“It’s dangerous, Tori.”

Rio sank onto the bed next to her and gripped her shoulders.

She turned to face him, her hair trailing across his wrists. “A lot of things are dangerous, cowboy.”

Dropping her gaze to Rio’s sensuous mouth, she ran her tongue along her bottom lip. Could they just share one kiss that wasn’t a fake or didn’t get interrupted?

Rio curled his hand around her neck. “You like playing with fire, don’t you?”

“Let’s just say I’ll do what it takes to get my son back.”

“How do you know you can trust me?” He dropped his thumb to the hollow of her throat and she swallowed.

“Because I’ve been stark naked under this robe since I got out of the shower, and you’ve hardly made a move.”

A Silverhill Christmas
Carol Ericson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For my Uncle Frank, a nonagenarian inspiration.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carol Ericson lives with her husband and two sons in Southern California, home of state-of–the-art cosmetic surgery, wild freeway chases, palm trees bending in the Santa Ana winds and a million amazing stories. These stories, along with hordes of virile men and feisty women, clamor for release from Carol’s head. It makes for some interesting headaches until she sets them free to fulfill their destinies and her readers’ fantasies. To find out more about Carol, her books and her strange headaches, please visit her website at www.carolericson.com, “where romance flirts with danger.”

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Tori Scott—The ex-wife of Mad Prince Alexi of Glazkova, Tori is ready to make a move to reclaim her son. She’s prepared to engage the services of one of the McClintock brothers from her hometown of Silverhill, but when the McClintock in question turns out to be illegitimate brother Rio McClintock, Tori must balance her attraction for Rio with her determination to rescue her son.

Rio McClintock—The black sheep of the McClintock family, Rio has carved out his own place in the world without the McClintocks. When a sexy princess needs his help to rescue her son from a criminal, how can Rio refuse her? Even if it means facing the family who rejected him.

Prince Alexi Zherkov—The pampered prince of the small country of Glazkova turned to drug trafficking to maintain his lifestyle. Now he wants his princess back and he’s willing to use their son to get her.

Vladimir Kolchenko—He’s known as the “White Russian,” and his presence in Maui with Prince Alexi indicates that this trip is more business than pleasure.

Grant Swain—A small-time drug dealer in Maui is about to hit the big time. Is this opportunity his ticket to paradise or a one-way trip to the morgue?

Ivan Batalova—Ordered to keep watch over Tori while she’s with her son, he’s loyal to his prince and is trained to kill anyone who attempts to take the future prince.

Irina Popov—Maksim’s nanny, she’s been Tori’s eyes and ears. If Prince Alexi finds out about her betrayal, she’ll lose more than her job.

Maksim Zherkov—Tori’s son hasn’t seen his mother in two years. Will he leave with her willingly, or will his father groom him for a life of crime?

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Epilogue

Chapter One

Rio McClintock dug his elbows into the moist, volcanic dirt, cursed the CIA and adjusted his binoculars. He focused on the terrace, decked out in Christmas lights, hanging over the inky Pacific. A crush of people mingled, sipping expensive booze and congratulating themselves on their good luck. He could almost hear the tinkling glasses and murmur of voices from his perch.

Another party. Didn’t those people have anything better to do than eat, drink and be merry?

And didn’t they realize their generous host, Mad Prince Alexi, supplied arms and ammunition to a motley crew of terrorists and two-bit dictators the world over?

The sea of people parted as a tall man, dressed in dark slacks and a black turtleneck, cut a swath through the patio. Alexi looked like a black hawk descending on a field of brightly colored birds of paradise.

Who the hell wore black in Hawaii? Rio ran a finger along the neckline of his sweat-soaked black T-shirt. Unless you had to.

He rolled onto his side and dug one of two water bottles out of his backpack, avoiding his Colt .45. Leaning on one elbow, he chugged half the bottle and then ground it into the thick carpet of mulch that cushioned his lookout post, a burrow in the side of a gently sloping hill.

He trained his binoculars back on the partygoers. Pretty people. Alexi had no shortage of beautiful women hanging on his arm, cavorting on his beach and soaking in his hot tub. They either didn’t realize the danger surrounding the man like a miasma, or they courted it. Pretty, stupid people.

Scanning the upper-level windows again, he drew in a quick breath as a man with slicked-back white hair came into focus. He muttered, “Bingo.”

Rio figured Alexi hadn’t come to Maui for the sun and surf, and his CIA contact had figured the same thing. Now the proof stood at a window in Alexi’s palatial rental. Alexi always used Vladimir Kolchenko, the White Russian, as the go-between for his arms deals. Kolchenko’s presence in Maui guaranteed that Alexi planned to mix business with pleasure.

A bug skittered onto Rio’s arm, and he flicked it off into the darkness. Now if he could just figure out a way to get into that house instead of rotting away on this spongy precipice hanging over the ocean.

A twig snapped, and he jerked to a sitting position, dropping the binoculars where they banged against his chest. He crouched by the tree growing out of the hillside to his right, his muscles tense and coiled.

Tourists, even extreme hikers, never ventured this far from the trails crisscrossing Maui’s backcountry. Had Alexi’s goons ferreted out his hiding place carved into the side of the hill?

His gaze tracked back and forth along the ridge of the hill, the half moon shedding a fuzzy glow on the jumble of plants that hugged the edge. A bush rustled and an object sailed over his head, dropping at his feet. He glanced down at the crumpled flower petals littering the toes of his hiking boots.

As the foliage parted above him, a denim-clad leg appeared over the side of the ridge. The sound of a click pumped up his adrenaline, and he braced his back against the tree trunk ready to charge at the intruder.

Another leg appeared and Rio lunged forward, wrapping his arms around both appendages now dangling over the edge of the drop-off. He yanked at the legs, which kicked wildly, clamping them to his chest as he hurtled himself and his squirming package to the soft ground.

They rolled a few feet down the hillside, and although the struggling stopped, Rio received a nip on his chest through his T-shirt for his efforts. What kind of pansy-ass thugs did Prince Alexi have working for him these days? What next, hair pulling?

Their journey downhill came to a stop against a clump of bushes with Rio in the superior position, straddling the other man. Although he hadn’t seen or felt a weapon during their tussle, Rio ground his knee into the intruder’s right forearm while cinching his fingers around the man’s narrow left wrist before he rose to a sitting position.

The branches from the trees above them obscured what little moonlight illuminated the scene. The small-statured man beneath him hadn’t put up much of a fight, but Alexi’s guy could be luring him into complacency.

Rio growled, “I’m going for my flashlight. If you make a move, I’ll send you straight down this hill and your boss can scrape you off those rocks.”

As Rio reached for his belt, he could’ve sworn his captive squealed. He snatched his flashlight from his belt loop, flicked it on, and shined it into the face of the limp form beneath him.

“What the hell?” He jerked back. A woman, her red hair fanning around her head, gazed at him with wide eyes. Had he just taken down an unsuspecting tourist?

He clenched his jaw and clamped his thighs tighter around her frame. Or maybe Alexi had employed a new weapon in his arsenal.

“Let me go. I don’t have a boss and that includes you.” She bucked beneath him, drawing up her leg to knee him in the crotch.

He dropped down onto her thighs, and she nailed him in the backside instead. “Tell me what you’re doing here. How’d you find my position?”

“I’ll tell you everything once you get off me. I don’t know you nearly well enough for you to be straddling me like this, but buy me a couple of mai tais and you might get lucky.”

She wriggled her body, and the movement, along with the exotic scent wafting from her skin, sent a shaft of desire right through to his core. Gladly, he hoisted himself up, extending a hand to her. “Get up. Don’t move.”

She grasped his hand, her skin smooth to the touch, and he yanked her up beside him. “Raise your arms to the side.”

“You sure like tossing around the orders, don’t you?”

“Just do it.”

Rolling her eyes, she followed his instructions, thrusting out her arms. His flashlight trailed over her body while he patted her down with one hand. She stiffened as he passed his hand across her breasts to make sure she didn’t have a weapon concealed in her bra.

When he ran his palm down her bottom and briefly clenched her crotch, she jumped back. “Whoa. You’ll have to spring for a third mai tai to get that far.”

He snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. All you represent to me is a suspicious person in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Okay, he lied. If she did work for Mad Prince Alexi, that man possessed a brilliant strategy. This woman with her sexy body and tough talk heated his blood and stirred his passions. One helluva distraction for a stakeout.

“Satisfied I’m not packing?” Her eyes glittered in the beam of the flashlight, but he couldn’t discern their color.

Satisfied? Not at all.

“Yeah, not much you can hide in those tight jeans and T-shirt.”

She raised her brows. “Wow, you noticed my clothing?”

“I get paid to notice.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve also noticed you’re not dressed for hiking, and you don’t have a backpack. So what are you doing here, and what was that click I heard right before I tackled you?”

“Click?” She scrunched up her face, but it still couldn’t mar her flawless beauty. She slapped her thigh and laughed. “I found an old lighter on the ground and flicked it open and then clicked it shut. You thought that was the safety on a gun?”

He shrugged, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I guess it sounded magnified out here. That still doesn’t answer my first question.”

“One question at a time, cowboy.” She tossed a handful of long, curly hair over one shoulder.

He scowled and shot back, “Don’t call me that.”

“You got something against cowboys?” She tilted her head, and her hair tumbled over her other shoulder, its strands catching the beams from his flashlight.

His hand fisted at his side as he recalled his first and last visit to the McClintock ranch in Colorado. “Maybe. Now answer the question. The first question.”

Folding her arms across her chest, she hunched her shoulders. “I’m out here for the same reason you are.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw. What kind of game was she playing? Did some other agency have Prince Alexi under surveillance? If they did, they wouldn’t send a light weight like this woman—with no weapons and no training—no matter how gorgeous. Unless they planned to plant her inside Alexi’s mansion and maybe even his bed.

His gut rolled at the thought of this woman in Alexi’s clutches. Then he took a deep breath. He didn’t have to rescue every scatterbrained woman on the planet.

One had been enough.

“Same reason? You mean a late-night hike?”

“Yeah, right.” She kicked a gnarled root with the toe of her running shoe. “A late-night hike by yourself, huddled against the side of a hill and using mad martial arts skills to attack other tourists.”

He fought against the grin stealing across his face. “Those weren’t mad martial arts skills. I just yanked you off the edge of the overhang.”

“Cut the crap, m-man.” She covered her mouth as if stopping herself from saying more. Waving her arm behind her, she recovered. “I know why you’re here, and I’m here for the same reason.”

“You show me yours first, and I’ll show you mine.” He dug a hand in the pocket of his jeans. He had no intention of telling her his business on this hillside. But when they finished playing games here, he wouldn’t mind taking her up on her invitation to buy her a mai tai…or three.

She jerked her thumb over her shoulder toward Alexi’s house, now hidden by the hillside’s dense foliage. “I’m here for Prince Alexi Zherkov, and so are you.”

Rio widened his stance, digging the heels of his hiking boots into the mulch. The woman had her facts straight. Had the CIA hired her to work with him? If so, they hadn’t bothered to tell him about it.

“Who hired you?”

She giggled, bending backward to look at the sky. “I told you…cowboy, I don’t work for anyone.”

“Then what’s your business with Alexi?” She hardly looked like an arms dealer. Arms dealers rarely giggled.

She stopped laughing and hugged herself, her fingers biting into the taut muscles of her upper arms. For a curvy woman, she looked fit. “It’s not business. It’s personal.”

Rio wiped the back of his hand across his brow, shoving the hair from his face. Great. Was she one of Alexi’s scorned lovers? Apparently, the guy had hordes of them.

Biting the inside of his cheek, he studied the woman’s face, now set in hard, determined lines. If she had a burning desire to get back at Alexi, he might be able to use her.

He doused the flare of protectiveness that leaped in his chest. It would be dangerous for her, but if she wanted revenge, they could help each other. Any woman foolish or greedy enough to hop in the sack with Mad Prince Alexi was already playing with fire. What were a few more licks from the flame?

She disappointed him. He figured a sassy woman like her would have too much pride and self-confidence to get tangled up with a scumbag like Alexi.

“Dumped you, huh?” He smirked.

Wedging her hands on her hips, she took a step back. “You think I’m one of those bimbos, who’s hanging out with a rich guy regardless of the source of those riches? You think I’m a chick who wants revenge on a player?”

“In a word—yes.”

She laughed again, this time doubling over at the waist, her long hair almost touching the leaves on the ground.

No wonder Alexi had dumped her—she was insane. As nuts as Alexi was, he wouldn’t have the patience for another lunatic…even one whose looks put those women in his hot tub to shame.

She unfolded her body, wiping the tears from her face. She sniffled as she wound her hair around her hand and tossed it behind her. “Oh, it’s much worse than that, cowboy.”

His brows shot up. This woman was throwing him more zigzags than that mountain road he’d traveled on his way up here. “Worse? Did he double-cross you in a business deal?”

“You don’t listen too good for a secret agent, do you? I told you, I have a personal issue with Alexi, not a business one. I don’t have anything to do with drugs, or arms or any of Alexi’s other sleazy endeavors.”

At least she had no misconceptions about Alexi or his business. “So what is it?”

She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. “I have the dubious distinction of being the ex-Mrs. Alexi Zherkov.”

Rio’s mouth dropped open. Mad Prince Alexi’s mysterious former princess. In the flesh.

From his research on Alexi these past six months since the CIA had hired him to get something on the arms dealer and bring him down, Rio had learned Alexi had an ex-wife somewhere. He’d even heard that Alexi had chosen an American for his bride, but Rio’s attempts to track her down and discover any more information had met with a brick wall.

Alexi kept mum about his personal life, as did those surrounding him. Rio had gotten close to only one informant, and he didn’t belong to Alexi’s inner circle. The mole had told Rio about an American ex-wife named Victoria. If he had known any more than that, he’d taken it to his grave after the Landespolizei had dragged his body out of the Rhine River near Munich.

Her bright gaze searched his face. “So you see, you can’t tell me anything about that SOB down there that I don’t already know. And I have as much right to be on this hillside as you do, spying on him, waiting for him to slip up so you can take him down. I don’t know why you boys in the CIA think you can get him now. You’ve been trying for years without much luck.”

He studied her pale face from beneath half-lidded eyes. She thought he was CIA. He wouldn’t bother to correct her. She hit the nail on the head with one statement. The CIA had been trying for a long time to trip up Alexi. That’s why the Agency hired him—to try more unconventional methods.

“So you’re Victoria.”

She nodded slowly, her chin dropping to her chest. “You’re good, cowboy. I’m practically a state secret back in Alexi’s country, good old Glazkova. What else do you know?”

“That’s about it.” He spread his hands wide. “Why don’t you fill me in, and while you’re at it, tell me why you’re stalking your ex-husband.”

“First off, you might as well get the name straight. I’m Tori not Victoria.” She opened her arms. “Have you ever seen anyone less like a staid, proper Victoria?”

She thrust one curvy hip to the side, and Rio’s eyes followed as if pulled by a magnetic force. In the muted glow of the flashlight, his gaze tracked over Tori’s luscious body. A riot of red curls tumbled over one ripe breast snug in a thin T-shirt raised above her jeans and showing a strip of her flat, hard belly.

He swallowed. Nope, nothing staid or proper about her.

Leaves crackled above them and Rio froze, killing his light. A thwacking noise disturbed the silence of the hillside. Tori hissed and Rio held a finger to his lips.

A man uttered a curse in a guttural tone and another male voice answered him as the two voices floated over them in the night air.

“I don’t see nothing down there.”

“Tim’s working lookout on the balcony, and he said he saw a light on the hillside.”

Damn. He’d been careless. Rio slid the butt of the flashlight into his belt as his gaze traveled back to Tori, her hand bunched into a fist against her hip. Too many distractions.

The voices, sounding closer, continued. “That light could’ve been anything. Tim sent us on a wild goose chase for nothing.”

“You wanna climb over the side and check it out?”

“Hell no. You wanna slide down that hillside and hit those rocks on your way into the ocean? My loyalty to Alexi only goes so far.”

“I’ll tell him you said that. I’m going over.”

