CHAPTER TEN

“Hey, baby.” 

“Etienne!”  She hadn’t taken more than a step toward him before her arm was captured in Gareth’s steely grip, hard enough she knew she’d be ringed with bruises later. 

“Uh uh, dear.  No touching.”  Gareth’s death-grip on her arm pulled her back several steps.  “I take it you know him?”

She wrenched her arm free, ignoring his question, her whole focus on Etienne.  “What happened?” 

His answer was a simple shrug, and the upturning of the corner of his lips.  Otherwise, his expression was a mask of calm. 

“The guards found him hiding in the bushes outside the back patio.  Looks like the cavalry isn’t going to ride to your rescue, Jasmine.” 

If she hadn’t been watching Etienne’s face closely, she wouldn’t have seen the slight tic beneath his right eye at the mention of her real name.  In no other outward way did he reveal any emotion. 

“What were you thinking?”  She was smart, and had worked with Samuel Carpenter and Carpenter Security long enough to know he wouldn’t have sent Etienne in alone.  Nobody went out on a rescue mission without backup, and she doubted he’d allow Etienne to go all Lone Ranger. 

“Baby, what can I say?  I heard you were in trouble, and hopped a flight.  Figured I could sneak in and hustle your cute little ass out before anybody noticed.”  He held up his bound wrists.  “Guess I underestimated my abilities.” 

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that crack.  Etienne never went into a job without having every I dotted and every T crossed.  He made meticulous plans, which made her think that there had to be somebody else still free on the outside who knew what was going on. 

“You shouldn’t have come.” 

“You’re my friend, it’s not like I could stand by and do nothing.”  The nonchalant shrug almost made her buy his load of horse puckey.  Almost. 

“How did you hear about dear Jasmine’s little problem?”  Gareth skimmed his hand along the bare skin of her neck, and she flinched.  His touch made her skin crawl, yet there was nothing she could do.  Her only choice was to play along with whatever game Etienne was orchestrating, and hope he could get them out of there without anybody getting hurt—or killed.

“A little birdie told me.”   Etienne never even blinked at his outrageous comeback.

“My darling, I don’t think I like your friend.  He’s got a smart mouth and a bad attitude.  And he seems a little too familiar for my taste.” 

Stephanie knew she had to diffuse the situation before it escalated out of control.  When Gareth lost his temper, bad things happened.  And he had a very short fuse. 

“Your face looks familiar too,” Etienne quipped.  “Don’t I know you from some wanted poster at the Post Office?” 

“Etienne, this is Gareth Prescott.  Gareth, meet Etienne Boudreau.  He works for the same company I do.”  Surreptitiously she crossed her fingers, hoping Marie hadn’t told Gareth precisely who she worked for. 

“Really, my darling?  Aren’t you some sort of receptionist?” 

She nodded vigorously, risking a guarded glance at Etienne.  “I do.  Etienne’s basically used for the menial jobs.  Moving stuff, dealing with pests, and taking out the trash.” 

Watching Etienne, she noted he kept a straight face, though his shoulders shook slightly with repressed laughter.  But what could she say?  That he was one of the best men at Carpenter Security Services?  Gareth wouldn’t hesitate to take him out.  Her heart squeezed in her chest at the thought. 

“That’s pretty much my job.  The boss calls me his muscle, though I rarely get to do anything too exhausting.” 

Gareth watched the other man like a snake watches its prey seconds before it strikes.  His hand skimmed across the nape of her neck, and she wasn’t as successful at hiding her shudder of revulsion this time.  His hand wrapped around the base of her skull, and she rose on her toes, and inhaled a sharp breath at the sudden pressure. 

“Are you seeing Mr. Boudreau, my darling girl?  And don’t lie to me—you never were very good at it.” 

“No!  I’ve never been out with him, I swear!  We just work together.  I’m not seeing anyone.  I live alone, Gareth.  I don’t date at all.  Shoot, I don’t even own a cat, for goodness sake.” 

Gareth studied her closely, his scrutiny intense and probing.  She’d told him the truth.  She didn’t date, hadn’t seen anybody in a very long time, not since she’d met Etienne.  Seeing anybody else when she had such conflicted and unresolved feelings about him didn’t seem fair. 

“I believe you.  But we do have a problem that needs to be dealt with.  Perhaps—”

“Can’t it wait?  It’s been so long since we talked.  Why don’t you have the guard put Etienne in the kitchen?  We’ll have some privacy, and...”  She trailed off, hopeful he’d take the hint, though she really didn’t want to be alone with him.  But maybe if she could buy Etienne some time, he’d be able to make a move, or contact whoever was with him, and they could rush the villa and get them the heck out of there. 

“A very good idea, my darling.  We have several things to discuss, and so much lost time to make up for.”  Waving his hand toward Etienne, he gave some rapid-fire order in Spanish, and the guard hustled Etienne from the room. 

Leaving her alone with the monster.