But this was a different situation entirely and he couldn"t-wouldn"t-allow Eden to exist in ignorance a moment longer. Her father be d.a.m.ned. KGI be d.a.m.ned. If it lost him his job, he didn"t give a f.u.c.k. All he cared about at this moment was the woman staring at him, sorrow and confusion shining in wounded eyes.
And so he started at the very beginning, telling her everything her father had related to him and his team. She visibly flinched and her hand flew to her mouth as tears gathered and ran down her cheeks when he told her that her mother"s death was an act of vengeance and not an accident.
By the time he finished the entire sordid tale, she was openly sobbing, her shoulders heaving as she tried to gulp back her sounds of anguish.
He felt like the worst sort of b.a.s.t.a.r.d for destroying her illusions. For turning her world upside down and for exposing long-held secrets and the endless cycle of revenge.
He stared at her in sorrow, unsure of whether to hold her, try to comfort her, but he didn"t know if she was angry with him. He didn"t know if he should touch her or maintain their current distance, because the moment the ugly story had been spilled, she"d withdrawn, putting s.p.a.ce between them, and now she sat, hands fisted in her lap, staring straight ahead sightlessly as tears streamed down her beautiful face.
"Eden," he said softly, no longer able to bear her agony. He felt it as keenly as if someone had driven a knife right through his heart.
And then his dilemma was solved because she whirled, her face ravaged by grief, and threw herself into his arms, fisting his torn shirt with both hands. She pressed her body as close as she could without him putting her into his lap, so he promptly rectified the matter, dragging her into his arms and wrapping them tightly around her.
Though her sobs had quieted, her body still shook and he could feel the dampness on her cheeks where her tears had left silvery trails down her face.
"I"m so sorry, honey," Swanny said, regret a physical ache in his chest. "I wouldn"t hurt you for the world. Please forgive me this, but I thought you deserved to know. I"ve thought it from the very beginning before I even met you, but your father was adamant. He was trying to protect you."
"How could he keep something like this from me?" she asked tearfully. "G.o.d, it"s been a lie. All these years. A complete lie. And more lies. What else has he kept from me? How long has he been controlling my life-and, my G.o.d, I"ve allowed it. I allowed him to hire Micah and David because I didn"t want him to worry. He hired you and then lied about why. I couldn"t figure out at the time why no one except me seemed relieved that the shooter had been arrested, and now I know it"s because everyone knew I wasn"t safe except the most important person in this equation. Me."
He couldn"t argue a single point with her because she was exactly right, and his guilt intensified, because she should have been told the truth from the start even though it wasn"t his place to make that kind of decision.
But all of that changed for him the moment he and Eden connected, when she came to mean so much more than just a job to him. Her father might argue that Swanny had no rights when it came to his daughter, but that was bulls.h.i.t. His commitment to Eden went far beyond the normal client relationship for a regular mission. This was deeply personal to him and he was willing to risk everything for her. Censure, the loss of his job, his very ident.i.ty.
He recognized that Eden was a total game changer for him. His priorities had shifted, and he was a man who always placed his loyalty and commitment to his job above all else. But Eden had reordered his priorities. Her protection, her happiness, her life came first. Nothing else mattered as much to him. He"d go to the wall for her and d.a.m.n the consequences.
"I know this was hard to hear, Eden," Swanny murmured against her hair. "And I"m so d.a.m.n sorry. You have to know I"d do anything not to hurt you. But with this attack, you need to know what you"re up against so you can take the proper precautions. Don"t get me wrong. I"m going to protect you with my life. My team is going to protect you. But you needed to be aware of what exactly is at stake here."
"Thank you," she whispered, stunning him. Why was she thanking him for tilting her world on its axis? Shouldn"t he be the bad guy here?
She lifted her head, a watery sheen still evident in her ocean eyes, but the tears had stopped streaking down her face. What he saw in her eyes blew him away. There was no anger. No condemnation. There was sincere grat.i.tude, and he could tell she was valiantly pulling herself together and trying to regain her composure.
