by Piper Stone
My stomach lurched, my mind attempting to process that I would be all alone. “Okay. What if something goes wrong?”
He moved to the other side of his desk. “While the burner phone holds no special functions, keep this watch with you at all times. There is a panic button with a GPS system. Do no use it unless you have to. Trust me in that once it’s turned on, their organization could possibly locate you only minutes after our personnel. They are that sophisticated.”
I took that to mean they were wise to whatever tactics had been attempted before. That certainly didn’t make me feel comfortable.
“You really think they’re nothing but heinous criminals. Don’t you, sir?” I could see the way he smirked, as if he’d come up against them before.
“I’d bet my reputation on it. They are preparing to take down prominent members of our beloved city. That simply can’t happen.”
I accepted the watch, my hand shaking. “What if I fail? I just don’t see where I’m qualified for this.”
“You’re not going to fail, Detective. I really do have utter faith in you. You’re ready for this. Get the evidence that we discussed earlier and that’s all that’s needed. We can take it from there. I doubt you’ll be undercover more than two weeks. Three tops. That’s all the time that will be needed.”
My stomach remained nervous. A strange inkling had formed earlier and refused to dissipate. I might not have gone undercover before, but I had been a detective for two years, capable of recognizing when something didn’t smell right. “Is there something you’re not telling me, Captain? Is there an alternative reason that you’re bucking to take the Dunmores down? Is this seriously about underage girls and are we talking runaways or slave trading? Or is this about keeping powerful men from losing their reputations?”
The look he gave me was as cold as I’d seen. I returned the hard glance.
“All three, Detective. The time for the hammer of blackmail needs to be eliminated. And, as you might imagine, there are parents all across this country terrified that they will never see their loved ones again. I would hope that troubles you.”
“Of course it does.” I could see in his eyes that this was much bigger. He was also questioning what he could or should tell me. “This isn’t just about the Dunmores.”
His slight smile was followed by a shake of his head. “One of the reasons that I knew you were right not only for this case but for our entire department was based on comments made by your captain in Vegas. She said you were the most tenacious dog-to-a-bone detective that she’d ever worked with. Now, I see why.”
I wasn’t entirely certain if his comments were meant as a compliment or not. “I believe in the truth, sir.”
“Yes. I see that you do,” he said quietly. “I don’t think the Dunmore boys are working alone, if that’s what you’re talking about. It’s the department’s belief that the Dunmores have leveraged certain influential club members as a way of continuing their wealth. There could be some very powerful people involved with this. Powerful indeed.”
“Any names?”
He shook his head. “I can’t give you those that remain under suspicion. We need your unbiased detective work.”
I couldn’t help but notice he used a plural term. Who the hell else was involved with this case? DEA? FBI? No. If that was the case, the local jurisdiction would have already taken a back seat. The DC office wanted this collar all on their own. Or someone was afraid of what I’d uncover along the way.
That meant this either high ranking politicians or members of a crime syndicate were involved. All very interesting but why use a third-year detective with basically zero undercover experience other than because of anonymity?
“Do I have all the details, Captain? Because you’re right that Gregory Dunmore is a very powerful man. I have no doubt what he’d do to me if he found out I was an officer of the law, and it wouldn’t be a pleasant situation.” I hated being pushed into a case without all the information. He didn’t appreciate my doggedness on any level.
There was no doubt I’d infuriated him, his nostrils flaring. “If I need to find another detective to handle this case, I will. Now, that might set our entire department back several weeks and it could send a serious red flag to the Dunmore boys, but what do you care? You were hired because of various unusual qualifications that I believed would make you perfect for this job. If I’m wrong, you need to tell me now. I will find someone else who can handle the job as required.”
“Unusual qualifications? What does that mean? Sir?” I asked between clenched teeth, trying to control my breathing.
“That means, Detective, that we believed that your time spent as a theater minor would come in handy. If you were allowed on stage, then we were right in selecting you.”
I sucked in my breath, trying to curtail my rage. “Oh, you mean the fact that I took a few acting courses led you to believe I could fake it. Right? My guess is that you believe I even took dance lessons. Isn’t that something you mentioned earlier?” Or maybe danced on the Vegas Strip, which would never have occurred. I was incensed, now beginning to see a dirty little picture underneath the tough talk and gold shield. Maybe I’d been a fool to think getting out of Vegas was in my best interest.
There were assholes everywhere.
He seemed befuddled by my questions, huffing under his breath. I’d learned of his reputation before my arrival. Hard as nails. This was something else entirely.
I was certain of it. This was personal.
I knew I was pushing every boundary I could, but I believed that I’d surpassed the male bullshit the day I earned my gold shield. “If you’re asking if I have what it takes to be a very good actress, I certainly do.” Just be careful what you ask for. The thought was on the tip of my tongue to say. I knew there was an edge in my body language as well as in my tone. “Sir.”
