SABOTAGE AT SEA

On his cousin’s Christmas cruise wedding, navy SEAL Jordan Somerton anticipated having the typical best man duties—not facing down criminals boarding the ship. But when the luxury liner is infiltrated by men determined to kidnap the flower girl, he’s plunged into an unexpected mission. Maid of honor and DEA agent Amy Delgado hasn’t forgiven Jordan for a misunderstanding in their pasts. But with her young niece targeted, she must draw on Jordan’s skills as a protector. Signs point to an inside job. With a traitor in their midst, can they ensure that every passenger returns home safely for the holidays...even as they find love amid deepening danger?

Where would they be safe?

Out of the corner of her eye, Amy saw a closed door to what looked like a small storage closet. But as she turned toward it, she ran directly into an unmoving chest.

Large hands clamped on both of her shoulders, surrounding Elaina and stopping her midstep. “Amy? Are you all right? I thought I heard someone screaming.”

She had to peer all the way up into his face to get a good look at Jordan, but even then her eyes wouldn’t quite focus on him.

“Amy.” His tone was clipped, his eyes darting from her to Elaina and back. “What’s wrong?”

Everything in her melted. She hadn’t even known she’d wanted his help, but now that he was here, she recognized him for exactly what they needed. “Someone’s chasing us. Shot at us.”

If he needed to think through his actions, it took him only a fragment of a second. He grabbed them both, shifting them out of the line of view of the stairwell. “Stay right here. Don’t move.”

Dear Reader,

Thank you for joining Jordan and Amy and me on this adventure. I hope you enjoyed reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it. In fact, I’ve loved writing about all of the men of SEAL Team Fifteen, these men of valor.

When I wrote the first book in the series more than five years ago, I had no idea that I’d get to explore the lives of all six of these amazing men, but I’ve loved discovering their humor, their personalities and their matches. Love has a way of changing us, but only if we open ourselves up to it.

I hope you’ll open your heart to love—especially the love of God, which is greater than we can ever imagine.

Thanks for spending your time with us. I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me at liz@lizjohnsonbooks.com, Twitter.com/LizJohnsonBooks or Facebook.com/LizJohnsonBooks. Or visit LizJohnsonBooks.com to sign up for my newsletter.

Liz Johnson

By day LIZ JOHNSON works as a marketing director. She makes time to write late at night and is a two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, and enjoys exploring local theater and doting on her nieces and nephews. She writes stories filled with heart, humor and happily-ever-afters and can be found online at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com.

Christmas Captive

Liz Johnson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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We love Him, because He first loved us.

—1 John 4:19

For Amy, the best kind of friend.

I’m so thankful for you!

And for all of the second chance sweethearts, whose love is richer because of forgiveness.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

ONE

When Petty Officer Jordan Somerton stepped onto the lido deck of the cruise ship Summer Seas, he’d have gladly given a month’s salary to be on land.

That wasn’t something he usually thought. Not after almost ten years in the navy, eight of those as a SEAL. Sea. Air. Land. It didn’t matter to him on any given mission. He was comfortable in any and all.

Only this wasn’t a mission. And he wasn’t aboard a naval ship.

“Jordan!” his aunt Phyllis called from the starboard side of the hardwood deck. As she waved her hand, enough bracelets to sink a liner half this size jangled around her wrist. He wasn’t usually called Jordan by anyone but his family. His team called him River. As in the Jordan River.

But he didn’t think he could avoid Aunt Phyllis by pretending he didn’t recognize his own name. Not with her eyes on him like a laser. So he smiled at her and circled around the outskirts of the crowd, his back always to the wall, facing the collection of Somertons and Sutcliffs mingling around the pool.

A ship with a pool. What a waste of space.

But Aunt Phyllis didn’t seem to agree. She shuffled over, dragging his youngest cousin, Stephanie, in her wake.

“Hi, Steph,” he said, leaning down to hug her shoulders and kiss the top of her head. Even though she had just graduated from high school, their standard greeting seemed fitting since he’d spent most of his growing-up years living with them. “How’s college?”

She shrugged, but it did nothing to dim the smile on her lips and her flashing white teeth. “Okay.”

Phyllis pouted. “She met a young man and wants to go to his house for Christmas.”

Stephanie’s eyes bugged out. “Mo-om!”

Jordan tried not to laugh, but Stephanie’s face was just too good to hold it back. “Sorry, kiddo. Welcome to being an adult single in this family. I wish I could tell you it gets better.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t.”

She glanced toward the corner of the pool, where Stephanie’s sister and her fiancé stood, hand in hand, staring into each other’s eyes. A little too in love for his taste.

“But they never teased Kaneesha.”

“It’s because she’s been dating Rodney since they were thirteen. Everyone’s known this week was coming forever.” He just hadn’t been planning on their wedding taking place on a cruise ship somewhere in the middle of the Caribbean a week before Christmas. “Just wait until you bring a guy home.” He rolled his eyes. “I can’t wait to see that!”

Phyllis was already frowning, clearly picturing her baby walking down the aisle. Suddenly her eyes shifted in Kaneesha’s direction. “Speaking of bringing a date to family dinner...”

Her voice trailed off and his stomach hit the deck. Rodney, in his sharp gray suit, took a step to the side as a third person joined them.

Amy Delgado. Long brown hair flowing behind her. Full skirt dancing around her knees in the ship’s breeze. Bright pink lips curved in an overflowing smile.

Words failed him.

She was stunning. And he would have noticed that, with or without the elbow to his ribs from Phyllis. He grunted. She pouted.

“I can’t believe you let that one get away.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He knew. He’d botched that. Badly. And he didn’t blame Amy for hating him.

The broken date hadn’t been entirely his fault. He’d blame that on the Lybanian terrorist who had suddenly popped out of hiding and tried to take over an otherwise peaceful village where a slew of American aid workers had set up shop. When the US government called on him to do his job, he’d done it. Even if it meant breaking a date he’d kind of been looking forward to.

But the lead-up to it—the before-the-date misunderstanding in front of his entire family that had required an apology date—that was all on him.

He was lost somewhere in the memory when Neesha waved at him. “Come over here.”

No. That was a bad idea. Because Amy was staring at him now, too. And putting the two of them together never ended well. But when the bride called, he’d go running.

“Neesha, you look beautiful.” He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek before shaking his soon-to-be cousin-in-law’s hand. Then he shoved his own into the pocket of his black slacks.

