All eight of Liam's recently displayed crewmembers lounged lazily outside of the vehicles, leaning against steel wherever it was available. Inez was even sprawled along one of the hoods in a way that was only missing a revealing bikini. Instead, she was in her regulation blacks, the sleeveless tank and heavily pocketed pants covering all but her arms. Everyone wore identical outfits, right down to the sunglasses, combat boots, and dog tags.
Inez sat up alertly when Spencer came running up at Liam's back. Liam had a thumb hooked under the strap of his gear bag on his shoulder, which allowed him to discreetly cut a finger across his throat, negating any action from his wary people. Everyone continued to lounge in place, though he knew eight pairs of eyes watched attentively.
“Nash! Wait!”
Liam took his time, reaching to stow his gear in the back of the lead Hummer. When he heard Carter Spencer reach the drive, he turned and leaned casually on the warm black metal of the truck.
“What is it, Spencer? I've a busy day and you already wasted my morning.”
“Well, I hope you have time free at three o'clock. Devon Candler would like to see you if you're available.”
Spencer was all amiability and excitement, as if he were bestowing a great honor on Liam and his partners. In a way, he was. Devon Candler was a notorious recluse and personal interviews were rare. That would be useful to Liam if he eventually took on the security detail for Candler. It was harder for enemies to gun for someone when the target hardly ever exited their secured environments, gave away no personal information, and rarely allowed photographic images of themselves to be caught. On the other hand, it also made for a severely limited amount of information on his potential client. Liam didn't like mysteries, especially when the lives of his people were a factor.
“Inez,” he called over his shoulder without looking away from Spencer, “tell Mr. Spencer if my three o'clock is available.”
Inez sat forward with a grin, pretended to consult her memory for all of an instant, and then said dutifully, “His three o'clock is already booked.” She smiled. “However, you are available for the next two or three hours, boss.”
“But I was told . . .” Spencer sputtered. “You can't justâ!”
“You're the secretary. Isn't it your job to move things around? Upload the directions to this number and tell your boss I'm on my way.” Liam reached for a card in his pocket, flicking it at Spencer, who barely caught it as he frantically pulled out a smart phone that no doubt had the exact details of Candler's schedule on it. Liam frowned when Spencer accessed the device without so much as a password or thumbprint for security.
That
, he thought,
will be the first thing to go
. “Flores, Gordon, you're with me.”
Inez and Kellen hopped into motion, swinging into the truck's front seats. Liam climbed in the back after dismissing everyone else to their regular schedules back at the NHK compound. Inez started the truck while Kellen turned on the SatNav system that would take the directions Spencer was about to upload. The satellite navigation system would pinpoint the exact location of the address and the quickest way to get there, as well as tracking fuel stops, hospitals, local law enforcement, and dozens of other vital stats that always came in handy. However, thanks to Roni Klein's inventive genius, they had the added bonus of having SatNav keep track of known and evolving Morphate clan locations, as well as other potential hotspots in the areas they would be passing through.
These types of clever programs, as well as inventions like the new body armor, earned NHK lucrative contracts. Between their facilities, private security services, and the research and development, NHK was a well-rounded success.
They could afford to indulge in tossing a little arrogance in Spencer's face.
“Where to, Liam?” Inez asked cheerily.
“Head north, champ. I'm thinking the thruway,” Liam speculated. Inez knew enough to trust his instincts and she obeyed without hesitation.
“So, you think we'll have any trouble getting an appointment?” Kellen asked with a grin as Liam pulled out his laptop and began to negotiate with the SatNav wireless system. It always took a while for Roni's encryptions to engage, but it was also the only way of ensuring the highest level of privacy during transmission, allowing Liam to work freely without fear of being hacked.
“I don't see why not,” Liam mused a little absently, scrolling through screens quickly while he waited for his connection. He drew up the NHK schedule and began thinking about how much personnel, time, and equipment was going to be needed to guard Devon Candler.
He would personally be in charge of this operation. Leo White Crow and Kadian Corelli, the other two Field Leaders in this region, were involved in other assignments. He was fine with that. He'd just returned from a training seminar at Langley, and his team was itching to get back into the field. They trained hard while he was away, but his people needed the adrenaline of real action and reaction. They were just hardwired that way.
“So, what work are you two looking for?”
“Initial,” they chorused.
“That's a 24/7 haul the first week, Inez. What about your boy?” Liam asked.
