Read Online Sweet Caroline's Keeper by Beverly Barton - Free Book Online
Authors: Beverly Barton
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chloroformed her and dumped her into the bay."
Every muscle in David's body tensed. Every nerve screamed. He jerked free of Ellison's grip, narrowed his gaze and glared at the bearer of evil tidings. "Is she. . .?" He couldn't bring himself to say the word. The file folder slipped from his hand and sailed smoothly down to the floor.
"She's alive," Ellison said. "No thanks to our would-be assassin, however. If his plan had worked, Caroline's body might not ever have been found. It would have probably been hours before anyone aboard the yacht discovered her missing."
"She's alive?" David released the breath he'd been holding. "Does that mean she's all right?"
"That means she's fine and recuperating at home after a brief stay in the hospital. And she's understandably unnerved." Ellison shook his head. "I'm afraid the police got involved, but they aren't overly concerned. Considering the fact that the yacht was filled with drunken partygoers, they assume Caroline had been drinking and might have accidentally fallen overboard."
"If you had someone watching her, why didn't—"
"It seems that Gavin got sidetracked by a rather luscious blonde," Ellison admitted sheepishly. "Not conduct I approve of in any of my agents, but as you know, Gavin has a weakness for the ladies."
"And this is the man who was only recently promoted to the number two position at Peacekeepers?" David wanted to smash something—anything—but preferably Gavin Robbins's face! "Caroline needs a twenty-four-hours-a-day bodyguard. They've already tried to kill her once to stop her from using the key. They'll try again and again, if necessary, until they put a stop to her investigating."
"You're right, on both counts," Ellison agreed. "These people—whoever they are—will continue their efforts to stop her permanently. Therefore, she needs constant protection."
"We can dispatch someone from Dundee's. . . Ah. . . Has Sam already chosen someone to. . .?"
"Fletcher Shaw got in touch with his lawyer and told him to find the premier agency in the country and request then-best bodyguard for his stepsister, so naturally the lawyer recommended Dundee's. I made a recommendation to Sam last night That's why he telephoned you and requested your presence here today."
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
"I don't know of a man on earth who has a bigger stake in protecting Caroline McGuire than you do." Ellison clamped his hand down on David's shoulder.
David swallowed hard. "No. Not me." Surely Ellison wasn't suggesting that he act as Caroline's bodyguard. The idea was out of the question. There could be no face-to-face contact with Caroline. Not ever. You were ordered not to go near her. You were allowed to be her caretaker only from a distance.
"Aidan Colbert is dead," Ellison said. "There is no connection between David Wolfe and him."
"It would be wrong for me to take this assignment."
"I thought you'd jump at the chance. You've acted as her secret guardian, her protector, her keeper for nearly fifteen years." Ellison squeezed David's shoulder. "Tell me that you believe there's another man who is capable of keeping watch over Caroline the way you can. Tell me that everything within you isn't chomping at the bit to go to her side as quickly as possible." Ellison released his hold on David and met his gaze. "This is your chance for redemption."
"Do you think I need redemption?"
Ellison held up his hand in a stop gesture. "Don't try to convince me that you haven't been eaten alive with guilt ever since that night. Do you think I don't know what it did to you having to confront Caroline only moments after you had killed her stepfather?"
Ellison was right and he damn well knew it. Of all the assignments Aidan Colbert had completed as a Peacekeeper none had tormented him the way that first assassination had. There had been no doubt in his mind that he had done the right thing, that Preston Shaw had to be eliminated. In that instance as in many that had followed, he
Every muscle in David's body tensed. Every nerve screamed. He jerked free of Ellison's grip, narrowed his gaze and glared at the bearer of evil tidings. "Is she. . .?" He couldn't bring himself to say the word. The file folder slipped from his hand and sailed smoothly down to the floor.
"She's alive," Ellison said. "No thanks to our would-be assassin, however. If his plan had worked, Caroline's body might not ever have been found. It would have probably been hours before anyone aboard the yacht discovered her missing."
"She's alive?" David released the breath he'd been holding. "Does that mean she's all right?"
"That means she's fine and recuperating at home after a brief stay in the hospital. And she's understandably unnerved." Ellison shook his head. "I'm afraid the police got involved, but they aren't overly concerned. Considering the fact that the yacht was filled with drunken partygoers, they assume Caroline had been drinking and might have accidentally fallen overboard."
"If you had someone watching her, why didn't—"
"It seems that Gavin got sidetracked by a rather luscious blonde," Ellison admitted sheepishly. "Not conduct I approve of in any of my agents, but as you know, Gavin has a weakness for the ladies."
"And this is the man who was only recently promoted to the number two position at Peacekeepers?" David wanted to smash something—anything—but preferably Gavin Robbins's face! "Caroline needs a twenty-four-hours-a-day bodyguard. They've already tried to kill her once to stop her from using the key. They'll try again and again, if necessary, until they put a stop to her investigating."
"You're right, on both counts," Ellison agreed. "These people—whoever they are—will continue their efforts to stop her permanently. Therefore, she needs constant protection."
"We can dispatch someone from Dundee's. . . Ah. . . Has Sam already chosen someone to. . .?"
"Fletcher Shaw got in touch with his lawyer and told him to find the premier agency in the country and request then-best bodyguard for his stepsister, so naturally the lawyer recommended Dundee's. I made a recommendation to Sam last night That's why he telephoned you and requested your presence here today."
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
"I don't know of a man on earth who has a bigger stake in protecting Caroline McGuire than you do." Ellison clamped his hand down on David's shoulder.
David swallowed hard. "No. Not me." Surely Ellison wasn't suggesting that he act as Caroline's bodyguard. The idea was out of the question. There could be no face-to-face contact with Caroline. Not ever. You were ordered not to go near her. You were allowed to be her caretaker only from a distance.
"Aidan Colbert is dead," Ellison said. "There is no connection between David Wolfe and him."
"It would be wrong for me to take this assignment."
"I thought you'd jump at the chance. You've acted as her secret guardian, her protector, her keeper for nearly fifteen years." Ellison squeezed David's shoulder. "Tell me that you believe there's another man who is capable of keeping watch over Caroline the way you can. Tell me that everything within you isn't chomping at the bit to go to her side as quickly as possible." Ellison released his hold on David and met his gaze. "This is your chance for redemption."
"Do you think I need redemption?"
Ellison held up his hand in a stop gesture. "Don't try to convince me that you haven't been eaten alive with guilt ever since that night. Do you think I don't know what it did to you having to confront Caroline only moments after you had killed her stepfather?"
Ellison was right and he damn well knew it. Of all the assignments Aidan Colbert had completed as a Peacekeeper none had tormented him the way that first assassination had. There had been no doubt in his mind that he had done the right thing, that Preston Shaw had to be eliminated. In that instance as in many that had followed, he
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