Fire and Ice (Guardians Book 1)

“Seven seconds,” Rick Tanner said to Maia. “It took you seven fucking seconds to take down Benny and his boys. Who the fuck are you?”

Jack was reeling from what he’d seen on the video. It was grainy because it was super-enhanced, but there was no mistaking that flash of red hair in action. Maia had told him how she took out Benny, Tommy and Syd, but actually seeing the whole bloody scenario unfold was something else. He was seeing her now as the lethal weapon she was.

“It was self-defense,” Maia said coldly and reached into the back of her jean skirt. Just like that, she became someone dangerous; Rick tensed and reached for his gun.

“Now wait a minute,” Jack barked and got between them. “Rick, holster that, damn it!”

Tanner hesitated for a minute then looked at Jack, “You know who she is? What she is?”

Jack nodded.

“I’m going to reach for my cell and make a call,” Maia said carefully realizing she had spooked the detective. “You’ll have your answer, agreed?”

Jack clenched his jaw. She was calling Viktor again. Fuck, Viktor.

“Viktor,” Maia said. “You better have your backup plan. … yes… Tanner has a video of the whole freaking incident… surveillance across the street… a bank. Well I didn’t think about it and besides it’d be worse if I broke into a bank… ”

Maia laughed. How could she laugh at a time like this, did she think she was an untouchable?

“… I’ll see if I can get you a copy … yeah… yeah… I owe you for this … bye.”

Maia turned back to Rick. “My associate says five minutes.”

“So tell me something,” Rick said. “That day at the beach, that was all an act right?”

“Do I really need to answer that?” Maia replied sarcastically.

“Was deadly force necessary or were you paying them back for what they did to you at the beach?” Rick shot back.

“They were armed with assault rifles. They were going to shoot Kyle.”

“It looked like you goaded them to strike you.”

“Tell me, Rick, would you let a seventeen-year-old boy have his entire life fucked up while you stood by and did nothing? Because that’s what will happen if they shot out his knee caps.”

“I get that, damn it, Maia, I get that,” Rick muttered. “But I’m trying to figure out how to handle this evidence.”

“Has anybody else seen it?” Jack asked.

“No,” Rick admitted. “But I can hardly look the other way.” To Maia, he asked, “You really thinking your buddy can get you out of this?”

And Jack wondered the same thing. What will the great Viktor Baran pull out of his magic hat now?

Rick Tanner’s phone started ringing. His brows furrowed and so did Jack’s.

“Tanner,” Rick said. His stunned eyes suddenly swiveled across to Maia, who was smirking. “Sir? But sir… ”

Jack watched Rick’s face turn red while whoever was on the other line lit into him.

Damn, what’s going on?

“Ah… yes sir… that might be complicated… no one else at the station has seen it. I’ll find a way to take care of it.” Rick ended the call and shook his phone aggressively at Maia.

“You knew?” Rick bit out accusingly.

“What the fuck is going on?” Jack asked impatiently.

“Yes, detective, what is going on?” Maia asked sweetly.

Rick glowered at Maia, looking like he wanted to throttle her. Jack knew he’d had the same urge a few times.

“Jig’s up anyway,” Rick sighed and then looked at Jack. “I’m not a detective. I’m DEA. Name’s Richard Grayson.”

“What?” Jack whispered incredulously.

Shifting his gaze to Maia, Rick said, “I’ve been ordered to stand down and clean up this mess since you and I will be partnering against the Russian.”

This wiped the smirk off of Maia’s face.

Rick grinned, enjoying the swift payback. “I’ll see your sweet ass in Baltimore soon. Looking forward to it.” Glancing back at Jack who was now seething with displeasure, “Looks like your houseguest here has been keeping too many secrets from you if your reaction is anything to go by. I’ll let her explain.”

With that, Richard “Rick” Grayson packed up and left.

“What’s in Baltimore?” Jack asked Maia softly.

“Rick’s got a big mouth,” Maia grumbled. “I can’t tell you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew he was DEA?” he pressed, his voice rising.

“It doesn’t concern you.”

“It doesn’t concern me that I knew you were lying to the police?” Jack snarled.

“You have a point.”

“What’s in Baltimore?”