Even if Rio could find sufficient cover for himself and Tori, he couldn’t allow Alexi’s goons to discover his backpack with his weapon inside. He’d have to grab that, and then they’d have to…leave.

He nestled his lips close to Tori’s ear and whispered, “Do what I tell you to do and just maybe I can save your life.”

She drew a quick breath and jerked away from him. “How are we going to get out of here?”

He held up his hand to her, palm out, and crept toward his pack, hunching forward. As he expected, leaves and twigs crackled beneath his hiking boots. This time when Rio heard the click, he knew someone had released the safety on a real gun, not a lighter.

One of the men said, “There’s something down there. I’m going to check it out.”

Rio grabbed his backpack and spun around, lurching toward Tori. He gripped her arm, yanking her along a jumbled path.

She whispered, “Where are we going?”

A crack resounded behind them, and the bright beam from a powerful flashlight skimmed across their legs.

Rio rounded the corner of the makeshift trail, pulling Tori behind him. When the ocean stretched below them like smooth glass, he knew they’d reached the escape route.

Gripping Tori’s hand, he pulled her to his side. He then removed his hiking boots and flung them skyward. “We’re following those boots.”

Her perfect lips formed an O, but before she could utter a sound, Rio pushed off from the side of the hill with his bare feet taking the former Princess of Glazkova with him into the inky blue Pacific.

Chapter Two

Tori hit the water feetfirst and tunneled into its warm embrace. When she and McClintock had made contact with the ocean, the force ripped her hand from his. She bobbed to the surface and toed off her sneakers while she twisted her head around looking for the maniac who had pulled her off a perfectly good hill into the sea.

She screamed as a dark shape emerged beside her.

“Shh.” McClintock grabbed her flailing arm. “They didn’t see us. There’s a beach around this bend. Can you swim?”

“You’re asking that question now?” Tori’s legs felt like lead as she treaded water with the heavy denim of her jeans clinging to her.

“You looked like an athletic woman.” He sluiced his dark hair back from the sharp planes of his face. “This way.”

She paddled after the form slicing through the water, and then pulled up straight and yanked off her jeans. She didn’t plan on drowning within sight of Alexi’s palatial rental. That would give her ex too much satisfaction.

McClintock floated on the surface of the water and called back, “You okay?”

Free of her jeans, Tori skimmed through the calm ocean toward him. “As long as there are no sharks out here, I’ll be fine.”

When she drew abreast of him, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Sorry about that. I couldn’t leave my backpack for them to find, and I knew they’d hear me when I collected it. We had to get out of there, and I’d already scoped out this escape route.”

“Some escape route—a twenty-foot drop into the dark ocean.” The pressure of his hands through her thin, wet T-shirt soothed her, and judging by his size and talents she figured he could take on a shark if it came to that.

“Better than facing the wrong end of a gun. Follow me.”

Did she have a choice? They swam side by side, and just as Tori’s muscles started burning, a strip of white sand beckoned beyond the breakwater. They headed for the shore, and got some assistance from the gentle waves cascading onto the sand.

Tori allowed the final wave to carry her in where she collapsed on the sand and gulped moist air into her lungs. McClintock crouched beside her, not even breathing heavily after their unexpected swim.

“That’s it. Take a few deep breaths. I’m going to check out the contents of my backpack.”

The moon, no longer hidden by the dense trees on the hill, cast a warm glow over the beach. McClintock unzipped his pack and started pulling out a few items.

While her heart hammered in her chest, Tori stretched out on the wet sand as she watched McClintock dig through his backpack. She’d almost slipped up earlier by calling him McClintock, which he was, just not the McClintock she’d expected.

As soon as she had looked up at him, straddling her body after he had yanked her from the ledge, she had realized her mistake. When her friend in the FBI, Dana McClintock, had given her the tip about Alexi’s whereabouts, she’d mentioned that her husband’s brother was on his trail. Tori had expected to find Ryder McClintock, a CIA operative, on the job.

But she’d grown up with sandy-haired, blue-eyed Ryder McClintock, and this man with his long, black hair and brooding dark eyes looked nothing like the Nordic McClintocks. But she’d guessed his identity immediately.

This McClintock came from the wrong side of the blanket—one of old Ralph McClintock’s indiscretions. She’d heard all about how the McClintock brothers discovered the existence of an illegitimate half brother almost a year ago.

When Dana, Rafe McClintock’s wife, had given her the tip about Alexi they’d both been on cell phones. All Tori heard was McClintock brother…tracking…Alexi… Maui. That’s all she needed to know.

She hadn’t known how to play it when faced with this gorgeous stranger instead of her childhood friend, Ryder McClintock. She knew Ryder would’ve helped her in true McClintock fashion. She had her doubts about this one. How much McClintock blood did he have running through his veins?

He shoved the items, including a gun, back into the pack and pushed to his feet. “Are you ready? There’s a small town less than a mile ahead.”

He’d shed his own jeans in the water, and his wet boxers clung to his muscular thighs. His T-shirt outlined the hard planes of his chest as water dripped from the ends of his shoulder-length dark hair.

Tilting her head back, she shifted her gaze from all that blatant maleness on display to his face. McClintock’s nostrils flared like an animal sensing his mate’s de sire.

Stop, Tori. She burrowed her fists into the wet sand. Her impulsiveness had always gotten her into trouble in the past, including this current mess with her ex. Time to think with her head instead of other parts of her anatomy.

She tossed a handful of sand into the air. “Uh, we’re both a little underdressed to be walking the streets of a small town.”

“We’re in Maui.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “The clothes we have on look like beach casual around here but if you’d like to wear my T-shirt into town, it’ll cover you up pretty thoroughly.”

He grabbed the hem of his shirt and started to roll it up, revealing a set of ripped abs.

Jumping to her feet, Tori stopped him. “That’s okay. If you lose your shirt, you’ll be half-naked. Don’t want to call too much attention to ourselves.”

And she couldn’t be held accountable for her actions if she had to traipse along the beach next to a wet Adonis.

She tugged at her own T-shirt molded to her body, pulling it over her underwear. “Okay, then what do we do in town?”

He pointed to the lights up the coast as he took a long step forward. “I left my car there before hiking into the hills. Where’s your car? And how did you happen to stumble on my lookout?”

While she sawed her bottom lip, Tori trudged after him, her feet slapping against the hard sand. She usually handled a defense with a good offense.

“What’s your name anyway? You know mine.”

He spun around and extended his hand while walking backward. “McClintock. Rio McClintock.”

She grabbed his hand, and the sand on his palm chafing her own still couldn’t block that electric current she felt every time her skin met his.

So the illegitimate brother rated one of the McClintock R names. Ralph had named his boys Rod, Ryder and Rafe. How had the black sheep ended up with one of those? Although Rio had a different ring to it, kind of exotic and definitely sexy.

He yanked her toward him and she stumbled. “Sorry.” He steadied her with a firm hand placed on her hip. “Now how did you know I was out there, or did you?”

Two of his fingers rested on the bare flesh between the bottom of her skimpy T-shirt and her bikini undies. That one bit of contact set her skin on fire. She swiveled away from him. She had to keep her wits about her if she didn’t want to reveal too much too soon.

“I have a contact on the inside. I knew…someone was on my ex-husband’s trail here in Maui. I watched the waters in front of Alexi’s compound but didn’t notice anyone out there. The hillside caught my attention as the best place to spy on the activities in that house, so I headed out for a hike. I didn’t know you were on the other side of the hill until you pulled me over.”

“I’m impressed. That’s a helluva hike, especially without any gear or even a flashlight.”

“Save your admiration. I came with one of those hiking tour groups, told the guide I was meeting a friend for the hike back and ditched them. They supplied all the accoutrements, which I left on the bus. I didn’t figure it would get so dark so fast out here and didn’t even think about a flashlight.”

Rio rolled his eyes, and a sharp pain stabbed her gut. He’d already pegged her as an idiot—flighty, impulsive—the same qualities Prince Alexi had seen in her and used to his advantage.

“Not so impressive, huh?” She glanced down, burrowing her toes into the wet sand.

“I wouldn’t say that. You still made it to the edge of that ridge in the dark without killing yourself. You must lead a charmed life.” He turned away from the water, heading toward the twinkling lights.

