Deadly Testimony (16 page)

If he hated her for it, so be it. They had chemistry. Respect for each other. And while the first had been freaking amazing, losing the second would hurt more.

Neither he nor she was going to have any sort of respect left if he did what Phoenix Biotech wanted him to do and prove he was too stupid to live.

Kyle stood but didn’t take a step toward her or the door behind her. Instead, he copied her stance. “What will we do instead?”

“Gather more information, for one thing.” It was her turn to pace, keeping him in her peripheral field of view as she did. He was smart enough to be sneaky and she was not about to let him surprise her now that she was absorbed in the problem at hand. “I need to head out to get a report I was waiting on anyway. While I’m out, away from here, I’ll put in a call to our friend in the streaming video. We’ll find out what they wanted you to do.”

“I’m going with you.” He tensed, ready for an argument. Even if his fists weren’t up, his guard was in every other way.

“Yes. You are.” She smiled, ridiculously amused for no good reason. But they were about to go out and make some things happen. A challenge. So much better than hiding, even if it was crazy. It didn’t make sense. But that was the beauty of it. It was unpredictable. “They’re expecting you to either come rushing out into the open or stay hidden. They’re expecting you to have to fight with your protection personnel either way. It’s time better applied to finding a solution. Something they don’t think you can pull off.”

“But you and I together can?” Humor was softening the hard line of his lips pressed together. “Whimsical. How much can the two of us really do to make my sister and her son safe?”

No room for whimsy here if they were going to be goddamned heroes.

She took the cover off one of the plates of food and snagged a barely warm truffle fry. “We can do recon, then plan. Then we can do something they won’t expect.”

Unfortunately, since their opponent seemed to have a solid idea of how Kyle and the regular authorities tended to think, she was going to have to do some improvisation without his involvement in the decision-making process.

“I’ll tell you what we’re doing, when I can.” She held out a truffle fry to him. After a moment, he crossed the room to where she was standing and took the offering. “And for when there’s not time to tell you, make sure you understand and then get your agreement, you’re going to have to have some faith and follow my lead. No questions. No hesitation. Deal?”

“Do I have a choice?” His voice was wry now, but his anger had been tucked away. Controlled.

“Not really. You hired me to protect you. To get you to the trial alive and in one piece, that’s going to mean saving you from your own too-stupid-to-live moments.” She wanted to reach out, touch him, give him the reassurance actual tactile contact could give in ways words couldn’t. But this thing between them was so new, she didn’t know if it would be welcome. “If that means I need to figure out a way to help your sister and your nephew too, then I will. But we’re still going to do this my way.”

She thought he might balk. His stubborn streak wouldn’t be a surprise here. It was in his nature to be the leader and expect others to follow. Hell, she was fairly sure it was why Austin and Weaver had had so much trouble with him.

Instead, Kyle took her hand in his and lifted it to press a kiss against the back of her hand. Then he turned her hand over and touched his lips to the pulse point on the inside of her wrist. “You’re in the lead. For now.”

Chapter Seventeen

It always seemed to be different with Lizzy.

Kyle hid a smile as the two of them left the hotel together. Previously she’d made them leave separately, one after the other at varying time intervals. This time, they left as a couple and bid each other goodbye at the street corner while he got in a cab and she walked.

She’d scowled about it, considering it a risk to be separated from him for long but his cab ride took him up to Pike Place Market uneventfully, where he waited by the tourist-filled area watching parents take pictures of their children climbing over the metal pig. Cognizant of her warnings, he stayed under the cover of the market’s permanent roof.

In minutes, she was there, in a different outfit and wearing sunglasses. Her hair was up and tucked under another of her endless supply of cute hats.

Studying her, once she joined him, he couldn’t help but grin. “You enjoy this.”

“What?” Behind her sunglasses, she must be scanning the area. She didn’t simply look out over the streets at the people, he’d learned. She looked up over the balconies and rooftops, into windows if possible, and shadowy areas between buildings.

Places he’d never thought to look for watchers—or shooters—until he’d met her.

“You enjoy the different hats and sunglasses. Even the wigs.” Of course, it made sense to change looks as they were remaining in the city. “It’s amazing how accessories can completely change the way a person looks, but it isn’t just about the practicality. You relish trying new ones.”

She turned her face toward him slowly. Telltale flags of color had risen up on her cheeks. She didn’t say anything.

He grinned even more, delighted, actually. Her lack of commentary meant he was right. She seemed to prefer silence to lying. A preference he appreciated.

“Hats, sunglasses, scarves.” The gift possibilities were endless. “You have excellent taste, in every style I’ve seen so far. How many variations do you have packed away in your backpack?”

She sighed and tugged at his elbow, taking them into the crowded market. In a tucked-away corner between stalls, she handed him a hat and sunglasses while she swapped her own.

Actually, it was very clever. Such items packed small, compact, and required little effort to shake out and wear. It allowed for effective quick changing. At first, he’d felt ridiculous but now it was a precaution with an element of fun to it.

