by Cadence Vonn
“I’m glad to hear it. Have you figured out who they work for?”
“Fingerprints in the vehicle indicated that Mr. Shuler and Jacob Hall had been in the SUV.”
“Jacob? You mean Jake?” Veronica’s skin danced with goose bumps.
“Yeah. Sorry. He and Tyler are FBI agents. The FBI knew there was a mole, but they couldn’t find the sucker. Jake had everyone running in circles. He masterminded the arms deal and worked with Shuler, who supplied the money. Allegedly, he killed off Madam Lana because she saw him with Mr. Shuler. After that, I guess it was easy to kill the other young hooker because she didn’t please Shuler. They’re looking for Jake as we speak.”
“What about Tyler? Was he in on it with Jake?” Holding the phone to her ear, her hand trembled, and she bent over so she wouldn’t faint.
“He’s one of the good guys. He and his partner, Sonja, snagged Shuler. The man was attempting to flee the country. If you hadn’t escaped the thugs, we wouldn’t have gotten hold of the SUV. The fingerprints and the guys singing to save their necks have tied up most of the case for the FBI. Of course, they’ll take all the credit.”
“So, Jake got away?”
“It’s only a matter of time before they find him.”
“Shit, Phillip, I think he’s here.” Veronica slipped back into the house and locked all the patio doors. “There’s a boat anchored off our shoreline. Jake told me he had a boat.”
“Where are you now?”
“I’m heading to my father’s safe room.” A crash behind her made her run. “Someone just broke into the house.” She slammed the study door and locked it. She had mere seconds to reach the safe room and press the button to secure the door before she heard a shot fired at the lock of the study. With the click of the impenetrable door, she released a choking gasp.
“I’m in the safe room.”
“Thank God. I heard the shot.”
Veronica switched on the cameras. “It’s Jake. He’s just figured out where I’m hiding.”
“Stay put. The police are almost there.”
“I can open the gate from here.” Veronica pressed a button and mentally thanked her father for his forethought. “Jake heard the sirens. He’s leaving through the back door and heading for his boat. You’ll need to tell the police and Coast Guard.”
“Police, FBI, and Coast Guard are on it. You stay put until they secure the area.”
“Did I ever tell you I’m claustrophobic?” Veronica plopped down on the chair and closed her eyes.
“Deep breaths. Keep talking to me. Wouldn’t you miss all this excitement?”
Veronica snorted. “I’ve decided to go back to grad school for a degree in psychology. I’d like to be a profiler.”
“I bet the captain would let you work for the precinct while you complete your studies.”
“We’ll see. Have they caught Jake?”
“Hang on.”
She could hear Snake talking to someone but couldn’t make out the words.
“In another minute, Officer Holden will step into the study when it’s all clear. I assume you know how to release the door to get out,” he teased.
“My hand is hovering by the button. Tell them to hurry.”
“It won’t be much longer. Have I told you I enjoyed you as my partner?”
“Thanks. Ditto.”
By the end of the next week, everything was back in order, and her parents’ house didn’t show any signs of the incident. She’d need to tell them what happened, but for the moment, she wanted to put everything behind her and sort out her feelings about Tyler. God, she still couldn’t fathom his role in the situation.
Harrison arrived home first, followed the next day by her parents. She dreaded Sunday dinner. Hopefully, she could keep them talking about their travels and let them think her life was same-old-same-old. She needed time without any interference from the three of them.
“Veronica, you look gaunt.” Her mother would focus on appearance first. It’d always been the most important thing to the woman. A local plastic surgeon bought a yacht with the money her mother spent trying to stay young. Soon, Veronica would look like the mother instead of the daughter.
“I’m fine, Mom. I’m taking vacation next week and plan on getting some sun.”
“Not too much. It ages a woman.”
“Right.” She tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “Hey, Harry, did you find any Amazonian women in your travels?” She nudged her brother’s shoulder, passing the conversation stick to him.
“As a matter of fact, I met a young scientist you might classify as Amazonian. She’s six foot. Has a flowing mane of golden hair and a chest to make any man salivate. Her legs had the strength of a python when they squeezed me.”
“Harrison!” their mother screeched.
“Just kidding, Mom.” He winked at Veronica. “Tell us about China,” he said to his parents.
The subject of temples and bad hygiene habits filled the rest of the dinner conversation.
“Let’s head out to the rocks for a quick look at the water,” Harry said to Veronica when they all moved to the sunroom to relax with an after-dinner drink.
She followed him out the back. She took a quick look at the door for any signs she’d be busted if her dad took a closer look. She let out a relieved sigh.
“What was that for?” Her brother turned to study her face.
“Promise you won’t tell Mom or Dad?”
“Sure.”
“A guy who was after me broke in the back door and damaged Dad’s study door to get at me.”
“Were you in the safe room?”
“Yeah. Someday, I’ll have to come clean and apologize to Dad for all the teasing I gave him when he had it built. It saved my life.”
“Shit, Roni. Where were all your police friends?”
“They arrived in time, along with the FBI.” She clambered up the boulders and plopped down on the top one to scan the water beyond. No boats today.
