By Sea (6 page)

Chapter 14

Later that night, Brody swayed to Bankie Banx’s soothing sounds, his arms wrapped around a woman with black-as-night skin, dreadlocks, full pouty lips, ocean blue eyes and a gorgeous British accent. A lizard scampered through the sand to his left, and the monkey on the bar screeched as it held a cigarette in its hand and posed for pictures.

He took another sip of beer, trying to remember the woman’s name, but it escaped him. Running his thumb over her lower lip, she caught it between her teeth and bit down gently.

Brody grinned as her hot, wet, tongue swirled around his thumb, and he pulled her closer.

After disengaging his digit from her luscious mouth he leaned down, his lips meeting hers. A jolt of energy traveled through him and landed directly in his groin.

He groaned as she ran her hands up and down his back, the soft lull of the waves hitting the beach a nice backdrop to the guitar and steel drums.

The past two months working for Joe Smith had brought him peace, relaxation, and he finally felt as though he were actually living again, instead of just existing. His life was finally his own, and he had truly shed his past. This new start provided him with a happiness he never expected, and everything about it felt good and right.

“I’ll catch you later, man,” Jason murmured in Brody’s ear as he clapped his shoulder. Brody turned and saw Jason being led out of the bar by a blonde woman in a blue dress, and he chuckled. She could have been Ashley’s, Mr. Gleason’s girlfriend, sister.

He turned to the dark beauty in his arms. “Would you like to come home with me?” he asked, his tone low and quiet.

“You certainly don’t mince words,” she said with a smile.

“Nope. I’ve learned life is too short not to reach out and get what I want, and right now, I really, really want you.”

She raised her eyebrows and pressed her chest into his. Brody felt the hard peaks of her nipples through the light fabric of his shirt, her blue eyes dancing under the torches above. “I’ll have to give that some consideration,” she said against his lips, “but another margarita would definitely help sway my decision.”

Brody kissed her again. “Sounds good,” he murmured. “What flavor?”

Chapter 15

Rayna sat at her desk finishing up the day’s paperwork. She sighed as she looked at the clock and realized it was dinnertime.

Another night eating alone didn’t sound very appetizing, but hunger chawed at her gut. As it was Friday, she decided a bottle of wine would complement her frozen dinner nicely.

She slipped on her jacket and stood, and then shut off her computer. As she left the building, she waved to a few stragglers. Her personal phone began to ring as she slipped into her black Altima.

Keeping two phones, one for business and one for personal use was a necessity in her life. She knew many CIA agents who had one phone for both uses, but she wasn’t allowed that option based on her family lineage.

She pulled it from her pants pocket, looked at the number and answered. “Papa?”

“Yes, love. How are you?”

“I’m good. How are things with you?”

She pulled out of the parking lot as she listened to her father’s quiet, tired voice.

“
Mierda
, not good, my beautiful daughter.”

Rayna’s gut clenched at his words. “What’s wrong, Papa?”

He sighed. “Your sister is in trouble, and she needs your help.”

Rayna silently cursed.

Her half-sister, Margarita Garcia, was one of the biggest and brightest names in Latin pop culture. She could be found on almost any South American TV channel shaking her ample assets and crooning about her inability to find a man to make her happy. She was also one of the most spoiled, obnoxious, demanding women Rayna had ever met, and the word “diva” did not even begin to explain her sisters’ behavior at times. Despite their vast differences in attitude and the way they lived their lives, Rayna still loved her half-sister.

“What kind of help?” she asked.

“I need you to go with her for a week or two, as protection.”

As she pulled on to the freeway, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“Rayna, my love, please. She’s got a crazy fan. I’ve found her the best protection I can, but I would feel better if you were there with her. You know how I feel about family: I don’t trust anyone more than my family, and with your training, you’re perfect for this.”

“And what about my job?” she asked in Spanish. “How am I supposed to explain this unexpected leave you want me to take?”

“I don’t know,” he answered in English. “Perhaps you could take some vacation leave? Or sick time? Do they offer you those?”

