Chapter Eighteen

Niko woke to fingers stroking his hair. His head lay next to Aly’s side; his arm was slung across her waist. He straightened and yawned. Blue eyes watched him. “Am I guarding you or are you guarding me?” He brushed a hand across Aly’s forehead, needing both the feel of her soft skin and to check for a fever.

“Are you checking me for a fever, Doc?” The corners of her mouth twitched.

God, how good it is to see that twinkle in her eyes again.

“You’re too smart for your own good. Feeling better, mon amour?”

“Some, yes. You need a shave.” She ran her fingers down his bristled face. “Although, the look’s kind of sexy on you.”

“Sexy? Did I hear the word ‘sexy’ tumble from your soft, kissable lips? Tell me I didn’t hear Miss Prim-and-Proper utter the word ‘sexy.’” He bent to kiss her. “Give me the chance and I’ll show you how sexy I can be, mon amour.”

“May I have some water, you sex-crazed man?”

He chuckled at the expression on her bruised face. “Need to cool off, do we?” He handed her the container. Then he glanced at his watch. He’d slept for several hours. It was almost noon.

Aly extended the container of water. “Thanks. My throat’s not as sore as it was earlier. Or was that yesterday? It’s all a kind of drug-induced fog. I’ll be glad when I can ditch this morphine drip and think clearly again.”

“I’m sure.” Niko took her hand and kissed it before rubbing it. “How’s your head? The doctor said you might have headaches for a few days.”

Aly groaned. “I was hoping the intense hammering would go away soon.”

“We need to talk about the other night. I have questions I must ask, and you seem alert enough to respond.”

“Ask away, Mr. James-Momma’s-Boy Bond.”

His eyes swept to hers. “You’re not going to let me live that down, are you?”

A quick smile flashed. “Not on your life. Although, I do really like your maman.”

“She said you saved her life, hers and Renee’s and Olivia’s. Tell me everything that happened. Try to remember each minute detail, no matter how insignificant.”

Aly finished her narration of the events when the door to her room slowly opened. Niko stood and turned so he was between Aly and whoever was entering the room.

Marie-Clare came in carrying a bouquet of lilies and daisies and a shopping bag. “Is the patient up to visitors?” The older lady winked at Niko. They talked earlier; he filled her in on everything, including his plan. She agreed to play the role.

“Come in and visit. Seeing you will do her a world of good. I have some errands to run while you two chat.” Niko kissed Aly’s forehead. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back before you know it.” He turned and stepped into the hall.

Niko nodded at the policeman slouched against the wall outside Aly’s door. “I’ll be back in a couple hours. Alice Newman’s grandmother is with her now.”

“Yes, sir.” The officer obviously accepted Niko’s well-crafted plan as truth.

“No one enters this room unless you check their I.D. first, even hospital personnel. Is that clear?” The officer nodded. “Madame Newman was shot by her husband in a domestic argument. I don’t want him or any of his lunatic family getting to her.”

The officer shook his head. “Nasty business, sir.”

“Exactly. That’s why the department has her under protective custody. Don’t leave your post.” Niko turned and headed for the elevator.

Later, when Niko returned, the officer was standing tall, seemingly taking his assignment seriously. Niko nodded as he went in the hospital room.

Aly was asleep. Marie-Clare was arranging her flowers in a vase she obviously brought along.

“How long has she been asleep?”

“About an hour. Might we talk, you and I?” Marie-Clare set the vase of flowers on the bed stand and approached him.

“Of course, Madame. How can I help you?”

She placed a cool hand on his arm. “I think it is I who can help you. How long will Alyson be here?”

“I’d like to get her out of here as soon as possible. We’ll go to the safe house. I’ll take care of her until she heals.” He’d tossed around other ideas, too, but hadn’t decided on anything specific. If he knew for sure they wouldn’t be followed, he’d take her someplace else in France. Since she had no passport, he couldn’t take her out of the country. Besides, in her condition, a long trip would be too taxing. Her healing was tantamount to her safety.

“I have a better idea. Right now I doubt there’s a safe place in Paris for her. Your own home wasn’t, was it?” She regarded him intently.

“No.” That fact still bothered him. How had the gunmen entered the grounds and his building? Who gave them the two security codes? Jean-Luc questioned the concierge, but she insisted only the residents had the codes. Jean-Luc went further with his investigation, asking every resident of the ancient building for a list of those whom they gave the codes to over time. Weeding through the list could take days.

