by Laura Acton
Loki stared at Lexa and worried. She was his first female best friend—his only one—and he didn’t like her being put in a tremendously hazardous situation. His gaze switched to Dan. You better protect Lexa. A flare of guilt rose rapidly, and he added, and yourself. They both would be wearing vests, but that didn’t protect them from everything. Loki vowed to be extra vigilant monitoring the video. He was not losing either of them to this assignment.
Nick glimpsed Dan flicking his eyes to Lexa. The impression he had back in the Grand Citadel hotel reemerged. He hoped the play acting would not start something between the Dan and Lexa. Nick would hate to lose one or both of them if this led to them starting a relationship.
Pope stood. “Well, let’s get this show on the road. Broderick and McKenna, while you two are outfitted properly, the rest of your team can develop the coverage plans with the task force.”
Justine said, “I’d like to help in some way.”
Nick grinned. “Appreciate the offer. Another set of eyes would be useful, and you will probably fit in better than we will.”
A smile came to Justine’s face. She looked forward to this opportunity to work with Alpha Team. Her Sarge, Colton Harmon, only had first-rate things to say about them.
Near Tourterelle Boutique – 1:00 p.m.
From inside the command truck, Loki said, “Tapped into the cameras. All set to go on this location.”
Jon shifted into place and scoped out the interior of the Tourterelle Boutique. “Zulu One in position. I have a decent view into the shop, but there is a blind spot on the green wall. Currently, there is one clerk and two customers in the boutique.”
Nick noted that the green wall was close to the shoe section. The task force provided them with detailed layouts of each location so they could plan appropriately. He exited the unmarked car and headed into the boutique to cover the blind spot. They had been at this for four hours now. Dan and Lexa had gone to five of the specialty stores so far. They had this one and three more to target today. “Dan, Lexa, you are a go, in five.” He didn’t expect a response because they only had earwigs to hear, no mics.
Bram shifted his position on a bus bench across the street from the shop and watched as Justine and the Boss entered from different directions. His eyes moved to find Ray who was dressed as a utility worker as he put orange cones out around a staged repair. Both were tasked with keeping an eye out for anyone who looked like the subjects and alerting the team if they approached.
Dan glanced at Lexa. “You ready?”
Lexa nodded. “If you are.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. Yeah, he was ready. Though, a few times in the previous shops he was more than ready. Lexa’s kisses called him to half-mast, and he couldn’t stop it. Her kisses always affected him like that. Dan was thankful for the stylish trench coat in which they dressed him to match his cover as a wealthy man. He kept it buttoned to cover the lower parts of his anatomy.
Lexa smiled back. This was harder to do than she ever imagined. Kissing Dan and clinging to him like they were madly in love slammed hard into her defenses. The walls she had built to keep Dan out of her heart crumbled a bit with every single kiss.
Dan got out of the car, went around to Lexa’s side, and opened her door. He steeled his body not to react as Lexa moved her arm around his waist. The smile on his face, however, was genuine. This was torture, but oh so pleasurable. This was like a mini-Christmas present being so cozy with Lexa as they worked. He treasured every kiss she bestowed on him. Dan pulled Lexa close to him as they leisurely strolled toward Tourterelle Boutique.
Whatever Your Heart Desires
6
December 13
Tourterelle Boutique – 1:05 p.m.
As they entered the boutique, Dan started to make conversation as he asked, “Hey sweetheart, do you know what Tourterelle means in French?”
Just inside the shop Lexa stopped and gazed up coyly at Dan. No, honey, my French is too rusty, not using it much now. What does it mean?”
Dan bent down and kissed Lexa so he could surreptitiously scan the interior. God, he enjoyed the kissing part. Scanning for threats was necessary, and he would do anything to keep Lexa safe. When Dan lifted his head, he said, “Tourterelle is French for turtle dove. Turtle doves symbolize love and faithfulness because they mate for life, work together to build nests and raise their young together.”
Lexa’s mouth gaped a tad as she stared at him. He scored a direct hit. A huge chunk of her heart’s protective wall collapsed. She was speechless for several moments as those words slammed around her heart walls taking out more pieces. Mate for life. Work together. Raise their young.