Rayna’s eyes blurred with tears of rage. She had been working tirelessly to hopefully get the attention of her superiors, and maybe get out from behind the desk. She hadn’t taken any vacation time this year, and she had weeks of sick time saved, as she hadn’t missed a day since she started two years ago. Asking for vacation time now just seemed like a step backward as she felt she needed to be at the office to prove her self.

However, her father needed Rayna to babysit her spoiled, self-absorbed, aggravating half-sister. “I need to call you back,” she murmured, unwilling to let her father hear the anger in her voice. She hit the “off” button and drove home. Once she pulled into the garage of her condominium, she pressed the garage door remote and watched it close in her rearview mirror.

When it hit the floor, she slammed her hands against the steering wheel, the angry tears cascading down her cheeks.

Her sister was everything Rayna wasn’t. Raised at her father’s compound in Mexico, she’d grown up with everything she needed, a roof over her head and food on the table, not to mention everything she wanted. There were no limits to Margarita’s demands, and they were all met.

Rayna wiped her eyes and exited the car. As she stepped into the small kitchen, she flipped on the light. Pouring a glass of Chardonnay, she once again compared herself to Margarita. Everything about them seemed to be exactly opposite. While Rayna tended to be quiet and reserved, Margarita never could get enough attention, which was why she had clawed her way up into the spotlight and now lived the life of one of Latin America’s greatest singers, and she was damn good. Curvy, and beautiful with long, black, curly hair cascading down her shoulders and emerald green eyes, she cut an impressive figure as she gyrated and crooned her Spanish songs ranging from dance music to gorgeous ballads of love. She was outgoing and open with her life, always willing to participate in interviews with the Latin American gossip magazines and TV shows. She thrived on social media with hundreds of thousands of followers. Two months ago when Rayna had last talked to Margarita, she had mentioned that she would be gunning for the American crowd in the near future. “I’m going to kill them with love, song, and dance!” she had exclaimed, and every time Rayna went to the store she glanced at the gossip magazines waiting to see Margarita’s face gracing the covers. It was only a matter of time.

The fact that the flamboyant, attention-seeking woman had found herself a crazy fan didn’t surprise Rayna in the least. Her training kicked in, and she wondered how far this crazed fan had gone with Margarita, and Rayna realized she hadn’t bothered to get any of the details of what exactly had transpired for her father to hire special security. Why didn’t he just take her to his compound in Mexico?  His men would die to protect whatever her father asked them to. For God sake, he led one of the biggest drug Cartels in Latin America. Surely his house would be safe enough for his daughter?

Finishing her wine, she moved to the couch and turned on the TV. Stopping at CNN she didn’t really hear what they said, but instead, her thoughts churned with all the unanswered questions she had. She may not have anything in common with her sister, but they were blood, and her father had always drilled into her that family was the most important thing. However, she did have a life to live, and she needed to figure out where to draw the line between putting her own life on hold and helping her sister.

Chapter 16

Brody’s bed shook, but he didn’t understand why. They weren’t at sea, that much he remembered. What he didn’t recall was what happened between the bar and him landing on his own mattress.

“Get up, you piece of shit,” Heidi snarled, kicking his bed again. Heidi was around twenty-five years old and very pretty with her long blonde hair, tanned skin and blue eyes. However, that beauty was quickly erased when she opened her mouth. She possessed the demeanor of an angry snake and the mouth of a well-traveled sailor.

“Good morning, you lovely, sweet woman,” he mumbled, rolling over.

“I mean it, Brody,” she muttered. “Get up. Joe Smith has called twice wanting to speak to you, and I’m tired of covering for your ass.”

Brody threw back the covers and stood.

“Jesus, Brody! Would you put some damn clothes on?” Heidi yelled, throwing a robe at him.

Brody chuckled, catching the robe as it sailed across his small quarters. “What’s wrong, Heidi? Never seen a naked man before?”

“More than I care to admit,” she grumbled, “and too much of you. Joe will call again in an hour.”

The door slammed and Brody dropped to the ground and pounded out fifty push-ups. He flipped over and crushed one hundred sit-ups. Feeling much better, the happenings of the previous night flooded him as he stepped into the warm shower spray.

