aHunter4Trust (17 page)

Tamsin was facing Darrogh’s back.

When she tried to move around him, he
stopped her. His arms blocked her on both sides. She’d never realized how large
he was until this moment. Normally, she felt suffocated at being so close to a
man, yet it was different with Darrogh. He made her feel safe and secure. She
sensed that no matter what, he wouldn’t allow anything to get by him.

“The police are here.”

His words reverberated through her.

Her heart beat increased and she had to
force herself to breathe. Why would they be here? The first thing that came to
mind was Saturday night and what had happened at George’s flat. So much had
occurred since then that she’d completely blocked out the possibility of
repercussions. Darrogh had assured her that there was no evidence of her at
George’s flat so it couldn’t be about his death.

It must be something else.

Kerm led two women into the lounge. Tamsin
had a quick glance of them before Darrogh blocked her view with his body. One
was dressed in navy pants with a matching blazer. The outfit was a designer
knock-off and suited her blonde hair and fair skin. The second woman, was
attired more casually in a pair of black jean-styled pants and a floral blouse
opened a few inches at the neckline. She had brown hair and sharp grey eyes.
She looked at Darrogh.

“We’re from the Metropolitan Police. I’m
Detective Inspector Milton and this is Detective Sergeant Barlow. Is Miss
Creighton here?”

Darrogh didn’t move. “Why?”

“We have some questions about George
Saxby,” DS Barlow said.

“More specifically, about his death.” DI
Milton’s tone was sharp.

Tamsin pushed at Darrogh’s back. It was
obvious that these women were not planning on leaving. For whatever reason,
they thought that she had a connection with George. There was no point in
avoiding their questions. They’d only come back later, or worse, haul her down
to police headquarters.

“I didn’t know he was dead. What do you
want to know?” Tamsin’s tone was hesitant as Darrogh stepped to the side.

DI Milton raised an eyebrow. “Are you
expecting trouble in your own home?”

Tamsin gave Darrogh a quick glance. “He’s
one of my bodyguards. My father hired them because the bank has been receiving
threats.”

DI Milton looked at Darrogh and then glanced
around the room at the other men. “You seem to have a lot of protection. Is
there anything that the police should know about?”

Tamsin shook her head. “My father’s
overprotective.”

DI Milton nodded. “When was the last time
you saw George Saxby?”

Tamsin’s mind froze. From the glance the
two women sent her, she suspected a trap. They had seen the paper and probably
already knew she’d been in his car recently. Her only course of action was
honesty.

“Saturday night. I ran into George at
Beauvie’s.” Tamsin forced her voice to remain casual. “We went to university
together.”

“So you were close friends.” DS Barlow
looked up from a notebook that she had been writing in.

“Not really.” Tamsin swallowed to ease the
dryness of her mouth.

“This is a picture of you getting into his
car. What time was it?”

DI Milton pulled out a paper from the black
tote bag she had over her shoulder. It was the same tabloid that her father had
thrown at her this morning. The license of the vehicle was visible.

“Around midnight I think.” Tamsin frowned.
She honestly couldn’t remember much of that night.

“Did he take you to his apartment?”

“Tamsin had nothing to do with this man’s
death.” Darrogh voice boomed the denial.

DI Milton gave Darrogh a long look. “You
knew she’d gone off with him.”

“She was trying to avoid our protection.”
Darrogh’s tone was cold. “Getting into this man’s vehicle was not a wise
decision.”

DI Milton pointed at the second picture on
the paper. The one where Darrogh was carrying her in his arms. “Where did you
carry her from?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Just that Miss Creighton looks capable of
walking when she got into the vehicle with George Saxby.”

Darrogh straightened his shoulders. “Tamsin
was tired when that picture was taken.”

“I don’t believe you.” DI Milton’s tone was
sharp as she turned to Tamsin. “I think George Saxby drugged you, and made it
impossible for you to move. That’s why your bodyguard had to carry you. What
else did he do?”

“Nothing.” Tamsin forced outrage into her
voice. “Why would you accuse George of such a thing?”

“Because that’s what the man did.” DS
Barlow flipped through her notebook. “Apparently he made quite the hobby of
drugging and raping women. The photos and videos left at his apartment even
suggest that he might have murdered a few.”

Tamsin inhaled a sharp breath. She’d known
that George had intended to kill her, but she hadn’t thought he’d murdered
other women. “That’s not the George I knew. How did he die?”

