Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine.

Spoilers:Anything from books 1-20 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

This is an AU story with a mix of characters in canon as well.

A/N: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this story, and my co-author T. You gave me a lot of ideas and key elements in the story and deserve the title of co-author even though I wrote all the words. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for reading along and giving suggestions.

The Runaway

Chapter 1: A Meeting to Remember

I cringed as I looked in the mirror and remembered my mother's words. Nearly twenty-four years later, and they still had the power to hurt. A knock on the bedroom door brought me back to the present, and I knew I could no longer stand here and reminisce on a past I'd just as soon forget. I stepped back and took one more look at the image in the mirror. Tiny, black, barely there dress, check; five-inch black FMPs, check; little black clutch purse complete with loaded gun, check; and the final item on the list, a wire placed under my left breast, check.

I turned, making my way from the bedroom to the kitchen, where Kye would be waiting. I'd nearly reached where he was standing when he turned and let his green-eyed gaze roam over me. I smiled when his gaze traveled back to meet my eyes and he raised an eyebrow.

I held my arms out and turned in a circle. "What do you think? Will I pass?"

Kye grinned, then winked and replied, "Darlin', you're sex on legs in that thing."

I felt my cheeks heating. You'd think that after six years as partners, I'd be used to his teasing, but no matter how I fought it, I still blushed every time he teased me about my looks. Just like every other time, his deep chuckle made the pink in my cheeks darken even more. Trying to change the subject, I asked, "You ready to go?"

A slow nod was his only response. He placed his hand at the small of my back, and we were on our way. Kye made sure the door was locked before we made our way down the four flights of stairs.

On most days, we'd walk or ride our bikes to work, since neither one of us was fond of having to pay congestion tax. The three point nine miles to the U.S. Embassy building was good exercise and helped me to be able to eat what I wanted and still stay in shape. Tonight, however, we were taking the car assigned to us by the department. We were on our way to Whiskey Mist on Hertford Street, Mayfair. Although it was less than a mile farther than we traveled to the office, there was no way I was walking or riding a bike nearly five miles in this barely there dress and five-inch heels.

The club wasn't our usual go-to place at night, but we'd been haunting this particular upscale establishment because the man we were after was known to frequent the place. Whisky Mist was the "in" place for royals and other A-listers, and there was a twenty pound price at the door just to step inside. The dress code was smart, and although I barely fit the bill, Kye looked like he'd just walked off the cover of GQ.

While I topped out at six feet in my heels, Kye was a good four or five inches taller, and his blond good looks gave him Adonis status. His emerald green eyes were mesmerizing, to say the least, and he had a dimple in each tanned cheek. Tonight, he wore his shoulder-length blond hair loose, rather than tying it back with a leather tie as he normally did when we were working. The dark suit he wore only adding to his affect.

It didn't take us long to reach the club. I took a deep breath to shore up my courage before climbing out of the car and making my way to the entrance. When I reached the door, I noticed Henry was on duty again tonight. Although he looked like your normal, run-of-the-mill Englishman, something about him put me on edge. I tried not to make eye contact as I handed over the cover charge, and when I passed him to enter the club, I felt all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and take notice.

I forced myself to keep walking and not look back. I scanned the room before heading to the bar. From all the information we'd been able to dig up, the guy we were after had a thing for picking up women that were sitting at the bar.

Just as I was nearing the only seat left, a big black man slipped into the spot and ordered a couple of drinks. He was no more than an inch or so taller than Kye, but this guy was built like a tank. Once he paid for his drinks, he turned and my eyes widened. This was one guy I wouldn't want to meet in some dark alley. He raised an eyebrow, and I frowned, wondering what he was waiting for.

Before I could wonder, the back of my neck felt like I'd touched a live wire. I put my hand up to rub the spot, and a low, masculine voice behind me said, "I was wondering what was taking you so long."

The guy in front of me handed one of the drinks to the man behind me before saying, "I didn't want to run over this little girl."

