Shadow in the Mountain by KaLyn Cooper

Chapter 6

Xena pastedon her social smile as she played the good hostess and best guest as she worked the room for her mother. She knew her role well. She was there to replace her father, protecting her mother by running interference when needed, touching base with the staff of other dignitaries for the most recent gossip, and most importantly, to listen.

Alcohol loosened tongues and Xena was always surprised at the things people would tell her. She was not seen as an important public figure. She was so far down the ladder from any position of prominence that people, okay, mostly men, told her all kinds of things. Seven months ago, she had learned of a pending coup in South Sudan. Last year, a staffer from Uganda had confessed that their president was quite ill and there was a great deal of speculation as to who would be his successor.

Unfortunately, three months ago she had been caught in the trap of seemingly innocent gossip among trusted friends that had ended in disaster. Xena was never sure who betrayed her confidence, just that it would never happen again. She hadn’t been drunk, but she’d been on her third glass of wine at four hours into the event. Now, she always carried a half-empty glass of wine, pretending to sip but never allowing alcohol to pass her lips.

As she scanned the room for her next conversation, her gaze met Wesley Schultz, the ambassador’s stepson. He was, of course, standing next to Crawford Sutton, the vice president’s son.

Fuck. She shuddered when the two men started to walk in her direction.

“Are you cold?” Concern was evident in Ryker’s voice.

Turning to him, she slipped her arm through his and placed her lips near his ear. “Incoming.” She giggled as though they were sharing a secret about their salacious intentions later that night.

“Should I prepare for an explosion?” Ryker played along, kissing her just under her ear.

Xena giggled again, but this time for real. His hot breath on her ear and lips on her neck sent heat to her nipples which decided to harden. Thank God the dress had a substantial built-in bra. The frat boys might get the wrong idea that she was excited to see them.

“Hmm?” Ryker nipped her neck.

What had he said? Her mind was a little preoccupied with sensations that she hadn’t felt in a long time. When was the last time she was turned on by a man? It had been so long, she couldn’t remember. Or it might have been that her brain wasn’t firing on all synapses.

Oh, yeah, explosions.

“You never know with these two. I hate these fucking frat boys. I might just have to kill them to put everyone out of their misery.” She pulled herself away from Ryker to stand next to him, acting surprised, and forcing herself to pretend she was pleased that they would approach and speak with her.

Ryker coughed to cover his laugh.

“Xena, you look fucking hot tonight,” Wesley said a little too loudly as he scraped his gaze down the full length of her body and back up again.

Fuck. He’s had way too much to drink already.

Ryker started to step forward, hand fisted, but she was able to grab his elbow and pull him back.

“He’s not worth it, Ryker,” she warned as she wove her fingers through his and wrapped her body around his right side. At least that way he couldn’t reach for his gun.

“Whoa, man.” Wesley stumbled back a step and Ford Sutton caught him before he fell on his ass. “I meant no insult to Xena. She and I, we go back.” He gave that drunken grin that he thought was sexy.

It grated her last nerve. And how dare he insinuate that they had been a couple. Never happened. Never gonna. She was about to shut him down when he dug the hole even deeper.

“Besides, you have to admit, she’s fucking hot.”

“She’s also mine.” Ryker sounded convincing even to Xena. “Don’t talk to my woman that way.”

Wesley threw his hands up in the air, palms out as though in surrender. “Sorry, man, I thought you were her bodyguard. I was just about to ask her when she started dating the hired help.”

Xena squeezed Ryker’s arm. “I prefer my men big and with muscles…everywhere.” Jab landed. Wesley the weasel was lucky if he stood five feet ten inches and had never worked up a sweat lifting weights in his life. She was pretty sure her biceps were bigger than his.

“Well, not all women appreciate the brainy type like us.” Wesley slapped the vice president’s son on the shoulder. For the first time, the guest of honor smiled.

She decided to totally ignore Wesley. “Ford, I’d like you to meet my…” She hesitated coyly, as though trying to decide what to call him, then gave the two self-consumed men in front of her a sexy smile. “Special friend, Ryker Tufano.”

When Ryker glanced her way, he’d gotten the double entendre. To her surprise, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “And we’ll be getting back to those special skills of mine, soon.”

They both smiled ear to ear at their inside joke.

“You can plan on it,” she reassured him. Just as soon as this soirée was over, they were heading to Eden. They had a job to do, one that the two men in front of them couldn’t even comprehend.

“Ryker, this is Crawford Sutton, but he prefers to be called Ford. You may be familiar with his father, the vice president of the United States.”

Ryker held out his hand to shake. “So, is this an official visit, or are you just here to hang out with your friend?”

Wesley straightened up and put his hand on Ford’s shoulder once again. “Business. Not political.” With a huge smile and slightly slurred speech, he announced, “Ford came to look at our joint investment. Tomorrow, we're going to take a helicopter up to Dembi.” He leaned in closer and almost lost his balance. “We bought into a gold mine up there.”

Xena felt like she’d been punched in the face and unconsciously tried to take a step back, but Ryker’s arm was around her waist preventing her from moving. Or falling to her knees in grief.

Dembi was where Ryker’s SEAL team had been ambushed. She stared at his face for a long minute. The name of the town didn’t seem to register with him. What the hell? Charley never gave them the whole story, only enough information for them to do their job.

She had to remember that Ryker was a job, not a sexy date. Most likely, she would never see him again after this mission. They would rescue his teammates, hopefully, find out why they’d been kidnapped, and he’d leave the country.

The mission. Dembi. Oh, yeah.

Her mind raced as she tried to recall who had been standing nearby as the group of embassy staffers discussed rebel movements and possible locations of their leaders, especially the groups that had recently been designated as terrorists.

Damn! She couldn’t remember.

But maybe it was just a coincidence that Wesley and Ford owned part of the mine in that area. Out of habit, her gaze swept the room but stopped on the Saudi prince who worked for Zesiro Neberu. “I didn’t think Neberu needed any partners.” Unknown to most, he held the mineral rights in the country per a deal cut nearly twenty-five years ago when the government desperately needed an infusion of cash. Her mother had helped negotiate that deal.

At the mention of the wealthiest man in Ethiopia, Ford’s gaze darted around the room as though looking for someone. “Wesley, I see the representative from Kenya has just arrived. My father wanted me to speak to him.” He smacked the ambassador’s stepson on the shoulder and directed him to the other end of the crowded room.

Ryker pulled her into his side and whispered, “Did I say something wrong?”

“No. I think I said something right.”