“Yeah, supercharmed,” she said to his broad back.

They scuffed through the dry sand in silence until they reached a paved path bordering the beach.

Rio swung the backpack off his shoulder. “I have some money with me. I’m sure there are a few tourist shops still open where we can get some dry clothes.”

Tori pinched the material of her damp T-shirt between two fingers and let it snap back. “Mine’s almost dry. I could use some shorts though.”

“And I’m guessing a ride back to…wherever you’re staying.”

“One of the hotels on Kaanapali Beach. You know, blend in with the rest of the tourists.” She didn’t mention she had plans to relocate to Alexi’s ostentatious complex overlooking the ocean. She just had a few loose ends to tie up before the move. And Rio McClintock represented one, big loose end.

Her gaze wandered to Rio’s tight buttocks outlined by the edge of his T-shirt, and she smirked. Okay, not exactly a loose end.

“I’m glad you find our situation funny. You’ve completely torpedoed that hiding place for me. Even if Alexi’s thugs never realized they chased a couple of people off that hillside instead of a couple of animals, they’ll be watching that location now.”

The fact that Rio wouldn’t have that secret lookout gave a big boost to her scheme. “Don’t blame me. You’re the one who yanked me off the edge of the hill and tackled me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have even known you were burrowed in your little hole.”

They emerged onto the main street of the small town. Lights glowed from the shops up and down the street, op en for business for people returning from nighttime hikes or a visit to the volcano. The Christmas decorations looked incongruous against the backdrop of swaying palm trees and the smell of suntan lotion.

She had no intention of spending Christmas in Maui.

Rio pulled her back from the street, tucking her behind his solid back. “Hold on. Let me check things out first.”

“Suspicious, aren’t you?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “That’s a quality you should’ve exercised before you got married.”

“Touché.” He got that right, although he didn’t have to rub it in. If she’d been more leery of and less flattered by Alexi’s attentions and frantic pursuit of her, she wouldn’t be in this mess.

“Okay, coast is clear.” He grabbed her hand and made a beeline for the nearest clothing store.

“What’s the worry?”

“Those two guys on the hillside had to have left their car here. I don’t want to run into them. Who knows? May be they know you. You don’t want your ex to find out you’re here, do you?”

Not yet anyway and not in the company of a CIA agent.

“You’re right. Alexi had a lot of loyal minions.” Minions who’d spied on her and kept her a prisoner in her own home in Glazkova. “Some of the ones I knew might still be working for him. It’s kind of a lifetime employment gig. If you leave, you have to retire…permanently.”

“I know you’re joking, but you’re not too far from the truth. Anyone who has any information about Alexi’s business is a danger to him.”

“Who said I was joking?” She pushed past him and entered the shop.

The young woman reading a magazine at the counter looked up when they walked through the door. Her eyes widened as she took in their underwear. “Looks like you guys need some clothes right now.”

Rio shrugged and grinned. “We went skinny-dipping and the waves carried our clothes out to sea. We recovered everything but our pants.”

The clerk’s gaze meandered over Rio’s half-naked body and the corner of her mouth lifted in a smile. “That’s one of the dangers of skinny-dipping. You have to make sure you leave your stuff on the dry sand.”

“We were kind of in a hurry.” Rio curled his arm around Tori’s waist, pulling her in for a hug, hip to hip.

Tori nestled close to his body, resting a hand on his buttocks, the muscles under the thin material of his boxers firm beneath her fingertips. He went there first. She may as well contribute to the reality of the lie.

“Yeah, I hear ya.” The clerk scooted around the counter and as she brushed past Tori, she whispered, “Lucky girl.”

Tori wished she and Rio had been skinny-dipping instead of escaping from Alexi’s thugs in the open ocean after a twenty-foot drop. She’d left those carefree days be hind her a lifetime ago.

The woman gestured to a rack of men’s shorts and board shorts, and then pointed to a wall of women’s shorts. “We have a lot of new styles. The dressing rooms are in the corner.”

After they both picked out some shorts and wore them out of the dressing rooms, Rio paid at the counter with slightly damp bills and they left the store.

Tori had to admit the man still looked delicious even with a pair of baggy shorts hanging almost to his knees. He must work undercover for the CIA because he wasn’t as clean-cut as his half brother, Ryder McClintock, who also worked for the CIA. Strange coincidence that two half brothers, who didn’t know each other and didn’t grow up together, both landed with the CIA. Must be that protective instinct they shared.

An instinct Tori intended to exploit.

“Before I take you back to your hotel, do you want a shaved ice?” He pointed to a little shop on the corner. “Best shaved ice in Maui.”

Tori figured he’d decided to sweeten her up. Pump her for information about Alexi. She had plenty to share, but she planned to do it her way and on her terms.

“Sounds great. I am so thirsty.”

He dug into his backpack and waved a bottle of water in her face. “You should’ve asked. If you don’t mind sharing germs.”

She snatched the bottle from his hand and chugged the rest of the water. Hell, she didn’t mind sharing germs with this guy.

They ordered a couple of shaved ices and settled on the bench outside the store to watch a handful of people wandering in and out of the shops on the street.

“So how did you meet Prince Alexi of Glazkova?”

That didn’t take long. “I was vacationing in Glazkova, and I met him at a private party at one of the casinos.”

“You must run with the pretty people. Not every tourist vacationing in Glazkova rates an invitation to a private party with the Prince in attendance.”

“I had a lot of friends in the international party set.” Tori shoveled a spoonful of ice drenched in sweet syrup into her mouth to get rid of the sour taste as she remembered those days of languid pleasure in Glazkova.

“How long were you married?” Rio jabbed his spoon into the dome of red ice, scattering ice chips onto the pavement.

“Two years, two months, and twelve days. Or at least that’s how long we stayed together. The actual divorce came a little later.”

He raised an eyebrow. “How many hours?”

“Umm, about nine.” She slurped some grape-flavored ice onto her tongue.

“Did the excitement wear off or just the opposite? Did the fun and games get too hot to handle?”

“You’re right. This shaved ice is the best.” He must’ve been smoking some Maui wowi on that hillside if he thought she’d cough up the dirt on Alexi for nothing in return. Besides, she had only old dirt on Alexi. If he wanted fresh dirt he’d have to pay.

He laughed. “You’re sharp, Princess Tori.”

“That’s ex-Princess Tori to you, McClintock. I can’t tell you anything about Alexi’s current operation, so you might as well find another lookout post.”

He gripped her wrist so suddenly, she dropped her spoon.

“Then what are you doing here? Do you miss the high life? Are you making a ploy to get back into Alexi’s bed? Because let me tell you, sweetheart, you have plenty of competition. He has scads of scantily clad beautiful women roaming all over that compound.”

She snorted. “Is that why you’re keeping such a close watch on his house?”

She tried to jerk away from him, but the strong fingers cinched tighter around her wrist. “Cut the crap, Tori. Why are you here? What kind of revenge do you want on Alexi?”

Flexing her fingers, she watched a couple and their two children emerge from the T-shirt shop across the street. Time to ’fess up. She didn’t want Rio to think she was stalking Alexi so she could jump in the sack with him. That notion seemed to really bother him.

Two men rounded the corner. Rio had loosened his grip on her wrist, but now it tightened. Still talking, the men got into a black Hummer parked at the curb.

Rio tossed his cup into the trashcan next to the bench and pulled Tori to her feet. He dragged her into the doorway of a souvenir shop, closed for the night.

The Hummer’s engine roared to life and Rio placed a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. Weaving one hand through her hair, he pulled her close and planted a hard kiss on her mouth. As the big car rolled past them in the street, Rio shifted his body against hers, as if to protect her from the occupants of the car, and deepened the kiss.

Her heart, which had started pounding at the appearance of the two men, now raced. She clung to Rio’s shoulders to keep from sliding to the ground, and he hitched an arm around her waist as if he knew she needed his sup port.

As the sound of the car’s engine died out, Tori sagged against Rio’s body, his hard muscles still primed for action. He relinquished her lips and released the hand cupping the back of her head, but stroked his fingers through her tangled curls.

Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead against his chest.

He kissed the top of her head and mumbled hoarsely, “I don’t think they saw you. Probably thought we were another honeymooning couple.”