“He's staying in San Francisco with my folks for the next two weeks. I am free, free, free as a bird.”
“Translated: She's bored, bored, bored out of her ever-loving skull without him,” Kellen chuckled. “Put us on days,” her partner requested for them, “both for initial and afterward for when the little man comes home.” Liam made note of it, knowing that Kellen knew everything Inez required, and that the reverse was also true. The pair was the best-meshed team he'd ever worked with, and they were best friends besides.
“Did we get that upload yet, Kell?”
“Yeah. You were right about the thruway. It'll take us about an hour more to get there. How'd you figure Candler was north of us?” Kellen asked him.
“Candler's reputation for seclusion. The far edge of the Catskills is ideally suited for privacy and anonymity, and yet within easy travel to the resources at the leading edge of the mountains and New Manhattan. Spencer also dropped some clues earlier.”
“What're you expecting?” Kellen wondered.
“Honestly?” Liam shrugged a large shoulder negligently. “I wouldn't be surprised if the property gave the NHK compound a run for its money.”
Inez snorted at that likelihood. “We never get that lucky. I'm betting on a modern showplace with enormous windows and brilliant interior lighting. Not to mention a whining, wealthy brat to help create a security nightmare. Did you catch the dork and the fancy smart phone? The thing comes with powerful pass protection imbedded and he doesn't even use it.”
“Yeah,” Liam said grimly, even more annoyed with that safety hazard now that Inez had also noted it. “But Spencer is one thing and Candler another. Just because Carter Spencer is a pompous ass doesn't mean his boss will be.”
“Let's hope not,” Kellen muttered, not sounding at all hopeful.
Chapter Two
“I should have put money on it,” Liam mused as they drove slowly up the winding drive to Devon Candler's mansion. There were extremely high brick walls surrounding the entire property, he was already counting security cameras, and they'd come through a security gate that actually lived up to its name for a change.
“I don't get it. What are we needed for, exactly?” Kellen asked in perplexity.
“Physical equipment isn't everything,” Liam reminded him as Inez parked the Hummer. “C'mon, let's find some answers. Keep your opinions, speculations, and conversation to yourself from this point on, okay?” Without knowing what they were getting into, Liam didn't want them spewing information. Of course, he didn't think his people would do that, but it never hurt to speak reminders out loud.
“Got it,” Inez agreed for them both.
Liam led the way. Each watched their surroundings warily as they were led through an enormous foyer and into a room at the front of the mansion.
“Well, the butler just let three heavily armed people into the house without so much as physically checking our identification.” Liam turned to cock a wise brow at Kellen. “Whether we're expected or not, that's an unforgivable lapse. Beginning to see why we're needed?” Kellen nodded, his hand absently resting on the butt of his main pistol.
Liam was prepared to wait a while, considering their precipitous arrival, but a servant entered the room within only a few minutes. It actually pleased Nash to know Candler wasn't going to play games with them, like Spencer had tried to do, by making them wait.
“You may have an audience alone, Mr. Nash, and your companions may make themselves comfortable until they're needed,” the butler instructed carefully.
Liam nodded shortly in acknowledgment and he looked back at his team. He touched his watch and silently made a sign meaning “fifteen minutes.” They would make contact one way or another by then; comprehension was in their eyes.
Nash turned and followed the manservant out of the room and up a sweeping staircase that was the centerpiece of the entryway. From the tumbled travertine marble beneath the fine indigo carpet protecting it, to the highly polished brass banisters, it spoke of art and style as much as function.
He took note of everything he passed, counting rooms and hallways, marking exposures and exits. It wasn't much of an assessment because he was shortly led into a large room little different from the one he'd left Inez and Kellen in. It was another parlor of sorts with plainly upholstered furnishings in a very spartan style. There were minimal pieces, making the hung artwork the central focus. Liam noted a second set of doors at the opposite side of the long room and at once realized this was where his future client would enter.
He wasn't disappointed. When he heard the click of a turning latch a few minutes later, he faced the approach with nothing between himself and the door. This left a long expanse of carpeting to act as a runway, and he would use the span to observe his prospective client. The doors opened with a burst of energy, a no-nonsense movement and confidence, and in walked Devon Candler.
Time suddenly ground to a halt for Liam. Every single muscle in his heavily powered body contracted abruptly with shock.
Devon Candler was a woman.
She entered the room with a display of powerful presence, blatant femininity, and the most mouth-watering curves Liam had ever laid eyes on. And just like that, in the breadth of a nanosecond, Devon Candler robbed Liam Nash of his peace of mind.