I took exception to being called a little girl and gave him my best 'Burg-girl glare. The guy's eyes widened, and he looked like he was trying very hard not to burst out laughing.

The man behind me placed his free hand at my waist and leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Excuse us, Babe. We have some business to take care of."

The heat from his hand went right to my doodah, and I stiffened. I looked down at the floor and noticed that his feet were in one of those fancy pairs of shoes. I bit my lip and debated, but I didn't appreciate the hand on my waist, even if he was waking up things down south. I lifted my right foot to bring my heel down on his toes, but before I could do that, he maneuvered us so that I was now facing him and there was no space between us.

I looked up to see the most gorgeous male I'd ever seen. We were the same height with my heels on, but he was a good hundred pounds heavier than I was. His silky, dark brown hair was pulled back with a leather tie, and his eyes were a shade darker than his hair. He was like a young Antonio Banderas meets Ricky Martin in the looks department, only better. The body that he held me close to was more like Rambo meets Batman.

His eyes were drilling into mine, holding my gaze as he brought our faces to within a whisper of each other. "I wouldn't try that again, Babe. You might not like how I'd get even."

I narrowed my eyes and smiled sweetly at him. "Let me go, or I'll show you why they say I'm lethal."

I was forced to remain still as he studied me for several seconds. Just when I was getting ready to ram my knee into his family jewels, he put his mouth to my ear and whispered, "Well then, I'd just have to show you why they call me best on every continent…Babe."

My knee came up, but before I could make contact, I was once again facing the bar and he was walking away. I slipped onto the bar stool and sat there shaking for several seconds before I managed to get myself back under control. I was furious that he'd come out of our encounter ahead. I swore if I ever ran into him again, I would let him have it. Jerk!

Once I was able to finally calm down, I turned to the bartender, who seemed to be smiling at me. He was a couple of inches taller than the guy I'd just had the run-in with and weighed about the same, with a similar muscular build. This guy had brown hair and green eyes, but he looked enough like the other guy that they could be related.

He walked over to where I was sitting. "What can I get for you, Beautiful?"

I wondered where Tina was. She didn't seem to be anywhere around. I was debating on whether to ask for a drink or wait and see if she was going to show up. We had our routine all worked out. I'd ask for a drink, and she'd fix me a non-alcoholic version that looked like the real thing. I felt eyes on me and turned back to the guy behind the bar.

He had his arms folded on the bar, leaning toward me, and was a little close for my liking. I backed up a little, and he laughed. It was a sound that drew attention. "Shh. Don't tell anyone, but I won't bite. Just tell me what you want to drink, and I'll be happy to fix it."

Just then, Tina came out from the back room and made her way over to where we were. She smiled at me and bumped her hip into the guy standing beside her. He wasn't prepared for the force of the bump, because he went sprawling. I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.

He pushed himself up on his elbows and looked at Tina like she was crazy. "Now what did you want to go and do something like that for?"

Tina rolled her eyes and said, "Gee, I guess you need to be more aware of your surroundings."

Low masculine laughter came from behind me, and I turned to see the man I'd had the encounter with and his friend standing there smiling, watching the guy behind the bar. When I glanced back, I noticed the guy on the floor had a pained expression on his face.

He glared up at Tina and said, "See what you did? I'll never live this one down. You owe me."

Tina raised an eyebrow. "And just what, pray tell, do I owe you?"

He smiled, then winked at her and said, "How about a date?"

She looked him over and seemed to give it serious consideration. "I'm off on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you're really interested, I'll give you my number and you can call me. But if it's just a roll in the hay you're looking for, don't bother calling. I'm not into one-night stands."

He looked like he'd been poleaxed.

Tina held out her hand to help him up, and he took it, accepting her assistance as he pulled himself up. She motioned to where I was sitting. "This is my section of the bar. You go to the other end."

He did as she'd directed, and I noticed the two guys made their way down to join him. Before I turned to talk to Tina, I noticed that the three of them looked down to our end of the bar.

