Be On The Lookout: Bodyguard
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Though it was out of sight, Jonathan felt the burn of the tattoo on the back of his arm. Not a physical pain, but a memory that often flared to life when the past swarmed him.
“There’s nothing wrong with staying close to family,” he said, truth in each word but no experience within them.
“And what about you, Mr. Bodyguard? Where’s your home?”
A simple question and one he had fielded time and time again.
“I moved around a lot growing up. Never in one place for too long.” He shrugged. “When Orion started up in Dallas, I decided that I liked that city best. As someone who’s traveled the world for the job, you can take my word for it ‘as a weighty stamp of approval.’”
She smiled. Jonathan wondered how often she used that expression.
“Noted. You know, I’ve done some research of my own on Orion Security, and I must say that as a service of bodyguards, it has a fascinating track record,” she began, lacing her fingers atop the table. Jonathan had wondered when she’d bring up Orion’s history. He’d had no doubt that a woman whose life was so poised in research would do her own. He sat up straighter and nodded.
“We’ve had a few interesting cases.”
“Ha! Interesting? If I recall correctly, last year one of your fellow bodyguards was instrumental in bringing down an underground drug-running organization that the police had no idea existed.” Jonathan shrugged but couldn’t stop the smile that sprung to his lips. The bodyguard to whom she was referring was none other than Mark Tranton. What she didn’t know was that the media had been forced to keep the identity of his equal partner in crime, his now-fiancée, Kelli, and her daughter out of the public eye.
“Each case—each client—is always interesting. It’s just part of the job.” Kathryn seemed put off that he hadn’t divulged more, but she clearly wasn’t done with the topic.
“I also found a newspaper article about a woman named Morgan Avery,” she said after a moment. Her expression softened just as Jonathan felt his body tense. At the moment he realized maybe he shouldn’t underestimate the woman sitting across from him. While Morgan Avery was in no way a secret, it was a truth rarely connected to the agency. When he didn’t respond, Kathryn took it as a sign to continue. “You used to work for Redstone Solutions, elite bodyguards, if I read their bio correctly. Morgan came to Redstone for protection but was turned away.” Jonathan felt his hand start to fist. He moved it to his lap. “You quit a few weeks after she was killed.”
He didn’t know if it was her lack of questions that put him so suddenly on edge or if it was hearing the history of Morgan made so brief. Especially when her death had created an inexplicably vast chain of events that had so completely altered his life, as well as the lives of those he cared about most. Kathryn’s eyes had narrowed a fraction. A researcher studying a subject. A scientist seeking answers. If he didn’t answer in some part, he was sure she wouldn’t let it go. Plus, how long had it been since he’d talked about Morgan?
“I was on a team of three. We were in the office, just having come off two back-to-back contracts, when she first came in,” he started. “Young, beautiful and utterly brilliant. She was an astronomer in training who had won a spot in a prestigious program in England. It was a pretty cutthroat competition, and after she won it, she started getting threats. So bad, in fact, that she contacted us. Like you said, Redstone was viewed as a security service for the elite.”
“Which translates to money, and I’m guessing she didn’t have any,” Kathryn supplied.
“She was a student—she had nothing to give. So she was turned down multiple times. Even when our office’s secretary went to the higher-ups on her behalf. She didn’t have the money. So we didn’t protect her.” An image of Morgan’s body in a ditch, beaten almost beyond recognition, flared in his memory. Guilt and anger followed. “She was killed on the way to the airport by a man who wanted her spot. It was her original fear, and it came true.”
“And then Nikki Waters founded Orion?”
It took a moment, but the chill of the past slowly heated. They’d made it to the part of the story that was no longer dripping with regret. He nodded.
“Nikki was the secretary at Redstone. After Morgan’s death, she refused to work for a company that valued money over people and decided to use her contacts to create an agency that never would make that mistake again. She approached me and the team I was on and asked us to come with her.” He shrugged. “So Mark, Oliver and I did. We’ve been there ever since.”
The tattoo on the back of his arm came to the forefront of his mind. His dark mood was gone.
