The Wedding Trap (Second Service #1)(18)
Author: Adrienne Bell

“Staal was a known associate of Munoz. He was connected to over a hundred murders and disappearances. If he was coming for you today, there was a reason. He received his orders from someone."

Fear lit up her eyes. She wrapped her arms around her middle. He didn’t like seeing her afraid, but he wasn’t going to lie to her. If she was marked by Munoz she had a right to know just how bad it was.

He reached out and put a hand on her knee. She looked at it warily, but didn’t move away.

"What I said this morning is still true, Beth. I will keep you safe. I promise."

Three light knocks rapped against the door. Beth nearly jumped out of the chair, her eyes wide with fear.

"It’s all right," he said. "We’re expecting company."

***

Beth jumped to her feet as a stranger entered the room. He was tall, solidly built and looked to be about the same age as Char—Alex. The men greeted each other with a handshake. Still, Beth went around to the other side of the chair.

Alex might know this guy, but that didn’t mean that she was going to greet him with open arms. Hell, she wasn’t sure if she would ever trust another stranger in her life.

The men whispered for a couple of seconds. The stranger’s eyes flashed toward her. She really wanted to believe Alex when he said that he was going to keep her safe, but this wasn’t exactly the kind of behavior that inspired confidence.

"Hey," she said. Both men turned toward her. "Maybe I’ve seen too many movies, but please tell me that this isn’t the part where you decide that I know too much, then turn around and shoot me."

The stranger arched a brow but no other hint of expression showed on his face. If his career in government intimidation didn’t work out, he had a future as a poker player. “Miss Bradley?"

"Yeah," she said, gripping the back of the chair even tighter. She had the distinct feeling she’d just poked a tiger with a stick.

“I am Agent John Ryman, and I assure you I came up here with no intention of doing you any harm."

Beth looked toward Alex for confirmation.

"It’s okay, Beth. John is cool," he said.

“You’re sure about that?”

He gave a little laugh. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

“How are you sure?” She wasn’t taking anything on faith right now.

“We were in the Navy together.”

She looked between the two formidable men. “What, were you guys on the same SEAL team, or something?”

Alex and his friend stared at her silently.

Okay, then.

Agent Ryman took a step toward her. Beth fought off the urge to take a step back. There was nothing soothing or suave about the man. She didn’t doubt for a second that he was every bit as deadly and dangerous as Alex…Agent Alex Tanner. He just didn’t hide it nearly as well.

"Why don’t you tell me everything that happened this afternoon, Miss Bradley," he said, taking a seat. The fact that he was lower than her did nothing to take away his menacing air.

Beth shot a glance at Alex.

“John’s here to help,” he said.

"A crazy man came after me with a gun," she said. "There isn’t much more to the story."

“Can you think of any reason why someone would want to put a hit out on you?” Agent Ryman asked.

“No. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Agent Ryman’s eyes narrowed. “There has to be some reason.”

Beth’s pulse began to race. It was bad enough nearly getting killed out in the street. She didn’t need some thick-necked stranger suggesting that she’d brought it on herself.

“And if I knew it, I would tell you,” Beth said. “Isn’t possible that this Bruno guy was just trying to get to Charlie—I mean, Alex—through me?”

“Doubtful,” Agent Ryman said.

Beth waited for him to explain, but he didn’t say anything else. Apparently, she was just supposed to take his word for it.

Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

“And why is it so doubtful?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

A sardonic smile lifted just the right corner of John’s lips. He glanced down at the floor, shaking his head. "If Bruno Staal had known that he would be meeting Alex in that alley today he would have come armed with a hell of a lot more than a pistol and a knife. He would have brought an army.”

Agent Ryman’s words drained the fire out of Beth’s belly, and she swallowed hard. Who the hell was Alex Tanner? Was he really as dangerous as this guy made him sound? Of course he was. She’d already seen proof of that.

Her hands started to shake again.

Agent Ryman looked up at Alex. It was obvious that the men had known each other for a while. Alex took over.

“I need you to focus, Beth. Is there any reason that Isobel’s uncle might want to hurt you?"

She shook her head emphatically. "No. I barely know Salvatore. I’ve probably only said half a dozen words to him in the last fifteen years."

“It’s okay, Beth. Just think. Is there anything that happened in the past?”

"Nothing."

Agent Ryman leaned forward. "How about the bride? Isobel? Could she have any reason to want you dead?"

Beth’s fear instantly turned to anger at the question. She glared at him. Trained killer or not, she wasn’t about to listen to him slander her friend. "This has nothing to do with Isobel."

"We can’t be sure of that," Agent Ryman said evenly.

"You might not be sure, but I’m goddamned certain," she said. ”Char—Alex, tell this guy that there’s no way that Isobel is involved with anything to do with her uncle. She’s as afraid of him as I am."

"John’s just doing his job. He’s here to help keep you safe, and right now that means we can’t rule out any option." Alex said, lowering his voice.

She was starting to recognize the manipulation technique. Well, it wasn’t going to work on her. They could go and find someone else to play good cop/bad cop with. Or whatever the hell they were.

“You’re wasting your time looking at Isobel,” she said. “But to answer your question, no. There’s no reason she’d want to hurt me. I’m her maid of honor, for heaven’s sake.”

Agent Ryman leaned forward. “Think hard, Miss Bradley. Something had to spark this attempt on your life. At this point nothing is too small to consider.”

"Seriously, there’s been noth—" Beth froze, her tongue still trapped between her teeth. The memory of Salvatore’s angry face flashed through her mind. She’d interrupted him in the laundry room. She remembered the envelope, the briefcase that had been pushed his way. The murderous look in his eyes when he’d seen her. She thought of what the man with him had whispered to Salvatore.