Kissing Sin (Riley Jenson Guardian 2)

"Which is why you'll be there to run interference."

Which meant I got left with Quinn yet again. Given the time he was taking to make his decision, I wasn't exactly happy about that. I mean, putting me with him was like flashing chocolate my way then telling me I couldn't have it. It was just plain mean.

"Meanwhile," Jack continued, "Quinn and Riley will be investigating Martin Hunt."

"And how are we supposed to be doing that?"

"Easy." Jack's gaze went to Quinn. "I believe you have an invitation to the Wishes For Children Foundation's charity dinner tomorrow evening?"

"Yes."

"Good. Hunt will be there, as his wife is on the foundation board. You and Riley can mingle with the nation's finest highfliers, and get a line on Hunt in the process."

"There's a major problem in that thinking." Sarcasm edged my voice. "If Hunt is a baddie, he knows what I look like."

"Which is why Rhoan will be bringing in Liander."

"It's too big a risk." Though Quinn's voice was soft, steely determination was evident in his tones. "I'll go, but Riley should stay here."

"We need Riley's nose. Hunt might have been one of the men who visited her in that breeding cell. If he is, we've found a major player."

It wouldn't be that easy. Deep down, I knew there was someone else - someone I knew. Someone who was pulling all the strings from the shadows.

"They've snatched her twice now, and have tried to kill her several times since. Her DNA is as useful to them dead as it is alive. Sending her to this function could be as good as signing her death warrant."

"They won't know she's even there."

"They knew she was at that Brighton hotel. They knew she was in the car park. You cannot possibly say for sure they won't know she's at the function."

"I do agree that Riley shouldn't be doing this," Rhoan added. "She's not trained for undercover work."

"This won't be dangerous," Jack said impatiently. "And Quinn will be there to protect her."

"None of us have been doing a very good job of protecting her so far." Rhoan met my gaze. "It's your call."

Which meant he'd back me, no matter what I decided. Even if it meant going up against Jack's orders. I smiled, loving my brother more than ever.

"It's Liander doing the disguising, and I trust him." I looked at Jack. "I need an end to this madness. I want to get back to a normal life."

He didn't say the obvious - that for me, the chance of a normal life had well and truly slipped by. But he was thinking it. I could see it in his eyes.

"Good," was all he said. "Kade, Quinn, and Riley, get some rest. Rhoan, you go back to town and get Liander. Take a couple of men with you."

I waited until the three men had left, then met Jack's gaze. "There's one thing you seem to have forgotten. My nightly appointments with Misha start tomorrow."

"I haven't forgotten it. The function is early evening. A car will pick you and Quinn up at ten, and deliver you back to the airport. Quinn's using his own plane, and the jet will have you back in time for your meet with Misha."

"If all goes according to plan." And so far, nothing had.

"Things are starting to fall our way, Riley. It'll be all right."

I rubbed my arms, and hoped like hell he was right, because it wasn't only my life on the line tomorrow, but Quinn's as well. Jack seemed to have forgotten that Quinn had already been the target of several assassination attempts. Or maybe he simply didn't care.

"Here's an image of the general and his wife." He swung the com-unit around so I could see the pics. The general was tall, solidly set, with salt-and-pepper hair and a craggy face. His wife was tallish, thickish, with a nondescript sort of face and dull brown hair. The sort of couple you wouldn't even look twice at.

"Go get some rest," he added. "You look beat."

I was. But as I stood outside the door, sniffing the air to sense which direction Kade and Quinn had gone, it wasn't sleep I had on my mind. But luckily for me and my need for sleep, my hormones weren't running the ship just yet. I found an empty cell, stripped down, and went to sleep.