"Baby, what are you thanking me for?" he asked hoa.r.s.ely.
"For trusting me with the truth," she said in a low voice. "For wanting me to know from the start. For telling me now what my father should have told me a long time ago. I don"t want you to apologize to me, Swanny. Not for telling me the truth. It means a lot to me that you would risk so much for me. Your life. Your job. I"m humbled by the lengths you"ve gone to, to protect me physically and emotionally."
She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his so sweetly it made his gut ache. There was a wealth of emotion in the light brush, like a b.u.t.terfly"s wing against his mouth. Soft and delicate, just like her.
She pulled away, breathless, her cheeks pink and no longer pale with shock. And then her eyes became troubled again, shadows dimming them.
"I know I should call my father, not to confront him, but to a.s.sure him I"m all right, but I just can"t face him right now. I need a little time to digest this-what he kept from me," she said in a faltering tone. "Does that make me a terrible, selfish person?"
His reaction was instantaneous, nearly explosive. "h.e.l.l no it doesn"t. You deserve as much time as you need to process your shock. G.o.d only knows how hard this must have been for you. I certainly can"t claim to even understand what it"s done to you because I"ve never been in your situation. You"ll get no judgment from me. You"ll never get anything from me but complete support and understanding."
Emotion swamped her expression, her eyes warming, the shadows from just moments prior dissipating.
"I-"
Whatever she was about to say was cut off when a sharp knock sounded at the door. Swanny cursed, even though he knew their time together would be very short lived because not only would the police be involved, but his team would also be gathering to put together the pieces and plan their next move.
"Stay put, honey," Swanny said, brushing his mouth across her forehead. "Just sit here and try to relax. I"m afraid the next hours are going to be long and stressful for you."
"But you"ll be here, right?" she asked, her brow furrowed anxiously.
"I"m not leaving you," he vowed. "We"re in this together. You"re mine to protect, Eden. You go nowhere without me."
Relief shone brightly in her eyes as she sagged against the back of the couch. Another impatient knock sounded and Swanny turned, checking the peephole to see two policemen and Swanny"s entire team.
He opened the door and gestured for them to come in. But he stepped in front of the policemen and then turned to Edge. "Translate this for me. Tell them they are not to overtax Eden. They aren"t to press her too hard. She"s upset and in shock and I won"t have them upsetting her further."
"I"m perfectly able to understand English," one of the policeman said in a dry voice. "I understand your concerns and we will most certainly be mindful of Miss Sinclair when we question her."
Swanny nodded and then extended his hand. "Daryl Swanson, but everyone calls me Swanny." He shook both the inspectors" hands as they introduced themselves to him in return as being part of the Police Nationale"s anti-terrorism unit for this jurisdiction.
They quickly explained that they were investigating this as an act of terrorism, and if there was no evidence to support terrorism, the case would be turned over to the criminal investigation section of the Police Nationale.
d.a.m.n it, but Swanny needed time to discuss with his team exactly how they were going to approach this. Pretend ignorance and play up the angle that Eden was the victim of yet another random brush with death? It was hardly plausible, but the last thing he wanted was for his team to get kicked off the case, so to speak, and have people who weren"t as diligent as he and his team protecting Eden.
Over his dead body was that happening. His line was drawn in the sand and he wasn"t budging.
He exchanged quick glances with Nathan and Joe, and Joe held up a finger to his lips behind the investigators" backs, signaling that for now, they were playing it cool and not showing their hand.
As a courtesy or perhaps because Swanny"s expression had immediately become fierce when he"d issued his dictate as to how Eden was to be handled, the investigators let Swanny take the lead as they walked farther into the suite, where Eden was huddled on the sofa.