The back of my neck started tingling once more. I put a hand up to it absently as I turned to Tina. "I'll take the usual."

Tina winked at me and went to get my drink. When she set it down in front of me, I felt a cold shiver race down my spine. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I glanced around, but didn't see anything out of place. I was getting ready to turn back to my drink when I noticed movement at the door. I was careful to keep my expression neutral as the man we were here to nab walked into the room.

Turning to Tina, I asked, "Can I get an orgasm?"

For two beats, she looked like a deer caught in headlights, and then she moved to get the drink. The man sitting beside me got up and moved farther into the club...or at least, he gave that impression. I'd worked with Shepherd before. He was legendary at the office. Anyone who wanted a successful operation went to him before anyone else to fill their team.

The man who sat down beside me was six feet two inches tall and weighed in at three hundred pounds. There was flab mixed with muscle, and from his dossier, I knew he liked to pick up women at this club and beat them to the point they could no longer fight before he raped and killed them. The reason he hadn't been caught and put in jail before now was that he'd had diplomatic immunity here in England. That immunity was rescinded when he'd picked up a relative of the royal family. The royals had contacted his embassy and told them he was to leave the country. If he was found in the country, he would be taken into custody and tried like any other citizen or visitor to the crown.

Kye and I had been called into the boss's office three weeks ago, after the young woman was found, and we were given instructions to do our thing. We'd spent the three weeks coming here and setting up our cover. Prince Harry had made a point of coming in every couple of nights, and we would spend some time dancing and talking. Other nights, Kye would come over and ask me to dance to make sure I was noticed.

I felt eyes on me and looked over at the newcomer. He smiled, and I had to admit that he was a handsome enough guy. Knowing what I did, though, I was on guard. I returned his smile and fluttered my eyelashes. His eyes hardened, and it felt like I was looking evil in the eyes.

He raised his glass. "To beautiful women."

I fluttered my lashes again, lowering my eyes before asking, "You wouldn't by chance be flirting with me, now would you?"

He chuckled. "Would you mind if I were?"

His English was good, but you could tell it wasn't his first language. Having lived in England for the better part of six years, I'd learned the language and all the nuances well. As a matter of fact, most people would be surprised to know I wasn't a natural-born English citizen.

I grinned at the man beside me and replied, "I have a rule about having to know a guy's name before I can really flirt."

His eyes gleamed with lust as he nodded, then said, "Then let me introduce myself. I am Prince Raje Endinual of the Palace of Zahran."

I widened my eyes deliberately. "A prince? Wow! What should I call you?"

His eyes looked me over like I was a piece of meat. "You may call me Master."

I looked puzzled. "Master?"

His eyes heated, and the feeling of impending doom became more powerful. "Yes, bitch! That's what you must call me. In exchange, I will give you pleasure like you've never experienced before."

Oh boy! I certainly hoped the guys were getting all this. This guy was something else.

He downed his drink and said, "I want to dance. You will partner me."

I shrugged. "Sure. I like to dance."

We walked out onto the dance floor, and I pretended to lose myself in the music. He was a decent dancer, but after five fast songs, he was getting winded and insisted we go back to our seats. I slipped onto my stool and knocked over the drink in front of me.

Tina winked, but my new friend wasn't happy at all. I had a suspicion he'd had it laced with something while we were gone. We spent a few more minutes talking, and he suggested we adjourn to his place. I agreed, knowing we needed to get him out of the club in order for the guys to arrest him. Although Kye and I worked here in England, there was only so much we were able to do. Arresting people was left in the hands of the English police we worked with.

I allowed his hand on my waist and knew by the crushing grip of his hand that I would have bruises tomorrow. As we made for the door, I noticed he was heading in the direction we were hoping he wouldn't take. I tried to divert him to the exit we wanted but the grip he had on me was too strong for me to move away. I had a hinky feeling in the pit of my stomach as I heard what sounded like fists meeting flesh and glass breaking. I wanted to turn and see what was going on but the man beside me wasn't allowing the slight movement. I caught sight of Critter and he smiled and gave a thumbs up so I wondered if my instincts were just reacting to being so close to this man. We exited Whiskey Mist, and I went to continue walking as I always did in these situations. The grip on my waist tightened even more.

