Switched (3 page)

“He’s checking the rest of the building.”

She felt the blood drain from her head. “I don’t pay him to be hotel security.”

“Craft pays for his expertise. Right now he is ensuring the safety and integrity of the floors above us, which is protocol.”

That was the last place he could be at that moment. She couldn’t have him snooping around. “I need him here.”

Royal’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

She inhaled deeply, trying to calm the sudden swirl of rage and anxiety inside her. If she showed any outward sign of concern, this man would jump on it. He might be insubordinate, but he wasn’t stupid. She knew that from the way his gaze wandered around the room, taking in every movement, assessing and analyzing.

She folded her fingers together in front of her. “McBain has declared himself in charge of Mr. Craft’s personal safety. As such, your man should be in sight of Mr. Craft at all times.”

The stern line of Royal’s mouth eased. “I appreciate your…unique concern for Mr. Craft.”

“Excuse me?” Her voice turned to ice.

Royal didn’t even flinch. Certainly didn’t back off. “You are invested in your boss. I understand that.”

She had to clench her jaw to keep from screaming. All men were the same. They led with their pants, but she did not have the time to charm this one, so she let the fury bubbling inside her erupt into a heated whisper. “Call McBain now. I want him in front of me within the next two minutes.”

“I’ll let him know you requested to talk with him.” Royal nodded, then turned slightly, giving her his back as he motioned for one of his men to step forward.

Angie ignored the sharp dismissal. Roy or whatever his name was would learn the hard way not to cross her. She would make it her mission to put him in the unemployment office.

But not today. She was too busy staring past him to the elevator bank. The red light held on number five, exactly where it was supposed to be, yet she knew in her soul something was deeply wrong.

Chapter Three

Aaron’s bad day tripped and fell right into nightmare territory. He stared at the woman he’d last seen across the table at an Italian restaurant. Same honey-brown hair. Pretty face, intelligent dark eyes. Only this time the smile had been replaced with flat-lined lips. Wariness and more than a touch of female indignation now played across her face.

Risa clearly thought their biggest problem was his late post-date call. Little did she know that was flowers and chocolates territory compared to what they were facing now.

He thought about reaching for her but decided to hold up his hands instead since she looked about two seconds away from hitting something, namely him. “Listen to me.”

She crossed her arms over her stomach until every muscle in her body practically dared him to make another mistake. “Go ahead.”

He waded in even though he knew the smartest thing was to knock her out with the gentlest tap possible, drag her out the door and rush her to safety. But if his dating etiquette ticked her off, he could only guess how she’d react to a physical solution to their current problem.

He’d already dumped a few sins at her feet. Lying to her had seemed like the safest bet at the time. Now not so much.

Then there was the problem of Royal listening in through their private communication circuit. He’d ride Aaron about the date-gone-wrong for years unless Aaron took the focus off the personal conversation and put it back on the mess swirling around them.

“Not a word.” He whispered the command and knew Royal understood when he chuckled over the comm, then mumbled something about Angie wanting him. Right, as if that woman was even on his radar at the moment. “Silence.”

Risa’s eyebrow shot up in a perfect angry teacher glare. “Did you just tell me to shut up?”

“Definitely not.” Hard to explain he was talking to the guy at the other end of a listening device. Better to look like a total jerk than expose every aspect of the operation at this tenuous stage. “I specifically did not use those words. I’m not a total idiot.”

“Really?”

It was time to calm the situation down before she went into ballistic mode. Aaron went with the simple truth. “It’s dangerous here.”

“In the bathroom?”

“You need to see the bigger picture here.”

She exhaled in that you-are-annoying way women telegraphed so well. “I have no idea what that means.”

“The danger is in every inch of this building.”

“This is the strangest excuse for a noncall ever. If you didn’t want to go out again, you could have just said—” Her words cut off at the sound of the sharp whack against the outside wall.

One of his hands went to her mouth, and the other cradled her head from behind. “Quiet.”

This time she followed his direction. Her big eyes popped open even wider as she nodded.

