Diamond Legacy (26 page)

“Hong Kong ultimately, with a stopover in Singapore.”

“Can you search the database and track how many times Panjami’s been used? Map the routes and final destinations?”

“That’s a big request from someone who just argued with me about staying out of things.” She didn’t look smug, just confused. And he didn’t blame her. He was every bit as baffled.

“Computer research should fall under the low-risk category,” he said, “as long as you do it with discretion.”

“And what about you? How discrete are you going to be when you investigate Panjami?”

“Very. I wouldn’t want to interrupt their normal flow of business just yet.”

She nodded absently. “You want to catch them red-handed.”

“That would certainly seal the case. Right now, I need to do some preliminary investigating.”

She leaned forward on a rake, hands clasped atop the handle. “That sounds like you’re leaving.”

“I’ll be back in two days.”

She captured her lower lip between her teeth. “Are you going alone?”

“I’ll be fine, Miranda.”

“What about Nik? Can’t you send him?”

“Going to miss me that much?” he teased.

“Stop it.” They were under the overhang and Miranda hung her rake on a hook in the plywood wall. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.” He stepped up close behind her and when she turned to face him, he pulled her up against his chest.

She didn’t protest, just wrapped her arms around his ribcage and looked up at him, eyes filled with concern. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to kiss you.” He leaned in and nibbled her lips.

“That’s not what I meant,” she said between his light kisses.

“I know,” he breathed against her lips. He trailed feather-light kisses along her chin, down to nuzzle her neck and breathe in her scent.

“You can’t distract me this way,” she said in a shaky voice.

“Can’t I?” He laughed softly and ran his hands down her back, caressing and squeezing her luscious bottom.

He hardened instantly and captured her lips again, kissing her deeply this time, tasting her with his tongue while holding her firmly in place. When he felt her hands tighten around him and heard her soft moan, he pulled her hips tight against his erection, showing her how seriously he wanted her.

She responded to his touch like he knew she would. If she was half as gone as him, she wouldn’t be able to help it. Her arms slid around his neck, and she kissed him back with growing fire, rocking her hips against his and flaming his desire higher. Harder. Every ounce of blood left his brain and pooled in his groin. It was exquisite agony. God, he couldn’t get enough.

A light tugging on his hair distracted him. Big soft lips nibbled the back of his neck and then a soft, warm muzzle rested on his shoulder. Spartan snorted, effectively dousing their flame.

Miranda choked back laughter. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes hazy with passion. She looked beautiful. A heavy sigh escaped him, and he unwillingly released the object of his fascination. Turning around, he came muzzle to muzzle with the old horse. “You might outweigh me by fifty stone, but I can take you down, old man.”

Spartan neighed softly, unconcerned by the threat.

“Give him this,” Miranda whispered behind him. She slid her arm around his waist and dropped a shiny red apple into his hand.

“Spoiled rotten,” Matt muttered, “that’s his problem.”

Still, he gave Spartan the offering, and a reluctant sense of duty gained ground. He hated like hell to leave her, especially knowing she’d be researching Panjami’s delivery schedule. But he hoped it would keep her busy the two days he’d be gone and prevent her from doing anything rash.

A meager hope, but it was all he had to hold onto.

* * * *

“I need to talk to you, Jason.” Matt lurked outside the Oasis Pool and approached Miranda’s assistant the second he left the building.

Jason lifted a hand to block the bright sun. “What’s going on?”

“This way,” Matt said and headed around back where the sprawling branches of an acacia tree offered privacy.

Jason jumped right into the clandestine request, following him without a word. Matt hated to bring another person into his undercover role, but he couldn’t leave without some assurance Miranda was protected.

“I need a favor.”

“You drag me off like some secret spy just to ask a favor?”

“It’s ‘under the table’ so to speak.”

“Well, now I’m hooked. What’s so all-fired important?”

“I’m leaving for a couple days, and I need you to look after Miranda while I’m gone.”

“That’s it?” Jason almost looked disappointed. “Hell, I thought you were going to tell me something like you’re not really a janitor and Miranda is caught in the middle of whatever danger you’re investigating.”