If there was one thing Nash prided himself on, it was his unwavering professionalism. Even when he was off duty he had to maintain a constant level of control. These were dangerous times and there was no telling what troubles could crop up unexpectedly. Considered a deadly weapon even if he were stripped naked, Liam had always taken his responsibility to exercise caution and discrimination very seriously.
His entire morning had been spent in high gear Field Leader mode. That meant that nothing,
absolutely nothing
, could distract him from his obligations and purpose. Devon Candler shouldn't have made any impressions on him other than what was necessary for divining her intent in the coming transaction.
However, Liam's reaction as she crossed the threshold to enter the room had nothing at all to do with professional focus. She floated in on a confectionary cloud of white silk and deep, dark sable hair. Her thick mane rippled down her back in long waves like ribbon candy, billowing around her elegant face and collarbone in a fall that exhibited its extraordinary body. Liam felt his fingers twitching as a rapid-fire fantasy of plunging his fingers into that rich drape of dark chocolate hair spat though his mind like a burning acid.
She drew his attention with ever-increasing focus as she began to move toward him, crossing the long span from the doorway just as he'd planned. Or perhaps it was her plan, a part of his analytical and distrusting brain tried to whisper to him. And yet he ignored himself. Didn't even hear himself.
She wore a white dress, if it could even be called a dress. Its halter top caressed the back of her neck, falling over each breast with a neckline that plunged all the way to her navel, and then met up with an ankle-length skirt that fluttered like a banner against her hips and legs as she walked. She might as well have not been wearing anything at all. The material was so damn thin that he could see the dusky tips of outstanding breasts, the thrust of her nipples wickedly apparent even at such a distance. The white lines of her panties promised she wore nothing more than a thong. He could see every inch of her peach skin through the gauzy fabric, from her long graceful neck to her roundly curved hips and thighs. Her waist tucked in right where a decorative but perhaps unreliable scarf tie kept the sheer silk dress in place on her body, and strong, beautiful bare feet made alternating appearances as she strode toward him. She moved like a dancer, with precise and measured poise in every step.
Finding himself gawking at her body like a callow teenager, Liam quickly shifted his attention to her face. It didn't help much. He wasn't even sure if he could call her pretty at first. Elegant and sly, her features reminded him of a feline . . . or a vixen; a sweeping nose the center point, with the cheeks, chin, and brow all curved back and up toward her hairline in a way that was as graceful as it was unusual. She had a mobile mouth shaped for ready smiles.
But it was her translucent jade eyes that gripped him above all. The almond shape, the corners tilted up into the gliding lines of her bone structure, combined with dense, soot-black lashes to give her an exotic look. They stood out sharply, vividly, and boasted a keen intellect behind them that was as much a turn-on as everything else about her.
Yes. It
was
a beautiful face, Liam realized quickly.
As she approached, he was swift to realize that her physical beauty only scratched the surface. She displayed a highly sensual nature, this fact broadcast in the absent way her hands caressed her own body. A simple drift over waist and hips, a glide against her throat. Each and every self-stimulating stroke, no matter how unintentional, sent heated signals to Liam's senses, making tight muscles clench even tighter and aware nerves twang tautly to attention with unholy expectation.
Liam struggled to regain control over the volatile responses of a body turned unreasonable traitor in a span of thirty seconds. He had no business responding so carnally in such an unpredictable situation. If he started thinking with the wrong head he could get his entire team in trouble. A beauty she might be, but could she be any more obvious? Her mannerisms and her clothing were a blatant invitation and there was no way in hell he was going to fall for it. If he wanted to get off on that type of thing, there were a hell of a lot of strip joints around town selling the same damn thing for a lot less cost in complication.
Firmly refocusing, Liam reminded himself that he still didn't know her intentions, if they were honest, or if there was something hidden behind all of this that he ought to know about before he considered endangering the lives of his teams. The thought drew him harshly back into reality just as she came within his reach. She stopped, tilting her head back to meet his hard eyes. She was a good seven or eight inches shorter than he was, though still tall for a woman. An anticipated flirty smile flashed at him as she extended a long, refined hand.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Nash. I'm Devon Candler, and I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Liam was instantly struck by the polished cadence of her speech and the elegant manner of her movement as she reached for his hand. It was so straightforward, so matter-of-fact, and not at all the dance of coy flirtation he'd been expecting from her. Liam reached out and grasped her offered hand, simply holding it as he studied her contradictory signals slowly and carefully, trying to figure her out. She was incredibly warm, the heat of her body radiating notably against his palm. He had expected her hands to be perfectly soft, as soft and smooth as the rest of her skin appeared to be, but as he absently stroked his thumb over the range of her knuckles, and his fingers against her palm, he noted the characteristic toughness of calluses.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Candler,” he greeted her cordially, using the politesse as a way to keep himself from assessing her body for its physical fitness. He would wait a minute, wait until he was back on solid footing before he indulged in that potentially risky curiosity. “The pleasure is reciprocated,” he assured her.