“You know, my mother once told me that some of the most noble pursuits begin with some of the most senseless tragedies,” Kathryn said after a moment had passed. “While I don’t feel I need Orion Security’s protection, I see the value and heart behind what you’re doing.” She gave him another rarely used smile just as their food came out. Jonathan was stunned by the absolute sincerity that seemed to be behind her words. One moment she was calculated, somewhat tactless, and the next she was insightful and empathetic. Certainly one of the most interesting clients he’d had in a while.
* * *
THEY ATE THEIR food quickly and, soon after finishing, they were singing its praises.
“I’ll have to let Greg know the food is still fantastic,” she said. “This fast-food queen will be coming back here before I leave.”
“Greg?” Jonathan asked.
“Oh, sorry. Greg is the work associate I was telling you about. If you insist on following me around the entire trip then you’ll get the chance to tell him, too. I have a meeting with him tomorrow morning.”
Jonathan’s brows drew together.
“There was no mention in your itinerary about a meeting tomorrow,” he said, most likely trying to recall the schedule she’d sent to her father, who had sent it on to Orion. Kate couldn’t help it. Tension rose fast and fierce, straightening her shoulders. She pursed her lips. For a moment she’d forgotten her annoyance at the bodyguard’s presence.
“That’s because I didn’t include it in my itinerary.”
She stood and left the table to pay at the podium near the door. His next question was going to be why, and the only answer she could give would create more questions. Ones she couldn’t answer.
Jonathan didn’t berate her as they left the restaurant and made their way back to the hotel. In fact, he had gone silent as he trailed the space beside her, yet kept his distance. It gave her a sense of being alone. One that was shattered when he moved close with a whisper that nearly tickled her ear.
“Let’s pause for a second, please.”
Kate did as she was told and turned to the man, confused.
“I can see the hotel from here,” she pointed out.
Jonathan grabbed her arm and pulled her backward with him. Not ready for the contact, she started to pull away when he spoke again. “I think we’re being followed.” His gaze cut behind her. Kate allowed him to position her so she could see the people behind them on the sidewalk. Her eyes hopscotched across each of them quickly and, she hoped, covertly. She understood the concept that if someone was following them, they would be spooked if they noticed their target noticing them.
But, then again, Kate didn’t think she was being followed at all.
“The couple in the green and black jackets,” he added when she was coming up empty. She turned to look for the couple in question. A dark-haired man and a dark blond-haired woman, arm in arm. Kate let out a loud sigh and turned back to Jonathan.
“You mean Mr. And Mrs. All Over Each Other?” She snorted. “I don’t think their interest lies anywhere other than with each other.”
“They were in the restaurant and left when we did, even though their food wasn’t finished.”
Although Jonathan’s eyes were on hers, she could tell his attention was still tracking the upcoming couple. His intensity was almost surprising and, perhaps, the reason why she did what she did next.
“You know, you’re right,” she said, looking back at the couple that was nearly upon them. “They might be following us.” She grabbed Jonathan’s hand, abruptly breaking his focus, and smiled. “So, why don’t we lose them?” Without another word from her bodyguard, Kate began moving. “Let’s take a detour.”
Chapter Five
The scientist pulled Jonathan to the nearest crosswalk and together they surged across the road in a cloud of pedestrians. Kathryn’s grip was firm while the rest of her body seemed surprisingly loose. When she looked back at him, she even had a smile across her lips. One that, again, looked odd there, but also right.
As they hit the sidewalk she kept straight, angling them down a block with a chain clothing store and a twenty-four-hour bakery. Jonathan had studied the layout of the surrounding blocks from their hotel on the plane. It would be hard to get lost unless you intended to do just that. He was comfortable with their small detour. However, his attention was still sharp, frequently looking back over his shoulder at where the couple had been.
They stayed across the road, passing over their own crosswalk to get to the next stretch of sidewalk. Maybe he had been overreacting. The man in the green jacket turned his head and met Jonathan’s stare.
Maybe not.
“Mr. Bodyguard?” Kathryn said. Jonathan didn’t turn until the man dropped his gaze, laughing at whatever the woman beside him had said. “Staring isn’t polite.”