“Now that I really can’t tell you. The less you know about it, the better. Believe me: you don’t want to mess with these guys,” she said.

“You think I’m scared of them?”

“Jack, I know the rumors behind your fiancée’s death,” Maia said steadily. “You’ve got a family… Brett. You guys have been through enough. You don’t want to be on the Russian mob’s grid, believe me.”

“That’s my decision!”

“Well, in case you missed it. It’s not your decision, it’s mine. I’m not telling you.”

“You told me about Lee.” Jack hadn’t planned on revealing that bit to Maia yet, but he was so pissed-off he just blurted it out.

“What?”

“You’ve got a loose mouth when you’re shit-faced, babe,” he taunted, not caring now that he was riling her up.

“You ass! You questioned me last night?” Maia demanded furiously.

When Jack didn’t answer, she hit him hard on the chest sending him back a step.

“How dare you!”

“I dare, because you keep so many secrets from me,” Jack yelled. “How can I keep you safe if you don’t tell me anything?”

“I don’t need you to keep me safe,” Maia shouted at him. “Viktor keeps me safe!”

Jack detonated. That was the last straw.

He grabbed Maia, planted her ass on the desk and yanked her legs apart.

“Jack, stop manhandling me, damn it!” Maia squawked as she tried to gain purchase.

How could he be so angry and turned on at the same time? Jack thought, fascinated by the smooth skin of her thighs and mesmerizing tumble of her glorious hair.

He bent over, leaning in and pressing his hardness against her inner thighs.

“It seems the only thing I’m any good for is a quick fuck,” Jack muttered thickly. He reached between them to unbutton and unzip his jeans.

“Jack, you’re not …” Maia breathed.

Jack was no longer listening; his need for her was too painful. He needed to be inside her, to feel her around him.

He pulled her head back and kissed down the side of her neck and then moved back up before taking her mouth greedily with his own. He then pushed her skirt up to her waist, tore off her panties, wrapped her legs around him and rocked into her.

Jack had just fucked her on his desk. Hard. Fully clothed. It was raw, it was erotic. Not that their other encounters hadn’t been, but Maia felt a desperation in him that echoed her own.

His face was still buried in the curve of her shoulder, they were both breathing hard from their fevered coupling. He glanced up at her now, his blue-grey eyes still dark with something unfathomable.

“I have no control when it comes to you,” he whispered. “Are you okay? I was a bit rough.”

“I can handle rough,” Maia replied tremulously, still descending from her violent orgasm. “But you need to stop behaving like a Neanderthal every time you want to prove a point to me.”

Jack grinned.

“You’re lucky you give great orgasms,” Maia said dryly. His grin got wider.

He pushed himself away and pulled her up. He tucked himself back into his jeans while she, still sitting on the desk, wiggled her skirt back down. Her panties were ruined.

Jack sat on his big leather office chair and gently clasped her left thigh, guiding her to swivel on her buttocks so she faced him.

“We need to talk,” he said determinedly.

“Jack, if this is about Isabella it’s really pointless.”

“Can’t we at least pretend not to be fuck-buddies. For one thing it sounds crude to explain especially with Grace’s conservative sensibilities.”

“Are we arguing about semantics?”

“We can enjoy each other with what time we have.”

“Are we not doing that?”

“No, you keep throwing the just-sex card at me,” Jack said in exasperation. “It’s an awkward reference. And truthfully, it doesn’t feel that way to me. I respect you too much to just treat you like a piece of ass. I want to protect you even if you don’t want me to. We can pretend that we’re seeing each other and act that way.”

“You’re asking me to be your pretend girlfriend?”

“Yes. Why not enjoy all the benefits?”

“It could get complicated, Jack,” Maia frowned.

“You’re afraid you’d fall in love with me?” Jack challenged.

“No, you might.”

Jack laughed derisively which annoyed Maia. What? The conceited ass thinks he’s too good to fall in love with me?

“Maia, I’ve had relationships for three months at a time, this last one with Isabella lasted eight. I care about them, but I am not in love with them,” Jack shrugged. “All I’m saying is it makes for a more enjoyable arrangement if we do not treat each other like an embarrassing one-night-stand.”

He had a point, but she felt an odd twinge of sadness for Jack. When Claire died she took his heart with her.