“I have a plan.” A satisfied smile blossomed on her wrinkled face. He imagined this woman could be fiercely determined.

“A plan, Madame?”

“Oui. I have an apartment in Villerville, along the Normandy coast. No one in Paris knows the exact location. It is above a little bookstore. Very quant with a view of the English Channel. I want you and Alyson to use it. Stay a few weeks. Do not tell anyone where you are going. Might I suggest you take a different car so no one will follow you? Keep your plans a secret. Then you will have a strong measure of safety, oui?”

“You’re serious about this?”

“Most. You are not the only one who knows how to put plans into effect. My apartment makes for a safe haven and a romantic spot.” She removed an envelope from her skirt pocket and pressed it in his hand. “Here are the travel directions and key. I will call the concierge so she will know to expect the two of you. I will have her freshen the place, air it out and stock it with a few essentials. I will tell her you are my nephew.” She winked. “A little fib, but we will let it pass. You will be most comfortable there. This I assure you.”

“You are most generous, Madame.” Her plan could work. He’d rent a car and tell no one where they were going. Take a long overdue vacation.

Marie-Clare glanced over her shoulder at Aly. “She brought sunshine and excitement into this old woman’s life. When I am with her, for some reason, the pain over losing my Pierre lessens. I can never repay her for that. So, I do this petite thing for her.

“I’m thinking of selling my business. I don’t know if I can work in the shop anymore after Josette’s murder. In my mind, I will relive the horrors of it.” She shuddered. “I saw the handprint this morning. I vomited. That horrific image is burned in my mind.” She dabbed at her eyes with a wadded tissue.

“Perhaps while you are gone, I will start packing my things to move permanently to Villerville. When you see the charming little village, you will see why I love it there. I call it a healing place. Now I must go visit Josette’s family.” She exhaled a long sigh. “I do not look forward to it, but she was a friend as well as an employee.”

Niko enveloped her hand in his. “Again, you are most kind, Madame. I will take Aly to your healing place, and she will love it, I’m sure.”

She beamed a smile and patted his cheek before bustling from the room.

While Aly, known to hospital personnel as Alice Newman, slept, Niko made plans. According to Marie-Clare’s neatly printed directions, Villerville was a two and a half hour drive. If he rented a car large enough for Aly to lie down in the back, she could probably handle the ride fairly well. He would bring pillows and blankets.

His Aly was sleeping with her mouth open, beautiful and vulnerable. All his protective urges slammed to the surface. He’d take her to Villerville and give her a vacation she’d always remember. By God, he would keep her safe and maybe, just maybe, he could convince her she belonged with him—forever.

There were calls to make. He dialed Henri on his new cell phone, one he was certain contained no tracer software. Henri answered on the second ring. Now, the government agent became the actor. With a few well-chosen words, he convinced his superior the death of the woman he was guarding caused enough trauma to warrant emergency leave.

****

Aly kept watching him. He imagined she could sense something was up. As soon as the nurse was through changing her dressing, he’d tell her his plan. The doctor had cleared her discharge. She was smart enough to know no one left the hospital at three in the morning.

“Monsieur, s’il vous plait, you must leave the room so madame can get dressed.”

“Yes, of course. Here, these are her things.” He handed the nurse a bag and stepped into the hall. Everything was progressing on schedule. Thank goodness Aly was healing and showing no signs of infection. He pressed a number on his cell. “You still awake, Maman?”

“Yes. I have everything ready as you requested. Your clothes are packed. Simone had great fun shopping for seashore clothes for Aly. I just wish I knew where you were going.”

“No one knows, Maman. You have pillows and blankets?”

“Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that.”

“She’s getting dressed now. They’ll be discharging her shortly. I’ll call for a taxi and meet you at rue Bertholette.”

“I’m on my way.”

“Make sure you aren’t followed.” Was he being reckless in asking his mother to go out in the middle of the night on such an errand? She was one of the few people he trusted.

“Simone is with me. She says she’ll ride shotgun. Whatever that means.”

Niko laughed. “What that means is she’s watching too many American movies.” He ended the call and then called for a taxi.