“Someone is out there.” He stalled by stating the obvious. It gave his mind a second to run through the memory of the building’s floor plans.

She held up two fingers.

“What?” He eased his hand away from her mouth.

Her bottom lip trembled. Other than that, her mouth barely moved as she whispered, “They’re huge.”

“What are we talking about?”

“On the elevator. Two men and they’re big. Like the size of a small shed. And pretty scary. Did I mention that?”

Tension rolled across his shoulders and cramped the nerve at the back of his neck. “Did they threaten you?”

“Didn’t say a word. Didn’t really have to. These guys are imposing. I’m thinking any woman alone and without a gun or a massive boyfriend would run.”

Aaron’s muscles unclenched but not much. He still had to hope the two she described were the same two guys he’d been following and not a second muscle team. “I need to get you out of here.”

“There’s a stairwell.”

Her skin had paled to the hue of crisp white sheets. Every few seconds a fine tremble moved through her body and vibrated under his hand. He knew she had to be terrified, but she didn’t curl into a ball or so much as whimper. He found that strength more attractive than her long legs and sexy smile, though those sure were impressive.

The twinge of guilt over not calling her back as promised, as he had intended to do before work kicked up and pounded him, turned into a crashing wave. Any man would be lucky to get another date with her and he’d blown the chance. The least he could do was get her out of the building while he figured out the threat level.

“Stay here.” He eased away from her and slipped across the floor in soundless steps. “Royal?”

When Aaron didn’t get a reply, he tapped on the earpiece. He’d just reached the door when it slammed open and into him. The force shoved him back against the wall. His gun jerked from his fingers and clanked against the tile floor by his feet.

The doorknob jabbed into his midsection as he bit back a curse. One of the men he’d seen from the elevator shoved his weight against the door, banging on his thick body until Aaron thought his chest would cave in. The move stole his breath, trapping his hands in front of him and pinning his back to the wall.

He shifted and shoved, trying to get traction and a better grip, but the metal door crushed his gut, and his strength proved useless. Blackness raged through his veins as his gaze bounced between the vulnerable woman frozen in place in the middle of the room and the muscle trying to knock him unconscious with a door.

The sudden roar of Royal’s voice echoed in Aaron’s ears, but he couldn’t make out the words. All Aaron heard was the rush of his own breath as it moved through him. His brain scrambled for a backup plan.

“Double up.” It was their code for assistance, but Aaron wasn’t even sure he said the words out loud. The doorknob connected with his gut once again and knocked the air right out of his lungs.

The attacker’s friend moved into the room, his shoes quiet against the floor but his shoulders knocking against the door frame. Risa hadn’t exaggerated. He had a thick neck and biceps that kept his arms from lying close to his side. From this distance, it was clear the guy engaged in some serious training. The type that included flipping tractor tires. This guy obviously was in charge.

The man didn’t even spare Aaron a glance. He aimed the gun directly at Risa’s head. “Enough.”

Aaron blinked, knowing he was the intended recipient of that message. “What do you want?”

“Her.”

“Me?” Risa squealed the question, her voice bouncing off the walls.

The attacker held out a beefy hand in Risa’s direction. “Time to go, Angie.”

Risa’s fingers tightened on the edge of the stall door until her knuckles turned white. “I don’t—”

Her gaze raced to Aaron’s face. He nodded, letting her know she could answer. The longer they dragged this out, the better chance Royal could burst in with reinforcements.

Risa swallowed hard enough for her throat to move. “Who’s Angie?”

The leader shook his head as he took a step in her direction. “We’re not doing this.”

“You have the wrong woman.”

“And you’ve wasted enough of my time.”

Risa shook her head, her bewilderment obvious in every part of her body and in her voice. “What is happening here?”

“You don’t get to ask questions.” The leader pointed at Risa before sparing Aaron a glance. “Who are you?”

“I work at Craft. The lady and I met at the party downstairs and came up here for some privacy.” Aaron went for a guy-to-guy moment but knew he’d misfired when a feral smile spread across the leader’s face.

