Page 11 of Keeping Her Secrets

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Mustique was seated beside Ash on the rattan chairs in the patio area at the hotel, her long legs stretched out in front of her. It was getting late, or rather it had been a long day. She was exhausted as she waited for Daniel and Megan to admit defeat and take their tired girls home. It’d been an unexpected joy to spend time with her friends. The bond they’d formed on the mission where Daniel had finally gotten his head out of his ass and realized his feelings for Meg had lasted and grown. It was so precious to Mustique that she couldn’t include her friend in this madness she’d planned.

“Okay I concede defeat; let’s get these two home,” Meg said through a yawn. “We have a long flight tomorrow, and I need my bed.”

Mustique laughed. “I guess having kids kills the party animal.”

Megan raised an eyebrow. “Oh, please, I have never been a party animal.”

“Nah, she saves all her animal for the bedroom. Don’t you, Princess?”

Megan blushed at Daniel’s words, but, as she looked at her fiancé, her eyes expressed how much she adored the man. He, and the little family they’d created, were her entire world, and she was his. Mustique had been jealous at first, not of them but of that feeling. To be everything to one person, to be someone’s entire world, was something she didn’t want to admit she craved. Then the sadness crept in as she remembered she’d been once. A very long time ago, someone had considered her their whole world, before she’d lost it all in the blink of an eye.

“Mustique,” Daniel called, and she snapped out of the lonely trip down memory lane which had left her feeling melancholy.

“Sorry, what?” She glanced around and saw Ash helping Megan to the car with the girls. Senator Hanley had left shortly after dinner, and she hadn’t had the opportunity to go after him without her friends getting suspicious, so she’d stayed and cherished the time with them. If this mission went wrong, it could be the last chance she had.

Daniel studied her for a moment, concern written all over his face. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but if you need me or any of the Fortis team, then you only have to ask. I’ll stay or have the others fly over.”

“Why?” She was puzzled he would risk anything for her.

“Because you’re family, Mustique, and family helps each other out.” His words formed a lump in her throat. She tried to swallow around it and speak but couldn’t. “Just promise if you need us, you’ll call.”

“I will.”

“You don’t always have to be tough, Mustique. Surely you’ve learned that from Roz. For years, she hid from a man who loved her; don’t make the same mistakes.”

Her boss had spent years running from the man she loved to protect her heart, and in the end, when she had finally succumbed to love, Roz had found happiness with him that she’d never expected.

Daniel glanced over to his vehicle and saw Ash wave. “I have to go; stay in touch.” He kissed her cheek as an older brother would, and she imagined this was how it felt to have a sibling.

“Ha, that pissed the frog off.” He jutted his chin toward Ash who was standing with his arms crossed and scowling as he watched them.

“Daniel,” she scolded.

“What? He’s always kissing or hugging Meg. About time he knows what it feels like.”

Mustique wasn’t going to argue that it was in no way similar. Meg and Daniel were soulmates, and she and Ash were—nothing. Not even lovers at this point.

Ash strode toward them, and Daniel met him halfway. A few words were exchanged, which she couldn’t hear, and then Daniel was gone, and it was just the two of them.

“You ready to go up?”

Mustique cocked her head. “You’re not getting any if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Ash smirked. “Get your mind out the gutter, woman. I thought we could start putting a plan together of how we’re going to approach this before we meet with Jake and Nick tomorrow morning.”

A blush stole across her cheeks. “Oh, yeah. Good idea.”

Ash pivoted, and as he did, she saw the red dot on the back of his jacket. “Get down!” Without thought, she threw herself at him as the sound of a gunshot filled the air. “Gun!”

They landed in the flower beds, and both rolled to a standing but scrooched-down position. Ash grabbed her hand, and they ran for cover in the outside bar area as she felt another bullet skim past her ear and hit the mortar on the building. As she scanned their surroundings looking for the sniper and seeing nothing, she realized no one else had seen or heard the shot either because of the loud music. Probably assuming she and Ash were drunk instead. Ash must have surmised the same because he took her hand, and in total silence they made a beeline for the elevator.

Once inside the lift, with the doors safely closed behind them, he inspected her. “You okay?”

“Yeah, fine. You?”

“Yeah, thanks to you. You saved my life.”