The nurse came out of Aly’s room. “You may go in now, Monsieur. I’m going to put together a bag of bandages and ointments for the patient. The doctor prescribed some pain pills. I’ll put them in the bag also. Since the patient will be moving around, I have her arm in a sling to reduce pulling on the sutures over the bullet wound in her back. She needs to wear it for the next three or four days. Not all the time. She needs gentle exercise with that arm. Have her do stretches.”

“Oui. Merci beaucoup, Mademoiselle.” He knew how to care for bullet wounds, having had a few himself.

When Niko entered the room, Aly was sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyebrow arched and her lips pursed in that endearing prim way she had. He fought a grin; he knew why she was pissed.

“A thong, Niko? You gave the nurse a black lace thong for me to put on?”

“Did I buy you the correct size?”

“Size?” She huffed an irritated breath. “How could a strip of black lace the size of my thumb attached to dental floss have a size?”

He ran a finger across his lips, hoping she wouldn’t see the smile. Damn, she’s adorable when she’s pissed.

“Are you laughing at me?” She stood and stepped toward him. She staggered, and he swooped her up in his arms.

“Easy, mon amour. No fainting allowed.” He kissed her neck. “You look cute in your Dior sweatshirt. I went shopping for you this afternoon while you slept. Just a quick run to get you some comfortable traveling clothes. The guard posted at your door kept you safe in the short time I was gone.”

“Traveling? Where are we going?”

He set her on the bed and brushed his lips against hers. “Marie-Clare calls it a healing place. She’s loaning us the use of her apartment in Villerville, along the coast. Someplace no one knows about. You’ll be safe there.”

“What about your job?”

“I’m taking two weeks’ vacation so you’ll have time to heal. No one knows where we’re going. Not Henri, my family, Jean-Luc or your nosy sister.” He tugged at a strand of her hair. “Everyone’s pissed at me for not telling. We need this time alone, mon amour. Time for you to heal and time for us to get to know one another better.”

She glanced up at him, a sense of wariness in her eyes. “Exactly how much better are we talking about here?”

With his gaze locked on hers, he slid his hands under her sweatshirt and slowly trailed his fingertips up her stomach. God, her skin is like velvet. He hardened in response. Her skin trembled. Her breathing hitched as his fingers roamed over the black lace of the bra he bought her. When her nipples peaked against his palms in response to his touch, he groaned and stepped between her legs. He moved one hand to cup her bottom and pull her into intimate knowledge of his erection. Her eyes widened and her lips parted.

Niko bent his head and captured her lips. Soft sips at first, his tongue gently swept across her mouth before his lips made contact. His tongue swept the inside of her mouth, and she moaned. He pulled her harder against him, and she leaned into him. Unspoken desires and promises were passed and acknowledged within the sensuality of the kiss. His lips moved from hers to trace a trail of kisses along her jawline and throat. When he spoke, his voice was husky with the desire that pumped through his veins. “Are my intentions clear now, mon amour?”

****

Alyson couldn’t believe the precision with which Niko’s plan moved. He had a taxi waiting at the exit of the hospital. The taxi took them to a quiet street and dropped them off. They walked a block over to the next street where Niko instructed the rental car agency to deliver the car. He allowed her to walk only a short while before he lifted her and carried her the rest of the distance.

“Is this the kind of car you asked for?” She eyed the ugly vehicle. “Looks like a golden amoeba. Not your style at all.”

“Exactly. We’ll blend in with other travelers on the highway. You will find this model Citroen gives a smooth ride. Hopefully it won’t jar you too much while I drive.” He glanced around the area. Headlights flashed on and off. “Ah, there’s Maman and Simone. They’re bringing our clothes.”

Within a matter of minutes, she was stretched out on the backseat under covers and they were on their way. “I wish I was up front with you. I’d like to see where we’re going.”

“Sleep for an hour. Then I’ll stop so we can move around and get some fresh air. If you’re feeling up to it, you can sit up front for the rest of the trip.”

“You’re a bossy man.” Her eyelids were getting heavy. He’d given her a pain pill before she climbed into the backseat. The man went to such lengths to keep her safe. Now they were going to the shore for a couple weeks. After all she’d been through, she’d grant herself the joy of being with him. No doubt they’d make love, and she welcomed it. Life could be so short. She’d have her affair with this handsome younger man, then she’d have to leave her beloved government agent to return home. She swiped at a falling tear. The thought of returning to the States made her very sad. Very sad indeed.

The car eased to a stop. The engine’s drone ceased and the stereo’s music ended. Niko shifted on the leather seat. “Aly, cherie, wake up.”