“Mix and match helps with variety.” Lizzy didn’t look at him as she spoke, letting her hand trail along the edge of a vendor table as they wound through the market. “I started with just a couple, but one of my teammates got me hooked on picking up a little something wherever we went.”

“A good idea.” Even though she was going through the motions of browsing, he’d noticed she’d never bought anything. “But you haven’t done that with me. Too familiar with the items here?”

She lived in the Seattle area, after all. Or at least he presumed she did. She hadn’t actually shared much information about herself.

Picking up a trinket, she paused to give the vendor a quick smile. As she set it down and continued to browse, he almost missed her answer. “We’re in the middle of a live contract right now. Even if I don’t mean to, something I pick up is a memory. For me, and for anyone watching me. It’s better not to.”

“No souvenirs, then?” A heavy weight dropped into his stomach, surprising him. “You prefer not to remember this time?”

Well, it was a good thing to know. He’d enjoyed their tryst. It was always good to have the correct expectations when interacting with a person. Refreshing, actually, the way she was breaking it to him. He’d usually had to let his companions down gently.

“Slow down whatever thought process is going on inside your head. I prefer to do as little as possible to tie me to the person I’m keeping safe when I’m in the middle of a contract.” Her words had an edge to them, and tinged with real anger, not irritation. “Would you prefer I remembered you as my client or as a person?”

Her question rocked him back on his heels. Without a doubt, he wanted her to remember him as the latter, not the former. He didn’t know when he’d stopped considering whether he’d extend her contract as a personal bodyguard but now, he was wondering whether he even had a chance of convincing her to let him see her again. Sometime in the past day or two—had it really only been that long?—he’d started looking forward to starting his life over. It wasn’t because he should, or to provide a life his sister and his nephew deserved, but because Lizzy had made it fun. The first two had been good reasons, the last made him happy.

Lizzy had added a spark to life, expanded his world and threw him off balance. They were all very interesting things.

For example, being completely wrong in his perception of a situation was new for him. She had a knack for getting through his guard, coming from an unexpected angle and knocking the breath out of him. And all with simple verbal sparring.

He very much hoped to have the chance to tangle with her more over the next couple of days, physically and verbally. Intimately, as well.

For the time being, he lengthened his stride to cover the step or two lead she had on him. “Perhaps one day we’ll have the opportunity to acquire a few keepsakes after the trial.”

“We need to get you to it first.” She led him across the street and up into a small shop at the corner of Post Alley. “I like the white peach ginger beer here.”

It took a few minutes to acquire their drinks. He’d chosen a different flavor, not because hers didn’t sound interesting but because the idea of trading tastes appealed to him. She was a generous soul, whether she was conscious of it or not. There was no hesitation in her when it came to sharing and he was enjoying it.

After a moment, she led them back out of the store. “Too many windows there, no place to sit without being exposed. I’d risk it without you but having you out here with me is enough without adding to it.”

He didn’t argue. Wearing the Kevlar vest she’d given him gave him a sense of security but it was only a vest. They headed up the open street, blending in with a walking tour group led by a man in a utility kilt.

Kyle narrowed his eyes. “A chocolate-tasting tour. Did you time our walk to be here as they passed?”

She shrugged, keeping her voice low to match his. The tour mostly had personal headsets attached to small receivers so they could hear their tour guide. None of them was listening. “They’re a regular tour and I knew the schedule. I figured we might be able to stop in at a store or two with them before the tour guide tells us to move along or sign up for our own tour.”

He shook his head, then took a risk and wrapped his arm around her waist. Her body stiffened for a split second, then relaxed against him as she matched his stride for three steps. Then she pulled away, ostensibly to check her shoe, before straightening and slipping her hand into the bend of his arm. “Better for me to hold on to you so I can let go if necessary. If I need to react fast, I can’t afford the time it’d take me to untangle from you.”

A practical reason. Of course. He wondered if she knew how warm a balm to his ego her touch was. The momentary pang of rejection he’d experienced when she’d pulled away stabbed surprisingly deep considering the brevity of their involvement. He’d been overly sensitive not once, but twice now.

It was disturbing. And fascinating. In the middle of the most precarious time of his life, he was as bad as an adolescent boy trying to navigate his way through his first dating experience. The thought made him chuckle.

“Don’t get too relaxed.” Lizzy gave his arm a squeeze. “We’re out here doing this because I didn’t trust you to stay where you were supposed to if I left you alone.”

Ah. He should rectify the situation in regard to trust. It wouldn’t matter what he told her, so much as how he actioned on his stated intent. Things like trust, respect and integrity took a much higher priority when he held each of those for another person. And he did for her.

“I would be disingenuous if I tried to claim you were incorrect in your suspicions. The temptation to go out and attempt to take control of the course of events would’ve gotten to be too much if I’d had to wait long.” The admission cost him little to say out loud and he was still amused as he continued to walk at the pace she set. Ahead and around them, the tour group walked along overtaking other people on the street here and there.