Captain Snelling studied me for a few moments before breaking into a smile. “A woman who doesn’t like to be pushed. That’s going to come in very handy. As I said, you’re perfect for the job.”
Nodding, I managed to stand, even though I felt like my legs were going to collapse. “I appreciate your faith.” What his answers told me was that I was expendable. I prayed to God I was wrong.
“One more thing, Detective. I’ll need your shield.”
I sucked in my breath, unable to stop the chatter of my teeth. As I reached into my jacket, removing the gold shield that I’d felt so proud of the very first moment I’d touched it, I realized I’d never felt so alone in my life.
And the ugly sensations shifting through every inch of me scared me to death.
Not just out of fear.
Also out of desire.
* * *
There were no words to describe the way I felt as I stood in the middle of an apartment that I no longer recognized. While the furniture remained, almost nothing left was recognizable.
At least that’s the way it felt.
The majority of my personal music and movies remained, but the photo albums and framed pictures were all gone. In their place were beautifully manufactured photographs of people I’d never freaking met in my life. The sight of the girl who I was supposedly was all those years ago was sickening, especially the blonde hair. I wasn’t certain how I was expected to pull that one off for two freaking weeks.
I’d learned who every one of them was, memorizing names and dates, trying to fall into the realm of Valentina’s life. Then I’d flushed the paperwork down the toilet.
As I walked into the bedroom, I held my breath before opening the closet door. I wasn’t certain whether to be sick or giddy. Members of the team had measured me for accuracy before purchasing all new clothes, although there wasn’t a tag in sight. Even the shoes looked scuffed, as if I’d owned them for years.
The items were definitely not anything I would have chosen for myself. Reds. Oranges. Bright purple. God. At least they’d purchased actual blue jeans. The various costumes I’d selected, adding the allure o
f the dancer Valentina, didn’t seem like a girl who’d had a difficult time. They were flirtatious in nature, flouting sexuality and a completely provocative side. Yes, I’d studied Valentina Foster’s identity for days so if grilled, I could give any detail about my pretend life, but at this moment, my mind could remember only bits and pieces.
A difficult life wasn’t the word for it.
The girl was a freaking train wreck.
Now it was time to become that girl, to pretend that my life held an entirely different meaning. What the hell? Maybe those few acting classes would come in handy.
After slamming the closet door, I gawked at my dresser, hissing as I rushed toward it. If the bastards filtered through my underwear and nightgowns, I would cut off their dicks.
To my relief, very little had been changed, only a few pieces added.
I put the watch on the dresser before removing my jacket, preparing to toss my old uniform away as instructed. As I selected two outfits for the new dances, I could no longer feel my fingers. Tonight, I would arrive in jeans and one of the garish shirts that had been provided for me.
Then I’d transform into the other woman, a girl with a checkered past and a love for pizza and red wine. A girl who adored horror movies and metal music, her last boyfriend in a rock band. Oh, yeah. He’d been the one to toss away Valentina because of a buxom groupie while on tour.
I could do this. I would fake a life that sounded more exciting than the one I’d lived, including the boyfriend.
While I was scared of the assignment, of being caught and the kind of punishment that I’d be required to face at the hands of someone like Gregory, that didn’t terrify me the most.
What I was afraid of happening was enjoying the life I was about to live.
Including Gregory’s promise.
“The art of pleasure and pain, of submitting not only to a man but to the woman trying desperately to break free of her prison. When that happens, you’ll understand the true depth of ecstasy. After that, you’ll be ready.”
Ownership.
Chapter Four
Gregory
Haunting.
The feisty blonde had haunted me for several hours, my concentration shit. I’d spent the morning at the gym before finishing the paperwork on a new boat, christening her existence with a glass of my favorite scotch. Even that hadn’t soothed the savage beast. I remained hungry as hell, my desire off the charts. If I didn’t get relief soon, the anger would continue to surface, something neither the employees nor our clients should be forced to witness or endure.
Ownership.
I’d chosen my words carefully, doing what I could to push Valentina away. A part of me hoped that was the case. The other wanted something else entirely.
Absolute possession.
The thought was both thrilling as well as disconcerting. I would break her down, no matter the techniques needed or what she would suffer.
“Interesting interrogation techniques. While I enjoyed the method in which you handled our problem employee in particular last night, I was surprised you didn’t put an end to the situation. However, fascinating to watch,” Christopher said after walking into my office without knocking. “If you believe she’s the undercover agent, your activity wasn’t a wise decision.”
There was a level of disapproval in his tone instantly infuriating me.
Perhaps I should have put a bullet into her brain, but the burning hunger deep inside had prevented me from doing so. I knew I was playing a vicious game, one that could destroy everything my family stood for, but there was something about the woman that had already awakened my soul.