Why was she fighting him on this? Was she protesting too much? Wasn’t this how she treated her beach hookups anyway, like it was some grand love affair? Well, that’s how it got so fucked up with Lee , an inner voice argued. But that was because they had met up on Bali repeatedly. Was she in danger of falling in love with Jack? He did affect her more than any man she’d met. Maia scoffed inwardly at the idea. He’s a player. Viktor already had him cased. And look at poor Isabella.

“What’s the drama with Isabella, then?”

“She got it in her head that she was going to be Mrs. Jack McCord,” Jack replied dismissively.

“Well, you did string her along for eight months,” she reminded him.

“She knew my reputation and I’d never given her any indication that I would marry her,” he defended. “I thought she understood that and yes, I may be to blame for that. I should have them sign a fucking contract next time.”

“God, you’re cold,” Maia mocked. “Try spontaneity sometimes.”

“Is that what Lee was? An act of spontaneity?” Jack scoffed.

“Can we leave out the jealous-boyfriend act?” Maia suggested dryly.

“Sorry, babe that’s part of the deal.”

“I won’t discuss my past liaisons with you.”

“Now, who’s cold? Is that what I am to you, a liaison?”

“It’s a more mature term than boyfriend or girlfriend. And it sounds illicit and exciting.”

“Semantics?” Jack threw her own word back at her.

Maia knew Jack was going to be pig-headed about this. It was typical male behavior, acting irrationally possessive even if the relationship was temporary.

“What I had the first time with Lee was beautiful,” Maia explained. “He had the typical rocker appeal, I was in a gorgeous island getaway, the setting was perfect. He crooned to me under bright moonlit nights. What girl wouldn’t like that?” She sighed. “It was supposed to be a one time thing. But he kept in touch—very infrequently—like an odd phone call every month. I should have nipped it in the bud, but I told myself I didn’t see any harm. They were getting big in Philly, he was busy with his gig with groupies following him everywhere. And then the second time, he tempted me by booking a villa in the same exclusive resort where we had previously stayed.”

Jack muttered a string of curses. Maia stopped talking and raised a delicately arched eyebrow at him.

“Go on,” he grunted.

“I knew it was a bad idea,” Maia continued. “The second time was as perfect as the first, too perfect that it made me wary. We let ourselves get lost in each other. Then we parted ways same as last time. He called me again making plans for our third getaway. I turned him down twice. The third time he just made the bookings and told me he was going with or without me. Derek warned me I was facing a train-wreck but I didn’t listen.” Maia released a deep breath. “I was addicted in some way. When Lee told me he had fallen in love with me, I realized how selfish I was. The life I led, it wasn’t fair. I should have known by the second rendezvous that it had developed into something more and just cut him loose.”

“And you, did you love him?” Jack asked quietly, his face a blank mask.

Maia chewed her bottom lip, contemplating his question. “I was in love with the idea of him,” she answered honestly. “If circumstances weren’t the way they were, I might have loved him. But then would he be in love with me? Or was my unavailability the appeal for him?”

“You seem to be familiar with the male psyche,” Jack said sardonically.

“I’m surrounded with testosterone where I work.”

“So what’s Lee got to do with the Russian now?”

“Jack, please don’t push me on this,” Maia said in earnest. “It has nothing to do with you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Rick Tanner being DEA. I should have told you that much seeing how that impacts your reputation in this community.”

Jack stared at her. His face was calm but, his eyes held an underlying anger in them, a frustration.

“I’ll let it go for now,” Jack relented, and then changed the subject. “So what does my girlfriend want to do for the rest of the day?” He was smiling affectionately at her, his eyes losing their shadows and warming up.

Maia winced at the term girlfriend. “Right now I’m hungry.”

Jack gave her that look.

Maia rolled her eyes. “For food. Jeez!”

The upscale restaurant was a softly lit, white-linen-covered table, opulent extravaganza. It specialized in modern European cuisine and was always packed with the local gentry or the affluent vacationers who owned million-dollar ocean-front mansions. The Maitre d’ led Jack and Maia to a secluded table in one of the numerous rooms that comprised the dining area.