“Was this some kind of case?”
“The end of one.”
“So, the bad guy tracked you here? Shit, Mom will freak.”
“Don’t tell her. You promised.” Veronica fiddled with the hem of her shirt. How did Jake find her? She’d have to drill Snake tomorrow.
“Tell me you’re finished with all this undercover shit, and I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
“I’m done. I’ve decided to go back to college for my PhD in psychology.”
Harrison eyed her with his brotherly glare.
“I don’t want to be an officer anymore, especially an undercover one. But I do want to still work in law enforcement. I’m going to study to be a profiler.”
“You watch too many crime shows. It’s not as glamorous as you think. Look at Sweets on Bones. He got killed.”
“He also carried a gun and partnered with Booth. I’m done with that. I’m more into fingering men who take advantage of women. The kind of bad guy who thinks nothing of disposing of them in the bay.”
“You’re not going to tell me what happened, are you?
“Nope. Suffice it to say it opened my eyes to a part of me that could get lost if I continued to pretend to be someone I’m not.”
“Well, whatever happened, I’m glad you’re okay.”
The part of her mind that was scared the other day was okay. She wasn’t so sure about her sexual psyche. She needed time to decide if she truly enjoyed the ropes, blindfolds, and floggers, or if was it just a blip on her fantasy meter.
The next day, she met Snake for a cup of coffee. “I’m wondering how Jake found me. Do you have any ideas?”
“From what the captain can ascertain, someone in the FBI accessed our undercover operatives for this particular case. Jake must have seen your name and found your parents’ address. He got lucky you were there.”
“Did all the FBI team have access to those records?”
“I suppose. Why? Are you wondering why Tyler Monroe hasn’t contacted you?�
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Veronica shrugged. She knew why. What man would want a woman who pretended to be a hooker who enjoyed BDSM? What he didn’t know was it only thrilled her with him. But would he believe her if she told him? “We both know why.”
“Look, if the guy was worth a pair, he’d at least talk with you and apologize for…whatever.” Snake blushed and waved his hand to end the sentence.
Veronica released a harsh laugh. “That will never happen.”
Chapter Seven
Tyler paced in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in his father’s top-floor office waiting area. Did he want this lifestyle? Working for Monroe Industries, was close to hitting the bottom of the barrel, but he looked at it as paying penance for being such an ass with Veronica.
Shit, after Madam Lana’s body was discovered, some mucky-muck in the upper office had forgotten to inform the police they were doing an undercover sting at The Wharf Club. It made sense the police would have their own investigation into her death. He should have guessed Veronica wasn’t a real hooker. He’d been blinded by her beauty and didn’t see the obvious points that screamed “wealthy.” Her expensive dresses and shoes were a clear indicator. Fuck, her lacy bras and thongs cost more than a man’s suit.
Damn. The woman had a body for sex, and she loved it as much as he did. He hadn’t seen her since the night she almost got kidnapped.
The one when he learned her name.
The one when lust turned to instant love with the final kiss. It’d blown his mind the next day when he learned she was an undercover police officer. His hope of locating her dissipated, turning his life into an upside-down mess. The idea she might never speak to him again made him nauseated.
He shook his head to remove that thought. What must she think of him? As a cop, she would probably never understand how he didn’t know about Jake. The bastard had them all buffaloed. When the man surfaced after disappearing and almost killed Veronica, he didn’t think she’d ever forgive him.
“Tyler, come in.” His father opened his office door and waved for him to enter. “I’m surprised to see you here today. Have you come to your senses and quit the FBI?”
Tyler looked around his father’s office. Slick metal filled the space with glass-top tables and black leather furniture. He could have all this. Granted, he’d need to work a few years before he would get this office, but was it what he wanted? His sister wanted this. She craved it, just like he craved the excitement of the work he did.
“I haven’t given my notice yet. I’ve taken a leave of absence for a month to decide what I want to do. This last undercover case wore me out.” He didn’t add psychologically. He needed to get his shit in order when it came to sex. He’d like to do it with Veronica, but he couldn’t get past the idea of what she did for her job.
“Why are you here?”
“Take you to lunch. Talk about something other than your work or mine.”
His dad studied his face for a minute then pressed the button on his desk phone. “Laura, clear my afternoon schedule. I’ll be out of the office with Tyler.” He narrowed his eyes and said, “I’m all ears. Where shall we go?”
“Gloucester.”
Tyler wound out of Boston’s financial district in his Land Rover toward The Crab Shack, a place where he and his dad visited on the days his mom used to play bridge. Seagulls squawked, searching for food. The smell of fish and salt thickened the air.
They sat on a bench facing the ocean. Crab cake sandwich wrappers were stuffed in a paper bag at his feet, and they sipped root beer the way they used to do when he was a kid.
“What’s on your mind?” his dad asked as one of the first fishing boats pulled up to the dock in front of them.
“I like my work, Dad. I’d like it more if you and Mom didn’t dismiss it as if it doesn’t have merit.”
“Anyone with a college degree can work for the FBI. You went to Princeton, for Christ’s sake. You can become anything you want to be. Make millions of dollars. Doors other people would love to have open to them are already open for you.”
