Khan (Bowen Boys, #2)(13)

Monica went into the Pepper and watched from the doorway into the street. Tony drove by, and she nearly bolted, but was stopped when a large man held her back. When she tried to peel his fingers off her arm, he told her that he was Shaver and that Caitlynne had told him to watch for her.

“Which one of them hurt you like this?” His voice left her no doubt that he was pissed off. “You say his name and he’s as good as dead. Nobody hits a woman and lives to tell about it when I’m around.”

“No. You can’t. His father, he’s really important, and he won’t help me anyway.” She was babbling and turned toward the street again. “No one will help me get away from him.”

Caitlynne walked in, said her name, and Monica turned to see her. The woman was simply the most beautiful person she’d ever seen. When she told her that she was parked in the back, she went with her. Mr. Shaver handed Caitlynne a large bag of what smelled like heaven and spoke in low tones to her. As soon as she nodded, Caitlynne came toward her and helped her into the big truck. Soon they were flying down the highway.

“Walker is staying behind for a couple of days, but I have to go back to DC. That’s where you and I are headed. Once we’re there, we’ll get you some clothes and some medications to make—”

“Thank you for helping me, but I can’t afford clothes or medications. I don’t have any money other than the fifty dollars that George gave me. I know I said I’d be fine going with you, but you don’t know what kind of person the man who’s chasing me is, and Khan is your relative. I think if you would just drop me off near the bus station, I can make it somewhere on my own.”

She didn’t say anything for several minutes. Her phone rang twice, but she ignored it and drove on. When she did finally say something, Monica wasn’t sure if she should believe her or not.

“I work for the CIA. Actually, I run it. I have some very powerful people, the president for one, in my corner. If this man f*cks with you, he f*cks with me, and I don’t like to be f*cked with. Understand?”

“No. No, I don’t. You run the CIA and tell me you have the president on speed dial.” Caitlynne snorted. “Okay, you might not have him on speed dial, but it doesn’t matter. That man is a danger zone, and when he finds me, I’m either going to be killed by him or kill him myself. I’m so sick of running all the time.”

“Good for you.” Then she smiled at her. “But you’re going to Washington with me.”





Chapter Five


Tony looked everywhere for Monica. She was out there somewhere and needed him and he couldn’t find her. Driving again past the last place he thought he’d seen her, he nearly had an accident thinking he’d seen her go into a restaurant. By the time he parked and went inside, she’d disappeared again. And the people inside were of no use to him. He didn’t even know why those types of people, foreigners, were allowed to work in this country.

Going back out to his car, he stopped on the street and looked. Nothing. He wished now he had simply broken down the door to her hotel room and made her see reason and come back with him. The girl just needed a little more help in understanding that he was trying to help her.

He had been looking for her for a month now. He tried to remember the last time he’d seen her or talked to her before this morning and all he could recall was that she’d been defiant again. Sassed him as well. He’d only hit her to show her that she needed to have respect for her betters, and that when he told her to do something, she should simply give him what he wanted. Like everyone else did.

Tony stopped at the hotel he’d found her in and watched a big man come out of the room. He didn’t look like anyone he’d ever met before and wondered what he was doing in his fiancé’s room. He was just pulling into the lot of the hotel again when the man got into his truck and left. Tony stared after the man for several seconds before he realized he should have gotten the license plate and had his daddy run it for him.

And following him was out of the question. He’d been going in the opposite direction of where his own hotel was, and he didn’t feel like driving any more tonight. So Tony got back into his car and went back to his room in the Hamilton Hotel. He’d had to push his weight around there as well. But they knew who was in charge and had even told him the first night was free. Tony had called his dad to get that little favor taken care of, but he didn’t care. What the hell was his daddy good for if not helping his only son out once in a while?

The room had been cleaned from his stay the night before. He laid on the bed and thought about the girls he’d had brought up, as well as the coke his buddy Steve had hooked him up with. It had been one hell of a party. And he thought maybe he’d try to top it tonight. His phone ringing had him rolling over and reaching for the bedside table.

“What are you doing down there, Anthony? Do you have any idea how much extra it costs us when you trash a room like you did that one?” His mother was not his favorite person. “I want you to come home this minute. This obsession with this girl has gotten out of hand.”

“I love her. And I’m going to marry her. She just needs to learn to listen.” He looked at the bruise on his hand as he continued. “You said you liked her when I told you about her.”

“I most certainly did not. I told you to f*ck her and get her out of your system. But now you’ve gone beyond what we can cover up by chasing her across three states and hurting her every time. She keeps running away. Why don’t you get it through your sick mind that she doesn’t want anything to do with you?”