DS Barlow pointed her pen at Tamsin. “We
found him shot with his own gun this morning and it looks like you may have
been the last person to see him.”

“That doesn’t mean he drugged me.”

“Did you go back to his flat?”

“Tamsin did nothing to this man.” Darrogh
took a step closer to her. “I can vouch for that.”

“Where was this picture taken of you
carrying her in your arms?” DI Milton’s voice rose as she turned to interrogate
Darrogh. “At his apartment?”

“At Beauvie’s.” Peter, who had been sitting
on the couch spoke up. “Her bodyguard stopped the car and carried her away.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m the guy who took the photographs.”
Peter cleared his throat. “I sold them to the tabloids. I didn’t know what they
had planned to do with them, so I came over to apologize.”

DI Milton raised an eyebrow. “You’d be the
first paparazzo to care about the effects your photos had.”

Peter shrugged. “I’m actually a private
investigator. I needed the money.”

“And you’re willing to swear that this
photo of Miss Creighton in her bodyguard’s arms was taken outside of
Beauvie’s?”

Peter nodded. “It’s the truth.”

“The brick in the picture looks similar to
Saxby’s building.”

“All brick looks the same. I know where I
took the photo.” Peter leaned back on the couch. “Do you have any evidence that
Miss Creighton was at this Saxby’s apartment.”

“No.” DI Milton pursed her lips. “That
doesn’t prove anything. In my gut, I know she was involved.”

“Everything was wiped clean from the
surveillance video system he had at the building. It is all mysteriously blank.
His computer is also missing.” DS Barlow’s voice was dry. “That in itself is
suspicious.”

“I wouldn’t know the first thing about
surveillance systems.” Tamsin hugged herself to lessen her shaking.

These detectives were very close to
discovering the truth, and she had the sickening feeling that Darrogh, if
pressed, would admit to being there. The one thing she’d discovered since being
protected by these men, was that they always told the truth when asked a direct
question. It was fortunate that Peter had stepped in.

“I find it strange that you ran into your
old friend on the same night he died.”

“If he was killed with his own weapon could
it not have been suicide?” Darrogh asked.

“We haven’t ruled that out yet.” DS Barlow
shut her notepad.

“If you withhold any evidence from us, it
will go against you if we find you’re involved.” DI Milton’s voice was stern.
“We’re going to examine every camera from his building and the nightclub.”

Darrogh nodded to Kerm. “Escort the
detectives out.”

When the detectives had left the room, Tamsin
shoulders sagged. Her hands were shaking and she couldn’t seem to focus on
anything. Darrogh pulled her into his arms and held her until her trembling
stopped. Then he led her to a chair so she could sit.

“Peter, why did you lie?” Tamsin’s voice
was a low whisper.

“It was obvious that you were going to try
and brazen your way through the interview.” Peter shrugged. “From the sounds of
it, the man deserved to die.”

“He pulled a gun on us and was shot in the
struggle.” Darrogh’s voice was matter of fact. “I would have killed him,
though. He broke the Sacred Code by doing harm to a woman. The penalty for that
is death.”

“Remind me not to get on your bad side.”
Peter shook his head. “If you’re going to go around killing people, you have to
take precautions.”

“We did.” Savis moved away from the desk he
had been sitting at. “The police will find no evidence in the building, or on
their CCTV cameras.”

Peter’s mouth dropped open. “You hacked
their systems?”

“We swept the building and cameras clean.
If we had known about your photographs, we would have stopped them from being
published.”

“Amazing.” Peter rolled his eyes. “If there
was a struggle and the gun went off, it was self-defence. You could have called
the police. Instead, you’ve made yourselves look suspicious.”

“We could not let Tamsin’s abuse by that
man be known,” Darrogh said.

“Well it looks like you’re in the clear.”
Peter stood. “I’m going to put my investigative skills to use today and follow
Henry Kingsley.”

“Is that wise?” Tamsin asked.

“I don’t like being taken for a sucker.”
Peter grabbed his camera bag from the floor. “He may lead me to someone else
who’s involved with this organization. I’ll report back at the end of the day.”

Silence followed Peter’s departure from the
room.

Tamsin clasped her hands and looked up at
the men. “I want to thank you for what you did to save me.”

“It was our duty to keep you safe.”
Breanon’s voice was low.