It took everything Lexa had to get the next words out. “Oh, honey, how romantic. You positively must buy me something here then.” Lexa tugged on his arm and pulled him towards the jewelry case. Lexa proceeded to fawn all over Dan as they made their way over to the display case.
For his part, Dan countered every affectionate gesture with one of his own. “Sweetheart, select anything your heart desires.” He gently tucked Lexa’s wavy auburn hair behind her ear before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek as Lexa perused the necklaces. I wish this was real.
Loki kept a close eye on the monitors as he remarked, “Two turtle doves. Holy smokes, you two look like a real couple!”
Jon’s voice came over the headset, “Loki, focus. Our doves are only doing their job. You do yours.”
“Copy,” Loki said feeling admonished, but he smiled because he had a front-row seat to watch his teammates behave like a lusty twosome who should be in a bedroom instead of shopping. Man, they are superb actors. If I didn’t know better, I would think they were actually in love. Maybe this is how Dantastic gets all the women to fall for him.
Both Lexa and Dan stiffened a bit when they heard Loki’s comment. The minuscule earwigs they wore were part of what Jon and Boss insisted on for their protection. They could listen to the team and be warned if the subjects arrived. The hidden microphones, which the task force installed along with the cameras, picked up their voices so the team could hear them.
Justine cautiously scanned the boutique from her position in the women’s clothing area. She hoped they would show soon—waiting was nerve-racking. Glancing down at a price tag, Justine’s eyes widened in disbelief. Who in their right mind spends three thousand dollars for a blouse? She removed her hand not wanting to damage the thing.
Nick held up a pair of women’s dress shoes and pretended to admire them. At the curious stare of one of the shop’s patrons, Nick realized how he must look. Nick grinned at the woman and said, “I think my girlfriend would love these for Christmas.” The lady gave him a pleasant smile and moved on.
Jon, Bram, Ray, and Loki all snickered.
Bram, who was now leaning casually on the wall right outside the store covered his mouth and whispered, “Admiring the ladies’ high heels again, Boss? Something we should maybe know about?”
That caused Dan to snort and chuckle. He couldn’t help it as the image of what Bram implied came to mind, the boss wearing designer women’s pumps. Hilarious!
Lexa squeezed Dan’s arm tightly but said in a syrupy voice, “Honey, what’s so funny?”
Dan covered by leaning in and capturing Lexa’s lips. At first, Lexa was taken aback by his action, but her body responded, and she wrapped her arms around Dan’s neck, pulling him closer as she returned the kiss.
Somewhere after about two seconds, their kissing turned from pretend to real for both of them. The passion they both kept banked and hidden would not be denied and surged forth. As the heat grew, Dan’s rational brain began to lose control as his primal being took over. Lexa could lead him anywhere and do anything to him, and he would gladly follow.
As Lexa’s body pressed into Dan’s, she felt him harden. The realization dumped a virtual bucket of ice-cold water on her, cooling her passion and returning her to the present. What did I just do? I can’t believe I lost control. She wanted to stop a
bruptly, but Lexa maintained enough presence of mind to stay in character and pulled back slowly with a soft sigh.
Dan’s lips followed Lexa’s trying to keep the connection. After separating, Dan’s glazed and slightly unfocused eyes connected with Lexa’s. He read apology and remorse in the depths of her lovely hazel eyes along with the small flicker of a dying flame in the golden flecks. He leaned back, thankful again for the overcoat which hid his body’s reaction to her. Dan drew in a deep breath and gradually exhaled as he tried to regain his professionalism.
Taliya Rabinowitz, granddaughter of Micah and Miriam Rabinowitz, owners of the boutique, stared in awe at the zealous couple. “Wow! I wish my boyfriend would kiss me like that.”
Lexa let out a shaky breath as she turned to the shop attendant and plastered on a charming smile. “Ah, yes, he’s an excellent kisser.”
