong side, again,” he said selfishly.
Her smile was pure conceit. “It’s my side now.”
Reilly never took his eyes off Dani as he waited at the ornately carved oak bar. The knots in his stomach tightened like a rope wet with surf while he watched Viktor’s every move. Reilly curled his fist wishing they were back at the Homestead. He wouldn’t stop until Viktor had been pounded into something that resembled dog food.
Dani stepped away as the music ended and turned to find Reilly approaching with two flutes of champagne. He handed her a glass and slipped his hand in hers with the other. She squeezed it tightly when he pulled her close to his side.
“Oh, sorry, did you want something?” Reilly asked then walked away with Dani.
The double entendre was undeniably clear and Viktor seethed. He was supposed to be in charge but Dani had taken control again. With the force of some unearthly spirit that could not be seen or resisted, she invisibly moved through him and grabbed hold. He wanted her and that strength for himself. She had called him arrogant and though no one was more so than Adrian Reilly, Viktor hated the fact that this tiny woman had been right. She did make a good partner but she was not his. He would have to change that.
He needed Reilly gone and tonight would be as good as any. This mission was absurd and a waste of time and manpower. There was no proof Mariner or any other assassin was here. They were names on a list, period. There was, however, a silver lining in it all. If nothing happened, tonight would be deemed a success and that success would be Reilly’s failure. Left with a ruined reputation, he would be seen as incompetent, ineffective, and a disgrace. Viktor grinned. That would be the true victory.
When the orchestra stopped playing, voices faded and eyes turned toward the emcee as he approached a small podium set at the opposite side of the grand ballroom. Full attention was given to the man who gave a brief greeting and introduced the evening’s honored guest speaker. As Sandeep Singh welcomed his guests in his full commanding voice, Reilly stood with Dani against the far left wall and carefully scanned the dense crowd for anything out of the ordinary. Viktor did the same from the back corner.
Wait staff made the only movement as they offered champagne from silver trays in order to toast the congregation at the end of the speech. On the opposite side of the room, a waiter with a tray full of crystal stopped short causing a very large guest dressed in bright African colors to bump into him. The man complained in a foreign tongue but the waiter did not apologize.
Applause echoed as Sandeep finished his speech and raised his glass. “May each endeavor in the new year bring us good fortune,” he said then stole a quick glance and smiled at his wife. He nodded to her toast of water then twitched as white froth foamed at his mouth. He dropped to the floor when the pale, cold kiss of death enveloped him.
Loud screams and panic filled the room as other patrons fell. Dani instinctively pushed through the frenzy to the front of the room where Kiran was wailing over her husband’s still body. She watched in slow motion as others tried to either run or help each victim.
Reilly and Viktor scanned the ballroom as security guards placed calls for support. The mayhem made it hard to determine friend from foe.
At the outer edge of the room, Reilly caught a waiter moving causally toward the exit and yelled to Viktor who was plowing through throngs of hysterical people and screaming at survivors to get out of his way. The man was the right height and build but the coloring was off. His hair was dark not platinum and he was tanned, not pale but Trent Mariner turned and glared at Reilly before disappearing into the kitchen.
Reilly started in the same direction but paused for moment as brief as a heartbeat to search for Dani. She looked for him at the same time and nodded that she was okay. She mouthed for him to go but he hesitated one more beat. She placed her hand over her heart before he melted in a sea of bodies and forced his way through the crush of the crowd. He yelled to a guard to lock it all down only to be told they were already on it. Viktor was several yards ahead of him.