Jonathan refocused his attention on Kate. She had slowed her clip but kept holding his hand, steering him through foot traffic. Jonathan felt her warm skin against his. It was soft in his rugged hands, which were hardened by his time with the punching bag and weights. He briefly wondered what she thought of his rough skin before quickly killing the thought. While he knew the woman wasn’t thinking about the intimacy that came with holding hands, he found his focus was starting to break because of it. Instead of shaking the hand free, however, he cleared his throat and used his training to get back to what was important.
His job.
“Let’s hang a right up here. If we cross the road we’ll hit construction,” he said.
Kathryn snorted.
“If we’re being followed, we won’t lose our tail that easily,” she said back, dropping her voice as if the two were conspiring. “Don’t tell me I’ve been assigned a lazy bodyguard.”
She looked ahead with a smirk trailing her lips. She was being difficult and she knew it, teasing him while simultaneously goading him. Jonathan didn’t know if he thought the attempt was amusing, considering her earlier mood covered in frost, or annoying. Either way, he wasn’t about to be labeled as lazy on his last field assignment. Even if it was by a woman he was starting to guess would never be happy with his job performance.
“You’re absolutely right,” he said with enthusiasm. “I really need to step up my game.”
Kathryn started to loosen her grip, probably feeling her sarcasm backfiring, but Jonathan held it firm. Instead of trailing behind her, he took two long strides ahead.
Now he was leading her.
Looking both ways, Jonathan tugged her across the street to the left, in between a lag in traffic. Had they both not run, they might not have made it. Despite Kate’s gasp of concern, Jonathan continued parallel to the block they’d just left before coming to the intersection. He blew through it within another pocket of pedestrians until they were at the opening of a preppy clothing store. He didn’t waste any time and ducked through its double doors, passing through an invisible cloud of loud cologne and expensively dressed mannequins. One thin, very tan sales associate was on them within seconds.
“Can I help you two find anything?” the young woman said, eyes dropping to their clasped hands. She raised her expertly styled eyebrow as Jonathan kept moving.
“We’re just browsing.”
The associate backed off, but not without a huff.
Jonathan scanned the tops of clothing racks and display tables for an exit. While he was familiar with the shops and buildings around their hotel, he didn’t know their layouts once inside. This particular store was the first of several housed in a much larger mall. Another set of double doors could be seen in the back corner, leading to what looked to be a common area between the other stores.
Jonathan slowed, hesitating in his next decision. Playing into Kathryn’s teasing was fun, but pulling her into a busy area just to show he wasn’t a wet blanket? That was starting to toe the line that separated fun and responsibility.
However, Kathryn didn’t seem to care or to be currently struggling with his internal dilemma. She took advantage of his pause to untangle her hand from his.
“Come on, Mr. Bodyguard, let’s see if you can multitask.”
Then she darted toward the back corner of the store and was at the common area doors before he’d even had time to process how the absence of her hand left his cold.
* * *
KATE WASN’T SURE what had come over her. Maybe it was belated excitement at being so close to the convention, a giant step toward realizing a goal she’d striven toward for as long as she could remember. Or maybe it was years of being cooped up in a lab finally catching up to her that had created the sudden desire to be playful. Or maybe it was the handsome, dark-haired man who had a backstory that tugged at her heartstrings, taking him from a man who was annoying to surprisingly human. Like his picture, the man definitely wasn’t of the stock variety.
Kate pushed into the common area of the minimall with a grin from ear to ear. Whatever had made this mood crop up, she was still enjoying it.
“Kathryn,” Jonathan called from behind. She cast him a quick glance, noting he wasn’t sharing in her mirth, but kept going.
The common area had a good number of people bustling down the hall before turning into different chain stores. Kate passed a shoe store and an electronics boutique before hitting a pocket of air that smelled so delicious it grabbed her full attention. She whipped her head upward to look at the second story. Her full stomach batted the thoughts of cookies out of her head, but the escalator leading up to them made her turn on the spot. She gave her bodyguard another grin that she felt in her bones was as mischievous as she could muster and didn’t stop as she walked up the escalator.