I turned to look up at him and knew things were going to get dicey. The sneer on his face was the first clue that he wasn't as unaware as we'd hoped he would be. "You wanted to make contact with me, bitch. Here I am. I will give you a glimpse at what the others had before the life left their bodies. My men are inside, running interference with your people. I will have enough time to teach you a lesson you won't soon forget."

Ranger's POV

We hit the ground in London, and there was a limousine waiting to take my team to the U.S. Embassy. The suits in Washington had made all the arrangements for them to work with us. They were a bit eager because it would mean that they wouldn't be in the hot seat with Zahran for arresting one of their royal family. The man we were after was a real prince of a guy, in more ways than one. Prince Raje Endinual of the Palace of Zahran was our ticket to the man we were really after: his older brother and ruling heir to the throne, Daje. I wanted him in the worst way.

The brothers were identical twins, and although Raje was a monster in his own right, Daje was even worse. It was our plan to use one brother to nab the other.

We'd spent the afternoon with the officials at the embassy, discussing our plan of action. Our contact called the Detective Chief Inspector for the case into his office. When he walked into the office, I was slightly surprised to see Cameron Shepherd. He'd been on several missions with us, and I knew he was someone I could trust.

The smile on his face when he saw us sitting there was genuine. "Ranger! I'll be damned. What are you doing in England?"

"We're after a high-dollar skip for the government."

Shep frowned, then asked, "For the U.S.? Who could that be?"

It was his boss that spoke up, saying, "Daje Endinual. What's more, I told him he could ride along with you boys tonight. He wants to take the brother back to the States to draw Daje out in the open."

Shep shook his head. "Are you loco, man? J will have a fit if you hand over her collar to someone else."

I raised an eyebrow. "Jay? What kind of name is Jay for a woman?"

Shep shuddered. "Not Jay. Just the letter J. That's the only name she's given us in the six years she's been working here."

My eyes narrowed as I said, "I guess she's just going to have to get used to disappointment, then. This has all been worked out between the agencies."

It was the man behind the desk that spoke up next. "I haven't had a chance to discuss this development with Agents A and J. I'm sure they will perform the job given to them like the professionals they are. The plan is already in motion—the only change will be in the outcome. Instead of the two of them taking this man back to the States, Ranger Manoso and his men will be in charge of the transport."

Shep grinned. "All righty. Just as long as you're the one that's going to tell her that."

We were dismissed after that and told we could discuss the particulars with Detective Chief Inspector Shepherd.

Tank and I followed Shep out of the office, and he led us to a room where the rest of the team was meeting to go over what was going to take place that evening. Just like for the past three weeks, they had this agent J going in dressed to attract Raje's attention. They went over where everyone would be and how things would go down if the target happened to show.

As I listened to the plan they had, my gut was telling me there was something wrong with this idea. I studied each of the men in the room, and most of them seemed like solid individuals. There was something, though, some piece of the puzzle that was missing.

Once the meeting was over, Shep led the way to a nearby café, where we were going to grab a bite to eat before moving to the vehicles and checking out locations. We were going with Shep to make sure everything was in place at Whiskey Mist, and then he was going to take us by other points of interest for the man we were after.

We made a stop by the club, and I turned to ask Shep the question that was bothering me at the moment. "How are you going to blend in and order drinks, but still make sure your men stay sober at the same time? Even one drink can make the difference between success and failure."

Shep shrugged. "Tina's working the bar so it won't be an issue. Why?"

"Who's Tina?" I asked.

Shep smiled. "She's my sister. She knows how to mix drinks and make them look real without putting any alcohol in them. She's been working at Whiskey Mist since she turned twenty-one."

I gave a half nod. "I'd feel better if one of my men could partner her behind the bar."

