North’s Nikki Read online

  North’s Nikki

  Heroes for Hire, Book 15

  Dale Mayer

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  About This Book

  Complimentary Download

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  About Ander’s Angel

  Author’s Note

  Complimentary Download

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  About This Book

  In what circumstance wouldn’t a knight want to rescue a damsel in distress? A former SEAL working for Legendary Securities, North Dockter has found the very circumstance that challenges even his stalwart, chivalrous ways. Nikki Beckwith is a firecracker who butts heads with him at every turn, refusing to follow orders or listen to his experience unless doing so suits her.

  When she discovers someone is smuggling drugs through her company’s warehouse and her life is threatened, Nikki flees to her aging grandfather’s home in England to lay low and regroup. He’s always been there for her, and, if ever she needed a bolthole to make changes in her life, it’s now. Maybe it’s time to return to the States…particularly after meeting North and realizing the attraction between them is more than she believed possible.

  But Nikki soon realizes that no place is safe after her grandfather is attacked in his home. Even with her gorgeous guardian angel hovering close by, will she be too late to make all the changes she’s envisioned?

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  KILL OR BE KILLED

  Part of an elite SEAL team, Mason takes on the dangerous jobs no one else wants to do – or can do. When he’s on a mission, he’s focused and dedicated. When he’s not, he plays as hard as he fights.

  Until he meets a woman he can’t have but can’t forget. Software developer, Tesla lost her brother in combat and has no intention of getting close to someone else in the military. Determined to save other US soldiers from a similar fate, she’s created a program that could save lives. But other countries know about the program, and they won’t stop until they get it – and get her.

  Time is running out … For her … For him … For them …

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  Prologue

  North Dockter was a sucker for a happy ending, which was good because Levi’s compound was a bloody mess of sappy stories. With Liam having his very own Lily, he traveled back and forth to visit her at the elephant sanctuary when he had days off. Liam kept a room here at Levi’s compound, where Lilianna was a regular visitor.

  Her father, Jim, had stepped back into his world as if he’d never stepped out. And it appeared the sanctuary was thriving under his leadership once again. Press releases picked up his miraculous return to good health, and the funds poured back in again. North was proud of everybody’s contribution to that.

  He was also particularly attached to one of the elephants: Billie. North spent more than a few hours a week visiting her. Once Jim had roped North into giving Billie a bath—one of the best days of North’s life—he was hooked. He’d never been much of an animal person before, but Billie had changed that.

  Now all North needed to do was find a life for himself. He wasn’t sure how everyone kept coming up with partners. But they did.

  Ice walked past just then. She stopped and studied him. “You okay?”

  He nodded. “How about you find me a partner too?”

  She looked at him in surprise. “Of course. You’re next. But I have to admit, most of the time the guys shy away from any active involvement in matchmaking on my part.” Her smile widened. “When they choose to go into these kinds of jobs, they seem pretty determined to not fall prey to the magic of love. Like the two don’t mix.”

  He shook his head. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot. They end up completely in love by the end of one of their assignments. I’d like to believe in love at first sight, but it’s something I’ve never experienced. Yet, I did see it happening between Liam and Lily.”

  “Given the relationships that have sprung up around you, there’s definitely enough evidence for you to believe in it. But I can’t promise anything.”

  That made him chuckle. “Not expecting any promises.”

  “Good,” she said gently. “Matter of fact, you’re heading to England in two days.”

  He looked at her in surprise. “Why’s that?”

  “Charles Beckwith, a good friend and supporter in England, has a granddaughter in trouble. Her name is Nikki, and she’s en route to his place. He couldn’t get the full story out of her but said she was in tears on the phone. It’s not minor, but he doesn’t know how major it is. He’s asked for our delicate touch to help her out.”

  North frowned. “What kind of trouble?”

  “No idea but …” Ice said sadly, “you’ll be perfect for the job.”

  Chapter 1

  North got off the airplane, made his way through customs, and with his one big duffel bag over his shoulder, he stepped outside Heathrow Airport. Within seconds he caught sight of Anders Renau striding toward him. The two men exchanged greetings. Both were newer to Levi’s team, but they’d known each other for years.

  “How was your flight?” Anders asked.

  North shrugged. “Long. But then what do you expect? Texas to London isn’t exactly a two-hour hop.”

  “Hey, just because I was already in Germany doesn’t mean it was a piece of cake for me either,” Anders joked.

  “Ha! It was much easier on you. Besides you were over there visiting friends, weren’t you?”

  Anders nodded. “More or less. Gathering intel for another job Levi is working on. We’re still in the collecting-information stage on that one.”

  “What do you know about the job we’re on now?” North asked.

  Anders shook his head. “Not much. Levi called me this morning and said I was booked on the next flight. Something to do with Charles’s granddaughter.”