“Kathryn,” he said again, warning her. But, really, what was he going to do? He wasn’t her father. He wasn’t her boss. He wasn’t her funder.
He definitely wasn’t her husband or boyfriend.
With another weird thrill of amusement, she let out a giggle that carried her along to the second story. Heavy footfalls sounded against the metal behind her as she hit the tile. Jonathan was now quickening his pace. So, what was a girl to do?
Kate matched and then added some speed of her own. Walking fast turned into sprinting, weaving through the shoppers with nothing more than a few nasty faces and words thrown her way. She didn’t care. Now she had a mission. She was going to lose her bodyguard to prove to him that, even if his intentions were good, they weren’t needed.
She could lose her imaginary tail.
She could outsmart a man trained in surveillance.
She could take care of herself.
The humor she’d been feeling hardened into determination.
Kate spotted an opportunity to slip out of Jonathan’s view when a group of laughing teen girls exited a coffee shop. She cut to the right of them and immediately ducked behind their group, moving toward the second escalator that led to the first floor. When she righted herself, already descending downward, she looked over her shoulder at the bodyguard.
It worked!
Jonathan kept going straight, slowing but not stopping as he tried to get his eyes on her. The flush of success at evading her guard narrowed her focus as she hurried down the last of the escalator. Sure, she’d just proven she could get away, but how far could she go?
Instead of hurrying to the first-floor main entrance that deposited shoppers back to the sidewalk, Kate saw a second opportunity she couldn’t pass up. Past the public bathrooms at the end of a short hall at the corner of the building were two large metal doors that must have been primarily used for bringing in merchandise. A rubber doorstop kept the door ajar. Beyond that she could see a strip of daylight. Kate booked it as fast as she could without her shoes slapping the tile too loudly, straight to and through the door.
It was the end of the mall, the building and the one next to it separated by the small walkway that ran the width of both. A set of industrial Dumpsters and their stench filled the small space, making her escape less ideal than she’d hoped it would be. But, then again, Kate didn’t much care.
She’d just outsmarted her bodyguard and his tailored knowledge of keeping tabs on people.
Kate finally slowed and walked at a leisurely pace down the small alley and back to the sidewalk that ran in front of the mall’s entrance. She half expected to see Jonathan blocking her path, huffing and ready to call her father, but as she scanned the faces she didn’t find his.
Kate froze.
Her muscles seized, her breath held.
While she’d expected to see the bodyguard, she hadn’t expected to see another face she recognized. In fact, two faces she recognized.
The couple that had originally spooked Jonathan, starting Kate’s fun little exercise, were not only walking out of the mall, but doing so quickly. Like they too were in a hurry. This need seemed to intensify as the man looked to the left and the woman looked to the right, also seemingly scanning faces in the crowd.
And then the woman stopped when she locked on to a familiar face.
Hers.
Suddenly Kate cursed her game of cat and mouse with the bodyguard. The woman turned back to the man, but Kate didn’t wait to see what happened next. She backtracked in record time to the alley and hurried down its length as the sound of pounding drew nearer.
Was the couple really running after her?
Why?
Was she just overreacting?
Or had Jonathan been right about the couple all along?
Kate reached the metal door that led back into the mall and started to second-guess herself. It was a coincidence. That was all. It was perfectly normal for a couple to eat and then go shopping. It was New York City, after all. She nodded to herself, trying to ignore the fear that had cropped up. She took a step back and looked toward the mouth of the alley.
Seconds later the woman and her green jacket came into view. Kate’s blood ran cold but her feet stayed warm. She grabbed the door handle, ready to fling it open and make a mad dash inside, when it swung wide so fast that she gave a little scream.
“Whoa, it’s me,” said Jonathan. He grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. Relief didn’t just pool within her, it flooded. “What’s wrong?”
Kate turned back to the mouth of the alley. The woman and her counterpart were nowhere to be seen.
“She was just there,” Kate whispered.
“Who?” Jonathan’s grip tightened. He moved her around behind him, looking where she had.