But his cousin wasn’t about to be so easily mollified. She stared at him like a sniper’s spotter, her gaze intense and lips in a stern line. He made a silly face, hoping to distract her from that frown before Aunt Phyllis saw it.

The bride should always be smiling, she’d scolded him before they left the port in Miami. So I don’t want to hear a word about how much you hate cruise ships. Understood?

Yes, ma’am, he’d said, because any good South Carolina boy knew better than to argue with the woman who had raised him without complaint since he was six.

But his faces didn’t do a thing to change Kaneesha’s grumpy expression or alter her reproachful tone. “Amy said you haven’t practiced your dance yet. You know all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen are joining us for the second dance, and I don’t want it to be your first time dancing together.”

He met Amy’s dark brown gaze over Neesha’s shoulder. Though her eyes said she wasn’t particularly pleased to see him, she still mouthed an apology for landing him in hot water. It was quite possibly the first time she’d ever apologized to him. He was the one with all the practice in that department. But he wasn’t fooled into believing that this meant they were on the same team. In fact, he was pretty sure they were playing different sports. And whatever this was, he was perpetually three steps behind.

Between Amy’s cold shoulder and his family’s nagging, he knew there was no chance he was getting away from this trip without making everyone mad at him, one way or another. That’s why he’d prefer being in the field. At least then he had a clear objective—and a team to back him up if he ever got in over his head.

“Are you even listening to me?”

He jerked his mind back to his cousin. “Of course I am.”

Kaneesha narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “Uh-huh.” Jordan’s attention shifted back to Amy. The gold highlights in the navy blue dress made her deep brown skin glow, and the highlights in her wavy hair shone in the late-afternoon sun.

“It’s good to see you, Amy.”

She nodded, the briefest acknowledgment. Then asked, “How’s Will?”

Of course she’d ask about his SEAL teammate. She’d been friends with Will Gumble for years. The fact that she’d barely acknowledged Jordan’s status as anything more than a barnacle on the hull of a ship meant they hadn’t progressed past prolonged apologies.

“He’s fine. Jess is about to pop. Will’s pretty excited about being a dad.”

She offered a flicker of a smile. He knew she still took credit for getting Will and Jess back together after ten years apart. And he had to give Amy credit. As a DEA agent, she’d been able to get Will set up with a false identity and thrown into a drug cartel’s compound where Jess had been held captive. Working together under the noses of their captors, they’d managed to save the day—and Will had won Jess over.

Suddenly their foursome became five, as a young girl bounded up to them from the dance floor.

“There you are!”

All four adults turned to the girl, whose pink cheeks couldn’t hide her delight or the effects of the brisk wind. And Amy’s eyes, always so expressive, grew round. “Elaina, what are you doing here?” She gracefully dipped to look the girl Jordan recognized as her eight-year-old niece in the eye. “I thought your dad took you back to your suite after dinner.”

Elaina shrugged. “I came to find you. I didn’t want to stay in my room.” A shadow of doubt crossed her face, and she reached for Amy’s hand. “My dad had to make a secure call from the captain’s office again. I was lonely.”

Neesha’s smile blossomed, and she bent to give Elaina a hug. “We can’t have our flower girl spending the evening all alone. Come on.” With a tug, she led Elaina and Rodney toward the dance floor and began to spin.

Amy crossed her arms as her gaze narrowed on her niece, and Jordan could do nothing but shove his hands deeper into his pockets, unsure what to say.

After a long pause, she spoke, barely loud enough to be heard over the thumping music coming from the DJ in the corner. “I worry about her. Ever since her mom died, it just seems like Michael is working more and more.”

Jordan nodded. Not that she deigned to glance in his direction.

“It’s hard for a little girl when her dad isn’t around.”

He knew she had some personal experience on that front. Her parents had split when she was young, and her dad hadn’t really been a part of her life. But despite a nearly twenty-year history between them—she was Neesha’s best friend after all—she’d never talked about it with him. Their conversations had rarely dipped below the surface.

Fair was fair, though—it wasn’t as if he’d ever chosen to confide in her. She knew about the circumstances of his childhood—messed up as it had been—because Neesha couldn’t keep from spilling every single bean she had. But it didn’t mean they talked about it. Ever.

Amy’s soft voice pulled him from his thoughts again.

“I tried really hard...but when Michael was sent to Lybania and I was transferred...”

Yeah, he knew that Michael Torres was now the US ambassador to Lybania. Jordan had actually met him after the mission that forced Jordan to cancel his sort-of date with Amy. But he couldn’t admit that he’d met Amy’s brother-in-law before this cruise. Not when the mission was still classified.

“Mmm-hmm.” It was more grunt than acknowledgment, but it was enough for her to jerk her head up, her gaze sharp and surprised, like she’d forgotten who she was talking to.

“You don’t have to pretend like you want to listen to me.” Her tone wasn’t bitter, but there was a distinct crispness in her words.

“I’m not pretending.” If they could smooth over so many months of awkwardness between them just by talking about other people, he’d be happy to listen to her for hours. But he knew it wasn’t that simple. Even if neither of them wanted to talk about it, they still needed to address the elephant on the lido deck. Rubbing the top of his head, he stared at his shoes for a long moment. “Listen, Amy, I’m—”

With a swift wave of her hand, she cut him off. “Please don’t. We’ve been through this enough times. You’ve apologized. Your teammates have apologized on your behalf. I’m just surprised that you haven’t sent your pastor to apologize.”

He tried for a laugh, but it came out dry and throaty and wholly unlike his normal chuckle.

When she looked into his eyes, hers were sure and unflinching. “I accept your apology.” Only her tone suggested the exact opposite.

“But we can’t be friends?”

“I think it’s better if we aren’t. Don’t you?”

She didn’t give him time to answer. She just stalked in Neesha’s direction, flashing a smile at Elaina as she danced across the hardwood floor, leaving him to wonder if he’d ever get a second chance.

He wasn’t used to accepting defeat. Especially not after battling through the rigors of the BUD/S—Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL—training. He’d been pushed to his limits both mentally and physically, and ever since then, giving up hadn’t been part of his MO. Throwing in the towel on whatever he and Amy could have been didn’t sit well with him.

They were stuck in a floating party together for five more days, so he might as well spend the time figuring out how to get her to really forgive him.

* * *

“Rodney can dance!”