“I’m awake. Where are we?” How long had they been traveling? She had to pee.

“About thirty minutes away from Villerville. I hoped I could make it, but my eyes are getting weary. Need to stretch. You probably should, too. We’ll have some coffee and use the facilities.”

Minutes later, the waitress took their order and walked away. Alyson pointed to her face. “Do I look that bad? The waitress couldn’t take her eyes off my face.”

Niko shrugged. “She probably thinks we had a lover’s quarrel and I beat you.”

“If a man ever laid a hand on me in anger, it would be the biggest damned mistake he ever made.” Golly, where had that come from? She’d never been the vocal type of female. Not until Paris, not until her life had been turned upside down by The Red Hand and a handsome, engaging government agent.

Niko held up both hands in a surrender gesture. “Believe me, I have no doubt of that. If you were French, I’d hire you for my unit. You’re fearless. Ruthless. Aggressive.” His lips twitched. “A bitch in stilettos.”

“Stop!” The waitress set their coffees and croissants on the table, checked out Alyson’s face once more and left.

Alyson bit into a warm croissant. Her eyes crossed. “Oh my.”

Niko slathered butter on his. “You should try it with butter, mon amour.”

Alyson shook her head. “Heaven’s no! You want my hips to spread?”

A slow, dangerous smile creased his face. “Oh, yeah. In fact, I plan on seeing that in the next few days.” His eyebrows wiggled and he bit into his croissant.

“Hush!” She quickly glanced around the tiny café, hoping none of the five other patrons heard Niko’s remark. “You can just stop thinking those kinds of thoughts right now.” She glared at the very handsome male smirking at her. His dark whisker stubble added a level of danger—sensual danger—to his rakish appearance. Her body responded. He is just too gorgeous for his own good—and mine.

Niko set his coffee cup in the saucer. “Marie-Clare mentioned she might put her shop on the market and move to Villerville.”

“Really? She told me of her happy memories of vacations to Villerville, but I had no idea she was seriously considering moving there.”

“You were upstairs in her apartment. How large were the rooms? What was their condition? Was the bathroom updated? The kitchen?”

“I thought it was a lovely layout. The bathroom was updated, but not the kitchen. Why do you ask?”

Niko laid his hand over hers and rubbed her fingers. “I think it’s about time I got my own living quarters, don’t you?” He winked. “Then I would no longer be a momma’s boy, as you call it.”

She sipped her coffee and thought over what he said. “Are you serious? How would your maman handle that? She dotes on you.”

He pushed the cup back and forth in its saucer. “Yes, and while I love her attention, it’s not necessarily good for her to focus her life on me. She’s been alone for ten years. A beautiful, loving, vibrant woman like her should have a man in her life. As long as I’m hanging around, she won’t open herself to that possibility.”

“My dad’s been alone for almost three years. He dates a lot, but nothing serious I know of. He can be a bit of a handful.”

Niko tilted his head. “Define ‘handful.’”

“Opinionated. Obstinate. Ah…demanding.”

He reached in his pocket to retrieve coins for a tip. “The problem with all those fine qualities in a man would be…?”

Alyson rolled her eyes. “You men always stick together. It’s disgusting.”

Niko laughed. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s finish this trip.” He stood and extended his hand. “Are you feeling up to riding in front with me? The sun will soon rise. You might enjoy the sights.”

When they exited off the highway onto a two-lane, tree-lined road, shades of pinks peeked through the thin veil of dawn’s gray light. They rode in silence, holding hands with soft jazz playing on the stereo. Niko glanced at Alyson. “Are you having any pain?”

“Some. More of an ache than a sharp pain, but it’s bearable. My head throbs, but I’m almost getting used to it. Have you ever been to Villerville or the Normandy coast?”

“No. I usually go to the Italian Riviera when I take Maman on vacation. I spend a couple days with her family, enough to be polite, and then I drive on to the Riviera.”

“By yourself?” The thought of Niko watching nearly naked tanned and toned bodies bothered her.

He wiggled his eyebrows. “Of course.”

“You’re a dog.” She looked out the side window.

Niko lifted her hand to his lips. “Every dog wants to be tamed, mon amour” His voice lowered. “By the right master.”

Yeah, right, as if any woman could tame you. She glanced at his strong profile out of the corner of her eye. Her heart ached to be the one—the only one—who could.