Page 55 of Her Sensual Protector

“We met in Afghanistan,” Leo answered.

“I wondered,” the reporter said. “I would like to ask you some questions.”

Leo turned on him. “I have some questions of my own. Perhaps we can spend a little time alone later today,” Leo all but growled. He was still pissed to find out that the reporter who had shown the video to Daisy was here in Yemen with her. He was not convinced this guy was on the side of the angels.

“Maybe you two can talk now,” Daisy said sweetly. “I need to speak to my directors before we take a tour of the camp.”

“After our talk, I think it is important that Leo be included on the tour,” Doug piped up.

“Fine,” was all Daisy said.

Leo smothered his grin.

“Where shall we meet you?”

“I’ll show you where the aid station is. There is a small spot where you can onload your belongings. If you stay close, then we can find you. I could call you if you had a satellite phone.”

“I do,” Rayi said.

“Same,” Leo agreed.

“Okay, then you can go further. But if you go too far, then we’ll leave without you for the tour.”

Again, he had to smother a grin. There was no give in the woman at the moment. Leo would have thought she was really pissed at him, but he knew better. She would have said unequivocally that he couldn’t be part of the team, no matter what Doug said. She hadn’t done that. So, she wasn’t that mad at him. Score one for Team Perez. Still didn’t explain why she’d ghosted him on all his texts and phone calls. Had she really believed he wouldn’t contact her in the States? Why was she pushing him away after he’d kept his promise? But he’d wait to find out. It was good enough just being here and getting some face-time with the woman.

He watched as the four people walked away, then he turned to Rayi, who immediately started speaking to Leo in English.

“So you were on the rescue mission for Dr. Squires?” the reporter asked.

“No comment.”

“But you’re American special forces, right?”

“No comment.”

“You and your Navy SEAL team were flown into Bagram Air Station five days before the rescue, then you were flown out ten hours after Dr. Squires was checked into the hospital at Bagram Air Base. I would say that you were part of the rescue. What do you have to say to that?”

“How do you know this?”

“There is very little that goes on in Afghanistan that I don’t know about.”

“I would say that you should focus on W.A.N.T., and what they are doing here. Otherwise, I might start asking you a lot of questions about why you would show a grieving daughter video of her father being beaten and tortured.”

Rayi looked taken aback. “What are you talking about?”

“Why did you show her that? Why not just show her a picture of her father instead of the whole video? Are you a sadist, or what?”

“Mr. Perez, do you really think that woman would have been satisfied with just a picture? If you do, then you really don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

“Tell me why in the hell you’re here,” Leo demanded, changing gears.

“Daisy Squires is of interest to many people. What she accomplishes will make a good article, and I intend to tell her story while she is here in Yemen.”

“How did you get your hands on that video?”

Rayi laughed. “Really, Mr. Perez, your interrogation techniques leave something to be desired. I am not going to reveal my sources. I promised Daisy’s stepfather that I would help her while she was in Afghanistan, and that’s what I did.”

“It sure seems like you have a source within the terrorist organization,” Leo accused.