“Not as well as you.” Amy laughed, spinning Elaina around the dance floor as a DJ played her favorite Cyndi Lauper song from the 80s.

Elaina threw her head back and smiled up at the sky as it faded to ink, her stick-straight hair swinging wide around her shoulders. “Can we do this all night?”

“No.” Amy gave Elaina her best fake-stern look. She had a real stern one, too. But she saved that for drug runners and cokeheads with big guns.

“Oh, please. I don’t want to go back to my room.” There was a slight tremor in the girl’s voice that put Amy on her guard. Elaina wasn’t the type to whine. If she said something was wrong, she meant it.

“Why not?” Amy knew for a fact that Elaina and her father—and their bodyguard—were staying in one of the very best suites on the ship.

The girl looked up, then down at her feet. “My dad’s not there and it...it feels like someone’s watching me.”

The hairs on the back of Amy’s neck jumped to a salute. Helping Elaina make a more controlled turn so she didn’t bump into the other dancers peppered across the floor, Amy picked out her next question carefully. “Has your dad been leaving you alone? Has he had to make a lot of calls?”

Elaina shrugged but turned it into a shimmy as the music hit a faster beat. “This is the fourth time since we left. Probably something for work.”

Amy mimicked her niece’s movements, but with her mind engaged elsewhere, she was always a half a beat behind the music.

She couldn’t picture anything but her brother-in-law’s face. His dark hair had turned gray at the temples, and she couldn’t be sure if it was from Alexandra’s battle with cancer or his new role for the State Department. His smile, which had captivated Alex from the start, had turned haggard.

Amy stared at her niece, her features so much like Alex’s had been. But Elaina’s eyes were shadowed, haunted.

Amy knew Michael’s focus on work had Elaina feeling lonely and neglected, but this didn’t seem like mere sadness. Elaina actually seemed afraid. Could she be right about someone watching her? But who? And why?

The girl yawned loudly.

Maybe she was just tired.

But there was something about the way her voice shook when she said she felt like she was being watched. As far as cruise ships went, this was a fairly small specimen. But there were still enough people aboard that no one was really alone. At least, not for long. Maybe Elaina was just tuned in to the constant buzz of human activity.

Or maybe someone was watching her.

An elbow bumped into her stationary shoulder, and Amy jerked back, her fist automatically cocked beneath her chin.

But when she met her would-be attacker’s eyes, she realized it was only Jordan and let out a quick sigh.

“Sorry about that,” he muttered. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to continue their endless apology dance, but she was done. Done with him. Done for the night. Done forever. So she took her excuse and ran with it. “I have to get Elaina back to her suite. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nodded, and if he tried to say anything else, it was lost as the DJ turned the bass up.

Grabbing Elaina’s hand, she spun the girl toward the edge of the dance floor and the nearest exit. “It’s off to bed for us,” she singsonged despite Elaina’s frown. But the yawn that cracked her jaw once again proved that the girl was ready for some peace and a full night of sleep, whether she’d admit it or not.

As they climbed the steps to the next level, Elaina asked, “Do you think my dad’ll be there?”

“We danced for almost an hour, so I’m sure he’s back from his phone call by now. And he’s probably worried about you.”

Elaina shook her head. “He’ll know I’m with you.” Suddenly the smooth skin of her face wrinkled with concern. “Will you stay with me if he’s not there?”

Amy’s heart tripped at the fear that laced the girl’s words. Something was clearly off. Something that she couldn’t quite pinpoint. But after five years with the DEA and three with the Marines before that, Amy had learned to listen to fear. She refused to let it control her, but a little healthy fear had kept her alive more than once.

“Of course. You know I’ll always stay with you.”

With a squeeze of her hand, Elaina rested her head against Amy’s arm. “Promise?”

The plea was familiar. Probably because Amy had asked it herself a hundred times when she was about her niece’s age.

But before she could respond, a wave of goose bumps rushed down her arms. Along the interior hallway there wasn’t a breeze off the ocean to chill her. But something had set off her internal alarms.

“You okay, Aunt Amy?”

She whipped her head around to look behind them. The hallway was empty. “Sure.” She tried to sound more certain than she felt.

There was a weight on her skin, like someone was watching them. Except they were all alone...weren’t they?

And yet the sensation of being watched was as tangible as Elaina’s hand in hers.

Maybe it was habit or so many years of training, but Amy grabbed the girl and pushed her into a shallow doorway, using her own body as cover. Amy measured her breaths to keep them silent, but Elaina knew no such trick. Her gasps were ragged, and they echoed in the corridor.

She couldn’t identify the source of her concern, and this was the first time she’d felt this way on this cruise. But there was no doubt. Something was going on.

It had scared Elaina.

And now it was turning up every single one of Amy’s protective instincts.

She peeked out from the little notch, looking both ways, but saw no one. Not even a shadow. The hallway lights had been dimmed, but there was still plenty to illuminate a moving figure.

And there was no one there.

She backed up, pulling Elaina with her and pressing the girl against her side. “Stay close.”

Elaina nodded against her.

Heart thumping faster than usual, Amy took another look behind them. Maybe it would be better to backtrack. To find someone else from the wedding party.

Or she could keep going to the nearest protected place. Elaina’s suite.

With slow, methodical steps she worked her way to the end of the hall, where it intersected with another. There she peeked around the corner. Two large forms were approaching and Amy jerked back, pressing Elaina against the wall behind them. Stretching a finger across her lips, she made the universal sign for quiet as heavy footsteps drew nearer.

“Where’s the girl? She was supposed to be back by now.”

“I don’t know. I was with you. Remember?”

It sounded like the sarcastic guy got punched, and his groan echoed.

“Shut up. Don’t try to be funny. I’ll call the boss. He’ll know where the ambassador’s daughter is.”

Elaina flinched, a gasp escaping. She flung a hand over her mouth and stared at Amy with wild eyes that asked the only important question. Are they talking about me?

Of course they were. What were the odds there was another ambassador’s daughter aboard this ship?

Amy felt suddenly sick, bile rising in the back of her throat. This had gone from an instinctual concern to a serious threat in seconds. They had to get out of there, away from these men, who had clearly been watching Elaina.

“We don’t know where she is. She’s not back at her room yet,” said the guy who’d announced he was going to call the boss.

The undeniable crackle of a walkie-talkie bounced down the hallway, but Amy couldn’t understand what had been said.

