aHunter4Trust (9 page)

“This is kidnapping.” The man’s voice
echoed throughout the van.

“I need answers.” Darrogh glared at the
man. “You are coming with us.”

Tamsin’s house used to be a peaceful sanctuary.

Now it was harboring criminals.

Darrogh and his men had been here for only
a week, and her life had been turned upside down. She doubted it would ever be
the same again. Before they’d arrived, the most she’d ever had to worry about
was a cheating fiancé. Now, she’d been involved in a killing, kidnapping, and
if her father was to be believed, extortion and corporate takeovers.

Tamsin sighed and looked at the man they’d
seized at the café.

He was a short, balding, nondescript person
that you’d miss in a crowd. That seemed to be the problem. Her highly skilled
bodyguards had overlooked him and he’d acquired information that they wanted.
She leaned back into her large cushioned chair and hoped it wasn’t serious. The
look on Darrogh’s face told her nothing.

Darrogh had an impassive, unreadable
expression, yet she sensed unease and anger beneath the surface. He kept
glancing at her and she swore she saw the flickering of worry in his eyes. It
felt as if she was reading his thoughts more than seeing them. It was
ridiculous. No one could do that.

Firbin was searching the prisoner’s
pockets. He pulled out a business card and handed it to Darrogh.

“Peter Newton.” Darrogh glanced up from the
card. “It says that you are a Private Investigator.”

“That’s right, and you’re interfering with
my work.”

“Does that work mean you follow people and
take photographs?” Darrogh threw the card on the table and picked up the
camera.

“My client requires proof. You know what
they say about a photograph.”

“No, I do not.” Darrogh frowned. “Explain.”

“Seeing is believing?”

When Darrogh still gave him a blank look,
Peter continued. “A picture’s worth a thousand words?”

“There are no words in pictures.” Darrogh
looked down at the camera.

Tamsin hid a smile at the look of disbelief
on the investigator’s face. Darrogh spoke perfect English, but he didn’t
understand the nuances. It was as if he was still learning the language. She
added that to her mental list of things she had to discuss with him.

A nerve tightened in Darrogh’s jaw. “How
long you have been following us?”

His harsh tone sent a shiver down her back.
He looked up at her and she sensed rather than saw a flash of reassurance. She
hugged her arms close to her body. She had to trust that he knew what he was
doing. Her father and Winchester had been very clear about her predicament.

She was in danger.

Darrogh and his men were the only reason
she was alive.

“You guys are amateurs.” Peter boasted.
“I’ve been tailing this pretty lady for months now. Things just got interesting
when you appeared.”

“What does that mean?” Darrogh’s eyes
narrowed.

“Miss Creighton stayed at home more than
she went out.”

Darrogh glanced over at her and she nodded.
“I’ve kept a low profile since last year.”

“When you called off your wedding.” Peter
cleared his throat. “That’s about the same time I was hired to follow you.”

“Who hired you?”

Peter shrugged. “That’s confidential.”

Darrogh picked Peter up by his collar and
gave him a shake. “Tell us now. It is my duty to protect Tamsin and you are
preventing that. Nothing gets in the way of my mission.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “The law protects me.
I have a right to do my job without interference.”

Darrogh pulled him close. “Your laws do not
concern me.”

Peter turned to her with a pleading look.
“Tell him to stop.”

Tamsin hugged herself closer. She wanted
this whole sordid thing to go away, but Darrogh shook his head at her. A sense
of calm came over her and even though she disagreed with what they were doing
to the man, she couldn’t deny that Peter had information that they need.

“You had best tell him, Mr. Newton.” She
forced her voice to remain steady.

A flicker of fear passed over the private
investigator’s face.

“I don’t know.” His voice was a whine.

“You have no name?” Darrogh put him back in
his seat. “How do you get paid?”

“I have a mailbox that I use.”

“How do you contact him?”

Peter straightened the collar of his coat.
“We both use the same box. He has a key and so do I. Every evening I deposit
copies of my surveillance photos in it.”

“That does not sound logical.” Savis spoke
for the first time. “Why not electronically. That is how most people do it.”

“He wants to remain anonymous.” Peter
shrugged. “All I care about is that he pays me.”

“Where were you when these pictures were
taken?” Darrogh’s voice was emotionless.

“In my car. I parked in a small lot near
the nightclub and waited. It was just luck the lot was across from the
alleyway.”

“So you saw Tamsin escape.”

“And I followed her.”

“Did you stay in your car?” Darrogh took a
step closer to Peter.

“I wasn’t about to interrupt the
lovebirds.”

Tamsin’s stomach twisted. Something in
Darrogh’s tone alerted her to the seriousness of what was in those pictures.
She reached her hand out for the camera. There on the viewing screen was a shot
of Darrogh holding her in his arms. She was wearing his jacket and slumped back
in his arms. She looked to be completely incapacitated.

The next picture showed her snuggled close
to Darrogh’s chest.

Contentment and peace were evident in her
smile.

Her stomach fluttered when she saw the
expression on Darrogh’s face. He was a man who never showed emotion, yet that
wasn’t the case in this picture. The camera had captured him looking down at
her. There was distress and concern in his gaze. If she didn’t know different,
she’d say it was a picture of two people in love. Her finger traced down the
camera viewing screen.

She clicked through several more of the
photos and found one with her getting into the car with George Saxby. The
pictures were damning.

“What did you do with these photos?” Tamsin
handed the camera to Firbin.

“I gave them to my client.”

“That’s an invasion of my privacy.”
Tamsin’s stomach churned with nausea. “What did I ever do to you?”

