Agent I1: Tristan [01] The D.I.R.E. Agency (7 page)

“Like that would stop you.”

True.

“Get your rest. I’m going to need you in top form next week.”

“Anything new on Naylor’s sale?”

“Not according to our sources. What bothers me is that we can’t get a lead on the buyers. No one has a clue who they are. If that weapons technology gets into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous. Whoever they are, you can be sure they’ll bring heavy protection.”

“Sounds like a party.”

“Thirty million in antique gold coin for state-of-the-art weapons design? I’d say that’s a helluva party.”

Antique gold coins? Who dealt in antique gold when bank transfers were a matter of a few mouse clicks?

He’d be there, heavy protection or not. Stopping bad guys was his specialty. Danger worked beside him daily to keep him employed. He’d never be out of work.

Besides, what did he have to lose? He had nothing waiting for him back home.

“See you in a few days, Mitchell. Until then, I’m on vacation. Don’t call me.” He disconnected.

The wind rustled Tristan’s hair as he drove down the road. What
did
he have to lose, really?

Let’s see, he stood on the brink of losing his only friend because once Aidan found out Tristan slept with Rachel, he would royally skewer him.

You slept with a beautiful, good-hearted woman when she was most vulnerable, knowing it could go nowhere. No boy scout of the year award for you, after all.

She hated him. He got that. Frankly, he didn’t blame her. He hated himself most of the time.

Slowing, Tristan downshifted into a market parking lot. He would miss the company. He hadn’t spent time like that with anyone since his SEAL team went out the night before his discharge. Those bastards hadn’t looked, smelled, or laughed like Rachel had last night.

Tristan rubbed his eyes behind his aviator sunglasses. Maybe he should go out tonight and pick up a woman. He’d never had trouble doing that. He’d just always felt bad leaving without getting her number.

He blew out a breath. How did he do that knowing the sex wouldn’t be nearly as good as it was with Rachel?

Last night, she’d accepted him for who he was, had set aside all of the abilities and powers that defined him to the world and loved him as a man, as someone that mattered to her.

Although he knew a night of lovemaking with a stranger went against her moral fiber, Tristan felt that
he
had mattered, that no other man would have sufficed.

Maybe he only kidded himself. Either way, he was no good for her.

Aidan’s phone number popped up on the car dash. Tristan’s heart raced. Had something happened already?

He pushed a button on the steering wheel. “Don’t give me bad news, Monroe.”

“That depends on how you look at it. Mitchell called me in.”

Tristan frowned at the dash. “And?”

“I mean like, right now. He wants me at
D.I.R.E.
ASAP.”

Oh, hell no
. “What? You want a ride?”

“No, smart ass.” Aidan cleared his throat. “I want you to watch Rachel.”

Are you out of your mind? I just betrayed you by sleeping with her
.

“Hell Aidan, does the word
vacation
mean anything to you?”

“I know, I know. But you’re the only one I trust.”

Tristan leaned back his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Hell Jacobs, I don’t think there’s any limit to what Cody might pull. He’s hell bent on marrying her
now
, for some reason. I’m afraid he’ll take her and elope.”

So let her
. If she wanted to be stubborn about it all, she deserved what she got.

Tristan sighed as he looked at the empty cars in the lot. No, she didn’t deserve that. Rachel was the best person he knew. She deserved the white picket fence and all that came with it.

If he were honest with himself, he wanted to see her again. Hell, he couldn’t quit thinking about her. The idea of spending the rest of his vacation alone didn’t appeal to him anymore, anyway.

He would have to act the bodyguard. There could be no drinking, no travel, no talking and no crying.

Please God, none of that.

And most definitely,
no sex
. He would
not
sleep with her again.

“Dammit, Aidan...”

“You know how serious this is.”

He did.
Dammit
. “I’ll be wheels up in fifteen.”

Aidan let out a breath. “Thanks. And, make sure Cody doesn’t come around anymore. If you can do that before Mom gets home on Friday, we’ll be home free.”

Oh, he’d take care of Brewster. No problem.