“Sure. We’ll get her before they arrive.” Shoving his friend, he said, “Start looking.”

Who was they? And what exactly did they want with Elaina Torres?

Whatever it was wasn’t good. And Amy couldn’t wait around to find out.

The deep voices dropped low, and then their footsteps stopped for a long moment before one took off in the other direction. Her heart kicked into overdrive. This was their chance to make a break for it.

Leaning down, she whispered to Elaina, “Hold my hand and don’t let go.”

“Are we going to find my dad?”

They were going to find safety and get help. No matter what.

TWO

Amy held Elaina’s hand so tightly that their fingers shook. Or maybe that was the rest of them. Still, she pulled the girl in her wake, keeping her steps as silent and swift as possible. The halls were nearly deserted, most guests enjoying the entertainment on deck.

Her rough breathing echoed so loudly in her own head that she couldn’t hear if either of the men had spotted them. And if they did, would they recognize Elaina as their mark?

“Hey!” The booming voice behind them seemed to rattle the cabin doors. “Stop!”

They’d been spotted. And apparently recognized.

Elaina slowed down, trying to look over her shoulder, pulling on Amy’s arm.

“Keep running,” Amy ordered. “Stay with me. Don’t look back.”

The little girl nodded, but her shorter legs stumbled as she tried to keep up.

There wasn’t time to stop and boost Elaina onto her back, but neither could the girl’s smaller feet keep up on her own. Amy pulled her close and swung her into her arms, the additional weight making every step twice as hard.

Another hallway crossed in front of them. One that would lead to the stairwell that would take them back to the deck. Then they’d be in the open. And maybe near security.

Please, God, let there be a security guard on the deck.

Feet slapping the carpet, she held every muscle in check as they approached the turn, leaning to counterbalance the weight in her arms.

“Stop right there!”

She hunched her shoulders against the anticipated gunshot, then remembered she was on a cruise ship, not in the field. She expected the possibility of being shot at on a DEA assignment. She wanted to believe that she wouldn’t have to deal with that here, on the ship where no one was legally permitted to carry weapons, but she couldn’t be sure.

The problem was that she didn’t know what to expect here. She hadn’t gotten a good look at the men talking about Elaina. There was no intel to identify their motive, their usual methods of attack or a list of their weapons.

If she’d been in the field, alone or with her partner, she’d have looked for a strategic place to make a stand. She’d have turned and fought. She’d have disarmed first and asked questions later.

But right now there was no place to stash Elaina where she would be safe. And the girl’s protection was all that mattered for the moment. Making a stand would put the girl at risk, so it wasn’t an option.

As they rounded the corner, Amy caught sight of the man chasing them. She couldn’t make out his features at this speed, but his wide shoulders stretched out the same black suit she’d only glimpsed before. And he charged after them, his big feet eating up the passageway as if he were an angry bull. There was something in his hand, something big and deadly stretched out in their direction.

He did have a gun.

Speed was still crucial, but she also concentrated on remembering to dodge and weave. She swooped to the left then returned to hugging the wall.

Anything to keep him off center and ensure that if he shot, his bullet would miss.

Dodge and weave.

Her mantra matched the speed of her footsteps as she flew down the hall.

They just had to keep running faster than the man behind them until they lost him. Or found someone who could help.

But the corridor seemed to be deserted, every cabin door shut tight.

Suddenly Elaina’s whole body jerked, her grip around Amy’s shoulders nearly breaking as she cried loudly. Amy swallowed the scream that rose in her throat as the shift in balance nearly tripped her, forcing her to come to a momentary stop. Tears filled Elaina’s eyes, and between trembling gasps she said, “My hand slipped. Sorry.”

Amy dismissed the apology with a wave, hoisting the girl higher on her hip and holding on tighter. But in the moments it took to get moving again, Amy glanced back at their pursuer. He’d stopped, planting his feet shoulder-width apart and raising his gun at arm’s length.

Her heart leaped to her throat, and she stumbled as she flew toward the end of the hall and a glowing red exit sign, always keeping herself between Elaina and the gun.

Please. Please. If they could just make it through that door, they might find help.

Amy crashed against the metal handle, shoving it open and tumbling against Elaina as the telltale whistle of a bullet fired through a silencer zipped toward her back.

“Go. Go. Go.” She cheered herself on, forcing herself to watch her feet and cling to the banister with her free hand.

Her shoes clanged loudly down the metal stairs. But there was no time to worry about silencing them.

That man was willing to take a shot when one of the cabin doors might have opened up at any moment. He either knew something she didn’t that made him believe he wouldn’t get caught, or he had nothing to lose.

Or both.

Probably both.

Her head spun as they sailed around a turn and another set of clanging footsteps joined hers.

He was gaining on them. He’d reach them long before she could get Elaina to safety.

Dear God, help us. It was the only prayer she could manage as her heart kept up a steady tattoo. Go. Go. Go.

And then another whistle, so high-pitched that she felt rather than heard it, sailed past. The shot splintered the corner of the door frame as they barreled through it. Elaina screamed.

Good. She could scream all she wanted now. Anything to gain some attention.

But the deck was empty, and the sound was lost on the wind as they rushed into the open.

Where was everyone? Had the entire ship migrated to the lido deck for more fun with Neesha and Rodney?

She whipped around to see how close their pursuer was. The clanging of his feet against the metal steps gave him away. He wasn’t visible yet, but he was closing in. And she couldn’t risk leading him to the party. There were too many innocent lives there. People she loved. But she and Elaina were sitting ducks out here.

Where to go? Where would they be safe?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the closed door of what looked like a small storage closet. But as she turned toward it, she ran directly into an unmoving chest.

Large hands clamped on both of her shoulders, surrounding Elaina and stopping her midstep. “Amy? Are you all right? I thought I heard someone screaming.”

She had to peer all the way up into his face to get a good look at Jordan, but even then her eyes wouldn’t quite focus on him. Her shoulders twitched as she tried to check behind her.

“Amy.” His tone was clipped, his eyes darting from her to Elaina and back. “What’s wrong?”

Everything in her melted. She hadn’t even known she’d wanted his help, but now that he was here, she recognized him as exactly what they needed. “Someone’s chasing us. Shot at us.” Her words came out on a pant, but she flung her finger out behind her and met his gaze for a brief second.

If he needed to think through his actions, it took him only a fragment of a second. He grabbed them both, shifting them out of the line of view of the stairwell. “Stay right here. Don’t move.”