“We need to know more.” It surprised him when she commented, but she kept to a conversational tone. “Coming after you is one thing, but investing in retrieving your family from Korea? The news coverage? That’s more exposure than I’d thought they’d be willing to risk. Knowing why is going to be key to making sure you all come out of this okay.”

The group stopped at a street corner, waiting for the traffic signals to turn.

Kyle started forward and had to gently tug Lizzy along. Her gaze was raised upward and she appeared to be a tourist enjoying the city skyline as they walked. Once the group reached the opposite corner, they paused again for a bit of history and a witty story from the tour guide. Lizzy’s attention seemed to have been caught by a storefront.

He leaned close and made sure to brush his lips ever so slightly over the shell of her ear. “Are you studying your reflection or the store?”

Her hand tightened on his arm as she huffed out a laugh. “The reflection and it’s not mine. I’m checking out the area around us for potential issues.”

“Is there anything I can do?” An itch developed between his shoulder blades. He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably.

Her gaze remained on the storefront. “Not really. If you spend time trying to spot dangerous people, you’ll look suspicious. It’s better if I keep an eye out. You keep your head down, turned toward me or looking at things in storefronts. Makes it harder to get a good look at your face.”

As much as he’d wanted to get out of the confined space of the hotel, she wasn’t making this outing enjoyable. Then again, he appreciated it. “I am very glad you don’t let me forget myself.”

“It’s what I do.” Her simple response was reassuring and unsettling at the same time.

Nervous, he studied the reflection in the glass pane and only saw buildings. Then he looked through the glass to the goods displayed. “Do spare a moment to admire the designer shoes too.”

Silence.

He glanced at her and butterflies tickled his throat. Dusky rose spread over her cheeks. He coughed to cover his laugh. “I’m partial to the nude pair with the dusting of crystals across the heel. I think it would lengthen your already very shapely legs.”

She bit her lip, then tugged him to continue forward with the tour group. “I liked those and the strappy red ones too.”

More and more fun. “Not the pink ones with the silk rose over the toe?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Not so into flowers on the shoes. Maybe a bow once in a while if they’re simple and elegant. The flowers, not so much, and I definitely don’t like fur or feathers.”

This time he did laugh. He had noticed those set in the corner of the display. Meant more for wear with lingerie than for going out, he’d bet. “I’m surprised you have this much of an opinion on heels.”

There was a pause. “Okay, I have a thing for shoes. I don’t get to wear them often, but when I do, I like pretty shoes.”

He was delighted.

“Enough with the frilly stuff.” Her tone turned brisk. “I need some critical thinking. We’re missing something about your former employer and the projects you used to manage. Is there anything you didn’t mention before?”

Kyle hesitated. He had resolved to testify and expose his mistakes in order to expose greater wrongs. It was one thing to do it in court. The testimony involved facts and documented proof. Telling Lizzy was a much more personal confession.

Her opinion of him mattered.

But she’d asked, so he would try to give her more. It was important for her to know in any case, because he was more and more certain he wanted to continue whatever this was between them.

The tour group around them burst into laughter at some joke the tour guide shared via their headphones. No one else was listening.

Before he could think harder on it, he took the plunge. “Part of my responsibilities was to oversee portfolio management for a subset of their drug products.” It’d been a challenging, interesting position at first. But as with any project management, departmental politics and personality conflicts had gradually numbed him to the good the drug products were actually meant to do. “The company had shipments of biological materials coming in by sea from Korea and other places. It was standard procedure to have those supplies tested to find out if they had expired due to various shipping delays.”

The traffic light turned and Lizzy tugged him forward when he didn’t move. He wanted to drag his feet the same way he wanted to delay in telling her his story. “If the supplies had expired, the shipping containers were illegally dumped at sea and reported as ‘lost’ so our company and our vendors could collect insurance without worrying about proper disposal. Those materials were potentially biohazards.”

He watched her face, looking for a sign of judgment somewhere. But her face was serene, a study of polite attentiveness. A mirror to the tourists around them. “You went over that pretty fast earlier, so I hadn’t thought about the premeditation involved. The way they went about it demonstrates an established procedure. There’s a lot of proof of forethought there.”

“All of that, into our ocean, and I knew,” he confessed. “I’ve never been overly interested in environmentalism. It all seems very much removed from day-to-day living. It didn’t seem wrong to me until I was faced with the idea of family coming back into my life. Then suddenly, smart business wasn’t as important as doing the right thing. When I was approached to provide testimony to corroborate the evidence, I agreed. I gathered what documentation I could. The manifests, especially, are suspect. They don’t match up well with what should have been in those shipments. I mentioned smuggling before and I refused to be even tangentially involved. I wanted my nephew to be able to trust and respect me when he came to live with me here.”