His Reluctant Bodyguard (6 page)

Looking down, she shook her head. "Please, Rip --"

But he interrupted her before she could object. "No, listen. I don't know how or why our paths have crossed again, but I am not going to blow it this time. The second I laid eyes on you yesterday, I knew you were still special, that we could have something special. Give us a chance."

Pulling her hand free, she took a step backward and tried to calm her racing heart.

"No, Rip. This is crazy." She bit her lip. "I just started a new six-month contract, and you'll be getting off the ship in two more days when we dock in Martinique. Who knows what you'll be walking into on
Benezet
, much less how long you'll be gone."

She could tell by the set expression on his face that he refused to see her logic. "Whatever is going on there can't have anything to do with me. I'll go long enough to see for myself and get Smith and his agency off my back. I figure it'll take a week, two at the most."

He made it sound like them being together could actually happen, but she knew better. "That doesn't change the fact that you live in California and I'm in Florida."

His stubborn look of determination was back, but his voice sounded cajoling. "
Me
and the guys are looking to expand again. Maybe we should buy a bar in Miami? You have to get off the ship once in awhile and I'll be waiting on the dock when you do."

Heaven help her, she really wanted to believe him, but her practical side wouldn't let her. She'd been down the long-distance relationship path before and it ended badly.

"It'll never work." Avery shook her head and turned to walk away. Better to stop this now when it wouldn't hurt so much.
 

"You don't know until we try." Rip threw up his hands in exasperation and fell into step beside her.

Avery refused to make eye contact as they walked out the front gate and started back across the grassy park. After a few yards, he muttered under his breath, "I'm not giving up, just so you know."

She had a sinking feeling it was going to be a long two days.

Vehicles crowded the parking area creating mass confusion. Avery led the way across the street and flagged down a taxi.
A very small car.
She and Rip were wedged close together in the cramped back seat, legs rubbing and with his arm over her shoulders, his fingers trailing down her arm. Everywhere they touched, she felt tingles of sensation that threatened to derail her practical intentions.

As the cab wound its way through the old downtown district, Rip finally spoke. "Is there someone else?"

Avery didn't think he sounded contrite, or even particularly worried. "Would it matter if I said there was?"

"No." His blunt admission didn't surprise her, though his next words did. "Besides, you didn't kiss like a woman in love with another man."

"Maybe I kiss everyone that way," she said with a haughty tone. If she could keep those feelings of annoyance going, then perhaps she could avoid feeling anything else.

"I know you don't." That smug answer irritated her too, which was good.

But then he pushed some loose strands of hair behind her ear and the brush of his fingers on the side of her face sent an electrical current of awareness coursing through her.
Which was really not good!
The cab made another left turn and relief washed through Avery when she caught a glimpse of Valiant a few blocks in front of them. She needed to get out of such close proximity to
Rip
before her resistance crumbled again.

"Wait! Stop here." Rip suddenly ordered the driver. As she gave him a questioning look, he explained, "I need some sneakers, and I see an athletic shoe store."

The cabbie pulled to the curb, they got out and Rip paid him. Five minutes later, he stood at the register and bought a package of socks and a pair of black and white cross-trainers. Men had no concept of shopping, Avery decided with a sigh.

Back out on the sidewalk, the strong breeze seemed to have followed them from El
Morro
, and puffy white clouds scudded across the sky. Even on the short two block walk back to the ship, Avery found she couldn't maintain her irritation with Rip. His good humor seemed infectious as he pointed to a group of street vendors who had set up their own marketplace in the harbor parking lot.

"How 'bout a souvenir?"

"You're liable to get your pocket picked," Avery warned, even though she knew he would ignore her.

He did, veering into the parking lot. "Careful Miss Knox, I might think you care."

"Just doing my duty as your bodyguard."
She followed as he wound his way through the make-shift stalls and rickety tables that offered the same junk sold all over the Caribbean -- cheap T-shirts, woven straw hats and totes, spice necklaces.

Rip dodged the most obnoxious of the hawkers, and headed for a fabric covered screen displaying colorful beaded earrings. "You have pierced ears, right?"

Thinking he must be the most stubborn man in the universe, Avery nodded, but said, "I told you before, I can't accept --"

"
Gimme
a break," Rip interrupted. "We're not on the ship. Nobody needs to know." He held up an earring with a little silver dolphin charm amid blue beads.
"Besides these match your eyes.
How much?" he asked the young woman standing next to the screen.

"Twenty dollars."

"Rip... " Avery protested.

"Ten," he countered.

Before the woman could reply, Avery heard a loud pop like a fire cracker. Rip staggered, grabbing his arm while the screen of earrings shook.

"Gun!"
Somebody shouted as another pop sounded and a woman screamed.

Rip fell to his knees as chaos erupted all around them.

Chapter 4

A searing pain raced across Rip's upper arm as he went down on one knee. With his other arm, he pulled Avery beside him while screams and shouts rent the air.

Ah shit! Just like the other night in Miami.

Avery landed on her rear next to him, her eyes round with terror. "Are you --" She stopped abruptly and pointed a shaky finger at the bloody slash across his biceps. "
Your arm!
Call 9-1-1!"

Her cry scarcely escaped her lips when a siren wailed. People scrambled out of the way with noisy exclamations in Spanish and English.

"Oh my God, Smith was right," Avery gasped, trying to regain her feet. "Someone is trying to kill you! We've got to get out of here."

"Stay down!" Rip insisted, jerking her back when she stood. Forgetting about the burning pain, he crawled crab-like toward an overturned table, dragging Avery along with him.