She leaned back in his arms, looking into his face. Deep lines creased his handsome features. Oh, yeah. The protective streak that ran through the McClintock men hadn’t bypassed Rio.

“Did you recognize them? We didn’t see their faces on the hillside.”

“Don’t forget, I’ve been watching the compound for weeks. I’ve seen those two patrolling the grounds.”

“D-do you think they were looking for us?” Despite her determination to face Alexi and bring him down, she shivered. She hadn’t been able to let go in a long time, but here in this man’s arms she allowed herself to crumble just a little.

Rio ran a hand down her back. “I don’t think they know what they’re looking for, probably not a couple kissing on the sidewalk.”

“Quick thinking, McClintock.” Her lips ached to feel the pressure of his sweet, cherry-flavored kiss again, but they didn’t have any more excuses to engage in another lip-lock.

Tugging her out of their cozy alcove, he said, “Let’s get you back to your hotel, and then you’re checking out and getting on the first flight back to…wherever it is you came from.”

She didn’t figure Rio would send her packing before he tried to interrogate her further about Alexi’s business deals, habits and friends. She planted her bare feet on the sidewalk. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m not leaving until I get what I came here for.”

“If the guy divorced you, he’s not going to be too happy to see you again, especially if he figures out you have revenge on your mind. An unhappy Mad Prince Alexi is a dangerous Mad Prince Alexi. You of all people should know that.”

“I do know that, but it doesn’t change a thing. I have to carry out my plan.”

Rio stuffed his hands in the pockets of his new shorts. “What exactly is your plan?”

Tori scooped in a deep breath. “I’m moving into Alexi’s compound.”

“Are you crazy?” Rio’s fists bulged in his pockets. “What makes you think he’ll let you in there?”

Lifting her chin, she squared her shoulders. “Oh, he’ll let me in.”

“Then what? You’re going to try some revenge scheme? You’ll be putting yourself in extreme danger. It’s worse than it was two years ago. Back then he was moving drugs and dabbling in arms. Now he’s a full-scale arms dealer, working with the most lethal terrorist groups in the world.”

“That’s why it’s more vital than ever that I move into the compound.”

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “Why? Why is it so important for you to do this?”

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth as tears flooded her eyes. “My son’s in there.”

Chapter Three

Tori’s words twisted a knife in his gut, and his grip on her shoulders melted into a caress. As her bottom lip trembled, he pulled her back into his arms, where she’d felt so right before.

His contact hadn’t told him about a child, and Rio hadn’t seen any evidence of one at the compound, although he hadn’t been able to spy on the south wing as it lay on the other side of the property. All of the guests and the parties congregated in the rooms and terraces on the north and northwest ends of the compound, which placed them right in his line of fire.

Even a poor excuse for a father like Alexi would want to keep his son away from that crowd.

Tori sniffled against his chest and Rio stroked her wild curls. How had a woman like this, bright and feisty as all hell, gotten mixed up with a lunatic like Prince Alexi?

And what idiot at the CIA had told Alexi’s ex-wife about the operation against him?

Tori stepped back, wiping the back of her hand across her cheek. “That’s why I have to get into that compound. I haven’t been allowed to see my boy in almost two years.”

From what he knew about Alexi, that didn’t surprise Rio. An arrogant, possessive man like Alexi wouldn’t readily relinquish custody of his son.

“What makes you think he’s going to let you see him now?”

Lifting her shoulders, she said, “He’s in the U.S. now. I could cause some legal trouble for him if he tries to keep me away from Max. Alexi doesn’t like attention like that.”

The lights up and down the street began to blink off as the shops closed for business. Rio laced his fingers through Tori’s. “Let’s finish this discussion in my car.”

Rio had parked his rental on a side street behind a truck. After he tossed his backpack into the trunk and settled behind the wheel, he turned to Tori.

“Where has your son been all this time— Glazkova?”

She nodded. “And if you think the security is tight at his spread here in Maui, you should see it at his palace in Glazkova.”

“Can’t you visit your son there?” Rio cranked on the engine and pulled onto the darkened main street. He figured the Hummer would be heading back to Alexi’s property, and Tori’s hotel lay in the other direction.

Rolling down her window, Tori snorted. “I’m persona non grata in Glazkova. I’m not even allowed to step foot in the country or I’ll get tossed into prison. There’s a war rant for my arrest.”

Rio’s brows shot up. “For what?”

“Adultery.”

“What?”

“Adultery is a crime punishable by at least two years of hard labor in a lovely Glazkova prison, but of course it was a trumped-up charge. Even if I’d wanted to cheat on Alexi, he made sure I’d never have an opportunity to do so.”

Rio’s jaw tightened at the hardships this woman had endured at the hands of that criminal. “Why did he put you through all that?”

“Because I wanted a divorce. I wanted to take my son, Max, and go home.” She rubbed her hands together as if a sudden chill had grabbed her on this sultry, tropical night.

“So he accused you of adultery? Don’t the Glazkova courts require some proof, or are they wholly under Prince Alexi’s command?”

“They are, but even so the courts have to at least pretend there’s justice for all, so Alexi made sure they had proof. He paid off or coerced members of his staff to come forward and admit they’d slept with me. By the time Alexi was through with me, everyone thought I’d serviced the entire security force of Glazkova.”

Rio slanted a glance at Tori, her eyes bright with tears. He’d despised Prince Alexi for spreading misery around the world through drugs and weapons. Now he wanted to kill the man.

“So he drove you out of Glazkova and kept Max there.”

“Yeah.” She rubbed her nose. “I had three choices. I could go to a labor camp for two years or more, and probably not be allowed to see Max after. I could stay married to Alexi and live as a prisoner in my own home. Or I could flee the country and leave my son behind.”

Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands. “I’m a terrible mother. I abandoned my son to save myself. I should’ve never left him behind.”

Rio ran his hand across her heaving shoulders. “You had to save yourself. You’d be no use to your son otherwise. Given the chance, Alexi will raise that boy in his image.”

Raising her head, Tori curled her hands into fists. “I know. That’s why I need to get Max out of there and away from his father. Once I learned Alexi was in Hawaii and had Max with him, I saw my best chance in two years.”

“How did you know he had Max with him?” The Agency hadn’t even known Prince Alexi had a son, or if they did nobody had told Rio.

“I have a contact on the inside.”

Rio’s pulse ticked up several notches. Tori had a contact inside Alexi’s compound? He hadn’t been able to manage that since the last mole wound up dead. He could use an insider about now. Maybe Tori would share her guy with him.

“Who is it? One of the security guys you supposedly slept with?”

“No, a woman. Max’s nanny.”

Rio gripped the steering wheel. So much for that idea. He refused to put a woman in danger in his quest to bring down Alexi. “She’s taking a huge risk helping you.”

Tori shrugged. “She’s a mom.”

Rio rounded the curve into Lahaina and asked Tori for the name of her hotel. She gave him the name of one of the most luxurious resorts in Maui. Alexi must’ve paid her some big bucks in the divorce settlement, but he didn’t want to judge her. Whatever monetary compensation she’d gotten out of the deal couldn’t make up for what she’d lost.

Getting out of Glazkova when she did probably saved her life. When things turned sour between arms and drug dealers, the injured party usually went after his enemy…and his enemy’s family. Rio had seen a few families pay the ultimate price.

The presence of Tori’s son in that household filled Rio with a cold dread and put a serious crimp in his options for bringing down Alexi. He couldn’t tip off Alexi’s enemies about his whereabouts and habits with a child in the house. These gangs were vicious and indiscriminate in their retaliation.

Rio rolled in front of the hotel and waved off the valet. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

He cut the engine. “So how do you plan to get your son away from Alexi? Have you hired a good attorney yet?”

Tori laughed. “That’s just the sort of thing that would prompt Alexi to send Max back to Glazkova, and it wouldn’t work anyway. I’m going to use that as leverage though, promising Alexi that I won’t bring in the U.S. legal system if he allows me to stay at the estate and see Max.”

“Will just seeing Max be enough for you?” One glance at Tori’s tight jaw and narrowed eyes told him it wouldn’t.

“Of course not. That’s just my foot in the door.”