Her smile bloomed, displaying a pearly white collection of straight teeth. Brilliant reflections of light flashed in her eyes with her expressed approval. “I have heard a great many things about you and your organization, Mr. Nash. Long before I found myself in need of you, I had heard of the rescue of Jonathan Greening from his kidnappers. And the failed assassination attempts on Minister Michelle two years ago, and the renowned Joseph Florin this past June. They owe their lives to you. In a time when assassinations, kidnappings, and murder have become par for the course for anyone in the public spotlight, there is some measure of reassurance to be found in you.”
She closed her opposite hand over the back of his, the gesture strangely intimate for a first encounter, yet it was obviously natural for her. He knew instantly that this was no ploy or affectation for the sake of flirtation. He would have felt that difference quite keenly. It left him a bit stunned and bemused. Liam was very rarely caught off guard by anything anymore, it being his business to expect the unexpected, but she was already nothing of what he had anticipated.
He had built up too much expectation on too little information and the deliberate misrepresentation of one Carter Spencer. Then he had jumped to on-sight conclusions based on how she was clothed. Devon Candler's audacious presentation of herself and her warmth of personality were in contradiction with what one would expect of a recluse.
“I, on the other hand, have heard nothing about you, Ms. Candler. But this is by your design, so you would expect that,” he returned, finding his tone as warm and companionable as hers was. She'd made a damn easy conquest of him if she could make him forget a whole morning's worth of aggravation with a pleasant greeting. He gave himself a mental shake and withdrew his hand from hers. He absently rubbed at his palm as it cooled quickly in the room's air. “I'm sure we both have very busy schedules, so we should cut to the chase.”
“Yes. Carter told me you're very direct when it comes to business and you don't appreciate delays or dancing around significant issues.” Her eyes narrowed on him slightly. Liam realized he was frowning darkly in response to her use of Spencer's given name. Damn it, he knew better than to show reactions like that. What in hell was the matter with him? Was he trying to blow this deal for NHK? “You don't care for my Carter?” she asked, sounding very amused. “He is something of an acquired taste,” she said with a chuckle as she glided toward a serving tray set on a table.
“Is that what you call it?” Frankly, the man left nothing but a bitter taste in Liam's mouth. He wasn't exactly thrilled with her phrasing for that matter. What did she mean âmy Carter'? If there was something sexual . . . something intimate between them, that could alter the whole dynamic of the situation and make things far more difficult than they needed to be.
Devon laughed in a rough, sexy rasp of delight that erupted from deep in her lungs. She had a low voice for a woman, though not mannish. Voice and laugh both belonged on the opposite end of a phone-sex number. She would have made a fortune at it, Liam thought.
“Just look at him like a trained monkey,” Devon urged, this time making him grin in spite of himself as she filled glasses from a pitcher and then turned to serve one to him. “He does everything I ask, even the things I find distasteful, but he can be a surly little bastard sometimes. Here. Peppermint iced tea.”
Liam accepted the glass and took a seat beside her on a large sofa after she had glided onto it. She crossed her legs, giving him a fine idea of how long they were in spite of the light fabric draped over her.
“Thank you,” he said, immediately setting the glass aside, “but ma'am, if you don't mind, I'd like it if we could talk about you and why you feel you need NHK.”
“Carter didn't explain that my life is in danger?”
“That was all he said. That sentence and no more. It doesn't tell me what I need to know.”
She frowned, a soft line tugging down between her dark brows. “I'm sorry. He's trying to protect me. However, he does a poor job of it, being too cautious at the wrong times and not cautious enough at others.”
Liam had to bite off a query about why she associated herself with someone whose incompetence and shortcomings she clearly recognized. It made no sense that she would allow such faults in her private secretary. Something wasn't copasetic about that entire relationship, Liam thought quickly. He would have to remain observant.