He winced. "We'll head over to her place and see what she says. I have to warn you, though, she's pretty feisty. She can put your ass on the ground faster than a rattlesnake can strike."

I kept my blank look in place as I said, "Duly noted."

There were three of us that had flown to London, but there were five total in our group. Tank, Lester, and myself had just arrived, but I'd sent Woody and Hector on the red eye a few hours before our flight was due to leave. I wanted them to secure all the equipment we would need. By the time we landed at Heathrow, they'd had a hotel suite and everything on the list I'd given them. I'd hand-picked my team, each man added another element to the overall makeup of the group. Between the five of us, we had all the manpower we'd need.

We arrived at the apartment building where Tina lived in short order. It was as we climbed out of the vehicles that Shep looked our way, hesitating. "Maybe you should pick your man for behind the bar, and you and I can go up with him. I don't think she'd appreciate a bunch of strangers descending on her."

I nodded, turning to my men. I raised an eyebrow as Lester grinned. I nodded once again to acknowledge acceptance of his volunteering for the job, and without a word, he followed us toward the front entrance of the building, which was made up of brick and glass. The windows looked as big as the wall of a room. The three of us entered the building and immediately went to the stairs to reach our destination. Five flights of stairs later, Shep stopped in front of a door and knocked, waiting patiently for it to be opened. I was beginning to think we were wasting our time, when the door finally swung open to reveal a woman in her late twenties standing there glaring out at us.

Her gaze went first to Shep, then to me, and finally to Santos. There was a slight stiffening of her body when her eyes landed on Les. She was about five and a half feet tall, with dark brown hair and light blue eyes. There was a dusting of freckles across her cute little nose, and her skin was a honey tone. Although she wasn't my type, she was gorgeous. From the way Lester was looking at her curvy frame, she'd definitely made a hit with my cousin.

Shep grinned. "How are you doing, Tina?"

She rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "You woke me thirty minutes early. How the hell do you think I'm doing?" She talked with a Jersey accent, which surprised me.

Shep chuckled and replied, "I need a favor. As you know, we'll be at the club tonight, hoping to catch the prince. My friend Ranger here would like to put his man behind the bar."

She looked at me with narrowed eyes. "I could lose my job if he screws up."

Lester took exception to what she was saying and said, "I'm too good to screw up, Beautiful."

She glared at Lester. "Don't…call…me…that! I'm not some bimbo you pick up in a bar. The name is Tina." She paused for a beat and then continued. "But you can call me your highness, if you like."

Lester threw back his head and gave a deep belly laugh. "I'm in your hands—" he paused for dramatic effect before continuing, "—your highness." Then he bowed.

Tina laughed right back at him and said, "I need to get ready, and then we can meet at the club. Just tell Henry that you're there to meet me. Make sure you don't walk in with Cam, though."

Lester frowned. "Who the hell is Cam?"

Shep laughed. "That would be me, Santos, at least to my family."

Les grinned.

We left shortly after that, and Shep took us on a tour of the area where we would be that night. I wanted more details about Whiskey Mist, so I asked him to drive us back there so I could take a more in-depth look around. I noticed several problematic areas. If the guy we were after came out the front, everything would be fine. The area was well lit. However, if he bypassed the front and went out the side entrance, that door led to a dark alley that could be dangerous at night.

We headed back to our hotel, Park Plaza County Hall. I figured it was time for us to get ready for tonight. Normally, non-citizens wouldn't be allowed to carry weapons. Since I was here for the government, I was awarded special dispensation, as was the rest of my team.

One of the underlying reasons I'd had Hector come over here early, as well as getting our equipment, was that I wanted his ear to the ground to see if there was any fallout from the last mission I'd gone on for Uncle Sam. I had reason to believe that the ending wasn't as straightforward as I'd been led to believe. Hector was listening to activity to determine if the situation would call for more attention. He was working with a couple of operatives I used when I was in Europe.

Shep left us at the hotel so he could head home and get ready himself.

Two hours later, Lester left to meet Tina.