The guy took his time on a visual tour of Risa’s body. “Nice.”

The attacker crowded against the door barked out a laugh as Risa’s face morphed from white to gray. These two made quite a team. The type that reinforced Aaron’s belief in women’s self-defense classes.

“Come here.” The leader reached for her as he made his demand.

Just as fast, Risa stepped back. Her heels clicked against the floor as she scooted her body deeper into the stall.

“Stop.” The leader lunged and grabbed her elbow. With one tug, he had her back in the middle of the room and within inches of the gun in his other hand.

“You have the wrong person.” Her words rushed out.

“Let’s all step back and relax for a second.” Aaron shifted his weight as he spoke. He eased one foot out from behind the door.

“Shut up,” the attacker who was crushing him shouted.

Risa shook her head. “We didn’t do anything.”

“You are on this floor, right where you’re supposed to be.” When the attacker pulled on her arm, she stumbled. “Move again without permission and I’ll put a bullet in your boyfriend.”

The man made the threat, but both men’s guns never wavered. Both pointed at Risa, which gave Aaron the advantage he needed.

With as little movement as possible, he slid his hand into his inside jacket pocket, fumbling with the fabric until his fingers connected with the metal from one of his extra weapons.

Using all his weight, he crashed his body against the door and knocked the backup attacker off balance. His head snapped back when the door connected with his face. Blood spurted from his nose, and his hands went to his face as his attention slipped from the attack.

“Risa, get down!” Aaron barely got the words out before the leader turned toward him.

She dropped to her knees as the room broke into chaos. Aaron got off two quick rounds that boomed through the shouting. One shot exploded through the door, catching the backup attacker in the side and sending him falling back into the hallway on a howl of pain.

Aaron’s second shot slammed into the leader’s shoulder and spun him around and straight into Risa. He stumbled over her, then fell to the floor over her back.

Despite Royal’s yelling in his ear and Risa’s screaming in the small room, Aaron kept moving. He pocketed the fallen attacker’s dropped weapon. With a quick glance at the man heaving and rolling in pain in the hall, Aaron raced toward Risa. He reached down and pulled her up beside him, then pivoted toward freedom.

They got two steps before her trim body turned to deadweight. It was as if her feet fell out from under her. Aaron assumed she tripped and bent down to lift her, only then seeing the death grip the leader had on her ankle.

“Drop the gun.” He issued the order through shallow breaths.

As he held the weapon pointed at them, the man’s hand shook. He blinked repeatedly as if trying to keep a cloud from settling over his mind.

Aaron didn’t waste any time. He kicked out, ramming his heel into the other man’s fist and sending the gun flying from his loose fingers. The second kick landed on the guy’s temple and pressed him into an unconscious heap.

Risa gasped as she lost her balance and Aaron grabbed her. Relief flooded through him when her hand tightened on his. With a tug, he drew her into his arms and held on with all his strength.

Feeling her body shake against his brought reality rushing back. She was a civilian in the wrong place at the very wrong time. She was innocent, as were the people downstairs. Someone was making a move on Lowell and somehow mistook Risa for Angie. The plan reeked of desperation and poor planning. That meant everyone was a target and no one in the building was safe.

Royal’s voice finally registered in Aaron’s ear. Instead of answering, he asked a question of his own. “Where are you?”

“Coming.” A one-word reply, and then silence filled the other end of the line.

“Royal?”

Risa wrapped her fingers around Aaron’s arm. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure.” It was as if the world went quiet. No one even breathed on the other end of the comm.

Worry for his team warred with the fury racing through his body over the attack on Risa and how close he came to having her pulled out of his hands. But the groan in the hallway as the slumped man tried to sit up against the wall refocused Aaron’s attention on the disaster on this floor.

“Stay here.” He tried to move away from Risa, but she held on.

“No way are you walking away from me again.”

Since she left his shooting hand free, he didn’t argue. With her body plastered against his side, he walked toward the injured man.

“Who do you work for?”