She"d dragged one of the throws from the arm of the couch and pulled it around her, almost as though when he left her he took her warmth away. The color that had briefly returned when she kissed him had washed away, leaving her pale and haunted-looking again. She surveyed the approaching investigators with clear apprehension.
Swanny leaned over, lifting the blanket as if securing it more firmly around her and whispered close to her ear, "Just play it cool, honey. Follow our lead. We don"t want to tip our hand and involve them."
She gave an imperceptible nod, as if moving so Swanny could arrange the blanket just so, and then Swanny took a seat next to her on the couch, sitting close enough that their bodies touched. He gestured for the two detectives to take seats in the two armchairs across from the couch separated by a coffee table.
Skylar took a seat on the other side of Eden, and Nathan, Joe and Edge stood, forming a perimeter around the seated members. Edge leaned against the arm of the sofa where Skylar sat, and Nathan and Joe stood on either side of the investigators, their arms crossed, expressions indecipherable.
The investigators were clearly uncomfortable with the obvious disadvantage their seating gave them, surrounded by the KGI team.
Inspector Mercier cleared his throat and then leveled his gaze on Eden. Inspector Dubois remained silent, allowing his partner to take the lead.
"First let me express my regret for your traumatic experience, Miss Sinclair. I want to a.s.sure you that our department has made this case an absolute priority and we fully intend to apprehend and bring to justice the person or persons responsible."
"Thank you," Eden murmured.
Underneath the blanket, Eden"s hand slid over Swanny"s leg as if seeking rea.s.surance from his touch. Uncaring of how it appeared to the others, Swanny slipped his hand over hers, laying it atop hers so that it was trapped between his leg and his palm.
She immediately relaxed, and some of the anxiety eased from her forehead and the tight lines around her lips disappeared.
They questioned not only Eden but the entire team for the better part of four hours. Swanny could tell it was taking its toll on Eden, but he wanted it done with. The investigators questioned why she had such an extensive security team and if there had been serious threats made against her.
They frowned upon learning Eden had received a close call so recently, but Joe explained that the shooter had been arrested and charged and that the tighter security was simply a guard against possible copycat occurrences given the media coverage of the shooting in Boston.
The investigators seemed to become increasingly frustrated because while every question was answered, the responses were purposely vague, not volunteering anything more than what the investigators asked. On the surface they appeared completely cooperative and forthcoming, but it was clear the investigators were getting nowhere in their minds.
As the end of the fourth hour approached, just when Swanny was about to call an end to the entire thing, the investigators finally stood and gave their thanks for their cooperation and promised to follow up if any leads turned up.
Eden"s shoulders sagged in obvious relief. Swanny wasn"t sure how she"d made it this far without collapsing. She had to be exhausted and was still reeling from all Swanny had told her. He wanted to get her to bed and then meet with his team to determine their next course of action.
Sam would need to be called in with the latest developments so he could relay the information to the team tracking the source of the threat. And though he"d certainly made it clear to Eden that she was in no way obligated to call her father, Eddie Sinclair would have to be notified. Once he learned of the event-and he most a.s.suredly would hear of it-he"d want to barge over, and that would only draw more attention to Eden and compromise her safety. It may even be the killer"s motive. To draw out Eddie and set up a scenario where Eddie had to witness his daughter"s death.
Eden would sleep tonight, but Swanny and the others wouldn"t. There was too much to sort through and decisions to be made in regard to Eden"s protection.
CHAPTER 28.
THE next morning, Swanny"s team had gathered in Eden"s suite to discuss the day"s events and schedule. They"d spent the entire night tirelessly setting into motion plans for Eden"s protection. Joe had contacted the director and the executives at Aria and had arranged to reconvene to an undisclosed location for the shooting to resume. In turn, the filming crew had spent the night relocating and setting up. The security was tightened and more added, but only KGI would have direct access to Eden and be in charge of her transportation and handling.