  “Yes, Nikki Beckwith.” North walked behind Anders. “Do you have a ride?”

  “Charles sent a car for us.”

  North followed Anders through the massive airport to the parking lot where the pick ups were. A black sedan with smoked-out windows waited for them, the driver standing outside the vehicle, arms crossed, enjoying the sunshine. But there was no doubt he watched everything going on around him.

  “Obviously trained,” North said in a low tone.

  “Charles has a history. He spends a lot of his time now helping a few of us who are active in the security business.”

  “What you mean is, he is friends with Levi.”

  Both men chuckled.

  They were quickly in the vehicle and weaving through traffic. The driver never said anything; he just gave them a quick nod, never asking for identification. North thought that was odd until he realized, if their driver was as well trained as North suspected, the guy already had their photo IDs and flights confirmed. He glanced at Anders, who just shrugged.

  “Apparently we were expected.” He had a big grin on his face, which was pretty typical of Anders. He always had a bright smile and a great sense of humor.

  He was a good man, and, if you ever needed somebody to back you up, Anders was always there. North could say that for most of the men who worked for Levi. North knew a lot of them really well, and, even for those he didn�
�t, he still trusted their judgment.

  North was delighted to be part of Legendary Security. He’d expected Liam to be traveling with him on this mission, but apparently Liam would be doing something else. That was par for the course with Levi too. Jobs were always coming and going; everybody had something to do. Two more men were available to help out in England, if needed, but, if they weren’t, they would head to Holland for something else. It was an exciting lifestyle. And one that, so far, North had found incredibly interesting.

  His years as a Navy SEAL had been some of the best years of his life. But, after a couple go-rounds where he saw too much of humanity in its most miserable state and acting impossibly selfish and dangerous, he decided he needed a change. He wasn’t so sure Levi could offer North that. It seemed like security work would be so much more of the same military service North had experienced in terms of dealing with the horrors of men plus the incomprehensible bureaucracy at times.

  But it wasn’t the same in terms of the hierarchy of bosses and the strict rules and regulations. That was something North really appreciated. The brass in the navy were pretty strict. Every layer had new supervisors, new commanders, new top men expecting something else. If you were told to go left, you’d better be already on your way turning left before the order was out of their mouths.

  And North understood that at its basic level. It worked for everything that they’d had to do while serving their country in the navy. But, at one point, it became something North wanted to end. He needed something new, something different. So far Levi had been great to work with. North loved the guys he worked with, loved the way Levi’s company operated aboveboard, where he could question his orders and offer a better way and have his voice heard and his opinion considered. Although this was only his second mission away, it was interesting work.

  “How was Germany?” North asked Anders, more for the sake of small talk than anything.

  “Fun. I’ve had my fill of beer and sausages for a while though.”

  North chuckled. “Can anybody really have their fill of that?”

  “Yep,” Anders said, his grin wide and infectious. “Of course we’re in England now, so that means more sausages but boiled this time.”

  North couldn’t stop the shudder inside. “I thought all sausages were supposed to be barbecued,” he said half jokingly. He kept his gaze on the traffic, unable to shake off his years of SEAL experience, working on dangerous missions.

  He found no sign they were being followed. He’d not noticed anybody keeping track of him at the airport or in the airplane either. So whatever was happening with Charles’s granddaughter likely hadn’t been extended in his direction. Not that he would have expected it. Levi’s crew was relatively unknown over here. And those who were known, MI6 tended to jump on pretty fast. If North or Anders had been on England’s watch list, they would have known it once they deplaned.

  The vehicle took several corners quickly, one after the other, and North wondered if the driver was shaking off someone tailing them. But then the driver turned into an underground parking lot, pulled up and parked. With a questioning look at Anders, North and Anders confirmed a silent communication between themselves with a simple look. They jumped out, leaving their bags behind and followed the driver.

  They ended up at a large elevator going to the sixth floor. “This definitely isn’t where Charles lives,” North said, his voice low.

  Anders nodded. His usual lighthearted laughter was absent. The driver led them to an apartment, where he gave an odd knock sequence, and the door was opened. They stepped inside and waited. Tense, but not terribly worried at this point, North studied everything going on around him.

  One man walked forward and said, “What are you two doing here?”

  North shoved his hands in his pockets. “Who is asking?”

  “My name is Jonas Halpern. I’m MI6, and I’m tired of having way too many Americans coming over and shooting up my city.”

  North raised his eyebrows. “We’re definitely American, but I didn’t bring a weapon, and I have no intention of shooting anything,” he said coolly. “And I don’t know who else you might be talking about.”

  “So you don’t know Badger or Erick?”

  North’s frown was fast and smooth. “Not by those names, no.”

  Jonas looked over at Anders and asked, “You?”