“Then what?” Rio’s heart pounded against his chest like a hammer as he held his breath.

“I’m going to rescue him…and you’re going to help me.”

“NO.” RIO POUNDED the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. “I am not putting you or your child in danger with some crazy rescue plan.”

Maybe she dropped this particular bombshell too soon, but Rio had to know sometime she intended to en list his help. He’d come around once she explained the entire plan to him.

She could usually get people, especially men, to come around. Of course, she had made that mistake with Alexi.

She ran her hands through her tangled curls. “Just wait. There’s something in it for you, too.”

“Do you think that’s going to change my mind? I’m here to collect information about Alexi for the CIA, not to stage a rescue operation.”

Drawing her brows together, she asked, “Aren’t you CIA?”

He dragged in a ragged breath and blew it out, staring straight ahead. “No. A couple of my buddies from the Marines and I set up our own shop, but the Agency uses us a lot—for activities under the radar, not sanctioned by the U.S. Government.”

“That’s even better.” She clapped her hands. The U.S. Government hadn’t been much use in her quest to get Max. “D-do you ever assassinate people?”

Rio’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “You want me to execute your ex-husband? We’re not hired assassins. I’m here to turn over contacts, spy on meetings, se cure a mole….”

Her heart skipped a few beats and she waved her hand. “I can be your mole.”

With the veins popping out on his neck and his white-knuckled hands still grasping the steering wheel, Rio looked ready to explode.

But his words pelted the space between them in a measured staccato. “That. Can’t. Happen.”

“Sure it can.” She patted the tensed muscles in his thigh. “I’ll approach Alexi and ask him if I can move into the compound to visit Max while he’s here. He’ll let me because I’ll promise not to cause any trouble for him with the authorities in the U.S.”

With a muscle ticking in his jaw, Rio dropped his gaze to her hand. She snatched it away and continued. “Once I’m in, I’ll keep my eyes and ears open and I can feed information to you. All you need to do in exchange for my services is get Max out of that den of iniquity.”

“Not only is that a dangerous proposition,” he said as he loosened his grasp on the steering wheel and wiped his palms across his T-shirt, “but it’ll blow my operation sky high.”

“How do you figure?” Tori thought she could convince Rio by playing on his obvious sympathy for her situation and his naturally protective instincts, which he’d demonstrated in spades tonight. She didn’t count on those protective instincts combining with a hardheaded stubbornness that refused to see the logic of putting herself in harm’s way for a greater good.

“If I attempt some sort of rescue and meet with failure, Alexi’s going to realize he’s being watched, not to mention, place you in a world of hurt.”

She flicked her fingers. “Alexi always thinks he’s being watched anyway. And I have confidence that you won’t fail.”

Leaning toward him, she trailed her fingertips along his corded forearm as the ends of her hair danced on his shoulder. Rio sucked in a sharp breath, and Tori jerked back.

His dark eyes smoldered as he looked at her, and it wasn’t due to lust as it had been on the beach. “You’re playing me, Tori whateveryourlastnameis. How do I know any of this is true? How do I know if there’s even a child at risk? I’ve never seen him. Maybe you did sleep with half of Alexi’s security force, he banished you from a life of leisure, and now you want to use me to get revenge.”

As his accusations rained down on her, the blood rushed through her veins hot and furious. Blinded by her anger, she raised her hand to smack his face, but he caught her wrist and they glared at each other over their hands.

Tori twisted free and staggered from the car. Before she slammed the door, she choked out, “You’re a sorry excuse for a McClintock.”

She stormed toward the open lobby and tripped across the tiled floors toward the pool and the beach beyond. The smell of the food from a luau, now wrapping up on a lawn bordering the sand, made her stomach grumble, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since the lunch provided on the hiking trip and that shaved ice.

Her bare feet hit the beach, each step digging a hole into the dry sand as she drove her heel into it, muttering epithets. Tears stung her eyes, blurring the lights from the boats scattered on the water.

How dare Rio accuse her of manipulating him?

As she reached the hard-packed sand, she slowed her steps and folded her arms across her stomach. Even though that’s exactly what she’d planned to do.

She’d expected to run into Ryder watching her ex-husband and twist him around her finger, playing on his Sir Galahad complex. When confronted with Rio, she had made a smooth transition practicing her wiles on him instead.

Apparently, Rio didn’t suffer from the same complex…or he had a supercharged overdose of it. He didn’t even want her to place herself in danger in the first place. But then he had accused her of lying…of lying about Max.

She sank to the beach and grabbed fistfuls of sand. Max was so close she could feel the strong maternal pull toward him like a tide out to sea. She’d get into that compound to see her little boy even if she never made it out again.

The separation from her son had bored a deep, black hole in the pit of her belly. She couldn’t live without him anymore.

Jumping to her feet, she chucked the sand she’d gathered into the ocean. She’d approach Alexi tomorrow, or at least his guards at the estate. Once she had Max in her arms, she’d figure out something—with or without the help of Rio McClintock.

She sauntered along the beach, dragging her feet through the white water, skirting romantic couples locked in embraces or holding hands as they strolled past her.

She swallowed around a lump in her throat. She missed having that closeness with someone, not that she’d ever really had it with Alexi. And for the past two years she’d been too busy jaunting around the world, arguing with State Department officials and consulting with lawyers, to think about romance. Besides, she had no intention of dragging some poor man into Alexi’s radar. She needed a strong man for that job. She needed…McClintock.

As her feet left the grittiness of the beach for the soft grass of the lawn that led to the path to her hotel suite, she stopped and cursed. Her room key card was out in the ocean somewhere securely in the pocket of her jeans.

She veered back toward the pool where several guests still frolicked in the warm night air. Approaching the front desk, she smiled. “I lost my room key on a hike today. I’m in fifty-one twenty-five.”

The desk clerk requested her name and then tilted her head as she punched some keys on the computer keyboard. “Someone left a package for you, Ms. Scott.”

“A package?” Tori squeaked the words out past her tight throat. She hadn’t told anyone about her plans, except Dana.

The clerk dipped below the front desk and placed a bulky manila envelope on the counter. Tori ran her fingers along the edges. “Who left this?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know. I came on duty five minutes ago, so it wasn’t in the past five minutes. And I can’t tell when the previous clerk entered the note on the computer.” She slid two white cards next to the package. “I’m giving you an extra key card, Ms. Scott.”

Tori nodded and swept the cards and the package from the counter. She sank onto a wicker sofa in the lobby and ripped into the envelope. Flower petals showered onto her lap, their cloying scent making her gag on her empty stomach.

She dumped the lei onto the cushion next to her and fingered the dead, rotting flowers. This lei didn’t mean aloha and welcome. Had Alexi sent this? He’d always favored dramatic gestures.

Sighing, she struggled to her feet and dumped the envelope into the nearest trash can. Oh, well, it’s not like she wanted to continue skulking around the island hoping to get a glimpse of her son. She’d leave the skulking to Rio.

Tori wound her way back to the path that led to a bank of elevators beyond the pool. A few couples, returning from late dinners, crisscrossed the hallways and expansive floors, open to the outside. But when Tori reached her floor, silence greeted her.

She hadn’t seen the other inhabitants of this floor since she got here. They probably chose this out-of-the-way wing for privacy.

Same reason she chose it.

She slid the new key card into the slot and waited for the green light to flash. She frowned. Not even a red light flashed. She tried again and got the same response—nothing.

She switched cards and tried the second one. Again, nothing.

Grinding her teeth, she kicked the door. The desk clerk had given her the wrong key cards, and now she had to haul her butt all the way back to the lobby. And she wanted nothing more than to peel off her disgusting clothes, hop in the shower, and down a little twenty dollar bottle of wine from the minibar.

In frustration, she grabbed the doorknob. It not only turned, but the door inched open. She guessed the key card worked after all, but the lights must be broken.

She leaned her hip against the heavy door and pushed. Before she could flick on the hall light, something came at her out of the darkness.

A scream barreled up from her lungs. A rough hand clapped over her mouth while a heavy arm wrapped around her stomach.

She struggled, pounding her heel against a bare shin, but the vice clamped tighter around her midsection. She gagged as garlic-scented breath whispered against her ear.

“Do you want to die, Princess?”

