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“We could.” She lifted her shoulder in complete unconcern. “But his death would raise questions. Better to wait until after the sale to do that. In the meantime I’d place a tail on him and see if he runs his mouth. It’s always better to know who to watch out for than it is to kill the competition.”
He rose slowly to his feet, a smile once again tugging at his lips. “I’ll be sure to bring the matter to Warbucks’s attention. Until then, enjoy the party tonight. I’m sure I’ll be in touch again soon.”
“I look forward to it.” She nodded briskly before turning and moving for the door.
Unlocking the door, she left the room without looking back, the sense of watchful eyes raising the hairs on the nape of her neck.
She was being watched, and not just by Raymond. Someone had been listening in, looking in on that meeting. She had been dissected, every word, every expression, every shift of her body analyzed.
Warbucks had made his move and she had stated her conditions. Now, she hoped he accepted them, rather than having her killed as he did others who had had the temerity to make demands he didn’t like.
Entering the hallway, she watched as John straightened from the wall, his arms falling from their crossed position against his chest. Eyes narrowed, his taut body filled with tension, he watched as she made her way to him.
“Mary okay?” he asked as his arm curled around her waist and they headed back into the foyer.
“Mary’s fine.” She felt the subtle shift of his body, the silent sign that he knew she wasn’t merely talking about Raymond’s wife. “You?” she asked. “Are Ian and Kira okay for lunch tomorrow?”
“They appreciate the invitation,” he told her. “Ian has a bit of business he wanted to discuss anyway.”
She certainly hoped so. After tonight, both John and Ian were going to come across with information, details and plans. She was not going to be kept in the dark at this stage of the game. Warbucks wasn’t just testing her, he was seriously considering a partnership, which meant the stakes had risen in this little game.
“Good.” She nodded thoughtfully, glancing around and wondering once again who was watching, who was listening.
“Are we ready to leave this little get-together yet?” John lowered his head to caress the shell of her ear sensually. “There’s a light snow falling, a full moon. We could have the chauffeur drive us around for a while.”
In other words they could discuss whatever had happened in her meeting with Raymond.
“That sounds nice.” She turned her head, lifting it, and smiled as his lips settled on hers for a light, affectionate kiss. “Shall we say goodnight to our host?”
“Definitely.”
Their host, Ford Grace, was thankfully just entering the marble foyer from the ballroom. John made their apologies with a thoroughly unapologetic male grin that he wanted to enjoy Bailey on a long romantic ride in the snow.
Bidding them a goodnight, he turned back to the couple who had followed him out as John collected her cloak and settled it over her shoulders.
The doorman opened the wide double doors, and to Bailey’s delight, the snowfall was just as beautiful as John had proclaimed it. Large fluffy flakes fell in a slow-motion drift that gave an airy, gentle feel to the air around her. Lifting the hood of her cloak, she held on to John’s arm as they stepped from the house, lifting her face to allow the cool
weight of the ice crystals to melt against her flesh.
She needed the sense of innocence, of unhurried beauty that came with the night and the snow around them.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered as her head lowered and her gaze was momentarily blinded.
Blinking, a sudden knowledge shattered into her brain at the same time as a red laser dot settled on her chest. Slow motion. She could feel every heartbeat as she cried out, pushing John aside at the same time that the blast of a rifle shattered the stillness of the night.
She felt him dragging her down, pushing her to the icy, snow-covered stones of the steps. Her hands slid across the surface, a burning sensation covering the tender flesh as the world around her seemed to erupt with sound.
Another sharp retort of gunfire shattered the night as screams filled the air. Other screams, feminine cries, and male shouts as John jerked her across the steps to the relative safety at the side of the limo.
“Stay here,” he yelled at her as the chauffeur slid around the vehicle and shoved a lethal, black MPA Defender at John.
“Like hell.” She grabbed at his arm as he moved to jump from her side. “You’re not going anywhere. They’ll be after you as well. Let Ford’s men take care of it.”
Those men were moving around the house now. Black-clad, faces impassive and dangerous, they tore across the yard toward the woods where the blasts had come from.
“Get her back in here.” Raymond was suddenly at their sides, his expression furious as he grabbed John’s arm. “She’s safer in the house.”
With the two men flanking her, she felt John’s arm curl around her waist again, lifting her as he pulled her back up the steps and into the house.