Staying away from Rachel for five days – that would be the real challenge.

Chapter 6

“You can’t leave me here with this mess, Aidan.”

Or him
.

Just when Rachel thought she’d gotten rid of one humiliation in her life, she walked out of her bedroom to find Tristan standing in the middle of her living room, looking way too handsome and appealing for her peace of mind.

He hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she walked in. A permanent blush consumed her body.

“I have to go, Rachel. It’s my job.” Turning to Tristan, he said, “Just stick close to her, stay out of her bedroom, and try to get along.”

That blush just turned into third degree burns.

“
Aidan
, I’m in the room.” Rachel crossed her arms over her chest.

Tristan finally looked away from her to frown at Aidan. “If you don’t trust me, then go screw yourself. I’m outta here.” He reached for his armband.

Yes
.

Her brother held up his hand. “Hold up. If I didn’t trust you, you wouldn’t be here, Jacobs.” He glanced back and forth between them. “You won’t kill each other, will you?”

No, but I’ll kill you if you walk out of here
. How could he do this to her?

Tristan folded his arms over his chest. His muscular shoulders looked enormous.

“I think I can restrain myself.”

“Rachel?”

Ugh
. “I’m not sure…”

Tristan gave her a half smile that made her toes curl.

She sighed aloud. “You can’t interfere in my life, Tris.”

He raised a brow. Aidan frowned.

Oh
shoot
. She’d called him by the nickname she’d given him last night.

“You won’t know I’m here.”

She eyed Tristan from the top of his gorgeous black hair, over his vast collection of muscles encased in a black t-shirt and snug-fitting jeans, down to the toes of his boots. Yeah, right. She was supposed to live with him for a week and not remember how he touched her, kissed her and made love to her?

He lived the life of a super-agent. He faced danger twenty-four seven and had married his job. Dwelling on their incredible night together would get her nothing but a broken heart and loads of worry.

Rachel, you haven’t even broken your engagement to Cody yet.

“If you’re staying, super soldier, you’d better change. We’re going to church.”

His eyes bugged out. “
Church
?”

Aidan grinned. “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Rachel never misses church on Sundays.”

#####

Tristan went around to open Rachel’s pickup door. Damn, she looked beautiful today. Her purple, sleeveless dress fell to her knees and hugged her perfect curves. The high heel sandals she wore made her legs go on forever. She had pulled her thick, shiny hair into a long ponytail high on her head, her face covered in a natural coat of makeup.

Her blue truck, on the other hand, had seen better days and held on by threads. The clutch was shot and the transmission struggled to get into third. Luckily, the church was close by and the need to go faster hadn’t come into play.

“Hey.”

A cute brunette in a white blouse and black pants walked up and hugged Rachel. A stocky man with a blond receding hairline and moustache stood behind her holding a young boy of about three or so. The boy stared at Tristan with eyes like softballs.

“You’re brave to get out in public today,” the woman said.

Rachel grimaced. “Well, I figured if I was safe anywhere, it was church.”

The woman turned to Tristan and stuck out her hand for a shake. “So, are you the one she ran away with yesterday?”

“Oh God…” Rachel shut her eyes and shook her head.

Tristan accepted the woman’s hand and nodded at the man behind her. “Tristan Jacobs, and I wouldn’t call it run away. I had to drag her out of there.”

The woman grinned as she sized him up. “I’m Glenna Robards and this is my husband, Mark, and our son, Ty.”

“Mark is the one I told you about, Tris. The captain of the men’s baseball team.”

“I remember.”

“You play?” Mark said, as they made their way to the door of the church.

“I used to play in high school and even got a college scholarship, but fate had different plans for me.” Nothing big. Just a mercenary with super powers.

A gray-haired woman wearing several strands of pearls stepped into their path without seeing them. The leg of her walker hit Tristan’s shoe, causing her to lose her balance.

He caught her by the arm. “Whoa, there.”

The elderly woman looked up at him with wide eyes. She gave a bashful smile. Was she actually batting her eyelashes at him?

“Well, thank you, young man. Did I hurt you?”