Chapter Four

Rio clenched the steering wheel as he hit the highway back to his little bungalow. That’s not how he’d planned to end the evening with the Princess of Glazkova.

He had no intention of allowing her to jump into her ex-husband’s snake pit, but he could’ve coaxed some in formation from her about her son’s nanny. The nanny could lead to other chinks in the Zherkov armor. Maybe pinpoint a disgruntled employee, someone willing to turn on Alexi for immunity and a chance to escape a life of crime.

Time to make nice.

He wheeled his car into the next turnout and made a U-turn back to Tori. And just to make sure his return trip meant business and not pleasure, he clicked open the glove compartment to grab his cell phone. Good thing he hadn’t taken his cell with him on the surveillance or he’d be looking for a new phone.

His CIA contact, Ted Boyce, picked up on the first ring. Must’ve been waiting for him. “Ted, I have some interesting news.”

“Hope so because the Agency is wondering if you took this gig to get an all-expenses-paid trip to Maui.”

Rio snorted. “Yeah, I’ve been having such a relaxing time. You can tell your buddies that I ran into Zherkov’s ex-wife.”

Ted drew in a breath. “Ding, ding, ding. You hit the jackpot, bro. What’s she doing there and how’d you manage to hook up with her?”

Not so fast. Rio wasn’t ready to give up all of Tori’s secrets. He didn’t want the Agency jumping the gun on anything. He could still out-CIA the CIA. He cleared his throat. “She’s here because he’s here.”

“Can we use her?”

The edges of his phone bit into Rio’s flesh as he gripped it. That’s exactly why he didn’t want the CIA to get its grubby paws on Tori. “I’ll keep you posted.”

His lips twisted as he slid his phone shut. Way to keep it professional, McClintock.

Rio pulled up in front of the hotel and slid from the car. The valet parking attendant scurried toward him, holding out a ticket between outstretched fingers. “Are you a guest at the hotel, sir?”

“No. Does that mean I can’t leave my car here?”

A smile flickered across the younger man’s face. “You can leave it here, but it costs more.”

“Of course it does.” Rio snatched the ticket from the valet’s hand and stalked toward the registration desk.

People with leis draped around their necks milled about the lobby. The sweet, heavy scent from the plumeria conjured images of lazy nights on the beach with a fruity cocktail in one hand and a sultry woman in the other.

Rio shook his head. That twenty-foot jump into the ocean must’ve fogged his brain…or maybe his companion on that jump had something to do with his line of thinking.

The desk clerk smiled as he approached. He didn’t play the part of friendly tourist very well, but he pasted on his best gee-whiz grin. “I’m meeting a friend here. Could you please tell me her room number?”

With her smile still in place, the woman shook her head. “I’m sorry. We can’t give out our guest’s room numbers. If you give me your friend’s name, I can call the room.”

Damn. No way Tori would be using Zherkov for her last name. Rio chuckled and rolled his eyes. “To tell you the truth—” he peered at her badge “—Marissa, I met the young lady at a bar earlier tonight. Didn’t catch her last name.”

She pursed her lips and raised her brows. “I suppose I can do a search on her first name, as long as it’s not too common.”

“Tori.” Rio let out a long breath. “She’s staying in a suite if that helps.”

“It does.” The clerk clicked some keys on her keyboard and picked up the phone. She listened for several seconds and then shrugged. “Your friend isn’t in her room, or at least she’s not picking up.”

A trill of alarm rushed up Rio’s spine. He abandoned the horny tourist act and reached into his backpack for his wallet. He smacked a CIA ID badge on the counter and narrowed his eyes. “Ma’am, it’s vitally important that I get that room number…now.”

With eyes wide, she scanned the badge and his picture. Then she drew back and fumbled for a piece of paper. Nice and polite never did work for him, but forceful and threatening always did the job.

“You don’t need to write it down. Just tell me the number.”

It took her two tries to babble out, “Fifty-one twenty-five. Take the elevators past the pool and across from the spa.”

He slung his backpack over one shoulder and jogged across the pool deck. Damp grass squished between his toes as he made his way to the darkened spa and the bank of elevators.

Maybe Tori didn’t answer her phone because she was afraid it might be Alexi. But if she wanted access to his compound, she’d have to talk to her ex sometime. She could be in the shower.

Rio punched the elevator button with his fist until the doors whisked open. On his way into the car, he bumped shoulders with an intoxicated man stumbling from the elevator. The man grabbed his date’s arm and scowled at Rio.

“Watch whereya goin’.”

Rio skewered the drunk with a lethal gaze, and he tripped against the woman. She tugged his arm. “Let’s go, Adam.”

The doors closed on the couple, and Rio’s muscles tensed as he rode up the five floors to Tori’s suite. The elevator deposited him on an open floor facing the beach and the ocean. He crossed the tiles toward an alcove that looked like it contained two rooms.

As he drew near to fifty-one twenty-five, a low voice rumbled from the door, which was ajar. A woman’s voice responded, high-pitched, frantic.

Adrenaline pumped through Rio’s body and he charged the door, kicking it open. The door hit a body, and a large man broke away from Tori, his hands dropping from her throat. Rio bared his teeth and drew back his fist.

“Stop.” Tori grabbed his forearm.

Rio glanced down into her green eyes and she had the temerity to scowl at him. Hadn’t he just saved her life? Twice now? Or was it three times? He dropped his fist.

“It’s okay. I know this man.” Tori stepped behind Rio. “And he was just leaving.”

Tori’s attacker grunted as he eyed Rio’s still-clenched hand. “Who’s this guy?”

“I don’t know. A guest at the hotel, I suppose. Are you staying on this floor?”

Rio bent a kink out of his neck and flexed his fingers. He almost blew his cover in front of one of Alexi’s men. He scanned the burly man from his greasy hair to his dirty running shoes. Definitely one of Alexi’s goons.

“Yeah, I just came up to get my wife a sweater when I heard the commotion in here. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m okay.” Tori straightened her spine. “Just a little disagreement.”

The man’s face split into a grin, displaying rows of bad teeth. “A disagreement.”

Rio shrugged and backed away to the door across the alcove, delving into the pocket of his shorts, pretending to search for his key card.

“You’ll pass along my message?”

“Sure, but don’t get your hopes up.” The man turned and ambled toward the elevator while Tori shut her hotel room door.

Rio watched from the corner of his eye until Alexi’s man disappeared into the elevator, and then he spun around and banged on Tori’s door.

Her muffled voice came from behind the door. “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

She flung open the door, her brows drawn over her nose. “You almost stepped in it, cowboy. If Alexi’s thug reported back to my ex that I was in town with a bodyguard in tow, I’d never get near that compound. Not to mention your own gig would blow up in your face.”

“You’re welcome, princess.” He brushed past her in to the spacious suite and dropped his backpack on the coffee table. “The next time you’re getting manhandled by a giant with greasy hair and an acne-scarred face, I’ll keep on walking.”

Tori’s shoulders slumped as she closed the door and locked it. “Thanks. I’m glad you came to the rescue even though you could’ve screwed up my plans. That guy scared the crap out of me.”

“What did he want and how’d your ex know you were in Maui?”

“One of his guys saw me in Lahaina and tracked me back to this hotel. Not that I was trying to hide from Alexi, and I explained that to my uninvited guest.”

Rio sucked in a breath. “Has Alexi been tailing you?”

“No. Believe me, the hike left early enough this morning that I would’ve noticed if someone were following me.”

“So did you get a chance to tell Alexi’s guy that you’re in Maui to see your son?”

She nodded, running fingers through her tangled curls. “I tried to assure him I didn’t want any trouble but told him I needed to speak to Alexi.”

“But you are looking for trouble.”

Tori crossed her arms and leaned a shoulder against the door. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to apologize.” Rio bent forward and opened the door to the mini bar. No beer, just little bottles of wine that he could finish off in a few gulps.

“Really?” She pushed off the door and joined him at the minibar. She reached over his shoulder, her hair a whisper against the back of his neck. She snagged two bottles of chardonnay from the fridge and waved one in his face. “Want one?”

“Sure, but don’t look so cheerful. I’m still not agreeing to your plan.”

