My stomach sank at the thought of the danger that lurked. “Could it have just been a neighbor? Did Ben have an apartment or a condo someplace in New York?” I asked.
“That was what I thought, he lived in an apartment, but his phone records indicated his involvement. It turns out his brother, Richard, was living with him. He’d been in and out of prison and had friends over when I went back to his place after a few months of dating.”
“What happened?” Clearly, she was still alive, relatively unharmed. Hell, she’d gone on to marry the guy.
Ariella shrugged her shoulders. “Nothing.” She stopped walking and turned back toward the production set.
The trailers in the distance were small, and it was too difficult to see if everyone had left for the day or if any stragglers remained. Most had cleared out when we’d started our walk.
“You never told your supervisor?” I asked. I found that hard to believe. She didn’t seem the type to betray the C.I.A. in favor of a man.
“I reported it, and his brother was arrested, but since Ben didn’t seem to be involved and at the time I stupidly liked him, we continued dating. Honestly, a small part of me was relieved it was his brother, and the C.I.A. had been tracking the wrong guy. After the place was raided, Benjamin moved out, and all of it stayed behind. His brother, the drama, the investigation, it was in the past. As far as I knew, Ben and Richard never spoke again, and I never told Ben that I was the reason his brother went back to prison.”
I took her hand in mine. “That was probably for the best. It wouldn’t have gone over well and could have put your life in more danger.”
“Yes, so instead, I married him. Grand idea,” she quipped.
“We all make mistakes. We’re allowed one really bad one,” I teased.
She squeezed my hand. “Thanks. Ben hadn’t realized I was with the C.I.A. until he was in prison. Someone told him, I have no idea if it was Richard or someone else. That’s why he came here, and he blames me for all of it.”
I pulled her tight into my arms, embracing her. “None of this is your fault.”
Did she know that?
“We’ll find Ben, and until he’s located, you’ll have one of the Eagle Tactical team watching your six.”
“You’re giving me a bodyguard?” Ariella smiled, laughing under her breath. “I should have expected that from you, but I did not see that coming.”
“Well, you should have,” I said.
For the most part, I planned on being her bodyguard and protector, but if I couldn’t be around, then it would be one of the other guys who I served with, men who had my back.
“Does that mean you’ll be joining our lady’s day tomorrow at the spa?” Her hands slipped under the back of my shirt, her fingers caressed my skin.
I wanted to be the one to give her a massage. Maybe we could do that tonight. Just the two of us? “How about I give you a little preview of your spa day at home?”
She pulled back slightly, her arms still wrapped around my waist as she stared up at me. “Hmmm,” she said, mulling it over. “Will that massage lead to something else even more pleasurable because as tired as I am, I could get on board with that arrangement.”
Leaning in, I dropped tender featherlight kisses across her neck. “I wouldn’t want to keep you awake.”
“Oh, it would be worth it,” Ariella said. One hand stayed pressed to my lower back, her other threaded through my hair.
Her touch felt wonderful, relaxing, hypnotic. I pulled her closer, growling into her ear. “Maybe we should take you home, get you undressed and ready for tomorrow’s spa day.”
I had other plans in mind that involved a full body massage and listening to her sweet moans and gasps as she pleaded for more.