And then he ran toward the doorway. But instead of going into the stairwell, he slipped to the side, his back against the white outer wall, his ear pressed in.

She took a step to follow him, but stopped as Elaina let out a small sob. “It’s okay, honey,” she said, cuddling her niece close. Everything inside her cried out to help Jordan take care of this guy, but she couldn’t possibly carry Elaina into that kind of situation, and leaving her behind was equally impossible, so she held her position with watchful eyes.

Their pursuer had reached the bottom of the stairs, and the pace of his clanging steps had slowed.

But it didn’t calm the tantrum of her heart. Or loosen the way Elaina’s skinny arms squeezed around her neck. Pressing Elaina’s face against her shoulder, Amy tried to hold her tight enough to keep both of them from falling apart.

But she couldn’t look away from Jordan, whose shoulders rose and fell in a steady rhythm. His face was a mask of calm, and he closed his eyes for a long second.

She wanted to scream at him, to tell him to pay attention. He was going to miss it all, and she and Elaina would be easy pickings for their pursuer. But she bit her lips until they stung and she tasted the coppery tang of blood.

And suddenly the entire world seemed to explode. Everything happened at once. A wicked Glock 23—silencer attached—came through the entrance, their pursuer holding it straight out and ready to fire. But before the rest of him could make it through the doorway, Jordan squeezed his hands together, raised them over his head and brought both of his arms down on top of the other man’s. There was a sickening crack, and the gun flew across the deck as the man groaned and swore. But before he could do anything more, Jordan landed an elbow to his sternum.

The man in black crumpled to the floor.

Years of training told Amy to secure the weapon, but when she tried to put Elaina down so she could grab the gun, Elaina whimpered and refused to let go. So she took her with, racing for the gun, scooping it up and pointing it at the still man on the ground.

“Are you all right?” Jordan asked, his hands swiftly moving up and down the beefy arms and legs of their pursuer, searching for additional weapons. Suddenly he stopped and stared hard at her. The gentleness he’d displayed with his cousin earlier in the evening was gone. Replaced by something that could only be called his mission face. It was all hard angles and firm planes. The teasing smile that he so often used had disappeared. Even the little cleft in his chin seemed especially dark.

And she was so busy studying his face that she nearly missed his repeated question. “Amy, are you all right? Were you hurt?”

“What? No. We’re fine. You’re fine, right Elaina?” The girl nodded despite the persistent trembling of her chin.

Amy’s own adrenaline was dropping fast and making her hands shake, but she held on to her niece and kept going. “A little shaken up, but we’re all right. Who is this guy?” Her words came out on a rush, but they seemed to be all Jordan needed before going back to work, confirming she had scooped up the only weapon.

When he was satisfied, Jordan pulled the man’s arms behind his back, which launched a loud groan.

“Might have cracked a bone there,” Jordan said. As apologies went, it wasn’t much. But somehow she didn’t think he spent much time telling bad guys he was sorry.

And that was just fine with her.

“Go find an officer or security guard and bring them back here.”

“But there was another man, too. He went the other way, but they were talking. What if he comes to see what’s keeping his friend?”

He looked into the silent stairwell, but shook his head. “If he shows up, I’ll handle it. The two of you go now.”

His blunt orders made her hackles stand on end, but she fought the urge to tell him she could take care of it. She could. Usually. In any other circumstance.

But she was responsible for Elaina. And she’d rather die than leave the girl open and vulnerable to another attack.

Jordan was skilled and experienced. And no matter how much she hated admitting it—especially to herself—there were few people she trusted to handle an unexpected threat more.

When she found a security officer, it took a bit of convincing to get him to follow her back to the scene. But the gun in her hand, which she’d emptied of bullets, piqued his curiosity.

“Guns aren’t allowed on the ship.” He looked equal parts confused and angry, his pasty cheeks going red and splotchy.

“I know.” She’d left hers at home, locked in her gun safe. And it was a fair guess that Jordan had done the same. Amy felt a little bare without her weapon, and she wondered if Jordan felt the same way. Either he felt as unprotected as the day he was born or he didn’t even notice because he was fully equipped to use his hands to neutralize any threat.

Downed man in a black suit was exhibit A.

For the moment, they had no idea how the man had gotten a gun on board. But that would have to wait. “We need to see the captain.”

The guard agreed, and followed her and Elaina back to Jordan, who stood over their pursuer like a hunter showing off his haul.

As the trio approached, the guard let out an audible gasp, and she tried to look at Jordan through his eyes, to consider what it would be like to see him for the first time. He’d been a part of her life for almost as long as she’d been friends with Neesha—more than twenty years. So the big shoulders and towering height didn’t frighten her. The size of his biceps and strength in his grip didn’t intimidate her. No, they made her feel...

Well, it was better not to think about how they made her feel.

After more than sixteen years of daydreaming about how he made her feel, she’d realized just how wrong she’d been.

It was better for her—better for everyone—if she just moved on.

Only she couldn’t deny that, in this moment, he made her feel safe. And she’d never been more grateful.

The big guy in the black suit groaned again, his head lolling to the side as the officer cuffed him. It took both Jordan and the comparatively puny guard to drag the man upright. And it seemed to take hours to make it across the ship and down three levels to the security office. They’d gotten a few strange looks, but most of the ship’s guests were too wrapped up in their own vacation to give more than a passing glance to a man leaning on a security guard and another man, who could have been his friend.

When they finally arrived, Amy sank into a chair, Elaina by her side. As she wrapped an arm around her niece, she whispered to a nearby security guard, “Can you get her father down here? He was in the captain’s office not too long ago.”

The guard nodded, and Amy squeezed her hands together in her lap to keep them from trembling.

* * *

His hands were still shaking.

Jordan tried to hold them still, but there wasn’t much he could do to stop the adrenaline charging through him. What kept him on his feet during a confrontation always left him feeling a little out of sorts when the conflict was resolved.

But as he stared through the window into the makeshift cell at the unconscious man, and then looked back at Amy, he could do little more than thank God that he’d heard Elaina’s screams and gone to investigate. There was no telling what the man would have done when he’d caught them. But while Jordan was glad he’d been able to protect Amy and Elaina, he needed more information if he was going to be able to continue keeping them safe. Question number one: Why had the man been chasing them?