He had gone back to the very beautiful Mona’s hotel room—bonus points for remembering her name—and he’d stumbled home when the sun came up. He smiled as he recalled her soft skin and the way her eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight as they sat on the beach sharing lazy, languid kisses. The sea gently lapped against the shore, and he could see dolphins about a hundred yards out rolling through the water, the moonlight glistening off their backs, obviously as content as he had been.

As he quickly shampooed his hair, he wondered what time it was, and what Joe wanted. Perhaps it was time to take on another client.

Stepping from the shower, he studied his reflection in the mirror. Baggage from the night before circled his dark eyes, and running his fingers through his black hair, he decided he needed a haircut. After throwing on some shorts and a t-shirt, he made his way up to the main deck and stopped by the galley. “Good morning, Danny,” he said to the chef. He fought daily to keep the pounds off as he consumed Danny’s amazing cooking.

“Good morning, Brody,” he said, his eyes never leaving his frying pan. “I’ve got eggs benedict on tap for you, but since it’s almost eleven, it will be a brunch type deal.”

Brody nodded. Danny’s dark as night skin shone under the fluorescent lights, his graying hair worn close to his skull. How the guy remained so skinny was beyond Brody’s comprehension as everything he cooked was nothing short of a miracle being dropped on the taste buds. “Sounds good,” Brody said. “I appreciate it, man.”

“No worries,” Danny called as Brody moved into the Main Salon. Katie was busy cleaning the flat screen TV on the wall. “Good morning, Katie,” he said.

“Hello, Brody!”

While Heidi was young and pretty, Katie was in her forties, rail thin, buckteeth, and plain brown eyes and hair. However, she had the disposition of good faeries, unicorns, and leprechauns: everyday was a gift and a new adventure to her, and she never stopped smiling. She could also hit the bull’s-eye of a target at a hundred yards and was a black belt in karate. Brody considered her his most important team member besides Jason.

Speaking of . . . where was he?

“Katie, have you seen Jason yet?”

“I haven’t, but if I do, I’ll radio you!” she chirped as she moved to the back deck.

The rest of the crew didn’t have any funky abilities like he did that he was aware of, and Brody hadn’t shared his with them. They often commented about the pod of dolphins that never seemed too far away from the yacht, but since his arrival, Brody had been calm and happy, and the sea had mirrored his mood.

Danny brought out the Eggs Benedict just as the satellite phone rang. Brody nodded thanks to Danny, took a quick bite of his breakfast and answered the phone by the third ring.

“Hey, Joe,” he said, trying to chew his food, but not let Joe hear him doing so.

“Good, afternoon, Brody. Is it safe to say that you had a nice evening?”

Brody chuckled. “You could say that.”

“Good. It’s very important for you and the crew to let off steam when not working. I know your jobs can be stressful.”

Brody really appreciated the way Joe cared about the boat crew. He wanted them all happy so their commitment to the assignments didn’t waver. In a nutshell, sometimes they had people’s lives in their hands, and they all needed to be in top form. That included being given time to rest, relax, and have some fun.

“Thanks, Joe.”

“Of course. However, it is time to get back to work, Brody.”

“Great. What’s next?”

“Have you ever heard of Margarita Garcia?” Joe asked.

“Nope. Should I?”

“It would be a possibility if you are into the pop culture, but you don’t strike me as that type of man.”

Brody laughed. “Yeah, you got that right. I haven’t had a lot of time for pop culture while being shot at in Afghanistan or blown up in Guatemala.”

“Yes, I figured as much.”

Brody took another bite of his Eggs Benedict as he listened to Joe. Apparently, Margarita Garcia was a huge Latin pop star sensation. Her star shone bright in South America, the people loved her, and she loved them. “She’s very popular among her people, and she is making inroads into the United States. My guess is she will be a worldwide sensation within the next year or so.”

“Is she the new client?” Brody asked.

“Yes, she is.”

“What kind of trouble did she get into?”

Joe sighed. “Apparently she has a crazy fan whose behavior has escalated beyond writing love letters and into violence.”

Brody let out a small whistle. “Really? Like what?”