It was Thursday, three days after the detective’s visit and Jack figured it was time to take Maia out on a real date. They had settled into an easy routine at the stonehouse. They ran on the beach in the mornings, then Jack hit the gym while Maia practiced some yoga. They would shower together—sometimes having sex in the shower—and then they would do their separate thing. He would check in at work and she would check in with Viktor or do more remote surveillance and analysis of the data coming in from AGS. If their schedules worked out, they would have lunch together but sometimes she would get too engrossed in the control room and wouldn’t come out for air until Grace sent some food down to her.

Usually by 3pm they’d both be free and they would go to the weapons room and fire a couple of rounds at the firing range. Then they would hang out on the patio and chat or hang out in the kitchen to talk to Grace. The moment the housekeeper left, they’d be on top of each other.

Jack couldn’t deny he had a combustible chemistry with Maia. The sex was incredible. Every time he thought it could not get any better, it did. She was like a drug: every time he took her it sated him momentarily only to stoke his hunger for the next time. There was no end in sight.

He had a little more than a week left with her. He hadn’t exactly been eavesdropping on her conversations with Viktor but he occasionally used the control room the same time she was there. He had picked up on enough specifics to conclude that whatever was going down in Baltimore was happening in nine days.

Chaining her to his bed sounded like a brilliant plan, but somehow his housekeeper might not approve. He had to let her go.

Maia had not wanted to go out to dinner tonight, but Jack was able to lure her with the idea of butter-soaked dishes. One thing he had discovered about her was that her stomach was her weakness and the richer the food, the farther she fell. She was so different from most of the women he had dated who wouldn’t order past the salad menu.

She looked breathtaking in a little black dress. It was one of the dresses he’d bought for her (well technically Laurie had picked it out). He didn’t exactly know what the cut of the dress was called except it hung indecently low in the back and definitely didn’t allow her to wear a bra. He had half a mind to call and cancel their dinner reservation and fuck her right at the bottom of the stairs where she stood.

“I don’t know how I can keep my hands off of you all night,” he had whispered into her ear as he helped her into a light evening coat.

“Why Mr. McCord, I would be disappointed if you did,” Maia replied saucily.

Now, looking at her from across the table, he took in her exquisite face. Her clear blue eyes sparkled, her red hair cascading in waves reminded him of old Hollywood glamour and her red-tinged pouty lips, so soft and magnificently kissable under his mouth, had felt fantastic wrapped around his cock early that morning.

Fuck, he was getting hard under the white tablecloth.

The waiter arrived, handed them their menus, and asked, “Can I get you started with some cocktail?”

Jack grimaced at the word cocktail but managed to say, “A Manhattan for me, Maia?”

“I’ll have a Kir Royale, thank you,” Maia replied. When the waiter left, she leaned in and asked, “Are you okay? You look like you were in pain.”

“I’m fine,” he said, his voice strained.

Maia smiled then leaned back in her chair. He heard her kick off a shoe and then felt her foot on his crotch.

“I think Mr. McCord, that you’ve been having very naughty thoughts,” she said her eyes hooded with some enchanting light.

“Maia,” Jack warned, but his eyes closed at the sensation of her probing foot. It would not be amusing to blow his load under the table of a fine dining restaurant.

“Ooooh, bad, bad, bad, Jack,” Maia purred. She took pity on him and removed her foot and leaned forward and whispered teasingly, “Were you remembering our early morning nookie?”

“I disapprove of calling it that, but yes,” Jack said then whispered thickly, “You, madame, are in for some hard fucking.”

Maia’s eyes widened at his sexual threat and before either of them could say anything else, the waiter returned to inform them of their specials.

After ordering appetizers, Jack went with the veal chop house special while Maia ordered a sole meuniére. A sommelier later returned to recommend the wine to go with their choices.

“It’s Friday tomorrow,” Jack said. “I don’t have much to do except check some emails. Do you want to go sailing with me? The weather’s going to be a balmy 75F. Given this time of the year, I suggest we take advantage of it.”

“Oh, Jack I would love to go,” Maia enthused, her whole face glowing.

“Can’t believe it. Jack McCord?” a vaguely familiar voice said to their side.

A tall, reed-thin blond woman approached. Jack groaned inwardly. Vanessa was one of his ex-girlfriends.