Jason looked him straight in the eye, and Matt knew any pretense was over. Still, he wasn’t ready to spill the beans. “You’ve got an overactive imagination.”

“And you’re good at your job. I bet everyone buys that janitor story.”

Damn. He must be losing his touch.

“Don’t worry,” Jason continued. “I doubt anyone else suspects. I’m just more observant than the average bear.”

“You haven’t shared that theory with anyone, have you?”

“Not even the boss lady.”

Matt rubbed at the ache in his neck, debating how much to reveal. “Listen, there are undercurrents at work here, dangerous ones, and Miranda stumbled across some evidence. Now she won’t quit, and that blasted curiosity of hers is going to land her in jeopardy.”

“Funny, but I have no trouble believing that.”

“I think she’s already on the radar scope of some very bad people, and that worries the hell out of me. But something’s come up, and I have to leave for a couple days. I can’t go and leave her unprotected. Nor can I pull anyone in to cover her. Can you play bodyguard and keep her out of trouble?”

Jason whistled low and gave him a skeptical look. “Tall order. You know how stubborn she can be.”

“I’m learning,” Matt said dryly.

“On a scale of one to ten, how much trouble are we talking about?”

Here was the balancing act. Tell him the truth and he’d scare him off. Play it down, and he’d not get the level of protection Miranda needed.

“Eight.”

Jason nodded solemnly. “I had a feeling it was something like that.”

“I should warn you… She’s determined to help me and won’t listen to reason.”

“Not surprised. You realize if Katanga’s involved and animals are at risk, she won’t stop?”

“I’ve promised to do all I can to prevent it.”

Jason shook his head. “Won’t be good enough for her. She’s passionate about animal welfare and will fight to protect them. Trusting another to do the job, well, no offense, it’s just not in her.”

“No offense taken. In fact, it’s the reason I need to know you will watch her close.”

“What’s going on around here that warrants that kind of danger?”

Matt hesitated, but there was no sense sugarcoating it. “Diamond smuggling.”

Jason’s eyes widened. “Katanga’s running conflict diamonds?”

“Not intentionally. It’s being used by a couple dishonest players.”

“Man, leave it to Miranda to uncover some secret international conspiracy. I’d love to know how she does it.”

“Bad luck on her part. It’s not a Hollywood movie. Its real life and people die.”

Jason didn’t look near scared enough in Matt’s opinion. It worried him that Miranda’s safety could very well depend on her assistant’s skill at keeping a close eye.

“Did I ever mention that I grew up outside of Huntsville, Alabama?” Jason asked.

Matt frowned. “What has that to do with protecting Miranda?”

“Not much. Unless you take into account that my dad was a colonel in the US Army and permanently stationed at Redstone Arsenal.”

“This helps how?”

“It means I could field dress twenty different weapons by the time I hit puberty. By high school, I could identify and spell some pretty nasty chemical weapon ingredients. By college, I unmasked the secret handshake of the Missile Defense Agency.”

Matt stared at Jason in stunned surprise. The fun-loving intern had a disciplined upbringing. He never would have guessed.

Jason leaned back against the trunk of the massive acacia tree, arms crossed. “Pretty sure I can manage to watch over the doc.”

Matt nodded in agreement and handed him a folded piece of paper. “My cell phone number. If you have an emergency and can’t reach me, the second number is a man that can help. His name’s Nik.”

“Got it.” Jason stuffed the paper into his pocket. “You’re really worried about her, aren’t you?”

“She gets under your skin.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve known her a couple years, seen her at work, knew a few guys she’s dated. Miranda’s always grounded, always in control.” Jason looked at him hard then. “Not since she’s met you. She’s different. I think you get under her skin just as much.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

“I’m serious. Miranda is no one to treat lightly. I don’t want to see her get hurt.
In any way
.” The last he stressed with a pointed look aimed right at him.

Matt got the message loud and clear.
Don’t toy with the lady’s feelings.
Combine that with the newly discovered skill set of Jason’s and Matt felt slightly better about leaving her in his care. Jason had serious bite under that bluster.