“You’re lucky I’m not a paparazzo. The stuff
I’ve shot this past week would have made me a fortune.”

The men froze.

Tamsin held her breath.

“What things?” Darrogh’s tone was low.

Peter glanced up at him with a smile. “All
the partying and clubbing. Miss Creighton’s been taking you guys on a merry
little run around London. I almost felt sorry for you.”

Firbin waved the camera. “There are no
pictures of that here.”

“I had to change the memory card last
night.”

“Where are the other photos?”

“Back at my place.” Peter shrugged. “I
transfer everything to my computer.”

“We will want your computer and the memory
cards.” Darrogh’s voice was threatening.

“You can’t just take them,” Peter
protested. “That’s theft.”

“I will pay you for them.” Tamsin thought
it was time to interrupt before this escalated into a shouting match. The
heavy-handed approach wasn’t going to work. Peter was a businessman and if
there was one thing she knew, that was business.

“I’d also like to pay you for your
services.”

“I can’t work for two people.”

Tamsin kept her voice reasonable. “I’m
offering you more money and the chance at a regular job if you work out.”

Peter glanced up at Darrogh. “Do I have to
be near this guy?”

“For a while, but in time I’ll find a
position for you at Creighton’s. We always need good security people. After
what I’ve heard and seen today, you strike me as being very ingenious.”

Peter leaned back. “I can tell you’re a
person who appreciates good work.”

Tamsin smiled. “I also reward those who
work with me.”

Peter’s eyes narrowed. “I’m getting three
thousand pounds a month, plus expenses.”

“I’ll pay you five thousand pounds and I’m
the only person you work for.” Tamsin crossed her arms. “If you double cross
me, you’ll answer to Darrogh.”

Darrogh took his cue and leaned close.
“There are penalties for lying.”

Peter gulped. “I’ll work for you, but not
with him.”

“He’s the head of my personal security.”
Tamsin wished that Darrogh wasn’t so imposing right now. As if on cue, he
stepped back from Peter and walked to the window. She let out the breath she’d
been holding. Now was her chance to seal the deal.

“What about a signing bonus?”

Peter took his eyes off Darrogh and looked
at her. “What kind?”

“Another five thousand pounds.”

“Done.” The words of acceptance were out of
Peter’s mouth before she’d stopped speaking.

“I do have some terms.” Tamsin continued.
“First, we need all copies of the photos you’ve taken since you started
following me. Second, I need you to help my security team find out who hired
you.”

Peter nodded. “I can give you the photos,
but I don’t know how you’ll locate the man I was working for.”

Darrogh turned away from the window. “Are
you working with us?”

“Yes.” Peter held up his hand. “Remember,
I’m doing this willingly, so no rough stuff.”

“You have my word as a Hunter.” Darrogh
crossed his arms over his chest.

Peter laughed. “Are you really a Hunter?”

“I do not lie.”

Peter stood. “I thought you guys were an
urban legend.”

“We are real.” Firbin grinned.

“Better working with a Hunter than against
one.” Peter straightened his overcoat. “Where do you want to begin?”

“Your apartment.” Darrogh walked toward
Peter. “We need to look at those other photos.”

“What about the guy I’m working for.”

“We will trap him.” Darrogh nodded to Kerm
and Savis. “Take him down to the van. I will be with you shortly.”

Firbin, Breanon, and Jehon went into the
kitchen.

Tamsin was left alone with Darrogh.

She braced herself for an argument. She
clasped her hands together and stood when he approached. He might not like her
interference, but this was still her house, and technically, these guys worked
for her. Besides, Peter Newton was now cooperating with them.

“Can you afford to pay Mr. Newton that much
money?”

Darrogh’s question and concern took her by
surprise.

She nodded. “He operated under your radar for
a week, so he must be good. He can help you for as long as you need him and
then I’ll find a job for him at the Bank.”

“Thank you.” Darrogh hesitated for a
second. “I would have retrieved the information from him.”

“I gave him an incentive to help.” Tamsin
rolled the tension from her shoulders. “It saved time.”

“Everyone on this planet wants something.”
Darrogh sounded cynical.

“You’re being paid by my father. How is
that different?”

“Your father can afford it and he offered.”
Darrogh held her gaze. “If you were in danger and had no money, then we would
still protect you. We are here to right wrongs and provide justice.”

“You hire out your services. That makes you
mercenaries.” Tamsin hadn’t forgotten what her father was paying for her
protection.

“We are warriors.” Darrogh’s voice was low.
“We have been trained to defend and protect. We do that for anyone who is in
need, not just those who can pay.”

“That’s not what my father suggested.”

“You father is a desperate man who will do
whatever he can to protect you. He heard of us and asked for our help. He does
not believe in what we do.” Darrogh crossed his arms over his chest. “He only
cares about results.”

Tamsin rubbed her forehead. Talking with
Darrogh was like walking on egg shells. She didn’t know what would offend or
please him. It was all too much. She was tired and still feeling the
aftereffects of the Rohypnol that she’d ingested the night before. She needed
sleep.

“Go rest.” Darrogh spoke in a soft voice.
“I do not wish for you to be upset. We will talk when I return from Mr.
Newton’s house.”

Tamsin moved toward the stairs. “I have so
many questions and everything is happening too fast for me.”

“I will tell you whatever you want to
know.”

Darrogh reached a hand out to her.

The breath caught in her throat.

She waited for his touch, anticipating the
shock of awareness that would pass through her body. Instead, he dropped his
arm and took a step back. His eyes searched hers for several seconds before he
turned, and left the house.