Swanny was reluctant to expose Eden in any manner, but she"d been firm when she said "the show must go on" and that she wouldn"t allow some a.s.shole with a grudge to dictate her life or ruin her career. He had to admire her determination even as it scared the s.h.i.t out of him.
There were two more days of filming before the launch party, and the very last thing Swanny wanted was a repeat of the last time Eden had ventured out for an event. But Eden was adamant that filming wouldn"t be delayed and the launch party would be held as scheduled. Too much time and planning had been put into this campaign, and Eden refused to be the one responsible for its delay.
Joe had reported in to Sam, who had relayed the intel to Rio"s team, which was taking the lead on tracing the source of the threat. Not that KGI had ever taken the threat to Eden lightly, but Sam was even more determined to track down the b.a.s.t.a.r.d and take him out. He called in Steele and his team and put them on the job along with Rio"s team so they could cover more ground and dig deeper, flushing the a.s.shole out from underneath his rock.
And oddly, when Swanny himself had called Eden"s father, Eddie"s response hadn"t been one Swanny had expected. He hadn"t lost his s.h.i.t. Hadn"t freaked the f.u.c.k out and boomed out that he and his sons would be on the next flight to Paris. He"d even agreed with Swanny that for now he and his sons should stay put and not risk giving the attacker what he may likely want. The Sinclairs together. Eddie had agreed that it would be putting Eden in more danger and had signed off on KGI"s handling of the situation. That phone call still twisted Swanny"s gut, and his senses were screaming at him that something was decidedly off. But he put that away, because his focus wasn"t on Eddie or whatever the h.e.l.l he was thinking. Swanny"s sole priority was Eden.
Eden had just come from the bathroom after dressing for the day of filming when a pounding on the door put everyone on alert.
Swanny immediately drew his gun and headed for the door, his team on his six. He checked the peephole, stunned to see Hanc.o.c.k standing outside, a murderous expression on his face.
What the f.u.c.k? What was Hanc.o.c.k doing here? And why? Any time Hanc.o.c.k made an appearance trouble was usually in his wake, and Swanny"s hackles immediately rose.
"Hanc.o.c.k," he mouthed to the others.
The what-the-f.u.c.k looks abounded, matching his own reaction. Hanc.o.c.k pounded on the door again and it was clear he wasn"t going anywhere.
Swanny held up his hand and motioned for Edge and Skylar to take the other side of the door while Nathan and Joe stood just behind Swanny, and Swanny reached to unlock the door.
The minute Swanny opened the door, Hanc.o.c.k was in his face, hands gripping Swanny"s shirt in tight fists, so fast and furious that Swanny had no time to react. His team immediately raised their guns and trained them on Hanc.o.c.k, and Joe barked an order for Hanc.o.c.k to stand down or he"d shoot.
"Where is she?" Hanc.o.c.k demanded, ignoring Joe"s threat.
Hanc.o.c.k was one p.i.s.sed-off ball of bristling male, anger pouring off him in waves. Before the rest of Swanny"s team could follow through with Joe"s threat or Swanny could get his own gun up and between them, Eden"s voice echoed through the room.
"Guy? What on earth are you doing here?"
And then to Swanny"s utter shock, she pushed by Swanny, inserting herself between the two men, and threw her arms around Hanc.o.c.k, hugging him tightly. More baffling was the fact that he returned her hug just as fiercely, his fury seemingly diminished now that Eden was there in front of him.
The looks on Swanny"s team members" faces were a mixture of what-the-f.u.c.k and utter bewilderment. Had the entire world gone insane? How the h.e.l.l did Eden and Hanc.o.c.k even know each other, much less be on such intimate terms?
Hanc.o.c.k was visibly relieved as he held Eden tightly against his body, and Swanny realized that Hanc.o.c.k"s anger had in fact been worry. What the h.e.l.l was Hanc.o.c.k"s connection to Eden? Hanc.o.c.k was a rebel, following his own set of rules and morals. Swanny wouldn"t have believed him capable of feeling emotion for another person.