“Between you and me,” Matt said by way of truce, “I’ve never met anyone who both intrigues and infuriates me like she does. It’s literally making me insane.”

Jason smiled with a knowing grin. “It’s called love, man. You got it as bad as her.”

That notion nearly left him speechless. He wasn’t sure he’d call it love. Hell, he didn’t even know the meaning of love. But understanding the mystery of Miranda was something he’d like to explore. “All I know is that she’s turned my world upside down since the day I met her.”

“A sure-fire symptom.” Jason sounded almost happy about the situation. “Sorry to say, there’s no cure.”

“Yeah, I’m afraid of that. Can I count on you to protect her?”

Jason nodded. “The doc will be safe with me. I’ll watch her close.”

It was little comfort, but it would have to do. They shook hands and Jason headed back to work.

Matt stayed where he was a few minutes more, absorbing the echo of Jason’s words. When he had said his world had spun out of control, he meant it. A couple of weeks from now, she’d leave Botswana and he’d remain, doing the job he was tailor made to do. Nothing had ever broken his concentration. Until now.

And worse than that, the thought of her leaving left him cold and empty. How had he become so thoroughly captivated?

A zoo dentist with a noble cause and a siren’s body, and he could barely keep his hands off her. Every time she came near, he ached to kiss her until she moaned in that deep mindless way of hers. He desperately wanted to lay her down under a wide expanse of blue sky and make love to her until she begged for mercy.

It was pure lunacy. Temporary insanity. Stupid with a capital S.

The sooner he got this case wrapped up, the better, and Miranda’s safety held top priority, no matter how much she protested.

Matt parked his Rover down the street from the corporate office of Panjami and settled in to wait for nightfall. The fact it was located in Lobaste, a forty-mile drive south of Gaborone, didn’t come as a surprise. The town proclaimed themselves the gateway to the Trans-Kalahari Highway. They were also a convenient border crossing into South Africa.

Prime real estate if you were trafficking in conflict diamonds. Or weapons.

Lobaste wasn’t big by traditional city standards. But it was large enough for a business like Panjami to hide in. The animal delivery company sat on the outskirts of town and took up roughly three hectares of land. There were two large metal buildings, an office and a garage, three small storage sheds, and several scattered piles of construction material filling the compound.

All surrounded by a flimsy excuse of a fence. It offered plenty of cover for a man to sneak around with little worry of getting caught.

As the hours passed, Matt observed the ebb and flow. It appeared to be a legitimate business. Men came and went, crews in brown uniforms worked on the grounds and in the garage. The only abnormality seemed to be a small quantity of office staff.

In fact, there was only one as far as he could tell, a heavy-set woman in a bright green dress and matching turban. She’d squeezed out of a beat-up Renault along with a well-stuffed bag, one that led him to believe she’d be camping out for the day.

Aside from her, no one stayed long. Toward noon, he dialed Panjami’s number and a female voice answered, no doubt the vision in green. He claimed a wrong number and hung up. It was hard to believe she did it all…secretary, accounting, payroll, and licensing. The glimpse he had gotten of her didn’t leave the impression she was that kind of fireball.

Something wasn’t quite right with Panjami.

The hours ticked by, and he moved locations several times, observing the compound from every possible angle. Overall, the day proved the same as most stakeouts, long and dull. Perversely, he found himself wishing Miranda would show up. At least then he’d have something interesting to help pass the time.

The lady in green packed up and left, so Matt pulled away from the local market where he’d been parked and drove up the street to find a better viewing position. He sidled alongside a used car lot that sat kitty-corner across from Panjami, adding his Rover to the end of the line as camouflage. It also gave a more direct view of the garage.

An hour and a half later, he’d polished off a sandwich and a bag of chips and checked the time—seven-thirty. Dusk began to create shadows, and Matt made a phone call. Another hour ticked by as he watched night descend.

A quiet tap on the passenger window came right on schedule, and Nik opened the door to slide inside.

“This better be good, Bennett.” Nik closed the door with a snap and stared out the windshield. “You interrupted what could’ve been a very pleasurable evening.”