And as much as he wanted to beg for answers, Elaina’s stricken face left him mute. She’d have to rehash the whole ordeal when the captain arrived, so he’d patiently wait for that.

Well, patiently was a subjective word.

He paced the confines of the little room. The security guard manning the office, who had identified himself as Paul Cortero, had called Michael Torres and then leaned back in his big black chair, his hands resting over his stomach. He didn’t look terribly disturbed or concerned that a man carrying a heavy-duty handgun with a silencer had just attacked a woman and an eight-year-old girl. In fact, his eyes were closed as he rocked in his seat.

Incompetent fool.

Those were the kindest words Jordan had for a man like Cortero, who showed so little concern for the people whose safety was in his care.

But calling him every name in the book wasn’t going to locate the other man Amy had mentioned or resolve this issue.

So he kept on marching because movement helped him think.

Suddenly the metal door flew open, and a short, thin man barreled into the room, followed by a much larger shadow of a guard. Michael Torres usually had a big, commanding presence, despite being several inches shy of six feet. But right now his eyes were filled with panic as he surveyed the room.

Elaina jumped from her chair and flung herself into her father’s arms. “I was so scared, Daddy. He was chasing us, and he said he had to find me.” The words were muffled, but the terror in them was real.

“It’s okay, honey. It’s going to be okay.”

Except a gnawing feeling in his stomach told Jordan that they couldn’t be so sure of that. This situation wasn’t something they could control. At least not yet. Not with at least one more man out there.

When Elaina pulled back with tearstained cheeks, she grasped for Amy’s arm. “Aunt Amy was so great. She saved me.”

Torres hugged his sister-in-law and mouthed a thank-you.

She nodded, but there was no accompanying smile. And a tick at the corner of her eye suggested that she had news. News that no one was going to want to hear.

And Jordan was entirely sure it had to do with what Elaina had just said. The man chasing them had been after the little girl.

His stomach took a nosedive, but before he could analyze the situation further, Torres turned toward him.

“Somerton.” He gave a curt nod, his eyebrows pulled together. “How did you get involved in this?”

Jordan cringed, wishing he’d had a second to remind Torres that, as far as the rest of the world was concerned, they’d had no reason to ever meet.

Amy cut in, “Wait. How do you know each other?”

Torres turned back to Amy but was spared finding an explanation when the door to the office opened again and the captain marched in. His white jacket shone under the sterile lights as he reached to shake the ambassador’s hand.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you again tonight.”

“I wasn’t, either.” Torres’s face was pinched as he looked down at Elaina, her arms still wrapped around his waist. “It seems my daughter and her aunt ran into some trouble outside our cabin tonight.”

The captain motioned toward the chairs to indicate they should sit down while Cortero scrambled to give his seat to the ship’s senior officer.

As the captain introduced himself, Jordan forced himself to stop pacing and slid into the chair beside Amy, who shot him a look that said she wasn’t going to let her question drop.

“I’m Captain Robertson.” He directed his introduction to Elaina, who was perched on her father’s leg. He barely looked at Jordan and Amy and ignored Torres’s bodyguard standing in the corner. “I heard you had quite an evening. Can you tell me about it?”

Elaina nodded, her dark hair slipping over her shoulders. “I was with Aunt Amy. We were at the party for Neesha.”

“And then what happened?”

She looked at Amy, who gave her a gentle smile, before continuing. “We were almost to my room, and then we heard some men. They were talking. About me. Said they had to find me. Aunt Amy and I tried to get away but one of them followed us. He yelled for us to stop, but we didn’t. Then there was a high-pitched whistling sound. It was weird, but we got to the stairs.”

Even though he’d seen the gun, Jordan cringed as Elaina gave her trembling account of being shot at. It didn’t sound like she even knew what that whistle had been, but he did. And it was enough to make him sick.

Two thugs looking for a little girl when her father and his bodyguard were away from the room. Armed and dangerous and willing to use violence to get their way.

That wasn’t coincidence.

“How do you know they were looking for you specifically?” Robertson asked.

Amy filled in the gaps Elaina had left. “The two men were talking loud enough that we could hear them from around the corner.” She met Jordan’s gaze and held it, the anxiety there present and accounted for. “One asked the other where ‘the girl’ was. They called her the ambassador’s daughter.” Amy nodded toward Torres. “When they didn’t find her, they radioed someone they called ‘the boss.’ Then they split up and one headed right for us, so we made a run for it.”

Leaning forward, Jordan tried to put the scene together in his mind’s eye. “Did they say anything else? Or indicate who was in charge?”

Amy chewed on her lower lip, turning it pink and plump. But it was Elaina who added, “The man said they had to have me before they arrive.”

Jordan sucked in a sharp breath but held it because he couldn’t risk cutting her off if there was more to the story.

Torres didn’t hesitate. “They? Who’s they?”

“He never said.” Amy wrapped her arms around her stomach, as though she could ward off the chill from this conversation.

But Jordan was lost somewhere in the simple words Elaina had repeated. Everyone else had focused on the who. But he was stumped on the how. His forehead puckering as he tried to work it out, he wondered if maybe the girl had simply gotten the words wrong. “Arrive? They said arrive?”

Amy’s deep brown doe eyes grew even larger, and he could tell the emphasis hadn’t been lost on her. “Yes. That’s exactly what he said.”

“How exactly does someone arrive on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean?”

THREE

No matter how many ways Jordan flipped the questions over in his mind, there was no answer for them and no rhyme or reason to what the men had said—or what they’d tried to do.

Someone had attempted to kidnap the daughter of the ambassador to Lybania. On a cruise ship. In the middle of the Caribbean. But why try to abduct the girl on a ship where there were a finite number of places to hide her once they captured her? Why choose a ship with equally limited ways for them to escape from the people who would be searching for Elaina until they pulled into port? They weren’t even scheduled to arrive in St. Thomas for two more days.

Even more puzzling was the imminent arrival of the illusive they. He had no idea who that could be. And even less where or when their arrival might take place. The arrival that had been mentioned would have to come by helicopter or boat. But either would draw significant attention. Is that what they wanted?

His only clue was soon. Because the men Amy had overheard had been in a rush to get their hands on Elaina.

But that left a whole lot of holes in his intel.

What he needed was information from the man in the black suit, who had finally begun to wake up and was holding his arm like he’d received a lethal blow. Bah. It had barely been a tap. Just enough to bring him down. If he didn’t like it, well, then he shouldn’t shoot at women and children.