Her gaze landed on a stunning and feminine piece of jewelry. An exquisite platinum butterfly with wings of inlaid amethyst and sapphire gems outlined by sparkling diamonds and its delicate body entwined by a rose gold heart. Lexa almost gasped when she caught sight of the price, not something she could easily afford to buy. Nonetheless, she was drawn by the beauty of it.
Playing her part flawlessly, Lexa fluttered her eyes as she gushed, “Oh, honey, the butterfly is magnificent. You know how much I love butterflies. That one is perfect because the sapphires exactly match your eyes, diamonds are my birthstone, and amethyst is yours.”
Dan glanced down, and his brows arched noting the cost, definitely a multi-paycheck item. Having regained control of his body, Dan smiled and gave Lexa’s cheek a light caress. “Sure, sweetheart. Whatever your heart desires.”
Taliya removed and handed Dan the velvet box for his inspection. “A one of a kind design by my grandfather. Would you like to try it on first?”
As Lexa turned and lifted her hair, Dan undid the clasp, refastening it once he placed the chain around Lexa’s neck. He wished this was real. Dan would love to splurge and buy Lexa something she coveted. Unfortunately, now was not the right time to do anything of the sort. It might scare her off entirely.
In the mirror, Lexa beheld the sapphire, amethyst, and diamond creation nestled above her cleavage. Lost in a moment recalling why she loved butterflies, Lexa’s gaze softened. Memories of mom’s gentle voice and loving hands filled her mind.
Her ninth summer, she had been unhappy she looked like a boy after needing to cut off all her long hair because of Quinn’s stupid prank. Mom bought her a silver butterfly pendant and soothed her distress, reassuring her the beauty inside her shined brightly regardless of her hair’s length and to imagine she was in a butterfly cocoon. Ever since, Lexa loved the idea of emerging from a cocoon and spreading her wings. It was one reason she had the butterfly tattooed on her lower back. The tattoo reminded her of her mother’s love and belief in her ability to do whatever she desired.
Lexa’s voice held a genuine breathless note, “I love it.”
Internally, Dan replied ‘I love you’ but out loud he said, “Beautiful, just like you, sweetheart.”
Jon called out, “Heads up. Three approaching the boutique. Bram, Ray, be ready to move in. Dan, Lexa, careful, no heroics. We have your six.”
Nick and Justine covertly withdrew their guns and positioned themselves strategically to protect Lexa, Dan, and the customers.
The shop door whipped open, three people entered, and zeroed in on the jewelry counter as one shouted, “Stay where you are, and no one gets hurt.”
Dan turned to face the subjects and took a half step to his left covering Lexa a bit. He wanted to shield her more, but Lexa would be pissed at him if he did. He sized up the two men as his mind planned out moves to take them out if required. Dan could handle them alone if needed, but he had his team here, and they would help.
Lexa noticed Dan take a small step in front of her. Geez Louise, he is protective. Annoys the hell out of me, but it isn’t something me or anyone else will be able to change. It is who Dan is at the core.
Assessing the female subject, Lexa noted she wore a hard to describe expression—almost feral but also wounded. Great, we’re dealing with an injured animal. Killing men who showed affection might mean this woman had been treated poorly by a man or lost the man she loved and didn’t want others to be happy. Whatever the reason, she looks ready to kill.
Rosa Tortuga lowered her weapon to near her hip as she approached Lexa. Her two cohorts kept their guns trained on the couple. She sneered at the short woman, reached out, and ripped off the butterfly necklace. “I’ll be taking that.” Rosa smirked when the woman’s hand flew to her neck. Tossing a bag to the sales girl, Rosa demanded, “Fill it with cash and jewels or we kill them.”
Shaking like a leaf, Taliya complied, stuffing the drawstring bag with money and jewelry. When she finished, Taliya handed it back then cowered behind the counter.
As Rosa grabbed the filled bag, her eyes raked up and down Lexa and her face contorted displaying her disdain. “You’re nothing special. What makes you think you deserve a man who loves you?”
Lexa blinked at that. Old insecurities surged forth for a fraction of a second. No man loves me, not even my father and brothers. Pushing her thoughts aside, Lexa tried to engage the subject, “Why are you doing this?”