“I behaved badly.” Tamsin cleared her
throat. “I was angry with my father for insisting that you protect me, so I
tried everything in my power to get away. It was foolish. Saxby intended to
kill me. It was only your efforts that kept me alive.”

Darrogh nodded. “It is an honor to give you
protection. Now, we must find out the extent of damage done to your father’s
bank.”

Tamsin sighed. “My father doesn’t fully
believe what you told him this morning about Henry working for the Albireons.
You’ll have to give him undeniable proof that Henry is working against
Creighton’s.”

“Savis will find the evidence.”

The men left the room, leaving her alone
with Darrogh.

He held his hand out to her. She took it,
almost reeling from the surge of sensation that raced up through her arm. She
let him gather her close. All the intrigue and stress of the past few days
eased away. In its place, peace.

She looked up at Darrogh and smiled. He was
the one who made everything right in her life. Even in the middle of being
questioned by the police, and knowing that there were threats against her life,
he’d been her anchor. She felt safe in his arms.

“Thank you.” She brushed a hand down his
cheek.

Darrogh leaned his forehead against hers.
“I need to get you away from London soon. I cannot bear that your life is in
danger here.”

“Nothing can hurt me as long as you are
with me.” Tamsin pulled his head down to hers and moved her lips across his.

A sweet ache of need shot through her.

Darrogh deepened the kiss.

The world spun away. All that existed was
her and Darrogh. She’d never known such a wonderful sensation of yearning and
love mixed together. It was a connection that was spiritual and physical. Her
body hummed with excitement.

All too soon, Darrogh ended the kiss.

“There is no doubt.” His voice was hoarse.
“You are my pair bond. I will never mate or desire another woman.”

Tamsin longed to stay in his arms.

She’d been half a person until she’d met
Darrogh.

Her whole life she’d searched for the
unconditional love and devotion he offered. There would never be another man
for her. It hit her with blinding clarity.

She was in love with Darrogh.

Tamsin took a quick glance around the foyer
of Creighton’s Bank. Its familiarity had been a comfort to her when she was a
child. She would come here with her father and visit with all of his employees.
They treated her as if she were special and that had continued after she’d
graduated and began to work here. This was the one place that had always felt
like home to her.

That’s why it had ripped her apart to leave
the bank. Her father’s insistence that she marry Winchester, despite his
infidelity, had made it impossible for her to remain working here. She couldn’t
change the past, but she could make certain that her father’s bank was safe.
She was confident that Savis would find the information he needed.

“Miss Creighton.” The bank’s security
guard, Smithson, stepped in front of her. “It’s an age since you’ve visited.”

She smiled at the older man. He’d been
standing guard at the bank’s entrance since before she was born. “Almost a
year. How’s your arthritis?”

“The doctor gave me some medicine to lessen
the ache.” Smithson grinned. “Sir Robert said to expect you this morning.”

Tamsin heaved a sigh of relief. Her father
had accepted the need to investigate the allegations against Henry. She turned
to Savis and Darrogh.

“These are the men who will be accompanying
me.”

“Your father didn’t mention anyone else.”
Smithson frowned. “I’ll have to call him first.”

Tamsin nodded. “We’ll wait.”

Darrogh leaned close and a shiver of awareness
raced down her spine. “Is Sir Robert likely to deny us?”

“If he does, I’ll speak with him.” Tamsin
fought the urge to lean against Darrogh. She straightened her shoulders and
nodded at a few of the tellers who’d waved when they saw her.

“These people like you.” Darrogh hadn’t
moved, yet it felt as if he’d reached out and embraced her with his whole
being.

“I like them too.” Tamsin kept her voice
low. “When I was a child, this was my favorite place to visit. I loved it
better than home.”

“It must have been hard to leave.”

“I couldn’t continue working with my
father.”

A movement from above caught her attention.

Tamsin glanced at the large oak staircase
that connected the main floor to the administrative section of the bank. Her
father stood at the top. He looked as if he’d aged several years since this
morning. Henry’s betrayal had hit him hard.

Her father waved them up.

“Let me do the talking.” Tamsin weaved her
way through the customers and started up the stairs. “My father is a reasonable
man, but sometimes, he needs time to process change.”

“He has had enough.” Savis’s voice was dry.
“His refusal to tell us the exact threat against you, has delayed us.”

