Unmasked (Godmother Security Book 1) (12 page)

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Cindy paced around her room for two hours.  She needed to get some rest, but she couldn’t make her mind stop working overtime.  After falling asleep in Sebastian’s arms and waking up there this morning, she knew it was time to tell him the truth.  She’d tried all day to work up the courage, but kept talking herself out of it with the excuse that it would make things too awkward.  The assignment would be over soon.  As soon as the FBI announced Duke’s arrest the next morning Faye would pull her team off this detail.  Then Cindy could tell him she was the mysterious Ella from the charity ball just before she left.  If she told him sooner it might jeopardize his safety if he was too angry at her to listen to her, assuming a dangerous situation arose.  He might even be angry enough to send her away immediately. 

In theory, there may not be any danger at all.  The FBI could be right, and the Bauers could be headed for the hills, twenty-five mil in hand.  But what if Faye were right, and Cindy would become their target once they knew Andrew Duke was in jail?  It wouldn’t matter.  She could take care of herself.  She would just need to get away from Sebastian to keep from putting him in further danger.

Her brain had been whirling all day, and she’d avoided being alone with Sebastian to keep herself from babbling all over him.  Or worse, doing what she’d wanted to do last night and kiss him until he recognized her. 

She’d been able to avoid him most of the day without seeming like she was avoiding him.  She done her duty shift that morning, opting to carry the tablet with her and do rounds around the cabin as well as the tree line and down to the gate.  Sebastian had spent most of the evening on video chat with his mother.  In preparation for the FBI’s announcement on Monday, Prince Senior had told his wife about her nephew putting a contract out on Sebastian.  She had been, understandably, distraught.  He’d spent a couple of hours reassuring her he was safe.

Cindy had excused herself early for bed, claiming exhaustion, which was not untrue. But sleep eluded her.  Unable to sit still and tired of pacing miles around the bedroom, she put her shoes back on, tucked her phone and gun into her sweatpants pocket and went downstairs. 

Sebastian, Jack, and Gus all sat around the dining table playing a game of cards.  She noticed the video surveillance feed was on the TV monitor mounted on the wall across from the leather sofa and the tablet was on the table next to Gus.  He was obviously still doing his job, so she didn’t give him any grief about playing cards while on duty. 

She held up her hand as she walked by and they all turned to look at her.  “Just going for a walk, carry on.”

She walked slowly down the hill leading to the lake and to the end of the pier where she sat down, dangling her legs off the end.  She let the cool night air and sounds soak into her, calm her. 

After a few minutes she heard steps on the pier behind her and turned to see Sebastian walking towards her illuminated by the exterior lights of the boathouse.  “You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

“I’m not alone, you’re here.”

“But I didn’t know you were out here until just now.  You know you are supposed to have someone with you when you leave the house,” she chided, yet with no real heat behind the words.  She was glad to see him.

“Do you think there is still danger?” he asked.

“I do, at least until the FBI releases the information on your cousin’s arrest tomorrow.  You should be safe after that.”

His mouth curved into a sheepish smile.  “In that case, I’m sorry I didn’t obey the rules.  But since I’m out here with you now, can I stay?”

She scooted over a little.  “Sure.”

He slid down next to her, the bottoms of his sneakers skimming the water as his legs dangled off the pier next to hers.

“So, what are you doing out here?” he said, his tone sounding like a parent that just caught his teenager sneaking in after curfew.  “You should be in bed.  Your shift starts in six hours and I know you won’t let either of the guys cover for you.  You need some rest.”

The genuine concern in his voice washed over her in warm waves.  “I know.  I just can’t sleep.”

“Another bad dream?” The boathouse lights washed his face with a warm glow that clearly showed the soft understanding etched into his features. 

“No.  I can’t even get to sleep.  I’m a little on edge.  I thought coming out here might help me relax.”

“Is there something in particular bothering you?” he asked.

“No.” She stared out over the water so he wouldn’t see the lie on her face.  “Probably I had too much coffee today.”

“Now, why don’t I believe you?”

Because I’m a big fat liar.
  “You have trust issues?” she tried to inject a little laugh into the words, but it fell flat.

His fingers curled around her chin and gently turned her face to his.  “If it’s about last night…”

She cut him off.  “No, well, yes, kind of.  I was very unprofessional.”  His touch was searing her skin and the scent of him filled her senses until she couldn’t think.  “I really shouldn’t have—but that’s not the issue…”

This time he cut off her words, but instead of talking over her he put an end to all conversation by pressing his lips to hers.

Everything she’d worked so hard to keep reigned in since last night broke free inside her and she leaned into the kiss, wrapping her arms around him automatically.  His hands slid into her hair, pulling her closer.

She sighed her pleasure into his mouth and he deepened the kiss.  Coherent thought had fled the moment their lips had touched, and now all she could do was feel, want, need.

Finally, when they were both breathless, he gave up possession of her mouth and pulled back, his hands still in her hair, his eyes dark and blazing, his voice rough and ragged.  “Cindy, do you believe in love at first sight?”

“What?”  She mumbled, dazed and trembling.

“I said, do you believe in love at first sight?”  He said, trailing his lips down the sensitive skin of her throat.

The delicious heat of his body pressing into hers and the sensation of his soft lips against her skin had her distracted.  She ran her tongue over her kiss swollen lips and tried to think.  Did she believe in love at first sight?  No, she didn’t.  Except with him.  Had that been love at first sight or just lust?  Had it grown into love in just a few days?  Was that what she felt for him? 

“No.  Not at first sight,” she answered, breathless.  “Do you?”

He ran his tongue around the outside of her ear and nipped the lobe lightly.  “Yes.”