Maybe Kate had imagined it.
“Who?” he asked again. “Kathryn?”
“Call me Kate,” she whispered. She shook her head and looked up at him. Embarrassment at acting like such a carefree child washed over her. While trying to avoid the bodyguard and what she believed to be a service she didn’t need, she’d just managed to convince herself that she was in some kind of danger. She was creating fictional scenarios and problems for herself, most likely seeing more in the couple’s actions than was there. Still, the fear wasn’t fully leaving, either. Fear often led to loss of control.
And Kate didn’t like losing what little control she had.
She cleared her throat before continuing with a much stronger voice. “I never liked being called Kathryn.”
“Okay, Kate,” he started, brows pulling together. “Who did you see?”
“Never mind,” she said. She straightened her back and took a deep breath. There was no way she was going to let the bodyguard’s paranoia and her fear make her lose her focus. “Let’s head back,” she said, no longer wanting to explore.
Kate might be able to write off how the woman in the green coat had seemingly been looking for her as a coincidence, but she wasn’t about to take off from the bodyguard’s side again.
She was in denial, but not that much.
* * *
THE WALK BACK to the hotel was quiet. More than anything Jonathan wanted to reprimand his charge for running off, but after seeing her expression in the alley, he’d refrained. Whatever—whoever—she’d seen had spooked her. While seeing Jonathan had done the opposite.
She’d let out a deep sigh that had seemingly passed through her entire body at the sight of him. Seeing such poignant relief because of his proximity had affected him almost as much as the look of fear she’d harbored seconds before. The absurd amount of annoyance he’d felt for Kathryn—Kate—had taken a backseat to a resounding protectiveness that went beyond his usual job duties.
He suddenly not only needed to keep her safe, he wanted to do it, and to the best of his abilities.
The silence stretched past the sidewalk and up to their rooms, and when it finally broke, it wasn’t by much.
“I’m a little tired from traveling,” Kate muttered. “I’ll let you know if I want to leave.” There was an undercurrent to her words, but Jonathan couldn’t place the emotion creating it. Was it guilt at ditching him earlier? Or residual fear from whatever had happened when he hadn’t been right on her heels?
“Thank you,” was all he could say.
She nodded and opened her door. He waited until it was closed and the top latch was thrown in place. It made him wonder if she’d done it by habit, or if Kate was more worried than she was letting on.
Chapter Six
Kate closed the top latch over the door and took a step back to look at it. She heard Jonathan’s door close.
You aren’t in any danger, she thought. Don’t let his overprotectiveness worry you.
But even as she gave herself the advice, she couldn’t help but feel an influx of nerves tighten her stomach.
“This is why I didn’t want a bodyguard,” she muttered, rubbing her stomach. “Now I think I have problems I don’t really have.”
Trying to forget about the man next door wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped.
Talking about his past, including Orion’s origin, had softened her otherwise harsh opinion of the man. He wasn’t some faceless hunk of meat sent to stalk her in hopes of keeping a potentially imaginary predator at bay. He was a man who had persevered through tragedy and had made a life of preventing it from repeating again.
And wasn’t that exactly what she was doing, too?
She tried to banish thoughts of the brooding dark-haired man and fell onto the bed. The jaunt right after eating a full meal plus traveling combined to make her eyelids unbelievably heavy as soon as she hit the pillow.
The feeling of exhaustion and the desire to give in to the comfort of the bed surprised her. Taking naps wasn’t something she was used to doing. In the last few years, if there was time to sleep, then that meant there was time to work. She’d rarely picked a nap over lab time. It was a choice that had turned into a habit.
A yawn tore itself from her lips and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she was asleep.
This trip was already turning out much differently than she had originally planned.
* * *
THE ROOM WAS DARK.
Barely any light filtered in from behind the curtains. It was so dim Kate placed them as streetlights. Which meant her nap had stretched longer than she’d meant it to.
She rolled onto her back and yawned. Even though she’d been sleeping, she felt exhaustion still weighing her down. If she closed her eyes again, she was sure she’d sleep until morning.