Which brought Jordan right back to another question. How’d he get a gun on board the ship? Had he snuck it through security? Had it been stashed in his suite waiting for him? And why would he shoot at Elaina if his goal was to kidnap her?

The questions pounded like a woodpecker against steel. He was getting exactly nowhere.

No matter how long he paced, the walls of the security office were as confining as the unanswered questions in his mind.

Amy, too, had stood when the captain excused himself for an urgent call. But Elaina slumped in her father’s lap. “Can we go back to our room now?” she mumbled against his chest.

“No!”

Torres jumped as Jordan, Amy and the bodyguard all yelled the same word at the same time. But the ambassador’s eyes were knowing, even as Amy slipped into the seat she’d just vacated to rub Elaina’s back. “We’ll get you a new room.” A safe one.

The last line was unspoken but louder than her other words.

Suddenly the door swung open and the captain and another man in a starched white jacket—the second in command—entered.

“My apologies,” the captain said. “This is Julio Xavier, my staff captain.”

Jordan shook Xavier’s hand but skipped the pleasantries. “The ambassador, his daughter and their bodyguard need to be moved to a new suite right away.”

Captain Robertson nodded and motioned to Torres, who stood, still holding Elaina. “I’ll take care of it personally. Follow me.” Just before he slipped out of the office with Torres and Elaina, and their bodyguard following closely, he turned back to Jordan. “Xavier oversees security and is in charge of our prisoner.”

Jordan nodded but addressed Amy instead of the staff captain. “It’s been a long night. You should get some rest.”

Her lips pinched at his words, and she pressed flat hands together in front of her so hard that her arms shook. He could almost see the steam coming from her ears.

She was clearly exhausted, and he’d assumed that she’d be grateful for the chance to get some downtime, knowing he’d handle things here. Apparently not.

He scratched at the back of his neck and frowned at Amy, who gave him one shake of her head before turning toward Xavier and pointing toward the glass window into the single cell.

“With your permission, sir, I’d like to interview this man.”

Jordan stepped forward to interrupt. After all, he wanted to do the interrogating.

But Xavier was focused on Amy, shaking his head at her. “It’s my jurisdiction. I’ll take care of it.”

“Sir, I’m a DEA agent and that little girl’s aunt. And that man shot at me today. I’d like to know why.”

The staff captain ran his hand along his jaw, pinching his features as though in deep thought before letting his gaze land on Jordan. “Suppose you’re DEA, too.”

“No, sir.”

Xavier visibly relaxed.

“SEAL teams.”

The older man’s pinched expression immediately returned. “SEALs, huh? So you’ve worked with terrorists before.”

Jordan wasn’t quite sure where this line of questioning was going, but he’d answer nearly any question to get a chance at asking a few of his own. “No, sir. I don’t work with terrorists.”

“Ha.” Xavier’s chuckle was as dry as dust.

“What do you say you let us stick around?” Jordan said. “We’ll stay out of your way.”

Amy cleared her throat as if she wasn’t willing to make that concession, but Jordan kept going.

“Maybe ask a follow-up question or two.”

Xavier rubbed at his chin for a long moment before glancing at Cortero, who had remained silent in the background. “I guess that’s fine.”

As jails went, this one looked more like a hospital, all sterile white walls and a bench that looked like it belonged in an accessible shower. It wasn’t exactly homey, but neither did it suggest that the man in the black suit would face serious consequences for his actions. Which left Jordan with a distinct feeling of unbalance.

Xavier began his interview in a calm voice. “I’m Julio Xavier. What’s your name?”

The thug shook his head. He attempted to cross his arms but winced when he bumped his forearm. “I need to see a doctor. That guy broke my arm.”

Amy shot Jordan a look, and he shrugged. He’d take the man—or any other—down again in a minute if he threatened Amy or Elaina.

Xavier sucked on his long tooth. “First, you have to tell me your name.”

The big man squinted hard, his eyes nearly disappearing in his round face. His bald head didn’t do anything except make his face look fatter.

After a long staring contest, where the staff captain didn’t back down, the man said, “Dean.”

“Is that a first name or a last?”

Again, he stared like he was trying to figure out what Xavier wanted to hear. Jordan couldn’t stop his hands from rubbing together or force his feet to stand still. Not when there was another man out there, probably still looking for Elaina, and this man in front of him was answering none of the questions burning a hole in Jordan’s gut.

Maybe it was a good thing he wasn’t doing the questioning because Jordan suddenly had patience for no one and nothing.

Come on, man. Get it going.

But the staff captain kept his pace slow and easy. “Is your first name Dean?”

The man shook his head.

“Your last?”

Finally a nod. Now they were getting somewhere. Mr. Dean had half a name, and Xavier nodded to Cortero. “Look it up.”

The security guard did as he was told, turning to the computer on the desk before him, his fingers making the keyboard clack. “First name?”

The man in black responded with silence, long enough to make Jordan’s blood begin to boil. He shot a scowl into the cell, but it was Amy who spoke up.

“Now.”

One word. One syllable. It was all she needed.

“Eric. Eric Dean.”

Jordan couldn’t contain the smile that bubbled into place, and he shot Amy an approving nod as Cortero typed in the first name.

“There’s no one by that name on the passenger manifest.”

Amy drew in a quick breath. He could feel it more than hear it. And he was pretty sure they were thinking the same thing.

This man had either lied about his name or found a back door onto the ship. With a gun.

And he wasn’t alone. There was at least one other dangerous person working with him, and they were both working for someone else. But if there was a back entrance, there could be a whole lot more than that.

“We’re going to need your fingerprints to confirm your identity,” Xavier said.

But Eric shook his head. Hard. He looked like a five-year-old refusing to go to bed. “I’ll wait to see the doctor first. And then I’ll wait for the local authorities in St. Thomas.”

His words were straightforward and clear, but something about his expression made Jordan’s skin crawl. He wasn’t scared or upset, or even resigned to his fate. He seemed to be suppressing a smile at the thought that he’d ever have to face the consequences of his actions. Either he was a sociopath or he knew something that Jordan didn’t.

Jordan guessed that when it came to this situation, there were a lot of things he didn’t know.

And that didn’t sit well with him.

Turning to Amy, he frowned, trying to figure out how to convince her that pressing Dean for answers was a dead end. But she beat him to it.

