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“Yeah I didn’t like leaving hiet you to safety That was more important”

“Who are you?” she asked in a voice barely above a whisper

“I told you I’m Alec’s brother Liam”

She shook her head impatiently “No, I mean, what are you? Are you a USme?”

“Diplomatic Security Service DSS Like Alec The DSS is responsible for a lot of things, including protecting foreign dignitaries when they visit the US, and I’ve doneyour Princess Mara when she first came to this country Alec and I both were So yeah, I knehat to do when bullets started flying That’s my job”

“So what is next? Where do I go?”

“We,” he told her “Where do we go I’ot to call a man” He pointed to the dried blood on Cate’s arht want to wash up a little and use the facilities while I do that My call will take a while”

When Cate agreed, she was surprised he led the way to the ladies’ roo until he’d checked it out “It’s clear,” he told her when he returned Then he moved away from the doorway a couple of paces, pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial

He was still on the phone when Cate came out of the ladies’ room She’d washed the blood from her arm and done her best with the dress—which was still dah she’d blotted as much of the water from it as she could—but anyone who looked closely could still see the faint discolorations that would probably never go away co to her, it was a dress designed to present a certain appearance for the jury Well-to-do, but not too expensive Not the Mayflower Madam, but not a street hooker, either The dress had been picked out by the prosecutors, anted her to look young and wholesoirl next door

Cate was young In years, if nothing else But she wasn’t wholesoain But the jury didn’t have to know that, and she had no intention of telling thehtmare when she’d been Vishenko’s prisoner Stick to the facts, the prosecutors had hammered home, don’t volunteer opinions

Angelina had said the sa But she’d also advised Cate to let her eh so the jury empathized with her, believed her implicitly If she was too cold the jury wouldn’t like her And the jury needed to like her, Angelina had said Angelina, who had at one tio, but who had also been a bodyguard for Zakhar’s Queen Juliana Angelina, who now headed the queen’s security detail, but who had co the trial

“Okay,” Lia to the man on the other end of the phone “Call ” He listened for a ht It’s a hell of a way to start a vacation” Then he disconnected

“Who were you talking to?” she asked

“Let’s sit in the SUV,” he told her “I don’t want you out in the open if I can help it”

He held the passenger door for Cate but didn’t touch her at all, as if he knew she couldn’t bear to be touched in a personal way Then he got into the driver’s seat, saying, “That was Cody Walker My brother-in-law At this point he’s about the only person who can help us that I know I can trust He was already working on it—can you believe it?—he’ll calldefinite” He chuckled softly, shaking his head “Alec called Cody a half hour ago, told him I was in trouble and I’d be in touch Even before I talked with Alec Damn! Alec’s always one step ahead of me—he can read my mind”

“I know him,” she said “Your brother-in-law I met him when I first met your brother You told him where we are?”

Lia you have to learn about security, Ms Mateja, is a concept called ‘need to know’ At this point Cody doesn’t have a need to knohere we are, so I didn’t tell him When and if he needs to knoill”

Cate waited for one heartbeat, then two, before she said, “Cate Please just call me Cate I I don’t like Caterina” She couldn’t suppress the little shiver as she said the name “And I don’t use Mateja anymore” Not for seven years “Except in court, of course I al name”