Chapter Twenty-One
Later that evening, in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Stryker leaned against his car across the street from Lyons’ daughter’s ground floor apartment. Stryker was on protection duty and not happy about it. He got the importance of it, yes. But still…not happy.
Clouds blanketed the night sky, shutting out the stars and moon. A lamppost sputtered and flickered on and off as though it couldn’t make up its mind. He sympathized. He stared at it with disgust. Indecision, of any kind, was not part of his DNA. His first instinct had been to barge into the apartment and tell Alexandra Lyons that she was out of her depth. But then her father had filled him in on his daughter. Under Lyons’ frustration Stryker could hear the pride and fear in the man’s voice, and the worry that Alexandra wouldn’t back down. Stryker respected the woman’s grit even if he didn’t like the setup.
According to Lyons, Alexandra liked championing lost causes, cheering for losing teams, jogging at three in the morning, and eating rocky road ice cream out of the carton. She also preferred to be called AJ instead of Alexandra.
The one thing, he, Rowan and Lyons agreed on was that Alexandra was in over her head and would likely get herself killed. What they hadn’t agreed on was how to keep her safe. She’d bolt if she saw either her father or Rowan. She needed someone who had the protection gene in his DNA and wouldn’t back down from a fight.
That’s where Stryker came in. He ran a successful protection service for high-powered executives, royals and celebrities that spanned the globe. Having Wizard skills that gave him lightning quick reflexes, the ability to see in the dark, superhuman strength and a reputation for keeping his clients safe provided his edge on the competition.
There were two ways he could play this. The first was to follow Rowan and Lyons’ advice and track her like a bloodhound, lurking in the shadows and running for a place to hide every time she turned around, with cold coffee and colder takeout. Or he could do it his way.
Tell her the truth.
He pushed away from his car and dialed Lyons’ number.
The anxious father answered on the first ring. “Is my daughter okay?”
“She’s fine. I want you to telephone her and tell her who I am and why I’m involved. I’ll do the rest. You have exactly thirty seconds before I knock on her door.” Stryker ended the call without giving Lyons a chance to respond as he headed toward Alexandra’s apartment. He checked his cell for the time, pissed he hadn’t allowed for time to get coffee.
Her door flew open. She stood framed in the doorway, wearing a navy suit that fit her curves like silk on bare skin. A tumble of black curls traveled past her shoulders. Her hands were anchored on her hips and her blue eyes looked like they were on the verge of bursting into a rage-filled flame. Under different circumstances, he’d ignore the rule about no sex with a human and start planning a trip to a remote mountain retreat or the tropics.
Her voice was even and clipped. “I suppose you’re Stryker. You look the part. All brawn. No brain. I told my father on the phone I didn’t need a babysitter. Go away.”
“Should I be offended that I look the part of a bodyguard?”
“You should.”
She was something. Too bad she was off limits. “I’ve made the command decision that it will be easier to protect you at my house. Can you cook?”
“Is your brain as muscle-bound as your biceps? I told you to go away. I don’t need a bodyguard. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
“And I don’t need a pain in the ass, but we don’t always get what we want. Grab a coat. It’s going to rain. You’ll need enough clothes for two to three days, women things, and a toothbrush. I don’t share my toothbrush. It sends the wrong message.”
She crossed her arms under that ample chest and glared. “Let me guess. You don’t like relationships.”
“Look at that. We’re bonding.” He stepped around her and cased her apartment. Neat and tidy, in shades of white and chrome. He admired the simplicity. “You have ten minutes to pack.”
“I’m not going with you.”
He turned toward her, noting the change in the slump of her shoulders and the shade of her eyes. Fear had replaced bravado. A part of her realized that she was in danger but was too proud to admit it. He changed tactics.
He moved toward a cloth sofa that probably looked the same as it had the day it rolled off the assembly line. Sitting, he draped his arm over the armrest. “Okay. New plan. You can stay where you are. Think of me more as your shadow rather than a bodyguard. Where you go, I go. Which means I’ll have to stay here. Your father considered offering his place, but people know where he lives and it’s too dangerous. Your place is not safe either, but it’s better than his and I can make it work. Your father is worried, and cops only get worried if there’s a reason.”
“My father trusts you?”
“I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Pike Place Market after midnight was like visiting another planet. The tourists were all tucked in their hotel rooms or on the cruise ships bound for Alaska, and the less adventurous of the locals in their homes. Urban legends had spread that the Market was frequented by magical creatures, and because it brought in the curious tourists, the business owners only fueled the fire.
Rowan arrived at the Market ahead of schedule. He didn’t expect Morgan for another hour. There was time to meet with the informant he had talked with over the phone. He and Lyons had used the man before. His fees were high, but the man’s information was reliable. Rowan walked past closed fish and produce stands, heading down a staircase that would take him to the lower levels and The Inferno Bar and Grill.
Retail shops wove through the block-long building like underground rabbit warrens and ranged from high-end pottery and clothing shops to used bookstores, souvenir shops and tables for tarot card readers. But this was after hours, and everything was shut down tight except for the tarot card readers. Their business was twenty-four-seven, accompanied by the throbbing of electronic music on the lower levels.
The pulsating music originated from The Inferno and was loud enough to break a human’s eardrum, which was the point. When the clock struck midnight, the restaurant was off limits to humans. Rowan opened the door and found an empty booth near one of the back exits.