For one moment her heart leapt into her throat.  Then plummeted again.  She tried to focus on what his words meant but the way his hand was slowly, almost lazily, rubbing across her breast made it hard to do anything but feel.   “Is that what happened with your girl at the ball?  Love at first sight?”

“Yes,” he said between kisses across her collar bone.

Cindy went still.   All of the blood in her body rushed to her head, causing it to roar with pain while the rest of her body mourned the exquisite sensations of a moment ago.  In her mind a small part of her screamed with joy.
Yes! He loves me! 
But the realist in her knew it wasn’t that simple.  He loves the girl from the ball, he doesn’t know it’s me.  He’s lying here about to make love to me telling me he loves me, but he doesn’t know it’s me.  He thinks it’s a different woman.

Mustering all the strength she could to keep her voice steady.  “Then what are you doing here with me?”

He must have heard the anguish in her voice because he stopped his trail down to her chest leaned up over her.  His eyes were unreadable. 

A tiny red dot appeared in the center of his forehead.

“Cindy, I…”

Without thinking Cindy placed her hands on Sebastian’s shoulders and pushed as hard as she could.  She rolled with him until she was covering him as the world exploded around them.  Wood splinters flew as bullets hit the pier around them. 

“Hold on to me!” she yelled in his ear to be heard over the gunfire.  As soon as his arms went around her she put her knee between his legs and pushed hard, rolling them both over and into the lake. 

They splashed into the water, between the dock and the Cessna, just missing the pontoons that kept the plane afloat.  Sebastian came up sputtering and Cindy pulled him back down under the water just as a bullet punctured the wing directly above the spot his head had been.  She pulled him over just enough so that the next time he came up he was under the pier. 

They both came up for air, gasping for breath. 

“Holy fuck!  They are really shooting at us.”  Sebastian gasped out.

“Yeah, that generally happens when there is a contract out on you.”  She bit out.  “Come on, we’ve got to get out of here.  Are you hit?  Can you swim?” 

“Not hit.  I can swim.”  He gulped in huge amounts of air between sentences.

“Okay, we are going to the boat house.  When we get there, stay in the water between one of the boats and the dock.  Do NOT get near the windows or the opening? Got it?” Cindy ordered.

“Got it.”

“Ok. Let’s go.”  She sank beneath the water and swam beneath the dock and into the opening in the floor of the boathouse.  Within seconds Sebastian was beside her. 

The boathouse was bigger than some apartments Cindy had lived in.  It had boat slips separated by a narrow wooden dock.  One slip housed a powerboat that looked to be about fourteen feet long, the other was the aluminum boat with a small outboard motor Sebastian and Jack had fished in the day before and a dinky rowboat that looked like it had seen better days.  Both walls were lined with shelves and hooks teeming with boating and fishing supplies.  The two windows were high enough that she could stand without being seen. 

“Wait here.”  She slid out of the water and crouched on the floor.  She motioned for Sebastian to do the same and stay low.   It was dark, the only light was that streaming in through the windows and boat opening from the security lights outside.   She didn’t dare turn on a light, the shooting had paused for a moment and she knew it would only be seconds before they figured out where they were.  The shooter may not venture out into the open, especially with Jack and Gus out there shooting back, but the thin boathouse walls wouldn’t stand up very well to a barrage of bullets.  She hoped Jack and Gus could buy enough time for her to get Sebastian clear. 

She glanced around in the dark room, her mind racing.  The logical choice would be to try to escape in the motorboat.

She glanced at Sebastian crouching on the dock.  “Is that thing pretty fast?” she asked, nodding towards the boat. 

He grinned.  “It’s not built for speed, but it should get us out of here pretty quickly.  It’s built for shallow water, so if we got into the shadows we could hug the shoreline to stay hidden.” 

“Can it be rigged to go on its own? Can the steering be tied?” 

“Yes, but…” Sebastian started, his voice easily conveying his confusion. 

“Do it.  Stay away from the windows.”  She barked her orders, all business.  For a moment the memory his body pressing into hers on the pier invaded her mind, but she shook it away.  She had to get them both out of here alive, then they could discuss whatever it was between them.

To her surprise, he didn’t argue.  He went right to work gathering the materials he needed from the walls and a large storage chest in the corner.  While he worked Cindy headed to the back of the dock to the door that led into the front living area of the boathouse.  There was a set of bunk beds, a small sofa and a dresser with a small TV and mini fridge.

Being careful to stay low and out of the line of the windows she worked quickly.  She lay flat on her stomach and reached under the bottom bunk.  Just as she suspected both Jack and Gus had stowed their emergency gear there.  She pulled out two black gym bags.  She opened and rifled through each of them in turn.  She turned up three handguns with a box of ammo each, two knives, two flashlights, and sundry other survival gear. 

Unfortunately there weren’t any spare cell phones in the gear.  They both had theirs on them.  Cindy pulled hers from her pocket, praying for a break, but water dripped from it and it wouldn’t turn on.  Useless.  She tossed it aside.  Her gun must have fallen out in the water, but it probably would have been just as useless as the phone. 

She stuck her head back into the boat room.  “Do you have a waterproof bag?”

Sebastian, who was in the floor of the boat tying off the rope, wordlessly pointed to the corner chest.  She rummaged through it, found what she needed and ran back into the bedroom.    She put everything she thought she could carry into the bag, including a couple of bottles of water from the mini fridge.  She grabbed a couple of pillows and blankets and went back into the boat room. 

Just as she stepped onto the dock the windows in the bedroom shattered behind her. 

“Shit!” She screamed.  “They found us.  Are you done? “

“Almost.”  He yelled back over the sound of bullets pelting into the wood outside.   While he finished rigging the boat she threw the blankets and pillows into the boat and arranged them on the seats.  Outside she could hear four distinctly different guns.  The barrage on the boathouse slacked up a little as the shooters defended themselves against Jack and Gus’s return fire.