“True.” Tamsin’s voice was conciliatory.
“He’s my father, though. It can be challenging to deal with parents.”

“We do not know about such things.”
Darrogh’s voice was gruff.

Tamsin stopped walking and looked at the
men. There was no sign of regret in either face, only acceptance. The loss of
her mother had been devastating. As difficult as her father was, she couldn’t
have imagined a life without him.

“I’m sorry.” Tamsin bit her lip. “I
shouldn’t have brought it up. I forgot.”

“There is no need to apologize.” Darrogh
took her elbow and helped her up the first step. “Parents, and how to deal with
them, has never been a problem for a Hunter.”

Tamsin took a deep breath. These men may
have come from a place that was technologically more advanced than Earth, but
they’d missed a few things along the way. Who had guided them in their
development?

“We were trained to be warriors from the
day we could walk.” Darrogh’s voice was matter of fact. Again, he had read her
thoughts, and was answering her question. “We did not have a childhood such as
you do on Earth.”

“That’s terrible.”

“It made us the best soldiers in the
universe.” Darrogh’s voice held pride. “I am grateful. It means that I will be
able to defend you no matter what happens.”

Before Tamsin could reply, they had arrived
at the top stair. Her father held his hand out to her. “I can take Tamsin from
here.”

Darrogh released her.

Loss of Darrogh’s touch sent her reaching
for him. His fingers brushed her arm, sending a shiver of awareness through her
body. A sense of calm and peace came over her as her father pulled her away.
She looked back at Darrogh. He followed and she had the distinct sensation that
he was fighting the same need to connect as she was.

“I’ve set you up in your old office.” Sir
Robert’s voice brought her back to the present. “I’ll leave you alone once I’ve
given you the access codes.”

He opened the door to a large corner
office. She walked in and gasped. Nothing had been changed since the day she’d
left the bank. There was a black leather couch and a couple of chairs at one end,
and her antique, library table that she used as a desk, at the other. Large
windows on both walls framed her working space. She went to her desk and let
her fingers brush over the battered oak surface.

“You kept it the same.” Tamsin looked at
her father. “Surely someone else needed the space.”

“This has been your office since the day
you entered the London School of Economics.” Her father’s voice held a note of
pride. “As long as I’m running Creighton’s, it will always be ready for you.”

Tears pricked at her eyes. “Thank you.”

She leaned over the desk and switched the
computer on. While the computer was warming up, she motioned for Savis to sit.
He put his own laptop beside the bank’s monitor and started it up before
looking at her father.

“I need complete access if I’m going to
find out what has been happening.”

Sir Robert pulled a sheet of paper out of
his inside jacket pocket. “I’m the only one who has this level of clearance.”

Savis reached for the codes. “It will only
take a couple of hours. I will notify you with the results.”

Sir Robert turned to Darrogh. “Where are
your other men?”

“They are guarding Tamsin’s house and the
bank’s exterior.”

“You still think this is the work of a
group of aliens bent on taking over the world?” Sir Robert shook his head. “I
don’t care how crazy you people are as long as I get results.”

Darrogh inclined his head. “Our main
concern is your daughter’s safety. The only way we can secure that, is to stop
what has been going on at this bank.”

Sir Robert opened the door. “Let me know as
soon as you find something concrete. I have no intention of confronting Henry
with your slim allegations.”

The door slammed on his exit.

Tamsin let out the breath she’d been
holding. “I told you he could be difficult.”

“We will find the evidence he requires.”
Darrogh’s voice was firm as he leaned back against the office door. “After
that, there will be no denying our words.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Tamsin pulled up a chair beside Savis. For
the next couple of hours, she watched as he ran various programs through the
bank’s records. Numbers flashed across the computer monitors with a blurring
speed that had her head spinning. Every now and then, the screen would stop and
Savis would frown, before he started up his scanning again.

Tamsin’s back was aching and she stood to
stretch. Darrogh was still on guard at the door. He’d barely moved since he’d
taken up his position. It was amazing the stamina these men had. All she wanted
to do was sink into one of her chairs and close her eyes. Looking at numbers
flashing across a computer monitor was not her idea of fun.

“
Sit.
” Darrogh’s words were a
whisper in her mind. For a second she thought he’d said the word aloud. She
looked at him and noticed the concern in his eyes.

She tried sending him a return thought. “
I’m
fine.
”

Instantly, the anxiety left his eyes.