  “Maybe,” Anders said, his voice hard, tight. “What’s it to you?”

  And that was when it clicked. Badger and Erick, and the rest of their seven-man unit, had been involved in a huge investigation, trying to track down who had betrayed them, causing the major physical and emotional trauma, including loss of limbs, that they’d all experienced in Afghanistan over two years ago.

  “Badger was here not all that long ago,” Jonas said. “I want to confirm your visit is not related.”

  “If you talk directly to Levi,” Anders said, “then you’ll have already received an update on the details in that case.”

  Jonas glared at him. “I do talk to Levi. More than I care to. This is more of a friendly warning. Mind your Ps and Qs. No gunfire. No killing any British citizens.”

  “But other citizens are free game?” North asked with interest. “Because I’m really not sure what nationality we could come up against here.”

  Jonas’s gaze switched to him, and North stared him down.

  “We didn’t come here to cause trouble,” Anders said, his voice deceptively quiet. “And, of course, you’re looking after your own country, the same as we would ours. But, if waylaying us from the airport to here is your idea of a friendly visit, I suggest you finish up whatever it is you have to say and allow our driver to take us to our intended destination.”

  “What makes you think he was forced to come here?”

  “I don’t think forced is the right word,” North said. “I’m pretty sure it was more likely suggested that he stop here first.”

  “What are you doing with Charles?”

  “Gee, I don’t know. Maybe it’s a friendly visit.” North crossed his arms. “We haven’t done anything wrong, so if you’ve got a problem with us …”

  “I do,” Jonas snapped. “Just make sure I don’t have a bigger one.”

  “So then, of course, you’ll help with any investigation we end up involved in, correct?”

  “No investigations without MI6 involvement.” With that Jonas was implacable.

  “I tell you what,” North offered. “When we find out exactly what the hell is going on, we’ll let you know if it involves any British citizens. How’s that?”

  “When you find out what the hell is going on,” Jonas corrected, “you’ll tell me exactly what the hell is going on, regardless of who is involved.”

  “Charles wouldn’t tell you?” North asked, sharing a glance with Anders.

  “Or Levi? Interesting,” Anders said with a head tilt to North.

  Jonas just glared at the two. He nodded to the driver behind them. Both Americans spun as the door opened, and they walked out.

  When they headed toward the elevator, back down to the main floor, into the underground parking, North and Anders discussed this added stop on their visit. North noted, “Interesting guy.”

  The driver still hadn’t said a word.

  Anders shook his head. “How very like MI6. Completely cryptic, always watching over everybody, making sure nothing goes wrong. Now if only I was as confident that he was on our side …”

  “Oh, I don’t think he’s on our side at all,” North said. “But I do think he’s worried about his country.”

  “We didn’t come here to shoot up England or to kill any of its citizens, so he should rest easy with that.”

  “Ha! If anything, this conversation will make him crazier,” North said, perfectly aware that either the elevator was bugged or that the driver was taping the discussion. They got back into the vehicle and waited while the driver exited the parking garage.

  When they pulled up in front of a two-s
tory brownstone fifteen minutes later, they got out, not saying a word to the driver, grabbed their bags and walked to the front door before the driver could get there. They hit the door hard with the knocker, and almost instantly Charles opened it. North recognized him from the photos. He’d also seen him on the wall screen at Levi’s compound as well.

  Charles’s face lit up. “North, it’s good to meet you in person.” He shook North’s hand, then gave Anders a big greeting before ushering them inside.

  North watched but realized the driver never came in. North filed that away for later. He knew Anders would have also taken note.

  “So was that driver yours, or was that MI6’s driver?” Anders asked.

  Charles sighed. “MI6 is definitely being difficult these days. Sorry about that. I presume you were redirected to talk with Jonas.”

  “Oh, yeah. Given the standard warning. Don’t shoot any British citizens and no shooting up the city.”

  Charles gave a stiff nod. North imagined, if Charles had been American, he would have given an eye roll. But there was just way too much properness about him for that.

  Charles led North and Anders into the sitting room. They dropped their bags in the hallway. Charles said, “I’ll take you up to your rooms in a little bit. Come on inside, and let’s sit down and have a cup of tea.”

  North almost choked on the word tea. But he was in England. He’d been working on getting a taste for the stuff, but it was a little hard. He was a born-and-bred coffee drinker. Tea seemed like a weak dishwater substitute.

  They sat down in the small sitting room and waited until Charles returned with a tray. At least various huge pastries and some kind of a cake were offered on the side. Charles checked his watch, walked over and poured them each a cup. North found it interesting that Charles seemed to be timing the tea.

  North accepted the cup with a smile. “Are you ready to tell us what’s going on?”

  Charles sighed. “It’s circumstantial at best. More like an intuitive guess.”