"You scared the h.e.l.l out of me, cupcake," Hanc.o.c.k said gruffly.
Everyone"s mouths fell open, even Swanny"s. Cupcake? What the ever-loving f.u.c.k? And she"d called him Guy. h.e.l.l, Swanny didn"t even know Hanc.o.c.k"s first name or if Hanc.o.c.k was his first name. He knew very little about Hanc.o.c.k at all other than the little that had been gleaned from his run-ins with KGI on two missions.
But there was a softness in his expression that was never present. Swanny had never seen the man appear anything except cold and reserved, but he was anything but that with Eden. There was honest-to-G.o.d relief and tenderness in his eyes as he hugged Eden again.
Skylar"s lips parted, and she stared at Hanc.o.c.k as if an alien had suddenly descended. Cupcake? she silently mouthed. For real?
Swanny was every bit as bewildered as the rest of his team. This wasn"t a contingency they"d planned for at all. How could they have? Sure, Hanc.o.c.k had shown up and had crossed paths with KGI in the past, but he"d never had a personal stake in any of them. And it appeared he most certainly had a close relationship with Eden.
A tight fist wrapped itself around Swanny"s neck as jealousy and a sense of territory violation a.s.sailed him. He considered Eden his, and he didn"t like the fact that another man, especially Hanc.o.c.k, was evidently on intimate terms with her.
When Eden pulled away, Hanc.o.c.k looked her up and down, his eyes narrowing as if studying her for injuries.
"Are you okay?" Hanc.o.c.k asked in a soft voice.
The KGI team was utterly bewildered, and it was reflected in all their expressions. Swanny"s teammates lowered their guns but didn"t holster them, and Swanny kept his up, on constant guard because he didn"t trust Hanc.o.c.k in the least.
"I"m fine, Guy," Eden said. "They"ve taken very good care of me. Why are you here? How did you know? I don"t understand. Have you spoken to Dad or Ryker or Raid?"
"Because I saw your name splashed across the news as having been car-bombed by a f.u.c.king RPG," Hanc.o.c.k growled. "If they were taking such good care of you, then why the h.e.l.l were you ever in that position to begin with?"
"Not to interrupt an apparent reunion here," Joe said dryly, "but can someone tell me what the f.u.c.k is going on here? How the h.e.l.l do you know Hanc.o.c.k, Eden?"
She turned startled eyes on Joe. "The question is how do you know Guy? And why are you all treating him like the enemy?"
Hanc.o.c.k slid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side, and brushed a kiss over her brow. Swanny had to swallow back the growl forming in his chest. He didn"t like what was going on here and he definitely didn"t want Hanc.o.c.k touching Eden.
And yet suddenly so much made sense. With a startling moment of insight, Swanny recalled her asking if Hanc.o.c.k had talked to her father or brothers, as though it was an absolutely normal event to have occurred. It would certainly make Eddie"s reaction make sense, and explain why he hadn"t gone off the rails and caught the first flight to Paris.
Because Eddie knew Hanc.o.c.k was on his way.
"It"s all right, cupcake. Let"s just say that me and KGI go way back and have a somewhat tumultuous relationship."
"That"s an understatement," Nathan muttered under his breath.
"Come and sit. All of you," Eden said in a firm voice. "I"ve had enough information withheld from me and it"s not going to continue. I want to know what"s going on here."
"You aren"t the only one," Swanny said pointedly.
Hanc.o.c.k followed Eden into the sitting area, Swanny and his team close behind.
As soon as Hanc.o.c.k was seated next to Eden, his hand engulfing hers in a rea.s.suring manner, he pinned Swanny and his team with his steely gaze.
"What the h.e.l.l is going on, and I want it all. I don"t give a s.h.i.t what your orders are or if this is some cla.s.sified c.r.a.p. I want to know exactly what the situation is here."