“We’re not going to get anything out of him tonight,” she said. Then she looked right at Xavier. “Will you call me if he gets talkative?”

He nodded, and she strode toward the exit. As she walked out into the hallway, Jordan waved at Xavier and chased her down. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

* * *

Amy didn’t have the energy left to fight with Jordan about where she was going or why. In fact, all she really wanted to do was crash in her bed and sleep until this night was nothing but a bad dream.

But that wasn’t an option.

So she stopped and put her hands on her hips, looking way up into his face. “I’m going to talk with Michael. Because whoever this Dean guy is, he was serious about finding Elaina. If someone’s after her, it’s got to be because of Michael. And anyone with the audacity to try to kidnap an ambassador’s daughter isn’t going to stop after one failed attempt.”

Her stomach clenched as she spoke the words aloud.

It was one thing to know they were true. Another entirely to speak them.

Jordan didn’t look surprised in the least, and his brown eyes only turned darker. “Then I guess we better find their new room.”

He said it casually, as though they were stuck together, and she couldn’t help but blurt out the truth. “You can go, you know. Get some rest. It’s late. It’s been a long night, and this isn’t your problem. I’ll be fine.”

He shrugged, not bothering to reply to her dismissal. “Let’s swing by the captain’s office to get their new suite number.”

She frowned but didn’t have any choice except to follow him, racing to keep up with his long strides.

“I’ll handle it. She’s my responsibility.”

His eyebrows bunched together as he stared at her. “What about her dad? Isn’t she his responsibility?”

Amy’s chest tightened, her hands drawing into fists. How could she possibly explain that while she loved her brother-in-law and understood that he had an important job, lately he’d been breaking promises to his daughter and missing family dinners. She knew he cared deeply for Elaina, but he was neglecting her, all the same. Maybe Amy saw it because she knew the signs. Because she’d lived through it. But she wasn’t eager to parade the pain of her own childhood, so she squared her shoulders and clarified, “She’s my niece. And I won’t let anything happen to her.”

Jordan stopped short, and she nearly bumped into him. He faced her and bent until they were practically nose-to-nose. “Neither will I.”

And as though that closed the door on any argument, he began walking again. She had to run to catch up. But there was a piece of her—infinitely small—that smiled at his announcement. She’d rather have a partner in this than not. Jordan wasn’t the partner she’d have chosen—but when it came to her niece’s safety, she’d take any help she could get.

In no time at all they reached the captain’s office, received Michael’s new suite number and arrived at the cabin. Jordan lifted his hand to thump the side of his fist against the white wood, but Amy grabbed his forearm before he could connect.

“What are you doing?”

The lines around his mouth deepened, his eyebrows angling down. “What do you mean? I’m knocking.” He spoke like she was a child, and she glared back at him, wishing he wasn’t quite so much taller than she was.

“Elaina might have fallen asleep. So maybe don’t wake her up and scare her socks off by pounding on the door in the middle of the night.”

With a frown and a shake of his head, he stepped back and waved his hand in front of the door. “By all means. Show me how it’s done.”

Oh, she could show him a thing or two.

And she would...if Elaina wasn’t in jeopardy and there wasn’t at least one thug still free on this ship.

Rolling her eyes at him, she gently rapped on the door with the edge of her knuckles. Bump-bump-buh-buh-bump. Bump. Bump.

The door quickly opened, and Jordan whispered in her ear as Michael led them into the suite, “No fair. You didn’t tell me there was a secret knock.”

“You didn’t ask.”

“Hmm?” Michael looked up, his eyes wild and dark hair thoroughly disheveled as though he’d been running his fingers through it all night. He probably had. “Did you say something?”

“No.” Amy gave the room a quick visual sweep, taking in Pete standing beside the closed door on the far side of the room. That had to be Elaina’s room, and it was clear that Michael’s bodyguard wasn’t going to let a soul past. That, at least, unwound one string from around her lungs.

Michael’s restless marching threatened to tie it right back up.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked, shooting a quick glance toward the kitchenette to her left. It had a not-quite-full-size refrigerator tucked between two lengths of Formica countertop. Each slab was bare save for a coffeemaker that could make only one cup at a time. “Water? Tea? Decaf?”

Michael’s eyes were trained on the floor, and when he looked up again, they narrowed in confusion. “What?”

She glanced at Jordan, whose eyes mirrored the concern she felt. With a gentle sweep of his hands, he encouraged her to keep going.

She lowered herself to the edge of the chocolate-brown sofa. “Michael, why don’t you sit down with me for a minute? Talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking.” Keeping her voice low and even, she managed a half smile, which didn’t garner any reaction from her brother-in-law.

“Michael, what happened tonight?”

He stopped pacing, slammed one hand on his hip and stabbed the other through his hair. “You were there. You’re the one who told me.”

Taking a deep breath through her nose, she let it out through tight lips, trying to formulate a line of questioning that would lead to answers.

She needed to know what he knew. And she needed that info now.

But she was going to have to guide him there.

Jordan cleared his throat from across the room. He’d taken up a chunk of space outside the kitchen area, leaning a shoulder against the wall. His arms were crossed over his chest but the relaxed angle of his neck made him seem...what? She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

At ease, maybe.

And somehow it helped her breathe just a little easier.

Maybe Michael picked up on that, too. He took a step, then paused. Then he sank into an overstuffed armchair.

“The man in the cell tonight,” Jordan began slowly, thoughtfully, “have you ever seen him before?”

Shoulders slumping until his arms rested on his knees, Michael shook his head. “No.”

Jordan kept his voice low and easy. “Had Elaina ever seen him before?”

“I don’t think so. No. I’m pretty sure she hadn’t.”

Jordan scratched at his chin, his gaze going to the ceiling like he was formulating his next question. “Do you usually go on vacation with a bodyguard?”

The question made both Amy and Michael snap to attention, and she stared at Jordan.

“I’m just saying,” Jordan continued, “Lybania’s a high-risk area, so I’m sure you’re provided with a protection detail when you’re at the embassy or traveling in Lybania. But I don’t know very many ambassadors who vacation on US soil with a bodyguard.”

“We’re not on US soil,” Michael said.

Jordan uncrossed and recrossed his arms, his gaze never wavering. Silence lingered too long and too heavy to last.

Even the silent bodyguard in question shifted from one foot to the other.

Finally Michael put his hands over his face and sighed.

“I think someone is trying to kill me. And now they’re coming after Elaina.”

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