She tossed back her hair and twisted open her bottle with a crack. A red mark marred her creamy skin, and Rio traced his finger along her jaw.

“Did he do that?”

Tori shivered. “He got kind of carried away when he slapped his hand over my mouth to stop my scream.”

Scumbag. Rio’s fingers wrapped around the sweating bottle so tightly, it almost slipped from his grasp. He cupped Tori’s face with his other hand.

“Are you all right? Do you want some ice?” He held up the wine. “A cold bottle?”

“A drink will do me.” She put her lips to the bottle and took a swig, but her hand shook and she swayed on her feet.

Rio set his wine bottle on top of the minibar, placed Tori’s next to it and rested his hands on her shoulders. The cotton of her T-shirt, stiff with salt water and sand, stuck to the rough pads of his fingertips. “You need a warm shower and probably something to eat, right?”

“Those were my plans before tall, dark and ugly bust ed in here.” She pulled her trembling bottom lip between her teeth, squaring her shoulders beneath his touch.

Rio almost pulled her into his arms to comfort, to protect, but her glittering green eyes warned him to back off. This woman would fight the devil himself to stay on her feet and keep trudging onward. Working on her own obviously came naturally to her. She’d probably already exhausted every legal channel to get her son back from Prince Alexi.

Now she’d decided to look into a few illegal channels.

If she wouldn’t accept a shoulder to cry on, Rio could at least offer her something more practical. He spun her around and gave her a shove toward the cavernous bathroom. “Go take a shower and I’ll order from room service. Anything you won’t eat?”

“Crow.”

Rolling his eyes, Rio grabbed her wine bottle and one of the glasses on the credenza. He dumped the contents of the bottle into the glass and handed it to her. “Nobody’s going to force you to eat crow.”

The door snapped behind her and Rio picked up the phone and punched in the extension for room service. He ordered a couple of cheeseburgers and fries. No crow.

While Tori cranked on the shower, Rio wandered around the spacious sitting room. Tori must’ve gotten a lot of money in the divorce, but he figured she’d trade it all to get her son back.

He’d seen this type of predicament before—American woman marries a foreigner, lives in his country, has his children. And then when the marriage goes south, the wife can’t leave the country with her children.

The fact that Tori married royalty and royalty-gone-bad made her situation much worse. What had she been thinking when she said I do to Mad Prince Alexi?

Rio pulled back the drapes and slid open the door to the balcony. The soft, warm breeze whispered against his skin, carrying with it a whiff of some sweet flower and a salty tang from the ocean that he could taste on his tongue. He sipped his wine and soaked up the scenery.

“Nice view, huh?”

Rio shifted his gaze from the dark ocean where lights from a few dinner cruises and other pleasure craft bobbed and blinked to the glass sliding door and Tori’s reflection. She clutched a white robe around her body and had wrapped up her hair in a towel that made her look like the Chiquita banana lady.

He turned and propped his shoulder blade against the doorjamb. “Feel better?”

“I do. You should try it.”

Rio shrugged off the door. “I wasn’t the one manhandled by Alexi’s thug. I ordered some cheeseburgers. Is that okay?”

“Sounds great.” She patted the knot in the sash across her stomach.

“Can I ask you a few questions about Alexi?”

Tori bent over at the waist, rubbed her head with the towel and then flipped her head up, her wet hair already spiraling into curls. “What do I get out of it?”

“If I can bring in Alexi and turn him over to the CIA, you’ll get your son back.”

“Ha!” She tossed the wet towel into the bathroom and shoved her hands into the pockets of the hotel-issued robe. “Once the snare tightens around Alexi, he’ll give orders for Max to be sent back to Glazkova. And there’s nothing the CIA or anyone else can do about that. Max has to be with me when Alexi goes down.”

“I might be able to arrange that.” Rio crossed his arms and dug his fingers into his biceps. Why’d he go and promise that? Ever since his mother had died, he’d vowed never to play protector again.

Tori whipped her hands out of the pockets and clapped them together. “Now we’re on the same page. What do you want to know?”

Running her fingers through her curls, she dropped onto the sofa and kicked her feet up on the coffee table.

Rio perched on the arm of the sofa and hunched forward with his hands on his knees. How exactly was he supposed to get a kid out of Alexi Zherkov’s compound with its guards and motion sensors? He didn’t figure Alexi would allow his son to go anywhere with his nanny without protection.

“Look, Tori…”

They both jumped at the sharp rap on the hotel door. “Room service.”

Holding up his hand to Tori, Rio crept toward the door. He squinted through the peephole and assessed the waiter with the cart. He swung open the door, keeping possession of the handle in case he had to smash it against the waiter’s face.

The waiter wheeled the cart into the room and hoisted a silver tray. “On the coffee table or credenza?”

“Right here.” Tori patted the gleaming surface of the coffee table in front of her.

The waiter unloaded several items from the cart. “Enjoy.”

Rio dug some bills from his pocket and handed them to the waiter on his way out. When he turned back to the room, Tori had already lifted the covers from two plates.

She closed her eyes and sniffed. “This smells great. Last thing I had to eat, if you can call it that, was the shaved ice. Don’t get me wrong. It was exceptional, but hardly a meal.”

“About getting to your son…”

She picked up a french fry and waved it in the air. “We don’t need to discuss the details now. I know you can get him out.”

Tori had a helluva lot more confidence in him than he did. He let out a breath and joined her on the sofa. She had one thing right. The food smelled good and his body demanded sustenance.

They ate in silence for several minutes until Tori dropped her half-eaten burger onto the plate. “Whoa. Ate too fast.”

Rio touched his nose. “You have some ketchup on the tip of your nose.”

She snorted and dabbed her nose with her napkin. “That’s another reason why they kicked me out of Glazkova.”

“How’d you wind up marrying him?”

Holding the napkin over her mouth, she slumped against the cushions of the sofa. “I was young and stupid. While I was in college, both of my parents died in a plane crash. I wanted to quit school and go home, but my brother forced me to stick with it. Once I graduated, I didn’t want to go home anymore. Instead, I decided to travel.”

“Glazkova?”

“Not at first. I spent time in different countries and kept hearing about Glazkova—the parties, the beaches, the lifestyle. I decided to check it out for myself.”

“And was it all you dreamed it would be?” Rio cocked his head to study her face. He had a hard time imagining this single-minded woman relaxing.

“Oh, yeah.” She twisted the napkin in her lap. “For the tourists anyway, there seemed to be no rules, no laws. It was one big party, presided over by the partier-in-chief, Prince Alexi.”

“Were his parents already dead?” He’d heard once the old prince had died, the younger generation had let loose. Alexi’s father had also been involved in criminal enterprises, but not drugs and not arms dealing.

She nodded. “They died a few years before I arrived, so party central was in full-swing.”

“And you met Alexi at one of his parties?”

“Not just any party, his big birthday bash.”

“What was it? Love at first sight? He swept you off your feet beneath a full Glazkova moon?” Rio’s jaw tightened. For some reason that scenario left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Tori gave a short laugh and dragged a fry through a puddle of ketchup on her plate. “Not exactly.”

“A slow courtship? He wined and dined you. Introduced you to the beauty of his country, the magnitude of his wealth and power?”

She compressed her lips and smashed the fry on her plate. “Not. Exactly.”

The blood pumped in Rio’s veins, fast and hot. Had the SOB coerced her in some way? He knew it. No chance a classy woman like Tori would fall for scum like Alexi.

Rio reached for her hand, entwining his sticky fingers with hers. “What happened, Tori? How’d you become Princess Victoria of Glazkova?”

For the second time that night, someone knocked on the hotel door. Gasping, Tori disentangled herself from Rio and jumped from the sofa. She shushed him and tripped toward the door.

Standing on tiptoes, she peeked out the peephole. Then she spun around, and with her face as white as a sandy beach, she drew her index finger across her throat.

Chapter Five

Tori’s already rapidly beating heart went into full gallop when Rio charged toward the door. What exactly did he think he was going to do to Alexi in her hotel room?

She rushed at him and grabbed his forearms, the muscles corded and tight. Drawing him close, she whispered, “You can’t do this now. You have to hide.”

Rio huffed out a warm breath, stirring her damp hair. “I’m not leaving you alone with him.”