Tank, Woody, and I went over what we expected to go down at the club tonight. Something was still nagging me about the scenario Shep was putting in place, but I couldn't put my finger on it…yet.

When it was time to leave for the club, we headed down in the elevator. I was playing the part of a distinguished visitor, so I needed to act the part. Tank was acting the part of my bodyguard and would be going inside Whiskey Mist with me.

The limo was waiting for us when we stepped out of the hotel. Tank opened the back door and scanned the vehicle before I slid inside, and then after doing another scan, he climbed in beside me. I told the driver where we were going, and we were on our way.

It didn't take long to get to the club, and when we stopped, Tank got out and once again scanned the area before signaling me that it was all clear. When I stepped out of the car, I felt eyes on me, and with a minute tilt of my head, I gave a signal.

At the door, while Tank was paying for both of us to get inside, the feeling we were being watched became a feeling that the mission was going to go FUBAR. After eight years in active duty and two more doing Special Ops missions for the government, my sense of knowing when something was going wrong was legendary. The only downside was that, as of yet, I didn't know what was going to go wrong, and I wasn't able to act on my instincts.

I found the perfect spot in the club. I was able to keep my back to the wall and see all the activity going on at the same time. While I was waiting for Tank to come back with our drinks, I got my first look at what could only be described as sex walking.

She was wearing a barely there black dress that only just covered all the essentials, with a matching clutch purse and five-inch killer heels, all in black. She had curly brown hair that begged to have hands run through it, and her eyes… They were the most brilliant blue eyes I'd ever seen. She was drop dead gorgeous, and at a guess, she would match my own six feet in those shoes she was wearing.

The closer to her I got, the more I felt like I'd just taken hold of a live wire. I didn't like this feeling, but I had no idea why I felt so strongly about it. In my world, women were good for one thing and one thing only. Although she was beautiful, and possibly the perfect woman to use for scratching this itch that was growing stronger every day, there was something about her that told me it would be a mistake. She was a complication I couldn't afford.

The feel of her skin when I touched her set me on fire, and the part of me that wasn't as analytical about things surged to attention at her nearness. It took some fancy footwork to keep that particular appendage out of the line of fire when she took exception to my actions…or maybe it was the words that I'd spoken.

From the look on her face, she wasn't happy with the way things were going. When I leaned down to her, I struggled momentarily with the overwhelming desire that punched me in the gut. The part of my brain that told me this wasn't a good idea had lost, because I knew that I'd take her to my bed at the first opportunity. I wanted her, and nothing else mattered. When I warned her about trying again, a huge part of me was hoping that she would indeed try again so that I would have an excuse to take her mouth under my own.

How a little wisp could be considered lethal was beyond me, but if she wanted to play this out, I would be more than willing to show her why I was the best on every continent.

I saw Prince Raje enter the bar as I was swinging her around to face the bar, an action that had become necessary to once again protect a part of my anatomy from injury. All I wanted to do was move up behind her and pull her body close to mine, but I fought the attraction, knowing that it would only lead down a road that I wasn't willing to travel. I released her so that I could move into place.

Tank and I went to sit down, and I watched Raje enter. Lester moved down to the far side of the bar, and a slight motion of his hand had Tank and me moving forward to find out what he wanted. As we stood there, Les leaned forward enough to let me know the beautiful creature I'd had the encounter with and was planning to get into bed at the first opportunity was none other than Agent J. Just what I didn't need. Now I'd need to hold off on acting on the attraction I felt in order to get the job done.

I turned and looked around the room, seeing Agent J dancing with Raje. I watched them for some time, and then from the corner of my eye, I saw Shep in an altercation with a big bear of a man. When Shep went to pull his gun, the man stabbed him with a knife. I moved in that direction to help my friend and left the little prima donna to her own devices.

There was a scuffle, and it took me several precious minutes to reach my friend. When I was finally able to kneel by Shep, I was just in time to hear him say, "It's a distraction so Raje can get J without interference. He's got her now."