Page 7 of Keeping Her Secrets

“I have a proposition for you,” she said, changing the subject as she turned and moved away from him to regain her composure.

“And what is that?”

She shivered at the feel of him so close to her back. Damn Navy SEAL sneaking up on her; nobody usually got the drop on her. She spun around again to face him. “I need your help getting into the fancy wedding that’s being held here today.”

“Why?” He rocked back on his heels, folding his arms over his chest and watching her with suspicion.

It was now or never. “Because one of the guests is Senator Robert Hanley, and I’m going to stop him and his thugs from kidnapping Senator Craven’s daughter.”

Ash reared back slightly his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“What makes you believe he’s going to do that?”

“Intel.”

“Intel?” He snorted. “I’m going to need more than that, Mari. If you want me to invite you to my cousin’s wedding, you’re going to have to start talking.”

“Daniel is getting married?” Confusion colored her words.

“No, but he and Megan are here. It’s my cousin Jessica’s wedding. She’s marrying Davey Langford.”

“How did I not know this?” she asked, wondering if she was losing her edge.

She had a basic knowledge of all the bride’s and groom’s friends and acquaintances, yet this information had never been flagged. She hadn’t known Daniel and Megan were here either. Jesus, that meant their daughters, Paige and Zoey, were probably here too. There was no way Daniel and Megan would have left them behind. Shit. She could never risk their lives.

“Jessica is my aunt Casey’s daughter. Aunt Casey is my dad’s baby sister. She moved here after he did.”

“Oh, this changes things.” The statement was made more to herself than to him. She bit her thumbnail, a disgusting habit she had when she was stressed, as she began to pace.

Stopping her in her tracks, Ash pulled the abused digit from her mouth and held her hand loosely in his. “Tell me what’s going on, and if I can help, I will, and so will a few others I know if you want.”

“This is dangerous. It could cause some serious backlash, and I don’t want anyone hurt because of this.”

“These men are retired SEALs, and of course Daniel is ex-SAS. Tell us and let us decide if we want to help.”

Mustique was tempted, and if it wasn’t for Daniel, Meg, and the kids, she would have bitten Ash’s arm off, but they were the closest thing she had to family. She loved those girls. “I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you have something to eat and you think about it. If you just want it to be me, then fine, I can help you alone, but Daniel knows you’re here, and the rest of the guys saw your little stunt last night.”

“Great.” Mustique let him guide her to the small table and chairs where the food he’d apparently ordered had been set out. At the sight of the omelets, toast, bacon, pancakes, and fruit, her tummy rumbled. Having an unusually strong stomach was one of the perks of her job, and the mild hangover still lingering didn’t include the desire to vomit at the thought of food.

She sat down and heaped her plate with eggs, bacon, and fruit, leaving the pancakes for Ash. As she ate, he sat across from her and drank more juice, ignoring the food, and she felt the unasked questions on the tip of his tongue. They barely knew each other, but she felt a kinship to him that was hard to deny. She’d thought it the first day they’d locked eyes and had fought it ever since, knowing nothing could ever come from it. Her job was dangerous, and she never wanted to pull someone into that unwittingly. That’s why her sex life consisted of lame hook-ups which did little for her, and even those were few and far between.

Now, though, he seemed to know the truth or at least a version of it.

“Okay, ask,” she said around a mouthful of food, eating quickly as her mind whirled over possibilities.

She heard him sigh. “How in God’s name did you get into this job? I assume there wasn’t an ad in the paper.” He clasped his hands together, elbows on the table, and watched her intently.

Pausing, she wondered how much she should tell him, but then the words just poured from her mouth. “When I was nineteen, I moved here from South Africa and was living on the streets. I had no money, no training, and no family. All I had were my street smarts. I started running small cons for money, and I stepped on someone’s toes. I was stabbed, and Roz found me.” Mustique tilted her head. “Have you met Roz?”

Ash shook his head. “No, but I know who she is.”

Mustique nodded and continued her story. “She gave me a chance to live or to die. I chose to live, and she trained me until I was the best. I know more ways to kill a person than you could ever dream. It’s not the life I would have chosen, but it’s given me everything I need. I get to take down disgusting reprehensible people, and I don’t have the slightest bit of guilt over it.”

“But if you get caught?” His face looked pained as he spoke.

“Then so be it. Nobody would care for long. I’m disposable.”