“Her father, who is footing the bill for us to protect his daughter, says this fan has killed her cat, sent her threatening notes, and even had roses dripping with blood delivered to her.”

“Wow. That does sound crazy.”

“I agree. When he obtained our protection services, I offered to have his problem taken care of, but he said he would handle it. I’m not sure what he does, but the check cleared, so it isn’t my concern.”

Brody winced. The fact of the matter was the other half of Joe’s business made him a little antsy. The more he heard about the side of the business that dealt with the “problems,” Brody couldn’t help but wonder if Joe provided assassins for hire as well. For Mr. Gleason, Joe knew it had been a matter of removing Gleason from the picture so a financial arrangement could be arranged with his soon to be ex-wife. For the Russian, it was a matter of securing the asylum. What would the “other half” of Joe’s business do with a crazed fan?

However, he wasn’t going to share his questions or doubts with Joe, or anyone else.

“When does she check in?” he asked as Jason walked in looking a little worse for wear. Brody gave him a nod, and Jason waved as he headed downstairs to the crew quarters. “And is she bringing anyone else?”

“It will be Thursday or Friday, and her father said she may be bringing her sister, but when I talked to her father last night, it wasn’t confirmed.”

“Okay, sounds good. Will pick up be in St. Maarten again?”

“No. I’ve arranged for pick up in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. It’s about an eleven hour trip for you.”

“We’ll head out first thing in the morning, get the provisions for the boat once we reach St. Thomas, and be ready for Ms. Garcia on Thursday or Friday.”

“Excellent. Thank you, Brody. I’ll email the details to you when I have them.”

Brody hung up and called a crew meeting. A few minutes later, Heidi scowled at him as she sat down on the white leather couch in the Main Salon. Katie smiled as she took a seat next to Heidi, and Jason rubbed his face as he tried to look alive, sitting across from Heidi and Katie. Dark circles ringed his eyes, and he had the satisfied look of a man who had been used for many hours during the night. Danny pulled out one of the leather chairs from the dining room table and straddled it.

“Okay people,” Brody said once everyone was settled. “We have our next assignment. Her name is Margarita Garcia. Apparently she’s some big—”

“
The
Margarita Garcia?” Jason asked, sitting up in his seat. “As in Margarita Garcia, the Latin pop star?”

Brody narrowed his eyes. “Yeah. I take it you’ve heard of her?”

Jason nodded, smiling. “She’s only one of the hottest women on the planet, Brody, and her voice is like smooth butter or rich chocolate.”

“You’re seriously going compare her voice to food?” Brody asked.

“I am. She’s amazing,” Jason gushed, his crush on Margarita evident.

“I assumed she sang in Spanish,” Brody said.

“She does.”

“You speak Spanish?” Brody asked.

“Nope. But I could listen to her all day long while watching her videos. Those things are hot as hell.”

“So you can’t understand a word she says?” Heidi asked.

Jason shook his head.

“How do you know she’s not singing about dumb, American gringo boys who think of nothing but what’s between their legs?” Heidi asked.

Jason shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me what she’s saying, Heidi. When she shakes that ass and looks over her shoulder with her hair going all over the place, man, she could be telling me to go fuck myself, and I wouldn’t care.”

Heidi rolled her eyes and Katie burst out laughing.

“Okay, Jason. Glad to know you’ve got a thing for our guest,” Brody said, wondering if there wasn’t a woman Jason didn’t have a thing for. “Remember, we’re here to offer her protection, not bed her.”

Jason nodded, a faraway look in his eye.

Brody explained how Joe wanted them in St. Thomas for Margarita’s pick up, and his plan for travel and then getting the provisions for the boat when they arrived.

“Will it be just her?” Danny asked.

“We aren’t sure yet. She may be accompanied by a family member,” Brody answered.

“When will we know?” Danny asked. “I need to make sure we’re stocked up on food.”

“Joe said he’d let us know in the next couple of days, before Margarita arrived.”

There was silence as Brody waited for other inquiries or comments, but none came. “Anyone have any other questions?” Brody asked.

Everyone shook his or her head. “Okay then. We’re out of here first thing in the morning. Let’s get to work.”