Vanessa was escorted by a tall, distinguished-looking man in his 50s.

“Haven’t seen you in a long while,” she said in a tinkling voice. Jack tensed as his ex gave Maia a very rude once-over. “I see you’ve moved on to redheads. Never thought they were your type.”

“Vanessa!” her partner exclaimed, aghast.

“I wasn’t aware I had a type,” Jack replied frostily.

“Blondes, you always preferred blondes. Oh, Jack, have you met Harold Jameson?” Vanessa continued. “He’s a developer here in the Outer Banks and owns a couple of premium properties by the beach. Harold, this is Jack, an old, old friend.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir,” Jack said politely. Harold, however was staring openly at Maia much to Vanessa’s and Jack’s irritation.

“Since Jack is too rude to introduce us, I’m Maia.”

“I can understand why he would be reluctant to introduce as exquisite a creature as you,” Harold said smoothly as he grasped her hand and kissed the back of it.

Maia visibly preened while Jack started fuming.

“Let’s go, Harold, I think our table is ready,” Vanessa said as she tugged her date away, realizing that she might end up with competition.

Jack’s eyes followed the couple for a beat before turning back to Maia, frowning at the card she was fingering in her hand.

“What’s that?” Jack asked even as he knew.

“Harold’s business card. He’s one smooth operator,” she replied in amusement.

“That sonofabitch,” Jack muttered as he made a move to stand up.

“Jack,” Maia said as she reached out to rest a hand on his arm. “He’s not worth it. Would you ruin our first date?”

“You get propositioned all the time, don’t you?” he realized wryly.

“Well, didn’t you?” Maia replied. “I seem to recall I was bleeding from my leg and had just taken two bullets through a vest when you lewdly suggested our present arrangement.”

“Touché,” he grinned. Yes, he was such a hypocrite.

Their food arrived. They enjoyed their dinner with no further interruptions. Jack watched Maia gush over the buttery sole meuniere. It was so erotic to watch her moan with pleasure over her food. He could see why she ignited the way she did during sex: she was sensual by nature and embraced her carnal desires with gusto.

After finishing off dessert which was an indulgent affair of chocolate, they lingered over coffee.

“So what made you quit the Navy SEALs?” Maia asked.

It was Claire, he wanted a civilian life with her. Oddly, Jack didn’t feel the familiar twinge of pain in his chest whenever he remembered his dead fiancée.

“I wanted a civilian life with Claire,” Jack said and saw Maia’s face wince.

“Don’t,” Jack said as he reached for her hand. “It’s okay. I can talk about it. It wasn’t an accident, it was the Colombian drug cartel. That’s how I met Derek. A buddy of his was also a victim, and Derek was able to request use of resources from AGS to help us isolate the two drug lords involved. We took them down.”

“I’m sorry, Jack,” Maia whispered.

Jack nodded and then taking both of her hands, said, “I really want to help you with the Russian, babe. I’m not a district attorney or a singer in a rock band. I’m a Navy SEAL. I can hack it. If the AGS can ask Derek for help, they can also ask me.”

Maia looked at their clasped hands and then back at him. “I appreciate the offer, I really do. But one thing we sacrifice to be a Guardian is our relationships. Viktor has no family, I have no one except for my foster parents. Derek has none either—haven’t you wondered why he’s still single? In some way we are our own family.”

“I know what’s at stake, I’ve experienced it first hand,” Jack informed her through clenched teeth.

“There are worse things than suffering a direct loss of a loved one,” she said sadly.

“What do you mean?”

“Having someone you love tortured right in front of you, to coerce you to make a choice you don’t want,” Maia whispered, her eyes losing focus

“Maia?” Jack froze as he watched her descend into her own private hell. Was that what had happened to her parents?

“They cut us up, my mother and I,” she continued as he gripped her hands convulsively when he realized what she was telling him. His sudden movement snapped her out of her reverie. Realizing what she had just said, Maia tried to collect herself.

“They’re ruthless, Jack, these people who are after me. Your parents are well-known public figures, they’re easy targets.”

Jack barely heard what she was saying, he was still absorbing what he had just learned. Jesus Christ! Maia was tortured when she was twelve? He was trying hard to control the rage rising within him. An overwhelming urge to protect her consumed him.