“Money isn’t everything. Besides, with my trust from Granddad, I’m set for life. I remember a time when money wasn’t everything to you. Can you honestly tell me you’ve been happy working for Monroe Industries all these years since Granddad died?”
His dad stared out at the ocean, and his shoulders sagged. “No. I’d be lying if I told you that. But I’ve come to enjoy the perks. And your mother has gotten used to a certain lifestyle.”
That made Tyler snort. “Do you love her?”
“I did when I married her.” He crushed his can in his fist. “You and Amelia came along, and I felt an obligation to provide the best life I could give you.”
“If you had to do it over, and Amelia and I weren’t in the picture, would you still be married to Mom?”
Without hesitation, he said, “No. There was someone else. Years ago. But I was married, and I let her disappear because of family pressure. Funny thing is she’s now a judge in California, married to a billionaire.” His father scoffed. “What does this have to do with your life?”
“I need to make sure I don’t lose the woman I think I love. I thought I might try my hand at sales, but now I’ve decided I’m not ready to work for the family business. I have other things in my life to put in order before I make that decision.”
His father patted him on the back, and they sat and watched the fishing boats return one by one, hoisting off their catch.
How he’d make Veronica see reason, he wasn’t sure, but he needed to give it a try before he conceded defeat.
Veronica moped around her apartment. She ignored the ring of her cellphone. The captain had accepted her resignation, telling her she’d be welcome back after she finished her graduate degree. Nothing he said convinced her to stay on as a desk officer. She hated that idea. After her undercover assignment at The Wharf Club, nothing seemed to interest her.
She studied BDSM on the internet. Cyber-chatted anonymously with men and women claiming to be subs and Doms. The language was alien to her, but she got the gist from her limited experience with Tyler. Maybe she should explore the alternate world. Find a city that had an active culture and dive in and see if it was the type of sex, or the man who administered it, that made her crave the kink.
After two weeks being cooped up in her apartment with her thoughts and vibrator, she was pretty sure it was a combination of both.
The ringtone she assigned her brother sounded, and she grabbed the phone after the third time he attempted to call that morning. “Harry, what do you want?”
“Whoa, who bit your ass?”
That made her scoff. No one. That’s why I’m in a foul mood. “Sorry.”
“I’m calling to remind you about the masked gala tomorrow night. Two weeks ago, you agreed to go to get Mom off your back.”
“It’s tomorrow?” She flopped back on the couch. “I don’t have anything to wear.”
“That problem is solved. Dad had his secretary pick something up for you. Per Mom’s suggestion.”
“If Agnes bought it, I bet it’s ugly.”
“All I know is it’s black, and I need to drop it off to you. Will you be around in the morning?”
“I’ll be here. Where else would I be?”
“Maybe getting your hair done and all your bits and pieces waxed like most women do when they want to look nice.”
“God, you’re gross.” But he had a point. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She ended the call and immediately dialed her friend.
“Jill, I need a huge favor.”
“Shoot. Oops. I mean, what can I help with?”
“Funny…I need the works. I forgot about a big event tomorrow night, and if I don’t look my best, mother witch will harass me about my appearance.”
“My last client is finished at four. Come over, and I’ll take care of you.”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
“Tip me well.”
They both laughed
, and she hung up, feeling a bit better. She showered and pulled on her comfy shorts and tank top. Walking to her friend’s salon, she pondered her future. She wanted to know if Tyler saw her as a means to cracking the case he worked on. Was she anything more to him than an imitation fancy hooker?
When she reached Jill, she shocked her friend by saying, “I want a Brazilian this time. You know, something different to shake things up.”
“What’s gotten into you? Some guy tell you he prefers you bare?”
“Something like that.” She would never say it was a woman. “I need a change. I’m thinking of heading to the Caribbean for a week, and I have my eye on a skimpy bikini.”
“You go, girl. You’ve been working too hard. Find some man and ride him hard.”
“Maybe I will.” They both laughed.
After she was waxed, plucked, highlighted, and cut, she felt almost her old self. Maybe she’d take Jill’s advice and have a fling.
The next morning, Harry dropped off a dress box from Madame St. Claire’s, an upscale boutique she couldn’t imagine her father’s secretary shopping in.
“Listen, I’ll pick you up at seven,” he said to her as she took the box. “Be ready. Mom will shoot us if we’re late, and I can’t afford to piss her or Dad off at the moment.”
“What are you up to?”
“I accepted another job in New York City.”
“You’re leaving Dad’s law firm?” she screeched.
“I’m going to work for a guy I met in Rio.”
“God, it has something to do with that Amazonian woman you met.” She poked him in the stomach.
“Please, don’t say anything. I need to break it to him on Monday. Keep him happy tonight. You know if Mom is happy, he’s happy.”
“Fine. I’ll keep your secret.”
“Thanks. You have to admit, it’s not as dramatic as your secret.”
That made her snort. “You’re going to quit and move away. I think you trump me any day.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “You’ll love her. See you tonight.” And he was gone.