In spite of what had happened in Miami, he hadn't really believed the agents. Now he had to admit to himself that their wild stories might actually be true. He was in danger, and by being with him, so was Avery. But how the hell had the bastards found him so fast?

The police roared up at the same time he and Avery reached cover behind the table.

"Not a word," he cautioned in a low growl. "Let's just get back to the ship."

She nodded in silent agreement.

Unfortunately, they didn't make their exit from the parking lot unnoticed. With no less than four police cruisers on the scene, a cop stopped them and began asking questions in Spanish. To
Rip's
surprise, Avery quickly recovered her poise and answered with a calm, business-like tone. After three or four polite questions, the officer let them go.

A clearly agitated Williams, leaning on a cane, met them just inside the gangway. "What the hell were you doing on shore?" he demanded, his expression like a thunder cloud.

"Not now," Avery snapped, obviously not intimidated by the agent's bluster. "Mr. Brown needs to see Doctor Samuelson."

Head held high, she led the way to the elevator. Williams had no choice but to follow, though not happily.

Once inside, Williams scrutinized the scratch on Rip's arm. "Do you know how fucking lucky you were?"

"It's nothing," Rip muttered, but the other man ignored him.

"Maybe now you two idiots will take me seriously." Williams continued, still irate. "Wasn’t the shooting in Miami enough?"

Rip had no answer so he gave a half-shrug with his uninjured arm, while Avery gave him a questioning look.

"By the way, Davis contacted me about an hour ago. Seems your friend Luc
DuBois
never met up with the agents waiting for him at LA-X airport.
Never claimed his luggage either."

"What do you mean?" Rip demanded, but the elevator door slid open and Williams clammed up. "Just a minute," he declared to Avery as he pulled Williams aside into the empty stairwell. "You're saying something happened to Luc?"

Williams looked at him like he was a simpleton and explained in a low tone. "Somebody besides the agency took
DuBois
out of the airport. Whether voluntarily or not, we have to assume he told them everything he knew about you and this operation."

"Luc would never... " Rip started to deny, when another terrible possibility struck him. "Are you telling me he was taken against his will?"

"We've found no evidence of foul play." The other man replied.
"Yet."

Fear stabbed Rip in the gut. He couldn't believe for a moment that the man who'd been his most trusted assistant for over a year would purposely betray him. But the other scenario left him sickened with dread.

Avery, looking visibly shaken herself, reached for his hand.
"Come on. Sick bay is just around the corner."

Swallowing down his growing anxiety, he let her lead him. Williams limped along behind them.

The doctor looked a bit perturbed at first, then alarmed as he cut away the remnants of Rip's T-shirt sleeve. The bullet had grazed a shallow four inch wound on the outside edge of his arm. Shaking his head, the doctor cleaned and bandaged the laceration and asked when Rip last had a tetanus shot. When Rip couldn’t recall, Dr. Samuelson gave him a stinging injection in his uninjured arm while Avery and Williams looked on. Then the doctor told him to change the dressing tomorrow and come back if it looked inflamed.

"Please, gentlemen," Samuelson said to both men. "Try to stay in one piece."

Back out in the empty corridor, Williams returned to dictatorial mode. "I talked to the Captain as soon as I heard from Davis. He agreed to let us remain on board until we reach Martinique, but we have to assume this cover is blown. That means absolutely no wandering around. Effective immediately you are both confined to quarters."

Avery's mouth flew open. "But -- but I have a job."

"Not for the next two days you don't." Williams retorted. "Too many people have seen the two of you together around the ship. That's how I knew you went ashore. Your roommate told me she saw you leaving."

"Crap," Avery muttered.

Rip's fear came thundering back. If he and Williams could weasel their way onto Valiant, someone else could too.
Someone who might harm Avery to get to him.
He couldn't let her out of his sight!

Fighting to keep the panic out of his voice, he told her, "You can stay in the suite with us."

But Williams shook his head. "The suite's too easily accessible. We need to stay someplace less vulnerable. I've asked the Captain for two inside cabins.
One way in and one way out."

"T-two?"
Avery asked
,
her brow furrowed with confusion.

But Rip was already a step ahead. "She's staying with me!"

"Calm down, lover boy," Williams said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm one step ahead of you. But I'm only telling you this once, if you poke so much as a toenail outside the door before we get to Martinique, I move in and --"

"I get the picture," Rip interrupted while Avery sputtered, no doubt at his high-handed tone.

A moment later, they reached the elevator and Williams continued his over-bearing manner. "
Nadeesh
is meeting us at your cabin, Miss Knox, with new key cards. I'll give you five minutes to pack a few things."

Once inside the elevator, Avery cast a withering glance at Williams, but addressed Rip. "I'm only doing this so I won't have your blood on my conscience."

Rip decided the smartest thing he could do was keep quiet. When the elevator stopped, she stomped out without looking at either of them. Their hapless butler stood in the otherwise empty hallway, and Williams took him aside after pointedly looking at his watch.

However, as soon as Avery opened her cabin door a familiar screech greeted them and her red-haired roommate bounded out. "There you are! OOOO!
Hi Mr. Brown.
Hi Mr. Smith."

"Not now, Ginger." Avery brusquely pushed past and pulled a duffle bag from under the bed. Without a pause she opened the closet and threw several pieces of clothing into the bag.

Wide-eyed, Ginger asked, "Is something wrong?"

Williams shoved everyone inside the cabin and closed the door before he turned and eyed Ginger up and down. "Do you have a blonde wig?"