“Jack?”

“Maia, do you want to go for a drive?” he asked trying to appear calm. God knows he was reeling and needed some fresh air.

“I would love that.”

“I should’ve stolen the keys to this instead,” Maia declared as they cruised along highway 12 in Jack’s Mercedes SLS. “Can I drive?”

“Not a chance,” Jack retorted, grinning.

They had been coasting on the Outer Banks arterial highway for the past 45 minutes, just taking in the crisp night air. Jack had regained his composure. He’d decided he was getting into Maia’s business whether she liked it or not. He was going to assess what exactly was going on and whether Derek was going to be getting involved in this. He also needed to figure out if there would be any threat at all to his parents and Brett.

“Although, I may take a trade,” Jack said wickedly.

“For what?”

“You’ll see.”

He turned into the road leading to the Corolla lighthouse. The lighthouse was surrounded by a wooded area and was the perfect place for what he had in mind.

Parking the car under a massive pine tree, moonlight speckled the car with whispers of flickering light.

“Come on.” Jack got out and loosened his tie. He walked over to the passenger side and tugged a hesitant Maia out of the vehicle. He immediately sidled her up against the hood of the Mercedes.

“What are you up to, Mr. McCord?”

“Payback for teasing me at the restaurant.”

His mouth descended on hers, plunging his tongue deeply through her lips. Her dress had been driving him crazy all evening. He finally dipped his hands behind the low back of her dress, grabbing her ass and palming it fervidly.

“Someone might see us!”

“Don’t fucking care,” he replied thickly.

Turning her around, he gently bent her over the warm hood of the car, keeping one hand on her back to hold her down while his other hand worked on the buckle, button and zip of his slacks.

“Jack!” Maia hissed. She tried to push up but his hand kept her in place.

He bent over her and reached his hand between the apex of her thighs and nearly came undone when he felt the warm gush of her arousal.

“You’re wet, babe,” he said hoarsely as he tore her panties off and started nudging the head of his erection into her entrance. “I want you so fucking much.”

Her answering moan made him lose control as he slid into her. He pumped in a steady rhythm, wanting to relish the moment, prolonging the pleasure.

But Maia had other ideas. She was greedy and spurred him on. “Harder, Jack. Harder.”

He withdrew then flipped her around, lifted her up on the hood, spreading her thighs around him and slamming back inside her. Their grunts and moans echoed in the light rustling sounds of the fall foliage. He pounded into her, loving the feeling of being buried deep inside her, the feeling of her spasming around his shaft as she came and finally his own release as he climaxed to new impassioned heights.

Jack hit the mat with a grunt. Maia was ecstatic: she finally managed to throw him over. For a big guy he was surprisingly fast and nimble on his feet. He had the advantage of strength over her, so Maia was hoping to use her speed against him. They had decided to skip their morning run in favor of sparring in the gym after Jack had made some chauvinistic remark that prompted Maia to announce that she was going to kick his ass.

Apparently Jack wasn’t kidding when he said he could take her in a hand-to-hand confrontation. Each offensive of hers was met with a counter-move that had her kissing the mat. Each attack on his part overwhelmed her defensive maneuvers and also had her kissing the mat. It took seven rounds, but Maia finally spotted an opening when she managed to lithely evade his strong arm to grab it and twist it under him to flip his entire body with the help of his momentum.

She immediately landed on him, her thighs squeezing his neck.

“Game over,” Maia crowed triumphantly.

“Good job, babe,” Jack grinned wolfishly. “That’s still 1-6”

“Well, the bet was that if I threw you over once in ten tries I get to drive the Mercedes,” she said. “I believe I beat the odds.”

Maia knifed off him and extended her hand to pull him up.

Jack lurched up and curled his arm around her shoulder to draw her to him. He gave her a kiss on her temple and said, “Yes, you did.”

“So glad to see I don’t have to save your ass in case we get into a bar brawl,” she quipped.

“Glad you think so,” Jack remarked dryly. “Ready to go sailing?”

Before Maia could reply, the intercom buzzed and Grace’s voice crackled over the speaker, “Jack, I think you need to come up here.”

“Were you expecting anybody?” Maia asked.