He’d heard her.

Tamsin’s heart beat faster. She’d only
half-believed Darrogh when he’d said that a pair bond could communicate with
one another by thought. It was an experience she never believed possible. It
was a total connection and oneness with each other. Before she had a chance to
dwell on it further, Savis looked up from the computers.

“I’ve found the intrusion.” His voice held
a note of concern. “It is more complicated than we expected. It will take a
while to devise a program to undo the damage.”

“How severe is it?” Tamsin’s didn’t hide
her anxiety.

“The majority of the bank’s funds have been
siphoned off to another location.” Savis leaned back in his chair. “Your father
needs to see the figures immediately so that we can take action.”

Tamsin picked up the phone on her desk and
punched in her father’s extension. He answered after the first ring. “We’ve
found the proof.”

She hung up and waited. Sir Robert was
outside the office within a couple of seconds. Darrogh let him in and then
locked the door. He joined them at her desk.

“Show me.” Her father’s voice was hoarse
with disbelief.

Savis brought up a number of columns and
spreadsheets of figures. He scrolled through them until he reached the bottom.
Her father frowned and then took the mouse from Savis. He scrolled up and then
back to the bottom. When he was finished, he stood back and ran a hand over his
face. When he looked at her, Tamsin thought he’d aged another ten years.

She urged him to sit. “Savis says that he
can fix this.”

“I can’t believe it.” Her father’s voice
was a low whisper. “I’ve thought of Henry like a son. There’s no mistake. It’s
his access code that has been used to siphon all of the funds away from
Creighton’s. It was brilliant. We would never have found the breach until it
was too late to do anything about it.”

Savis pointed to the screen. “I’ve used his
codes and transfer data to follow it through to its new home.”

“Where does it go?” Tamsin looked back at
the monitor.

“Two hundred thousand pounds went to
Kingsley’s personal account and the rest was moved to Nethercott Bank.”

Tamsin opened her mouth to speak, and then
shut it. Everything suddenly made sense. The rush for Winchester Nethercott to
marry her and then merge with her father’s bank. She’d thought Winchester’s
betrayal of her was bad enough, but what he’d done to her father and
Creighton’s, made her blood boil.

“There’s no mistake?” Tamsin’s voice
cracked.

“Nethercott has the funds,” Savis said.
“Over eighty percent of Creighton’s assets have been transmitted.”

“I had no idea.” Her father’s voice was a
whisper. “To think I liked Winchester and wanted you to marry him.”

“Can we make him pay?”

Darrogh raised an eyebrow. “Justice always
finds a way.”

“Henry Kingsley left me with a back door
into Nethercott’s bank.” Savis tapped a few keys on the computer. “A couple of
strokes and the money is transferred back to Creighton’s.”

“As easy as that?” Sir Robert tilted his
head. “That’s amazing.”

“I also have access to Nethercott’s banking
records. Give me permission, and a few hours, and I’ll be able to tell you what
is happening with his funds. There should be proof of his association with Albirsion
Corporation.”

“Do it.” Sir Robert straightened his
shoulders and stood. “I refuse to be held hostage by this group, human or not.
I want them stopped.”

Tamsin smiled. It was good to see her
father take a stand against these people. Threats against her and the bank had
taken their toll. Now, he was ready to fight back and combat the Albirsion
Corporation. They were no more than thugs that had to be defeated.

“Tamsin, I want you by my side when I
confront Kingsley.” Her father looked at Darrogh. “You had better come too. I
don’t think we’ll have any trouble from Henry, but I never expected him to
steal from me either. I’m not taking any chances.”

Tamsin followed Sir Robert out of her
office and waited while Darrogh spoke to Savis before joining them. She raised
an eyebrow at him once they were in her father’s office. She knew that she
wanted Winchester to pay for his actions, but she didn’t want Darrogh to kill
him.

“I hope you weren’t arranging something
violent for Winchester.” Her voice was low enough that only Darrogh could hear.

“Do you wish it?”

“No.”

Sir Robert broke into their conversation.
“What’s the plan?”

Darrogh straightened away from Tamsin. “I
asked Savis to do a thorough search of Nethercott’s records too.”

“The only thing Savis will find is that I
was a fool to put my trust in Henry Kingsley.”

Darrogh cleared his throat. “It has been my
experience that if a person has done one wrong, they are more than likely to
have committed several.”