Vegas Vacation Read Free Page A

But I can’t do my job if I can’t see you at all times.”
    “OK” Tamlyn tossed her phone to him. “Here’s my phone. Do whatever police thing you need to do to track me.”
    No doubt Garth had already put a tracker in it, but one more wasn’t going to make a shred of difference.
    For some reason, being watched by Sgt. Ames didn’t seem at all creepy. So long as staying in his line of sight didn’t include the bathroom or bedroom she could live with it. For now.
     
     
     
     

3
     
    The view from the top of the Stratosphere took Tamlyn’s breath away. It was a casino hotel like many others, but had a huge tower on it. The bloke in the lift on the way up had helpfully told her she was as high as the old World Trade Center and ascending at eighty feet a second. And the view hadn’t been exaggerated. She leaned on the edge of the barrier, the wind whipping her hair back and forth, the whole of Vegas lying at her feet. “I’m king of the world.”
    Her surly guardian cracked a smile. “Don’t you mean queen?”
    “That, too. You know, you’re a lot more fun to be with than Raleigh. He’d have made me go in by now.”
    “Oh?”
    “He spends far too much time around Garth and Dad. Can’t let little Tammy out of his sight in case she falls over and bangs her knee. And no way can she walk down the street on her own in case the big bad man tries to take her away. Some days I may as well be six, for all the freedom I get.” She didn’t add the line about taking lifts on her own. She’d learnt the hard way about that.
    Sgt. Ames studied her for a moment before returning his gaze to take in the other people on the viewing platform. “Doesn’t sound like fun.”
    “It isn’t. And don’t even think about calling me Tammy. I hate it.”
    “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said dryly.
    “Good. So what’s that over there?”
    His gaze followed her finger. “That’s Nellis Air Force Base.”
    “Where the aliens are?”
    Sgt. Ames snorted. “If you believe in aliens, they’re at Area Fifty-One, that way. Not officially, that is.”
    She turned around and leaned against the barrier.
    “You’ll get dirt on your white pants.”
    Tamlyn grimaced. “They can be washed. Can we go around the other side and take some more pictures?”
    “Sure, then we should head back. Don’t want you to have too much fun in one day.”
    She grinned. “That would never do. Besides, I want to call the hospital and ask about Raleigh.”
     
    ****
     
    Tamlyn lay in the bath, the phone clasped to her ear, more than a little irritated with hospital bureaucracy. “Yes, I understand that. What you fail to understand is that Raleigh is my bodyguard. Therefore, he’s my employee, and I need to know how he’s doing.”
    The tight and tired voice spoke again. “I’m sorry, Lady Bradshaw. Lord Bradshaw requested no information go to anyone apart from himself and the police, which I’ve done. Now if you don’t mind, I have patients waiting.”
    Tamlyn stared at the phone as it went dead. She climbed out of the bath, wrapped the long white toweling robe around her, and padded across the cold floor, back into the main room. “Sgt. Ames?” She injected a sense of urgency into her voice. She knocked on the open door. “Sgt. Ames?”
    “I’ll be right out.” His voice came from the other bathroom.
    Tamlyn moved over to the fridge and opened it. Pulling out the carton of juice, she poured herself a glass and tossed in several ice cubes.
    “What’s wrong?”
    Tamlyn turned as her new bodyguard rushed into the room. Obviously in haste to reach her, he wore only a fresh pair of jeans. His long hair dripped water down his chest.
    Her gaze trailed up and down his lean, fit body, lingering on the burn scars on his abs and stomach.
    A cough raised her eyes back to his face. “I’m sorry, Sergeant. Did you say something?”
    “I asked what was wrong, but if you’d rather me do a twirl so you can stare at my back as well, I