The Wedding Trap (Second Service #1)(37)
Author: Adrienne Bell

They found John standing against the balcony doors in the lobby. He looked up as they approached, nodding at Beth.

"You look nice, Miss Bradley."

"Thank you," she said. She had the feeling that a compliment from John was a rare thing indeed.

Beth opened the doors and stepped out on the balcony as Alex and John talked. She wasn’t interested in hearing about more intercepted communications, or how secure the perimeter around the hotel was. All she wanted was half a minute to herself.

Alex didn’t stop her, so she figured she was safe enough. He was just on the other side of the glass door. Besides, a bit of fresh air and quiet was worth the risk.

She went to the railing and looked out over the bay. The wind was calm, the temperature mild. A few puffy white clouds dotted the sky, but nothing threatening. It was a perfect day for a wedding.

Beth offered up a little prayer that everything would go as planned today, and not just because that would mean that she wouldn’t get wheeled from the Kensington in a body bag, but because Isobel deserved a perfect day.

Maybe one day Beth would get a wedding day of her own.

If she lived that long.

Beth looked down at the sound of passing footsteps. And froze.

It was him. Dear God, it was him.

The man she had seen in the laundry room. The man who had been with Salvatore. The man who wanted her dead.

Their eyes locked. Beth’s fingers curled around the railing. She tried to open her mouth to call out for Alex, for John, for anyone, but nothing came out.

The man stared back, recognition showing in his narrowed eyes. He slipped his hand into his jacket.

He was going for a gun. He was just going to shoot her right here and now. And why not? She was practically handing him his chance on a silver platter, standing stock-still, waiting patiently to be shot.

A switch turned on inside. She refused to go out quietly.

Beth opened her mouth and screamed. Full-throated and loud as a siren.

The man below her winced. More importantly, he hesitated.

In the space of heartbeat, the balcony doors flew open and Alex was at her side. He grabbed her by the arms and spun her around.

"Are you all right," he asked, looking her up and down for injuries. "What is it?"

"He’s here," she said. She couldn’t keep her voice from shaking.

"Where?" John asked. His eyes were already scanning the parking lot.

"Down there." Beth pointed to the spot directly under the railing. The man had already disappeared. "He’s gone."

"It’s all right. We’ll find him." Alex said.

Beth shook her head. "He went for a gun. He was going to shoot me. I panicked. I’m sorry."

Alex wrapped his arms around her. "Don’t be sorry. You did what you had to do. And it was effective."

Alex pulled her closer to the door, but not all the way inside. John flanked her on the other side.

"I’ll alert the team," John said.

"No need," Alex said with a hint of a smile. “I’m sure everyone in a three block radius heard that scream."

Beth smacked him in the shoulder. "I told you I was sorry."

John stared down at the pair of them, confusion on his face. She didn’t blame him. She and Alex were a mismatched pair. But whatever was going on between them, it worked.

“I’m taking her back upstairs,” Alex said.

Beth shook her head. "You can’t do that."

"Of course I can."

"It’s almost time for the ceremony," she said.

“And you’re missing it.” He pulled her through the doors into the relative safety of the lobby.

“Like hell I am. What good am I to anyone up in our room? I can’t identify anyone. I can’t draw anyone out.”

"But I can keep you safe."

“For how long? What happens if this doesn’t end this weekend while I still have the cavalry around me? Do I just go home? Do I go into witness protection?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve already promised that I won’t leave you.”

“I don’t want you to be my bodyguard, Alex. I want you to be my lover. Nothing else is going to work.”

John coughed behind them. Beth didn’t so much as blush.

Alex raked a hand through his hair. He looked down at her. His lips were a tight line. He knew as well as she did that what she said was true.

“Now, I am going to be in that wedding, and I am going to help you catch that son of a bitch. So if you want to keep me safe, you better come up with a new plan, and you better do it quick.”

Chapter 13

"You’re wearing a vest."

Beth barely had time to react to the object he tossed across the room at her. It landed with a hard thump against her chest.

"Oh come on, Alex. Let’s be realistic," she said, lifting up the heavy thing to get a better look at it. It was thick and bulky and jet-black.

"Exactly. I am being realistic, Beth. There is a man out there who wants you dead. He’s armed and he’s determined. Your choices are wearing that vest or me shoving you in the back of a van and shuttling you clear across the country with me." He didn’t sound like he was joking.

Beth gave the vest a good long look. She wasn’t going to lie—the last option wasn’t without allure. But she had already ruled out running. The same went for hiding. She’d been doing those things most of her life, and if there was one thing that she’d learned, it was that neither really worked out. Lies had a way of catching up with you.

Of course, there wouldn’t be much to catch up to if she wound up with a great big hole in her chest.

She flicked her gaze between the vest and Alex. Alex and the vest.

Damn it.

"Okay, help me get into this ridiculous thing."

He pulled down the zipper of the dress and slid on the vest. It was hardly a flattering accessory. It flattened her chest. So much for the expensive push-up bra that she’d splurged on. To hell with the slimming effect of her smoothing undergarments. Right now she had the sexy silhouette of a hospital patient waiting for an x-ray.

The zipper just barely made it up her back. Same with Isobel’s sweater. She had to stretch the material to its limit just to button it. Beth risked a look in the mirror.

Damn, she looked like a line backer.

The only upside was there wasn’t anytime to think about it. Her phone buzzed and she answered.

"Where the hell are you?” Isobel practically screamed into the phone.

"I’m coming. I’m coming. I still have five minutes. I’ll be there, I promise.” She kept the phone on as she ran down the hall to the elevator. Alex matched her step for step.