Jack shook his head and pressed the call button, “Grace, what is it?”

There was a few moments of silence before Grace’s voice came over. “Your mother is here.”

To be more exact, Jack’s parents and Brett were there, including four bodyguards. Maia felt like slinking off into the control room, but Jack dragged her with him up in the elevator, through the study and into the living room where everyone was assembled.

“What are you all doing here?” Jack demanded darkly.

“Really dear, is that anyway to greet your family?” Frances scolded. Jack’s mom was a slender, beautiful woman of sixty-three. She had the most amazing brown eyes and her chestnut-colored gray-streaked hair was cut in a stylish bob that made her look younger than her actual age. She was expensively attired in a silk blouse and light wool pants.

Jack advanced to give his mom a peck on the cheek and turned to give a tall, older man, with exactly the same coloring as Jack, a firm handshake. His Dad.

“Maia,” Brett exclaimed as he recognized her. “You’re Jack’s new girl? Well, I’ll be damned!”

“You know her?” Frances asked in surprise.

“Of course, she’s …” Brett caught Maia’s warning look. “I met her at a couple of fundraisers for green energy.”

Jack cocked a brow at his brother’s lie and Maia resisted the urge to laugh.

Frances approached her, her eyes misting, “Oh Jack, she’s a lovely girl.”

I’m going to kill Jack, Maia thought murderously.

Through body language, Maia was able to convey her reluctance to hug Frances as being due to her being sweaty from a workout.

Frances just smiled, squeezed her arm and said, “So happy to meet you dear. I’m Frances and this is my husband Robert.”

After all the introductions and greetings had been exchanged, Jack repeated his earlier question.

“Why, we thought we’d drop by and meet Maia since it’ll probably take ages for you to introduce us.”

“Mom, Maia and I have just started seeing each other,” Jack said in exasperation.

Maia’s eyes were shooting daggers at Jack, but he ignored her. This pretend-girlfriend thing was getting out of hand.

“And is it even safe for Brett to be traipsing around the East Coast?” Jack argued.

“I am not traipsing,” Brett said indignantly. “Try spending one week at that stupid country estate you’ve installed me in. This,” he waved dramatically around him, “is where I should spend my sabbatical.”

“Did you clear it with the DA?”

“Not exactly…” Frances said tentatively.

“I can’t believe this!” Jack muttered. “Dad, why did you allow this?” Robert McCord gave him a look as if to say, “Are you kidding me? Try arguing with your mother.”

“Never mind,” Jack said abruptly and turned to the four men all dressed identically in black t-shirts and cargo-pants. “Are you guys familiar with the layout of this place?”

All four men nodded.

“Grace, sorry to spring this on you,” Jack said apologetically to his housekeeper. “Can you prepare the two rooms upstairs for Mom, Dad and Brett, and the additional two rooms down here.” Jack turned to the bodyguards. “The four of you will need to share two rooms between you. I presume one or two will be on surveillance at all times?”

The four bodyguards were sub-contractors of AGS, though Maia had never met any of them. The lead on the team was Kane Taylor. The rest of the men were only known as Maddox, Smith and Brody. There was no doubt Jack was going to give Taylor a tongue-lashing for allowing this little excursion into the Outer Banks. The danger was in no way over, not with Reznikov still at large. But no one other than Maia and Viktor was likely to be aware of this.

As Jack spoke to the bodyguards, Maia felt Frances’s eyes studying her intently. Damn him for putting her in such an uncomfortable position.

Brett, on the other hand, was relishing the situation. “So Maia, how did my brother entice you into his bed where I have failed?”

“Brett, really,” Frances exclaimed. “Stop flirting with your brother’s girlfriend.”

Jack scowled at his brother, but he was clearly deep in discussion with Taylor and the bodyguard huddle which now included Robert. His dad was obviously greatly concerned with the safety of his wife and son.

“I think you should join them and discuss security measures,” Maia nodded to the group.

“I have a better idea,” Brett said. “Let me take care of the ladies while the other guys take care of business. Mom? Let’s step outside.”

While his mother followed, Brett grabbed Maia by the upper arm and guided her to the balcony. He bent low and murmured into her ears, “I think I feel safer with you anyway.”