Page 22 of Protecting Her

"Is that all it is?" The question echoed their conversation from the hotel terrace, loaded with everything they'd been trying to ignore.

Before Jude could respond, Kate's voice cut through their moment. "Another vehicle approaching fast. No plates visible."

The pursuit continued through Bogotá's labyrinth of streets, each near-miss bringing them closer together in the armored car's back seat. Jude coordinated with her team through pure training, her body and mind operating on separate frequencies.One tracked threats and escape routes while the other cataloged every subtle reaction from the woman beside her: the way Carmen's hand tightened on her arm during sharp turns, how she leaned into Jude's protection without hesitation, and the trust implicit in every shared glance.

"Clear route to fallback position," James finally reported as they turned onto a wider avenue. "No pursuit visible."

Only then did Jude allow herself to really feel the weight of what had almost happened. The knife wound on her cheek stung, grounding her in the reality of how close they'd come to losing everything. Carmen must have sensed the shift because her fingers found Jude's in the darkness, twining together with quiet desperation.

"I'm alright," Carmen whispered, answering the question Jude couldn't voice. "Thanks to you."

But they both knew it wasn't just about physical safety anymore. Something had changed in that ballroom in the moment Jude had seen the assassin reach for his weapon. Professional distance had crumbled in the face of possible loss, leaving them raw and exposed in ways no security protocol could protect against.

The city blurred past their windows as they headed for the fallback position, each mile carrying them farther from the assassination attempt but closer to truths they couldn't ignore. Jude maintained her security awareness through force of will, but her heart had already surrendered to the reality that keeping Carmen alive had become more than just duty.

It had become everything.

The Hotel Gran Diplomático's underground garage provided cover as their convoy arrived through separate entrances. Jude's team moved with practiced efficiency, securing the space before escorting Carmen through service corridors designed for this exact purpose. Each step echoed against marble floors as theymade their way to the security command center on the fourth floor.

Inside the hotel's security room, controlled chaos erupted as Jude's team took over monitoring stations. She positioned herself at the command center, studying surveillance feeds from the summit venue while her pulse still raced from the chase. Each screen confirmed what she already knew: they'd been compromised from within.

"Sweep teams found surveillance equipment in the service corridors," Sarah reported. "Professional grade. Someone's been monitoring our movements."

Jude studied footage of the assassination attempt frame by frame, her jaw tight. She'd missed signs and let her guard down. She let personal feelings cloud her judgment until she'd almost failed at the one thing that mattered most.

"Building across the street," David called out. "Southeast corner. We've got movement."

She moved to the window, keeping to shadows as she verified the threat. Two figures on the opposite roof carried long-range surveillance gear, their movements suggesting military training. She'd seen similar setups in Yemen before everything went wrong.

"They want us to see them," Sarah murmured beside her. "No attempt at concealment."

Kate's fingers flew across her keyboard, pulling up personnel files. "Hotel security rotations changed again. Three new guards were added without proper clearance."

"Pull them." Jude's voice carried the edge of command despite her exhaustion. "I want our people on all access points. No one enters without direct verification."

The knife wound on her cheek burned as she issued orders, each word carefully measured to hide how the night's events had shaken her. But her eyes kept finding Carmen throughthe security room's glass wall, watching her speak with State Department officials in the adjacent conference room.

Even now, hours after the attempt on her life, Carmen maintained her diplomatic composure, striking in her midnight blue evening gown. Only someone who knew her well would notice the slight tension in her shoulders, the way her hands moved with too much precision as she gestured to emphasize a point.

"Ma'am." Marcus appeared at her shoulder. "Local police want a statement about the incident."

"No statements." Jude kept her voice low. "They had units in position before the attack. Someone leaked our security protocols."

She watched Carmen end her call with Washington, noting how the diplomat's mask slipped just slightly when she thought no one was looking. The urge to go to her and to offer comfort instead of just protection made Jude's hands clench at her sides.

"The waiter's dead." Sarah's voice pulled her attention back to duty. "Hospital's calling it natural causes, but the timing's convenient."

Of course. They were dealing with professionals. The same ones who'd nearly succeeded while Jude was distracted by feelings she had no business harboring.

Carmen entered the security room, and Jude felt her presence like a shift in atmospheric pressure. She still wore her evening gown, the midnight blue silk incongruous among their tactical gear.

"The State Department wants me to return to Washington." Carmen's voice carried that particular tone Jude had learned meant she'd already made up her mind to refuse. "They're concerned about escalating threats."

"They're right to be concerned." Jude kept her focus on the surveillance feeds. "Tonight was professionally coordinated. They'll try again."

"Which is exactly why I need to stay." Carmen moved closer, her perfume cutting through the room's tension. "If we run now, they win. Everything we've worked for—the peace treaty, the indigenous protections—all of it dies."

Jude turned, ready to argue, but the determination in Carmen's eyes made the words die in her throat. This was the woman who'd faced down warlords and cartel leaders and who'd built peace treaties in active war zones. Who'd survived tonight's attempt because she trusted Jude's protection completely.

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