Top Gun Guardian. Carol Ericson

under the chin.

      Malika had already slipped into her shoes and had grabbed her doll from the bed. She didn’t seem surprised or alarmed at the news that they were leaving the hotel ahead of her father.

      Raven rubbed out the furrow between her eyebrows. But why did she have to come along? “Buzz, are you sure I’m included in this plan?”

      “Don’t you want to help Malika?” His brows shot up to his hairline. “You’re about the only one she trusts right now. Isn’t that right, darlin’?”

      Malika pinned Raven with her big brown eyes and nodded.

      Raven sucked in a breath and then blew it out, rolling back her shoulders. She was not going to allow Buzz Richardson to accuse her of disliking little children…again.

      She checked her Rolex. She could still meet her date on time. How long could it take to stash Malika and a few bodyguards in some safehouse?

      Rubbing Malika’s back, Raven said, “Of course I want to help Malika. We’re a team—at least until her father takes over.”

      “I knew I could count on your love of children to propel you in the right direction.” Buzz grabbed her handbag from the credenza and shoved it against her chest. “Let’s go.”

      “Shouldn’t we let them know we’re on our way?” She jerked her thumb toward the room next door.

      “They’re busy.” Buzz inched open the door to the suite and exchanged a few words with the Burumandan guard stationed there.

      The man trailed them down the hallway to the stairwell, and then followed them down four flights of stairs. When they burst through the final fire door, Buzz guided them away from the lobby and toward a side door. The door landed them in the middle of the busy kitchen, where they darted through a maze of counters, refrigerators and vats of churning food.

      When they hit the back door of the kitchen, their escort melted away and another intercepted them as they entered an alley on the side of the hotel. Their guard hustled them into a Lincoln Town Car with tinted windows.

      Despite the blacked-out windows, Buzz told Raven and Malika to slouch in their seats. Raven swallowed her complaints when she noticed Malika’s swift compliance. The girl had experience in this sort of subterfuge.

      The car shot out of the alley and Raven whispered to Buzz. “I’m glad this guy has diplomatic immunity or they’d throw the book at him for reckless driving.” The car squealed around the first corner. “And speeding.”

      The driver whisked the car down the FDR Drive and Raven peeked out the window. The safehouse must be outside of Manhattan. Maybe she wouldn’t make it to her date on time after all.

      That was probably for the best. How could she possibly concentrate on another man when she’d just spent an adrenaline-fueled day with Buzz? His larger-than-life presence eclipsed everyone. It just wasn’t fair he had to come traipsing back into her life, reminding her of what she’d thrown away.

      Malika had conked out and slumped to the side, resting her head against Raven’s arm. A little drool had trickled from the corner of Malika’s mouth onto the sleeve of Raven’s suit. Raven rummaged through her bag for a tissue and dabbed the girl’s lips.

      Raven met Buzz’s eyes above Malika’s head. “What? She’s drooling on my new suit.”

      “She really likes you.” He spread his hands in front of him as if he couldn’t believe it.

      “Yeah, well, I saved her life back there at the U.N. What would you expect?”

      He lifted one shoulder. “I would expect her to like you. Kids do.”

      “You’re crazy. I was never around them enough for you to gauge that.”

      “There was Eric and Grace’s boy.”

      Raven gave an exaggerated shiver. “You mean that horrid little monster who ran around putting tadpoles on everyone’s lap?”

      Buzz laughed and the sound filled the backseat of the Town Car, coaxing a grin from Raven. “Except yours.”

      “That’s because I warned him if he came anywhere near me with a tadpole, I’d take the critter and flush him down the toilet.”

      “And he fell in love with you on the spot. Followed you around for the rest of the party…without his tadpoles.”

      “Ha! He probably just wanted to make sure I wouldn’t get my hands on any of his creatures and flush ’em.” Raven pressed her warm forehead against the cool window. “Where is this place?”

      “We’re almost there.”

      Several minutes later, the car exited the highway and pulled into a small parking lot next to a low-slung gray building.

      Raven tapped the window. “This is a secure location? It looks like, it looks like…an airplane hangar.”

      The car jerked to a stop and Buzz threw open the door.

      Raven clawed at the door handle, her heart pounding. Buzz. Airplanes. The two went together like…little boys and tadpoles. “Buzz! Buzz!”

      She clambered out of the car. “What are we doing here?”

      He dipped back into the car on the other side, and Raven ducked her head inside, too. Did he think he could avoid her that easily? They nearly banged foreheads over Malika’s sleepy form.

      Raven hissed. “What are you doing?”

      He tucked his arms beneath Malika and slid her across the seat toward him. “I’m kidnapping President Okeke’s daughter. And you’re coming with me.”

       Chapter Three

      “Bryan!”

      Buzz grinned. Raven must be really mad to use his real name instead of his nickname. He had to play this right because he needed Raven for the plan to work.

      He waved to the mechanic he’d called earlier. “Did you do the pre-flight? Everything ready to go?”

      “You’re good to go, boss.” The mechanic flashed him a thumbs-up.

      Clutching a drowsy Malika to his chest, Buzz strode across the tarmac to his Jetstream. Two steps up and he felt a tug at his shirt. He suppressed a grin and twisted his head over his shoulder.

      Raven’s dark eyes sparkled, practically shooting sparks. “Where are you taking Malika and why?”

      “I’m taking her to safety.”

      “Are you crazy? You’ll have the entire CIA, FBI and probably the U.S. Military after you, not to mention some of those huge Burumandan security guys.”

      He pointed to Naru, the Burumandan driver waving on the tarmac. “You mean like him? I’m not as crazy as I look, Raven. I have President Okeke’s permission to take Malika. We’d already discussed and planned it.”

      Her black, sculpted eyebrows collided over her nose. “But why? I thought that’s what you were all figuring out in the conference room. Are you telling me President Okeke doesn’t trust the United States government?”

      “He trusts me more. And you.”

      “Me?” Raven ran a hand through her silky hair, the color of velvet midnight. “I just met the guy.”

      “You saved his daughter’s life.” Malika stirred in his arms, rubbing the back of her hand across her nose. “We can’t waste any more time out here. I have to get her in the plane and get going.”

      Raven took a step down, one heel digging into the asphalt of the tarmac. “I can’t come with you.”

      “President Okeke specifically requested that you accompany us. He wanted to ask you himself at the hotel, but the Secret Service agent interrupted him.”

      Buzz