“No m’am.”  Tristan grinned. “I’m sorry my big foot got in your way.”

Rachel appeared at his side, her face a mask of concern. “Wilma, are you all right?”

Spying Rachel, the woman squinted her eyes before dropping her head and walking on.

Slumping her shoulders, Rachel sighed.

“Isn’t that the woman you work for?” Tristan said.

She nodded.

“See if she picks up your prescriptions from the pharmacy anymore,” Glenna said to the woman’s back.

Rachel elbowed her. “Glenna, sshh…”

Tristan smiled to himself. He liked Glenna already.

She said, “From what I hear, most of the women are on your side, Rachel, except, of course, those that have family working for Jock. The men are outraged that you would leave Cody at the altar.”

Rachel caught her breath. “We never made it to the altar.”

Tristan didn’t like the sound of this at all.

He turned to Mark. “Do you think Cody will cause trouble?”

“Oh, yeah. He is
pissed
off
. Cody doesn’t take to being humiliated like that.”

“What about me?” Rachel pointed at her chest. “He wasn’t even
conscious
.”

“Once you return the ring, he and the rest of the town will get it,” Tristan said.

Rachel stopped at the bottom of the steps to stare at him. She had better not start that again…

“Didn’t I say that if you stayed, you couldn’t interfere in my life?”

“Rachel, you’re returning it.”  He stared at her, hands on hips.

Her beautiful eyes glittered in the late morning sun.

“Rachel, you’re standing outside of church. You don’t want to start a fight here and now, do you?” He held out his hand, palm up.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she glanced down at his hand then up at his face. He held his breath.

Inhaling deep, she straightened her spine. The next thing he knew, she slipped the ring off her finger and placed it in his palm. She closed his fist over it.

Relief rushed through him like a tidal wave. Nodding once, he stuck it in his pants pocket. He wanted to teleport to Scotland and throw it into the North Sea.

Why did he care? It was her life to live. If she wanted to live it with an ass like Brewster, who was he to stop her?

Glenna smiled at him with wide eyes.

“Rachel, you’re back.”

Pastor Collins stood at the door of the church shaking hands with churchgoers as they arrived. A few turned to stare at her. Tristan placed his hand at the small of her back and gave them an intimidating glare.

The pastor’s knowing eyes went to Tristan. “You’ve been a busy man.”

What was that look supposed to mean? Had the pastor seen Tristan teleport out of the church yesterday? Rachel blushed as she introduced him to Tristan.

“I live busy.”

“I’m sure you do. Welcome.”

Walking inside, Rachel leaned in close. The scent of orchids reminded him of last night and all the things he should not be thinking of in church.

“Should I duck in case lightning strikes?” Her aqua eyes held a teasing glint.

“That’s probably a good idea.”

Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in a church. Several years ago, he’d rescued a group of kids hiding out in a shell of a church in Egypt. Other than that, he remembered last attending church with one of the officer’s families he used to stay with, maybe fifteen years ago.

Lightning could definitely happen.

Glenna and Mark slid into a pew towards the front of the church. Tristan held up the rear. Taking their seats, he sat on the end, towards the center aisle. Ty scrambled from Mark’s arms and went to sit in Rachel’s lap. She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him close. The smile she gave the boy did strange things to Tristan’s chest. Judging by the shy smile on Ty’s face, he felt it, too.

As the service dragged on, Tristan tuned out Pastor Collins altogether and stared at the cross on the wall above the altar.
Why me
?

Why was he, Tristan Jacobs, one of the chosen few asked to protect the world?

Eying the crowd around him, he knew they had no idea of the dangers that surrounded them, the dangers that he and other agents extinguished before they saw daylight.

Rachel was right. He did kill. All in the name of protecting the world.

He was nothing like these people. While they worked on an oil rig or sat at a computer, he did surveillance on terrorists. He teleported from the Middle East to China to Russia, while they fought rush hour traffic.

Rachel really bought into the pastor and his message. While Tristan respected individuals and their religions, he’d seen too much evil to believe in the existence of a higher good.