Ignoring the little bitch, Rosa turned to the blond man. Men are all lying bastards who think they can buy women with trinkets. “You love her, don’t you?”
Dan floundered. He wanted to say yes, because he did, but was it the right thing to say? He could tell Lexa he was only roleplaying. It would kill him inside to deny his feelings, but he must maintain their fledgling relationship.
Would the team read anything into a yes answer? Probably not, they were supposed to be a couple. If he said no, how would the subject react? A no answer would be incongruent with his behavior. It felt like an eternity in his head as all those questions coursed through, but in reality, it was only a few seconds from when the woman asked before Dan answered, “Yes, I do.”
“Wrong answer,” Rosa yelled as she fired her gun.
The bullet struck Dan square in the chest. Due to the proximity and momentum of the projectile, Dan staggered back against the display case and started to fall as air forcefully expelled from his lungs.
Lexa reacted instinctively, reaching for Dan to guide him to the ground as her mind screamed, Nooooooooo!
Jon’s shot pierced Rosa’s skull, and she dropped a split second later.
Ray and Bram rushed in tackling the two men in the chaos as the subjects stared at their dead partner. Justine came forward and helped Ray disarm his subject within moments of the female subject and Dan falling.
Nick raced to Dan and Lexa as he called, “We need EMS in here now! Officer down.”
Dan gasped for breath and then started panting through the pain.
Lexa ripped open the coat, popping off the buttons, not caring one whit. She tore open his shirt frantically trying to assure herself the bullet was stopped by the level III vest. Relief welled in her when her eyes landed on the mangled slug buried in the protective armor. Flicking her gaze to Dan’s face her worry renewed seeing his furrowed brow and hearing his ragged breaths. With steady hands, Lexa started to pull on the Velcro straps of Dan’s vest.
Nick crouched to help Lexa remove Dan’s dress shirt and the body armor underneath. Composed on the outside, Nick shook inside at how fast this all went down and the thought of how bad things might have been. To set the team’s mind at ease, Nick calmly said, “It’s in the vest.”
Jon blew out the breath he had been holding since he took the shot. Instant relief flooded his system and mixed with his adrenaline. Dan’s okay! Anger at himself and the shooter quickly followed. How the hell did she fire in the first place? I never saw her raise the pistol. Jon began to pack up his gear knowing he must go with NRB but wanted to check on Dan first.
At the sound of the first shot, Loki raced from the command truck down the street to the b
outique. He just watched Dan get shot in the chest for the third time. The first time at Central Bank, the second at Aaron’s funeral, and now.
Loki’s heart stopped a moment thinking he would lose a friend, but the boss informing them the armor stopped the bullet restarted his heart. Taking one at close range even with protection hurt like hell. Dan’s chest would surely be all shades of colors by this evening.
Dan took several breaths as the intense radiating pain subsided to a more manageable level. Shit, this hurts. Damn, the woman shot from where she held the gun at her hip without ever raising the weapon. I had no indication—no time to react. Dan tried to rise. “I’m good.”
Lexa held one arm and the boss the other. Lexa said, “Stay still and rest, Dan. EMS is coming.”
Nick moved his hand to Dan’s shoulder holding him down. “Not this time. Wait right where you are. You’re taking a ride to the ER and getting a thorough check out today.”
Dan sank back down, the fight in him left as pain sliced through his chest. He focused on breathing as members of the task force swarmed into the boutique taking over the scene from TRF.
Lexa remained kneeling close to Dan while Nick stood when Inspector Pope approached.
“Superior work. Watching them, I totally bought they were a couple. We could use them in our undercover stings. How is your officer?” Pope asked.
“I’m good,” Dan answered.
Nick rubbed his face briskly. “Dan, you are not alright until I receive a doctor’s report.”
Lexa peered up at the boss. “I’ll go with Dan to the hospital and make sure he complies.”
Nick nodded and then tuned back into what Pope was saying.
Skidding to a stop inside the store, Loki caught his breath before he headed for Dan and Lexa. As Loki squatted down, he belted out loudly, “That is the last time you get shot in the chest! You hear me, buddy?”