I eyed him casually before shifting my gaze back to the client list, initially ignoring his comment. After my encounter with Valentina, I had grown concerned that there were other players within our club that weren’t who they purported themselves to be, although I’d yet to find anything I should further scrutinize. I sat back, folding my arms behind my head, twisting the leather chair from side to side.
“What else would you have had me do, brother? Have one of the bouncers drop her body off in the Potomac River? If she is an agent, she will be more determined than ever to find out if we’re hiding something. I simply made certain she knew who was boss.” He normally appreciated the very tactics he’d just mentioned, as well as ones that had proven to be necessary since reopening the club, attempting to follow in our father’s footsteps. Our take on running the corporation was entirely different than that of our other brother. However, Christopher seemed unusually concerned about my lack of savage behavior. Either there was something else bothering him or he’d wanted to partake in the game.
The second wasn’t going to happen. As far as the first, I was in no mood to lament over whatever particular enemy was attempting to break through our shield this week. I would handle the situation my way.
Period.
He shook his head. “Always the drama with you, Gregory. You could have performed your... level of punishment in private. Then you should have dealt with her.”
“Did Michael put you up to this?”
Grinning, he laughed heartily. “Hell, no. Every once in a while, even I believe we should show a level of decorum within the view of others. You know how people talk in this town. What you do in your privacy is something else entirely. What I don’t want is any trouble in our club.”
Decorum. That was an interesting word for him to choose after having to bail his ass out of jail more than once for his particular antics.
“Well, let’s look at it this way, if we have anyone else within our organization who has even thought about spouting off information regarding the private aspects of the club, I have no doubt they’ll think twice. As far as our club members, they need to believe that we hunger as much as they do in order to feel confident in continuing to pay their dues. Plus, that will help ease some of the fears that we’re ready to pull out the rug from under them, exposing all their filthy secrets. And you’re right, word travels fast.”
“Maybe you do know what you’re doing, but I can tell that you are worried given what I told you,” he suggested.
I gazed down at the new applications, including the dollar amounts the three men were prepared to pay in order to join. Red flags were always raised when people were willing to pay more than the initial price of one hundred thousand dollars, the additional five thousand a month substantial to the majority of people. When an offer to double had been included with the applications, my instincts were on high alert. There were few people in DC who didn’t know our reputation, so many attempting to break the veil of secrecy for their own gain.
“I’m always worried about our business, Christopher, and I certainly don’t trust our clientele any more than you should. My instinct tells me that Valentina is the undercover agent and I’m determined to find out what the hell is going on.”
“Now you think we have issues with our members?” he asked slyly, his eyes shimmering.
He’d always been the one to remind me that snakes came in various skins. I was no fool. Even though Club Darkness provided extreme entertainment, a moment away from the drudgery of real life, our enemies would stop at nothing to gain access to our information, including powerful images collected by my father. Even with holding that much power, word on the street was that there were certain people hungry to destroy our power and influence. That wouldn’t happen as long as I was alive.
“What I think is that we should all be mindful of the rules that the three of us established. If anyone is foolish enough to break them, we deal with the incident immediately. If you know that we have a situation, then you need to tell me. Otherwise, it’s business as usual.”
“And we will handle whatever comes our way,” Christopher stated, his eyes never leaving mine. I had the distinct feeling that there was more he wanted to say.
That included Valentina. Toying with her was extremely pleasurable, but I couldn’t allow my enjoyment of her to cloud my judgment. Although I would
push her further as I saw fit.
“Yes,” I hissed.
My inclination was to decline the new applicants, but maybe they were a part of whatever ruse could be on the agenda. My instincts were continuing to light up the radar, which usually meant something was about to go down.
I gazed toward the monitors highlighting the first floor. It was early, likely only a few regulars chatting up the bartenders. I knew the club would be filled, the reservations for special rooms on the uptake. That also troubled me, although I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why.
Christopher walked closer, standing in front of the monitors. “I took the opportunity of rechecking Valentina Foster’s resume since you seem so enamored with her. I also had my informant sniff, just in case.”
“Hmm... And what did you find? Any smoking guns?” A part of me was incensed he’d taken it upon himself, although his taste in women was completely different than mine. Still, I wasn’t surprised at the gnawing in my gut. He was bucking for more control as always.
He shook his head. “From all appearances, everything checks out, including the fact she arrived in DC only five weeks ago, living in Reno for several years. Since then, she hasn’t had a bite on a job. Maybe she really is clean.” He didn’t believe that any more than I did, although she seemed far too naïve to be a trained undercover operative for anyone.
“Yeah, maybe. However, I doubt she’ll return after last night as it is.” I hadn’t been able to get her off my mind, which kept me on edge. She wasn’t just beautiful, she was enthralling on several levels, igniting the kind of desire that I’d shoved aside in order to run the business. Even her defiance had been intriguing, keeping my cock hard almost all night. No one dared defy me. While she’d been flustered by my actions, she hadn’t broken down, her whimpers ones of hunger instead of fear.